Sword for Hire

by Griff Hosker

  When we were eighty paces from them I spurred Skuld and lowered my spear. We were seen and pandemonium ensued. The lords and their king had bodyguards. Each set of bodyguards protected their own. That was a mistake. Some had but two body guards. If they had banded together then they might have held my line. Fótr and William had now become as skilled as any knight and the three of us, in the centre of my line, would punch a hole through their centre. The Estonians sounded their horns. They were recalling their clans to defend their chiefs.

  The bodyguards wore no mail. The chiefs had helmets and mail byrnies. I aimed my spear at the broad, bearded warrior with tattoos. He held a long, curved sword. His shield was a large round one. I had seen one in Stockton. They were the type of shields used by the Varangians. Studded with metal they would blunt a blade and resist the blow of an axe. I lowered my spear when I was twenty paces from the man and he mirrored me with his shield. I spurred Skuld and lifted the tip. I was too close for him to react and my spear rammed deep into his tattooed chest. He was a tough man and he wrenched the spear from my grip as he fell dying, to the ground. I let it go and drew my sword. I saw bodyguards falling to arrows. David and his men were being selective. They dared not risk a volley for fear of hitting us. Instead they used the gaps between my men to kill our enemies. The lord behind the warrior I had killed had thought his bodyguards would protect him and he was slow to react. I swung my sword sideways and bit through his mail and into his neck.

  Fótr and William had enlarged the hole which I had made. Edward and Robert of La Flèche also had driven deep into the pockets of bodyguards. I spied the king and his bodyguards grabbing the six horses which remained and they ran. I spurred Skuld but she was tiring. I saw that they would not be caught. I whipped Skuld’s head around and rode to the battle standard. Swinging my sword, I hacked through the staff. It fell to the ground. I then continued my turn and rode, with Fótr and William, to attack the rear of the men fighting my men at arms. The first three we slew knew nothing about it. They were busy fighting Henry and Hugh. Leaning from the saddle I brought my sword across the mailed back of one of their chiefs. My blade broke the mail, his flesh and his spine.

  And then there were none left alive on the small pimple of land. We had won. We had not escaped unscathed. I saw Ridley the Giant cradling Walther son of Wilson. He had been gutted by one of the curved blades.

  “Form a defensive position!”

  David shouted to his men to mount. They galloped over to us and threw themselves from their horses, tying their horses to the banners. We dismounted and held our weapons ready to fend off the barbarians who streamed up the slope to us. I heard The Jarl Birger Brosa’s horn and saw a line of horsemen charging across the field to get at the Estonians. It was an uneven race. The horses gained with every stride they took. When they hit the mob of wild men it was as though a farmer had taken a scythe to reap wheat. They fell, not in ones and twos but in their tens and twenties. Those who were not stabbed, speared or slashed were crushed by hooves.

  The Estonians veered away from the small rise and took the easier course down towards the river. The two jarls hurtled after them. They were in full cry. They could win the war in this single charge. Edward asked, “Do we follow them, lord?”

  I shook my head. “We have their banners and their dead lords. We hold these for Bishop Albert.” I smiled, “But you may search the dead and reap the reward for being the finest of horsemen. We may be exiled from our home but today we showed the rest what a handful of men from Stockton can do!”

  Chapter 15

  Bishop Albert, his bodyguards and the two brothers made their way across the body littered field to us. The battle by the river still raged although the Holy Order had triumphed. The Estonians were trying to flee across the river. Our foot had joined us and archers were reaping a bloody harvest. Bishop Albert beamed, “Sir Thomas, today you have atoned for any sin you might have committed in the past. God truly smiles upon you for you have laid low the leaders of these heathens.”

  I smiled my thanks, “I am just sorry that their king escaped.”

  He shook his head, “That is no matter. Today we have broken their grip on this river and we can begin to build.” He turned to the two brothers, “Gather the standards from their staffs, we will take them back to our camp. They are a symbol of our victory.”

