Return of the Knight

by Griff Hosker

  “When I had coin I spent it wisely but now it is running out. I seek a lord. Is that your quest?”

  He shook his head, “Ours is a simpler mission. We need to know who rules in our land. Is it the French, Lackland or that whey faced boy Arthur?” He was obviously not a supporter of the young prince. I now understood a little more why William des Roches had done as he had done. “As soon as I find out then I can pledge my allegiance and may hold on to my manor. I have a wife and family to support.” He seemed to notice my lack of livery, “And you, where do you hail from?”

  “I have just returned from the Baltic Crusade. I had heard that lords here might need a knight, squire and three warriors for the working day.”

  He laughed, “Aye you and a hundred and more knights feel the same. When this carnival is over there will be many hundreds of you tramping this land. If you have been on Crusade you may be a good man but most of the knights here would slit a throat to get a manor.”

  “Would you?”

  “Honestly spoken. I can see that you are a crusader. If I am to be truthful, aye. I like none of the leaders here but I will swear to serve one of them. God will forgive any sins.”

  “Amen to that. Are there others who feel as you do?”

  “The majority do not wish Arthur to be our Duke. He is no leader. Even William des Roches abandoned him. He is our hope. He is one of John Lackland’s favourites. If he made him the Duke then I would have hope for he would defend us from our greedy neighbours.”

  I returned to the camp more disturbed than when I had left. I had hoped that there would be support for the young Prince. Now it seemed he had none at home, not even from his own barons. If I was to save the Dukedom for him then I would need a coalition against John. Arthur would have to be a figurehead.

  Fótr and I prepared to head for the island in the middle of the afternoon. With the upcoming ceremony planned for the next day there were many knights and barons wandering both the camp and the town. The bridge and the island were busy with people. That suited me. There were trees on the island. It was a pleasant place to be. I suspected that come September it would be filled with mosquitoes and other biting insects but on that May evening it was a good place to watch the sun set in the west.

  We chose a place beneath a tree. We would be seen as soon as any stepped on the bridge. I spied Richard of Nantes one of the Prince’s household knights. I recognised him. He recognised Fótr and came over. He seemed surprised when I spoke, “Sir Thomas, I did not know it was you.”

  “Does the Prince come? I have a horse to take him away.”

  “I do not think he will leave, lord. He has hopes that the treaty will be in his favour. He has been treated well by King John.”

  “And that is when I would be the most suspicious. Does he come here?”

  “He comes, lord. It will be after dark. The other three knights will be with him and he will be cloaked. I will await them at the bridge.”

  As he left I said, “Fótr, go and tell the others that we do not leave this night. I will try to persuade the Prince to leave tomorrow.” Each moment we spent in this vast camp spelled more danger for all of us. I remained hooded. I was still fearful of discovery. My beard had begun to grow and soon I would be recognisable once more.

  I heard footfall and looked up. Sir Richard of Nantes was with a hooded figure. The Prince clasped my arm, “Sir Thomas, it is good to see you. At least you have not abandoned me.”

  “Prince Arthur you must come with me. Here you are in danger.”

  “Not so. My mother assures me that King Philip has my best interests at heart and King John has told me that I will remain as Duke of Brittany no matter what happens. It is mine so long as I live.”

  That sent shudders down my spine. “You say your mother spoke to you? Were you not involved in the discussions?”

  “I was at first but they were so tedious. Besides there is more unrest over Boulogne and Flanders than my Dukedom. I was disappointed when William des Roches abandoned me but now I spy a kind of hope.”

  “What does William say?”

  The Prince frowned, “It is strange, he has been kept from me. I suspect they think I am still angry with him.” He lowered his voice, “But you, Sir Thomas, are in grave danger. The Comte de Senonche wishes all of us to come and crush your manor! If you are seen here then you will be taken. Go to Nantes. There you will be safe.”

  “I came here to save you. I am camped with the other knights. I will leave when they do. If you need me then send Sir Richard to find me. I will find a way to rescue you.”

  One of the other knights, Geoffrey of Carentan put his arm to help the Prince to his feet. “Come, Your Grace, we have tarried here long enough. There may be an attempt on your life.”

  “Prince Arthur I promised to support you. Get word to me if you need me. I will come, no matter where you are.”

  “Thank you, you are a true knight.”

  The five of them disappeared into the crowds. I stood and made my way back to the camp. He was naïve and he was inexperienced. He was being played with and his mother was complicit in the charade. When the announcement was made I would ride back to my men and we would return to La Flèche. We would be an island in a sea of enemies but that did not stop my resolve. A knight did what was right, not that which was easy.

  The Treaty of Le Goulet

  Chapter 10

  We packed our horses and made our way to the river bank early so that we could hear all that was said. Edward, David and Philippe waited for us at the road with the horses. They were ready to leave as soon as we arrived back. Fótr and I found a good place to listen. The tent was closed. Suddenly the flap was opened as a panoply of horns sounded. There were bishops and priests in great number and they stepped out first. Then the two kings and Prince Arthur appeared. Behind them came the leading counts and earls. I recognised William de Roches and the Comte de Senonche. They stood as far away from each other as it was possible to get.

