Hoodsman: Saving Princesses

by Smith, Skye

  From the wall they traveled straight south following the Petteril River through Cumbria. The men had already realized the advantages of not looking like warriors. It was not just that you were not an immediate target of other warriors looking to gain from your kit, but local folk did not hide from you. This meant you could ask them for directions, purchase food, and be offered a roof for the night, albeit usually the roof of an animal shed.

  They climbed a ridge to leave the Petteril River and near the top they were approached by a dozen wild-looking men on foot. They strung their bows and nocked arrows but kept the bows out of sight behind the horses' back until they were hailed. Even from a distance it was obvious that the wild men had an evil intent. The dozen had split into two groups with the intent of coming at them from two sides. They were carrying axes, albeit farmers' axes not battle axes.

  The bowmen rode single file behind Raynar so that each could shoot in either direction. When one of the wild men was within two hundred paces, he then showed his bow with a flourish that they must have noticed. As a warning he drew, and loosed, and put an arrow through the dead tree beside the closest of the wild men. Both groups of them went to ground. Raynar kicked Abby and the five of them cantered along the ridge and stopped at the highest point. They looked back. None of the dozen were following. They hurried their pace downhill for an hour and descending into another valley to find the Lune River and the Roman Street that ran beside it.

  The bowmen marveled at Raynar’s knowledge of Cumbria, and he shyly told him that he had never been there before. When they next stopped, he showed them his map of the area and taught each how to understand the lines and symbols. None knew how to read. None had ever even seen a map.

  The ancient street ran south in a valley between two ranges of hills. Eventually the street turned as the valley widened to a plain and they could see the sea ahead and many villages. They left the street and took a likely-looking cartway directly south to skirt a heavily forested range of hills at the edge of the plain. They felt safer in areas of sparse villages than they did in areas with many.

  Eventually they found another Roman street heading south and they followed it. This street was in good repair. Either the local villages, the local lords, or the carters, or all together had heaped a soft surface on top of the stone bed. This made the street a fast passage for carts. The further south they traveled, the more carts there were, both local ox carts and longer distance horse carts. Every few miles there was an alehouse, and they stopped more frequently with the excuse of hearing the news of the street from the carters.

  The carters freely swapped gossip for ale, and they learned much from them. This was Watling Street. It had been the Cheshiremen that had put the soft surface on the street, because it led from Manchester to Chester and made the Chester market the easiest of all to reach by cart. They had even rebuilt the bridges across the Mersey and the Weaver rivers.

  There were no Normans on this street. There were no Normans north of Chester on this side of the Peaks. None any more, save for churchmen. The carters in the alehouse spat on the floor and raised a curse at the mention of Norman churchmen.

  They kept to Watling Street and enjoyed the light jesting of the folk along the way. William's invasion had hardly effected these folk. They looked prosperous and peaceful. At Chester the watch at the gate hardly looked at them. As they made their way through the ancient streets to the house of the Welsh prince, Edgar's bowmen were straining their necks to look at the wondrous buildings of the town.

  There was no one at the prince's house save the watch and the housekeepers. Once Raynar proved to them that he knew Eadric and had fought along side him, they give him directions to find the man. Eadric was camped on the Welsh border about twenty miles to the south west of Chester near the village of Oswestry. That night Raynar treated the men to soft beds under a roof at the Minerva Inn, which was built in the Roman way.

  By afternoon of the next day they were in Oswestry, and some boys told them that Eadric's camp was near the dyke. Then the youngsters started to giggle, but they ran way when an ealder came out of the alehouse.

  "Little bastards," the ealder yelled after the boys. "They would have you turn in circles. There are two dykes here, Offa's and Wat's. They are in different directions. Eadric is camped at Wat's."

  "The dyke is not along the river?"

  "Not that kind of a dyke, lad," replied the ealder. "They are earthwork walls built by the ancients to defend against Welsh raiders."

  "So they are Roman?"

  "Don't know about that, lad, but they are old. Come over to the alehouse and have some real ale," invited the ealder. "Someone there may know."

  Oswestry certainly served up good ale, and strong. Raynar was slightly woozy by the time he untied Abby. They rode slowly, and a bit wobbly, out of the village and turned east as they had been told, and came to Eadric's camp in less than a mile.

  They rode down into a ditch and then climbed an earthwork wall, and from the top they hailed anyone in earshot. A guard replied to their hail. Eadric's men all remembered Raynar and the welcome was warm. Eadric was expected back from Powys sometime that day, so his men pushed food and ale and stories and songs on them while they waited.

  Eadric's men had become expert horse thieves since he had last ridden with them. Stealing horses from Normans and selling them to the Welsh had become a thriving business. A business that not only hurt the Normans and helped the Welsh, but put coin in their pockets to pay their way with the English farmers and markets. They were certainly a happy crew for outlaws, and he told them so.

  "Well," said one, "with the Powys border so close, we can disappear if things get tough. The folks in Oswestry encourage us to camp here because with us here, both Norman and Welsh raiders keep their distance from the village. "

  Raynar was relieved when Eadric actually arrived. It had been a week's ride from Dunfermline to deliver a message, and once delivered he would be one step closer to fulfilling the last of his obligations to Edgar and Cospatrick.

