by Griff Hosker
Birger shook his head, “That will kill the horses.”
“Better the horses than us!” Robert of Blois was a ruthless and ambitious man.
The four of us sat apart again. “William, Petr, I fear they mean us harm. When we return, if we return, then I will whistle three times. If you do not hear the whistle, mount the horses and ride for home. It will mean that we are dead.”
“Then do not go with them!” pleaded William.
Birger shook his head, “Your lord thinks of you. You would be used to pressure him to doing as they wish. This way keeps them off balance. They do not know what we intend. We will go along with their plot. I think your lord and I can come up with a way out of this. If we cannot outwit a monster like Blois then we do not deserve to be called knights!”
We rested but I did not sleep. I was apprehensive. Despite what my friend had said this could be my last night on earth. There was a certain irony to the fact that my father had been born within these walls and I might die within them. I wished that I had tried to return home as soon as my father had died. I had believed King Richard’s words. Now I saw them to be a falsehood. He cared for glory and not for his knights. My father and his oathsworn had given their lives for King Richard; it had been a waste! The king was grateful in the immediate aftermath but he had done nothing for the people the dead had left behind. I had been so caught up in being a knight that I, too, had forgotten. The valley was open to raiders and worse. This journey to Aqua Bella was necessary for it had reminded me of my duty. I just had to survive so that I could get home.
“It is time!”
I was roughly shaken by one of the other knights. Despite myself I must have dozed off, albeit briefly. I prepared myself. I drank some water and then I used some of the dust to cover my face, hands and surcoat. William looked puzzled, “An old scout told me this trick. It is dark at night but your face can be seen as well as your hands.” I slid my sword in and out of its scabbard and then made sure my dagger was in my belt in the small of my back. I undid my mail mittens and let them hang. I took off my spurs and handed them to William. Then I gave him my helmet.
“Will you not need it?”
“It restricts my view. If danger threatens I will raise my coif.”
Jarl Birger nodded, “A good idea.”
As we joined the others I saw that they still wore their helmets. It was a mistake but I said nothing. Using hand signals Robert of Blois led us up the side of the gully and we rejoined the road. He knew what he was doing. The road was as safe as the rough ground for we would hear any who approached. He waved us to the rock wall on our left as we neared a bend. I saw why when we turned. Aqua Bella was just four hundred paces from us.
I looked up and saw the rough-cut stone. My grandfather had told me that they had cut the stone out of the hillside to make the walls and battlements. Robert of Blois tapped me and Birger on the shoulder and pointed upwards. He did the same with Raymond and another of his squires. He selected four other younger knights and squires and pointed further down the wall. I looked at Birger and shrugged. He held out his arm towards mine and we clasped them.
There were large gaps in between the stones. They were old and the mortar had dried and crumbled. I reached up as high as I could go and put my fingers into the crevasse between the stones. I found that they were deeper than I had thought. I reached up my right leg; it was stronger and I managed to put my toe in a crevasse. I sprang up and raised my left leg a little higher than my right one. I felt like a spider. I ignored the others. I concentrated on scaling the wall. I repeated the moves. Each time I did so I made sure that I had three limbs attached to the walls. I was moving faster than I had expected. I glanced up and saw that there were crenulations just above my head. The next time I reached up I would be grabbing the top. I took stock and gathered my breath. As I did so I saw that Jarl Birger was just below me but the others were much lower. Their helmets were not helping them even those with just a nasal restricted what they could see. They had poor vision.
I readied myself and sprang up to grab the top stone. Bringing my left leg up I rolled through the gap. I landed on my back. Turning I saw that the fighting platform was empty. I realised then that Birger and I had been given the highest part to climb. To my left was a tower. I heard voices above me within the tower. That was where they had the sentries. It explained why no one had looked over the walls to spy us. I raised myself and peered over. Birger was close. I hissed and held out my right arm. He grasped it with his left and, as I pulled, he threw his right arm up to grab the top. He nodded his thanks as he stood. I slipped my mailed mitts over the back of my hands. Then I donned my coif. My head would have some protection.
