by Griff Hosker
I saw that the two men who had been defending that section had been struck by crossbow bolts. They were using the south west bastion tower. There we could not touch them. I had to deal with the problem at hand; the men before me. This time I held my sword above the crenulations and I roared as I ran. Once again, the enemy were using sergeants and men at arms to bear the brunt of the fighting.
“Stay on my left, William, and look for an opportunity to strike.” The fighting platform could accommodate three men but not with shields. As I rammed my shield towards the three men I swung my sword. I saw the points of three swords aimed at me but I ignored them. Unlike the three men I fought I had a visored helmet. They were so focussed on hitting me and my shield that the man on my right failed to see the sword as it came towards his coif. One sword hit my coif, another my mail and the third found an eye hole in my visor. Alf had made it well and the tip did not penetrate. My sword, in contrast, hacked through the coif of the first man and into his neck. The blood sprayed the other two as my shield hit them. William had listened to me and he knelt to swing a backhanded blow at the knee of the man closest to the fighting platform. As the two struck by our swords fell to the cobbles below the last one was knocked from his feet. William lifted his sword and drove it into the chest of the sergeant who died.
“Get his feet!” William picked up his feet and I his head. We went to the battlements. As crossbow bolts flew at us we dropped the body over and it smashed through the ladder. The three men on it fell into the ditch. We both managed to lift our shields as bolts cracked into them.
I peered over and saw that we had broken this attack but the open gate to the east spelled the end for us. Just then my grandfather ran towards me, “We are saved. It is the Earl of Essex.”
I looked down and saw the Earl. Walter Wulfestun was with him but I could see less than thirty men. Where were the rest of his men? We had had more than that wounded in this attack.
The Earl of Essex raised his visor, “If your men open the gate we will see if we can clear the ward for you Earl Marshal.”
My grandfather waved his hand, “Brian, open the gate!”
I said, “William go and fetch our men at arms. We will join them!”
“Aye lord.”
“Atheling, clear the ladders! We have reinforcements!”
“Aye lord!”
I ran down the fighting platform to the gate. Even as I reached it Brian and Dick had opened it and the Earl and his men galloped through. It was the one thing the attackers were not expecting. Those that were neither speared nor trampled, fled. They suddenly became easy targets for our archers. From the city walls came the sound of a horn. The attack was being halted. I ran amongst the horsemen as they jostled in the gate. I ran towards the south west bastion tower. I saw John of Oxbridge leading men across the flooded ditch. Behind me a half dozen of my men at arms followed me. The Earl would use the gate but there were crossbows in the south west bastion tower. Despite my fatigue the arrival of help gave me energy I did not think I possessed. I ran into the door at the base of the tower and up the ladder. I discarded my shield. Using my left hand, I pushed on the trapdoor and then leapt up. There were eight crossbowmen and I was alone. I grabbed my dagger and swung at the nearest two men. A crossbow is less than useless at such close range and they drew their short swords. James of Oxbridge appeared next to me and we both slashed and stabbed at the eight men. My sword hacked through muscle and then bone. My dagger tore across one man’s throat. I felt the blows from the short swords but I had a good helmet and the best of mail. I would be battered and bruised but I would live. When William my squire appeared, it was all over. There were eight butchered bodies.
“Come let us get to the gatehouse. I would have our enemies know that we are still alive!”
By the time we reached the gatehouse the Earl had driven the enemy back into the city and he and his men had withdrawn back through the gatehouse. The enemy had sent stones, bolts and arrows at them. We had pushed our luck enough.
“David, take charge here. John, take your men back to the river gate. We have not yet won but we have not been defeated. God smiles on us.”
“Aye lord.”
“William, let us go and speak with the Earl. There is a tale here.”
“A tale, lord?”
“He came but why the delay and why with so few men. We sent for help days since and I would have expected us to be reinforced now so that we were in a position to retake the city. We cannot do that yet. Why so few men?”
The Earl and his men were stabling the horses as we entered the gate to the inner ward. Walter Wulfstan was speaking with Brian and Davy of Ingleby. My grandfather stood close by. When he saw me, Walter dropped to one knee, “I am sorry I could not bring help quicker, lord I…”
My grandfather raised him up. “You have told me all, Walter and have no cause to berate yourself. Go to the warrior hall there is ale and food. Speak with your shield brothers. I will talk with my grandson.”
They turned and left.
“I would not have chastised him Earl Marshal.”
He nodded and led William and I towards the stone steps which led into the White Tower. “I know Samuel but from what he has told me you need to hear this from the lips of the Earl for there is a greater threat than you can imagine.”
“Greater than losing London?”
He nodded, “This is an attempt to take the crown. These mercenaries do the work of another. You and I have spoken of this and had our suspicions. Now I think we have confirmation but better to hear it from the Earl’s lips.”
Sir Ranulf was in the Great Hall already. His surcoat was bespattered with blood. “It is good that the Earl came when he did, Earl Marshal. I lost two knights and some men at arms. Had the horn not recalled the attackers then they would have had the outer wall.”
My grandfather waved an arm around the hall, “King William built well. This Tower would have lasted months.”
