Earl Marshal

by Griff Hosker

  He nodded, “I lived in the borderlands too long to do other.”

  “Then I will find us more allies on whom we can rely. I have sent spies out and now I await their return.”

  We visited the other two lords. Neither were as well prepared as Sir Ranulf but we were both determined to thwart any attempt to take over our country in the absence of our King. What worried me was how far away was the manor of de Mandeville. He would not be able to reach us quickly. De Walter had few men and was ill himself. He was loyal but I doubted his ability to aid us. I told them both that they might need to muster the fyrd.

  Guiscard and his men had not yet returned to the Tower. In fact, we might have thought that they had deserted had not a sharp-eyed Thomas, watching from the south west bastion tower spied the body of Guiscard the Gascon on the mud opposite the castle at low tide. Sir Harold took a boat across the river and returned with his body. He had many cuts on his body. His eyes and genitals had been removed. He had been tortured first and his legs showed signs of having been bound. His friend, Peter Longstride, said, “They weighed him down lord so that he would not be found. I am guessing that Jean and Arne both lie at the bottom of the Thames too.”

  I was getting old or perhaps my men were not as good as they once were. I had sent three good men to their deaths. Worse, I had alerted the killers that I was on to them. They would go to ground and they would hide. We were now blind and in the dark.

  That night it was a sombre hall where we all late. It was Sir Samuel who was not only positive but found a solution to the problem. “Grandfather, we need do nothing.”

  “Let them win?”

  “They are killers. Who are they to kill?”

  Sir Richard said, “Is it important?”

  Sir Harold said, “Samuel is correct. Who will they target? The Chancellor? The Archbishop? Those two hold the key to money and the Church.”

  “We could invite them here and protect them.”

  Samuel looked at me, “You are forgetting the most important target, Earl Marshal. You. With you out of the way then the Chancellor would be an easy target. If the Chancellor dies you will appoint another. They will come for you.”

  In a sudden moment of clarity, I saw that he was right. The letter had warned me of this and I had been side-tracked by conspiracy and attempts to seize power. If I was killed then England would be at risk for my son, the King and William Marshal were all in France. This might not even be a plot involving one of the King’s children. There were many lords who had claims to the English throne. They would try to kill me.

  I smiled, “Then that is good news.”

  “How so, Warlord?”

  “They want a target. I will stop sneaking around and I will ride in broad daylight. I will announce myself so that they can take their chances. We have one advantage over them. We have Ralph of Lincoln and his archers. We use them to be as our guardians. The walls which go around the city are perfect for archers. We ride around the city and make certain that our archers can see us. At the same time the rest of you can look for that which should not be there. The killers are in hiding but they must come into the streets if they are to kill me. Either that or enter the White Tower and there is but one entrance. Thanks to the King it now has protection. We have a plan. We use me as bait! More wine!”

  Samuel was appalled, “You are happy to be the bait?”

  “I am old, Samuel, better that I die rather than one of you. So long as we discover the killers then that will be enough but I have no plans to fall to an assassin’s sword. They will have to get close enough to me to use a sword. That is all the chance I need.”

  We spent the rest of the evening planning how we would defend the Tower and how we would draw out the killers. I wondered if they had first gone to Stockton and that explained why Guiscard and the others had not been killed immediately. Had I not left Stockton when I had then there might have been deaths in Stockton. This was better. My people at home were safe. I had Thomas polish and burnish my armour and my helmet. I had not worn my mail mittens for a while but I had them cleaned and attached to my mail. I wanted to be seen and I wanted to be protected.

  That night I did not take the draught despite the pain. I prayed to God that if there was to be a death then it would be mine and not one of my knights. I prayed that he would allow me to be the one to end the lives of these killers. Then I slept and I slept sounder than I had in many a month.

