by Griff Hosker
Chapter 8
The thundering hooves of the approaching horsemen confirmed the sentry’s warning. The line of light horse reined in when they were five hundred paces away. They had expected to fall upon a few archers and suddenly they saw a wall of iron facing them. The numbers grew and we saw the Norman knights with the Perci banner come to the fore. They surveyed the scene and we waited for their attack.
Aethelward said, confidently, “They will not attack tonight.”
“How do you know? “
“Look at their horses. They have ridden hard carrying armoured men. I can see that they are lathered. If they do attack I will be surprised for they will lose.”
He was right for we saw them withdraw to a low hill about a mile away in the lee of the white horse. They began to set up their camp. I turned to Osbert. “Stand the men down but I want a screen of sentries to warn us of their approach. Light the cooking fires on the other side of the hill.” He looked at me strangely, “we need our sentries to have no distractions.”
Ridley nodded, “I remember in Wales Aelfraed. Those sentries did not see us for they had fires burning.”
“I will do so my lord.”
The three of us watched the Normans for a while until night fell completely and all we could see were their fires. “Do you think they will come tonight?”
“I would, nephew, if I were Perci. If only to see what the terrain is like. If he does not then he is a poor general and tomorrow will be easy. If he does then we will have our work cut out on the morrow. But as a precaution have the men take water from the stream and soak the ground behind the ditches on the flanks. It will not hurt them but it will slow down any advance.”
I ate as I walked around our lines. I wanted my men to see me and gain confidence from that but I also wanted to be close to the front line in case they did come. Ridley copied me and followed me around but Aethelward was tired, and if I am honest, not well. He retired early leaving the watch to us. We saw the fires dim and then the night was black. “Ridley, you get some sleep now and I will wake you at moon set. You can have the early watch.”
Reluctantly my friend went to bed. “Osbert. You sleep now and I will wake you in an hour or so. I may need some company then.”
I could not sleep anyway. My mind was filled with the worry of Maiden Bower. Should I have left more men to defend it? Could I have sent the Queen and my people to Medelai? None of this was any use for it was in the past but it tormented me that I had been so keen to bring the Normans to battle that I had forgotten my weakness, Maiden Bower. I wandered amongst the sentries, ensuring that they were alert. Their teeth showed white in the night and they nodded their respect. Suddenly we heard a cry and we drew our weapons. There was another noise and a second cry. I turned to the sentries next to me and held my finger to my lips. I then signalled for them to go forwards with me. When we reached the ditch we saw the scurrying shapes of the enemy scouts who had fallen foul of the ditch and the stakes. It was dark and I could not see but when morning came I expected I would see some blood on the sharpened spikes. Our defences had been effective.
When Osbert relieved me I fell into a sound sleep. The fact that they had come meant that it would be a hard day and I knew that we had to defeat them quickly to enable me to find out where Guy and Copsi had gone. If the Normans did not attack the next day then we would have to.
We were up and fed before dawn, anticipating an early attack. They had seen how few we were and they would have identified the fyrd, distinctive by nature of their lack of uniformity. Of course they did not know that our fyrd were better trained and prepared than those who had died with Harold. Branton and my archers each had two quivers; one held the mail breakers or as they came to call them, knight killers, and the other the normal arrows with a broad barbed head. Aethelward sat astride his horse just behind the men at arms, the better to survey the enemy ranks. It was he who saw them advance.
“Here they come.”
William of Perci had brought bundles of faggots which they intended to lay in the spike filled ditch. “Archers, take out those men.”