  Two priests held the document. As soon as King Philip stepped forward to read it then I feared the worst. “I Philip of France recognise John son of King Henry as King of England, heir of his brother Richard. I formally abandon my misguided support for Arthur I, Duke of Brittany, the son of King John's late brother, Geoffrey of Brittany.”

  I saw Arthur’s face. He was crestfallen. King John smiled and stepped forward, “I John, King of England and Ireland, Count of Anjou, Duke of Normandy and Maine, formally recognise the new status of the lost Norman territories. I acknowledge the Counts of Boulogne and Flanders as vassals of the kings of France. They no longer owe a duty to England. Furthermore, I recognise King Philip as the suzerain of the continental lands in the Angevin Empire. I also promise not to support any rebellions on the part of the counts of Boulogne and Flanders. I concede the Vexin to France with the exception of Chateau Galliard. Prince Arthur, my nephew, will remain as Duke of Brittany and he has my full support.”

  If the two kings thought that their announcement would be greeted with cheers they were mistaken. It was obvious they had carved up the Empire of Henry II and both had abandoned Flanders, Boulogne and Brittany. They all returned back into the tent. I felt as though all hope had been sucked from me. Would Prince Arthur need me? We made our way back to the horses. I could see that Edward was agitated and that David had strung his bow. There was danger.

  I trusted my archer and I turned to Fótr, “We get to the horses and we ride! We may have to fight our way out of this place.”

  At that moment my three men mounted and I saw Geoffrey of Carentan point towards us and shout, “There is the traitor! There is Thomas of La Flèche.” We had been betrayed. Geoffrey of Carentan was leading twenty men at arms in the livery of the King of France. They were led by a knight. As the knight raised his sword David’s arrow struck him in the chest. Even as we ran and mounted our horses two more men at arms fell to his deadly missiles. Everyone took shelter behind shields and we mounted and put spur to horse. My war horse en
sured that no knights were foolish enough to get in his way. No other knights were mounted. We had time but there would be pursuit.

  The first six miles would take us along a road which twisted and turned through a wood. It had been a hunting forest of King Henry I of England. They would not see us. The road was not straight. I hoped they might think that we had turned off. We would keep riding hard until we reached my men. The journey back to Ridley and the others would be shorter as we would not be heading to Vernon. We would ride directly to the forest where Ridley the Giant and my men waited for us. The spare horse would enable us to ride just that little bit further and faster. We had a head start. It took time to saddle a horse and mount a pursuit. It would actually suit us for them to come at us piecemeal. We kept our heads down and rode. We did not speak for there was no need. One of the Prince’s men had betrayed us. Could the others be trusted? It was a moot point in any case. The Prince had tacitly agreed to King John being his overlord. Now any action he took would be seen as rebellion. He had been outwitted. King Richard had died far too soon. He had not been the best King of England but he was better than his brother and, under his guidance, Arthur might have become a decent king. Now we would never know.

  I began to rein back. It was not that I wished to be caught but I did not want to thrash our horses to death. They had had a couple of days rest and we had chosen the best of them. The odds were in our favour. There was a gap of, perhaps, six miles between the road through which we rode and the one where my men waited. I felt almost naked as we burst out of the shady gloom into the bright open countryside. Annoyingly the road was also straight. There was no hiding place. When we were a mile down the open road I risked a glance behind for the hairs on the back of my neck were prickling. I saw knights and men at arms. They were French. The same bird on the white background was on their shields. There was a temptation to gallop harder. I resisted. We still had five miles to go and I was aware that they were catching us. It was impossible for me to count how many there were and would have been pointless anyway. It was just a number.

  By the time we were three miles from the relative safety of my archers and men at arms the pursuers were less than half a mile behind us. Their horses were lathered. They cared not about conserving their mounts. They wanted me. I was a prize worth a horse or two. My manor would be a rich reward for my capture and death.

  David of Wales shouted, “Should I send an arrow or two back towards them, lord, to discourage them?”

  “Stick with the plan. So long as our horses are game we ride on. They are hurting theirs.”

  Edward son of Edgar shouted, “That is the French for you! Horse eaters!”

  For some reason that made me laugh. We ate horse. We ate anything but our men had this prejudice that the French ate things out of choice which we did out of necessity.

  The next time I looked around we were two miles from the forest and the leading riders were just two hundred paces behind. Now, however, they were strung out in a line. It was a long line. I slid my sword in and out of my scabbard. If the leading rider caught us I would turn and engage them. I would have to be quicker than he was. I could now hear the hooves of the horses pursuing us. They could see my face for I was not wearing my helmet. As I turned and saw the leading four horsemen just a hundred paces behind me, I realised they had taken the time to don their helmets. They would not have a good view. That gave us an advantage.

  I looked ahead, at the woods just a mile away. I could not see anyone. I was trusting that my men were there. If not then once in the forest we would perish. The French were just thirty paces behind me and the leading horse was in a bad way.

  “When we enter the woods ride twenty paces, turn and face our foes. I will not kill these fine beasts!”