  William came to me, “There is an irony here, lord. We are now absolved and can return home yet we have no home to which we can return. We are stuck here.”

  “Perhaps, William, the Lord has not yet forgiven me and there are other tasks I must perform.” I saw that Ridley still cradled the body of his friend. “Come we will bury Walther here. Edward take the broken staff from the king’s standard. Fashion it into a cross. Fetch the body of Rafe, we shall bury them together.”

  We buried Walther and Rafe on the small mound which overlooked the river. We buried them in their mail with helmet and sword. Walter’s surcoat and cloak covered the terrible wound which had killed him. Rafe was given Jack son of Harold’s surcoat for his was bloody and torn. We lined the grave with the shields of the dead Estonians and laid his shield over his face. After covering the bodies with soil Edward planted the cross. There was no name but this was the only Christian burial on that field. They were a symbol. They had died far from their homes but, as we stood around the grave and spoke of their lives then it was as though we were in the Tees Valley.

  “We say farewell to our friend, Walther son of Wilson, and Rafe son of Roger. Loyal to the end they died as warriors should, facing foes and fighting until they were slain. We will remember them. When we return to Stockton we will tell those who knew them of their courage and how, on this holy crusade, they helped to defeat the heathen.”

  We raised our swords and as one shouted, “Walther son of Wilson! Rafe son of Roger!”

  Perhaps I imagined it but I saw a pair of hawks rise from the woods to the north of us. They spiralled up into the air and seemed to hover above us. I was not the only one to see it. Edward, son of Edgar said, “My father would have said that Walther and Rafe’s spirits were in those hawks, lord. Not a Christian thing to think but I take comfort from that. If I died I should like to be a bird flying on the air. The Bible and the priests can’t explain everything, can they lord?”

  “No, Edward, they cannot. Come let us follow Bishop Albert to our camp.”

  My men’s saddlebags were filled with that which they had collected. The Estonians were barbarians but they liked their gold and their silver. Rings, torcs, necklaces and battle bands had been taken from their dead. Their lords had had jewels. They were now in our possession. As we headed back an idea began to form in my mind. We were swords for hire. There would be others. If we had enough coin and treasure we could buy an army. Perhaps we could wrest the crown from King John’s slimy grip. Just as suddenly as it had come the idea evaporated like morning mist in the summer sun. Who would rule if we deposed John? I had an idea but it was not a solution.

  We camped at our starting point for the battle. Men and horses were weary. The river was filled with Estonian bodies floating to the sea and the battlefield littered with the dead of both sides. Bishop Albert had our dead collected and they were buried close by the river. I wondered at that. When the river flooded the soil would be washed from the bones and exposed. It was the Swedish dead we buried. Our two dead men lay on high ground.

  Petr, and the jarls had survived the battle. We camped together. Our men were comrades and they spoke of the dead as we ate our rations. The dried food was augmented by the horses killed in the battle. We had not lost any but the Knights of the Holy Order had. They did not wish to eat their mounts. We did not mind.

  “We thought you had gone mad, Thomas, when you dismounted.”

  “The trees which were close by were too much of a temptation for our enemies. I wished to retain our horses.” I smiled, “And I trusted to David of Wales and my archers. If the trees were a threat to us then if I held them they were a thr
eat to the enemy. So it proved. Besides, as you know Jarl Birger Persson, a good shield wall can defeat a rabble every time. You just need discipline.”

  “I had expected more of Bishop Albert’s knights.”

  I looked over to where they were knelt, in their camp, praying before Bishop Albert, the brothers and the standard. “They will learn but they need a leader. We saw that, Birger, in the Holy Land. The knights today lacked order. They did not fight as one but they will learn. They will have to for I do not think they will be so lucky the next time.”

  The Jarl Birger Brosa’s squire, Sverre, asked, “Is it not over, lord? We slew many of their men.”

  I looked at The Jarl Birger Brosa, “You know the Estonians. Do they have more than seven clans? That is all that we fought today.”

