Knight of the Empress

by Griff Hosker

  I saw blood on his blade and knew I had been struck. "I will end now what Odo should have done. You may be a fine knight when wearing armour but that piece of leather will not lengthen your life."

  I concentrated on what I would do and I ignored his words. I swung at his head. He had picked up his shield and he parried my blow. When he hacked at my shield I found I had no power in my arm. I was pushed back. As I stumbled backwards I saw that my archers' bows were of little use in such a confined space and they had to use their swords and daggers.

  Seeing my weakness, William of Morpeth swung again at my shield. I anticipated it. I could not take many such blows and I spun around so that his blade missed me completely. I brought my sword around and hit his back. It did not sever the mail but it hurt him. Before he could turn I threw myself at his back and he tumbled to the ground. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a man at arms hurl himself and his pole axe toward me. As I rolled away I saw Dick stab the man at arms but my movement allowed Sir William to leap to his feet and flee towards the tower of the keep, I ran after him. I could feel the blood as it trickled down my back. That in a way was reassuring for it was not gushing. I heard steps on the stairs behind me and saw that Harold and Aiden were following. Aiden had blood flowing from a scalp wound but he was grinning and I knew it was not life threatening.

  As I stepped out into the light I had to react quickly as one of the tower sentries lunged at me. His sword slid across my middle. The leather prevented it slicing into me. I hacked down with my own sword and lunged at him with my shield held up. He tumbled over and cracked his head on the stone of the tower. I just managed to bring my shield up as a crossbowman sent a bolt in my direction. It pierced the shield. I ran at him before he could reload and I ran him through. Dick and the archers joined me. Ignoring everyone else I made for Sir William. I would leave them to deal with the rest of those who manned the tower.

  Despite his wounding of me he was afraid. I could see it in his eyes. This had to end quickly. If I died then my men might lose heart and we would be defeated. If the Earl did not take Durham then my people might be in danger. My father's words came into my head, 'They are your people. You must protect them.'

  I rushed at him. I had no armour and a poor helmet. I could afford to take no blows. All that I had was the speed of my borrowed blade. As he slashed wildly at me I feinted towards his head with my sword and even as he brought his shield around I switched my attack and jabbed forward. His shield parried nothing and the tip of my sword sank into surcoat, mail, gambeson and then the unmistakable softness of flesh. Although I did not penetrate far it was a shock and he stepped back. I was becoming weaker and I knew it. I punched with my shield. Although it hurt me he parried weakly and I was able to bring my sword around at head height. He was so disorientated that he had no idea where the blow was coming from. As he tripped backwards, the edge of my sword took him in the neck and, as he flung his arms outwards, his head flew one way and his body the other. Sir William of Morpeth, traitor and rebel died at Durham.

  As I sank to my knees I yelled, "Get their standard down! Dick, rain death upon their walls!"

  I lay in a widening pool of blood. I knew that my handful of archers would use every arrow to clear the walls. I had done all that I could. Now it was down to Edward and the Earl of Gloucester.

  Harold ran over to me and ripped the surcoat from Sir William. He jammed it beneath my byrnie. "My lord! You are wounded."

  I smiled, "Just stop the bleeding. When Wulfric arrives he will heal me." I could feel myself becoming woozy. I leaned on Harold and pulled myself towards the battlements. I could see that Dick and his archers, although few in number were raining death upon the defenders. There was no protection from them. The walls were being relentlessly cleared and that allowed the attackers to scale the walls. The Earl of Gloucester and his army had already forced the men at arms from some parts of the ramparts. We were forcing them back. I wondered if I would survive until the end of the battle. I could no longer hold onto Harold and I felt myself slipping down the stone.

  I heard cheers and saw the smiles on my men's faces.

  I heard Dick shout, "We have won! My lord, they are surrendering!"

  I smiled, we had won. I had gambled and won. At least our army had won; as for myself then that was in the hands of God. I closed my eyes and I saw my father smiling at me. He held out his hand to grasp it. I tried to reach up but I could not. Suddenly I heard Wulfric's voice, "My lord! Come back to us!" I opened my eyes and saw a bloodied Edward looking at me with deep concern. "Sir Edward, grasp his hand I am losing him."

  I felt myself slipping into a deep sleep. It was comfortable. It was like sinking into a hot bath. I closed my eyes again. Why should I fight this warm feeling which was washing over me?

  Suddenly I felt a sharp pain in my back and when I opened my eyes I was staring at the stone floor of the tower of Durham Keep. I could hear voices but I could see nothing. "Hold him still! Bring fire! I must staunch the bleeding or we shall lose our lord."

  I wondered who they were speaking of as I slipped slowly into a deep sleep. There was nothing to fight. This was meant to be. Suddenly I heard the voice of Adela. 'Come back to me! Alfraed! Come back!'

  I opened my eyes and I was looking at a ceiling. The stone floor of the keep had been there when I closed my eyes and now it was a ceiling. It was plainly decorated but it was a ceiling. Where was the sky? A face loomed into view. It was the Earl of Gloucester. He smiled, "You have come back. We thought we had lost you." He grasped my arm. "You have saved the north for your liege lord. Well done Baron Alfraed!"

