by Griff Hosker
As we made our camp I saw that poor Tom looked exhausted. When I had been his age I had done as much but perhaps I had been tougher. I pulled him to me and wrapped him in my cloak. “I am not tired, father.”
“I know but I am. You and I will have an early night and let the others watch.” I caught Roger of Chester’s eye and he nodded. My men would let me be a father that night. I hoped that I would be able to keep him safe when the battle came. Had I made a mistake?
We woke to silence and it remained that way for some time. The rest helped our horses and us. Tom looked much brighter. We had two archers on each of the roads, Stow and Chipping Norton. Two returned at noon. “Captain, they are approaching down the road.”
I went with them and Roger of Chester. I left Tom with Henry and John. We hid far enough back from the road so that we would not be seen. We heard their noise long before we saw them. They were like a huge colourful snake which slithered along the road to Stow. They were heading for Radcot Bridge. Estimating their speed told me they would have to camp at Stow and would not be at the bridge until the morning. The baggage train passed us and we returned to my men. There was little point in trying to get ahead of them. If my messages had reached the Earl he would be racing down the road to reach us.
“Stephen the Tracker. Follow them and let me know where they camp.”
We mounted and I led my men down to Chipping Norton. The castle still stood but it was empty. It was one of the ones first built by the Conqueror all those years ago. A small village, it had no river to guard and the main road now ran through Banbury. It was of no importance. I led my men up to the deserted castle. We tethered our horses within what had been the bailey and we waited. Part of the fighting platform remained and I had men keep watch. They spied, in the late afternoon, the retinue of Henry Bolingbroke as they headed down from Banbury. I mounted Jack and rode, with Edward, John, Tom and Henry, to meet with him. We met on the outskirts of the village.
“Well, Will?”
“They were heading down the Stow road, lord. Stephen followed them. He has not returned.”
“You are certain about Radcot Bridge?”
“It is less than twenty miles from Stow to the bridge. They will cross there but, lord, they have five thousand men.”
“My uncle is heading for the bridge even as we speak. He has three thousand men and they can deny him the river.” I turned my horse and we rode towards the village. “Are your men rested?”
“They are, lord.”
“Then when your archer confirms their direction ride to the bridge and tell my uncle and the lords. I will close the jaws on this trap tomorrow.”
“Lord, you have less than eight hundred men with you.”
He smiled, “It will be enough. If you taught me anything when you trained me Will it was that a resolute leader who leads good men will prevail over one who has weakness. We both know de Vere has weakness.”
I knew that but I wondered how Henry Bolingbroke did. He saw the confusion on my face. “Will, you are a good man and the best of warriors but you saw just one side of de Vere. You saw the ambitious, power hungry man who seeks a crown. I know him to be a weak and vain man. If he had been any kind of leader and friend to King Richard he would have come last year when you guarded him at Eltham. He did not. He has spent almost a year gathering this army. Why? He hoped that the French would invade and he would be called upon to rule. He is not confident about his own ability to win a battle. I have enough men, for when he sees that he is surrounded he will try to bargain.”
We reached the castle and the village. Stephen rode in, “Captain, my lord, they are camped at Stow.”
I nodded, “Then I will see you on the morrow, my lord.” I turned to Edward, “We did not need you as a messenger but I thank you for your company.”
“And I yours, sir. I learned much. You shared the hardships with your men and I can see why they are so loyal. God speed, sir.”
We had twenty miles to ride and would not reach the bridge until well after dark. I had Simon and Walter Longridge ahead as scouts. We clattered over it as the cold began to bite. My scouts rode back to tell me that there was an army camped just half a mile from the bridge. I frowned. They should have had guards upon the bridge. What was the Duke of Gloucester thinking?
We dismounted and led our horses to the camp. The lords had spread on both sides of the road. The ground close to the bridge was a little marshy. They had no sentries out. I heard the murmur from the fires and we had almost entered the camp before there was any sort of alarm. Men jumped up and grabbed weapons. I held up my hand. “We are friends. I am William Strongstaff and I serve Henry Bolingbroke.” My name was known and swords were sheathed. “Where is the Duke?”