The range was just over a hundred paces and the archers sent over flights of fifty arrows at a time. Even though each faggot bearer had a warrior protecting him with a shield, they took heavy casualties. They were brave men for they succeeded in covering the stake lined ditch, some of them with their dead bodies. William’s herald lowered a pennant and the light horse, armed with a spear and shield and covered in leather armour, galloped forwards. Osbert began to bang his shield with his spear and it was taken up along the line. I knew how unnerving that sound was. It was a message to the horsemen that we were not moving. As soon as they crossed the ditch the land began to rise and that allowed Branton’s archers to aim at the horses on a flatter trajectory. It also visibly slowed up the charging horses. The front rank was decimated and the few who threw their spears and javelins did little damage to our shield wall. When they retreated there were dead and dying horses scattered along our front and the dead horsemen amongst them.
“He is sending the crossbowmen against the archers.”
Branton nodded his acknowledgement. I saw that the foot soldiers began to advance steadily towards us. William of Perci was no fool. My archers were not numerous and could only fire at one target. He was sacrificing his crossbows to enable his infantry to weaken us. I turned to Ridley and Osbert who were standing just behind me. “As soon as the first men are across the ditch we will charge them. They will not be expecting that.”
They both grinned and Osbert shouted, “Shield wall!” I stepped back between Ridley and Osbert. If we went into wedge formation then we would be the tip. The line which approached us was ragged and not continuous. The men in it had not trained as we had. They might outnumber us but we were organised.
The first fifty had crossed the ditch and Osbert yelled, “Forwards!”
We moved quickly, but without running, towards the line of foot soldiers. I held Boar Splitter above my shield and identified the warrior I would be striking. He too had a mail shirt and the Norman helmet with the nasal. His shield was a shorter version of the kite shield used by the knights and in his hand he held a spear. We were a solid line and the brave man advanced towards it. I could see that I was taller and I mentally adjusted my aim so that I would strike downwards. The advantage of a round shield was that any blow which struck the top would slide around the side. The man before me had no such aid and when I stabbed down he reacted by pushing his shield up. He was too slow and all he succeeded in doing was driving the spear head into his skull. I twisted the blade out and looked for another enemy. I saw, from the corner of my eye that Osbert and Ridley were slightly behind me. We had ended in a wedge formation. Around me I could hear the sounds of battle, cries of joy and death screams. When I saw the ditch a little way ahead I shouted, “Charge! Push them in the ditch!”
Even though they had filled in the ditch it was uneven and, as we hit them, they fell, to be stabbed and stamped upon as they lay on the ground, pinning their writing bodies to their own faggots. “Withdraw!”
We pulled back steadily to our original position. I turned to look for Aethelward but I could not see him. I checked down the flanks and saw that the crossbowmen had retreated and most of Branton’s men remained. Branton himself came running over. “Lord Aethelward has been struck by a bolt. He lives but he cannot direct the battle.” He saw the shocked look on my face. “He will live my lord.”
There was a lull as the Normans regrouped. We had taken few casualties but they had been badly hit and their confidence dented. They still outnumbered us. I watched as they divided their horse. The knights took their right flank while the lighter horse took the left. The mauled foot and crossbowmen began to advance up the middle.
“Branton use your mail breakers against the knights and send the other archers to the right.”
There were only a hundred knights and they thought they would ride through my archers and attack our flanks.
They would have a shock coming. “Ridley, go to the left side of our line, Osbert, take the right.” I needed two experienced heads if the archers did break. I glanced behind me. There was now no-one to command the fyrd now that Aethelward had fallen.
I was gratified to see that the foot moved cautiously towards us. Their resolve weakened the closer they came to us and they were forced to clamber over their dead comrades. I was able to watch the knights as they rode up the hill towards Branton. I say rode rather than charged for it was, perforce slower than they would have liked, mainly because the ground was wet and the horses carried a heavy load. I wondered if Branton had delayed his men too long for the horsemen were but sixty paces away and he had not given the order. The men before me were a hundred paces away and trudging rather than marching towards us. I heard, “Loose!” from Branton and turned to see the twenty arrows fly towards the Normans. Ten knights were plucked from their saddles and two horses veered away from the deadly missiles hurtling towards them. I could almost feel the shock. Archers did not worry the Norman knight but when they saw their fellows with arrows sticking out of them, it unnerved them. The rest of the knights halted and covered themselves with their shields. Whoever was in command decided that discretion was the better part of valour and retreated down the hill. It did not save them for Branton and his men continued to pour arrow after arrow at them. Only half of their force reached their own lines unscathed.