  When I woke I was refreshed and eager to ride forth. I mounted White Star. Sir Harold had briefed the archers and they had left before dawn. I rode with just my knights and their squires. Thomas carried my banner. This time we did not head for the thronged market. My men had been dumped in the river. The hidden killers would be found well away from there. We rode along the north wall. There was always a watch on the walls. It would not deter a killer but they would not draw attention to themselves. It would be easier if they lodged close to the walls and to a main gate so that they could beat a hasty retreat. There were four such gates: Aldgate, Bishops Gate. Moor Gate and Cripples Gate. I did not rule out Aldgate but I thought it the least likely for it was close to the Tower. We rode slowly on our progress and I spoke with people that we met. I was not in disguise and the city was filled with people who sought my attention. I was not naïve enough to believe that they were all folk who were King Henry’s supporters. We did meet the odd old soldier who had served with me or the Empress and they were given a coin. The majority were those who sought to take advantage of me if they could. We still spoke with those. I used them and tried to discover if knights new to the city had been seen.

  We had worked out that they would need a stable for their horses. With that in mind I ruled out St. Helen’s nunnery. Close by was the Warrior’s Thumb, an inn with a stable. We stopped there, ostensibly to water our horses but in reality, so that William, Samuel’s squire, could check the stables. There were horses but they were poor ones. A knight would have to be desperate to use one.

  As we headed towards St Augustine’s Monastery Richard began to despair. “Earl Marshal we have ridden for hours and covered but a long mile and a half. At this rate it would take us a month to discover them.”

  I nodded, “It probably will. You have other plans Sir Richard?”

  Samuel laughed and I heard an irritated sigh from Sir Harold. “No, Earl Marshal, but time passes.”

  “And Sir James will not even be at the coast of France yet. He has to ride to find the King and then they can set off home. I expect no help for a month so a month to discover these killers would seem about right, would it not?” He said nothing. “Guiscard, Jean and Arne paid for my impatience with their lives. These men are killers. Do not underestimate them.”

  We stopped at the gates of the monastery. The friar who greeted us did not allow us to enter. That was not unusual. Friars were ever wary of armed knights. “Would you tell the Abbot that the Earl Marshal is in residence at the Tower. When time allows I would have conference with him there.”

  “The Abbot is a busy man, my lord. He has many duties and he serves God.”

  “And he lives in London within the city walls under the protection of the King and his appointed officers.” I proffered my seal of office. “I will be here some time. Perhaps I could visit with the Abbot instead.”

  He shook his head, “I am sorry, lord I meant no disrespect. Of course the Abbot will visit with you. A friar will come to the gates when it is convenient.”

  “Good for I would like to entertain the Abbot.”

  As we rode away Sir Harold said, “A little suspicious, lord.”

  “Not necessarily. The recent revolt has made all such men wary. The Chancellor told me that. This is our first expedition and it is yielding me much information.”

  Samuel was curious, “Information Earl Marshal?”

  We had passed some fine houses. “The houses we have passed which have two floors and solid doors are the homes of merchants.”

  He nodded, “I wondered why w
e did not inspect them for they have stables too.”

  “They have walls around the houses but the stables would house one or two horses at the most. Three of our men were killed. All were handy with a sword and a knife. It would have taken at least six men to overcome them. We seek a bigger hall. Did you notice that all of the merchant’s houses have at least two men watching the door? They are warriors. They look to be warriors who had been men at arms. When last I was in London this was not so. The merchants are wary despite the busy market.”

  We were approaching the Guildhall and the house of the Mayor, Richard White, when we passed another of the merchant’s houses. This time one of the two men on guard approached me. I vaguely recognised him. He had a slight limp. He smiled and bowed, “Warlord, it is good to see you again.”

  He hurried on in case I had forgotten him. I called him back, “Alan of Hauxley, I fought alongside you at the Battle of Berwick a couple of years ago.”

  It was when he spoke that I had recognised him. He had a north country accent. “As I recall you served the Lord of Morthpath.”

