by Griff Hosker
Each of the castles had their own entrance so that they were self-contained. They were small. Whoever had built them had thought that they would be able to mutually defend each other. This had failed, but I was now even more convinced that there had been treachery involved. If I was Lord Edward, I would be looking for a traitor when we took the Bourg Neuf.
The castellan was an old Gascon. He recognised the three lions and bowed and scraped. Lord Edward was annoyed with the burghers of Tarbes. He was short with him. “These archers are here to help destroy the Bourg Neuf. You will assist them in any way they wish. You obey Captain Gerald’s commands. Is that clear?”
He looked at me and opened his mouth to say something. It would probably have been that I was too young, but he thought better of it. Lord Edward’s tone was warning enough. “Aye, lord.”
“How many men do you have?”
“There are four men with crossbows and six others.”
Eleven men to guard a castle. It was no wonder that the other had been taken so easily.
Lord Edward recognised that too. “Is there no knight who commands here?”
“Lord Gilbert prefers life on his estate, lord.”
“Then we will have to see Lord Gilbert when this is over.”
I had learned that each of the castles was supposed to be manned by a knight as part of his fealty. It was a good system. It provided a good garrison. However, the system depended upon knights doing their duty.
Lord Edward turned to me. “It is in your hands now. Begin when you are ready, and have a man come to tell me when you think the castle is ready to fall.”
Abruptly he left and I turned to the castellan. “What is your name?”
“Juan, Captain.”
“Well Juan, I need a number of things from you. Do you have tables in here?”
“Tables?”
“Where do you eat?”
“Oh yes, Captain, we have tables.”
“Then I need them all on the fighting platform, but first tell me, are all the castles built to the same design?”
“Exactly, Captain.”
“And where is the highest part?”
“That would be Tower Crabé. I will take you.” He led us through a narrow door and up a spiral staircase. The more I saw, the more I wondered how the castle could have fallen. The narrow entrance would have made the keep a death-trap for any who tried to enter. My shoulders barely fitted through the door and I had to duck my head. When we reached the fighting platform I saw the men crouching beneath the crenulations. As I stepped out with my bow, behind Juan the castellan, I saw a crossbowman about to say something. When John and the others followed me, he thought better of it. The Tower Crabé was square. It rose to the height of seven men. We entered another narrow door and this time we ascended a ladder to the square top. There were just two men there.
“Juan, I want the tables brought up here.”
“Here?”
I silenced the question simply. “Lord Edward told you to obey my orders. Do it, and we will not need these men here. I will send them their instructions when we are ready.”
I laid down my bow and went to the embrasure. The tower at the Bourg Neuf was just two hundred and twenty paces from us. Each tower appeared to be to the west of the main entrance. Even as I stood there, a bolt flew at me from the walls of Bourg Neuf. It clattered off the stone and flew into the air. I saw men on the other tower pointing at me. That was where the danger lay. I would use our crossbows to keep down the heads of their men on the walls. The men in the tower had a flat trajectory. They could reach us.
John said, “That is why you want the tables.”
“Aye, if the enemy is coming here then we need to clear their tower quickly and we do not have time to make some pavise.” I risked another glance over the top. The gate of the Bourg Neuf lay fifteen paces below us. I could see a large number of men on the fighting platform above the gate. Lord Edward would never be able to enter through the narrow gate. He would have to use ladders. I saw smoke rising from the Bourg Neuf. They were preparing pig fat or water. Lord Edward might take the outer wall quickly but not the tower.
I turned to John. “See if you can count how many men are at the gate.”
“Captain.”
“David, go and tell the crossbowmen to use their bolts against the enemy crossbows.”
“I have to talk to crossbowmen?”
Stephen Green Feathers said, “Pretend they are sheep!”
He descended, grumbling. John of Nottingham said, “I counted twenty men in mail and another twenty besides. They have vats of something bubbling, Captain. I would wager boiling water.”