  Raynar told Eadric and his men the news from Scotland that King Malcolm and the English Earls had assembled an army and were marching to York. He then told them how the Danish fleet should by now be raiding Kent and capturing as much Norman shipping as they could. He told them how the Danish fleet would then likely head up the east coast to the Humber and also make for York. This all meant that William would need to split his army. He then told them the message from the Earls, that it would be helpful if rebellions broke out in the south to further split William's army.

  Though Eadric was intensely interested in the news of armies, the rest of the men were now bored and drifted to their bed rolls. Eadric told him the news from Powys, that Harold Godwinson's sons had sailed from Ireland again, intent on raiding the west country. He promised Raynar that he would ride tomorrow into Powys to take the news and the message to the Welsh princes.

  "Do you remember the fairie, Gwyn and the giant John. Are they still in Wales?" asked Raynar.

  "I do, I do remember her, and the giant," replied Eadric.

  "She traveled to Powys with the princess. Do you know how she fares?"

  "I can ask while I am there," replied Eadric, "or you could come with me to Mathrafal Castle and ask for yourself."

  "How far is it?."

  "Fifteen miles, or a little more."

  * * * * *

  Mathrafal Castle was actually a palace compound. There was an old earthwork fortress close by, but Raynar did not consider the palace a castle, not after living at Bamburgh. That the palace was not fortified surprised him since the Welsh border was so volatile.

  The border had been closely watched, however. As soon as they had crossed Offa's Dyke they were watched and followed. Five miles along the highway they had been stopped and questioned. This took no time at all since the Welsh guards knew Eadric, but Raynar was glad he had left his archers at the camp.

  As they entered the compound at Mathrafal, Prince Bleddyn and his Pri
ncess Haer were just dismounting from their horses. Bleddyn welcomed Eadric warmly and recognized Raynar's face but had to be reminded of his name. When he was told that Raynar had just come south from Scotland with news of armies and a Danish Fleet, his interest peaked and they were immediately shown into the hall.

  Once Bleddyn's chiefs had assembled, Raynar again told his news, and his message about causing rebellions. As a reward for bringing the message, Bleddyn offered Raynar a new horse to replace his nag, but he graciously refused the gift for reasons that he had to explain. Instead Bleddyn gave him a purse that was generous enough to buy a good horse.

  "Sire," spoke Raynar but then looked towards Princess Haer, "or perhaps you would know better, your grace. I am looking for a young woman that I left with you at your house in Chester. She is small of stature, but long in the knowledge of healing and is called Gwyn. She was with a giant of a blacksmith."

  "Why she is in Penybontfawr studying the ancient ways," replied Haer. "I believe she sent the giant, um, John wasn't it. Yes, she sent the giant home. I saw her but a fortnight ago. Is there a message for her?"

  "No, I just wanted to be assured that she was well. We miss her company and her healing hands in the Peaks."

  "She is more than well. She is glowing. She is learning magic and herbs from the old women there, but they are also teaching her the harp. When she plays she is bedazzling. Her music is like what the goddess must hear."

  "Thank you, your grace. My heart now beats easier," Raynar spoke softly. "I will tell her mother this news when I return to the Peaks."

  "Aye," added the prince. "And if you see John, tell him from me that he is welcome here anytime."

  Very early the next day Raynar left Eadric in Mathrafal and rejoined his men in Oswestry and they pressed on to Chester for another night at the Minerva Inn. The next morning they mounted up and first headed northward and then straight east for the safety of the Peaks.

  * * * * *

  * * * * *

  The Hoodsman - Saving Princesses by Skye Smith Copyright 2010-13

  Chapter 17 - The Queen of the English, Westminster Abbey, November 1100

  At Henry's own coronation, as he left the doors of this same abbey, he had been forced to have some guards to lift him on a shield so that his people could see their new king. This time he was prepared for the crowds. In front of the door was a palanquin float similar to those used in religious processions. It was decorated with gilt and white cloth.

  On it was a light chair made to look like a gilded throne. Henry stepped up onto the float, and then helped Edith up, and she sat on the chair with her yellow silk billowing, and Henry stood behind her. At a shout, twenty pages lifted it up and onto their shoulders and began walking. A phalanx of bowmen walked ahead of them clearing a corridor through the crowd. Now even those far away could see the royal couple and there were cheers in the thousands. The nobles followed in their wake and created a procession behind the float.

  Raynar walked beside the float for a while until one of the bowmen pulled him aside. "No sir, you must stay behind."

  Raynar looked at the man. And looked again. "You watch who you call sir, else I will tan your hide for you, Martin O'Dale. "

  For the first time the young man looked at the face of the man he had pulled. "Raynar Porter, look at you dressed as a Bishop's bum boy."

  "Martin, you look smart in the King's colors. How's your dad?"

  "Older but still eating venison," replied Martin with a smile.

  "And you, are you in London for long? I am staying at the Traveler's Domus, on Temple lane near to the River Fleet."

  "I am in training for the King's new army of archers. We don't get to London at all. This is special duty," replied Martin.