We were just moving down the fighting platform when there was a scream followed by a metallic clang and a crack. I peered over the top and saw that one of the knights had fallen. Even as I looked another two fell. The climb needed confidence. The death of one had undermined them. Above me I heard strident voices and then the sound of a bell. Drawing our swords, we ran down the fighting platform to the ladder which led down to the courtyard. They could still bar the door to the tower but if we could reach the main gate and open it we had a chance.
An arrow smacked into the wall next to me. I did not look up. I knew they were in the tower. Speed was all that was important. It was dark and if we moved quickly then they would not see us! I heard shouts from my left as we descended the ladder. The door to the tower opened. They were sending men to stop us. Even as I turned and drew my sword I heard another shout from without the walls. Another of our men had died. We had now lost four.
I turned, just in time to deflect the spear which was rammed at my middle. I drew my dagger and, stepping into the Turk, rammed it up and under his ribs. I shouted over my shoulder, “Get the main gate! I will hold them off!” It was obvious that no one else was coming over the top. Those in the tower had a clear line of sight. I heard another cry and a body pitched from the walls and landed next to me. It was one of Robert of Blois’ squires.
More Turks spilled from the doorway. We had no idea how many men were in the garrison. Four men ran towards me. My grandfather had told me that when you were outnumbered the best thing you could do was to close with the enemy. They would not expect it and their weapons might become entangled. The first two obliged me by running at me with spears. I used my dagger and sword to deflect them. They were long weapons and hard to control. Once I was between them I cross my hands and stabbed the one to my left with my sword whilst slashing the other with my dagger. Even if I had not killed them I had hurt them. More men poured out of the tower but they ignored me. They ran to the gate. I heard a shout behind as the huge gates were opened and our men rushed in.
Birger Persson shouted, “Hold on Thomas! I am coming!”
The next two guards had swords and one had mail. They moved apart so that they could approach me from two different sides. Rather than letting them decide when they would attack me I ran at the one without mail and, flicking his sword aside with my own, I rammed my dagger into his side. The mailed warrior stabbed me in the back with his sword. It would have been a mortal blow but I was turning and his tip caught in my surcoat. Even so it pierced my mail links and scored a line down my side. The Turks liked to use the point of the sword. We preferred the edge. Ignoring the pain, I spun around with my sword held horizontally. He had a mail coif upon his head but my sword, the sword of my Uncle Wulfric, hacked through the mail and into his neck. I think my blow broke his neck but it mattered not for the edge was so sharp that it tore through his flesh and into his artery. Blood gushed.
I glanced behind. There was a battle going on at the gate and no one stood between me and the tower. I ran for the open door. As I entered the well-lit chamber I saw that two warriors stood before me. One was a lord. He had donned his mail. The other looked to be younger and might have been whatever the Ayyubid used for squires. I knew that I was overmatched. This was a warrior. It would be like fighting my father an
d I had never bested him.
He was angry and he shouted, “Death to all infidels! Death to the enemies of Allah.”
He launched himself at me. His squire also ran at me from the lord’s left. The lord had a long sword, it was as long as mine and it was tapered to a sharp point. He rammed it at my middle. My move was not honourable. I was fighting for survival. I used my dagger to fend away the lord’s sword. Our guards locked. I would kill his squire first. His squire’s sword scraped over the back of my hand. Without the mitts, it would have been sliced open. My sword skewered him. I saw, as his body fell that he was little older than William.
My distraction almost cost me my life. The lord grabbed me by the throat. Luckily most of what he grabbed was ventail. I pulled my head back and butted him in the face. He was a tough warrior. His nose erupted in a bloody mass but he did not let go. I had no room to swing my sword and so I held it vertically and drove it down into his foot. The blow was so hard that the tip of my sword struck the stone floor. He gave a roar of pain and his grip slackened. In that heartbeat, I changed my grip on my sword and pushed it up under his arm. The tip came out below his ear. The light went from his eyes and his body slid from my sword to the ground.
