by Griff Hosker
As we neared the coast of England our supplies of bread finally ran out. We had shared our last two loaves, our ham and cheese with the men at arms. Some had been so ill in the first half of the journey that we feared they might not survive without real food. It meant that, for the last two days, we ate porridge and drank stale water. I thought, when we began to sail down the Thames, that our ordeal was over, but it was not. We tacked back and forth up the twisting, turning Thames. Ironically, we could have sailed the river faster, for we were smaller, but we had to sail behind our consort. It added to the agony of the four men at arms who had suffered the most.
We passed the White Tower. No standard flew. The king was not there. Then we left the city that was London and sailed the last few miles to Windsor. It was King Henry’s favourite castle and he had done much to make it a palace. For myself, I just wanted to be off the cog. We had to wait, for there was only space for one ship at a time, and Prince Edward had priority. Now that we were in England we would call him “Prince”. Captain William had told us that before we left Bayonne.
When it was our turn, we were all ready waiting with our war gear. Ralph and I had agreed that the four sick men at arms could leave first. We waited at the waist while the ship was tied to the quay and then the gangplank lowered. The prince, the knights and their servants had departed by the time we were ready to disembark. Only Captain William stood waiting for us.
Guthrum stood at the gangplank. Whenever he had had the chance he had made our lives hard. It was not just the food. He had had his sailors leave ropes and handspikes lying to trip the unwary going to make water in the dark of night. He had not caught my archers, but two of the younger men at arms, who had been the most unwell, had fallen and suffered sprains as a result. His leering face invited a fist. As the four most in need left, he put out a foot and, after tripping the third, pushed the fourth, so that all four tumbled down the gangplank. Their war gear fell into the river. I had had enough. I was bigger than Ralph, and I was a captain of archers. Handing my gear to John of Nottingham, I strode up to the laughing Guthrum.
“Go to the river and fetch their war gear.”
His face darkened, “Puppy, you may order these arse lickers about but not me. Go to hell and fetch them yourself!”
He stood belligerently with fists bunched. I half-turned to Ralph, “I tried, Ralph!” Before he knew it, I had swung and hit him in the gut with all the power in my left arm. It was a mighty blow and he doubled up. I brought back my right arm and smashed it up into his face. I heard his nose break. His head jerked back and he flew over the side of the cog. There was a splash as he hit the water. Our men cheered.
I turned to the captain who was standing by the stern and I shouted, “Captain Alfred, you are a piss-poor captain. You were paid good money by Prince Edward. We were treated worse than slaves. If I ever see you again, pirate, you will receive worse than Guthrum.”
“You threaten me on my own ship!”
I was angry. This was the culmination of the privations of the voyage. Before I could race to him, Ralph and four of his men had run the length of the ship. They picked him up and dumped him over the stern.
I glared at the rest of the crew. “Anyone else wish to voice a complaint?”
Jack of Lothnwistoft shook his head. “No archer. I think the lesson has been learned.”
We stepped off the ship. The four men had retrieved their war gear when it had caught on the bank. Guthrum was pulling himself one-handed up the bank. His other hand lay at an awkward angle. It had broken in the fall.
The captain also pulled himself ashore. He stood dripping and waved a hand at us all. “You will pay for this!”
John of Nottingham walked up to him and said, quietly, “Do you really wish to make enemies of us?” He took out his dagger. “Your Guthrum might frighten your sailors, but believe me, if we wished you harm…”
He left the rest unsaid. We strode along the road towards Captain William. He had a bemused look upon his face. “I can see that you have taught my men at arms some bad habits.”
I smiled. “It is never a bad habit to punish bullies and thieves. That is what they are. You, Captain you ate well?” He nodded. I pointed to the four men who had come down the gangplank first. “Let us hope that we do not need these men to fight anytime soon. They are in no condition, and the rest of us will need time to recover.”
He leaned in to me. “You may be prescient, Gerald War Bow. When we stopped in the channel, the ship brought news that Simon de Montfort and his allies are back in England, and they are stirring trouble against the king.”
I remembered what the men at arms, to whom we had sold our horses, had said. Was this the same plot? “And the prince? You know him better than I do.”
He looked around to make sure that we were not being overheard. “There are some who think that the prince sides with the king’s enemies. For myself, I do not believe it. When he was growing up, he was led astray by uncles and cousins, who sought to use him against his father. I have seen a change. I have served them both. Prince Edward is the better warrior. If he turned against the king…” He looked up at me. “You saved his life, and his squire says that he likes you. What do you think?”
I rubbed my chin. My beard had grown and it still felt uncomfortable. “I do not think he is a traitor. He would fight for the king. Will he have to?”
“De Montfort is a good leader. He is ambitious. We will have to fight them.” He turned and waved his men forward. “Come, we shall sleep under a roof this night.” Then to me he said, “Keep this counsel, eh Gerald? One warrior to another.”
“Of course.”
The castle was most impressive. Built for William, it had been added to by successive kings. Now that Henry had made it a palace, it would be the preferred home for the royal family. It was away from the unpredictable mob that was London. They could be bought and bribed. The people of London did not care about England. They cared about themselves first and London second. I thought that the king had been wise to make this choice.
