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

by Hosker, Griff

  There were stone walls on both sides of the road. They were dry stone ones and were there to keep the sheep and cattle penned. They could also hide archers and peasants. It was why I had stopped so far from the castle. I waved my arm and men at arms dismounted and began to dismantle holes in the dry-stone walls to make gaps for us to enter. I had no intention of advancing on a narrow front. It had an immediate effect. I heard a horn sound from the castle. The gates opened and horsemen poured out. The reason became obvious as soon as Arne led my men at arms into the fields. “Lord, there are archers in the fields ahead!”

  Even as he shouted a ragged flurry of arrows fell. He and his men pulled up their shields. Despite their speed one horse was struck and threw Roger of Bath to the ground before heading away from the danger. Roger quickly rose and covered himself with his shield before racing back to the baggage train. Already our servants had begun to pull the carts and the horses into a defensive position. We had spare horses and Roger would soon be remounted.

  “Form line!” Our plans had been made the previous night. De Clare and Sir William took their men to the field on my right. I stayed on the road with my men at arms while de Mortimer, de Chaworth and their men were in the field closest to the woods. De Mortimer was the bait. His banner would be known and he would be seen as isolated an easier target.

  A second horn sounded and the archers moved back towards the castle and the protection of the horsemen. Having been seen they could be picked off by vengeful horsemen. Crudely armed Welsh also emerged from their places of concealment. They had been given clear orders for they formed themselves in two lines before the archers. The ones in the second rank held spears to protect the swordsmen in the front rank.

  I counted the banners as they emerged from the castle. There were fourteen knights. Behind them were another twenty horsed and mailed men. The mail was, largely, the old-fashioned type of plates sewn on to a jerkin. They had pot helmets, spears and a variety of shields. Their horse were not large ones as ours were. They were stocky horses. They would gallop all day and were perfect for the rock filled fields over which we would fight.

  James handed me my spear. My helmet hung from my cantle. “Will they charge us, lord?”

  “No. First, they will advance their archers and try to weaken us. You know what to sound when I give the command?”

  “Aye lord, I have not forgotten since you reminded me this morning. Two blasts.”

  “It is not that I do not trust you James but I cannot afford to repeat the order.”

  “I know, lord. Let us hope it works.”

  “If it does not then I will have to adapt will I not? I have not fought this Apfael ap Iago. Who knows, he may outwit me.”

  James laughed, “That I cannot see lord but we are outnumbered. We need more men.”

  “We always need more men but King Henry took the bulk of the army north. We will fight with what we have and trust to God.”

  Once the enemy horses were in place, I heard commands given. The line of men armed with spear and swords moved forward to within two hundred paces for us. The archers followed and I saw that ap Iago positioned his horsemen to the right of them. It was clever. He would have the slope to aid his charge and his archers would be able to rain death on us while they charged. The bulk of his men were facing de Mortimer, de Chaworth and myself. I glanced over to de Clare and Sir William. As I donned my helmet I nodded. They both returned my nod. My plans remained unchanged.

  As soon as the archers were within range they began to release arrows at us. I whipped my shield up. My men were expecting the arrows and our shields covered not only us but our horses’ heads. They struck my shield. When one bounced off I looked at it on the muddy grass. It was a hunting arrow! They could still kill and would certainly hurt a horse but they were not the mail piercing arrows my men used. I heard a whinny and a cry from my left as a horse was struck and one of de Mortimer’s men took an arrow in the leg.

  “Now James!”

  The horn sounded and my men turned their horses as though we were going to fall back. I slipped my shield around my back. Sir William and Sir Richard led their men away and then, after twenty paces turned them around and headed back towards the Welsh. We kept riding. The Welsh thought we fled and they poured after us. The ones closer to Sir William and Sir Richard were in for a rude shock.

