by Griff Hosker
Fótr, Sir William and Johann ran up, “My lord you are wounded! Let me get a healer.”
I was about to say that I did not need one when I felt a little dizzy and all went black.
French Plots
Chapter 3
When I awoke it was dark and I was in somewhere which smelled of incense. I turned and saw that Fótr was asleep in a chair. I quickly realised that I was in a chapel. I sat up and found that my chausses had been removed and my left leg was heavily bandaged. As I tried to swing my legs off the table upon which I was laid pain coursed through my body and I grunted. Fótr awoke.
“You are not to move, lord. The physician was most insistent.”
I nodded and held my hand out for the wine skin which was on the chair. Fótr handed it to me and I drank deeply. “Where am I?”
“The chapel in the castle. The rest of the knights are feasting and celebrating our victory.”
“Did we lose any men?”
He nodded, “Two of the new ones. Gurth and Jean. They fell ascending the ladder. All else are well. Sir William took charge of our share of the horses and the mail from the knights we slew.” He grinned, “Our men at arms and archers profited mightily from being the first over the wall and in the keep. Sir William des Roches is unhappy about the losses we suffered. Twelve knights fell in the battle. He is demanding great ransom for the knights we captured to compensate.”
“And my leg?”
“You lost a great deal of blood, my lord. The healer used fire to seal the wound. You have been asleep for six hours.” He pointed to the hour candle which flickered in the corner.
“I am ready for some food. If I cannot move then fetch it to me.”
When he knew I was awake Sir William returned to me with Fótr and Johann. He was able to tell me in more detail of the battle to take the castle. The enemy had lost over twenty knights. The rest were being ransomed. William was pleased. “We have the war horses from the five knights our conroi slew. You have seven war horses and I now have one!”
“I will let two of my men at arms have a warhorse too. Ridley the Giant certainly needs one and Edward son of Edgar deserves one. How long do we stay here?”
“A rider came from Angers. The Duke is coming to Le Mans. Lord William wishes to be there when he arrives. We will be heading back on the morrow. The wounded will follow when they are ready.”
“Then I will leave tomorrow. Fótr, find the chausses from the dead knights; one of them must fit me, find it. “
“Aye lord. Come Johann, you can help me search and then we will pack the treasure we find in chests. The others are all drinking and feasting. We will find the chests first!”
Our experiences in the Baltic had helped Fótr grow up very quickly. He was an old head on young shoulders. When they had gone I told William what I had discovered. “Templars, lord? That is a worrying development.”
“Aye, William, for they always work for themselves. They do not recognise countries. Hospitallers are warrior monks to be respected. Templars are to be feared. The treachery now becomes clearer. If King John is allying with them then he must have promised them something in England. We will keep our eyes and ears open.”
We left the next morning. I took my men before the rest of the castle had even risen. I did not wish to ride in the dust of the others and I was anxious to get back to Le Mans. I needed a wagon to take our treasure back to my home and my wife might have heard that I had been wounded. My men, despite losing two of their number, were in an ebullient mood. Their purses were heavier. My new men at arms now had good swords which we had taken from the dead knights and our horses had increased in number. That was a great saving. War horses cost more than a hauberk!
Arriving back to Le Mans earlier than the rest of the army allowed me to make enquiries about Sir Ranulf. When he had been at the fortress he had been a shadowy character but by speaking with the steward, sergeants at arms and the servants I began to build up a picture of his activities. It became clear that he was not working alone. Cloaked figures had met with him. Messengers from the east and the west had come and gone. By the time that William des Roches arrived I had a much better picture. There was a conspiracy. The Templars were at the heart of it as was King John but I worried about the French connection. The messengers from the east had been French. King Philip had, apparently, sworn to support Duke Arthur but the behaviour of Ranulf Avenel suggested other. Until I knew whom I could trust I would keep my own counsel.
My leg was painful and I slept little but the healer had been a good one. He had saved my leg and for that I was grateful. It would heal and I would be able to be a warrior once more. I was happy that we had no plans for the next phase of the campaign. Ballon was the target of our attack but we had lost too many men to attempt to attack it yet. Juhel of Mayenne had arrived too late to help us. We needed knights to replace the ones we had lost. In addition, William des Roches wanted to await the ransoms.
Two days after we had returned I met with him, Roger D’Aubrey, Juhel de Mayenne and Sir Guy de Changé. It was the first time I had spoken to him since before we had attacked Sainte-Suzanne. He was in a good humour.
“I have to thank all three of you. You all behaved as I would have hoped. Sir Thomas, your capture of the gatehouse saved many lives. I will tell the Duke of your heroic act when he arrives.”
I nodded, “Had we had more archers then we might have achieved more and suffered fewer casualties.”
Sir Guy de Changé agreed, “Sir Thomas is right. I watched his archers. They cleared the walls and then, when they ascended the wall walk, they made sure that we were not attacked when we entered the gates.”
William des Roches shook his head, “It is not as easy to get archers here in Normandy and Anjou. This is not England. Ballon is a harder nut to crack and we may well have to build siege engines.”
