Kingmaker (The Anarchy Book 12)

by Griff Hosker

  "They could attack in the west by coming south from Carlisle and then south of the river."

  "Piercebridge, Yarm and Gainford would have to hold them."

  "And the third route is through Durham. Gilles told us that Durham now supports the Scots. They could come through Segges' Field and Thorpe."

  "Good. That was clearly explained. I cannot fault your reasoning. What say you two old campaigners?"

  "He is right and it means we have only three routes that we need to watch."

  "I agree Dick. Sir Hugh and Sir Phillip can watch the western approaches. We use the two merchant ships and our fishing vessels to watch the sea. That would leave the bulk of our men to watch Durham." I leaned back. "It is a start at any rate." I folded my hands behind my head. I needed to find somewhere south of Durham where we could hold them.

  As soon as I heard the lookout shout that he could see land I went on deck. I stood at the bow to watch the river as we headed upstream. It was always a long journey up the twists and turns of the Tees but it seemed so much longer this time. We reached my town in the middle of the afternoon. The further upstream we had travelled the more snow I had seen. It was not deep and would not hamper travel but it was rare for snow before Christmas. I wondered what it meant for us. I left William to see to the unloading of the ship and Richard and I raced up to my castle. John of Craven and Sir Gilles of Stockton greeted me at the inner bailey, "It is good to see you home, lord!"

  I forced a smile, "Has there been any sign of danger?"

  "Danger lord? The road to York has been quiet. Sir Hugh has not reported any danger there and we have heard nothing of the Usurper since you left."

  I nodded. That made sense. If the Earl of Chester had escaped then Stephen would be worrying about the west and not the north. "Good. Send for Aiden."

  "Is there something wrong, my lord?"

  "I am afraid there might be. I have intelligence that the Scots have risen from their slumber and planning some mischief. If you have heard nothing then we have arrived home in time." I told him how the information had reached me and what had happened in Flanders and Hainaut. "Come let us go indoors. This cold has chilled me to the bone."

  Alice had had the foresight to anticipate my wishes and I heard the hiss as she plunged a hot poker into some honeyed wine. She smiled, "This will keep out the cold, lord. It would be even better with spices and lemon but..."

  "This will do, Alice, but if you speak with William of Kingston you will find he has lemons and spices from the east as well as some fine cloth. We have traded more and fought less."

  "This is, indeed, a time of good tidings lord!" She grinned at Sir Gilles.

  "What is up with Alice? She is like a giddy girl."

  "I am sorry, lord, that is my fault. Mary is with child and Alice is excited."

  I embraced Sir Gilles. "And that is good news! Alice is right, these are good tidings. We must celebrate. The Christmas celebration will be even more special this year." All around me were babies and yet my own were not and my grandchildren were but a memory. I was happy for Gilles and Mary. I knew that Adela would have been happy too.

  When Mary entered I saw a glow on her which reminded me of Adela. She ran in and threw her arms around me, "Now we shall have the best Christmas ever for you are here lord!"

  "Your husband has told me your news and I am delighted."

  She nodded, "I hope it is a boy for we shall name him Edward in honour of my father."

  "And you could not have chosen a better name. If it is a boy then he could do worse than emulate that rock who stood behind me for so many years."

  Aiden arrived in the middle of a toast to Mary and Sir Gilles. Dick had joined us along with John my steward. I said, "Pardon me ladies but I must have a word with Aiden and then I shall rejoin you."

  Taking a candle I led him to my solar. The sun was beginning to dip in the west.

  "Trouble, lord?"

  "The Scots. They are hiring Danes and I fear that Prince Henry means us harm."

  Aiden never panicked or allowed himself to become angry. He was always calmness personified. Part of that was the confidence he had in his own skills and the other was the fact that he had been elevated from slave to honoured freeman. That leap had been a greater one than any since. He considered his words as he said, "Then I will need to travel their lands. I will take Edward with me. He has the look of a Scot about him. This will be a good time for they celebrate the time after Christmas like pagans. It is a time when they welcome strangers into their homes. It may take some time."