A sergeant at arms pointed, “The lords are lodged at the farm.”
I turned to Roger and Stephen, “Find us a camp. Send John to me when you have found a suitable site. Henry come with me. And you Tom.” I handed my reins to John and strode with Henry and my son along the road. I said, “If you are still worried about your grandparents…”
“I am but if this de Vere wishes them harm then he will have to defeat the lords and then send a messenger. Tomorrow will decide my grandparents’ fate. This lesson has been one I did not expect to learn. I had been so concerned with becoming a knight that I had forgotten what gave me the chance to become one. I will not neglect them again in the future.”
As we approached the farmhouse sentries approached us. “I am come from the Earl of Derby! I have intelligence about the enemy.”
The sentry opened the door and I heard the hubble and bubble of conversation. The heat from the interior hit me after the cold of the night. I realised I had not eaten for some time and the smell of food made my stomach ache. Faces turned as we entered the room. The Duke of Gloucester frowned and then recognised me, “You are the fellow who guarded the King.” I nodded. “Bolingbroke sent you?”
“He did lord. Your enemy, Robert de Vere, is camped at Stow eighteen miles from here. He has over five thousand men. He will be here by noon. Your nephew guards the road north. He cannot escape but he has five thousand men.”
The Duke jumped to his feet and smacked one fist into the palm of the other, “We have the slippery eel!” He took a purse of coins and threw it at me. “You have done well!” he suddenly seemed to see me. “You once served with my brother, the Black Prince, in Spain.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“As I recall you were handy and I hear that the cutthroats you lead are also handy.”
I did not like the appellation he afforded me but I nodded, “They are good men, lord.”
“There is a small ford a little way west of the bridge. I would have you and your men guard the eastern approaches to it. We intend to put our force on the river. He outnumbers us but I hope to daunt him with the mettle of the men I lead.”
Sir Thomas Mortimer, a knight who was a close associate of the Lords Appellant jumped to his feet. “Lord, let me challenge de Vere and I will fight him. Then he will see that we are men of steel.”
The Earl of Arundel, whom I knew favoured Sir Thomas pulled his friend down to his seat, “We both know that de Vere will do anything to avoid having to fight anyone. He will hide in the rear and it will be Molineux, Vernon or Ratcliffe who come to face us beard to beard!”
The room laughed and the Duke of Gloucester waved his arm. I was dismissed. I confess that I did not like the men I had just met. When I had been in the free companies I had seen groups of ordinary warriors who were like them. They thought themselves exclusive. They mocked others and thought only of themselves. The Blue Company had not been like that. My men were not like that and I hoped that Henry Bolingbroke was cut from a different cloth.
John awaited me and he led me to the camp. My men had chosen somewhere close to the river and they had a fire going. For the first time in many days we would have warm, if not hot food and we would not be chilled to the bone. Already a stew was being prepared and as the
fire took hold the pot was placed on top. We drank from our ale skins and I told them what we had learned.
Henry said, “I did not like the man who leads us.”
I laughed, “Nor did I but men like us do not choose who leads us. We choose our sides. We lie in bed with the Duke of Gloucester and the enemies of King Richard but it is only to scotch the snake that is de Vere. When de Vere is gone and the King free from his spell we may well be the enemies of the Duke of Gloucester. We fight one battle at a time, Henry!”
We rose, as was our way, before dawn and breakfasted on meat cooked on a skillet over the coals. We could have eaten the ham cold but warmed through it seemed to fill a man better and the smell of ham cooking added to the pleasure. We led our horses beyond the bridge and secreted them in the woods. The bank was lined with willows and bushes. It was easy for us to wait there. I knew that it was unlikely that our enemy would arrive much before noon.
“Tom, I will be busy this day. If we have to fight I want you near to the horses. If it goes badly with us then flee.”
“I can fight!”
“I know my little cockerel, but for today watch the horses eh?”
“Yes father!”
