Sword for Hire

by Griff Hosker

  I pointed east. “And that is why you need a castle here. It would control the seas. I am certain that there will be more ships coming in the next day or two. They could not have transported all their men, animals and captives in those three ships. If you had a castle here that could not happen.”

  Birger Persson shook his head, “I agree it is a good site but it is cut off from the land. If raiders came and it was high tide, what then?”

  “When we walked across last night there was just one place where the water was deep. Raise the causeway and leave just the one channel. There you build a bridge. You and your men could leave the island whenever you chose. The island would be protected.” I knelt and tapped the ground. “This is good ground. Build in stone and the enemy will be curbed.”

  “I am guessing that is how you control your enemies at home?”

  “Yes, Birger Brosa. We line the borders with stone castles and have riders within them. They can patrol far and wide. A few men on horses could deal with these barbarians.”

  “We have much to learn. When you return to the Stock Holm we will talk further.” He looked to Sverre, “Have the ships loaded.”

  By the time the ships had been loaded it was low tide again and we crossed back to the mainland. The water was still icy but it was easier in the dark. The passage was only a hundred paces. In the night, it had seemed further. The ships sailed as I fed and watered Skuld. Birger Persson had just four men to walk back with us. I had lost none. There were wounds but they were cuts and knocks. They would not even merit a story when my men sat and drank. We would not reach Stock Holm quickly. It would take at least two days. The skies were laden with the first of the winter snows. This was a baptism of ice we would have to endure.

  We did not ride our horses. Instead we used them to carry our weapons and the food that we had with us. The Karelians had great stores of food that they had ransacked. We would not starve. Nine men did not have horses and we went at their pace.

  As we walked Birger Persson and his brother plied me with questions about castles. “We saw the castles in the Holy Land. They were enormous. You are not suggesting we build one as big on that island, are you?”

  “No, my friend. You need a wall with a gatehouse and two towers. On the island that would be where the causeway lies. You need a hall within for your men. If you build one with stables on the ground floor then that will be easier to defend. At its simplest level that would do. However, if a determined enemy landed on the island you would need towers filled with archers.”

  Petr said, “That sounds like a lot of work.”

  “It would take a year at least to build and you cannot start yet for you have no stone and I am guessing that the ground will be frozen until spring.”

  Birger Persson was in thoughtful mood, “We need to build homes for my people at Stock Holm. My cousin has plenty of food but shelter is scarce. When we have built the shelters for them we will see if we can get more horses. We will have to trade for them. There are not as many here as in England.”

  “Then why not send to England? The ship on which we travelled will be returning for more iron ore. The captain does not like to travel empty. It would be in his interest to fetch horses.”

  “A good idea but we do not know where to get horses.”

  I smiled, “We do.”

  William looked at me, “Beverley!”

  I nodded, “There is a horse farm there and they have good horses. The port of Hull is small and we could land there and make the purchase unseen.”

  “That would be a risk. If you were seen, Sir Thomas, then it would mean your life.”

  “If Bishop Albert judges against me then I might not have a choice. We would go in disguise. We have three surcoats we took from dead knights in England.”

  “Then I would come with you and share the risk.”

  The snow began to fall. I looked up, “Besides there will be little else for us to do. When the snow falls I fear there will be no fighting.”

  “There you are wrong, Sir Thomas. When the seas freeze we use them as roads. But you are right. The ground will not be frozen for at least a month. There will be time to sail to England and buy the horses.”

  We had it all worked out by the time we reached Stock Holm. The jarl’s wife had set men to work building the houses. There was a great deal of activity. As we neared the hall I saw the jarl, still bandaged emerge. He was not alone. Birger Persson said, “And that is Bishop Albert. You will soon know your fate, my friend.”

  Bishop Albert

  Chapter 10

  When I had been growing up my grandfather had a warrior priest called Brother Peter. I had barely known him but as soon as I saw Bishop Albert I was reminded of the Knight Hospitaller who had served my grandfather. He was a big and powerful man. He had fanatical eyes and a voice to match. He glowered and glared at me as I approached.

  “So, this is the killer of priests! This is the enemy of God!”

  It did not bode well. I bowed my head and said, contritely, “I am ready to hear and accept your judgement Bishop Albert.”

  He nodded and appeared somewhat mollified. “It is not good to talk out here. Let us go into the jarl’s church.” He gave me a wicked grin, “Unless that would offend you, priest killer?”

  “No, bishop, I am happy to enter the church for I do not think there will be any desecrated graves within its walls.”

  He gave me a sideways look. “I heard you were an interesting man. The Bishop of Uppsala, Henry, was Englishman. He is a saint. I fear that you are not made of the same material.”

  We had entered the church which was lit by just two candles.

  “I do not think that anyone will canonize Hugh de Puiset!”

  I heard Bishop Albert sigh, “Sit and tell me your tale.”

  I did so and I omitted nothing.

  When I had finished there was silence. “You fought in the crusades with Jarl Birger Persson?”

  “I did.”

  “He told me that you were knighted when you defended your father and your squire while saving King Richard from certain death.” I nodded, “And that you and your squire saved the life of The Jarl Birger Brosa in the recent battle with the Karelians.”

