Sword for Hire

by Griff Hosker

  Hugh of Bath said, “What we know, lord. We will fight. For myself I will choose a lord who is worthy of my service.”

  Birger was curious, “And how will you judge them?”

  David of Wales smiled, “We have all learned many things over here, lord. We have learned to find brothers in arms.” He swept a hand around the five of them. “We know who to trust. We have learned to judge a lord by his actions. None of us will leap into bed with a knight because he offers a fine surcoat and a purse full of coins. We have all seen brave lords, with barely a silver penny to their name, but they fought and died bravely. They are the sort of lord we will follow.”

  It was two days later when a ship arrived that offered hope. It flew the standard of Pisa. Birger had proved himself to be the best negotiator. He went aboard as the passengers and the cargo was disembarked. He was aboard some time. As soon as he walked back to the quay some of the other men at arms who had been waiting for passage clambered to be aboard. A huge sailor barred their way.

  I nodded towards him, “That does not look hopeful.”

  Birger said, “He is unwilling to take impoverished warriors.” I saw the five who had been sharing the quay with us. Birger’s words were like a death knell. “However, he is willing to take two lords and their retinue.” He glanced at the five men. None heard his words for they were in the depths of despair.

  “And horses?”

  “He is unwilling to take horses.”

  “I will not leave Skuld. We would not be alive but for her.”

  Robert La Flèche said, “We will look after her lord. You have shown kindness to us and it is the last we can do to repay you.”

  I turned to Birger, “Go back aboard and tell the captain that we will pay well for the passage of two lords and their seven men and one horse. I will not negotiate the horse!” he nodded and returned to the ship.

  The five looked up, “You would take us, lord?”

  “Let us say that I feel that someone owes you. I will pay. I just ask that you stay with me to England. After that you may leave as you choose.”

  They all nodded.

  “And, of course, you will have to wear my surcoat for I feel this Pisan will be suspicious otherwise. As soon as Jarl Birger returns we will have you blue surcoats made. They will not have the gryphon but it should suffice.”

  David of Wales spoke for them all, “Lord we swear that we will be your men. You can trust us!”

  I looked into their eyes, each of them in turn, and I knew that they spoke true, “Aye, I know.”

  Birger’s smiling face told me all that I needed to know, “He will take us and Skuld but the pirate is robbing us.”

  “Just so long as we leave this land then I am happy.”

  We were going home.

  The Road to England

  Chapter 4

  The ship was larger than I expected. It was the type known as a cog. There were cabins at the stern beneath the steering mechanism. There was also a hold. Skuld was lowered into it by means of a sling and a crane. I made sure that she had plenty of feed. We shared the one cabin. The crew used canvas slung between beams for beds and we did the same. It was crowded but we only slept there. The rest of the time we were on deck. We were lucky. In the month we were at sea, we only had rain for five days in total. A bigger problem was the unrelenting sun. One of the coolest places to be was the hold with Skuld and the cargo. I suspected we had paid too much and the captain did not need a cargo. He was a clever man for he brought spices which did not take up much space and yet would yield him an enormous profit. We all took it in turns to be with Skuld. It was no hardship and she was the best-groomed horse I had ever seen.

  Birger made the suggestion that we keep moving while on the ship. He had the two of us walking around the ship when we were on deck. It amused the crew and it proved interesting for the new men who wore my blue surcoats. They were already showing the benefits of regular meals. I had bought Robert of La Flèche a sword and helmet. His whole demeanour changed. A warrior without a sword was nothing. The five of them spoke of war and of the battles in which they had fought. William and Petr listened to them. The five soldiers had not been mounted men. They had fought on foot. They had trudged behind the horses and had eaten their dust. Often, they had been abandoned when the knights and mounted sergeants had charge off after Seljuk Turks. I saw a change in my squire. He now understood the ordinary soldier. They fought for coin and their lord. Treated well and they would die for him.

  One evening when the wind had dropped and we were barely making way we sat at the prow trying to get some breeze to cool us down. The captain, who seemed to know these things, told us that there would be a storm. He said that the air was heavy. I believed him. Petr and Birger were cooling Skuld down with sea water and I was staring north. I was looking beyond the coast of Sicily. I was looking for home.

  David of Wales suddenly asked, “Lord, where will you go when we land in England?”

  “My father was Earl of Cleveland. There is no one to take over the manor of Stockton. I shall take over my father’s duty.”

  Robert asked me, “Will you not become earl in his stead?”

  It was a question Birger had asked too. I shook my head, “It is the King’s decision. I dare say when he returns to Normandy I can petition for the title.”

  Henry Youngblood was a thoughtful man. I had often seen him speaking with the new Arrivals in Caesarea to garner news, “Prince John rules England for his brother. He does not rule from London but the land around Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. That is close to Stockton is it not, lord? Could you not ask him?”

  He was right of course. I could ride to the Prince’s castle in under two days. “Perhaps but the king is on his way home too. He may even be in Normandy now. When we travel from Pisa we will have to avoid France but we can travel to Normandy and see him then.”

  “And us lord, what of us?”