  "I think it is unlikely that we will be in danger while there is snow on the ground."

  "It will get worse soon."

  I wondered about Aiden. I was convinced he had something of the witch in him. "How do you know?"

  "The birds told me. They stripped all the berries from the bushes earlier than normal. I believe you are right, lord. They may not come immediately."

  "You will miss Christmas."

  He laughed, "To me it is just another day. I have not had a challenge since you left, lord. Edward and I are happy to go. It is Edgar who has the wife. We do not. We will leave on the morrow. I think it will take fourteen days or so."

  I clasped his arm, "Take care."

  "I always do."

  The next day I sent an invitation to the knights who lived close by. I asked them to come for Christmas. Aiden's words had made me less worried about a sudden attack but I would still be prudent. Sir Hugh and Sir Phillip would be better placed in their castles. I sent Richard, escorted by ten of my archers to deliver a letter to each of my two knights so that they knew what I did. It would just be a two day wait to speak with them. However I was not idle. I went to see Alf. It was partly to give him the warning of danger and also to ask for more weapons.

  He shook his head, "I thought they had been too quiet for some time. We can beat them though, eh lord?"

  "The Danes are a threat, Alf."

  He nodded, "Aye, I remember the raid by those Vikings. Never fear lord. Your people are behind you. And how are your son and his family? Are they visiting this Christmas?"

  I realised that none knew of my news. I would have to tell them at the Christmas feast. It would spoil the atmosphere a little but they deserved to know. I told Alf. When I had finished, he threw his arms around me and hugged me. There are many knights who would have been offended at such familiarity but I was not one of them. We were old friends and he was comforting me. He said nothing but his mighty grip was reassuring. He was a grandfather and his grandchildren were the light of his life.

  “We are men, lord, and we must bear such burdens but I feel for you and share in your sorrow.”

  I felt sorry for Mary and Gilles. Their good news was dampened by the loss of my son's family and his departure for the Holy Land. None of them expected to see him again and that was sad. Added to that was this veiled threat from the north. Richard had spoken with both Sir Hugh and Sir Phillip so that they knew what was expected of them. Their news was, at least, encouraging. They had seen little sign of the Scots.

  I would not allow any talk of war on Christmas Day. That was wrong but on St. Stephen’s Day, as we heard a blizzard whistle along the Tees, we sat in my hall with maps and wine. It would be a council of war. I had managed to drag Erre from his home in Norton. He and the Frisians would be vital to my defences. Wulfric and Sir Gilles of Normanby were also present as was Sir Tristan from Yarm. All three had left all of their men in their castles. We would not be caught napping again.

  "Well Erre, you have the most experience and knowledge of these Danes what say you?"

  He knuckled his white beard. His head was also bereft of hair but his had fallen out because of age and some of his teeth were lacking. He was now older than my father had been. Unlike my knights who drank wine he was drinking honeyed ale. He took a swig and leaned back. "Dick and his archers can hurt them but not as much as they could any other enemy. They advance with their shields above them and only
sling them around their back at the last minute. Your horses cannot charge them. Their axes are not called horse killers for nothing. Even your new war horse would be in danger, Warlord."

  Sir Gilles of Stockton said, "So we cannot defeat them?"

  Erre smiled at my youngest knight, "I did not say that, young lord. I was merely telling you what would not work. Their hide and mail coats are heavy. Their helmets shields and axes are taxing. Give them a slope to ascend. It will sap the energy from their legs. Sow caltrops and have men to face them who know how to fight their way."

  Richard, who was acting as a scribe looked up from his wax tablet, "Caltrops?"

  "Metal spikes cunningly crafted so that no matter which way they fall there is always a spike sticking up. The Danes do not wear thick boots. Their leather soles are thin. The weight of the men, armour and weapons will drive them into their feet. They can still fight but their movement will be restricted."

  I nodded, "Thank you. Anyone else?"