David returned. “They weren’t happy, but they are doing so.”
I heard the sound of a cry from the walls of Bourg Neuf. The bolts were flying and they would keep the defenders occupied. Our danger lay in the tower. Once they realised we were archers then every crossbow would be brought there. They would be able to stop us releasing our arrows.
“Gather round.” They joined me. “We have one chance to surprise them. One hundred and twenty paces below us is their gatehouse. When I give the word, we rise and kill as many of their mailed men as we can. When they realise what we are doing and send crossbows to their tower, we will stop until we can erect our improvised pavise. After that, we will be sending arrows blind, so mark where they are.”
“Aye, Captain.”
I saw each of them select what they deemed to be their best six arrows. We had climbed the ladder and knew how long we had. A crossbow was unwieldy to carry. It would take them longer to load and send the bolts. Once they reached the top of the tower, then the stone embrasure would give the crossbow support. They would be accurate. They would be slow but accurate. I hoped that by having our own crossbows engaging theirs, it would delay them reaching the top of the tower.
“Ready?”
“Aye, Captain!”
“Then let them know they have archers to contend with!”
I rose and aimed at a knight who was exhorting his men on the outer wall. At a hundred and twenty paces and from a lofty perch I could not miss. My bodkin-tipped arrow penetrated deep into his back and flung him forward. Five others in mail fell. The defenders were disorientated. They looked to our walls first, and in that heartbeat, we sent another six arrows, and another six men in mail fell. We released a third before I heard an order given, and shields came up. For four of their men it was too late. We each chose another target and sent arrows towards them. One man at arms did not have a good helmet. Stephen Green Feathers’ arrow penetrated the metal and the man died. I saw a shield wall. While they had a shield wall, they could not defend against Lord Edward and his men. They could no longer support those defending the outer walls.
“Switch to the tower! Aim for the crossbows.”
I chose a good arrow. It was one of my father’s that I had dyed red. I aimed at an empty embrasure. This was a longer range, but I was confident. I did not make a full pull. That would tire me. I quarter pulled and I waited. When I saw a head I pulled back, and, as the crossbow appeared, I released and nocked another. The crossbow fell to shatter in the inner bailey as the crossbowman died. I nocked another arrow and sent it towards the crossbow which rose above the wall. My arrow hit the crossbow and then spiralled into the air. The crossbow was knocked from the crossbowman’s hands, and it fell to the bailey. An archer always had a spare bow. A crossbowman could not afford a spare.
Suddenly a bolt cracked into the wall. “Down!” We had done enough until the pavise came.
Juan and his men at arms huffed and puffed as they struggled up the ladder with the tables. They were six feet by three feet and perfect. “Take them from them. You know what to do!”
My men took them and lifted them easily from the Gascons. They held them before them and jammed them into the gaps between the stones of the crenulations. Even as they placed them there, bolts like angry hornets cracked into them. The crossbows’ first bolts had been r
anging ones. Now they had the range. The could send their bolts on the same trajectory all day if necessary. We were now protected, and I knew from my father that crossbows were prone to damage with repeated use. The more bolts they sent, the sooner they would break and require repair.
Five of us lined up behind the protection of the tables. Robin of Barnsley was our first spotter. He crouched and peered around a table. The angle meant that crossbow bolts could not reach him, and yet he still had a view of the gatehouse. He nodded, and we all pulled as one. We raised our bows together, and when we released it was a single crack. It was so loud that I knew the enemy would hear it. We waited.
Robin said, “Short.”
We all adjusted our aim and I ordered, “Release!”
The five arrows flew, and this time, after the crack I heard cries.
“Perfect!”
We nocked, pulled and released steadily until we had each sent ten arrows towards the enemy. Then Robin took the place of Peter Crookback. We sent another ten missiles. Gradually, we were all relieved until Robin returned to his duty. When that happened, I said, “Robin, find Lord Edward, tell him now is the time to strike, for they are weakened.”