We heard the buzz of noise as the Earl of Essex and his household knights strode in. As was right and proper the Earl addressed my grandfather. “Earl Marshal we came as soon as we were summoned…”
“First take ale and second let me thank you for your timely arrival. We might have lost the outer wall but for you and your men and so we are eternally grateful.”
Servants had poured ale and the Earl nodded and drank deeply, “Thank you. I needed this. When your message came I summoned my knights and the men of Hervey de Walter, Lord of Parham and Sir Richard of Peckham. I know that delayed my march but it turned out to be fortuitous. You have good men, Earl Marshal. This Walter of Wulfestun forced his way into my counsel of war.” He laughed. “Had he served another then I would have had him whipped but my father always held you and your men in the highest regard and so I allowed the impertinent intrusion.”
“Your father fought well for the Empress.”
He nodded, “Your man said that he had been delayed in reaching me as there was an army gathering at Tilbury.” My grandfather caught my eye. This was the news he had spoken of. “That changed my plans. I dared not come to your aid with an army so close. My lands would not have been safe. Walter of Wulfestun told me that the land twixt mine and the Tower was ringed with men. The safest way seemed to be along the river. Yesterday we met with the enemy and we fought a battle. It was hard fought for these were veterans and mercenaries.” He shook his head. “They broke the fyrd that we had summoned. We fought all day and only the coming of the night ended the slaughter. When we awoke this morning the last of the enemy had fled. Lord Hervey of Parham and Sir Richard of Peckham led their men to hunt them down for I did not think that you would wish them abroad and causing mischief. I sent my son, Richard to help them. Those are the reasons I came so late and with so few men. If I did wrong then I apologize.”
The Earl Marshal walked over and clasped the Earl’s arm, “William, you did well. You made the right decision. We cannot have our enemy rampaging through the land. Now we need t
o make plans to recapture the city.”
I sat back to listen. My grandfather had taken charge and that was right. He had been granted a little more time by God. I knew that I had learned much already but it was not enough. I had no idea how we would retake the city with the men we had.
Sir Ranulf had been confined to the Tower too long. I knew him to be a man of action. He was a horseman who liked to be on the offensive and squatting behind stone walls did not sit well with him. “Earl Marshal, we have more knights. Let us ride forth in the morning and bring these men to battle.”
My grandfather spoke softly but there was the weight of years behind them, “Ranulf, we have less than thirty knights. Our men at arms and archers have fought hard and we are short of arrows. We fight a cunning and determined enemy. Until Earl William arrived we thought the attack on the city was the only danger. What of the land to the west? We need to know the enemy plans. My son is coming. He may not be here for a week or more but we can spend that time making the Tower defensible once more.”
The Earl of Essex, “Who is behind this, Earl Marshal? We had some men we captured. They were badly wounded and died but we questioned them first. Some knew not whom they followed. They said that were summoned by the promise of gold and manors. From their bodies some were from the east but there were others, knights from Livonia and Estonia, Germans and Lombards. All seem to have been drawn as though by magic.”
The Earl Marshal took out the letter which Sir Leofric had sent. He held it up and then read part of it.
Thus disguised we were in an inn on the road to Angers when I spied a device I recognised. It was the de Mamers three golden orbs on a red background. It has been many years since I saw it. There were four men and two of them wore the surcoat. I might have just passed that off as a coincidence and left but I heard your name. When they said, ‘Earl Marshal’. I pricked up my ears. We were in a darkened corner and I think they thought they were alone. They spoke quietly but I could hear them.
They were being sent to England. They are the men who would be your killers, lord. They had been hired by someone, I could not discover who, but one of them, he was called Hubert said that he would do it for nothing. It was a matter of honour. They were about to divulge more when some Gascons came in. There was an altercation. I know not how or why it began. In the mêlée which ensued, Jean, my squire and I, were thrown to the ground and a Gascon’s body fell upon us. By the time we had regained our feet two more Gascons had been killed and we were held, albeit briefly, on suspicion of complicity in their deaths. Had it not been for the inn keeper we might have been imprisoned.
By the time we reached the outside they were long gone. When we spoke with the Gascons we discovered that the four men were being sought for murder. A certain Geoffrey de la Cheppe and his family were slaughtered in their home. Was there not one of the Knights of the Empress with the same name? I heard names but I am not sure what they meant. They could have been other conspirators or potential victims. D’Oilli, Guiscard, and de Mamers were the ones I heard but there were others.
One of the other men was a Templar. I recognised his sign.
“This was the stone which set off this avalanche. Hubert de Mamers is here in London. I recognised his surcoat.” He turned to me. “He was the tall knight who led the attack the first day. I may not have been on the gate but the tower affords a good view and I have seen him each day. While you fought, Samuel, I watched.” He smiled, “The Warlord of the North may not be a warrior who can fight with his sword but he still has a mind. That, Earl William, is the enemy. De Mamers seeks to take London and the Tower so that the crown will go to his master.”
“Young King Henry.”