  It was as I turned Ridley’s horse that I glimpsed some of my men. They were ten paces inside the wood and spread out on both sides. As I whipped the war horse around I drew my sword and pulled up my shield. I would have no time to don my helmet. The knight with the lathered horse laboured up towards me. My men were too experienced to attack prematurely. They would wait until more of our pursuers were within the range of our swords and bows. The knight also drew his sword and lifted his shield as he saw me turn. If I had not seen my men waiting at the ambush then he would have no idea he was about to spring the trap. He was a dead man riding.

  I shouted and gave him a chance to live. “Yield or die!”

  “You killed my cousin. It is you that will die!”

  His weary horse lumbered towards me. I deftly stepped my horse to the side so that his sword faced my shield. I stood in my stirrups as he swung his sword at the shield. In order to avoid his horse’s head his swing was higher than it should have been. It hit my shield at the broadest part. In standing I was above his shield and I brought my blade down on his helmet. He did not see the blow coming. I stunned him. Pulling my left arm back I punched him in the shoulder with my shield. His weary horse lurched and both mount and rider crashed into a tree. The rider lay still. The second knight had had the misfortune of trying to fight Fótr and Edward. Edward knew how to kill and his sword bit into the neck of the knight who fell to the ground.

  The others who were pursuing had closed up a little and I saw that there were twenty of them. There were four more knights at the fore. The four of us were abreast of each other and David of Wales had dismounted so that he could use his bow. One of the knights flew over the rump of his horse as David’s arrow struck him in the chest.

  I heard the roar from Cedric Warbow, “Release!” The men at arms who were at the rear were all struck. A second flight emptied the saddles of the men at arms. My men stepped from the woods with weapons pointed at the four remaining knights.

  “Yield or we will butcher you where you stand.”

  Their leader said, “We yield.” He took off his helmet. Staring at me he said, “You cannot win. Soon a French army will come to La Flèche and this time we will not leave until it is a pile of rubble!”

  “What is your name?”

  I saw that he was a young knight. He looked little older than Sir William and the other three were equally young. “I am Valery de Montparnasse.”

  I nodded, “You are young and so I will excuse your impertinence. There are certain protocols to be observed when a knight surrenders. You yield your sword, your horse, and your armour to your captor. In return you are treated as a guest until the ransom is paid. However, if the knight who yields does not behave as a knight should then he may be imprisoned and treated as a common criminal. Speak to me like that again Valery de Montparnasse and you and your friends will languish in a cell.”

  Ridley the Giant was standing next to the young knight and his head was level with the young knight’s shoulders. I saw Ridley smile, “I would do what his lordship says, little man! Boo!” He roared at the young knight who reeled back so far that he fell from his saddle.

  We had no time to waste, “Dick One Arrow, take one of these horses and ride back down the road. See if this is the only pursuit.”

  “Aye lord.”

  “Michael of Anjou examine the men at arms and see if one is still alive. Have the mail and weapons collected and put on the horses. Give the horses some water. These French knights know not how to care for them but as they are ours now we will endeavour to save them.” I dismounted and handed the reins of his war horse to Ridley. “You have a good horse there, Ridley. Game as any!”

  “Thank you, lord.”

  I walked over to the knight I had knocked from his saddle. His helmet had fallen and I could see that his neck was broken. He was older than the four we had captured. As Fótr gave his horse water I said, “What is the name of this knight?”

  Valery de Montparnasse had recovered his feet and stood next to me. “He was my uncle; Charles of Blois. You have killed a most powerful knight and the nephew of the Comte de Senonche.”

  I turned and cast a cold eye at the young man, “I have killed many powerful knights. Think on that!�
�

  Michael of Anjou brought along a man at arms. He had been hit by two arrows: one in the upper arm and one in the ankle. Michael had to support him. I saw that his wounds had been bandaged. “Give him the best of the horses that are left.” I looked at him. “You will live.” Relief flooded his face. “These four knights will be taken to my home. I wish the ransom for them to be brought there.”

  He nodded, “Yes, Sir Thomas. Thank you for my life, lord.”

  “I have not finished. The ransom includes a surety that my castle will not be attacked for one year from this date. Whoever brings the ransom must so swear!”

  Valery de Montparnasse shouted, “You cannot ask that!”

  Ridley the Giant smacked him hard on the back of the head, “Young pup, bark again and I will give you more than a love tap! You are a prisoner! Behave like one!”

  A horse had been brought and Dick One Arrow galloped up. “Take the horse and ride.” The man at arms needed no urging and he was helped into the saddle and galloped north. “Well, Dick, any pursuit?”

  “Not that I could see.”

  “We will walk the horses back to the camp. They have ridden hard. Then we head home.”

  The four knights were less than happy about being forced to walk but they endured it in silence for Ridley and Edward walked behind them. The camp was just two miles into the woods. The French must have been confident that a column of twenty-two men would easily catch and capture just five men. Once the man at arms arrived back they would realise their mistake. I thought it would take him a couple of hours to get back. He would not be able to push his horse. We had that time to put as much distance between us as we could. If we could survive until dark then we had a good chance of reaching our home. The worst thing to do would be to panic.

  I turned to Fótr and Edward. “If you were riding down this road, through these woods and you found a couple of logs across the road what would you think?”