Kingmaker (The Anarchy Book 12)

by Griff Hosker

  "We saw no movement, lord. We could have been on the moon for all the people we met. We skirted the castles. Only Skipton is still held by Scots. We spoke with some farmers but they keep to the castle and they are few in number. We met with the Earl." He hesitated and I spread my hands to invite him to continue. He nodded, "I am sorry, lord but I do not trust the man. His voice belies his eyes. He has honeyed words but I look into his eyes and see emptiness."

  "He said he would support me?"

  "He did but ..."

  "But you think he will not."

  "No. He will not. If the odds are stacked in our favour then he might." I cocked a quizzical eye. "We spoke with his men. They told us as much. The good news is that he has many men in his castle. He will not be taken again but he is distracted by my countrymen. The Welsh see him as a weak leader."

  "Thank you. You have done well."

  Once alone I read the letter. It was brief and to the point.

  Chester

  Alfraed,

  I am pleased that you, at least, still live. I did not bury my father and I will have to live with that. Your men told me of your son and his loss. I am sorry you seem fated to suffer.

  My husband has returned but I fear that despite his good intentions he will not stir against Stephen. If you counted on his help then I am afraid it is a misplaced hope. Your hope lies in two things, Stephen's poor use of coin and Henry FitzEmpress.

  Your friend

  Maud.

  It confirmed Ralph's words but at least I knew where I stood. Henry would have to wait a little longer to reclaim his throne. When time allowed, I would write a letter to him to give him the news. First I had a Scottish Prince to defeat.

  I sent word to my knights to prepare their men and then I sent my scouts north. They had strong horses and plenty of supplies. We were now in their hands. I threw myself into the defence of Stockton. John my steward had laid in plenty of supplies in the autumn and my people would not go short. Alf helped me choose the men who would accompany us north. He persuaded me to take twenty of the town's boys to use as slingers. "They wish to serve you, lord. This is how they will become warriors and they are nimble enough. If you tell them to run then they will do so."

  I did not like the idea of grieving mothers but I agreed. Alf made each of them a dagger to take with them. The pommel was a wolf and they were as proud of that dagger as anything. I also had a new helmet made for me. It was plainer than the one I normally used with just a nasal rather than a face mask. Alf had not questioned my request but I could see that he was curious. I smiled, "Deception, Alf, deception. This is a strong helmet is it not?"

  "Aye lord, stronger than your other but it will not afford as much protection."

  "I need to move quickly and for my vision to be unimpaired. This will do fine."

  He also gave me new mail mittens which had double riveted mail. They were a little heavier than I was used to but I had enough time to strengthen my hands and forearms. Fighting an axe man they might come in handy.

  Two days after Ash Wednesday Hal rode in. He had grown over the winter but he still looked like a boy to me. "Lord, the Scots are gathering. They have a camp close by the village of Dunstan." I waited. I knew that Aiden would have sent more information. "Aiden says they will be ready to travel in three days. The roads mean it will take them five more to reach Durham."

  "Good. Return to your master. Take a fresh horse from the stables. You have done well."

  I sent riders out to summon my knights. It would only take them a day to reach me. I was tempted to send for Sir Phillip and his archers but I needed my back door guarding. William of Aumale and his Yorkshire levies had been quiet but if they got wind of my movements they might chance their arm. I was not willing to risk that.

  Two days after Hal's arrival we headed north up the Durham road. The snow had all but melted making the going slippery. We had to ride carefully. I rode Rolf knowing that I had Edward with the fyrd at the rear. He was being ridden by Colm, the tanner's son. He seemed confident but I hoped that Edward would be gentle with him. He was a warhorse and his bite could be nasty. Colm seemed to like horses and that helped.

  Wulfric looked at me askance as we rode together at the head of the column. "Why the new helmet, lord?"

  "Remember my plan, Wulfric?"