  I saw my knights gathered behind him and the priest I had spoken to was wiping his bloodied hands on a cloth. "You were near to death for a while my lord. I have stitched your back but you will not be fighting for some time."

  The Earl clapped him on the back, "Do not worry priest, thanks to the efforts of the Baron and his men the north will be safe for some time."

  My back felt numb and I felt sleepy. I suspect I had been given some potion to make me sleep and to ease my pain. "And the rebels?"

  "The heads of their leaders adorn the walls. Some of their men escaped across the river." He smiled, "Some left the postern gate unguarded and they fled through there. I will lead my men north to gather tribute from the dead rebels' lands. Your conroi will wait here until you are fit to travel. Then you can go home, Baron Alfraed. You have, indeed, earned the title 'Defender of the Valley.' You will be rewarded."

  Epilogue

  Adela and I were married soon after Midsummer Day. As I had lain in the bed in Durham I realised that I had come closer to death than at any time in my life. The thought of dying without heirs and, even worse, without giving Adela the chance of some happiness prompted me to honour my promise. We were able to make it a fine celebration for we had the ransoms from the rebels and our share of the tribute from the Earl's northern foray. He was generous. We were able to hire more men at arms and to arm and mount them.

  William the Mason had begun a small church in Stockton. Bishop Flambard was so grateful to me for saving him that he consecrated the church himself and provided the priest, an earnest young man called Father Absalom. Although the church roof had yet to be raised the weather was so clement that we married in the half finished edifice. Adela and Faren had it decorated with sweet smelling flowers so that our roof was a fragrant lattice of fragrant summer flowers.

  My knights attended with their families. All of them were now rich and that enabled them to be well attended. Their retinues were enlarged and their manors better defended. I knew that even if trouble came whilst I was recovering then the valley would be in safe hands. I had a most pleasant summer as I slowly recovered and learned how to love Adela.

  When King Henry returned from Normandy in the autumn I received a message to tell me that he would be visiting the northern barons to thank those who had been loyal and to punish those who had not. Adela, now with child, enjoyed the opportunity to spend so
me of my gold on fine plate and furniture for the visit of the King. Stockton itself was transformed. The council of guilds had paved the main streets so that it would not be a quagmire in winter. The towers on the gates of the town had been rebuilt to make them sturdier and more imposing.

  We watched as the King and his retinue were ferried across the river. The King, the Earl and his bodyguard came first. King Henry was genuinely pleased to see me. "My son has told me of your work over the last year. I know that you have striven to overcome great odds. Know that I appreciate it. I grant you permission to create a manor at Hartburn and to tax the ships which use your river. This is now a bastion. You have shown that you can defend this land."

  "Thank you my liege and this is the Lady Adela, my wife."

  The King kissed her hand. "She is as lovely as my son told me. Soon you will be a father. "He looked a little sad, "Since my son died I have felt a hole in my heart. You will soon be filling your heart with your child."

  "I hope so."

  "The Empress sends her regards and reminds you that you are still a knight of her order."

  I touched the medallion I always wore. "And Edward and I are still her men."

  The ferry bumped into the harbour wall and knights disembarked. The King held his hand out, "This is my nephew, Stephen of Blois."

  As I went to greet the knight who smiled at me I realised that I knew him. It was the knight I had seen in Normandy; it was the knight with red shield. I smiled and shook his hand. If he would play a game of deceit then so would I. That day I met the man I would fight for the rest of our lives. I met the man who tried to steal the throne of England from Matilda, the man who made civil war and shattered the peace of England. I would not enjoy peace for long. I was a Marcher Lord and I would have to fight to save my land, my manor, my people and my Empress.

  The End

  Glossary

  Battle- a formation in war (a modern battalion)

  Cadge- the frame upon which hunting birds are carried (by a codger- hence the phrase old codger being the old man who carries the frame)

  Conroi- A group of knights fighting together

  Demesne- estate

  Destrier- war horse

  Fess- a horizontal line in heraldry

  Gambeson- a padded tunic worn underneath mail. When worn by an archer they came to the waist. It was more of a quilted jacket but I have used the term freely

  Gonfanon- A standard used in Medieval times (Also known as a Gonfalon in Italy)

  Hartness- the manor which became Hartlepool

  Maredudd ap Bleddyn- King of Powys

  Mêlée- a medieval fight between knights

  Musselmen- Muslims

  Palfrey- a riding horse

  Pyx- a box containing a holy relic (Shakespeare’s Pax from Henry V)

  Surcoat- a tunic worn over mail or armour

  Sumpter- pack horse

  Tagmata- Byzantine cavalry

  Ventail – a piece of mail which covered the neck and the lower face.

  Wulfestun- Wolviston (Durham)

  Maps

  Map courtesy of Wikipedia

  Courtesy of Wikipedia –Public Domain

  Courtesy of Wikipedia –Public Domain

  Historical note

  The book is set during one of the most turbulent and complicated times in British history. Henry I of England and Normandy’s eldest son William died. The King named his daughter, the Empress Matilda as his heir. However her husband, the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire died and she remarried. Her new husband was Geoffrey of Anjou and she had children by him. (The future Henry II of England and Normandy- The Lion in Winter!)

