Sword for Hire

by Griff Hosker

  William laughed, “They eat a lot of chicken and grain. Sometimes we played hunt the flesh in the grain. We were not well-fed Ridley.”

  Bishop Albert took his banner and his priests with us the next day. They all rode the sumpters. Most were poor riders and clung to the backs of their beasts. It made my men smile. We were spotted as we approached. They must have had sentries. The result was that the animals had been driven inside by the time we reached the settlement and the walls were manned. I joined Bishop Albert and the Master.

  “I see what you mean, Sir Thomas. This could be used to attack us while we wintered. If this was in our hands then twenty or so sergeants and brothers could hold it.”

  I nodded and said, “Would you be willing to risk something, Master?”

  “Of course. I told you that I am happy to take your advice.”

  “Do any of your men speak their language? I have a few words but, for what we have in mind, I need precision.”

  “Goswin von Spanheim does. His lands bordered Estonia until his family were slaughtered. That is why he follows the cross.”

  “Then I would have the three of us ride, mailed and with helmets to within bow range. Let us try to speak with them.”

  “That is a risk.”

  “To our horses, yes, to us? I think not. As I said we throw the bones and see how they fall. If you are worried about your war horse then ride one of the sumpters.”

  In the end, he and Goswin chose to ride the two largest sumpters. I had a feeling that Skuld would be safe. We rode towards the walls. It was nerve wracking. Had I thought that the Estonians would have understood or accepted the convention of riding bare headed and with open palms then I would have done so. This was all that I could think of.

  This time they did not waste their arrows. They waited until we were a hundred paces from the walls. I had intended to stop there in any case. They unleashed a volley of arrows at us. They aimed them at us rather than our horses. Perhaps they thought the horses too valuable. If they killed us then they could take the horses. I raised my shield and four hit it. One stuck in my cantle. Another struck the mask on my helmet. The head barely came through but it struck there. Another hit my shoulder but my mail held it. I looked to my left. The other two had been similarly struck.

  “You are a madman Sir Thomas but I see method in your madness. How did you know that we would be safe?”

  “I saw, yesterday, that they used hunting arrows with barbs. The barbs are made of bone. I have yet to hear of a bone headed arrow penetrating mail. When they stop have Sir Goswin ask for their surrender.”

  The arrows soon stopped. They were not hurting us. One had nicked Skuld when it hit her leg and she whinnied but she did not appear hurt. I risked taking off my helmet. I contemptuously pulled the arrow from my face mask, spat upon it, broke it in two and threw it to the ground. The other two, seeing my actions did the same.

  Sir Goswin shouted. There was a reply. “They say why should they surrender? Their walls are strong.”

  “Tell them that just as our God protects us from their arrows so he will smite their walls and break them asunder. Tell him that we have defeated their king and the other clans.” I had the banners behind me and, as Sir Goswin translated my words I threw the banners, one by one to the ground.

  This time, after Sir Goswin’s words, there was no reply but I could see hurried conference. After what seemed like an age one of the older men shouted something. Sir Goswin was grinning from ear to ear as he said, “They have agreed. They are surrendering. Our God must be stronger than theirs, they say.”

  Hermann Balk said, “Remind me never to fight you, Sir Thomas.”

  Bishop Albert was quick witted. When we told him how we had effected the surrender he played it up when he and the priests were allowed in. He warned them that our God was far more powerful than theirs. We made sure that we had plenty of armed warriors in case of treachery but our little act had planted the seeds of doubt about their gods. Leaving the two brothers and twenty sergeants under the command of Goswin von Spanheim to manage the bridge and the settlement, we returned to Riga.

  Bishop Albert was ebullient. He could not shut up all the way back. “We have our first converts! I can see that there are hidden depths to you, Master, and you Sir Thomas! God has sent you both to me.”

  I did not like to disillusion him but that trick would only work once. Had they been iron tipped arrows then it would have been a different story. That evening I dined with the master and the two jarls. We had taken over one the warehouses. Birger Persson complained, “He could have left the houses up! I know he wished to let the Estonians know that we brought change but a little comfort is not too much to ask!”