  "I had hoped that you might rethink that part of it, lord. You should not put yourself in such danger. With the Earl, Sir Miles and the others all gone you are the young prince's last hope. If you were to fall then I fear he would never gain the throne."

  "The day I start to worry about dying is the day I will die. If it is my time then so be it but I go into each battle expecting to survive. Would you have me change?"

  "No lord but Edgar, Dick and I are the last of those who first followed you. The others are now memories. I know that one day my time will come. Our journey is not yet over but I fear I will never see the haven."

  "That is the winter talking, Wulfric. You have not had a battle for over a year. Once you draw your weapon you will feel more optimistic."

  "I do not think there is a warrior out there who can defeat me but I felt that way about Roger of Lincoln and Sir Edward. They fell."

  I glanced behind me but James was too far away to have heard, "Sir Edward was not himself when he died and Roger... well it was his time and he died well."

  "That is all that a warrior can ask, is it not? To die well." I saw him shake himself and touch the pommel of his sword. It was a gesture many of my knights did to ward off evil. "Do we meet them at Auckland again?"

  "Aiden has not told us yet. If they came that way then I would be happy for we fought there before and we won but I fear it will not be that easy. Prince Henry knows me and will try to fool us."

  As we rode I tried to outthink my Scottish opponent. He knew that I had patrols out. I guessed that he might even know that I had mobilised my men. The movement of so many men in an empty landscape could not be hidden. He would not need scouts. He had those who supported him living hard by. Word would have reached him. However he would not know the direction I would take. He might expect me to head to Auckland or to anticipate him using Durham. Durham would give him a refuge if things went ill. If he went further west he risked Sir Hugh's patrols and the garrison at Piercebridge. The more I thought about it then the more I favoured a route closer to Hartness along the coast. The boggy ground north and east of Norton would not suit my horses. He also had Hartness to use as a refuge too.

  As we passed Thorpe I pointed to the north east. "We will head to the road between Fissebourne and Segges field. Dick, send two archers to watch the road from Durham to Auckland in case he comes that way. Aiden will let us know soon enough his plans."

  "Aye lord." After his men had ridden off my captain of archers joined Wulfric and I as we took the greenway, now slushy grey and muddy, towards Fissebourne. "There is a piece of sloping ground and a stream to the south and west of Fissebourne."

  I nodded, "I remember. It is just north of Segges Field and straddles the road to Stockton. The trees will be to our back and can be used to hide the horses. I just pray that he chooses that route."

  "It matters little lord. We are all mounted and with Danes afoot we can reach them even if they head towards Piercebridge."

  We reached the slope and the woods just before dark. I had the men make camp and light fires. Aiden would give us warning of the approach of the enemy. A little comfort on a cold night would raise the spirits of the men. Who knew what the morrow might bring?

  Before dawn I had the men preparing stakes to be embedded on the lower slopes. They were not intended to impede an enemy but they would stop a line of horsemen charging us or prevent Danes from swinging their axes in unison. Until Aiden arrived or sent word that was all that we could do. It was late in the afternoon when he and young Osbert rode in.

  "They are camped at Coxhoe. They come this way, lord. There are a thousand of them, lord. We counted thirty knights. There are two hundred Da
nes as well as a hundred of those galloglasses. There are over a hundred and fifty men at arms although they are not all mailed. The rest are retainers of their mormaer."

  "Horses?"

  "Perhaps a hundred maybe a few more."

  "Any men of Northumbria?" There had been a time when rebels had joined the Scots. Over the years we had whittled down their numbers.

  "No lord. They are either Scots or Danes."

  That pleased me for I never liked killing my countrymen.

  Dick asked, "Do we raid their camp?"

  "We have too few men to risk it. Send for your two archers. We will need every bow we can get." He detailed off a rider. "Aiden, use your scouts as you see fit. You know how to kill better than most."

  He grinned, "Aye lord and I fancy some of these Danes have coins."

  "Why do say that?"

  "We crept close to their camp. Their necks and arms are festooned with bracelets and they all have a purse around their necks. My boys and I are faster than Dick and his men."

