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

by Hosker, Griff

  He nodded. Grateful that he would not be held as a prisoner, “Aye lord.”

  We gave him a horse and he left. De Mortimer asked, “Will he not just run?”

  “He is a man at arms and he will seek a lord. Where else can he go? This way he finds a sponsor in King Maredudd. He will do as I asked. I will take the Lady Nesta with me to Gloucester. I fear that she would be the piece of grit which hides in your mail. Better that you do not have her carping on at you. Besides it will make the others less likely to cause trouble.”

  It was late in the night by the time I had finished. There had been much to do. I had spoken to de Mortimer of the piece of grit and I had one. Mine was in my head. There was something irritating me and gnawing at me but I did not know what it was. The result was that I slept little and was awake, if I ever slept, before most of the castle was up. I ate first and was ready to begin work. We cleared the battlefield of the dead. I had those who lived in the valley dig the graves and they were buried by priests. I wanted no one digging up our dead! I divided the captured horses, mail and weapons with de Mortimer. He would need that for his men. He had sent to his other estates by the coast for men and knights. He had heeded my word.

  Late in the morning riders arrived from Sir William and Richard de Clare. They had taken their castles without opposition. They awaited relief so that they could go home as I had promised. It took three days for the column of knights from Caerdyf to reach us. There were eight knights with the column. I was relieved. Two were older knights and de Mortimer could use those to rule this valley. We had seen, as we rode up that it had little to offer in terms of farming but who knew what lay beneath those mountains? The important thing was that de Mortimer now had control of the people in the valleys. That would make the richer land closer to the coast safer.

  I left with my archers and men at arms. The Lady Nesta had servants and baggage. We would not be travelling as swiftly as we would have liked. Tomas ap Tomas and his men came with us. Rhodri gave them horses and we equipped then with equipment from the dead Welsh. The leather and metal jerkins from the men at arms were perfect and we chose the better swords, shields and helmets to equip them as the rest of my archers. They looked like real warriors as we headed south rather than the rag tag brigands we had first encountered.

  I flanked Lady Nesta. James rode on the other side of her. She gave me a sideways look, “I am surprised at your taking these traitors, lord. You strike me as a careful man. They have betrayed once. They might do so again.”

  I kept looking ahead, “Then you clearly do not know their story, lady. They betrayed no one. If anyone was guilty of betrayal it was your husband.”

  “How dare you speak ill of the dead!”

  I turned and stared at her, “These men you call traitors lived high up in your valley. Your husband came to take their women. You knew your husband better than I did. You know if he did that for his men or his own carnal lust.” She flushed and I knew that my arrow had struck home. “Clearly you lived apart from your people or you would have known what was going on.”

  “I am a lady. It is not my duty to have to deal with such matters.”

  I shook my head. The Empress, the Countess of Chester, Queen Eleanor, these were ladies who knew their duty and did it. They would not have sat idly by while their husband abused their people. “When you were granted the title with it came responsibilities. Think on that, lady.”

  We rode hard for, whilst it was not wet, it was cold. A wind came from the north east. That was normally a dry wind but a cold one. We made the castle of de Clifford before dark. We were weary but we were afforded a fine welcome. Sir William had reached there before me and he told me of his journey.

  “There were few men in the castle and they soon surrendered. We found but one chest of taxes. Perhaps the others were hidden, I know not.”

  “Then keep that chest for your share. You have served King Henry well. I give you Liedeberge for your own. I do not release you from your oath of fealty to me and I command you to ensure that your manor and the valley in which you live is well protected.”

  “Aye lord. I am ever your man. I owe what I have to you and to you alone.”

  “No, William, you are a brave knight and all that I did was to help you along the way.”

  I felt safer the next day, as we headed towards Hereford. We passed Monmouth and I was pleased to see that the defences were being improved, despite the weather. After speaking with the castellan there we continued along the Wye towards Hereford. William and his men did not follow along with us for they needed three of their horses shoeing. They would follow when they had been shoed. Despite the fact that we were in friendly territory I still kept my archers in a screen ahead of us. We had a lady and treasure with us. I was vindicated for my caution when Robert of Sheffield came galloping in.