Behind me I heard a noise, Birger rushed in. “Thank God you are alive.” He looked at the Turk. “He was a big one.” He saw that I was panting. The exertion and the choking had almost done for me. “I will check the tower. They are finishing off those within.”
I was using the dead lord’s raiments to clean my blades when I saw that he had a purse attached. I took it and saw that it contained gold. I slipped it into my pouch. I would split it with Birger. I needed funds to get me home and God had sent me the means. I would not ignore the gift. I took the sword too. It was a fine weapon. William’s sword was not the best quality. I would give it to him.
Birger descended. “There are none in the tower. They emptied it to oust us.”
“How did it go outside?”
“The Turks fought well. Sir Robert has less men to slit our throats now!”
When we left the tower, I saw what he meant. Ten of our men had died. Two squires lay dead and all of the sergeant at arms. Robert of Blois now had just twelve men. We had four. If it came to a battle I do not think that our leader would relish the fight. I saw Raymond hacking at a dead Turk. I shook my head it was pointless. Birger said, “The Turk slew his friend. He is now the only squire.”
Robert of Blois was covered in blood and, from the way he held his left arm, some of it was his. He just nodded at us. I suppose that was our thanks for scaling the walls. He said, “Move the bodies and find the treasure!” He looked at us, “Is it inside?”
Birger said, “I did not see it. We can search more thoroughly if you wish. I was looking for more foes!”
“I will fetch our squires and the horses.”
Our captain shook his head, “Leave them! I want the treasure!”
“And I want our squires and horses here and safe. Your horse may not mean much to you but mine does.” I thought he would object further but he moved out of my way. I headed down the road. When I neared the gully, I whistled three times. “Come, William! We have won! Fetch the horses.”
I wandered down and helped them to tether the horses. We now had spares and that might just prove to be our salvation. We would be able to change horses. We might reach Acre in two days! If the Turks did not catch us first.
Petr asked, “And my jarl?”
“He lives although the Turks took a heavy toll of the others.”
It took longer to bring the horses than I had expected and it was dawn before we made the gate. We had to bang on the door for it was barred. That made sense. I did not like our captain but it had been a sensible precaution. The stable was clearly visible. The doors had been opened by our men searching for the treasure. The sun would soon be up and we led the animals inside. There was both feed and water. Just as important, there were six good horses.
I could hear both banging and the tearing up of floors. Robert of Blois came out of the tower. His face was effused with rage! “Where is the treasure?” He jabbed a finger at me. “You, this was your grandfather’s hall! Where is it?”
I stared at Raymond and this time he could not hold my stare. I had been correct. My inclusion was the fault of Raymond of Thornaby. I would make sure that he paid for his treachery.
“He did speak to me but he did not say if there was a place to hide treasure.” I looked at the open doors. “What lies within?”
Birger came over. He held a flagon of wine. “One holds wine and oil. The second is the stable and the third is the living quarters of the guards. We have searched them all. There is coin but there are no chests of treasure.”
I looked at Robert of Blois. You did not say how much treasure there was.”
He reluctantly answered me, “Ten chests. If they were here then we would have found them. They must have been moved. We have searched all three rock hewn chambers.”
It was as he spoke that my grandfather’s words came to me. I closed my eyes. I pictured him by the window in his solar. Old and grey with the wine next to him he spoke again. I heard the words. ‘There were four large doors leading off from the courtyard one was a huge barrel-vaulted chamber which had been hewn into the rock. That was where we lived. One was the stables and the other two were for storage. We had great quantities of oil and wine. I miss my old home but I fear that it is now in the hands of the enemy.’
I stood back. The sun had just peered over the wall and when I looked at the wall before me, in the light of day, I saw that the stone was new. It was not weathered. Birger said, “What is it? Have you see a ghost?”
“Find me an axe or a hammer.” I had their complete attention now.
