“Good. And you left earlier today to head south while the mormaer took other men towards Morpeth.” By saying what the boy knew to be true I was making it easier for him to give me the answers to my questions. He nodded, eager to please. “And you have a prisoner in the dungeon. A large man whose head has a wound.”
He nodded, “Aye, lord, a Varangian they say. How did you know?”
“I know many things, Angus. I am just testing you to see how truthful you are. If you answer me truly then I will let you return to your father.” His face beamed. “How many men are left in the castle? Now answer me truly for I shall know if you are lying.”
I had held out a ray of hope and he grasped it. “The seneschal, Robert fitz Comyn has twenty men there, lord.”
I nodded, “Good, that is what I thought. You are a good boy. Alf keep him close and away from the others. Take him to Brother Peter. You may be able to aid him.”
I stared through the trees at the castle which was hidden there. I had an idea how we could take the castle without loss. An escape might be harder to achieve but the task now seemed easier. Dick said, with a smile in his voice, “You have a plan, William?”
“Is there but one gate?”
Aelric nodded, “One gate into the outer bailey and a climb to the palisade and the second gate to the inner bailey.”
“Dick, if we were in that castle and some of our men galloped towards us followed by Englishmen, then what would we do?”
“We would not open our gate to admit them but I can see your plan. The Scots would let you enter and then slam the gates shut behind.”
“Then here is my plan. I take my men and archers. We use the shields we captured and the standard we took when we retook the slaves. You will chase us. When we enter the gates, I will ride with Sir Thomas and my men at arms. My archers will feign exhaustion. When we are through the second gate, my archers will secure the walls and open the gates.”
“A bold plan but risky. You have less than fourteen men.”
“And they are my men. I trust you and your archers to follow up swiftly. We only need to hold the ones at the inner bailey for the time it takes for you to cross it. Aelric, is the castle a large one?”
“No, lord. It is but a hall perched precariously on a motte! It might work.”
“Then we will try that on the morrow.”
I gathered my men around me. I could see the eagerness on their faces. They were keen to have some vengeance for Jack. We hunted the same men who had raided England; these had abducted Ralph and he was a friend. “Robin Hawkeye, when we ride through the gates, if they let us through, then I want you to pretend that your horses are lame or you are tired. You remain at the gate until we gain entry to the main hall. I will be shouting and attracting their attention. Whether we gain entry or no I want you and your men to clear the gate of our enemies and then open the gate for Dick. When Dick and his men enter then join us for we shall be outnumbered.”
“We will not let you down, lord, and we shall do this for Jack. Fear not, lord. God is with us in this enterprise.”
I turned to Masood, “I want you with me. You will need to wear the cloak and helmet of one of the men we captured. If we have any trouble at the gate then I want you to go over the wall.”
He smiled, “Do not worry, lord. I will be there. I am getting used to the cold and this land. I like the men who fight for your father.”
“Alf, you must carry the banner until we are within the second gate and then discard it and reveal who we are. I would not fight under false colours. All of you will have the shields we captured. Keep your cloaks tied tightly around you so that they cannot identify us.”
After we had eaten our cold rations I lay down to try to get some rest. I was throwing the bones and I hoped that they would fall the right way. If they did not then my father could be raising my son. Brother Peter joined me, “I cut off the man at arms’ arm, lord. I had to cut it below the elbow. He can never fight again.”
I nodded, “Then tomorrow, he and Angus can go home no matter what happens.”
“And where would you have me, lord?”
“Safe. Stay with the captives. They gave me their word but a warrior monk should ensure they behave.”
“If not, then my fist will have to do.”
That night I prayed to God that our journey would not be in vain. I hoped that Ralph of Bowness would be alive and that we would be able to rescue him. Of course, I had no idea how we would get home. That was out of my hands. If God willed it then we would succeed. If not…
That night I dreamed and it was not a dream of England. It was a dream of mountains and bogs. It was a nightmare of half-naked warriors throwing themselves at me and trying to hack my body to pieces. What I did not know was that this was not a dream but a foretaste of what was to come.
