by Griff Hosker
My father said, “I am sorry for the times I let you down, father.”
“You did not. You made the mistakes all young men make. I did the same. Samuel it seems does not make mistakes. He is the perfect knight.”
I found myself crying. I was unmanned, “Do not go grandfather! I still have much to learn.”
He sighed, “Then you must learn it without me for I have comrades to meet.” He looked to the skies. “I come, my love I…”
His eyes closed and the Earl Marshal of England, Alfred, Knight of the Empress and Warlord of the North died. He would never be replaced. All over the battlefield men from both sides dropped to their knees as the word was spread. This was the end of someone who had changed England for all time. He had made kings and princes and been laid low by a treacherous knight. A legend had fallen and I looked to the skies for I expected some sign from heaven.
My father eventually pulled me to my feet. “Come, my son. We have one more task to perform. The Earl Marshal gave us a command.” He glared at Duke Richard, “And we will obey that command. We will take our sire home to Stockton and do him the honour which he deserves.” He pointed to the dead men at arms and archers. “And we will take those back too. Healers I wish these bodies preserved. We have a long journey home.”
I thought that they might object for it would involve much work but one look at my father’s face made them reconsider. It was dark by the time we were ready to leave. Duke Richard and the other knights could deal with the aftermath of the battle. We were done with all of that. We had a hero to bury.
Epilogue
The day we buried the Earl Marshal and the others who had fallen at the battle of Windsor was a cold one. A blue sky seemed to echo the surcoat of my grandfather and the cold wind seemed appropriate for we were at the edge of England. It was hard men who lived here and none had been harder than my grandfather. The Archbishop of York came to speak over him and to see all was done well. The tiny church my grandfather had built was packed but it was just family and those, like Alice, Alf and William, Aiden, Edgar and Edward who gathered within. The outside of the church was a sea of mourners: the folk from the town and every manor within twenty miles had come to pay their respects. The men at arms and archers, the knights of the valley, their family and their squires, all were gathered for it was such a momentous occasion that it was as though a king had died. I saw Alice weeping uncontrollably as she was comforted by William the old steward.
The journey home had been a long and tortuous one and all my tears were shed before we reached the Tees. We had spent a few hours in London. It allowed me to thank Mary Soft Breast and the tapster for all that they had done. They asked me if they would be allowed to call their inn the Earl Marshal and I readily agreed. I knew that my grandfather would have approved. The people I had met made me reassess my view of Londoners. Most were venal but there were enough decent folk left to give us hope. It was while we were resting in London and having wagons found to take back our bodies that news of the Abbot of the Augustine Friars was sent to us. Duke Richard had found him cowering in the wine cellar of the castle at Windsor. He had convened a trial and the Abbot was condemned for his treachery. His head joined the mercenaries on the walls of the city. Duke Richard, Sir Ranulf and the Earl of Essex had continued to hunt down the hired swords. After Hubert de Mamers’ treacherous act none were given the opportunity to surrender.
On the journey up the Great North Road my father had told me that he was done with warring for the King. He would protect the north from the ravages of the Scots but he would not leave England again. I did not think that I would either. I was wrong but unlike the Earl Marshal I could not see into the future. That page had yet to be writ. Riders had travelled ahead to warn the families that we were bringing home the dead and that the Warlord was coming home for the last time. From York north, the road was lined with those who wished to witness the passing of the Warlord. Most had never even seen my grandfather but all knew his story. Everyone understood the part he had played in saving England. I was touched. I knew that he would have not wished the accolades but I was proud to ride behind the wagon with his body. I was party of a dynasty. I knew then that I had to ensure that my son, Thomas, learned to live up to the high standards set by the Earl Marshal.
My sister was on one side of me in the church and my son Thomas between me and my wife. I had my arm around his shoulders and I felt his body shake as he wept. My grandfather had spent as much time as he could with my son but it was still not enough. Thomas had seen just two years but his grandfather had been a major part of that time. A lifetime would not have been enough. The Archbishop’s words seemed to come in waves. I heard some of them but I could not take my eyes from his body. Mailed and with his sword he lay in the stone coffin. When the lid was placed on the top I would never see him again. I want to etch every detail into my memory.
My father tapped my shoulder. I was suddenly aware that the Archbishop had finished and was gesturing for us to go closer. Sir James, Sir John, Sir Morgan and Sir Padraig joined me as we went to the carved stone lid. The stonemason, old Leofric’s grandson, had not finished yet but he would continue to work on the inscription and decoration while my grandfather slept. We all gripped the stone lid and my father nodded. We strained and lifted. It was heavy. Carefully we walked to the coffin and I saw the peaceful smiling face of my grandfather. He had been smiling when he had died. He must have seen my grandmother for he had said, ‘I come, my love’. It gave me comfort that they would be together in heaven. He had been shriven before the battle and he died with God’s grace. I wondered if he would meet his old comrades, his father, his mentor Wulfstan, the ones who had helped to make him. I knew that if they did meet then the honour would be theirs for the greatest Englishman had done his duty and died as he had lived, fighting for his king and for England.