  Dick laughed, "And you are welcome, Aiden. You do that which we do not. You go into their camps. We are grateful."

  He shrugged, "They do not keep a good watch. John the steward could walk amongst them and they would not know."

  My knights and squires all laughed. The thought of the cleric going amongst the Scots was a ludicrous one.

  I waved them around me. "They will not be here before tomorrow. The die is cast. There is no other road they can take south save this one. If they were going to Hartness they would have turned off at Bowburn. You know the plan and we keep to it. If they try to pass us without fighting then it is up to you, Sir Gilles of Stockton, to slow them down."

  It was a grave responsibility. He would have with him just twenty men at arms drawn from mainly my conroi but augmented by some of Wulfric's most experienced riders. "I will not let you down on my first command."

  "Take no risks. You hit them and then pull back. I do not think they will let us sit here and not attack us." I pointed to Richard. You must make them believe that Sir Gilles is me, Richard. Keep my standard there to draw them on." He nodded. Soon he would be knighted and this was his chance to shine. Sir Gilles would be wearing my full-face helmet. I hoped that would act like a flame for a moth.

  We spent the day making our position stronger. It was a gentle slope but it was slick with the melting snow. We laid the caltrops in a wide line before us. They were not hidden but the approaching Danes would have their eyes on us. In many ways I hoped that they would look for caltrops for then they would not have their shields over their heads and our archers might make more hits. Dick's archers waited up the road and slew three scouts who approached. When they did not return Prince Henry would know where we were. We had not travelled far from home and we had plenty of supplies. We ate well. When one of Dick's archers managed to kill a deer I decided to use the kill to our advantage.

  "Aiden have your men hunt some more animals. I want a fire building and we will roast the deer. The wind is in the right direction. I want the smell of cooking meat to drift over to the Scots.”

  As he went to organise his men Wulfric laughed, "I bet the Scots and Danes have been on cold rations. The smell of roasting meat will make them even hungrier."

  Sir Gilles of Stockton asked, "But lord, why do you tell them where we are?"

  "To make sure that they come here. They want me. When they see my banner at the top of the hill, surrounded by knights, it will make Prince Henry commit his men to the attack. You must make sure that they do come. You will ride Edward. He rears well. Make him rear and wave your sword. With the helmet, it should complete the deception. Richard can wave the banner too. That will enrage them."

  Aiden and his hunters managed to kill another three deer. They were skinned, gutted and jointed in the twinkling of an eye and ten fires were lit at the top of the hill. The smell of roasting meat wafted north on the southern breeze which was already accelerating the thaw. I guessed that they would soon reach us. Coxhoe was not far away. Had they been a mounted army they would have reached us already but an army made of foot was slow and the roads were not at their best. This road had not been repaired since Bishop Rufus had ruled.

  Dick and his archers, along with Edgar and Hal rode in. "They are here, lord. They have passed Bishop Middleham. They stopped to search for food but we had warned the farmer and his family. They fled, yesterday, towards Gainford. We told them they would be safe there."

  "You have done well." I turned, "I want just Wulfric's conroi and mine on view until dark. After dark it does not matter."

  I was doing all in my power to make them think that we were weaker than we were. A leader who thought he had won already would be overconfident. The enemy emerged from over the small rise to the north of us. There were woods on both sides and the road swept down to a hollow before rising once more to our present position. The road was lower than our hill. It was what gave us an advantage. I saw the banners emerge in the dimming light. I recognised that of the Prince but there were others I did not. The white unicorn was a new one as was the yellow gryphon. The light was too poor for me to assess the armour of the knights. That might have told me more about them. I did not know them which meant I had not fought them. More importantly they had not fought me. The difference was that they knew of my reputation.

  As night fell I sent for the rest of my men. They emerged from the dark. The fires were at the top of the hill and they just illuminated the banners of my knights which were arrayed there. "Come let us eat! I have an appetite."