The archers on the right had not fared as well and I saw fewer flights flying from their arrows. Luckily Branton saw their plight and I saw the resourceful sergeant send ten of his archers to reinforce them. Then I was too busy to notice as we became engaged. Crossbow bolts flew over our heads and began to strike the fyrd. I turned and roared, “Fyrd! Up shields”
My men already had their shields up but some of the less well trained paid for it with their lives. We strode forward to engage the men at arms. Boar Splitter stabbed and jabbed at all before him and I could see the fear in men’s eyes. No-one wished to confront the Red Horse and the deadly spear. I was in that happy state warriors sometimes achieve; I was in a rhythm of stabbing and punching; it almost seemed effortless. One of my victims fell sideways clutching the shaft of the spear, my weapon was torn from my grip. In one fluid motion I slid my shield around to my back and took up Death Bringer. Our line was looser but my men, who surrounded me, knew my action and they moved out of the circle of death as the axe began to weave a path before me. The warriors before me had terror in their eyes. They stabbed their spears at me but my new armour deflected most of the blows and those that did strike me did not penetrate Ralph’s excellent work. One warrior, braver than the rest, attempted to step inside my swing; with a slight correction the axe head sliced through his helmet and into his skull. The soldier behind tried to take advantage as I withdrew my blade but the warrior next to me thrust his spear into his mouth, already shouting his triumph.
That was enough for most of them and they began to retreat. “After them! Do not let them regroup. “Branton! Keep your eye on the knights.”
I knew that Ridley and Osbert would warn me of danger to our flanks and my only fear was a charge by the knights. I never, for one moment, thought that Osbert and Ridley were harmed. The men we fought were not the Welsh Housecarls, they were not good enough. We passed beyond the ditch and still they retreated, the ones at the back running away. Our archers began to shoot arrow after arrow into their unprotected backs. I wondered if we would be able to reach their leader, still sitting impassively on his mount behind the rest of his men. I heard, “Ware right!” Looking over I saw the light horse preparing to charge.
“Fall back. Keep in good order.”
We managed to reach the security of the fyrd and we gathered our breath. The field was covered by their dead. There appeared to be mercifully few of our men lying in the mud and I saw Ridley and Osbert safe on the flanks. This was where I missed my uncle and his advice. I had no idea how many we had killed but assumed we were almost even. “Branton!”
“Yes my lord?”
“Mount up all of your archers. We are going to attack them. You keep the horse away from us. Ride at them and shoot your arrows.” I grinned, “They have learned to fear you, Osbert, Lord Ridley.” When they reached me I was pleased to see them whole and without wounds. “Have we lost many?” I was aware that I only had two hundred men at arms. We could not afford high losses.
“A handful.”
“We are going to attack them. Ridley, take half of the men at arms on the left, Osbert the rest of them on the right. I will lead the fyrd.”
Osbert cocked his head, “Are you sure, my lord? They are unpredictable.”
“I will have my fyrd behind me and you have trained them well. Branton will keep watch on the horses. I will give the command when I have spoken to the fyrd. Let me know if Perci makes a move.”
I moved up the hill towards the fyrd. The wounded had been taken behind the men and I wondered how my uncle was. I was desperate to speak with him but time was of the essence. The men of the fyrd looked eager and, as I approached, they began to roar my name. I held up my hands for silence and they all stopped. “Today we get revenge for King Harold. Today I will lead you to attack and defeat these Normans. Some of you know me, others do not.” I glared at them. “So I will make this quite clear. No-one goes ahead of me. Is that understood?” Some said ‘yes my lord’ and others nodded. “Keep together and make sure your shoulders touch your neighbours. The men of Topcliffe will be behind me, watch them.” I saw my own people visibly grow a head taller. “Form your lines and follow me.”