  He nodded, pleased that I had remembered him, “You showed the Scots that day, lord. Guiscard the Gascon told me that you had returned. London will be safer now.”

  “You spoke with Guiscard?”

  He paused for he heard the edge to my voice, “Aye lord. He was with a giant who looked like a Viking and a little Frenchman.” He came closer, “He said he was looking for knights new to the city and I told him that I had seen six such knights. He said he would tell you.”

  “When was this?”

  “Two nights since. I was drinking in the Tabard up by the Moorgate for my dwellings are beyond the wall. He bought me ale and we talked.”

  “He is dead and was murdered before he could tell me. Where did you see the six knights?”

  “I did not know.” He crossed himself. “I told him that I had seen the knights seven days ago. I saw them and their squires heading through the Cripplegate. I said that it was strange that they rode such good horses and yet had no servants.”

  I dismounted and went close, “Have you seen them since?” He shook his head. “And how were they dressed? What livery?”

  “That is why I noticed them and spoke of it to Guiscard. None wore a device. Their surcoats were simple brown ones and their shields were similarly painted. I thought it strange for all knights like to carry their mark about them. I wondered if they were knights of some sort of order. Their hair suggested that. They had the full beards and the cropped hair of knights who have served in the Holy Land. They looked to have the same colour as the scout your son Earl William used.”

  I now saw why Guiscard had been killed but how had Alan of Hauxley avoided their swords. “How were they armed?”

  “Mail, long sword and an open helmet with a nasal. Their horses were good ones. They were a mix of war horse and palfrey.” He stroked White Star, “Similar to this one.”

  “Tell me, Alan of Hauxley, where did Guiscard and the others go after you had told them your information?”

  “They said that they would return to the Tower and tell you.”

  I took a coin from my purse. It was a gold one. “You are in great danger. The men who killed my men at arms are ruthless. Guiscard must have stumbled upon them after they left you. I do not think that Guiscard told them anything. I would ask your master if you could leave his service. There is a place for you in my castle at Stockton.”

  “I have a wife, children and my wife’s parents to watch over. They cannot make the journey.”

  “Then I pray you keep a good watch and avoid the dark places. There is great danger.”

  I mounted and headed toward the Guildhall. I had seen enough and needed to return home but first I would see the mayor. I did not know if I could trust him but I had to let him know that I was now in command of the Tower. If he was an ally that would help and if he was an enemy it would be a warning.

  Sir Harold had heard most of what Alan of Hauxley had told me, “Then we know the rough area where they were seen but we have already passed by there.”

  “Our archers walked the walls. When we return, we will ask them. They may have seen something from above which we missed.”

  I did not like the mayor. He struck me as a self-serving weasel who was out just to make as much money as he could while he held the office. He was a villain but I did not think he would be a traitor. When he spoke to me he was both fawning and ingratiating. He was not a warrior. I did not doubt that he had slit men’s throats but it had not been on the battlefield. After an hour’s conversation with him I felt dirty. We learned nothing that we did not know before. He confirmed the prosperity of the city and reiterated the fear that there might be another revolt. As with the other merchants with whom we had spoken he did not know whence this threat would come.

  We rode back using the reverse of our route. We passed Alan of Hauxley and the monastery. The inn where we had watered our horses was now much busier as trade picked up. People who had been at the Cheap and the East Cheap were on their way home and those who lived beyond the city wall could call for a drink and some food first. It was the middle of the afternoon when we entered the gate at the south west bastion tower. I was weary but my mind buzzed with insect like thoughts. I had some of the pieces of the puzzle. Now I had to put them together.

  I sent for the archers from the wall. We gathered in the hall for my other men needed to know what we had discovered. I told them how we thought our men had been killed. I saw angry looks. The three men had been popular. “These knights are killers. They will not fight with honour. Be aware of that. Grant, what did the archers see?”

