by Griff Hosker
“Then why did you not seek help?”
He spread his arms, “From whom? He was the King’s appointment! It is the poor people who have suffered the most. We helped those that we could but when Sir Hugh discovered two girls being sheltered by two of our friars he had them both whipped. After that we needed to be circumspect.” He left much unsaid but the look in his eyes left me in no doubt about the baron’s predilections.
The situation was getting worse the closer we got to Skipton. I left the bulk of the men there but I sent Mordaf and Gruffyd to the river to see if they could get into the cave. Both were agile and resourceful. I took Ridley the Giant with me as well as Henry Youngblood and ten of my biggest men at arms. Sir Ralph was the only knight I took. He brought ten of his own men too. It was enough to show we meant business without threatening the baron too much. The rest we left at the abbey. They would be just six miles away.
I had no doubt that the presence of such a large number of armed men would have been brought to the attention of the baron. As we passed through the village I saw doors were slammed shut as we approached. They were afraid. The gates to the castle were barred. It was as I remembered it. There was an imposing barbican and the castle rose high above it. Archers could make life difficult from both the keep and the gatehouse. William held my banner. It was well known. We halted beyond the range of bows and we waited. I knew we had been seen for men scurried away and then more men appeared along the wall and on the fighting platform of the double turreted gatehouse.
Neither of us had ever met Sir Hugh. When I saw him I saw a striking figure. The baron was a huge warrior. He had a long beard and looked to me, like the wild men of Estonia I had seen. The only difference was scale; he was larger. He roared, “What do you want here, Sir Thomas of Stockton? This is not your manor and you, Sheriff of York, also lack any power over me. I was given this castle by King John and you have no power to remove me!” I noticed that there was a slight accent to his words. Bizarrely he sounded Welsh.
I nodded, “You may be right Sir Hugh but we are here because of the privations you have brought upon your people. We are here because you have abducted the daughter of Sir Henry of Gargrave.”
He was silent for a moment. How he thought to hide such a heinous act I do not know. “As her father died I have placed the daughter of Sir Henry under my protection. She will be my ward.”
“Then we will leave but only when I have spoken to the maid and know that this is her decision and that she is not being held against her will.”
He laughed, “You are pissing in the wind Earl! What I do in my manor is my business! I am lord here!”
“Perhaps but the Earl of Chester now knows of your actions as does the Earl of Pembroke. Either fetch the girl or a state of siege will exist until your liege lord, the Earl of Chester, arrives.”
He must have already planned his attack for, without any warning, the gates were flung open and horsemen galloped out of the gate. I barely had time to don my helmet and pull my sword before they were upon us. I shouted, “William, get to the abbey! Fetch our men!”
I swung my sword in an arc at the two men at arms who had outstripped the others to reach me. My blade hit their spears and deflected them. As they pulled their arms back for a second thrust I reached down and pulled my shield up. When they struck again I managed to block one sword with my shield and my sword hacked through the shaft of the second. My men at arms were all veterans and they had quickly ridden to meet these horsemen and protect me. Sir Ralph had a mixture of veterans and new men. Some of his more inexperienced men paid the price for that lack of combat readiness.
The man at arms whose spear I had broken was reaching for his sword. I spurred Dragon and brought my sword around in an arc. I hit his coif so hard that I think I broke his neck. He tumbled from his horse. A spear is a good weapon to use when you charge. By the time you are in a mêlée it is an encumbrance. The man at arms pulled his arm back. We were so close that the spear head was less than an arm’s length from my shield. He hit the shield. There was no power in the blow but the backhand strike with my sword across his chest had all of my strength behind it and the blade tore through his leather and into his chest. He fell from his horse. The losses we had sustained had come from Sir Ralph’s men. He and his squire were still battling but they were being forced back. My men, on the other hand, were fighting together. Ridley and Henry Youngblood were forcing back Sir Hugh’s men at arms. Ridley’s long arms and long sword outranged even the spears of the men he was fighting. I saw now an opportunity to exploit the situation. If William could get back quickly then we might force the gate. I spurred Dragon to join Ridley and Henry.
My war horse crashed into the side of a man at arms trying to get to the side of Henry. I stood in my stirrups and brought my sword down on his right arm. I laid him open to the bone and he used his left arm to wheel his horse away. Despite their overwhelming numbers the skill of my men, their armour and weapons meant that we were winning. It must have been obvious to Sir Hugh that he was losing too many men and I heard a horn sound. His men began to pour back through the gates. Instinct took over with me. I sensed the missile coming from the gatehouse and I raised my shield. The arrow thudded into it. Henry had been the target and, as he slew the man he was fighting he said, “Thank you, lord!”