  A Welsh horn sounded and their horsemen began to gallop to cut off de Mortimer. As soon as they did so I yelled, “Wheel right!” Expecting the order, the other two knight’s men and mine turned to charge the Welsh horse. It would have appeared suicidal but what ap Iago could not have foreseen was Rhodri leading my archers from the woods. Leaving my men on the right to roll up the archers and spearmen our three conroi would attack, uphill against the Welsh knights. It would be doomed to failure if Rhodri and his men could not decimate them before they reached us.

  The Welsh showed their lack of experience and discipline. They hurtled down towards us as individuals. My three bands of men formed one line with just our three banners in the second rank. We were, however, boot to boot. We also had bigger horses. I aimed Warrior at ap Iago and his banner. I could see what my foe could not. The horsemen at the rear of their lines were falling. Rhodri had half of his men sending arrows while the other half moved closer. It kept up a constant shower of arrows.

  The Welsh were closing rapidly with us now. Their line was even more ragged. Warrior was stronger than the other horses and I was just a head ahead of the others. Ap Iago saw that and he veered towards me. I saw the head of his spear as it wavered up and down. He would not be in a position to make clean strike. I had mine resting across my cantle and my horse’s neck. I would not underestimate the Welshman. I pulled my shield up to protect my left side.

  Judgement of time and space was vital in such situations. My speed was not as great as his and I had the luxury of being able to turn. He did not. We were approaching shield to shield. I pulled warrior to the left. Ap Iago’s wavering spear was aimed at Roger of Bath who was next to me. I thrust forward. Warrior’s gait meant that I did not hit where I aimed, his middle. Instead my spear went up towards his shoulder. I caught his spear and then the head penetrated the links in his mail. His speed and attempted turn drove the spear head into his flesh. Throwing his arms back he tumbled over the back of this horse,

  His mob of men at arms were following in an untidy line. One thrust his spear at me when I passed his horse’s head. It clattered into my shield and I barely kept my saddle. I shifted my position and then wheeled to the right. Ahead I could see Rhodri and my archers as they continued to send arrows into the mounted men. They were aiming and releasing selectively. It meant that we were in no danger and I needed to lead my men around and destroy these horsemen. De Clare and Sir William would be turning the enemy line of archers and spears but we needed to destroy the knights.

  The shield of a man at arms appeared before Warrior’s head as I turned. I thrust with my spear. The man at arms had been standing in his stirrups as he tried to spear one of de Mortimer’s men. Unbalanced he tumbled from his saddle. It was now a disorganized mass of men and horses. Our men were more disciplined and we did not have the problem of archers sending arrows into backs.

  A knight spurred his horse towards me. He was going slower than ap Iago had been and his spear was held steadily. The ground was now churned up and slippery from the recent rains and the hooves which had dug it up. It was harder to retain grip. I did not risk a sudden movement with Warrior. That could have ended in disaster. Instead I concentrated on making a clean strike. We both thrust at the same time. Victory is often the result of very narrow margins. I wore mail mitts. His spear head slid over the back of my right hand. Without the mitt, I would have had my hand scored and hurt. As it was I was able to raise my hand as the haft slid over it and, knocking the spear away had a better angle for my own strike which found the gap between cantle and shield. My spear head entered his right side. His movement tore the spear from my hand. I released th
e spear. We were almost stopped and I punched my shield at his left shoulder. Wounded, he fell from his horse and it allowed me to draw my own sword and look for my next enemy.

  I did not have to look far. A knight whirled his horse around and rode at me. A man at arms followed. I spurred Warrior to meet them. They had the advantage over me. Both still retained their spears and I had a sword. I aimed Warrior at the gap between them. It meant I would have the knight’s spear on my shield side. I counted on the man at arms being the inferior of the two. I had my sword levelled. Both spears were aimed at me. Suddenly the man at arms pitched over the back of his horse as he was struck by an arrow. In that instant, I began to turn Warrior as the knight’s spear struck my shield. The turn had angled my shield and the spear did not hit it head on. It glanced off the side. My turn brought me around the rear of the knight. Swinging my sword, I hacked into the knight’s mail. My sword came away bloody. He hurled his spear to the ground and drew his own sword. I swung again but the act of drawing his sword meant he blocked my blow but his sword was not true. It rang dully.