I said, quietly, as the lid was slid into place, “Farewell grandfather. If I can be a quarter of the man you were I shall be pleased.”
The others, my father included just said, “Amen to that.”
The Earl Marshal was laid to rest and England was not quite the place it had been when he had lived.
The End
Glossary
Aldeneby - Alston (Cumbria)
Al-Andalus- Spain
Angevin- the people of Anjou, especially the ruling family
Arthuret -Longtown in Cumbria (This is the Brythionic name)
Bannau Brycheiniog – Brecon Beacons
Battle- a formation in war (a modern battalion)
Booth Castle – Bewcastle north of Hadrian’s Wall
Bachelor knight- an unattached knight
Banneret- a single knight
Burn- stream (Scottish)
Butts- targets for archers
Cadge- the frame upon which hunting birds are carried (by a codger- hence the phrase old codger being the old man who carries the frame)
Caerdyf- Cardiff
Caparison- a surcoat for a horse; often padded for protection
Captain- a leader of archers
Chausses - mail leggings. (They were separate- imagine lady's stockings rather than tights!)
Cheap- Anglo Saxon market- hence Cheapside
Chevauchée- a raid by mounted men
Coningestun- Coniston
Conroi- A group of knights fighting together. The smallest unit of the period
Corebricg – Corbridge
Cuneceastra- Chester-Le-Street
Demesne- estate
Destrier- war horse
Doxy- prostitute
Dyflin- Dublin
Dùn Èideann- Edinburgh
Fissebourne- Fishburn County Durham
Farenberg-Farnborough
Fess- a horizontal line in heraldry
Galloglass- Irish mercenaries
Gambeson- a padded tunic worn underneath mail. When worn by an archer they came to the waist. It was more of a quilted jacket but I have used the term freely
Gonfanon- A
standard used in medieval times (Also known as a Gonfalon in Italy)
Hartness- the manor which became Hartlepool
Hautwesel- Haltwhistle
Hovel- a temporary shelter used by knights and men at arms on campaign
Hulle- Rhyl (North Wales)
Kingeston- Kingston upon Thames
Liedeberge- Ledbury
Lusitania- Portugal
Mansio- staging houses along Roman Roads
Mare anglicum – English Channel
Maredudd ap Bleddyn- King of Powys
Martinmas- 11th November
Mêlée- a medieval fight between knights
Mohald -Mold (Flintshire)
Morthpath- Morpeth (Northumbria)
Moravians- the men of Moray
Mormaer- A Scottish lord and leader
Mummer- an actor from a medieval tableau
Musselmen- Muslims
Nithing- A man without honour (Saxon)
Nomismata- a gold coin equivalent to an aureus
Novo Burgus -Newport (Gwent)
Outremer- the kingdoms of the Holy Land
Owain ap Gruffudd- Son of Gruffudd ap Cynan and King of Gwynedd from 1137
Palfrey- a riding horse
Poitevin- the language of Aquitaine
Prestetone- Prestatyn- North Wales
Pyx- a box containing a holy relic (Shakespeare’s Pax from Henry V)
Refuge- a safe area for squires and captives (tournaments)
Sauve qui peut – Every man for himself (French)
Serengford- Shellingford Oxfordshire
Sergeant-a leader of a company of men at arms
Striguil- Chepstow (Gwent)
Sudweca -Southwark
Surcoat- a tunic worn over mail or armour
Sumpter- pack horse
Theophany- the feast which is on the 6th of January
Ventail – a piece of mail which covered the neck and the lower face
Veðrafjǫrðr -Waterford (Ireland)
Veisafjǫrðr- Wexford (Ireland)
Witenestaple- Whitstable (Kent)
Wulfestun- Wolviston (Durham)
Background to the novel
This is the end of the series that began with English Knight. It is a work of fiction set against a historically, generally, background. For those who have read all of the books in the series, thank you for travelling this road. As you can see I have taken out the end section. It had grown too much and can now be found on my website under background to the anarchy novels.
If you have enjoyed this saga and wish to see what happens next then Thomas, Sir Samuel’s son is the hero of my Border Knight series which begins with Sword for Hire.
Books used in the research:
Chronicles of the age of chivalry- Elizabeth Hallam
The Varangian Guard- 988-1453 Raffael D’Amato
Saxon Viking and Norman- Terence Wise
The Walls of Constantinople AD 324-1453-Stephen Turnbull
Byzantine Armies- 886-1118- Ian Heath
The Age of Charlemagne-David Nicolle
The Normans- David Nicolle
Norman Knight AD 950-1204- Christopher Gravett
The Norman Conquest of the North- William A Kappelle
The Knight in History- Francis Gies
The Norman Achievement- Richard F Cassady
Knights- Constance Brittain Bouchard
Knight Templar 1120-1312 -Helen Nicholson
Feudal England: Historical Studies on the Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries- J. H. Round
Armies of the Crusades- Helen Nicholson
Knight of Outremer 1187- 1344 - David Nicholle
Crusader Castles in the Holy Land- David Nicholle
The Crusades- David Nicholle
Bamburgh Castle Heritage group
Warkworth Castle- English Heritage Guide
The Times Atlas of World History
Old Series Ordnance Survey Maps #93 Middlesbrough
Old Series Ordnance Survey Maps #81 Alnwick and Morpeth
Old Series Ordnance Survey Maps #92 Barnard Castle
For those who like authentic maps the last two maps are part of a series now available. They are the first Government produced maps of the British Isles. Great Britain, apart from the larger conurbations, was the same as it had been 800 years earlier.