“Aye, Captain.”
“Eat, drink, you did well.” We had all spotted. Our plunging arrows had thinned their ranks. Not every arrow found mail or flesh. Some hit shields and some found good helmets. One arrow had managed to smash into the vat of boiling water. Its contents had spilled along the fighting platform. It did not kill, but it did make the defenders move, and arrows found men who were trying to avoid boiling water.
John of Nottingham drank from his ale skin. My archers preferred ale when they could get it. When this was gone, it would be a long time until they got more. “They will think we are out of arrows! They are in for a shock.”
David the Welshman said, “We have forty more each and that is all, Gerald War Bow.”
I tore off a piece of bread and smeared it with the goats’ cheese. “And that will have to be enough.”
We waited until Robin returned. We needed a spotter. “They have taken the outer wall. Lord Edward is waiting for you before he begins the assault.”
“Then let us begin.”
My arms and shoulders were aching. This was the most prolonged period of releasing arrows I could remember. I had practised for longer, but then I had not had the cacophony of crossbow bolts striking the wood just three feet from my head. The rain of bolts had slowed, but they were still there.
“Short, but you still hit one knight!”
We adjusted and again heard cries. The cries of the enemy dying were augmented by the sound of the men of Gascony and England assaulting the walls. We were down to our last four arrows when Peter Crookback shouted, “I see Lord Edward on the walls!”
“Cease!” I noticed that the bolts had stopped hitting the pavise. “Take down the tables, let us see if we can help.”
We dared not risk sending arrows blindly when our own men were attacking but we could still make a difference. I nocked an arrow, aware that I was down to a handful. I saw that Lord Edward and John were leading men towards the Count Alphonso. I levelled my bow and half pulled. I did not have a clear line. Suddenly I saw Lord Edward slip on blood, or guts; it was hard to see. Count Alphonso raised his sword to end the life of my new lord. I now had a target, and my arrow struck him in the neck. It tore through his ventail and entered his shoulder. He slid to the side and that heralded the end. Men threw down their swords. I saw John help Lord Edward to his feet, and Lord Edward looked at the arrow. He raised his sword in salute. We had won.
John of Nottingham laughed and handed over sixpence. “Here Captain — you were right. Gaston de Béarn was not within the walls, and I believe that it is you who have earned your gold coin!” He raised his bow and cheered, “And we did not need to use fire arrows, let us hear it for Captain Gerald!” My men joined in the cheers. It was a victory and I enjoyed the sound of it.
Chapter 7
The first act that we did was to remove the heads of our dead from the spears on the walls. Some had been damaged in the fighting and that made us even angrier. The defenders who had surrendered cowered as we passed. Lord Edward had promised death to the defenders. They would do nothing to remind him of his promise. There were just sixteen survivors. No knights survived, and of the others, only six were unwounded. Once we had seen to our dead we retrieved as many arrows as we could. Only a few were totally usable, but the heads on some, the fletch on others and some of the shafts could be made into arrows again. We would need them for the attack which we knew was coming.
As we were collecting them Lord Edward’s squire found me. “Lord Edward is pleased with you, archer. Once again, you saved his life. His gold is reaping a fine investment. He would have you and your men in the centre castle, by the cathedral. That will be the point of the enemy attack.”
I was curious as to how he knew. “Why do you say that?”
“One of the prisoners agreed to talk in exchange for his life.” Even as he spoke I heard the snap of ropes as the others, wounded and whole, were hanged.
“What if he lies?”
John gave a cruel smile. “Matthew watches him. If the attack does not happen as he has told us, then he will be emasculated, hanged, drawn and finally quartered. I do not think he lies. Besides which, the centre castle lies close to the cathedral and has the best approach for engines of war.”
“If he thought we would still be attacking Bourg Neuf then he would not need siege engines.”
“Lord Edward is like you, archer, he is young but he is clever. On the morrow, he leads the knights out to find Gaston de Béarn. He will draw him to the walls.”