  Wulfric quaffed his wine and held his goblet for a refill. His squire hurriedly poured it, "They will have galloglasses too. We have fought them before lord, at Northallerton. Mad buggers they are. They never know when they are defeated. If Dick and his archers are trying to kill the Danes then there is no one to stop the wild men. They are fast too."

  Sir Harold said, "And we have not even mentioned their knights and men at arms."

  Sir Wulfric shook his head, "They are the least of our worries. Their horses are poor and we have trounced them each time we have fought them." He pointed to me. "They remember the Earl. He chased them all the way back to Carlisle. Their bones marked their flight. The danger they represent is if the Danes and the galloglasses make a break through."

  The discussion went on until Alice arrived at noon with the cold meat left over from the previous night's feast. Along with fresh bread, newly made cheese, smoked fish and some pickles it was a welcome distraction.

  Sir Harold said, "I see, Sir Gilles, that you have used your coin well. You have as many men at arms as Sir Tristan here."

  "Aye, Sir Harold, but I still lack archers."

  Dick laughed, "That is because you cannot buy archers you must grow them and like the oak in the forests they take time to mature. Train your boys. The Earl gave you one of my best archers; James, son of Robert."

  "He has but four men to command!"

  Sir John shook his head, "When we fight for the Earl it matters not for they fight under Dick here or Sir Philip. It is our secret weapon. We do not waste our arrows piecemeal. Dick here makes a fog of fletches through which few men can travel."

  Erre said, "Save the Danes."

  We were brought back to the task and we returned to my long table. The meal had given me time to think. "I have come up with a plan. It is dependent upon a number of things. Firstly, that they come down the Durham Road, secondly that we can draw them to a slope and thirdly that the prince wants me dead more than anything else."

  I could see that I had intrigued them. "Richard, how many men do we muster?"

  "Nine knights and squires, a hundred and twenty one men at arms and eighty archers."

  "Do not forget Aiden and his scouts." I saw him scribble their numbers down.

  "Do we take servants?"

  I shook my head, "It is winter and the farmers have less work to do on their farms. We call out some of the fyrd. They can guard the horses and use their slings and bows to defend our baggage." I saw that I had surprised them. "I know I do not normally use the fyrd but I have begun to think that is a mistake. They need the experience of war. This way they will only be needed in a last resort but are more likely to fight than servants. We leave the servants to defend our castles with our old men."

  Erre and Edgar looked at each and laughed, Edgar said, "Then we two should remain here for there are none older."

  Wulfric snorted, "I would sooner leave my horse behind than you pair. You are both worth ten men at arms in a battle." He looked at me, "Your plan, lord?"

  I stood and elaborated. I could see from their faces that I had surprised them and that was not easy as I had used many weird and strange plans before but this one was new. When I had finished I said, "I know this is an unusual plan but Prince Henry has fought me before. I hope to surprise him too." I paused, "One more thing; Henry FitzEmpress is building an army. We hope that in a year or so he will be ready to return to England and claim his birthright. He is keen to return to England and wrest the crown from Stephen himself. I believe the end is in sight. We have fought alone for a long time. I hope this next battle will be the last time."

  My words caused them to make such a commotion that Alice burst in, "Fear not Alice, my knights are just excited. It will pass."

  Chapter 14

  It was the middle of January when Aiden and Edward returned. Their horses showed the journey they had endured. They were emaciated skeletons. Only my scouts could have nursed them home. I took the scouts into my hall and summoned Sir Gilles, Dick and my squires. After they had eaten and drunk honeyed warmed ale I gestured for them to speak.

  "The Count of Hainaut was correct, lord. There are many Danes north of the New Castle. They are staying close by the priory of the Tyne mouth. Prince Henry has made the New Castle his home."

  "Then it will be down the Durham Road; unless of course, he has ships."

  Aiden shook his head, "If the Danes came in ships then they have returned whence they came. The river had a few merchant ships, no more. There were no longships."