The next morning, I left Long Tom with Brother Peter. He had not mentioned it to anyone but he had been cut about the leg by one of the men at arms during the attack in the woods. I would not risk him and it meant that Brother Peter did not need eyes in the back of his head. We congregated inside the eaves of the wood. I went with Dick and Sir Thomas to survey the castle. Aelric had been correct, it was a small castle but it was well positioned. The river ran around in a great loop so that there was but one entrance. It was over a moat which ran to the river. The bridge could be raised. The outer bailey was large and there were buildings there. I guessed that at least two had to be warrior halls for they were large. The mound on which they had built the lord’s hall was high but small.
We had five hundred paces to ride to reach the bridge. The ground fell away on both sides and I could see, on the other side of the eastern arm of the river, the sea. This was a good site for a castle. Had it been made of stone then I would not have been able to even contemplate my plan. I checked, again, that my surcoat was covered by my cloak. I held the unfamiliar shield. If I needed it then we would have lost already. Turning I saw that my men were well disguised. We watched as the light from the east brightened the grassy mound. The frost of night evaporated and then they opened the gate. Two guards stood on the side nearest us. Two more stood by the gate. On the gatehouse, I saw six men. That was eight of the garrison accounted for. As the light improved I saw that there were sentries every forty paces around the outer palisade. That meant fourteen of the twenty-one men were on the outer palisade. We would only have seven to deal with. I spied hope and it encouraged me.
I waited until I saw the first cart head towards the gate before I made my move. “Ready, Dick?”
He laughed, “Aye lord for it is like being with your father when he was a young buck. Go and we shall be behind you.”
I turned and said, “Remember you are Scotsmen!”
Henry, son of Will said, “Does that mean I get to show my arse?”
I laughed, “If it gets us in then aye! Ride as though the devil was behind you!”
I spurred Alciades and we burst from the trees. I kept turning around in my saddle and I began shouting. I saw the men with the carts begin to hurry. They were being pulled by oxen and they did not move quickly. The guards on the wall pointed at us and shouted to someone I could not see inside the walls. I hoped they would see the shields we carried and the banner carried by Alf. I looked over my shoulder and saw Dick and his men burst from the woods some hundred paces behind us. Aelric launched an arrow. He was a good archer but when it whizzed over my shoulder to land thirty paces from me I wondered. I think that was what decided the men on the gates. The two men on our side of the bridge tried to hurry the ox cart over. The other two left their post to go inside the gatehouse. They would, no doubt, raise the bridge once we were through.
I could see the faces of the guards at the bridge. They were not watching us but Dick and his archers. My father’s archers had a reputation which was well deserved. The ox cart was in the middle of the bridge as I clattered over. I shouted, “The Warlord is coming!”
The sentries began beating the oxen to get t
hem inside as we galloped through the gate. I turned in the saddle and shouted something deliberately incomprehensible while continuing to race towards the second gate which remained open. I saw that two of the sentries were standing by the bridge over the second ditch. I kept looking behind me as though I feared death at any moment. My archers had dismounted and were racing to the fighting platform. They had barely managed to get the oxen in before they started to shut the gates. I saw three of the sentries pitch from the fighting platform as Dick’s archers struck them. The others cowered down.
Masood was on a small horse and he was racing ahead of me. He had no armour. The cloak and helmet, along with the borrowed shield were his disguise. The two sentries allowed him to gallop through. As I approached them they shouted, “Who are you?” In that instant I saw that they saw the ploy. The guard turned and shouted, “Close the gate!”
It was too late. Masood was inside and I saw him leap from his horse and gut one of the two men on the windlass. He turned quickly with his razor-sharp blade, eviscerating the second one. I drew and swung my sword in one smooth motion and one of the guards lost his head. Alf rammed the borrowed standard into the second sentry before discarding it and raising my gryphon. It was not known until then but it soon became known as a harbinger of doom! I saw the other men rushing from the fighting platform and down the steps to the inner bailey. A huge warrior, in full armour, stepped from the hall. He had one man with him. My men at arms galloped after me and, as the men descended from the walls, they were slain. When my archers rode in the four men who were left, including the huge warrior, threw down their arms. Unbelievably we had succeeded.