  Hermann said, “Bishop Albert has great plans. Sometimes you have to be dramatic.” Birger nodded. The warehouse was cool and it was insect free. The fire we had built just outside the entrance saw to that. The river attracted biting insects which were huge.

  Birger Persson’s men had slaughtered some sheep that they had discovered grazing close by and we ate well.

  Hermann said, “That was clever, using the banners. It gave the impression that we had taken their king.”

  “I know the effect a banner can have. My great grandfather fought in England at a battle led by an Archbishop. It is now called the Battle of the Standards for men defended the holy standards and those of their lords against the Scots. It was a complete victory. If you do not learn from the past then you will never progress.”

  Birger laughed, “I served with this warrior in the Holy Land. He is a deep one. He thinks!”

  Three days later our ships returned. Following the conversion of the small town which we had discovered was called Ādaži, Bishop Albert had sent three quarters of the ships back for more men. He was keen to exploit our success and it would be not only warriors who would be coming but more priests and merchants. We had driven out the Estonians and Bishop Albert intended to replace them with Swedes and Danes. When they arrived, three days later, I felt happier for we now had eight hundred men. Only two hundred were mounted but I hoped that would be enough

  We spent a week making short forays into the countryside. It was some of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword who spotted the approach of the Estonian army. I had wondered how long it would take for the king to gather all of the forces at his disposal. They were coming to drive us from their land. The wisdom of securing our base was now obvious. We had a ditch and a wooden wall around Riga. We had a fleet of ships and we intended to use them to attack the Estonians from the river, using archers.

  The scouts gave us a day’s warning of their attack and that was ample. Stakes were driven into the ground before the men who would fight on foot. The knights and mounted sergeants were in two blocks. One was led by Hermann Balk and consisted of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword. The other was led by The Jarl Birger Brosa and was made up of the rest of our knights and mounted men. The archers were arrayed in the ships. I felt it was a mistake for they could only attack from the river. It left the Estonians with the opportunity to put more men against our left flank. That was where we stood beneath the gryphon banners.

  We had our two wings of horsemen on the slightly higher ground. For that I was grateful. We would have the slope with us. The enemy had shown no subtlety. They had almost three thousand men in ten lines. The centre of the front rank was made up of their lords. They had mail. They had helmets with mail coifs. They had spears and they had shields. The rest of their front rank was made up of men with spears, helmets and shields. The ones behind were the wild barbarians. They had a variety of weapons. They had helmets which ranged from leather skull caps to helmets with nasals. Some had shields with metal studs, others had simple willow boards. The most common weapon that I could see was an axe. Some were the two handed Danish axes while the majority had a wood cutting axe. If the edge was sharp it would make no difference.

  They had brought a drummer with them. He banged out the beat as they advanced. They chante
d. The words were lost on us but they were deafening and they added to the fear of the approaching horde. My grandfather had told me how the housecarls of King Harold had chanted and sang as they marched. It had helped to keep the rhythm and it had bolstered their spirits. I could see the heads of some of the men, waiting to meet these barbarians, drop.

  We could not learn a song that quickly and so I just began to bang my shield and shout, ‘Albert!’ The men around me took it up and soon it rippled and then echoed down our ranks. Heads that had drooped now rose. Fear is infectious; so is hope!

  Bishop Albert was no coward. He and his priests stood with his banner behind the men on foot. I knew that they would not run. It was not in his nature. If our line of warriors on foot broke then they would fight to the death. I had brought the banner of King Ylle with me. Handing my spear to Fótr I took the standard from my saddlebag and galloped towards the advancing Estonians. Stopping a hundred paces from their front line I stood in my stirrups and, taking my dagger, ripped the banner in two. I spat upon it and then dropped it behind Skuld. Skuld was a clever horse. She had senses and skills which a witch would envy but I know not how she knew to do what I willed her to. She lifted her tail and dropped a pile of dung upon the banner. Our men roared and banged their shields so hard that I thought my ears would break. The Estonians forgot their drum. They ignored their orders. They lost their temper. They charged at me. Patting Skuld on the neck I galloped back to our lines.