  “We helped.”

  “That offers me hope. You are an enigma but I believe that you have been sent here for a purpose. You are here to make us better warriors and convert the pagans. You shall have absolution from your sins when we have converted the heathens of Estonia. I will give you absolution when you have done enough to outweigh the killing of a priest.”

  I hesitated. I would be committing myself to a battle we might not win. Would I ever get home? I had no choice. Some power other than that of mortal man was controlling my destiny, “Thank you, Bishop Albert.”

  When we entered the hall, it was as though this was Bishop Albert’s home and not the jarl’s. He was an ebullient man who was full of life. His passion was the conversion of the barbarians and he was not afraid to use force to do so. As we ate that night in a hall which was filled with priests, clerics and other knights who followed the banner of Bishop Albert, I was questioned about the way we fought and my ideas.

  Bishop Albert seemed enthusiastic. “We have horses but they are smaller than yours and only ridden by our jarls. I think we need an order of knights such as the Templars or the Teutonic knights. I have the name already, the Livonian Sword Brothers.” He turned to Birger Persson. “When you were in the Holy Land did you discover how we might create such an order?”

  Birger looked at me, “The problem I see with such orders is that although they work for the Church, they do not appear to answer to them. You would need a master who would ensure that what they did was for God and not for themselves.”

  Lady Brigida was a little innocent where war was concerned. It had barely touched her home for Stock Holm was well protected. “Surely the Holy Orders are priests who are also knights.”

  I shook my head, “Most are, my lady, but there are enoug
h who are not, to give rise to the belief that there are self-serving men in positions of power within the orders. They are rich and they are powerful. Kings jump to their commands. When the Hospitallers chose to charge at Arsuf it was against the King of England’s command.”

  I saw Bishop Albert did not approve of my criticism for he frowned and flashed ma an irritated look. “I see. Then I will have to choose carefully. But the principle is a good one?”

  Birger nodded, “They serve for a minimum of one year. That is often enough. They have knights and they have sergeants. Both are mounted and well-armed. They are highly trained and very disciplined. Some would call them fanatical.”

  I nodded, “My grandfather was at the siege of Ascalon. The Master of the Templars led many knights to their death when they charged a breach in the walls. Had they waited then they would still have won and over sixty knights would be alive. Their lives would not have been wasted.”

  Bishop Albert drank some of the honeyed wine they seemed to like in this part of the world. “Then horses are what we need. However, you cannot possibly bring back enough for our needs, Sir Thomas. I would have you acquire a mare and a stallion so that we may breed.”

  “You mean a war horse?”

  He nodded, “As far as I am aware it is the blood of the stallion which will make strong offspring.”

  “They are almost impossible to buy but…”

  Birger looked at me and laughed, “I know that tone. Sir Thomas has a plan.”

  “I know where there is a warhorse and two good breeding mares. They belong to me.”

  “You forfeited your land!”

  “I did but there are still some honourable knights. My father’s war horses are still there. I had thought to let them see out their lives grazing but this would be better.”

  “Are they close to this place, Hull?”

  I smiled happily, “Oh no, they are sixty miles and a river away. It will not be easy but I fear that my penance will be a more difficult one than that my grandfather’s.” I swallowed the goblet of wine, “But now we wait for the arrival of Henry and his ship.”

  Henry came six days later. The snow had not stopped in that time and both the jarls and Bishop Albert feared that the Baltic might freeze early. When we saw the old ship tacking towards Stock Holm, The Jarl Birger Brosa, much recovered from his wounds, said, “You have a month, at most, to complete your task. Once the seas around the coast freeze then we are cut off.”

  Bishop Albert had spent four of the six days gathering coin from his flock to pay for the horses. He would not need to pay me. I would however make profit when the mares began to have foals and colts. The Jarl Birger Brosa had contributed half for he wished to have as many mounted men as we did. Henry had brought a letter for me. I saw him privately, “Where did you get the letter?”

  “A one-eyed man who knew my name said would I deliver it to any from the family of the Warlord. He said he would be waiting for my return in case there was an answer.”

  “You did not know him?” He shook his head. “He was alone?”

  “He was.” I wondered who had sent him for I knew no one-eyed men. “You are declared outlaw, lord. Any man who sees you may kill you. Prince John and the Archbishop of York signed the decree.”

  I nodded.

  “But there is good news too, lord. King Richard is now freed from imprisonment. He is at his castle in Chinon.”

  I felt my spirits soar, “And he returns to England?”

  He shook his head, “I spoke with other captains. He campaigns in Normandy against the French and rebels. His nephew, Arthur, seeks Normandy. Prince John still rules England.”

  Just as swiftly as they had been raised my hoped were dashed. King Richard sought glory and his people would suffer.

  “You have a commission. Where do you take your ore?”

  “Hartness, lord.”

  “Then I would have you let me slip ashore there with two men. The jarl wishes you to sail to Hull so that he and William might go to Beverley to buy horses.”

  “Hull will not be a problem. I have sued the port before but Hartness! That is dangerous lord! You risk your life.”

  “I think not but I would need you to pick me up from the beach which is south of Hartness on the way back. Would it be possible to take three horses from the sea, using slings?”

