by Griff Hosker
“It was your knights defeated King William of Scotland and his household knights.”
“But it was our men at arms and archers who ensured that the rest of his army. If you could ask the Scots what they fear they would say our archers.”
He smiled, “I think they would say your father first. Since he and Archbishop Thurston defeated their King and the Prince of Cumberland at Northallerton, he has ever been a thorn in their side. He is their nemesis, their bane!”
I smiled, “And before that too!”
The ground around Chambord was flat, there was no castle and if one were to be built then a moat would have to be dug. It suited us for there was wood and brush to build the hovels the men would use and there was game in the forest for our archers to hunt.
While the men set up the camp I sent for Masood. “Ride as far as Vierzon. I would know what danger lies twixt here and there. I would also know what the defences are.”
He nodded, “It is pleasant country here but I prefer the hills of your land. A man is closer to God there.” Masood was a man of few words. He slung his bow and vaulted onto the back of his horse.
Roger of Bath and Ralph of Wales led my archers and men at arms. As our squires erected our tents I waved them over. “Ralph, you and your archers can go into the woods on the morrow and scout. See if there is danger nearby and hunt while you do so. We will eat well, at least.”
“Aye lord.”
“Roger, have the men put stakes around our camp and dig a ditch. I am not certain if there will be rain but in this part of the world when the rain comes it can be Biblical!”
“Aye lord.”
“How is the men’s mood?” I knew that both men would be honest with me.
“To be honest lord they are a little bored. Apart from the ambush on the road to Le Mans they have had little to do. Even the ambush did not affect them. They do not mind the boredom in England for it means their homes are safer. Here they want the treasure that they know war will bring. They have had precious little yet.
“The King pays them.”
Ralph laughed, “It is not as much as they would get if we were stripping French bodies!”
I understood my men. In the Holy Land men fought for ideals. In England they fought for their homes. Here in France there was no benefit for our men save coin and the chance to slay Frenchmen. “Tell them that the French will have to battle here or lose Berry.”
“And then we go home?”
“Aye Roger, and then we go home.”
Masood arrived after dark as my men were cooking the three hinds they had hunted. He sniffed appreciatively and looked over to Rhodri of Bala who was cooking, “Do not forget, Welshman, that I am partial to the heart!”
Rhodri grinned, “It is already reserved for you. We awaited your arrival before we cooked it.”
He turned to me, “There is nothing between Vierzon and here, my lord. The castle is manned but I would put its garrison at no more than thirty. If they have peasants they can arm it might double the number.”
“Good! Enjoy your heart!”
The next day I rode with Thomas of Piercebridge to Blois so that I could report to the King. I met Miles of Caen as I neared the city. He reined in, “How goes it Earl?”
“The land is good for a marching camp and there are few Frenchmen at Vierzon. I go to advise the King that we should strike quickly before they realise where we are.”
“Aye we sat on our backsides waiting for the Count of Flanders to do something. The men become restless. A few deserted and others took to raiding local farms and churches. I had to hang a dozen of them.”
“I am luckier with my men.”
The Count lowered his voice, “I would not choose some of the barons and their retinue who follow my banner but the King would have numbers.” He made to continue his journey and then said, “By the bye I must have a word with you when you return to the camp. Some news came my way which may be of interest to you.”
He had me intrigued but I was duty bound to speak with the King. He was happy at my news. “We will follow hard on your heels. If we leave the camp in the morning can we reach Vierzon quickly?”
“The mounted men can.” He knew that meant the knights and my retinue. Unlike many lords I had gone to the expense of equipping all my men with horses. In truth it was not much of an expense. We took more horses from the enemy than we needed. We turned and headed back to our camp.
My squire had been quiet while we had been on the road. “Thomas, is anything amiss?”
He smiled, “Not really Earl but I worry about your father. They say that when you save a man his life is yours to guard forever. Your souls are bound. I know not if that is true but since the battle when I went to the Earl Marshal’s aid he has been in my thoughts and dreams.”