Robert of Blois waved an impatient hand and the others fled to find me what I need. He came over to me. “What do you see?”
“It is what I don’t see that is of the most interest!” I enjoyed his confusion. One of the knights, Sir Guillaume, rushed out with a large axe. It reminded me of the Danish war axe Uncle Wulfric had had over his fire in his hall at Thornaby. I turned it so that the flat side of the axe would strike the wall. I hit at the juncture of two stones. The wall moved. I swung again. Perhaps I mistimed for the axe head hit the stone in the middle and the whole stone moved inwards. I hit the stone next to it and suddenly both stones flew inwards.
Robert of Blois saw what I was doing, “Everyone! Beat down this wall!”
It did not take long. The mortar was but a couple of years old and had been hurriedly applied by warriors who feared the Turks who were chasing them. The sun suddenly flashed above the wall and illuminated the interior of the chamber. The chests were there.
Robert of Blois clapped me about the shoulder, “You have done it!”
Even as he said it I wondered if I had just signed my own death warrant. Perhaps I could have pretended that the treasure was not there and they might have left. I could not go back and undo that which I had done. I dropped the axe and walked backwards.
Birger and our squires came to me, “How did you know?”
“My grandfather said that there were four chambers cut into the stone. I counted three. This is not over. They no longer need us.”
Birger said, “They do. They have enough horses to carry the treasure but they do not have enough men. They will try to kill us but it will be closer to Acre.”
I had my doubts but we could do nothing about it. I did not wish to fight over treasure but I would fight for my squire and my new friend. For the next few hours there was peace and harmony. We emptied the chests and loaded the treasure into sacks which we hung from the horses. We had more than enough horses now and each horse had two sacks attached. We would all lead two horses. A spare and one with treasure. We left in the late afternoon. The horses were rested. We had eaten. It was true that we had not slept over much but the Turks would be seeking us.
We four were at the rear of column. I knew that, if w
e were attacked, then we would be abandoned. We made good time. We rode hard and did not stop until night fell. This time we were not in a village. I thought that was a good thing. We were at a point where the road crossed a stream. We had food we had taken from Aqua Bella. We had water and we could sleep on the ground. All might have been well had not Raymond and some of the other knights not taken wine from the manor.
The four of us had our beds apart from the rest. We had our horses tethered close to us and had our own fire. The horses with the treasure were still close by us. Robert of Blois was worried that if they were all together then they were a temptation for someone to steal. I wondered about the manor Guy of Lusignan had offered him. We had a fortune here. Such a man as Robert of Blois might be tempted to abscond with it all. He had enough to buy himself a kingdom.
I was weary and, despite my misgivings, I was too tired to stay awake. It was Skuld who woke me. She tapped my leg with her foreleg and I was awake in an instant. I sensed movement close by. I could smell wine. I could smell sweat and I could smell fear. I risked opening one eye briefly. I saw Raymond approaching me. He was ten paces from me. Behind him were five others. All had daggers in their hands. They were coming to slit our throats. I had my own dagger in my hand. I had fallen asleep clutching it. Now that I knew where he was I could estimate his approach. I smell his breath and I listened as he breathed. I heard his foot scrape along the ground. I knew where he was.
I opened one eye and reaching out with my left hand grabbed the hand with the dagger. Its tip was touching my throat. His eyes widened in fear. “So, Raymond, you snake! Not content with fleeing your lord during a battle, you sell me out to this butcher. You have made a mistake and it will cost you your life.” I rammed the dagger into his heart.
Even as he was dying I pushed his body from me and lunged towards the two men approaching Birger. I shouted, “Treachery!” My dagger went into the ear of one as Birger awoke and gutted the other a heartbeat before his own throat was cut. William awoke and he managed to roll away from the knife in the night. I threw myself at his would-be killer. I knocked him over. His dagger rose, ready to plunge into me. My hand came up and so did my head. I cracked him on the chin and, as he rolled backwards, drove my dagger up into his groin.