I walked down the slope and saw that the Normans had still to move. That, in itself, gave me confidence. We had them worried. I carried Death Bringer for I wanted to inspire fear in these foot soldiers. “Let them know we are coming!”
Ridley and Osbert began banging their shields and those in the fyrd who had them, mainly my men, did the same and then a single voice started a chant which they all took up. “Aelfraed! Aelfraed!” I moved forwards and the whole ungainly line headed down the slope. The chanting and the banging help to keep the rhythm and when I glanced down I saw that they were all marching in step. The bodies were a minor inconvenience as we stepped over them. I saw the pennant dip and the remnants of the light horse charged. It was a weak charge for the horses were blown and Branton’s archers kept up such a withering rate that they soon withdrew. Crossbow bolts began to strike the men and Branton changed his target. I actually saw one heading for my face; I slightly inclined my head and felt it fly along my cheek.
Perci had recognised the fyrd and me. He obviously saw his chance and he and fifty knights rode in a wedge towards me. I roared, “Shield wall!” noticing, as I did so that William of Perci was in the third rank. He was a careful warrior. Branton’s men were using their mail breakers but I knew they would have few left. The whole battle would be determined by the men of the fyrd and Death Bringer. Fortunately he was aiming his wedge at me and my men had spears- I, of course, didn’t. I would be facing the most powerful weapon of the age with just an axe and a mail shirt.
I began swinging, watching, as I did so, the spear held out by the lead warrior. He had a golden star on his shield. I was aware of other knights being struck by arrows but the one at the front bore a charmed life. Suddenly the spear struck my shoulder just as my axe bit, savagely, into the horse’s neck. My blow was so hard that it almost severed the head. The spear head caught in the metal plates and was torn from the rider’s grip. As he tumbled to the ground I raised the axe and in one blow decapitated the surprised knight. I quickly swung again and this time connected with a knight’s leg. He screamed in agony and wheeled his horse around. I was suddenly facing William of Perci, with his flowing moustaches and evil aspect. His horse had stopped and he held his spear in his hand. Without warning he suddenly threw the spear overhand at me. I reacted without thinking and Death Bringer pinged off the head of the spear making it spiral away and behind me. He actually smiled
at me and nodded acknowledgement. Shouting something in Norman the knights rode away as quickly as they had charged. My fyrd cheered and we continued our descent towards the cowering foot soldiers. I knew that the time was right and I shouted, “Charge!”
The moment that we broke into a run the enemy just broke and fled, following the departing horsemen. “Branton! After their horsemen. Harry them.”
Soon the only Normans left on the field were those who were dead or about to become dead. The fyrd crossed the field, slitting throats as they went and picking up pieces of armour and weapons. Ridley made his way towards me. “I think your grandmother was watching you this day Aelfraed.”
“I think someone was. Find out the butcher’s bill. I must find Aethelward.”
Aethelward was awake, lying amongst the wounded. His shoulder was bandaged and there was blood seeping from it. The farmer who had repaired him was more used to animals. “Well?”
“We won and they fled.”
He closed his eyes, sighed and lay back. For a moment I thought he had expired but, after what seemed an age, he opened them and said, “Thank God for that. I was worried when you attacked their line. That was not our plan.”
“No Uncle but as there is another column near Ripon I knew we had no time to sit and wait for them to attack. We had to strike quickly. The arrows worked and that took the heart from their knights. They are used to taking arrows and still winning. Branton’s arrows kill!”
When we tallied up our losses, they were lighter than we could have hoped; sixteen archers, thirty men at arms and eighty of the fyrd. There were many wounded but all but three of them would survive. The Normans had lost heavily. We found eighteen dead knights, almost a hundred and fifty of their horsemen and two hundred foot soldiers and crossbowmen. Perci would have to head south and lick his wounds,