The Welsh Marches (The Anarchy 1120-1180 Book 15)

by Hosker, Griff

  “No more than forty, lord. We caught up with those on lame horses. We slew some and the rest are there, prisoners.” I looked over and saw six disconsolate knights and four squires.

  “Have the fishing boats drawn up on the beach and guarded. I want none escaping that way.”

  “Aye, lord.”

  De Clare came over with Walther de Clifford. “We almost have victory, lord. They have many banners within the castle but I see few men at arms and archers. We passed the bodies of their dead bowmen when we crossed the field. Our men won that battle.”

  I turned to de Clifford, “Tell me, Lord Clifford, how many archers did you have in your castle when it was taken?”

  He shifted uncomfortably, “I only had ten. I prefer crossbows.”

  I stared at him. “Then perhaps that is why you lost such a fine castle and why we now have to fight to win it back for you. When we reclaim it, I will watch to make sure that you are better defended.”

  He reddened, “I am an earl and I do not answer to you!”

  “The King has made me his second in command. He will not be happy that you were so careless in your defence. If I choose to give the castle to another then the King will support me.” I was not certain that he would but de Clifford did not know that.

  He became less belligerent. “I am sorry lord. I will do better.”

  “Tell me of the defences.”

  “There is a sally port at the other end of the castle. I have sent men there to watch it already,” he added quickly.

  “Good.”

  “There is a ditch and drawbridge. It is good stone and the keep is hard to take.”

  “Yet the Welsh managed it.” This time he did not argue. “Come the two of you. We will ride around the side of the castle.” The Wye bordered one side leaving just the steep slope and the high walls for us to assault. My heart sank as we rode around the walls. A direct assault was out of the question, we would have to besiege them. With winter coming that might not take long but I was anxious to take as much back from the Welsh before winter set in.

  By the time we returned to the main gate the rest of our army had arrived. They were in an exuberant mood. We had trounced an army far bigger than our own. Admittedly the men we fought had not been the best equipped of foes but there had been enough booty to satisfy the lords. With de Braose camped outside Monmouth it would only be a matter of time before that castle fell.

  I stayed on my horse, I would dismount and allow him to rest when I had spoken to my men. We were four hundred paces from the gate at Striguil. It was not just the lords who gathered around but the men at arms too. The archers would be the last to arrive for they would be escorting the baggage train. I spoke loudly. I spoke so that my words would be carried to the gate. I did not know if King Maredudd would be there but I suspected that he would. My words were intended for both audiences.

  “Warriors of England, we have had a great victory this day. This is just the beginning. We have the King of this land bound within his stolen castle. We will not shift until he is gone.”

  They cheered.

  “We will put a ring of steel around this castle and, beginning tomorrow, we will ride abroad to seek the food, animals and slaves which the Welsh think are safe. They are not. We will be rich men and well fed, I’ll be bound.”

  The cheer was even louder.

  “Lords, choose your own camps but I want a close watch around this camp and the river. None sail to the castle without my leave.”

  As they moved away I turned to James, “Have the horses and bodies of the knights we slew brought up. Tell my men at arms bring them.”

  “What do you plan, lord?” He looked apologetically at me, “I ask only that I may learn. I know there is a strategy in your head but I cannot fathom it.”

  I smiled and waved him closer. He was a clever youth but his father had not taught him the games of strategy when he was young. It sharpened the mind and allowed a warrior to think of new ways of winning. “I will offer the bodies back to the King. It saves us having to bury them and it will be seen as a noble gesture. It also shows that his most vocal knight is dead. If the King refuses to accept the bodies then his knights will think less of him. He is young and lacks confidence. When you add the men camped around him it will eat into his confidence. Burying the knights will be a reminder that he lost the battle. My archers will arrive and I intend to array them around the gate. I will then speak with the King. By then I hope that his resolve will be weakened. Tonight, we will feast on the animals which my men have taken. The smell of their own beasts being cooked will add to their hunger pangs.”

  “Thank you, lord, I am learning.”

  There were seven horses with their dead riders covered by their cloaks. I turned, “Take off your helmets and keep your hands from your weapons.”

  We rode towards the castle. I heard trumpets sound and men rushed to the gatehouse. Crossbows and bows were levelled at us. I stopped by the drawbridge. It had been raised and this ditch was substantial. It had been built by Fitz Osbern and not de Clifford. I waited.

  King Maredudd appeared. He was not wearing his helmet and I saw this his face had been cut. “Earl Marshal, I did not think that a warrior with your reputation would come to gloat.”

  “I do not, your majesty. We fought these knights on the way here. It is Llewellyn ap Cynan, his brother and five other knights. They fought well and I did not think to despoil their bodies. I have returned them to you.”

  “I apologise, Earl Marshal for thinking badly of you. Leave them there and withdraw to your lines.” He gave an apologetic smile, “You understand.”

  “Of course.” I turned to my men and said, “Lay the bodies on the ground and then return to our camp.” As they did so I looked up at the young King. “The horses we will keep. They are not as good as our own but then you may need them for food before this siege is over and I would that it ended sooner rather than later.” I turned and followed my men and the horses back to our camp.

