by Griff Hosker
“They want to talk. Edward, come with me.”
I nudged Skuld forward. I saw that the two knights both bore the de Ferrers’ livery. Both were my age and they had similar features. We stopped. The elder of the two spoke, “I am Henry de Ferrers and this is my cousin Richard. You are Sir Thomas of La Flèche?” I nodded, saying nothing. Yesterday you slew our cousin also called Henry.”
“I saved a knight who was being attacked yesterday. I know not the name of the man I slew but he had a gold and red shield.” I waited. What was this truce’s purpose?
“You struck him in the back and that is dishonourable.”
I suddenly realised that this knight was angry. I took a stab in the dark. “You were the knight I struck. It was your squire Fótr killed. You fled the field and you feel guilty because your cousin died.”
The other knight, Richard de Ferrers, spoke. “It was my squire who died and it was I who left the field. I would have satisfaction.”
“You would have what?”
“A combat to the death. You were lucky yesterday. God will judge your actions. He will guide my arm and you will die.”
Edward laughed, “Lord, the man is a fool. Let us ride back up the hill and let them bleed upon it.”
Henry de Ferrers turned and pointed at Edward, “I do not speak with commoners. If Sir Thomas is base enough to mix with curs like you then that is his business. Be silent.”
Edward gave him a cold smile. He was a very dangerous man. “My lord, I will remember this insult and I tell you this. Your family will have no need of ransom for you will die at my hands.”
I knew that Edward meant it but the knight did not. He continued, “Well, Sir Thomas, what say you to my cousin’s offer?”
“Here?” They nodded. “Then it will be with swords for I brought no lance.”
“So be it.”
I turned Skuld and headed back up the hill. “You have no need to do this, my lord. Our archers will slaughter them.”
“I am a knight, Edward, and I have no choice. The man is good. I saw that yesterday. I will have to be better.”
My men had no idea what had been said. Edward explained it to them. “His lordship is going to have a combat to the death.”
I lifted my helmet, “And no matter what the outcome they will attack us so be ready.”
I drew my sword and pulled up my shield. I turned Skuld and began to walk down the slope. I had no intention of charging him. I wanted the control of my horse and the advantage of height. Would he strike at my helmet as he had done the previous day or would he try to trick me? I saw him spur his horse. It was a war horse and was bigger than Skuld. Skuld was nimbler. I reined back. When I spurred Skuld I wanted him to move like quicksilver. Richard de Ferrers was eager to atone for his mistake and he spurred his horse. The slope was not steep but the war horse was exerting itself. It was an unnecessary waste of energy and effort. I saw him raise his sword and move it to the side when he was ten paces from me. He was coming at my sword side. I suddenly spurred Skuld and he leapt forward. I pulled the reins to the right. We would be shield to shield. I had taken him by surprise. He tried to do two things at once. He attempted to pull his labouring horse’s head around and to swing his sword across his horse’s head. He managed the latter but I had expected that and my shield was ready. I stood in my stirrups and brought my sword over and struck him on the helmet. He attempted to bring his shield up but his left hand had been jerking his horse around and he failed to block the blow.
I allowed Skuld to continue to turn around the rear of the warhorse. He could see that he would never match the turn and so he forced his horse’s head to the right. I swung my sword above his horse’s ears. I swung my sword again. Richard de Ferrers had just managed to reverse his own sword but the block had little power and my sword hit him in the middle. I could see that there was a trickle of blood coming from beneath his helmet. My first blow had wounded him.
“Yield, Sir Richard, you are wounded.”
“To the death!”
Our horses were stationary. This would be a battle won by the one with the quickest reactions. My blow to his head had dulled him. My strike to his stomach had winded him. I stood in my stirrups and brought my shield across my middle. As he tried to do the same I used the pommel of my sword to hit him in the helmet. His head jerked back and I punched with my shield. He tumbled from the saddle. As his body rolled over its rump the horse bolted and passed me. My men cheered but the knight lay still. I took off my helmet. That was a sign that, for me, the combat was over.