“Young King Henry indeed. It is the only thing which makes sense. That and the fact that many of those in this conspiracy, D’Oilli, de Mamers, seek vengeance against me. That may be the mistake they make which saves the kingdom.”
The Earl had spent less time with my grandfather than the rest of us, “How so?”
“De Mamers has lost focus. His task was to take control of the Kingdom. He had us bottled up here and he should have just contained us while he tightened his grip on this part of England. He had an army at Tilbury. If he had joined them then, from what you said, Earl, you would have lost.”
He nodded, “Aye it was a hard-fought battle and hung in the balance. If those besieging you had joined then we might well have lost.”
“And with your forces out of the way the way would have been clear to bring Young King Henry from France. He has been crowned already. No, Hubert de Mamers wished to hurt me first and foremost and that may have saved the crown. So, has anyone else a view they wish to express?”
Sir Ranulf smiled, “Earl Marshal, I see now that I have much to learn. Let us benefit from your wisdom and experience. What is it that you wish?”
“We spend this day healing the men and the walls. The enemy has been hurt and de Mamers will now be wondering where are the men from Tilbury? The priority is to repair the city gate. The hall by the gatehouse has been damaged. Let us use the wood from there. We gather the rocks and arrows from without the walls. We take the weapons from their dead and their ladders. Tomorrow you can ride forth Sir Ranulf. I will come with you and we will take knights to ride around London and see what mischief they have caused.”
I was suddenly alert, “You are making yourself bait!”
“De Mamers wants me. By showing myself, I blind him to his real purpose. He will see that I am still alive.”
“You are gambling that you will be able to outrun him.”
“See Samuel, you have learned. Aye we ride back and hope that we can lead him into range of our archers. Aelric and the others could end this by taking the head of the snake. The Earl of Essex has given us a chance. One army is destroyed and we just have one to dismay.” His eyes told me to be silent and I nodded. “Good then let us set to. We have much to do.”
All of us joined in. We left a skeletal watch on the walls but every man, archer, knight and squire, kept their arms close by. We did not burn the enemy bodies which lay to the north and west of our walls. They would begin to stink but the sight of their increasingly bloated bodies, ravaged by carrion would be reminder to the rest of the enemy of their failure. Our archers concentrated upon recovering and making arrows. The Earl of Essex had few archers. We were still reliant on those that my grandfather had brought. The bodies inside the castle were piled together and, as the wind was from the east, we burned them. The smell of burning flesh filled the air and covered the city.
My grandfather was the only one not working and when Atheling told me that he had not seen him since the counsel of war I left the wall to seek him. I found him on the floor of his chamber. He was still. I summoned a doctor while I lifted him to his bed. I found his empty medicine jug on the floor. The doctor came and examined him. I showed him the medicine. He sent me out of the chamber so that he could examine him thoroughly. After a while he called me back in. “I do not have this medicine here. I do not have the means to make it. The Earl Marshal told me of his complaint.” He shook his head, “I am sorry, lord, I cannot heal him.”
“But can you make the time he has left less painful?”
“I can give him a draught which will numb pain but he said that he needed his mind sharp until this was over.”
“Make the draught! He has suffered enough.” He nodded. “Until my father comes I command.”
By the time evening came we had a gate in place. We had enough men at the gatehouse and in the south west bastion tower to deter any attackers. The archers had managed to make enough arrows to fill a quiver each. Dislodged stones had been replaced. The stones we had used were salvaged along with darts and spears pulled from the bodies of the dead. The danger now lay in hunger. The extra mouths meant that we would be reliant on bread and water for the ale and wine were almost gone.
More of the Earl’s men reached us just before dark and I forbade the entry of any more until dawn. I did
not trust the enemy. Any who arrived later could camp outside of the walls by the east gate. We now had sufficient men to make four watches. I stood the watch for the first few hours after dusk. I had a suspicion that the enemy might try something but I had an uneventful watch and then I retired.
I was woken by Davy of Ingleby. “Lord, John of Oxbridge says a boat is approaching from the south bank. One of Sir Ranulf’s men commands the watch but John asked me to fetch you.”
“And he did right.” William was already awake and with sword in hand we hurried across to the river gate. I saw that the gate was opened and I frowned. Had John decided to take on the mysterious visitors? I heard voices and they were not raised but were laughing. Then their faces turned towards me and I saw my father, his squires and Sir James. Help had come. I did not wonder why there was but a handful of men. I was just pleased that my father had arrived before the Earl Marshal had died.
My father beamed as he hugged me, “John has told us of the battles you have fought I am sorry that we took so long getting here.” I looked beyond him. There were no more boats and he had a handful of men. “Fear not, by noon the rest of our men and Duke Richard’s will be at London Bridge.”
Now I recognised the knight who waited impatiently behind my father. “Your arrival is timely, father.” I lowered my voice. “Your father is dying.”
If I had hit him with a blacksmith’s hammer I could not have had a great effect. “John, did not say that he had been wounded.”
I took his arm and led him across the inner ward, “There was a wound in his arm but that is not the one which threatens his life. This is a wound he received in our battles against the Scots. Brother Peter gave him months to live and those months have elapsed.”