  The King was cautious and we were five hundred paces away before the gate opened and men rushed to take in the bodies. Their interment would add to the demoralising effect of my visit.

  The archers and the baggage arrived just after dark. We had already prepared a defensive camp for them. With a ditch and stakes we would guard our horses and baggage. We had just begun the campaign.

  That night I sat with my knights. “Beginning tomorrow we will send out two conroi each day. I want them to go in different directions. Tomorrow it will be de Clifford and William of Liedeberge. Your task, my lords, is to make sure there are no warriors close by. You will evict any Welsh people that you find and bring them here. You will confiscate any goods or animals. The next day we send out two more lords. If we find serious opposition then we stop but I do not think we will. I do not intend to waste our time here. The rest of us will probe for weaknesses. We will use our archers but I want every knight and man at arms to be close behind our archers. I want everyone behind their shield. We are threatening to attack. When de Braose comes from Monmouth we will pretend to make a ram. That should do the trick.”

  De Clifford knew the land close by and I left him to brief the other knights. Since our little confrontation he had gone out of his way to be both pleasant and helpful. Until he had his castle back I suspect it would continue. I sought out Rhodri, “How many archers did we lose?”

  “Too many lord, but the ones we have left have learned to obey me.” I noticed that his knuckles were scraped. He had had to impose his authority.

  “Are we well supplied with arrows?”

  “Aye lord. The Welsh have good arrows and good bows. We took the arrows from the dead archers and found a great quantity in their camp at Monmouth. With the ones we already have we are well endowed.”

  “I want your archer with me tomorrow. We will use the pavises again. I want you to pick off men from the walls. I do not want a shower of arrows. I want them to see our skill.”

  “It will take a
long time to clear their walls lord.”

  “I wish it to be as a drip of water which, over time, makes a hole. I want none of our archers to suffer but I want their crossbowmen and archers to pay with their lives. They have fewer of them now.”

  “Aye lord.” He added, “We took coin from the dead archers and those on the battlefield.”

  “That is good. It is yours to keep. Thank you for telling me.”

  I was awoken in the middle of the night by Arne Arneson, “Lord the watch found two men trying to escape from the castle. They used a rope to climb down towards the river. One tried to flee and was killed the other fell and broke his leg. We have him.”

  I went with my man at arms. The prisoner would be lame for the rest of his life. A priest was tending to him but I could see both bones jutting from his leg, just above the ankle. He was a young man. I guessed him to be a squire. Rhodri was close by. I knew that he would have been summoned by Arne in case the man did not speak Norman. His clothes identified him as a gentleman rather than a man at arms.

  “Your companion is dead.”

  He nodded and spoke through gritted teeth as the priest applied a splint, “I know lord. He was my cousin, Iago.”

  “Your leg is broken and you will be in pain for some time. Would you like some wine to ease the pain.”

  He glared at me, “And to loosen my tongue. I am not a fool. You will learn nothing from me.”

  “And we need to know nothing. The two of you were going for help. The King asked for volunteers and you and your cousin agreed to go.” I took a guess. “We brought back your father’s body today.”

  His face showed his surprise at the accuracy of my words, “It was my uncle and brother but how did you know?”

  “A guess, nothing more. What is your name that I may tell the King tomorrow? They should know that you are alive.”

  I saw him chew his lip as though debating if the information constituted a treasonous act.

  I made it easy for him, “I will just tell him that Iago is dead but his cousin has a broken leg. Take care of him priest. He is brave.”

  “It is Gruffyd, Gruffyd ap Llewelyn.”

  “Thank you.”

  As I walked back to my bed Arne said, “You could have pressed him lord. His leg was injured. He would have told us all. Where are the men he sought?”

  “Do you really need to torture a brave young man? Besides, Arne, it is obvious, is it not?” From the blank expressions on their faces it was obvious that it was not. “They went to the river. Upstream is England. Downstream is the fishing port and boats. They would sail around the coast to the heartland of King Maredudd. There are Norman castles along the coast but inland it is still held by the Welsh. That is why the boats are drawn up on the beach and guarded. My plan is still viable.”

  The next day I sent James, alone and bareheaded to tell the King the news of his foiled plan. When he returned I asked, “How did he react?”

  “His shoulders slumped and he thanked you for your kindness.”

  “Then we begin our attack today.”

  After speaking with Sir William and Walther de Clifford I went to gather the men to attack the castle. As the two conroi headed off I wondered what the defenders would make of that. Mailed and mounted on Skuld I rode, with James and my banner, to a little beyond bow range. I had no doubt that Maredudd had archers who could reach me but not many of them. I gambled on the fact that I could avoid a single arrow. My shield was ready in any case.

  Rhodri brought my archers with the freshly made shields. I saw him cast a professional eye along their defences. “They have just five crossbows.” He pointed to the slits in the walls. “They will be hard to shift. It takes a lucky arrow to hit through a crossbow slit.”

  “If there are only five then we can ignore them, for the moment.”

  “He has twenty-five archers on these walls.” He rubbed his chin. “They must be all of the ones he has left. The other wall is by the river and there is no threat there. There are eight at the gatehouse.”

  “Then clear those first.”