  “Lord there are men being attacked. They bear the banner of Hereford.”

  I turned, “Wilfred and Brian! Take the ladies and guard them with the baggage!”

  My two servants galloped up, “Aye, lord. Come ladies.” Without waiting they took the reins of their horses and led the women back to the baggage.

  “Who attacks them? Bandits and brigands?” There were many forests close by.

  “No lord. I think they are the remnants of the Welsh who were here. Many had mail.”

  That made sense. We had moved across the land so quickly that we had not had time to ensure that all the insurgents and warriors were accounted for. Had the King been with us then we would have had more men and might have policed the land more effectively. There was little to be gained from dwelling on what might have been. I drew my sword and swung my shield around, “Come let us go to the aid of the men of Hereford.”

  Walther de Hereford was the High Sherriff and he was the son of Miles of Gloucester, an old friend and a loyal supporter of the Empress. I had asked him to scour the land of the enemy. This was my responsibility. If his men were being attacked then it was incumbent upon me to do something about it.

  Rhodri rode ahead of us with Robert of Sheffield. We heard the sound of battle as we closed with the trees. Rhodri slowed down and turned to look at me. We had eleven archers and there were just eight of us who had sword and shield. Rhodri knew, as well as I did that we would have to use cunning rather than brute force. We were attacking men who knew the land better than we did.

  “Rhodri, split the men and outflank the enemy. Use your arrows wisely.”

  “Aye lord. And, lord?”

  “Yes Rhodri?”

  “Be careful, I look forward to seeing this valley of the Tees.”

  “Do not fear. I do not feel death at my shoulder yet.” As my archers were sent left and right by Rhodri I turned, “Arne, next to me. James, ride at the rear with Harry Lightfoot. Perhaps they may think there are more of us than there are!”

  “Aye lord.”

  Spurring Warrior, I headed down the road towards the sound of battle. I saw the Sherriff’s standard. There was a rough shield wall and the beleaguered men of Hereford were being attacked by the remnants of the Welsh we had defeated at Monmouth and Striguil. The horses of the men of Hereford were tethered behind them. The men had their backs to the trees but were assailed on three sides by Welshmen. There were over forty men attacking the fifteen men I saw still standing. Even as I watched the squire holding the standard was hacked down by a man at arms with an axe.

  “Charge! For King Henry!”

  Roger of Bath and James of Tewkesbury rode next to Arne and me. We were not boot to boot. We had no need. We were not fighting horsemen. Had we had time I would have had spears brought up but we would have to use swords.

  My shout brought some respite for the defenders. The Welsh turned as we approached I leaned forward and swept my sword at the Welsh archer who had turned his weapon towards me. My sword split his elm bow in two before hacking across his chest. He was cut so deeply that I could see his ribs. I reined in Warrior and then, standing in my stirrups made him rear.
His mighty hooves clattered into two men as Rhodri and his archers began to send arrows into them.

  We did not have enough men to be chivalrous. We were fighting deserters who would do anything to win. They wanted our horses and our mail. I brought my sword down and split the skull and spine of an archer who was aiming at one of the men of Hereford. Arne and my men at arms were laying about them as though their lives depended upon it. I heard a shout from behind me, “My lord!”

  As I turned Warrior’s head I saw a man at arms with an axe. He was about to hack into the hindquarters of my horse. I watched as James rammed the pointed end of my standard into his back. James was a strong squire and the broad head erupted through the mail at the front. Waving my sword in acknowledgment I spurred Warrior and sliced into the side of a man at arms who had leapt on to the back of Harry Lightfoot’s horse and was attempting to cut Harry’s throat. With blood spraying from deep inside him the Welshman tumbled to the ground. Rhodri had led his archers closer. At ten paces distance, every arrow caused a mortal wound. We had no time for prisoners for within a few sword strokes and flights of arrows it was all over.

  I shouted, “Arne, see to the wounded and despatch the enemy who are beyond help.”