  The effect of my desecration of the standard was to draw every Estonian towards our left flank.

  I reached the line and The Jarl Birger Brosa was laughing like a madman. “Sir Thomas each time I think that I know you, you surprise me! Men of the Gryphon! Charge!”

  These were not our orders but they were the right ones. The Estonians had lost cohesion. By turning and charging at us they were coming up hill. As I took my spear from Fótr, I spurred Skuld and we headed down the slope. I heard Hermann Balk roar, “Brothers of the Sword, charge!”

  The Estonians were charging uphill and we were galloping down. The difference was that we were holding our line. They were a mob of barbarians intent upon getting to me and killing the man who had dishonoured their standard. I rested my spear on my cantle. I had time to choose my target. The Estonians were spreading out as they flooded up the hill. The younger, eager warriors forgot what their king had commanded. They sought glory. They ignored the energy sapping slope up which they ran.

  We kept a steady line. I was flanked by William and Fótr. There might have been a time when I would have been worried but no longer. Hermann Balk did not have such good warriors with him. I was aware that my feet were touching those of William and Fótr. When we met the Estonians, we would be a single, solid line.

  I was the one they wanted to kill. Skuld was a devil they wished to destroy and so they came at me. The first warrior I slew was young. He must have been a good warrior for he had mail. He was fit and had outstripped the others. He had a war axe in his hand and he screamed. I guessed he was cursing me but I cared not. I moved my spear so that I held it half way down its shaft. I moved it behind me. As I saw him swing I thrust forward with my spear. It smashed into his face. The spear head pulverised flesh, bone and brain. He seemed frozen and then he dropped like a stone. The weight of his body dragged it from my spear. Fótr and William had an easier task. The two men they slew were trying to get at me and did not even see the two spears which killed them.

  There was a clash like thunder as our spears met their mail, their shields and their bodies. Spears have a longer range than swords and axes. Few had spears. These were the warriors who wore mail. A sword was seen as the weapon of a noble. They died. Horses were hurt. Warriors were wounded but it was the Estonians who died and as the ones with mail fell the others, the ones who followed without mail were like ripe plums, ready for the plucking.

  The slope helped us. We did not need to ride fast. The Estonians were already beginning to become out of breath. Their king had known what he was doing. A steady march would have brought six hundred men to strike at our lines. His wild men had shattered that plan. He would be hoping now that sheer weight of numbers would destroy us. I pulled my arm back and struck at the Estonian with a tree felling axe. My spear struck him above his breastbone. I felt it grate off the bone. I was already twisting the head to shake him from it when the next barbarian appeared. I twisted my reins so that Skuld’s head went to his right and his axe swing struck air. I could not bring around my spear quickly enough to spear him and as I smacked him hard across the face with the haft of my spear. He went down and William’s horse pounded his face to a pulp.

  Fótr’s spear had broken and he was leaning out with his sword to take heads as he galloped through men without mail. I knew not how the battle went for The Jarl Birger Brosa or the Livonian Brothers of the Sword. I was in a battle which was as wide as my men and as deep as the enemy. I could not afford to glance to the side. I was the point of the sword and I had to drive as deep into the enemy lines as I could. Skuld was in her stride. She was not over stretching and I was not spurring her. At this speed, I could ride for miles.

  Ahead of me I heard horns. The King of the Estonians was reorganizing his men. I saw that the ones ahead of me no longer tried to get at me. They stood. They were trying to obey their king. The Battle of Arsuf had been decided because a band of knights ignored their orders and charged for the enemy. This was just such a moment. If I had reined in and led my men back then I would have been praised for my adherence to orders. I saw the chance to break the enemy once and for all. Ahead of me were warriors without mail. From the sunlight glinting on mail to my left and right I knew that this was not the case across the battlefield but here, before me, it was.