Sir Henry galloped up and threw himself from his saddle. He took off his cousin’s helmet. I could see that I had dented his head with my first blow and there was a great deal of blood. Sir Henry raised his head and said, “He is dead! He died at the hands of a priest killer!” Turning he shouted, “Charge! No quarter!”
I had been expecting that. I galloped, not back but down the hill. I took my right foot from my stirrup and kicked him hard in the face. He fell in a heap. Picking up their leader would delay their attack. Turning Skuld I rode back up the slope. I heard Edward shout, “Form line!”
When I reached my men, I turned Skuld into the gap they left for me. I heard Fótr say, behind me, “The knight’s war horse decided to join us, my lord. He is grazing just behind us.”
Sir Henry had been helped to his feet. His men, however, had continued to charge up the hill towards us. There were forty jostling horsemen. If we had had time I would have dismounted. We did not have that precious luxury. Suddenly arrows flew from our flanks as our hidden archers sent arrows at less than forty paces range. With the arrows we used there was no armour yet made which would stop them. David of Wales and my men targeted the ones at the front. Inevitably some horses were hit. That drove others into the ditches. They were not as deep as when they had been built but they were still an obstacle. I saw one horse break a leg as it fell and throw its knight to the ground. It was chaos.
The arrows flew constantly and the barrier of bodies grew. Although each arrow hit either man or horse they were not all killing strikes. Wounded horses thrashed and kicked out blindly before galloping down the hill through the advancing men who were on foot. The men who fell staggered to safety too. A voice shouted, “Dismount and fight on foot!” It was not Henry de Ferrers. Someone else had taken charge.
A line of knights and men at arms formed a shield wall and began to advance the last thirty paces. They had to climb over bodies to do so. Arrows thinned their ranks. It was the time for boldness and for us to use the advantage of height and horse.
“Charge!” I spurred Skuld. My command gave me a slight lead over my men and I brought my sword from behind me and over my head. The man at arms lifted his shield to protect himself from Skuld’s snapping jaws and did not see the strike which descended upon his helmet. I reined in Skuld. There was no point in riding to the pile of bodies. We had to hurt the men before us. We had to make them fear advancing. A spear was thrust up at me. I blocked the blow with my shield and then Ridley the Giant brought his axe to hack through the shoulder of the man at arms. David and his archers concentrated their arrows on the men clambering over the dead animals and men. When the knight who was leading the attack was felled by Edward the rest took to their heels.
“Back to the rise.”
I saw that three of my men had been wounded. This could not last much longer. I turned Skuld when I reached the top of the rise and surveyed the scene below me. Whatever had been planned by the de Ferrer family would not now happen. We were too few to hold the field. I shouted, “David of Wales. It is time to fall back!”
A Welsh voice shouted. “We will follow, lord.”
As we turned Edward said, “I am betting they would have had full purses lord.”
“You may be right but this day we will content ourselves with our lives and a war horse. We have the answer I sought. There are forces in Le Mans who wish us harm. We have not stopped them but they will be discouraged. We have bough
t ourselves a little time.” We reached home safely. They were not foolish enough to follow us to the Gryphon’s den.
The bridge across the river was completed as the leaves began to fall. Sir Richard recovered and I took him on a tour of my tiny island of freedom. I was surprised and pleased with the efforts made by Sir William at Le Lude. His wife and family would be able to move in by Christmas. I knew that Lady Marguerite wished their second child to be born in their new home. The keep was complete but the living quarters needed work and the fighting platform was incomplete. Sir William was putting embrasures in place.
As William took Sir Richard and myself around his defences I saw Jean of Le Lude. He hurried over to us and knuckled his forehead. “I came to thank you, Sir Thomas. We are now prosperous once more. Our fields are fertilised by your men’s horses and the walls of the castle are reassuring. This will be a good Christmas.”