I nodded. “It seems a good plan.” I turned to my men and shouted, “When you have your arrows, come to me. We have a new place to defend.”
I knew why there was a delay. While they were retrieving arrows, my men were also relieving the dead of anything they had which was of value. When they eventually arrived I led them back to our horses. It would be better if they were with us in the castle. The castle was the count’s castle and had two towers and higher walls than the surrounding ones. There were stables and we would use them. I now had a scabbard for my saddle. With Roger’s two swords and scabbards across my back, the one on my horse became a spare. I still had my packs on my sumpter, and so we walked our animals to the stables.
The count was meeting with Lord Edward and the other leaders. The sergeant at arms was expecting us. “You are fine archers. We saw your fall of arrows. I thought there were more of you.”
“There will be, eventually.”
The sergeant seemed an affable man, and as he led us to the fighting platform we chatted. “Tell me, sergeant, how did the enemy take Bourg Neuf so easily, and why did the rest of the garrisons not attempt to retake it? I mean no offence but we retook it easily enough.”
“None taken. There were many of us as angry as you. A message came from Guy de Montfort, telling us that the men of Béarn were racing for Bayonne. The count took men and knights from the castles to thwart them. Guy de Montfort agreed to stay and watch our town. It was he and his men who allowed Count Alphonso to sneak in. When Sir Richard arrived they were ambushed. We tried to help, but with only a dozen or so men in each castle…”
The de Montforts reared their heads again. Simon de Montfort was bitter about the loss of his governorship. I could see why Lord Edward wished to return to England with all haste. The two had been close friends, but now they were moving towards a hatred which would consume England.
This time we had the fighting platform above the gate. There was a tower on each side. We would not need pavise. If they had crossbows, we would have the crenulations to protect us. They would be below us. A crossbow worked best when it had elevation. It made it a good weapon to use in a castle. We were now using arrows which had been kept at Tarbes. They were not as good as the ones we made ourselves, but until we had access to some good wood and a bla
cksmith and could find the right goose feathers, we would have to make do. It was all a matter of confidence.
That night we ate at a table and we slept in beds. To an archer used to campaigning it was luxury. The others were interested in my swords.
John of Nottingham asked, “Why two swords, and why are all your swords longswords? Most archers use a short sword. It is good enough for us.”
I told them the story of how I had come into the possession of my first sword. I showed them the scabbard my father had made. “When my friend died, he asked me to take his weapons and his coins. I did as my brother asked me.” I held up my purse. “It is no secret that I hold a large purse of gold. If I die then, as I have no one else in my life, I ask my brother archers to share it equitably.”
Peter was the most thoughtful of my men. He said, quietly, “If Guy of Sheffield was here, then you would wake with a second throat.”
I smiled. “I choose my brother archers carefully! Lord Edward wants a whole company. You are the first. The others will have to match your standards. When we return to England, we will be attired in a livery.”
“We return?”
I nodded, “Aye, we do.” I said it with a smile, but my heart was heavy. I would have to speak to Lord Edward before we left Gascony. I would not leave with a lie between us.
We heard the knights ride out in the early morning. Lord Edward had forty knights and squires with him. They were not all the knights; we had twenty more in the castles. In addition, every castle was well garrisoned with men at arms and crossbowmen. We then waited. I had taken to wearing my hat again. This time it was not for the cold, as it was in England, but for the sun, which burned down. David had fair skin and he wore a brimmed straw hat to keep off the sun. We were almost in the land of the Moors, Spain, and although winter approached, it was still hotter than an English summer’s day. While we waited I went to the blacksmith and used his wheel to sharpen my two swords and my dagger. Roger had made a good scabbard. I barely felt the weight, and they were easy to draw over my shoulders. I would only need them when I was close to an enemy or had run out of arrows. I knew that I would need to practise with both of them. If I did not use a shield, I would have to compensate by using a sword.