  When the King died the Empress was in Normandy and the nephew of Henry sailed for England where he was crowned king. A number of events happened then which showed how the politics of the period worked. King David of Scotland who was related to both Stephen and Matilda declared his support for Matilda. In reality this was an attempt to grab power and he used the Norman knights of Cumbria and Northumbria to take over that part of England and invade Yorkshire. Stephen came north to defeat him- King David, having lost the Battle of the Standard fled north of the Tees.

  The Scots were taking advantage of a power vacuum on their borders. They did, according to chroniclers of the time behave particularly badly.

  "an execrable army, more atrocious than the pagans, neither fearing God nor regarding man, spread desolation over the whole province and slaughtered everywhere people of either sex, of every age and rank, destroying, pillaging and burning towns, churches and houses"

  "Then (horrible to relate) they carried off, like so much booty, the noble matrons and chaste virgins, together with other women. These naked, fettered, herded together; by whips and thongs they drove before them, goading them with their spears and other weapons. This took place in other wars, but in this to a far greater extent."

  "For the sick on their couches, women pregnant and in childbed, infants in the womb, innocents at the breast, or on the mother's knee, with the mothers themselves, decrepit old men and worn-out old women, and persons debilitated from whatever cause, wherever they met with them, they put to the edge of the sword, and transfixed with their spears; and by how much more horrible a death they could dispatch them, so much the more did they rejoice."

  Robert of Hexham

  Meanwhile Matilda’s half brother, Robert of Gloucester (one of William’s bastards) declared for Matilda and a civil war ensued. The war went on until Stephen died and was called the anarchy because everyone was looking out for themselves. There were no sides as such. Allies could become enemies overnight. Murder, ambush and assassination became the order of the day. The only warriors who could be relied upon were the household knights of a lord- his oathsworn. The feudal system, which had been an ordered pyramid, was thrown into confusion by the civil war. Lords created their own conroi, or groups of knights and men at arms. Successful lords would ensure that they had a mixture of knights, archers and foot soldiers. The idea of knights at this time always fighting on horseback is not necessarily true. There were many examples of knights dismounting to fight on foot and, frequently, this proved to be successful.

  William the Conqueror’s family tree

  William the Bastard (The Conqueror)

  William II (Rufus) Henry I Adela Robert (Curthose)

  William Matilda Stephen of Blois

  William Clito

  Henry II

  The dotted line indicates that they died before they could attain the crown or before they could rule effectively.

  The word Fitz shows that the owner of the name is an illegitimate son of a knight. As such they would not necessarily inherit when their father died. There were many such knights. William himself was illegitimate. Robert of Gloucester was also known as Robert of Caen and Robert Fitzroy.

  Ridley, the father of my hero, was in three earlier books. There were two regiments of Varangians: one was English in character and one Scandinavian. As the bodyguards of the Emperor they were able to reap rich rewards for their service.

  The Normans were formidable fighters. The conquest of England happened after a single battle. They conquered southern Italy and Sicily with a handful of knights. Strongbow, a Norman mercenary took a small mercenary force and dominated Ireland so much that as soon as a force of Normans, led by the King landed, all defence on the island crumbled. In one of Strongbow's battles a force of 100 knights defeated 4000 Irish warriors!

  Ranulf Flambard was the controversial Bishop of Durham who was imprisoned in the tower by Henry for supporting his brother. Although reinstated the Bishop was viewed with suspicion by the King and did not enjoy as much power as either his predecessors or his successors. Hartness (Hartlepool) was given to the De Brus family by Henry and the family played a power game siding with Henry and David depending upon what they had to gain. They were also given land around Guisborough in North Yorkshire.

  Squires were not always the sons of nobles. Often they were lowly born and
would never aspire to knighthood. It was not only the king who could make knights. Lords had that power too. Normally a man would become a knight at the age of 21. Young landless knights would often leave home to find a master to serve in the hope of treasure or loot. The idea of chivalry was some way away. The Norman knight wanted land, riches and power. Knights would have a palfrey or ordinary riding horse and a destrier or war horse. Squires would ride either a palfrey, if they had a thoughtful knight or a rouncy (pack horse). The squires carried all of the knight’s war gear on the pack horses. Sometimes a knight would have a number of squires serving him. One of the squire’s tasks was to have a spare horse in case the knight’s destrier fell in battle. Another way for a knight to make money was to capture an enemy and ransom him. This even happened to Richard 1st of England who was captured in Austria and held to ransom.

  At this time a penny was a valuable coin and often payment would be taken by ‘nicking’ pieces off it. Totally round copper and silver coins were not the norm in 12th Century Europe. Each local ruler would make his own small coins. The whole country was run like a pyramid with the King at the top. He took from those below him in the form of taxes and service and it cascaded down. There was a great deal of corruption as well as anarchy. The idea of a central army did not exist. King Henry had his household knights and would call upon his nobles to supply knights and men at arms when he needed to go to war. The expense for that army would be borne by the noble.