Sir Richard said, “You pay no taxes?”
I smiled, “William des Roches had not asked for any. Perhaps he fears my answer.”
Sir William said, “I think that the seneschal is an honourable man, my lord. I have seen little evidence of a treacherous or vindictive nature.”
“I think you are right and therein lies my hope for Prince Arthur. So long as William des Roches remains as seneschal then Prince Arthur will be safe.”
“And when John returns to England, what then, Sir Thomas?”
“I looked at Sir Richard. “I am not certain what you mean.”
“Will Prince Arthur go with him? If the young Duke has tied himself to his uncle will his uncle let him out of his sight? When I was in England there was talk of the Prince and his sister, Eleanor being the only hope against John’s tyranny. I cannot believe that King John will let them be free.”
I had not thought of that. “And if Prince Arthur does return to England with his uncle then that will truly end all opposition to John here in Anjou and Brittany.” As we rode back to my castle I had much to ponder.
The autumn rains were welcome if only because it meant that there would be little likelihood of an attack from either the French or the men of Le Mans. It also completed our moats. Although the two gatehouses and barbicans still needed finishing they were a deterrent to an enemy. They were manned by men who could raise the bridges in case of attack and our town would be protected.
On the south side of the river Sir Henry had not been idle. He had completed his bastion and he had taken it upon himself to dig a moat around the southern settlement. Backed by a palisade it would deter an attacker. Since his arrival he had grown in stature. His story was similar to Sir Richard and the two of them had friends in common. Dick spent a great deal of his time in the bastion. He got on well with Henry’s squire. My wife was pleased for the sadness we had seen in the knight’s son when he first arrived had gone. It was replaced by something else, hope.
Captain Henry had not returned for some time but another English ship, from Bristol, did call to buy some wine. It was from Captain Jack that we had confirmation of King John’s marriage to Isabella of Angoulême. At the time we dismissed it as being unimportant. Later we learned that it was like a stone being thrown into a pond. Once begun the ripples would not stop.
Lady Marguerite gave birth to a daughter, Matilda. It was a time of great joy. As my wife said, “It seems that God has given us a present this Christmas.” She was right and there was much joy in my castle as we all came together to celebrate the winter feast.
My son was now able to take more in. He could sit without support and crawled so well that the servants spent more time trying to stop him from hurting himself than actually serving us. When I could I carried him with me and walked my walls with him. I chattered to him, like a magpie. My wife smiled for I used the same words I would use when talking to another knight. I was not sure how much he understood but it made me feel closer to him.
One cold December morning I stood on the wall walk of my keep. I held my son in my arms. He was swaddled against the cold wind and I had my cloak around him. “One day, Alfred, you will be master here. You will command the men of my castle. I hope that you will fight, alongside me, against King John to restore the fortunes of the rightful heir to the throne, Prince Arthur. I cannot promise you that it will be an easy fight but it is the right fight.”
A quiet voice behind me said, “I reckon, lord, that young Master Alfred will be looking out from the walls of Stockton castle.”
I turned, “Perhaps Edward but at the moment we cannot even evict John from these lands. How will we do so in England?”
My Sergeant at Arms came a little closer. “We have an interesting mix in the warrior hall now, lord. The new men who came with Sir Richard and the others tell us of England. It is not just the common men who are sick of King John’s rule. The barons are too. Just as the King has taken away the ordinary man’s rights so the barons have lost their rights. And this King plays favourites.” He shook his head, “That is never the way to rule. That is why men serve you, lord. You are fair.” He pointed to the bastion across the river. “Sir Henry came here with nothing and now he is master of a hall. The men you offer a home to all know that you share. That is rare. King John is a bad king. It is as simple as that.”
I saw that my son was listening to Edward’s words. He was taking it all in. He was also looking a little paler and I took him back into the relative warmth of the castle.