  “Yield for you are wounded!”

  “Norman! I fight for my land. If I have to die for it then so be it.”

  I stood in my stirrups and brought my sword down. He brought his sword and shield up to block the blow. I raised my sword and struck a second time. He did not think to strike out at me. He was defending himself. I punched at the side of his head and his shoulder with my shield. To help his balance he spread his arms. It was an invitation I could not refuse, I hacked at his chest with my sword. Not yet dulled by too many strokes it bit through to flesh. He rolled backwards over his saddle.

  I had time to look around. The Welsh knights and men at arms were in disarray. I was impressed that they had not fled. My archers, however, had closed to less than fifty paces. They could not miss. I turned and saw that James and my men at arms protected my rear. Even as I watched, Arne slew a man at arms. De Mortimer, de Chaworth and their men could handle the rest. Sir William and Richard de Clare had made the Welsh archers and spears form a defensive circle. Without archers, it would be hard to break. I raised my sword, “Arne, bring our men!”

  “Aye lord!”

  “Rhodri! Archers. With me!”

  “Aye lord.”

  We galloped across the body littered field. Riderless horses grazed next to dead, dying and wounded horsemen. I saw ap Iago lying at an awkward angle. My strike had not killed him; it had been the fall. The Welsh had been pushed back towards their castle. They knew they could not win alone against horsemen but they could hold their own. I saw that the Welsh archers had scored hits. Wounded men at arms were lying on the field. Two horses thrashed as they slowly bled to death close to the spearmen. Sir Richard and Sir William had done what I had asked. They had contained the Welsh foot. I now needed to destroy it.

  I reined in and shouted, “Surrender! I will offer terms! Your lord is dead and your horsemen are defeated. You cannot win!”

  One Welsh voice answered me, “We bowed once to the Norman standard. We will die as free men.”

  “Sir Richard, Sir William, form your men into a line.”

  Riding with our shields to protect us, we rode across the front of the Welsh line. Arrows descended from the sky but we were able to block them with our shields. I reined in next to the other two knights. The Welsh were running out of arrows. They were husbanding them for our attack. It had taken Rhodri and his men time to return for their horses and then gallop the nine hundred paces to our position. I saw that some archers had fallen but we still had enough. Tomas ap Tomas and his small band still supported de Mortimer and de Chaworth.

  “Have you enough arrows?”

  Rhodri slapped his saddle, “Unlike those poor bastards we carried spares on our horses. Do you want us to end this lord?”

  “Let me speak with them again.”

  “Aye lord. Lads, use the horses as shields! We have lost too many men today.”

  I took off my helmet, “Men of Tidfelly, I give you one more chance. I will unleash my archers unless you surrender now.”

  In answer three of the spear men turned, dropped their breeks and bared their backsides.

  Arne growled, “Well that is as clear a message as you can get. They have answered you lord. They would die.”

  It was sad but it was true. Without turning I said, “Rhodri!”

  “Draw! Release!” The arrows soared. As soon as the bow strings had thrummed the Welsh answered. Their hunting arrows hit saddles, they hit earth. Three struck horses which then bolted but none hit archers. From the back of my horse I saw Rhodri’s arrows plunge into flesh and gaps appeared. A second and third flight eliminated their archers. Some of their spearmen and swordsmen fell.

  The fourth flight began to thin the ranks of the spears and the swords. They could still have surrendered but they did not. They turned and they ran. Part of me did not want to slaughter them but I knew that if they made their castle then we would have to besiege them and I wanted this campaign over. “After them!”

  My men needed no urging. Sir William and Sir Richard had lost men and they were in a vengeful mood. My men and I had charged too many times. I would not risk my horses and so we watched as the Welsh were hunted like driven deer. Spears thrust and stabbed. Swords rose and fell. I thought that two or three might have reached the gates which stayed open until the last handful were cut down. The gates slammed shut but no arrows were sent towards our men. They had emptied the castle of its garrison. The castle had the local watch.