  I looked at David of Wales. He was a typical archer. He had a chest like a barrel and arms like oaks. My father had told me that outside of the men of Sherwood, the Welsh made the best archers. “As I said in Caesarea when we get to England then you will have fulfilled your obligation to me.”

  It was the Welshman who looked at his comrades and seeing them nod asked, “And if we wish to serve you in England, lord?”

  “I would be honoured but, as I said, I know not what the king has in mind. Stockton is a powerful castle and an important manor. He may choose to give it to another.”

  That did not seem to worry them. “That does not matter. If I was to speak truthfully, and for the others, I would say that what we have seen of you, lord, we like. You do not speak to us as villeins but as warriors.”

  “You have not seen me fight!”

  David grinned and pointed to Phillip of Poitiers, “But he has. He was at Arsuf and he told us of the young squire who stood with his standard and a sword defending a wounded squire and his dead father. We need know no more.”

  Phillip nodded, “Aye lord. I could not believe what I saw. Your father’s standard rode against the finest cavalry the Turks had left. He went with a handful of men and if you are from his stock then you will be a worthy lord. He died but in his death, he gained much honour. That day did not see much to be joyous about but the sight of you standing with the standard defying the Ayyubid will live long in my memory.”

  After that talk, the mood changed amongst the men. They joined us as Birger and I marched around the decks. They began to practise with their weapons. They asked me about shields and weapons for they had little left between them. They had a sword and a helmet. That was about it. They talked of Skuld and what horses they had ridden when they had been warriors. They had fought on foot in the Holy Land but they had all ridden. In Skuld they recognised a special horse. As we sailed north we began to become one.

  Perhaps some spirit had made the change I know not but, as we passed through the straits of Messina and saw the Genoese ship, all of us would soon be teste
d as warriors. I recognised the cross of St. George which flew from her mast. Unlike us she had two castles, one close to the bow and one at the stern. She was a warship. In comparison, we were a sheep to her wolf. Fate had made us take a Pisan ship rather than a Genoese. We had known they were at war and now we were to pay the price.

  The captain shouted, “She means to take us, lord. Will you defend us?”

  I looked at Birger who nodded, “Aye captain.” Turning to the men I said, “Now we have an opportunity to see each other’s mettle. Get your weapons and meet me at the stern on the aft castle.”

  “Aye lord!”

  Petr and William hurried to the hold to fetch our shields and our mail. We had not worn it since we had left the Holy land; there had been no need.

  Birger asked, as we climbed the steps, “Have you ever fought aboard a ship before?” I shook my head, “I have. Keep your feet wide apart and avoid over swinging. The motion of the ships is something you need to use and not fight.”

  When we reached the captain he said, “She is bigger than we are.” Even I could see that. “She has crossbowmen at the top of the mast. Unless I miss my guess, there will be twenty men at arms aboard her.”

  “Knights?”

  “Probably not. Does that make a difference?”

  “Let us hope so.”

  The Genoese ship was closing with us. She was much bigger and had more canvas as well as the wind. Our captain was a good seaman but they were inexorably catching us. Our squires and men arrived. While David of Wales strung his bow, the others helped us to don our mail. I was acutely aware that, beneath their surcoats, my men wore just a leather jerkin. None had shields yet. They had swords and they had knives and daggers. They would have to do. By the time we were ready the Genoese was ten ship’s lengths behind us.

  I pointed to the mast head, “David, they have a pair of crossbows at the top of the mast. Can you deal with them?”

  He spat over the side and grinned, “Lord I hate crossbow men worse than Scotsmen! They are as good as dead.”

  “I leave it to you to decided when to strike.” Turning to the other four I said, “We four have mail. I intend to tackle any who try to board us. I want you four to watch our backs. If one of us falls then take our place. If we can kill or disable ten of their men we stand a chance.”

  Phillip of Poitiers said, “We stand more of a chance, lord. We are English and they are not!”

  David of Wales was pulling back his bow to stretch his muscles. Without looking up he said, “And I am Welsh, Norman! We are hard to beat too!”

  I saw that the Genoese had closed to within four lengths of us. They intended to use their castle at the bow to launch their attack. That suited us for it was smaller than our aft castle. Although slightly higher, they could only send over three men at a time. We would outnumber them. I said, “Shields!” The four of us brought our shields up. Soon we would be the target of the crossbows. I could see those deadly weapons peering over the top of the wooden box atop the mast.

  Suddenly I heard the thrum of a bow string as David sent an arrow aft. It thudded into the wooden box behind which they sheltered. His strike must have worried them and they released. One struck our stern and the other hit our mast. My men jeered. David was laughing, “Now they have to reload. They will be a bigger target!”

  I saw what he meant. The two crossbowmen had been able to release their bolts while crouching behind the wood. Now they had to stand and put their foot in the stirrup in order to pull back the cord. The arrow from my Welshman’s bow flew straight and true. His first one had allowed him to see the effect of the pitch of both ships. His second arrow struck one of them and he tumbled, screaming to land on the deck. They were just three lengths away and we heard the crack as his body hit the deck. The second man looked towards us. The last thing he saw was David’s arrow as it struck him and pinned his head to the mast. My men and the crew cheered. It was a fine strike.