“And that takes time, my lord.” I remembered the siege engines we had built in the Holy Land.
William nodded. “We will await the Duke. He will be here soon enough. He can enjoy the victory we achieved in his name. We need to recover our numbers.” When the others left William des Roches said, “Remain, if you would, Sir Thomas.” I sat again. Just standing had made my leg ache. “You know I was there at Arsuf with the King when you and your father stopped the Seljurks attack. I can still recall you protecting your father’s body with the standard. I saw the same reckless courage the other day.” I nodded. There was nothing that I could say. He leaned forward, “You do not need to take such risks. Use your household knight and your men at arms. You are too valuable to the Duke of Brittany’s cause.”
“I cannot change my nature. When I defended my father, it was because I knew it was the right thing to do. It was the same when I ascended the ladder. I have to say that I will continue to do so. If that upsets those with whom I fight then I will still do it. If I think something is right I will fight any!”
He leaned back and his eyes narrowed, “Is there something I should know?”
I shook my head, “Prince Arthur is the rightful King of England but he is young. There are too many people I neither know nor trust. I tell you this, my lord. My avowed aim is to see Prince Arthur, Duke of Brittany, on the throne of England. Until I know more of the people with whom I fight I will be suspicious. I learned of treachery the hard way when I served in the Holy Land.”
He spread his arms, “And that is my wish too. We are in accord.”
I stood and stared at him, “I hope so. I do not like to be betrayed. If you were at Arsuf then you know that King Richard was not true to his word.”
“He was not foresworn!”
“I lost my birth right. We both know that Cleveland was mine and yet he allowed his brother to take it from me. Perhaps you understand my scepticism. I will watch out for myself until I know more.”
“You are a brave man and a good leader. I admire the way your men follow you. Together we can do great things.”
I said no more but left.
/> Prince Arthur arrived two days later. He had with him Raymond, Comte de Senonche. There were also two younger knights. I would not have noticed them save that they were both burned by the sun. Were these Templars too? William des Roches greeted them and his lieutenants hovered in the background.
The young prince was delighted with our news, “We have begun well, my lord! Now we can make inroads into the lands our enemies hold.”
“We are still short of knights, your grace.”
Raymond, Comte de Senonche smiled. It was a silky smile. It was smooth and meant little save to warn me to be wary. “His majesty has a battle of knights heading in this direction even as we speak. Fighting together we can recover that which was lost.”
I became suspicious. As much as I wanted knights to help us I did not want the French to take our territory. I was willing William de Roches to object but he did not. He smiled and said, “That is good news. With our knights we will capture Ballon and then the whole of Normandy will be ours for the taking!”
I could say nothing for I was a mere knight. Something did not feel right about this. I viewed every knight who had yet to fight alongside me with the greatest of scepticism. I could trust my own knight and my own men but none other. Sir Guy de Changé and Roger D’Aubrey seemed honest enough but who knew where their true loyalties lay. That evening the Lord of Le Mans laid on a great feast. I picked at my food despite the honours which were accorded me. The first of the ransoms had been paid and that added to the good feeling which emanated from the hall. It was boisterous and it was ribald. It was too much for me. I left the hall. I needed to breathe the cool evening air.
When I stepped into the inner ward it was as though I had walked into a church it seemed so peaceful. The sentries walked the wall walks and it was silent save for the drum of their feet on the wood.
“Is there aught the matter, my lord?”
I turned and saw Prince Arthur. “No, your grace. I needed air.”
He nodded, “Would you walk with me? I am no drinker and I, too, needed to breathe.” We walked towards the stairs leading to the wall walk. Arthur looked young but he had been raised by King Richard. The Lionheart had chosen him as his heir. I reminded myself not to judge him. I had had greatness thrust upon me when I had been young.
We reached the fighting platform and the sentries moved aside to afford us some privacy. “I saw your face, my lord when the Comte spoke of the French knights. What worries you?”
“Your uncle, King Richard, never trusted the French. He died trying to take one of their castles. If Philip sends knights to aid you then there must be an ulterior motive. What if he wishes the castles we take for himself?”
“Then we would have to resist him. However, Sir Thomas, do not blacken his name yet. So far, he has shown us nothing but kindness. He could have used his men to take my castles could he not?”
“He would have lost many men in doing so.” I sighed, “Your grace, does it not seem strange that he waited until we had taken Sainte-Suzanne and lost knights before committing? You know we had a traitor in the hall?”
He nodded, “Sir Ranulf and you slew him.”
“Who was he working for?”
“Why John Lackland of course!”
“I am not so sure. Be aware, your Grace, that I will be vigilant. I promise that, if it is in my power, I will do all that I can to regain your lost lands.”
He smiled, “You have an honourable name. My uncle told me of your actions at Arsuf and since. He was impressed by you.”
It was in my mind to say ‘not enough to return my lands to me’ but I said nothing.
“I know I am young and do not know enough about war yet but I am a quick learner. If I make mistakes I pray that you will tell me so that I may learn from them.”
“I am afraid, your Grace, that if you do make mistakes then it may be too late to rectify them. But I will do as you ask.”