  “It is not easy but it could be done.”

  “Then that is what we will try to do. I will work out the details. You had better speak with Bishop Albert and the jarls. They are the ones who wish to buy the horses. They want as many as you can bring. It means you will have cargo both ways. This will mean coin for you.”

  “Coin is nothing, lord. I would have you safe!” He meant what he said. My grandfather’s people were loyal.

  The letter was in my aunt’s hand. I did not know how Henry had managed to get the letter but Ruth was a resourceful woman. I opened it. I saw that there was no name upon it. When I turned it over I saw that the outside was blank too. She had been careful.

  Y ou know who you are and what you have done!

  S ometimes men have too much honour. However, if my father had not had such high ideas of honour then my brother and I might not have been born. I beg you to stay away from England. Until we have a king again this is a dangerous place for you. Fear not for me. I have a protector and from the most unlikely of places. You know him but I will not name him. I know not exactly where you are. That is for the best. I cannot betray you if I do not know. I have an idea how I can get this letter to you but it may take some time. I pray that you read it before my time on this earth is over.

  K now that I love you as though you were mine own. Whatever you need from me is yours. You are a true knight and an honourable knight. That gives me comfort in a land riven with treachery, deceit, and dishonour.

  xxx

  That was it. There was no signature and no seal. She had used no names. If this had fallen into the wrong hands it would have availed them little. I folded it up and tucked it inside by surcoat. I would reread it later on and work out the messages between the lines.

  While Henry negotiated I chose my men. William would go to Hull with Jarl Birger Persson. I would take Will son of Robin and Edward son of Edgar with me. Both were quick thinking and we would need that. I had yet to work out how to get out of the port of Hartness and then across to Wulfestun. It was Edward who gave me the solution. He pointed to Bishop Albert. “It is simple, lord. We dress as priests. We have all picked up a few words of Swedish. We pretend that we are Swedish monks and that we go to Durham. We put on a false accent. The people of Hartness see few foreigners. That church official will bend over backwards to accommodate us.”

  Will nodded, “He is right, lord. The robes would hide our swords and the hoods our heads. We get Henry to make the introductions.”

  I shook my head, “No, for that would put him in danger. We get Jarl Birger Persson to speak for us.”

  It was a better plan than any I had. Bishop Albert agreed, reluctantly, to get us robes. He did not like the deceit but the greater prize of the conversion of pagans swung him in our favour. We left as soon as the ship was loaded. We had been given a month but Henry hoped we could manage it back sooner. Birger Brosa suggested that we wear sealskin boots. They were common in Sweden and would make the walk to Wulfestun easier.

  “How did you avoid trouble when you returned to Hartness?”

  “I told them the truth. I said that you forced me to take you abroad. My men backed me up. All of them have family in Stockton. I just said that I was forced to take you to the land of the Danes.” That was good. Even if they knew we had come to Sweden it would not help them. So long as I was with the leading lord of the land then I was safe.

  We spent time, as we sailed west, finalizing the details. It would take up to four days to sail from Hartness to Hull and to buy the horses. That gave us plenty of time to get to Wulfestun, unseen and undetected, and then to fetch the horses to the sand dunes. At the end of
autumn, it would be bleak beyond words. We would have to lift the horses from the sea. That would not be easy. Henry had block and tackle. He showed me how the slings would work. “Of course, lord, you would be in the water and you would have to fit the slings. The sea can kill a man at this time of year.”

  I nodded, “If you use the mouth of the Tees then you should be able to get closer. There is a deep channel there.”

  “I know, lord, they call it Snook Point. It is close to the Greatham Fleet. I have my father’s charts. If you are willing to take the risk then I will be there. We will need a signal.”

  “We will have to risk a fire. It will be cold anyway and I hope that there are no prying eyes. We will be there three nights after we are dropped. We will wait until you reach us.”

  Neither William nor the jarl were happy but they agreed that there was no other way to get war horses. A rouncy would cost a horseman eight pounds but a war horse, if one could be bought, would cost ten times that amount.

  Churchmen were normally clean shaven. The three of us had to lose our beards. Although my men were not happy I knew that it was necessary. It would change my face so that I might not be remembered. They would grow again. I felt naked without mine and my face felt cold. Our cheeks were red raw but they would settle as we headed west.

  We reached Hartness in the middle of the afternoon. Henry had told us that, since our escape, they kept a stronger watch upon the walls. The lateness of the hour suited us. The market had finished long ago. There were three ships about to leave the port and, with the turning tide, they would expect Henry to turn his ship around quickly. He had his fees ready.

  We had barely tied up when the officious little man appeared. I stayed in the background. Will son of Robin would do the talking and Jarl Birger Persson. The official came to Henry first, “You have a profitable business, captain. Perhaps I should charge you more.”

  “I thought that Bishop Albert set the fees, What difference can my profit make?”

  Jarl Birger stepped ashore. “There is a landing fee?” I saw a frown crease the jarl’s face. The official had the kind of face and manor that made you want to strike it. “I am not landing but these three penitents are.” We stepped forward. I was at the rear and I kept my head down.