French Raids
Chapter 14
Our defences were ready by the middle of February which also coincided with the ‘Swan of Stockton’ docking. There was no letter and no men with her. Captain Henry told me that he had had to avoid both Stockton and Hartness for the Bishop of Durham had learned of his connection to me.
“I am sorry, lord, but I am barred from those ports. I have asked other captains to visit Stockton but the lady, well, she is cautious. She will not risk lives trusting someone who may be false. We will have to make other arrangements to bring the families of the last men I brought.”
“You have served me well, Captain Henry. If, on your travels, you discover others who tire of John then bring them here. I will make it worth your while.”
“I do have news though, lord. Prince Arthur has fled the court of King John.”
The bad news Captain Henry had delivered was now replaced by joy. “He is back in Brittany?”
“No Sir Thomas, he has fled to the court of King Philip. It is rumoured that he is betrothed to King Philip’s six-year-old daughter, Marie of France.”
My spirits had soared, briefly and now they plummeted. If he was tied to King Philip then his lands would become French. King Philip was greedy and grasping. He was like King John but he was French. That was worse!
I summoned my knights to a meeting at my castle to tell them the news. It coincided with the completion of the living quarters at Le Lude. It meant that Sir William could take his family home. Matilda was a healthy child and could be moved without fear. There was no priest at Le Lude. Marguerite had asked Father Michel to find a priest for the manor. He had not been hopeful, “The Bishop does not approve of Sir Thomas, my lady. I am barely tolerated. It is only that I am old that I am allowed to continue as priest. I will do my best.”
I told them all my news. Surprisingly they did not look concerned. Sir Richard asked, “What does it mean for us, Sir Thomas? I can see that it is unfortunate that the Prince has made such an unfortunate decision but we carry on the fight against King John do we not?”
“Of course, but it now means that William des Roches is freed from his obligation to watch over the Prince. He is a capable commander. If he chose to fight against us then we would be hard pressed to defeat him. We have suffered no attacks from the south. If William des Roches closed the river at Angers we could be starved into surrender.”
Fótr asked, “But would he do that, lord? He could have done so before.”
“Until recently Arthur was with King John. Now the Duke of Brittany is with the King of France. It change
s everything. We will now need to keep a close watch on the south too.” I looked to Sir Henry. “Your ditch may need to become a moat and you might have to build a wall.”
The young knight did not seem put out at all. He rubbed his hands together, “Excellent. My men and I enjoy a challenge. Fear not, Sir Thomas, an enemy would struggle to pass my bastion!”
Sir Richard laughed, “By St George but we are a merry crew. There are but four of us and yet we are all lion hearts!”
I had gathered them to give them bad news and yet they took it as good news. Four days after Sir William had departed we had more news. An English ship docked. She was the ‘Bronnen’ out of Bristol. I was summoned by the sentry from the river gate, Richard Red Leg. “I am sorry to disturb you, lord but the captain would speak with you. I did not recognise him.” I looked towards the quay. There was a small cog tied up.
I remembered that Captain Henry had said he would ask other ships to call. I nodded to Richard, “You did right. I will speak with him. Return to the wall. Keep watch.”
“Aye lord!”
The captain was a squat man and when he spoke I detected a west country accent. “You are Sir Thomas, my lord?”
“I am.”
He took out a letter. It was sealed with red wax. I knew who it was from. He handed it over. I was going to take it and read it later but the captain said, “Lord, if you would read it now.”
You know who you are and I hope you know that I think of you every day! Each night you are in my prayers.
I must warn you that the land is worse now than ever before. There are spies who watch everything. Poor Captain Henry barely escaped with his ship when last he called. I fear he will not call again. Captain Will seems like a man who is willing to help. He told my lady that he would help but it would be at a price. I did not meet him but one of my ladies did. He docked at Hartness. I asked him to pick up the latest volunteers from the sands where the seals bask. He did so but he asked for forty gold pieces. We have not such an amount. He is expecting you to pay that amount.