Over the next few days the French knights arrived as well as other knights who came to serve Prince Arthur, the Duke of Brittany. I viewed each stranger with suspicion. I confided in William and the two of us made sure that one of us was always close to Prince Arthur. I did not think there would be an attempt on his life but there were other ways to hurt our cause. I needed my sole household knight as I was often involved with William des Roches and the Comte de Senonche on the planning.
The Comte proved to be a useful source of information. “The castle has a good position. It controls the bridge over the Orne. Whoever holds the castle can hold the gate to Normandy.”
“And the defences?” William des Roches knew how to get to the heart of the matter.
“A good question, my lord. The castle appears to be one which could be captured easily but that assumption would be erroneous. There is a curtain wall and the castle itself has a great Donjon. It is made of stone. The inner wall is triangular. There is a double ditch and these are seeded with traps. Siege engines would be of little use for the castle is built on the highest piece of ground. It has a large mound with steep sides.”
I could see Juhel frowning. I explained, “My lord if you are to use siege engine or stone thrower you need to have a higher piece of ground or, at the very least a level one. If they have dug the ditch and used that to increase the height of an existing feature then we will have to attack it the hard way, with ladders and men!”
He nodded, “Or starve them out.”
I confess that would have been my preferred option. We had been lucky attacking the first castle with ladders. If this one had a mound and a donjon then we would not have ladders long enough. When I had been in the Holy Land I had spoken at length with the Master of the Hospitallers. He had a great deal of experience of sieges and castle fighting.
As I listened to the debate about how we would take the castle an idea came to me. We reached an impasse and no one could agree on the best way to take this castle. When silence descended I gave my suggestion. “We tunnel.”
They looked at me as though I was speaking in tongues. Prince Arthur said, “I am sorry, Sir Thomas, I am not sure I understand.”
“It is simple. When you build a castle on a mound, then the foundations do not go all the way to ground level. That only happens when you build a tower and put the mound around it.” I looked at the Comte. “That was not how this was built, was it?”
He leaned forward and looked animated, “No, you are right. There was a wooden keep and the wall and the donjon were built in stone and replaced it.”
“Then we tunnel close to the junction of the donjon and the wall. We do not need to be close to the donjon. The hard part would be beginning the tunnel. Once it was started then the diggers would be protected by the tunnel itself. You shore up the sides with wood as you go. When you are directly under the wall then you fill the tunnel with kindling and set fire to it. The wooden supports burn and the walls collapse.”
They all looked at each other. “Where did you learn that?”
“The Holy Land; there it is harder to tunnel for it is rocky but even so they did. Here we know that we will be tunnelling through the spoil from the ditch. It will be much easier but you need miners.”
“Miners?”
“Short men with broad shoulders and powerful arms. If you have any Welshmen they are particularly good.”
William des Roches was nothing if not energetic. Once he had an idea to sink his teeth in then he was like a terrier and would not let go. “When this counsel of war is over I will find such men.” He grinned at me. “You are full of surprises.”
Perhaps my words had made the Comte warm to me. He added more information without being pressed. “I should warn you that there is another castle not far north at Bourg-le-Roi. They may choose to come and relieve the siege.”
Sir Guy de Changé laughed, “Then we do what we do best, we field a force of knights and meet them in the open. Let the moles dig, we warriors will fight.”
It was a good plan. William des Roches quickly sought not only the mi
ners but the wood which would be used to shore up the sides of the tunnels. It was still being prepared when we headed for Ballon. I left Skuld and two of my war horses at Le Mans. We did not have far to travel. It was just thirteen miles. I could see why the Lord of Le Mans was so keen to eliminate this threat. As we rode my former squire asked after my wound.
I knew the reason for his question. He had yet to suffer a severe wound. “It is painful, William, and I would not like to stand on it for too long. This attack will not be up ladders and besides, I think we will let others have that glory. My leg is at the stage where it itches almost as much as it hurts. That means that it is healing. Thank you for your concern.”
He nodded, “Lord, now that I have coin I would have my own men to lead. What think you?”
“I think it is a good idea so long as you choose well. I would have David of Wales and Edward son of Edgar cast their eye over any warriors you think to choose. We both know that there are some who appear honest but are deceitful.”
“Aye lord. The reason I ask is that some of the men at arms who served the knights who died asked if they could follow my banner. I said I would consider when we return from Bourg-le-Roi.”
“You are learning. That is the wise thing to do. If they truly seek work they will be waiting when we return.”
Juhel of Mayenne was keen to impress all of us and he led his men to surround the castle. He led his knights, men at arms and crossbowmen to capture the bridge north and thereby cut off the defenders from help. By the time we arrived the walls were manned and the gates closed. That was to be expected. I rode, with William des Roches, the Duke and the inevitable Comte to survey their lines and defences. William had been right. It was a formidable fortress. It was not the largest castle I had ever seen but it was much better positioned that the one at Sainte-Suzanne. I saw that the Orne River was just four hundred paces from the castle. Juhel de Mayenne and his men were already camped there as we rode around.