  “You are right Thomas. There are many more clans. The next time their king, Ylle, will not underestimate us. He will have seen our numbers and thought he had enough to defeat us. He has now seen our horses. He knows what knights can do. However, it will take him time to gather them. We will have one more battle before we return home for the winter.”

  Sverre asked, “But we have only just got here. Will we not stay until the job is done?”

  “We have little shelter here and our horses need fodder and grazing. Some may stay but not all. We will see what Bishop Albert says.”

  The next day we headed back to the fleet. Bishop Albert ordered the Estonian fort to be burned and the houses of the town torn down. He left the warehouses which lined the river. He intended to make Riga a centre of trade. He thought that merchants would hire men to protect their goods. “We will build a city here. Riga is a good enough name to retain. The men who will man the castle I shall build will be the knights of my order. The name they have used hitherto is a propitious one. They shall be known throughout Christendom as the Livonian Brothers of the Sword!”

  While the men at arms obeyed his orders, Bishop Albert approached the three of us. “You three have ever been at the forefront of our fight against the heathen and yet you are not members of the order.”

  I remembered that, in the Holy Land, Birger had spoken of joining the order. He had obviously changed his mind but I knew not why. We looked at each other. There had been an implied question but we had all ignored it.

  Bishop Albert sighed, “Let me speak plainly, I would have the three of you join my order. More than that I would have Sir Thomas of Stockton as the first Master of the order. You have atoned for your sin. You showed today that you are a master of tactics and a brave knight. Every knight would gladly follow you.”

  I was stunned at the offer. I knew, from the Templars and Hospitallers, that such a title brought with it immeasurable wealth and power. I could use the order to invade England and wrest the crown from John. I hesitated but a heartbeat, “I am flattered, your grace but I cannot accept. My fate is in England. I will fight for you. I will join with the Livonian Brothers of the Sword but I will not be deflected from my course.”

  He nodded, “You have ever been honest with me. And you?”

  The Jarl Birger Brosa shook his head, “The Master will have to live here in the conquered lands and that is not for me.”

  Birger Persson said, “Nor for me. I thought, when I was in the Holy Land that it was. When we built Kastelholm I saw that as a base for the order but since Petr has become a knight and has begun a family I yearn to be a father and a husband. Your Brothers of the Sword need to be dedicated to the order and I cannot do so.”

  Bishop Albert sighed, “I hoped that one of you would choose the way of the cross but it was not meant to be. I will speak with Hermann Balk. He fought well today and the other knights respect him.” He stood and walked over the knights.

  After he had gone I laughed. “What is funny Sir Thomas?”

  “It is just that I killed a bishop and yet another bishop begged me to lead knights on a holy crusade. Can you not see the irony, Petr?”

  He smiled, “I can but although I never met this Hugh de Puiset you slew he must have deserved it for you are as noble and as true a knight as I have ever met.”

  Bishop Albert began his mission with the building of a church. As The Jarl Birger Brosa commented, “A wall to keep out the barbarians might have been a better idea!”

  Although we had less than five hundred men, our zealous leader insisted upon us riding each day to watch for danger and to explore the land. The warriors on foot were left to build the church and, somewhat belatedly, dig the ditch and begin the building of the walls. His new master, Hermann Balk, showed that he was no fool by insisting that they had a castle built at the same time as the church. I did not envy him wintering in such a hostile environment.

  As I was preparing my men to ride he came over to me. “Bishop Albert said that you were offered master first and you refused. For that I am grateful but I want you to know that if you had been master then I would have gladly followed you. I heard how you captured the standards and slew the chiefs. Like me you are young but I can see that you have both skill and experience. If you ever see me doing something which is foolish then I beg you to tell me.”

  “I will and I think that you are right to have your castle built sooner rather than later. I do not think that the crusade will be over any time soon.”