  I felt relieved beyond words. An attack along my river would have hurt us. "What did you hear?"

  "That Prince Henry is tired of his father's constrictions. He wishes vengeance for the many defeats you have inflicted upon him. In every tavern and camp we heard the same. He has inflamed the hearts of the young warriors. Most are too young to remember the defeats. They see the land south of the Wear as ripe for the plucking." He was about to speak and then closed his mouth.

  "Come Aiden, whatever words are waiting to burst forth give them air lest they fester."

  He smiled, "They say you are old and past your best. All your knights need a beard, or so they say."

  It was my turn to laugh, "If Wulfric hears that it will be all that I can do to stop him taking them on alone!"

  "There was one thing. His father is displeased with this belligerence. Since the Empress returned to Normandy he has let it be known that he does not wish to risk the wrath of the English."

  "Is that Stephen or me?"

  "You are both held in high regard by the king."

  For the first time I spied a kind of hope. If I could get Henry to meet with King David and agree to support him under my command then we might be able to defeat Stephen. As much as it might gall me to side with my implacable enemy I now realised that I might have to bend my neck a little to achieve that which I wanted. The problem was how would King David view a battle between me and his son?

  "And now the impossible question; when will they come?"

  Aiden shook his head. "Not before Ash Wednesday. The roads are almost impassable. In places the snow is as high as my horse's withers. It has been a hard winter and when the snow melts then the roads will become muddy. If the thaw begins soon then it will be Ash Wednesday. If it delays, then Lent may be over before they come."

  I shook my head, "The Prince will not delay that long. He has Danes to feed and to pay. He will want his money's worth. I want you and your scouts watching the Tyne before Ash Wednesday."

  "Aye lord."

  After he had gone I summoned Dick, "Which four archers would you be happy to send to Chester?"

  "At this time of year, lord?"

  "I nodded, "I need to know Ranulf's mind."

  "But he is not to be trusted!"

  "And that is why I need archers who can think. I have a letter I wish to send to Maud, the Earl's wife. We have but a short time before the Scots come. I would say that they will be here within the next six weeks. We are blind and know nothing of the
outside world. Our ships are icebound else I would send them. Your archers are the best equipped for such a task."

  "I should go."

  "No, I need you to ensure that we have well trained archers left to guard our walls."

  "Then Ralph of Wales, Henry Warbow, Rafe and Long Tom; they are the best that we have and Ralph of Wales knows Chester well."

  "Good. I will write the letter. Have them ready to leave on the morrow and make sure they have spare horses."

  After I had written to the Countess of Chester I wrote another letter to Matilda. I had the ink and I had the goose feather. I had left Normandy without a proper goodbye. As soon as the ice had left the river I would send William of Kingston to Anjou and ask Sir Leofric to deliver the letter directly to her. I could trust my captain and my knight.

  Stockton

  Dearest Maud,

  I am uncertain if I will ever see you again. I should have spoken before I left for England but events overtook me. It seems we are ever doomed to be parted. I know you know of your husband's indiscretions but that does naught to aid us. You just need to know that you are ever in my thoughts and that I strive to keep the oath I swore to your father.

  Henry is becoming a fine leader. I believe that in a year or two he will be ready to launch an attack on Stephen. We have yet to weaken him but it may be that he does that himself. He is profligate with money and the treasury is almost empty; or so I am told. You may not become Queen but I swear that Henry will be king. I will make it so.

  As ever,

  Your champion and your friend,

  Alfraed

  Aiden's predictions were accurate. The 'Adela' was able to sail at the end of January. The ice made the voyage possible. William, now the proud father of a daughter as well as a son promised to be swift and to bring back more men from Sir Leofric. I was not sure that they would reach us in time to go to war but they would be able to augment the defence of my lands.

  The break in the weather also meant that Ralph of Wales and my archers had an easier task crossing the high moors. They arrived back four days after my ship had sailed. Ralph handed me the letter from the Countess and, as they drank I questioned them, "What of the land twixt Chester and here?"