Some of my archers threw old bow lines in the river. There were fishes, even in December. My men were expert foragers. We had our shields and helmets by our horses as we waited. The archers had their bows ready but not strung. I looked north of the river and saw that marshes spread on that side. They lay behind us too and we occupied one of the few dry areas. The Duke of Gloucester had made a wise decision to use the road and bridge for defence. This was not a good battlefield and he had chosen the better ground. I thought back to when I had first met Robert de Vere. He had been young then but he had known what he wanted. He was ambitious and saw friendship with the King as a means to gain power. I could not remember him fighting a battle save against the Irish and they were so wild and reckless that they did not count. I wondered when he had decided to try for a crown. The Earl was correct, de Vere threatened the stability of the crown. So long as he lived then King Richard could never be the king his father hoped.
There was a shout from the river and I looked up in alarm. I smiled. James Warbow had caught a fish. Noises began to come from the camp as the Duke of Gloucester began to send his men to their positions. He and his lords stood on the south bank of the Thames. We were close enough to the bridge to see that he was surrounded by his closest knights: the Earl of Arundel, Sir Thomas Mortimer and the Earl of Warwick. They were mounted but surrounded by dismounted knights. The marshy ground meant any knight who fought on a horse was doomed.
Noon approached and we heard the sound of hooves on cobbles. I did not think we would be involved overmuch in the battle for the marshy ground opposite precluded its use by warriors. We would, however, have a good view of the battlefield. I saw the banners first and then the leaders of de Vere’s army. He led and I saw, next to him, Molineux, Vernon, his brother, Sir Hugo, and Sir Bohemund Ratcliffe. I prayed for the opportunity to lay alongside Sir Hugo. I did not want the threat of him hanging over my family and my farm. If this came to blows then he would be fighting at the bridge but I would be ready.
“Archers!”
My archers pulled in their fishing lines and grabbed their bows. They strung them and then jammed arrows in the soft earth next to them. There might have been a frost but the thin December sun had turned it to mud. The marsh ruled once more. Horns sounded from de Vere’s army and they began to array. I saw horsemen on the bank opposite. They were going to risk the marsh. De Vere was a bigger fool than I had taken him for. Both commanders were showing caution. They shuffled their men around. I saw crossbow men approaching their right flank. They would be opposite us. My archers would anticipate a duel with cross bows. De Vere came to the western side of the bridge. He was accompanied by Sir Thomas Molineux. Were they going to be so foolish as to attack the marshy side, our side?
The Duke of Gloucester saw the movement and he sent Sir Thomas Mortimer and his retinue to join us. There was a gap between my men and the end of the Duke’s line and perhaps de Vere had seen it as a weak point.
Sir Thomas grinned, “Master William, we may have need of you and your archers yet. Are your horses handily placed?”
“Aye, lord. We can be mounted in a heartbeat.”
“Good.”
Just then Stephen the Tracker said, “Captain, look, to the north!”
I shaded my hands against the thin sun and saw the banners and pikes of Henry Bolingbroke and his men. I knew how few they were but the enemy did not and a large contingent, at the rear, began to drift away. De Vere and the Constable of Chester had not seen the movement yet and de Vere raised his sword. They were going to attack.
“Ready men, on my command!”
The mounted horsemen rode into the water. Sir Thomas lined the banks with his knights and men at arms. They were armed with pikes. As crossbow bolts began to fly, striking the shields of Mortimer and his men, I shouted, “Kill the crossbowmen!”
Stephen the Tracker had been waiting for such an order. I only had ten archers but soon their deadly missiles began to hit the crossbows and their operators. Some fell and the others moved out of range. My son hurled his stones too. Most fell short but I was proud that he tried. At the same time de Vere must have realised that not only were his men not advancing most were fleeing. The Constable of Chester and his men were having to face the pikes of Sir Thomas Mortimer and they were having the worse of the exchange. Suddenly de Vere raised his visor and shouted, “All is lost! Flee!”
As he turned to look at his leader the Constable of Chester fell from his rearing horse. His men fled. Sir Thomas Mortimer shouted, “Captain, get de Vere!”