  I stood in my stirrups and raised my spear, “Stockton, we ride to glory!”

  I slowed Skuld down to allow Fótr and William to join me. My men at arms spurred their horses to form a solid line and we moved down the slope. The Estonians tried to make a shield wall to face our line. We, however, were still heading obliquely down the line. We were approaching from their sword side. We had few shields facing us. I hit the first warrior in the right shoulder and my spear went through his body. My spear broke. Even as I drew my sword Skuld had knocked over and trampled the next man in the line. The ones before us were desperately trying to adjust their line to face us but Bishop Albert must have ordered an advance for I heard the drums and horns as our warriors advanced. I swung my sword and my blade bit through the upper arm and into the chest of an Estonian who was torn between obeying orders and saving his life.

  I was now riding freely. There was a gap between me and my squires but it did not matter for we had broken this line. I could see the river ahead. Someone had ordered the ships to close with the northern bank and the archers had disembarked and were loosing arrows into the rear of the Estonian line. I wheeled Skuld to the right. If I could lead my men to break their line where the archers were attacking we would have one secure flank. My move took some of my warriors unawares but most managed to follow me. We were now charging directly through the Estonian lines. Their shields were on their left side and as they turned they were struck in the rear by arrows and on their shield side by the spears of the men on foot. No matter how brave the warrior he cannot fight on three fronts. My sword was now almost blunted. I wielded an iron bar. It was an effective iron bar. I smashed it across the face of a helmeted warrior. The speed of my horse and the power of the blow made his skull disintegrate as though struck by a war machine. Skuld was tiring and so I slowed her down. The point of my sword had not been used and so I rammed it, point first, into the faces of the next two warriors.

  When I saw the grinning face of Will son of Robin then I knew we were close to the river. I wheeled Skuld around and looked back up slope. My charge had taken the two blocks of horsemen obliquely through the Estonian line. A large part of the Estonian army was surrounded. Men on foot attacked one side while horsemen attack on two sides and my ar
chers on a third. Even as I gathered my breath I saw the Estonian king taking the remnants of his army, less than a thousand of them, east. He was beaten. It took us the rest of the day but we worked our way through the heathens. We hacked slashed and stabbed until they were all dead. The sun was setting and I could barely raise my arm but we had won. Bishop Albert had his own state of Livonia. The Battle of Riga had decided that.

  Chapter 16

  As I saw the coast of Sweden appear, it felt like I was coming home and yet this was not home. This was exile. This was just another halt on our journey to our real home; England. Rafe’s wife would be waiting on the shore for us. They had only been married for a few months when we had left and now she would be a widow. She would be a rich widow for we had Rafe’s share of the new treasure and there would be more which Lady Brigida was storing. Walther had had no wife. All of my men would benefit from his death. None was overjoyed at that. They would have forgone the money to have the man alive still.

  We had more room on the ships returning. With the garrisons left to watch the two captured settlements we had a whole ship to ourselves. Petr and his men would return directly to Kastelholm. He was anxious to see his wife.

  Bishop Albert had insisted that we stay as long as possible to deter the Estonians from becoming restless. Their king had agreed a peace but as we had found at Ādaži, not all the Estonians supported their king. Rivals might see this an opportunity to become king. Our late departure meant we beat winter home by days rather than weeks. As we would be returning in spring none of us would enjoy much of the land. We would be surrounded by a sea of white and ice. That was the winter when I began to become increasingly restless. Knowing that I could not return home made my valley in England even more attractive and winter in Sweden was not a pleasant prospect.

  Rafe’s wife had a surprise for us. She was about to give birth. She had been hoping that her husband would arrive home to see their son born. The despair on her face was heart breaking. Surprisingly it was my gentle giant, Ridley who came to her and offered her counsel. “Your husband was a good man and like a brother to us. You are not alone. You are not without a man to defend you and your bairns. You and your child will want for nothing.”