  "In training. What? Now they are teaching the best bowman in the Peaks how to shoot a bow?"

  "We had to prove our skill to join. No, they are teaching us how to fight as an army. I hope to make Captain." Martin pointed to the phalanx of archers ahead. "Those are my lads." He yelled an order to them just to prove the point. "Raynar, what are you doing here, and walking beside royalty?"

  "I am the Queen's man. I am in charge of her security," replied Raynar.

  Martin nodded but found the answer too unbelievable. That is until the watchful King Henry bent over and told the young bowman to jump at any orders that Raynar may give.

  The procession continued until they were at the fence of bowman, with a crush of perhaps twenty or thirty thousand folk spread out before them. The entire city seemed to have emptied and had filled up the open land and the building sites. They were all a bit damp and cold. While the coronation ceremony was held under the abbey's high roof, the heavy November skies had been drizzling.

  At the sight of the new English queen, the crowds had cheered. But now there was confusion. Londoners, instead of pushing against the human fence of bowmen, were pulling on it and chanting, "Let her through, let her through."

  Some of the young pages were bending as they tired, and the float was swaying. King Henry jumped down to discuss the problem with a guard captain. Raynar called Martin over. "The main problem is that these milksop pages don't have the strength to do the job. This whole thing is going to tip over and Edith may be hurt." Martin nodded in agreement. "Martin, we don't need your phalanx anymore, we have these other bowmen to do that. Call your lads over to support this thing before it tips any further."

  It took no more than a whistle and a wave for Martin's lads to see the problem and they swung around the float and took the weight from the shoulders of the pages. The bowmen were all physically bigger than the pages and the float was hoisted by them into the air, and ended almost a foot higher than the shoulders of the pages. A cheer went up all around the float.

  Unfortunately Henry was still on the ground. The Londoners pulling on the human fence had opened a corridor, and the bowmen now at the front of the float thought that was their cue to start the procession again. Off they walked into the throngs of folk. Edith, missing Henry, stood up out of the throne and held onto the back for stability while she looked behind it to see where Henry was.

  When she stood the entire crowd could see her surrounded in a billow of yellow silk and floating on a cloud of white cloth. The cheers were deafening. Londoners were seeing their new queen for the first time, and the effect was like magic. Martin ran up to the front of the human fence and turned them into the new phalanx and the crowd stepped backwards in order to create a corridor. Slowly, like tall grass waving in a summer wind, a corridor opened from the grounds of Winchester to a slight hill perhaps five hundred paces away.

  Before Henry could act to stop the procession from continuing into the crowd of Londoners, the folk flooded in behind the float and it left only the corridor forward free for movement. Raynar grabbed Henry by the arm. "No, you cannot follow. It is too dangerous for you."

  The guard captain heard Raynar and pulled Henry back with his other arm. "Listen to him sire, he talks sense."

  "She is an English queen surrounded by English bowmen," replied Raynar. "Could she be any safer? I will go and walk beside her. " Raynar skipped forward to catch up and as he did so, he turned and yelled to the captain to use a bowman fence to keep the corridor open behind the float.

  The sound of the crowd now changed and Raynar looked for the cause. The November clouds had parted and a shaft of weak yellow sunlight shone down onto Edith and onto the ground around her. Her yellow silk turned golden and the cheers quieted and were replaced by murmurs and wails and gasps.

  The float continued through the crowd but now Edith realized that she was the entire procession. She straightened her legs and arched her back slightly to lean forward against the back of the throne for balance. She turned her face up into the soft warmth of the sunlight, and stretched both hands up towards it.

  The effect on the crowd was startling. The women closest began to kneel as if to pray. Men uncovered their heads, and looked around them at their women kneeling, and sank to the
ir knees as well. The effect of the kneeling rippled through the crowd in rings around Edith. Each new ring of people still standing would see everyone in front of them kneeling and would drop to their knees as well. No one took their eyes of the vision of this golden angel drawing down the shafts of yellow sunlight from the sky.

  The Thames seagulls, curious and ever wary of chances for a feed, decided to investigate, and began circling above the crowd. From where the lords and nobles stood on the grounds of Westminster, it looked as if the white birds were making a halo high above Edith's head. The ring of the kneeling had now reached the lords and ladies and the ladies kneeled. Then even the stubborn nobles were pulled down by their wives.

  Once the procession reached the knoll, everyone for a half mile around her could see the new queen. The sturdy bowmen holding her so high did a slow circle to turn her to face back to the abbey. The corridor parted again and they slowly walked their precious angel back to her husband. The clouds had now completely parted and the sun was warming everyone.

  Edith was waving to her people and the women and children were waving back. She was blowing kisses to children, and the children slipped into the wake of the palanquin and a procession of children followed her.

  Raynar walked to the front of the phalanx as it finally came up to Henry. He grabbed the two closest guardsmen. "When the palanquin reaches here, you will lift your king onto it." Some lordlings standing close, volunteered to help lift him up.

  The final route of the float was to the palace, and Henry and Edith, who was now Queen Mathilde of the English, stood together behind the throne holding one set of hands high up, and waving to the crowd with their free hands. The cheers were deafening.