We had quarters in the lower ward. The king and his knights were in the upper ward. We settled into a routine while we awaited orders. I had butts set up in the lower ward and we practised each day. Better fed, we soon recovered from the voyage, and I saw that our skills and strength had not diminished. It was ten days after our return that Prince Edward and John, his squire, came into the lower ward. Captain William and his men at arms were practising too. The prince called over the captain and me.
“I am pleased to see that you are practising. We may need your skills soon enough.” He glanced at me. “It seems that when I am not there to watch you, then you get into trouble.”
“Trouble, my lord?”
“Breaking a sailor’s jaw and arm do not constitute trouble?”
There was little point in explaining and so I just bowed my head. “Sorry, my lord.”
When I looked up I saw the hint of a smile on his face. “Good, we understand one another. We have been set a task. We are to go to Wales. Llywelyn ap Gruffudd needs to be taught a lesson. Each summer the Welsh raid for six weeks. It is, apparently, a tribal tradition. They have laid waste to parts of the land around the Conway.” He looked at me. “You know the area, I believe?”
I shifted uncomfortably. “Yes, lord. I was raised there.”
“Then you have one month to hire another fifteen archers. I would have twenty archers and twenty men at arms in my retinue.”
I nodded. “Do you care where they are from, lord?”
I saw Captain William cock his head to one side and the prince frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Do you want good archers?”
“Of course.”
“Then I shall seek them in the forests of Yorkshire and Nottingham.”
His squire, John, said, “Outlaws?”
“I was an outlaw in Delamere Forest. I have not asked, but I would guess that John of Nottingham and Robin of Barnsley would know of good archers wh
o live in the forest, even if they were not outlaws themselves.”
I saw Prince Edward taking the prospect in. “When you saved my life it came at a price, archer! Very well. They must swear to be honest men; on a Bible. I will have John fetch one along with a warrant. You are on my business. Come to the stables on the morrow and get horses.” He turned and left.
I shook my head. “A month only!”
Captain William said, “Aye, and if they are men who live beyond the law, why should they choose to serve the next king?”
“Because the life of an outlaw is not a good one. All of the outlaws I joined are now dead. Life is short in the greenwood. Do not believe all the songs from troubadours.” I nodded. “At least we have something to do. All of this practice dulls my men’s fighting edge. A trip into the dangerous world of outlaws may be just what we need.”
Chapter 9
We headed up the Roman Road which led to the north. My guess had been accurate. Both John of Nottingham and Robin of Barnsley had served in outlaw bands. They had both been very young, and, like me, their time with them had been brief. The prince had only sent money for the journey. He had not sent coin to hire archers. I thought that a bad idea. I had brought some of my own coins with me. It would be a good investment. We travelled light, with just one spare sumpter. Any men we hired would have to walk back to Windsor, where we were mustering the army which would march to Wales.
“Where is the best place to begin, John of Nottingham? The forest?”
He laughed. “From what you told us of your time in Delamere forest, Captain, that would be the worst place to start. There is a tavern built into the stone upon which Nottingham castle sits. They brew fine ale there.”
“We have a month! The less time we spend drinking, the better.”
“You misunderstand me, Captain. It is an alehouse which is frequented by those who know the outlaws. Outlaws cannot exist for long without help. They are outlaws, but they are also men, and that is how we will find them. I know not who they are now, but the alehouse will be a good place to begin.”
As we now wore the livery of Prince Edward, we did not look like ruffians. It meant that we were not closely questioned as we rode through the towns which had walls and gates. Our bows and swords did not attract attention. However, they were the only benefits. Prices for food and ale were higher, as traders thought we could afford it. The feed and stables cost us more too. England is an expensive country.
When we reached Leicester we were in de Montfort land. Simon de Montfort was Earl of Leicester. We were within half a day’s ride of Nottingham. We found an inn with a stable and were enjoying a meal when we were approached. I did not recognise the livery. It was a rampant white lion on a red background. I learned later that it was the sign of Simon De Montfort. The oak-like arms of the man and his broad chest told me that he was an archer. He wore a wrist-guard which confirmed it. He had a jug of ale with him.
“May I offer you lads a drink? I too am an archer; Wilfred of Melton.”
I nodded. “I have never yet refused ale. I am Gerald War Bow.”
He smiled as he topped up our beakers. “I have heard of you. I am Hugh of Bolsover. I am captain of the earl’s archers. You serve Lord Edward?”
“Prince Edward.”
“My mistake. I forgot he was in England. The Earl of Leicester is also in England. I would make you an offer. Serve my lord and I will double whatever the prince is paying you.”
“You know not what we are paid. We could make up a figure.”
He supped his ale and shrugged. “Whatever you say, we will pay. I can see that you are all experienced archers. You look young, Gerald War Bow, but I have heard of your reputation. The earl was in Gascony, and your exploits were told around our campfires.”
“Then you know that we are Prince Edward’s men. I thank you for your offer, but we must decline.”
He looked at the others. “Does your captain make all your decisions?”
John of Nottingham nodded. “He does. But know this, Captain of Archers, we agree with all of them!”