  There was almost a festive atmosphere to the camp. One man in two was on duty and he was relieved when the other had eaten. The boy slingers were overawed by the armour and the surcoats of the men at arms and knights. I saw their eyes, wide with wonder. I could see that many would choose a life as a man at arms. Alf had been right to press them on me.

  "You boys, eat! You can admire the armour after the battle. You will need your strength tomorrow if you are to break up the enemy attack!"

  They nodded and tucked in to the food. Dick said, "That was well done, lord. They believe that they will win the battle for you."

  "And who knows, Dick? They may. A well thrown stone might take out one of the leaders and break the spirit of the enemy. We all play a part. You of all people know that."

  "Aye lord. Sometimes I forget."

  More than anyone I was aware that my army was made up of many different parts. Each contributed something. The boys were a new element. I just did not know how they would fare in a fight. I would soon find out.

  Our sentries kept a close watch on the enemy all night. We had four men down by the road in case they tried to outflank us that way. The land to our left was too broken and treacherous to pose a threat. Prince Henry had two choices: knock us from the small hill or try to get by us on the road. When dawn broke, we saw that he had chosen the former. He was coming up the slope. I could see how, from his point of view, it looked a reasonable prospect. It was not as steep as the road he had just descended and looked as though it would not slow his men down. We knew different. The muddy ground was cloying and we had sown caltrops. The higher they came the harder it would be to keep their feet.

  We were arrayed in the battle lines I had outlined in my hall. The slingers were before us, crouching just in front of our shields. If the enemy decided to use archers they could shelter behind them. I had a double line of men at arms with me. I had spread out the men at arms from my conroi so that our surcoats would not stand out. I wore a cloak about mine. Edgar and Wilfred flanked me. The only other knights in the front rank were Erre on the far right and Wulfric on the far left. They were my two rocks. I could rely on them to make good decisions and to hold the line. Behind me were Dick and the collected archers. Finally, at the top of the hill were my knights by Sir Gilles of Stockton. He would play the part of the Warlord. The fyrd and the horses were hidden in the woods. If they were needed they would bring the mounts to us. I hoped they would not be
necessary.

  As Prince Henry marshalled his men I had the opportunity to see his battle lines. He had his galloglasses in the fore. They would rush us while the Danes formed the second wave. The bulk of his retainers were the third wave. They had numbers and that was all. They wielded weapons and most had shields but few had mail of any description. He had eighty knights as his final force. When we were weak they would charge us. I saw that the knights with the new livery had fine armour and war horses which were better than anything the Scots, Prince Henry excluded, rode. I wondered if they were Scottish or, perhaps, mercenaries. It matter not. We had three battles to destroy before we could meet the horsemen.

  A horn signalled the advance and his galloglasses raced across the four hundred paces to our lines. Behind me I heard Sir Harold, dressed in my livery shout, "Men of Cleveland we fight for God, the Empress and Henry, the rightful King of England!" Sir Gilles made Edward raise his hooves. To the enemy it would have appeared as though it was Sir Gilles who had shouted the command. The battle was about to begin and I would be the first to come to blows.

  Chapter 15

  I placed my spear against my foot. It would be some time before the wild Scotsmen reached us. This would be a long battle and I did not want to tire myself out too soon. The slippery slope soon began to cause problems for the enemy even before the slings and bows of my men could take their toll. Some ran so fast that they slipped and crashed into their comrades. Although not hurt it disrupted their line. They would be more likely to strike us piecemeal.

  Dick and his archers began to send their arrows over our heads. The men who attacked us were without armour. Some had helmets and one or two had leather vests but the arrows plunged into their bodies. When the slingers sent their stones into them it dampened their ardour. They did not even reach the caltrops. Leaving twenty of their number dead or wounded they headed back down the slope. Five more were slain on the way down. It heartened the boys who began to cheer. When the men behind started a cheer Wulfric shouted, "Quiet! I will tell you when to cheer." They all fell silent.