“He is old, Thomas but, hopefully, he will no longer ride to war. He should have the luxury of enjoying his old age. The King has sent him on a mission to ensure that his half-sister is married. Then he gets to sit in the Tower and do nothing but be the King! The mighty fortress of the Conqueror should be safe enough for him.”
“I hope so for I am mighty fond of the old man.”
“As are we all.”
After I had passed on the message from the King and sent my archers to camp nearer to Vierzon I sought out Miles of Caen. “My lord you have me intrigued. What news did you hear?”
“As you know I have taken a keen interest in the exploits of your father and I seem to recall that one of the knights of the Empress was a knight who lived in the borderlands.”
“De la Cheppe; aye he died some years ago.”
“His grandson and family were all murdered a month since by a band of outlaws.”
“Outlaws killed a lord and his family?”
“You are right to be so sceptical and I do not believe it either. Sir Guy was named after his father and he was a good knight with men he could rely upon. I was squire to his father, Geoffrey. The family was proud of its connect to the Empress and your father. Living on the border they attracted enmity. I am guessing that it was French knights who did the deed to spite your family. Your father has never been defeated by the French and it does not sit well with them.”
“Thank you for telling me. I am just glad that my father will soon be safe inside the walls of the Conqueror’s tower.”
“You should soon be able to join him. King Louis has been outwitted at every turn by King Henry. Even the attempt to suborn his sons did not work.”
“Yet neither Henry nor Richard is here to aid their father.” Both of us knew that the revolt by Henry’s sons was not truly over.
When the King arrived, he swept in like a whirl wind. He was keen to show his sons that he still had the power to take land from the French. He was as unlike my father as it was possible to get and yet my father had been responsible for his training. However, I had been a disappointment to my father and I was of his blood!
Trouble came in the middle of the night. I was woken by Stephen the Grim who was one of our sentries, “Lord, there was a noise over towards the King’s tent!”
“Thomas, Ralph, with me!” I grabbed my sword and ran towards the tent. I could hear shouts. It did not sound like battle but I wondered what had happened. When I reached the tent, I saw a wounded man at arms being tended to by King Henry’s doctor.
“You are sure it was Sir Robert Fitzwaller?”
“Yes, Your Majesty! He and his squire came to the horse lines. We told them that none was allowed to leave the camp. They drew swords. Dick was killed by the knight. I managed to get my sword out but the squire stabbed me. Sneaky little bastard!”
Ralph and Thomas joined me. I waved a hand for them to wait.
The King waved an irritated hand. “I am guessing that he will head for the French and tell them that we are here.”
“Fitzwaller?”
He nodded, “Indeed Earl and also a traitor it seems. I should have known that there was something amiss when he joined me with
just his squire. I thought him trustworthy for he has just returned from the Holy Land.”
“If I learned anything in that land, sire, it was that most men’s motives for being there was suspect. Perhaps he is a sword for hire and seeks coin from the French.”
“Yet he is English! His grandfather had land around Hartness!” The name was vaguely familiar but I could not think why. His name must have been mentioned by my father. “Have the camp roused. He has twenty miles to go. Perhaps your archers will stop him.”
“I doubt that your majesty. He is a knight riding from our camp. They would assume he was on some quest for you. The garrison will be forewarned.”
The King turned to Sir Basil, one of his household knights, “Well don’t just stand there! Have the horn sounded.”
I turned to my men, “You two go and rouse our men. We break camp!” The horn for assembly would bring the men running. Time would then be wasted telling them to break camp. King Henry was not my father.
The result was that my men were mounted and ready while the rest of the men were breaking camp. King Henry said, “I will ride with you and your men.” He turned in his saddle, “Count, bring the rest of the army as soon as they are ready! Do not be tardy! Thanks to Fitzwaller’s treachery we have lost the element of surprise.”