  I dismounted and went to the twelve men at arms who remained around the fallen standard of Hereford. I saw the body of Walther of Hereford. He had been hacked and sliced. His death had not been a swift one. His squire lay dead but his fingers still grasped the standard. I recognised one of the men at arms. I had fought alongside him and Miles of Gloucester at Wallingford.

  “Richard, what happened?”

  “The Sherriff heard of a band of brigands who had murdered some folk who lived close to the village of Ross. We came to bring them to book. We were ambushed and discovered that they were not brigands but warriors from the Welsh army you defeated. We slew many but they outnumbered us.” He shook his head, “We should have mounted our horses and run. Our lord refused to flee. The Sherriff was, truly, his father’s son. He believed in doing what was right.”

  “Come, we will head back to Hereford. Put your dead on the horses. Have your men take the mail and the weapons from the dead. We can send men out to burn them. I will not waste time on carrion. We have a lady to escort to Hereford.”

  Sir William and his men caught up with us just as we had loaded the last body onto the saddle. “I am sorry lord! I was tardy.”

  “No Sir William. It was the hand of God.”

  We reached Hereford with heavy hearts. Walther de Hereford had neither wife nor child. He was the last of Miles of Gloucester’s line. I was even more grateful than ever that I had at least one grandson. The death of the Sherriff upset my plans to return to Gloucester. Until Henry returned from the north I was in command and I needed to do just that. Hereford was a border town and we needed a strong Sherriff. While arrangements were made for the burial of the Hereford dead I sat with the Bishop of Hereford. Gilbert Foliot was a good man but he had fallen foul of the King by swearing fealty to King Stephen. I understood why he had done so. He was not a warrior and he had done nothing to oppose either the Empress or Henry.

  “We need a strong knight, lord. As the Sherriff discovered we are too close to Wales.”

  “Are there any lords close by?”

  He smiled, “I would have thought that you would have known that, Earl Marshal. You were the one who led them to recover our lands.”

  I smiled. He was a monk and not a politician but I liked his honesty, “You are right, Bishop. I can think of only one choice yet others may say I am showing favouritism. I would appoint William of Liedeberge.”

  Shaking his head, he said, “It would only be your enemies, Earl Marshal, and they would say that of any appointment. As for me I think that he is perfect, save that he has no bride. He is well known to be a pious and honourable knight. He served the Sherriff well. I would concur with your decision.”

  “I will sleep on it and we will speak again on the morrow.”

  He put a hand on mine, “You have taken much responsibility upon your shoulders. I hope that the King appreciates what you have done. Walther de Hereford always spoke highly of you. He said that there were times during the war when you were the only one to oppose King Stephen.” He shrugged, “I know I offended the King by swearing an oath of loyalty but you must remember, lord, that we were directed to do so by Pope Eugene and Archbishop Henry.”

  “Thank you, Bishop, but my lot is to serve the Empress and her son. I do not mind the responsibility.”

  That evening I ate with the Bishop and Sir William. I confess that I had not thought of Sir William’s marital state but now that it was in my head I could not rid myself of the questions which accompanied that. I decided to take an oblique approach.

  “You have much gold now, William. Have you plans for it?”

  He smiled, “Now that you have given me the manor of Liedeberge for my own I can.” He smiled. “The hall was adequate for myself and my squire. My needs are not great. With the war, it did not seem right to make plans but now that the war is over and the border safe I can think of making my home bigger for I would have a family.”

  The Bishop wagged an admonishing finger, “First, you need a wife, lord! I would not have you as some young men do and spread your seed where you will! God says that a man ought to marry.”

  “And I have every intention of marrying, Bishop. I could not think of a marriage until now but there is a lady.”

  The Bishop leaned forward, “Who?”

  “Margaret D’Oyly, the niece of Brian Fitz Court. I got to know here during the siege of Wallingford. We have an understanding. Since her uncle died and her aunt entered a nunnery she has been acting as a lady in waiting to Sibyl de Neufmarché, the Countess of Hereford.”

  I smiled, “Then all is well.” I looked at the Bishop who nodded.