I also discovered a good website http://orbis.stanford.edu/. This allows a reader to plot any two places in the Roman world and if you input the mode of transport you wish to use and the time of year it will calculate how long it would take you to travel the route. I have used it for all of my books up to the eighteenth century as the transportation system was roughly the same. The Romans would have been quicker! I used it in this book and according to Orbis the journey from London to Rouen would have taken 2.7 days! In summer it would have been 3.1! it is an impressive resource. It explains why Henry get to and from Normandy so quickly.
Griff Hosker
July 2018
Other books
by
Griff Hosker
If you enjoyed reading this book, then why not read another one by the author?
Ancient History
The Sword of Cartimandua Series (Germania and Britannia 50A.D. – 130 A.D.)
Ulpius Felix- Roman Warrior (prequel)
Book 1 The Sword of Cartimandua
Book 2 The Horse Warriors
Book 3 Invasion Caledonia
Book 4 Roman Retreat
Book 5 Revolt of the Red Witch
Book 6 Druid’s Gold
Book 7 Trajan’s Hunters
Book 8 The Last Frontier
Book 9 Hero of Rome
Book 10 Roman Hawk
Book 11 Roman Treachery
Book 12 Roman Wall
Book 13 Roman Courage
The Aelfraed Series (Britain and Byzantium 1050 A.D. - 1085 A.D.
Book 1 Housecarl
Book 2 Outlaw
Book 3 Varangian
The Wolf Warrior series (Britain in the late 6th Century)
Book 1 Saxon Dawn
Book 2 Saxon Revenge
Book 3 Saxon England
Book 4 Saxon Blood
Book 5 Saxon Slayer
Book 6 Saxon Slaughter
Book 7 Saxon Bane
Book 8 Saxon Fall: Rise of the Warlord
Book 9 Saxon Throne
Book 10 Saxon Sword
The Dragon Heart Series
Book 1 Viking Slave
Book 2 Viking Warrior
Book 3 Viking Jarl
Book 4 Viking Kingdom
Book 5 Viking Wolf
Book 6 Viking War
Book 7 Viking Sword
Book 8 Viking Wrath
Book 9 Viking Raid
Book 10 Viking Legend
Book 11 Viking Vengeance
Book 12 Viking Dragon
Book 13 Viking Treasure
Book 14 Viking Enemy
Book 15 Viking Witch
Bool 16 Viking Blood
Book 17 Viking Weregeld
Book 18 Viking Storm
Book 19 Viking Warband
Book 20 Viking Shadow
Book 21 Viking Legacy
The Norman Genesis Series
Hrolf the Viking
Horseman
The Battle for a Home
Revenge of the Franks
The Land of the Northmen
Ragnvald Hrolfsson
Brothers in Blood
Lord of Rouen
Drekar in the Seine
The Anarchy Series England 1120-1180
English Knight
Knight of the Empress
Northern Knight
Baron of the North
Earl
King Henry’s Champion
The King is Dead
Warlord of the North
Enemy at the Gate
Fallen Crown
Warlord's War
Kingmaker
Henry II
Crusader
<
br /> The Welsh Marches
Irish War
Poisonous Plots
Princes’ Revolt
Earl Marshal
Border Knight 1190-1300
Sword for Hire
Return of the Knight
Baron’s War
Magna Carta
Struggle for a Crown England 1367-1485
Blood on the Crown
Modern History
The Napoleonic Horseman Series
Book 1 Chasseur a Cheval
Book 2 Napoleon’s Guard
Book 3 British Light Dragoon
Book 4 Soldier Spy
Book 5 1808: The Road to Corunna
Waterloo
The Lucky Jack American Civil War series
Rebel Raiders
Confederate Rangers
The Road to Gettysburg
The British Ace Series
1914
1915 Fokker Scourge
1916 Angels over the Somme
1917 Eagles Fall
1918 We will remember them
From Arctic Snow to Desert Sand
Wings over Persia
Combined Operations series 1940-1945
Commando
Raider
Behind Enemy Lines
Dieppe
Toehold in Europe
Sword Beach
Breakout
The Battle for Antwerp
King Tiger
Beyond the Rhine
Other Books
Carnage at Cannes (a thriller)
Great Granny’s Ghost (Aimed at 9-14-year-old young people)
Adventure at 63-Backpacking to Istanbul
For more information on all of the books then please visit the author’s web site at http://www.griffhosker.com where there is a link to contact him. Or you can Tweet me at @HoskerGriff