The King rode with me. No matter what people said about the King they could never say that he was a coward. With just my men at arms and thirty or so household knights we galloped through the forest along a road which was little more than a track. I knew that my archers were in the forest but it still took a reckless sort of courage to do what he did. By the time dawn was breaking to our left the trees were thinning. Ralph and some of my archers rode up and we reined in.
King Henry had been brought up, as a squire, serving with the archers and men at arms of my father’s retinue. They were easy with each other.
“Ralph did you see riders?”
“Aye, sire, about an hour since. A knight and his squire came through. He said he was on a mission from you.”
“And you did not stop him?”
Ralph spread his arms, “Firstly, sire, our orders were to stop the enemy from approaching our camp. He was riding from the camp and secondly, he was a lord.”
The King nodded, “A pity.”
“However, sire, I sent Rhodri and Tomas ap Tomas to trail them discreetly.” He smiled, “I didn’t want them to come to harm, if they were on your business.”
“Good fellow. If we find them there is a gold coin for you. After them.” We rode hard through the early morning. By noon we could see the castle in the distance. We now had a target.
Masood appeared like a wraith, “Masood I have sent our archers to follow the knight we pursue. I am guessing he will head for Bourges. Cut across country and get to the other side of Bourges. I would know if reinforcements are coming.”
“That may take days.”
I nodded, “Then that will be good news. If you return directly then all will be lost.”
“Aye lord.” He disappeared.
We moved down the road as fast as we could. We were all mounted and well mounted at that. It was not a Roman Road and in places there were no stones but it was a firm road made of gravel and pebbles and we made good time. We met Rhodri in a stand of trees just by the River Cher. We could see the castle on the small hill next to the river. “Where is Tomas?”
Rhodri pointed, “He followed the knight and his squire, my lord. They halted close to the gate of the town, shouted something and then rode off. The gates were slammed shut. Tomas followed them.”
I turned to King Henry, “My guess is that he would head for Bourges and bring an army.”
All the training the King had enjoyed when serving with my father now came to the fore. The King apprised the situation and made a decision. “The army will be here soon. We will wait for them. This little mole hill is not worth the effort of besieging. We will leave our men on foot here and push on with our horse. This is not the campaign I would have chosen but it is the one we will have to fight. I may not outnumber the Count of Bourges but I will be mounted and we will have mobility. Come, Earl, let us go and speak with them. Perhaps my temper and your father’s reputation may gain us a castle!”
We both took off our helmets and held them in our right hands. Our two squires carried our banners. I saw crossbows rise menacingly from the walls. The bridge over the ditch had been drawn up but it was a dry ditch without stakes. It would not stop us when we attacked.
A knight appeared on the walls. He was not a young man, “Duke Henry, this is the land of the Count du Berry. Why are you here?”
King Henry smiled, “That is not so, castellan, for this land is mine as part of Anjou. I inherited it through my father. I wish to enter my own castle. If you refuse then you disobey your rightful lord and master.”
The knight smiled, “Perhaps the Pope will decide otherwise.”
I saw that the Frenchman’s words had come as a surprise to the King, “And what has the Pope to do with this?”
“When King Louis heard that you had promised Berry as a wedding gift for your son Richard and Alys of France he sent a delegation to Rome to ask the Pope to arbitrate on the matter. Until the Pope has made his decision, Duke, then I am not defying anyone.”
Just then the advance elements of the army began to filter from the woods. It was perfect timing. They were the knights who had accompanied Miles de Caen. The King nodded. “Then when I order my men to reduce the walls of this castle and you die there will be no one to mourn. When the Pope has made his decision, it will be too late for you, your soldiers, your families and every person who resides in this castle.” King Henry spoke reasonably. He neither ranted nor raved. It was as though this was inevitable. I saw the castellan look towards the woods. More and more men emerged. The King turned to me and said, loudly, “Earl William, what would your father do in this situation?”