I ran back to the horses. Over my shoulder I heard Sir Thomas shout, “You are lost, will you surrender?”
Constable shouted, “I will not flee. Will you come down and fight with me here?”
“Tom, stay here and guard the spare horses. We will return.”
“Yes father. Be safe!”
We mounted our horses and made our way to the river bank.
I saw Sir Thomas say to the Constable of Chester, “Come from the river.”
“Will you save my life?”
“I promise nothing.”
The Constable looked down the river where de Vere and ten of his men were swimming their horses to a place where they could clamber to dry land. As my horse entered the water I watched as Sir Thomas reached down and, pulling the helmet from the Constable drove his dagger into his throat. It was not an honourable thing to do. I kicked Jack and we kept to the south side of the river. There the water only came up to Jack’s withers and we began to gain on the Earl of Oxford. I knew that there was a ford downstream and he would be able to use that to escape. To my amazement I saw him throw his helmet, shield and lance into the water. He was lightening the load his horse had to carry. Behind me I heard the wail as the men de Vere had been leading realised that he had fled. They joined the flight north. They had a choice of the pikes of the men of the Earl of Derby or marshes.
I saw the ford just ahead. We were closing. The Earl of Oxford turned and saw us. He shouted something to his men and, as he did so, managed to fall from his horse. Perhaps the horse lost its footing or maybe he jerked the head around too quickly. The result was that he was dumped into the water. I spurred on Jack as the retinue of the Earl turned to defend their lord. His squire rode to help him. I drew my sword. My shield still hung from my cantle as did my helmet. I would have no time to don them. I rode at the leading sergeant at arms. He had little plate but he wore good mail. I did not slow and he was stationary. He was trying to make his horse turn and he concentrated too hard on that. He swashed his sword rather than hitting. I put all of my effort into the blow and my blade hit his chest hard. He fell backwards into the water. His mail dragged him under for the water came above the horse’s stirrups. My other men were already fighting with the remaining retinue and I urged Jac
k to get at the fleeing de Vere. His squire had given him his horse and stood facing me with a shield and a spear. De Vere scrambled up the ford and disappeared into the bushes which lined the north bank of the Thames.
I did not want to hurt a squire doing his duty. I needed to stop the Earl of Oxford and end his reign. The squire, as I neared him, suddenly hurled his spear at me and my horse. He was just ten feet away and the spear hit the armour on my leg. The plate turned the spear and it scored a line down Jack’s side. He reared and deposited me in the river. We were nearing the ford and I did not sink far. His squire ran at me with his sword. He saw his chance of glory. I barely blocked his blow as I was having to fight the river. My feet found purchase and as I stood I raised my sword. The squire attempted to block the blow. I swung my fist around and knocked him out. He fell backwards into the water and I dragged him out by his coif.
Jack was standing in the shallows and I hurried as fast as I could to get to him. Sir Thomas Mortimer had sent two knights; Sir Tristram and Sir Geoffrey. They joined me and my men. “Where did he go, Captain?”
I pointed west and mounted Jack. The two knights and their squires galloped off. I shouted, “Wait!” They did not heed my words and I cursed them. Their hooves would hide his tracks! By the time I caught up with them they had muddied any tracks there might have been.
“I cannot see him! Which way Captain?”
I shrugged, “Had you followed the tracks we might have known. As it is he is lost but I would guess that he would head west.”
I guessed that they were annoyed at being spoken to like that by a mere gentleman but I cared not. We spent almost until dusk searching the river. We were about to turn when we heard the neigh of a horse. I drew my sword and waved my men in a half circle. The knights and their squires looked confused. Roger of Chester shouted, “Captain, I have found his cuirass and sabaton.”
Just then his horse wandered over. It was injured. One of the knights, Sir Geoffrey of King’s Lynn said, “He is dead then.”
I turned and gave him a scornful look. “And how do you arrive at that conclusion? Did he stop his lame horse, take off his cuirass and throw himself in the river?”