“I am Robert fitz Comyn! You have dared to attack the hall of my lord!”
I stepped from my horse and strode up to him. “And I am William of Stockton, son of the Warlord. I am here for my friend, Ralph of Bowness. If you have harmed him you shall die!”
I saw him pale and he seemed to shrink.
I turned, “Alf, Masood, go and find him. John of Chester, secure these men. Sir Thomas, have our men find food and close the gates. We will rest before we return home!”
To my huge surprise my men began banging their shields. Dick’s joined in as they chanted, “Son of the Warlord! Son of the Warlord! Son of the Warlord!” I felt humbled. It was through their efforts that we had succeeded. If we had succeeded.
John of Chester forced our prisoners to their knees. Robert fitz Comyn glared at me. He had failed his lord and he knew it. He would be dangerous. He would slay me if he had the opportunity. I would not allow him such a chance. Dick rode up behind me and dismounted, “I have sent for Brother Peter and our prisoners. I have my men on the walls.” He shook his head, “Wulfric will be more than annoyed to have missed this. A castle taken without a single man lost. Even your father could not have done what you did.”
“I think he could but it is kind of you to say so.”
Just then Ralph of Bowness appeared. He had to be supported by Masood and Alf. Where his right eye should have been, was a bloody mess. His legs and arms were scored with wounds. I ran to him, “Ralph, what happened?”
“This bastard tried to make me talk. I did not. I did not tell them when you sailed nor where you would sail to. Even when they took my eye I did not speak. Had you not come they were going to take my balls and then my dick.”
I drew my sword and whirled around, “I told you what would happen if you hurt my friend!”
Robert fitz Comyn actually whimpered and then cowered. My men all drew their weapons. Ralph was our friend. He was our shield brother and we would avenge his hurts.
“No, William. I beg you give me your sword and give this Scot one. I will face him man to man and I will kill him myself.”
“But you are injured!”
He laughed, “I am like your grandfather and the great Aelfraed. I am a Varangian. If I am to die then let me face my enemy and do so with a sword in my hand.”
I nodded and handed him my sword. I picked up the sword from the dead sentry and threw it to Robert fitz Comyn. “But his sword is better than mine!”
“Think yourself lucky that I gave you a sword. Defend yourself.”
Ralph turned to me, “If I lose then let him go.”
“But…”
He smiled, “For the honour of the Varangians.”
I nodded. I knew why he did it. He wanted a fair fight. If the Scot thought he was doomed he would not fight well. I saw Robert fitz Comyn grin. He saw before him a weak and broken man. He saw a man without mail. Ralph was half starved and in pain. What he did not see was the Emperor’s Guard. It was his one mistake.
I waved my arm and my men made a circle of shields in which the two men would fight. I did not want Robert fitz Comyn to escape. I nodded to John and then the other prisoners. He would watch them. I did not know how Ralph could fight him. He barely had the strength to lift his sword. Robert fitz Comyn, on the other hand, swung the blade easily. He raised it and, with a roar, rushed in to hack at Ralph’s head. Ralph barely had time to block the blow but he did so and as the Scot’s sword bent a little I saw him grin. Ralph turned his head to me and winked. He winked.
As Robert fitz Comyn looked at his sword Ralph rammed his hand up under the mail shirt and he grabbed Robert fitz Comyn’s testicles. He ripped his hand away and held up a bloody and gory trophy. As the Scot screamed in pain, Ralph took his sword in two hands and hacked into the hamstrings of both legs. The Scot could not support himself and he tumbled to the ground. He began whimpering.
Ralph handed me my sword, “Thank you, William. I knew the sword of a true warrior would defeat anything this animal held. He will not die from these wounds. At least not for a while. I would have him suffer as I did. He has no honour. I will not give him the warrior’s death.”