  “When you left the inn, a man left and headed west. We lost him in the alleyways. He looked like a warrior.” I nodded. Then the knights did have men they were using as servants or spies. I was not surprised. “The monastery has a stable. We could not see into it but there were horses within and a number of them. A groom came out. He had been tending to them.”

  “Was anyone close to us when we spoke to the two merchant’s guards?”

  “It was hard to see there, lord for you had moved away from the wall. We cannot protect you from the walls if you are more than a hundred paces from them. There is no clear line of sight.”

  “Do not worry, Grant, we will now concentrate our attention on the area around the monastery, the Cheap and the inn. I intend to have some of you watch Alan of Hauxley. You will look for others who watch him. Let us see who has the better spies. We will try to get into the monastery grounds.” They all nodded. There were few of them but having lost three of their number they were determined. “All of you will wear mail; even the archers. Wear it under your jerkins but we can ill afford to lose more men.”

  As I walked back to the tower I examined King Henry’s new tower which abutted the White Tower. Steps led up to it and the door was at right angles to them. Two men could hold off an army. “Sir Harold, from now on I want two good men on guard here every hour of the day. Make sure they are our men. If there is treachery then it will be here. They may well try to attack us at night when we sleep. The outer defences and walls can be easily breached.”

  “Aye lord.”

  I was tired and while my knights organized our defences I went to my chamber. I would not sleep but I would rest my head. Often that alleviated some of the increasing pain I felt. My life had been measured in months; was it now to be measured in weeks or even days? I had helped Maud gain a crown for our son. Now I needed to do one more thing before I died, secure it for him. England was his true crown. Why was he in France? I must have dozed off for I was woken by Thomas.

  “Earl Marshal there is a friar at the gate. He has come from the Abbot.”

  I rose and followed Thomas. My guards had held the friar at the gatehouse by the south west bastion tower. They were taking no chances. Sir Harold and his son, Richard, were there. The friar did not look happy to have been kept waiting.

  “Earl Marshal, the Ab
bot received your message. He would be pleased to have you dine with him tomorrow evening.”

  “Good. There will be eight of us.”

  He frowned, “The Abbot said to invite just yourself.”

  “And I am telling the Abbot that I will be bringing three household knights and four squires.” There was authority in my voice and I saw that the friar would not argue. He nodded.

  As we walked back I asked, “What do you think, Harold?”

  “I think you were wise to take us. If he had had you alone and been an enemy then you would be dead.”

  “Yet he is a churchman and if I was killed in his monastery then questions would be asked. Why did they want me alone?” I could not fathom it. We approached the Tower. “Where is Samuel?”

  Sir Harold said, “I know not.”

  I looked at Richard who had a guilty look upon his face. I glared at him, “I am sorry, Earl Marshal but I swore I would not say.” I just continued to stare at him and he crumbled, “He and William went into the streets in disguise. He said he would find these knights.”

  I shook my head, “Young fools! Does no one obey my orders any longer? Thomas fetch ten archers and men at arms.”

  We wore our arming hoods and mail ventails. We would have no time to return to don our helmets and get our shields. I would have to use my sword and dagger. The eight men at arms and archers hurried from the warrior hall and I began to run towards the bridge which led to the city. As we passed under the tower I shouted, “Call out the guard and if you hear the sounds of battle then send men to our aid.”

  Darkness had fallen and the watch was set. The city watch on the walls saw us head for the postern gate. Sir Harold shouted, “Open the gate. It is the Earl Marshal.”

  The door opened and two of the watch stood there. “Guard this gate. None leave save that I give permission. Understood?”

  “Aye, Earl Marshal.”

  The streets were largely empty. There would be people in inns and taverns but the markets had ended as had the legitimate business of the day. Any who were abroad at night were beyond the law. The whores and doxies plied their trade but they scurried off the cobbles when they heard the tramp of our feet. We were not trying to move silently. If Samuel heard us then he would know help was at hand and any who planned evil would move from our path. We were nearing the street known as Leadenhall when we heard the clash of steel. We ran.