  “Aye lord.”

  He was careful and he and his men first placed the huge shields in position. Bolts and arrows thudded into them but they were carried by archers and they knew how to minimise a target. The narrow frontage actually helped us. Next, he and the archers moved forward. They used their bucklers to protect themselves as they ran the forty paces to their willow shields. Arrows struck shields but none were hurt. I raised my sword. My knights had been waiting and they rushed forward. I heard trumpets from the battlements and men ran to their positions. My knights and men at arms presented a double line behind the archers.

  “When you are ready, Captain of Archers.”

  “Aye Earl Marshal.” He took his own bow with the perfect arrow he had selected. Every archer did this. The first arrow was always their best. It would be sent when their strength was undiminished by the drawing of the bow. It helped them to gauge the range.

  “Draw!”

  There was a collective creak as the arrows were drawn back. Unlike a normal battle Rhodri had identified his targets. He had been down his line and assigned specific targets to specific pairs of archers. Two arrows aimed at one target had the best chance of success. Of course, after the first two flights it would not be as easy for they would know we were targeting their archers.

  “Release!”

  Not all the arrows went at the same time. There was an elongated thrum sound as the arrows headed to their target. Arrows and bolts thudded into the willow shields. Two of Rhodri’s archers fell clutching their shoulders. The Welsh showed that they had skill.

  I peered at the walls. I knew where the archers were. I saw those on the gatehouse all fall. I am not certain that they were all dead but a wounded archer could not draw a bow. It was enough. Three archers on the battlements also fell.

  “Draw!”

  “Release!”

  The second flight cleared the archers from the gatehouse and another two fell from the battlements. The Welsh had, by now, realised what we were doing and men at arms raced to shield their remaining archers.

  “Second targets!”

  “Draw!”

  “Release!”

  We caught them out again. Men at arms and knights fell as they tried to protect archers and were, in turn, hit. They took cover and the only missiles which headed our way were crossbow bolts. It took time to load the infernal machine and the five bolts seemed to keep time for us. Rhodri and his archers sent five arrows at the walls for every bolt that hit their shields. Some of Rhodri’s men, the more powerful ones, were now sending arrows into the town.

  After a large number of flights Rhodri nodded. His men were tiring. Half of them suddenly picked up the willow shields and moved them forty paces closer. The archers all ran to take shelter behind them again. It was so sudden that not even the crossbows managed to send a bolt in their direction. Instead of releasing more arrows the archers took shelter as the men at arms and knights moved closer too. The Welsh wasted bolts and arrows as the wall of shields closed with the castle. At noon, I had beer and food brought to the archers and men at arms. We had plenty of both. In the afternoon Rhodri and his men, now rested, each sent another twenty flights of arrows in to the castle. It was hard to see the effect but Rhodri and his men were convinced that they had hit defenders.

  We ended the attack when we spied the return of our two raiding parties. They had cattle and slaves with them. Leaving some men at arms to guard the willow shields we retreated back to our camp.

  That evening I discovered that there were no castles close by which were held by the Welsh. Their strongholds were in the mountains to the north of Caerdyf. Eventually knights would come to the aid of their King but that would take time. We ate well that night. I was about to turn in when a rider galloped into our camp. He threw himself from his saddle, “Earl Marshal, Lord de Braose has captured Monmouth. We set fire to their walls and they surrendered. We have fifty prisoners
including six knights.”

  “Tell your lord well done from me. Have him send the prisoners here. I want them to arrive before dawn.”

  “Aye lord.” I knew that my command would not go down well but I needed the sound of men marching into our camp while it was dark. King Maredudd would have no idea who it was and that would add to his worry. I intended displaying the prisoners and then asking him to surrender again.

  I was awoken by the sound of horses and complaining men marching. I rose and James rushed to my side. “Time to dress, James. Today we may end the first part of the campaign.”

  “But how lord?” He handed me some small beer.

  “If we can punish Maredudd and hold the men who would fight for him then we can retake the remainder of the Marches. When King Henry defeats the men of the north then we can consolidate this land and, finally, head north to the valley and claim back our Scottish lands.”

  “And this just from the sound of marching feet?”

  “I have been in a castle which was under siege, Oxford. Each morning we awoke thinking that we would be assaulted and wondering how we would resist it. Nature came to our aid that time. I know what Maredudd is thinking. This is his first siege. He has seen my men bring back captives and animals. He is trapped inside a castle and can do nothing. They do not have enough food to withstand along siege. He will give up the castle for it is not part of his kingdom. It was stolen. We will not solve the problem of Deheubarth but we will set his ambitions back a little.”

  My archers and men at arms were in position just after dawn. I had the captives from Monmouth paraded so that their King could see that he had lost his castle. With de Clifford and James, I rode, bare headed towards the castle. I sat and looked at the gatehouse. Angry eyes stared back at me. There were warriors there who wished to end my life. I kept a stoic face. King Maredudd was having his own dilemma and debate.

  I shouted, “I wish to speak with the King.”

  Eventually King Maredudd appeared. He looked to have aged. I felt sorry for him. Had he not listened to Llewelyn ap Cynan he might have had more men and not been in this position.