  Sir William looked confused, “My lord what is going on? What do I not know?”

  “Nothing untoward, William. We will speak with you in the morning after the Bishop has held services.”

  I slept well. We had come through a difficult time. I had wondered if we had taken too much on by retaking Wales. I saw now that God had a plan and I had played a small part in it. I was happy to leave Hereford in the hands of Sir William. It was good that he was marrying a lady who had fallen on hard times. When I awoke, I was refreshed.

  Sir William was eager to return to his manor and I saw him shifting uneasily from foot to foot as he awaited us. “Lord?”

  “Come Sir William. I need the Bishop.”

  “I am anxious to return home. Winter is coming and I need my men to begin work on the hall.”

  “Your coin is burning a hole in your purse. I understand.”

  The Bishop entered. “I am sorry, Earl Marshal. I had many requests after I had finished the service.”

  “It is no matter. Let us get to it directly. Sir William Beauchamp of Liedeberge, would you accept the position of High Sherriff of Hereford. I need someone who is as loyal as Sir Walther and who can defend this land.”

  He looked stunned. “But, I have no connections, Earl Marshal. I am just a lowly knight with a small manor.”

  “You retain your manor but the castle here is yours and you will be expected to defend it. The Bishop will be here to advise you for when I have spoken with the King I intend to head home for Christmas.”

  “Then I accept lord and gladly!”

  The Bishop warned, “But you must be married first!”

  “Of course.”

  After he was sworn in he hurried to the home of the Countess of Hereford. As Margaret D’Oyly was the ward of the Countess, then her permission had to be obtained. It delayed my departure by half a day. Leaving Hereford in safe hands and leaving Nesta, wife of ap Iago there too, I headed for Gloucester. I would send riders to King Henry and ask permission to ride home. I had done all that had been asked of me.

  Gloucester had an air of prosperity once more. As we rode through the gates I saw many pe
ople coming for the market. The civil war and then the Welsh raids had made people wary of travel. Now that I had made the border safe then the people of the Severn Valley could engage in commerce once more.

  As Earl Marshal, I was accommodated in the Sherriff’s castle. There was no Sherriff and Sir William Beauchamp would have to be Sherriff for both Hereford and Gloucester until the King could appoint another. Thus, I had the Sherriff’s quarters which were well apportioned. I dealt with the day to day problems which had arisen since my departure and then I told James and Arne to prepare to leave for home. I was just penning a letter to the King when there was a knock on the door. I looked up and saw that it was Richard le Breton, a young knight who had been in the service of William Fitz Empress. He had come to England and was serving as one of Henry’s knights. His face was spattered in blood.

  “What is wrong, Sir Richard?”

  “The King has been routed at Ewloe in Flintshire. He barely escaped with his life. He sent me for you, lord! He needs his Earl Marshal at his side!”

  I was fated not to return home for Christmas. Gathering my men and all that could be spared from Gloucester’s garrison I headed north. My work was not yet done.

  Chapter 20

  We headed north. Using our spare horses, we made all speed for Chester. Richard le Breton told us of the disastrous ambush which had resulted in the King almost losing his life. I had many questions to ask but the young knight was not the one to answer them. I would have to ask the King.

  I turned to Rhodri, “You came from this area did you not?”

  “Aye, lord.” He said no more.

  I waved the others further back. “Come, I need to know your story.”

  He sighed, “I am sorry lord, I should have told you but each time I utter the words it brings back the pain.”

  “For that, I am sorry. But….”

  He nodded, “I had a small farm. I was in the retinue of a knight from Twthill. Cynan ap Madog was his name. He was close to the prince. Prince Owain is now King. I had a pretty young wife.” He hesitated and I saw him suck in air as though he was having difficulty breathing. “I was sent, with other archers to scour the forests along the Clwyd of bandits. When I returned home, six days later, my wife was dead. She had refused the advances of the lord. He had had her executed for laying hands on him. He thought to appease me with coin. That night I slipped into his chambers and slit his throat. I have not been back since. I am Welsh lord but I will never fight for that lord.”