  We were given the task of riding along the coast. Mordaf and Gruffyd, the twin sons of Tomas, had proved to be our best scouts. The fact that they were twins seemed to help them understand each other without words. Silence was a prerequisite for a scout. They rode ahead of us. A few miles north of our base we found another river. The locals had names for them but we did not. There was no bridge and rather than risking losing horses we followed it as it wound eastwards. We were about to turn back, for it was already past noon, when Mordaf returned to us. “Sir Thomas, I have found a bridge but there is a small fort there. They have a wall.”

  “Then let us scout in force.”

  We followed the path which ran along the river until we reached Gruffyd. He was hiding beneath the trees which lined the river. “It is just a thousand paces yonder, lord. You can see the wooden bridge.”

  “I think we will test them. Have your weapons ready. David of Wales, when we halt have your men dismount and ready their bows.”

  “Lord.”

  I donned my helmet and said, “Fótr, unfurl the banner.”

  As we climbed the bank and emerged from the shelter of the trees we were seen. I had intended this to happen. They had a watch of sorts. There were people tending fields. Others were herding animals. I saw men at the fish nets in the river. As soon as we were seen a horn sounded and everyone fled within the walls. They abandoned tools and animals. We moved to within four hundred paces and then I stopped as a few arrows were sent in our direction. These were not the bows that had been used against us at Kastelholm. These arrows fell woefully short. I saw one just thirty paces from us. That was the closest they came to hitting us.

  “Edward, take four men and drive a few of those cattle and animals over here. Let us see what they do. David of Wales, have your archers ready.”

  The cattle were not as big as the ones we had at home and were grazing with goats and sheep. They were over three hundred paces from the walls of the settlement. Would they try to stop us taking them? I was testing their defences and, more importantly, their reaction. Edward and his men began to nudge the animals towards us. It evoked a flurry of arrows. None of them came close. There were shouts from the walls and then the gates opened and thirty or forty men raced out towards us.

  I raised my arm and, when the band was a hundred and fifty paces from us, dropped it. Eight arrows soared followed by another eight and another eight. My archers’ arrows hit raised shields and flesh. I saw one man struck in the head. He lay prone. The others who were struck, six of them, were just wounded. When Edward reached us I shouted, “Save your arrows.” The Estonians had stopped. A fifth or more of their men had been hit and they saw my knights, mailed and helmeted, waiting. They let
us take their animals.

  We drove the animals back to Riga. The journey back was quicker for we were travelling across country and going the shortest route. We passed a small lake not far from Riga. I had not spotted it before. We rode close to it and I saw that it teemed with fish. The Livonian Brothers of the Sword would have a good supply of fish close to hand. The forests lay some way inland. Hunting was a more dangerous occupation than catching fish from a lake.

  While my men took the animals to be penned I rode to Bishop Albert who was in deep discussion with the master. I saw that they had foundations dug for the church and that it was going to be of stone and wood construction. Bishop Albert was making a statement.

  I pointed behind me to the animals. “There is another river to the north of us. A settlement guards the bridge. If we held it then this town would be easier to defend. When we leave in the autumn then the Estonians could use it to attack.”

  Hermann nodded, “Could we take it?”

  “Easily. They have a wooden wall but I do not think they have sufficient warriors to threaten us but it is a different clan to the ones we fought. We bloodied their nose today. Perhaps if you spoke with them Bishop Albert then they might decide to become allies and convert. If they did not fight with their king there must be a reason.”

  Hermann nodded his agreement. “It is worth a try, my lord. We can take Sir Thomas’ men and my knights. That would be a sufficient force to cow them.”

  “And bring the captured banners with us.”

  The Livonian Brothers of the Sword numbered forty knights and twenty mounted sergeants. They would be the ones who would winter in Riga. I could understand why he wished to have allies rather than enemies.

  We slaughtered a couple of the older beasts we had found. Ridley the Giant was pleased. He liked his meat, “I could get used to this lord. Meat every day! Was it like this in the Holy Land when you and Master William were there?”