  “Well done! Now see how many more you can hit.”

  “I only have seventeen arrows left lord.”

  “Then make them count.”

  “Aye lord!”

  “We have seen what our archer can do, now let us see what we can do. I am sorry Birger but the cry today is God, King Richard and England!”

  He laughed, “I care not. Until I reach Sweden I have no home!”

  The Genoese was a length and a half astern of us. I saw the men at arms waiting to attack us. They had open faced helmets. They wore no mail but they had leather jerkins studded with metal. Their shields were intended to be used aboard a ship for they were smaller than ours. David sent an arrow into the face of one Genoese. He fell into the sea. The others raised their shields. That was good for it meant they could not see. Someone else would have to order them across. A seaman began to whirl a grappling hook and David sent one into his chest. The range was so close that my archer could not miss.

  The captain looked astern, “He will try to ram us next.”

  I saw that his bow was higher than our stern, “David, do not let them get a grappling hook aboard us.”

  I saw that some of the crew were ready with axes. They would also cut the ropes should they attempt to grapple us. The bow sprit towered over us and three men leapt. Birger and I had already rammed our swords into the air. William and Petr were a little slower. My sword slid up and into the thigh of the man at arms who jumped. His scream reminded me of the pigs when they were castrated on Peter the Pig’s farm at the Oxbridge! Birger was not so lucky. He impaled his man but the dying man landed on the Swedish jarl. Hugh of Bath picked up the dead man’s shield and stepped into the breach.

  William had only wounded his man. The Genoese rose and Robert of La Flèche rammed his new sword into the side of the man at arms. He tore the shield from the dead man and stood next to Petr. We had five men abreast now. Birger pushed the dead man at arms from him and struggled to his feet. He had been winded.

  The three dead men had bought time and space so that four leapt down and we were forced back a little. They landed without a wall of swords facing them. I stepped forward, aware of Birger’s advice. Planting my left foot before me I did not swing over hand but lunged upwards with my sword. My opponent’s shield came around to block it. It only half blocked it and my sword scored a hit along his thigh. As he winced I hit him hard with my shield and he toppled backwards. His fall caught the next man who tried to jump aboard and he lay prostrate at my feet. I changed the grip on my sword and rammed it into the back of his neck. It was too hard and my sword stuck in the planks. A Genoese, seeing his opportunity, lunged at me. Henry Youngblood’s sword swept down and bit into his neck.

  I saw another sailor fall to one of David’s arrows. One of the Pisan crew threw a hatchet at a man at arms who was about to leap aboard. It caught him on the head and he fell backwards. Birger was now fully recovered and he launched himself at the nearest man at arms. There were two Genoese left on our ship. David was sending his arrows into any who tried to clamber aboard us. When the last two were butchered by Robert, William, Petr and Hugh the Genoese began to back off. They had lost enough. David had accounted for eight men and there were eight men at arms who lay dead on our ship.

  The crew and my men cheered as the Genoese changed course. They had been hurt more than they had expected. The captain said, “Throw their bodies to the fishes!”

  I shouted, “Hold! Take their weapons, mail and shields from them first eh?”

  We had a rich haul. I allowed my men to keep the coin they found. They took what they needed from the dead. Robert said, “We have our shields now lord. All that we need is paint and we will look like your retinue!”

  They went below decks to see if they could find any. The captain handed over the steering to his first mate. He led me to the stern and said, quietly, “I am indebted, lord. We would have perished but for you. I will return half of your gold.”

  “Thank you. captain. You are a generous man!” I knew then that he had overcharged u
s. He had thought us to be desperate men. The tables were turned and he had become the desperate man. He was grateful.

  We went to the bows to clean our weapons and to sharpen our swords on our whetstones. I told Birger of the captain’s offer. He said, “We are probably still paying too much.”

  “I know but I would not change things. Did you see my men? They fought as one! I have men whom I can lead!”

  When we reached Pisa, I knew that it would take some time for Skuld to recover. We also needed to buy horses for my new men to ride and sumpters to carry our goods. The captain showed his gratitude by recommending an inn which would not rob us. It was his brother. To be fair they did not charge excessive prices. We took over the whole inn and that suited me. It meant we could see if there was any danger to us. We were in a strange country and we had money. I knew human nature. There were thieves and vagabonds everywhere.

  Birger and I sought horses. We both knew that which we needed. A good palfrey was all that was required. Sadly, the men of Pisa knew ships. They did not know horses. We spent three days searching. It was not time wasted for Skuld recovered from the month at sea. Petr and William exercised her each day. David of Wales found someone who could supply him with willow and goose feathers. He had almost run out of arrows. He would not do so again. He also found a smith. It cost me coin but the smith made the arrow heads which David wanted.

  “Knight killers, lord, that is what we need! With these arrows then mail will not stop me killing your enemies!”

  It was the blacksmith who pointed us in the right direction. We trekked four miles from Pisa and found a horse farm. I could not speak his language but I knew that he knew horses. He caressed them and spoke to them as though they were human. We bought twenty. It did not cost us as much as it would have done in the Holy Land and we had a long way to travel. I expected to lose at least a quarter in the Alps.