  We had won.

  There were survivors. Some of the knights and men at arms yielded. There were wounded who were tended to by my priest but the dead filled the fields before Tidfelly. I rode to the gate. I took off my helmet and I went with de Mortimer, de Chaworth, James and Rhodri.

  “I am the Earl Marshal of England and I demand the surrender of the castle.”

  A woman answered me, “I am Nesta, wife of Apfael Iago. When my husband tells me to surrender then I will!”

  It was a brave statement and to be expected. I put my hand out and James handed me the seal of ap Iago. “Here is his seal, taken from his body. Your husband is dead.”

  She stared defiantly at me. She glanced at the two ancient warriors who flanked her. Then she turned, “Do your worst. Others have tried to take this castle and failed.”

  “Lady, I admire your courage but we have archers here who can make fire arrows. Your castle and your buildings are made of wood. I can make a bridge over your ditch and we have men with axes who can hew your gate to kindling.”

  “Then do not talk! Just do it!”

  “The consequences for you and those within would be dire, lady. Would you want your people enslaved and taken to England? Would you want your men to lose their arrow fingers? Yield and all shall live. If there is ransom for you then you would go free. Your King asked you to hold here. He will redeem you. My Lord Mortimer will rule this valley and he is just.”

  I saw the internal debate and then, after her soul had been searched she nodded and said, “Open the gates and let the barbarians enter!”

  Arne sniffed, “Cheek!”

  The bridge was lowered. It had been crudely made. My horse clattered across. I had seen few weapons on the fighting platform and I saw even fewer as we entered the lower bailey. Apfael ap Iago had obviously taken every warrior he had to fight me. He must have been confident that he could defeat us. He had been wrong! I reined in as the Lady Nesta descended the stairs. I saw that she was not young. She glared at me as though she was a Gorgon and could turn me to stone.

  I dismounted and said, “You made the right decision, my lady. Men who take a castle often forget that they are men. They can behave like animals in the field. I have seen it and it is not pretty.”

  “Why could you Normans not leave us alone? This is our land!”

  “It was your land and King Henry Rhodri lost it. Now lead me to the hall. I have much to do and little time in which to do it.” I did n
ot like being so brusque but I had no choice. I turned to Arne, “Have our dead brought within the castle and find the body of Lord Iago. Fetch him too.”

  “The others?”

  Leave them until the morrow. It is getting late and I would have the hurts of our men seen to. I intend to return to Hereford and Gloucester as soon as The Lord Mortimer can be left to rule this valley.”

  The castle had not been finished well. The wall and gate to the inner bailey had not been finished off. I waved de Mortimer forward.

  “It is little wonder that this castle as taken. Why were the defences unfinished?”

  He shook his head, “I know, lord. My father had finer estates closer to the sea. The hunting is poor and the climate damp.”

  “If you do not wish to live here then appoint a lord who will make it strong. The other two castles have been emptied. We can take those too but you need three lords from your retinue. Do you have them?” He hesitated. It was a sure sign that he did not. “If you do not then I will suggest to the King that he gives your land to another lord.”

  He stopped and turned, “You cannot do that lord! We are Marcher lords. We have the right to rule!”

  “And when you asked King Henry for help you abdicated those rights. You now rule under King Henry.” I held his gaze and he nodded. “We will speak later.”

  I had much to do. I first sought the treasury. Apfael ap Iago had collected taxes. They were the King’s. Once that was secured I sent Sir William to ride to the valley to the east and take the castle that was there. De Chaworth went with him. Richard de Clare would take possession of the one to the west. He would stay there and garrison it with some men before heading to his own lands further west. Now that ap Iago had been defeated then we had retaken the most vital of the marcher lands. We still held the coast and de Clare’s family had not lost a single castle.

  Nesta ap Iago had retired to her rooms. Her cooperation was over. I found one of the wounded men at arms and gave him a message for King Maredudd. “I want the King to send ransom for Nesta ap Iago to Gloucester. Five hundred pieces of silver.”