He walked up to the Scot who was lying face down and he drew the man’s dagger.
“He will die slowly. As I thought I was going to die until my friends came for me.” He reached down and slashed both Achilles tendons. The Scot screamed. “He will beg soon as I begged for a warrior’s death.” He turned over Robert fitz Comyn, grabbed his tongue and cut it off. Blood poured. “I cannot hear him!”
“Stop this, lord! It is not seemly!”
I turned and saw Brother Peter. “Stay out of this priest.”
“Next he will try to pray as I prayed.” He slashed down, first on the right hand and then on the left. The fingers were severed. “No prayers then.” He stood. I knew that he had more punishment he wished to inflict. I had seen enough and was about to intervene when Brother Peter raised his sword and, in one blow, took the Scot’s head.
Ralph whirled and roared, “You have deprived me of my pleasure!”
Brother Peter made the sign of the cross and then, after sheathing his sword put his arm around Ralph, “Come my son. Let me heal these wounds and then we can repair your soul.”
As I looked at the bloody and butchered corpse of Robert fitz Comyn I wondered what we had begun.
Dick broke me from my reverie by shouting, “See to the animals and get some food. I do not think we will stay here o’er long.”
I turned to Alf, “Have the weapons taken from their dead and make sure that our captives are safe.” I saw that the warrior who had lost his arm and Angus were standing where Brother Peter had left them. I walked over to them. “Do you give your word that, if I let you go, you will go home?”
I saw both of their eyes flicker towards the dead. They nodded. Angus said, “My lord is dead. I will return to my father.”
The one-armed soldier said, “I too have a father. Perhaps a one-armed man might be of some aid to him. I can fight no more.”
“Then go.” I pointed to the gates and shouted, “These two may leave!”
I watched Gurth son of Garth wave acknowledgement. I headed into the hall. I saw now that it was very small. This had been thrown up in a hurry. It was really a large wooden tower. As I opened the door I saw that the horses were stabled in the bott
om and a ladder led to the first floor. I heard Brother Peter’s voice as I ascended. The first floor was where his warriors ate and slept. There were many hay filled sacks littering the floor and spare clothes and personal items. As there was another floor above I guessed that was where the lord ate and slept.
I saw Brother Peter cleaning Ralph’s eye. “I am sorry it took us so long to reach you, Ralph.”
A thin smile formed on his lips, “It was my own fault. Instead of doing as you asked me and go to either Anjou or Stockton I travelled across the Empire.” He sighed. “I did not think you would be heading home quite so soon and I wished to see the lands of the Frank before I died. Eventually, I found a ship in the Low Countries and travelled to London. I thought to speak with your father. There were no lodgings to be had for the king was about to be crowned. My ship had sailed and I took the first vessel I could find. It took me to the Tyne. I believed that if the war was over it would be safe. I was wrong.”
“I am sorry you were mistreated. It is my fault.”
“No, my young friend, it is the weird sisters. Just as they brought young Alf here to us so I was fated to lose an eye. I will live.” His one eye glanced at Brother Peter. “I will live, won’t I?”
“You are a strong warrior. You will live. I will make a patch until your eye socket has healed. I have applied a salve to speed the process. As for your other wounds… time is all that you need.”
“And we need to leave this night. I have the horses and men resting. I have no doubt that the knight of this castle will seek us. We will have to move and move quickly. We are fortunate that we captured so many horses. We will be able to ride faster. With luck, we can be south of the Wear by dawn.”
Brother Peter asked, “And the ones who survived?”
“You want to know if they shall live?” He nodded. “They will but I will ensure that they will not fight us again.”
“How, lord, I am curious?”
“They can swear to me or they will lose their right thumbs so that they cannot wield a sword against me.”
The body of fitz Comyn was left on display as the survivors were gathered. I had Brother Peter hold a Bible. “You have a choice: swear on this Bible never to take arms against England or lose your right thumb.”
The Welsh Marches (The Anarchy 1120-1180 Book 15) Page 7