The captain snatched up the jug and stormed off.
“We have made another friend, Captain.”
“I know, Robin.” I had watched the man as he had spoken. I did not like his face, which looked shifty. “I think that he just wanted us away from Prince Edward. There is a war coming, and this Earl of Leicester seeks to make the board suit his pieces. It is even more urgent that we hire archers now.”
It took three days to reach Nottingham. In the days of King John it had been a much more important castle than it was now. Even so, it was as busy a place as I had seen. We arrived on market day and there were many people in the city. For the first time we were able to eat cheaply. We found a stable not far from the alehouse. It was called “The Saddle”. An old saddle hung above the door. We did not go in. With our bows in their cases, we walked the markets. That was my idea. I wanted other archers to see the five of us wearing livery and with our bows. When we spread the word it would travel quicker. We visited the stalls and spent a few copper coins. Though the food that we were able to buy was cheaper than that in the inns, it was of dubious quality. The rabbit we ate looked remarkably like rat to me! We found a room for the five of us. It was next to the stables. For that reason it was cheaper than the others, for it was a large stable and there were many horses. The smell filled our room.
It was getting on for dusk when we headed back to the alehouse. The market had finished and traders were heading home. We had spied cutpurses and charlatans at the market and they now headed for the alehouses and taverns to spend their gains. They would steer clear of five archers. We had swords and muscles. There were easier targets than us.
The alehouse had food. It was not the best food we had ever eaten. It was pea and ham soup with barley bread. I suspect they had shown the soup the ham bone, for I could find precious little evidence of ham in the soup. It was, however, filling. The ale was better. The brewhouse also served the castle and was in the sandstone rocks behind the alehouse. That first night was a scouting expedition. We were looking for signs of our prey: archers. We saw none, but the lures we laid would, hopefully, reap rewards. We asked if there were any archers who were seeking work. We could not afford to spend more than a couple of days in Nottingham. If this failed then we would move further north, to Sheffield. Each mile we travelled further north made our journey home that much longer.
As we walked back to our inn we were followed. If we had turned around we would not have seen anyone, but an archer who is a hunter has a sense of such things. Once we were in the room we would share, David the Welshman confirmed that we were being followed. “There were two of them trailing us. I didn’t see them but…”
John of Nottingham seemed satisfied. “That is what I thought too, Captain. They probably suspected we are from the castle and the sheriff’s men. Tomorrow we will see if the fishes bite.”
Even though I was not worried we took precautions. Robin of Barnsley slept behind the door. No one was getting in without waking him.
The next morning we went to see to the horses and then we split into two groups. I went with Robin of Barnsley. The other two went with John. I thought it more likely that we might be approached if we were in a smaller group. It took until the middle of the afternoon. We had been to the centre and waited outside the church. Pilgrims had been entering and leaving for most of the day. It was often that way after a market day. Those who travelled a long way frequently stayed the night and then visited the church before leaving for home. When you lived close to the mighty forest, then God’s help, and whatever saint you could summon, was always welcome.
We were about to turn when two cloaked figures approached. Both had the build of an archer, albeit an underfed archer. They kept their voices low, and as I looked them up and down, I saw daggers beneath their cloaks; they were pointed at us. I saw that there were few people around. They had chosen their moment well. I liked that. One was a taller
man, almost my height. I could not see his face, for he was hooded. The other was slightly shorter, but I could see that his nose had been split by a blade. It looked deliberate. It was normally the punishment for poaching rabbits.
“Do not move suddenly or summon help. If you do, then you are both dead men.” It was the hooded man who spoke.
I smiled. “Why would we run? We have been seeking archers, and you have found us. Besides, if we wished it, then we would have those daggers and you would be our prisoners.”
They both started at that. “Cocky! And a Welshman too!”
I feigned outrage. “Do not insult us! I am Gerald War Bow and I am English. This is Robin of Barnsley. We come here looking for archers to serve Prince Edward.”
“How do we know that you are not the sheriff’s men?”
“Firstly, we wear the livery of Prince Edward, and secondly, you followed us last night and know where we slept. We would not pay for lodgings when we could sleep in the castle. I am Gerald War Bow and I am the captain of Prince Edward’s archers.”
The one with the split nose said, “It sounds right, Peter.”
“I told you, no names! I do not trust them.”
I smiled. “Then let us go our separate ways. You are obviously too fearful for us. You would rather hide in the wood and eat short rations. You prefer a damp greenwood to a roof and a bed. You would rather make your own clothes than have the money to buy them. I am sorry to have wasted your time, Peter, although, as you accosted us, I suspect that there is an interest in our offer.”
Split Nose smiled. He pushed his hood back and I saw that he was an older man. He was losing his hair. “Peter is the suspicious type. The sheriff hanged his brother for poaching two years since.” He put his dagger in his belt. “I am Jack of Lincoln. We would get paid?”
“You would.”
“But we are outlaws.”
“As was I. You would swear to be honest.” I took out the warrant. I doubted that they could read, but the seal would impress them. “This is my warrant. Now I need an answer. I seek more than one man.” I looked pointedly at Peter. “And we would be gone from here by tomorrow.”