The castellan’s attention suddenly reverted to the King and I saw him examine my livery and banner. He had ignored them at first.
I shrugged, “He would not waste much time on it, sire. He would reduce it to kindling and fill the ditch with the dead. Vierzon would become a charnel house.”
“You are the son of the Warlord? The Empress’ Knight?” I nodded. “Then you are the wolf.”
He looked from us to the woods and back. “Your majesty I have but a small castle. You are more than welcome to spend the night as my guest.”
“Excellent!” He turned to me and said, “Take the army and keep your swords in the backs of the French. I will join you before the battle begins.” I nodded. He turned to his squire, “Fetch my household knights. The rest, go with the Earl.”
And so we had our first victory and it was a bloodless one. That day saw the genius that was Henry. My father had trained him well.
Chapter 7
We met Tomas just five miles down the road. It was getting on for dusk because despite our best efforts we could not move any faster. My men were the best mounted and the forced march had weakened some of the poorer mounts.
“My lord they are preparing defences. The knight and his squire reached there an hour since. The squire’s horse died just a mile from the walls.” He shook his head. My archers and men at arms did not like to see animals used in that way. “I was close enough to see horsemen riding east and north east.”
“Going for help.”
“That was my thought, my lord.”
“You have done well. Where is a good camp?”
He pointed to the south. “The river is close by my lord and the ground is flat. I reckon it would be flooded if it rained but there is no sign of rain now. To the north of the road is a thin wood.”
“Sir Padraig, we make camp here.” I turned and saw that most of the army was still a mile or two behind us. “I will go and speak with the Count.”
I turned my horse and rode back to the main column. The Count was at the fore. He shook his head. “We have travelle
d too far on these beasts. If the King asks for a charge then I fear he will be disappointed. We could not manage a trot let alone a gallop.”
“They have sent for help. We can camp between the river and the woods. There is water for the horses and wood for stakes.”
“You would fight a defensive battle?”
“In this case, yes. They have the luxury of Bourges’ walls to which they can retreat if we attack. The walls are stone and built by the Romans. This will not be an easy nut to crack. I would rather make them think that we are weak. As you say, we cannot use our horses for a few days and the King needs to prosecute the attack for the Pope is arbitrating on the matter.”
“And he always sides with the French. You are right.” He turned in the saddle, “Come on you laggards! The Earl of Cleveland and his men are embarrassing us!”
This was a better defended camp than the one we had had at Chambord. Here we had double ditches and sharpened embedded stakes. The water from the river was diverted by the use of a small dam to make the land closer to the French boggier. If the King chose a battle using mounted knights it would not hurt us but if I had my way and it was a defensive battle then the archers could use it and be safe from attack.
The Count of Caen sent a rider back to Vierzon to report to the King. I guessed he would spend a comfortable night there. He was a clever man and a night with our enemies might give him more information.
After we had eaten I strode around the defences with my household knights. They all had a good eye for terrain and Tomas had found us a good camp site. We spied the fires of the French. We had no idea of their numbers. They had a better idea of the size of our army thanks to the treacherous Fitzwaller. If the French attacked us then it would tell us that they had superior numbers. My men slept in groups of ten. The organization was of their own choice. They had shield and arrow brothers. My father and I liked it as it meant that men slept and fought with warriors they cared about. Each ten had their own leader and each ten answered to one of my captains. It made the delegation of orders and commands much easier. As we went around we spoke to each ten. My young knights and I had fought with these men in Scotland. We had watched men die. That bonded us together. It was the same with my knights. We all remembered Sir Ralph, my daughter Ruth’s husband. Each death brought us closer together and taught us a lesson. Most of my men had fought alongside my father and knew the legends that had been Wulfric, Dick and Edward. One or two remembered the knights of the Empress and especially Rolf the Swabian. The fact that we had never been defeated gave them more confidence than any other retinue.