I nodded, “Pull back beyond their range.” We backed our horses away and I saw the extent of our losses. Sir Ralph had lost half of his men and two others were wounded. Will Red Leg had a crossbow bolt sticking from his leg. I saw that others had mail which was damaged. We had been lucky.
As we waited for William to bring up the rest of my men I examined the castle more closely. It would be hard to take but that strength also gave it a weakness. There was but one way in and one way out. We did not need to surround the castle we could just camp outside the front gate. They would have a well but they would not have laid in vast stocks of food. That would not worry Sir Hugh but it might demoralize his men. Of course, if my two archers could find a way in then perhaps we could dispense with the need for a siege.
Sir William brought my men at a gallop. They saw the dead. “We build a camp here. Sir Peter, have some men with shields advance and bring back our dead. I will not leave them there.”
“And the enemy dead, lord?”
“Leave them where they lie.”
I dismounted and handed my reins to William. Sir Ralph did the same. We both took off our helmets. He shook his head, “Does it always hurt to lose men, lord?”
“Always. I was lucky.”
“Or perhaps your men were better trained.” He looked at the gatehouse. Sir Hugh was still there. “He has signed his own death warrant.”
“We will try him.”
Sir Ralph laughed and waved a hand at my knights. “His peers will find him guilty!”
When the bodies were recovered Sir Ralph and his men returned to Bolton Abbey to bury them in the graveyard there. That left me with my knights. We had a line of sentries. So far, we had not used our archers. I intended to wait until the next day to show Sir Hugh just how good they were. I checked on Will Red Leg and discovered that the wound was not serious. We had a day or two before he would be needed.
“My plan is simple. We wait here unless Mordaf and Gruffyd can find a way in.”
Sir William asked, “And if they can?”
“Then we send in our smallest men. We time it so that they sneak in during the hours of darkness. We will attack at dawn. As our archers are not yet returned we cannot attack tomorrow and so we spend the day building ladders. They will expect that and we will need them in any case.” I waved over Dick and Henry Youngblood. “We may need small men to enter the castle. Choose the best twenty that we have.”
“And who will lead them lord?” My son’s voice was polite but I knew what he meant.
Sir Fótr stepped forward, “The two smallest knights are myself and Sir Alfred. I would say this task chooses us.”
I felt my heart sin
k but he was right. Only Sir Peter was younger and he was a giant. He could not fit in a tunnel even if he was naked. “You know you will not be able to wear mail?” They both nodded. “It may be unnecessary. Perhaps Sir Richard misremembered.”
My son smiled, “You do not think so, Earl. This is good. I am unafraid of the dark and of confined spaces. I am quick and without armour will be even quicker.” I nodded and the two of them went with Henry and David to select the men. There was no question of them taking their squires.
The two archers slipped silently into the camp after dark. My knights and my two captains looked at them expectantly. They just grinned. Sometimes my two Welshmen could be infuriating. “Well?”
“Oh, there is a cave and we managed to climb up but others would need a ladder. We are both good climbers.” Henry Youngblood snorted. Ignoring him Mordaf went on, “We went in until we found the beer cellar. We resisted the temptation to sample it but we tried the door. It does open.”
I nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. “Then you have earned your ale this night. Rest for you will be leading our men tomorrow night. Sir Fótr and Sir Alfred will be leading you.”
“It will be tight, lord. You will not be able to wear mail or a helmet.”
Gruffyd grinned, “Although an arming cap and coif would save a few bumps!”
“Begin making the ladders tonight. We will need one by daylight.”
As the men at arms and archers hurried off I sat with Fótr and Alfred. “You know that I would prefer it if I led?”
“Yes lord, but this task is appointed to us because of our size. Of course, if you do not think we can handle it…”
“Do not be foolish, Fótr! You are attempting something no one else has ever done. You will have to think on your feet. I know not what lies within. I do not know much save that there is an inner gate which will be held.”
Alfred said, “Earl… father, we have the best of archers with us and our men at arms. We have surprise. We will take one gate and then the second. I will hold the inner gate with half of the men while Fótr takes the other gate. I am guessing that David of Wales will have other archers clearing the walls. These men we fight have never faced us before. They are in for a shock.” He was right but I would still worry. No man likes to lose a son.
I did not sleep well for I worried about my son. How could I go back to my wife and tell her that I had lost him underground and he would lie unburied? When dawn broke, those who would be attacking through the cave were left abed and David of Wales began to use his archers against the walls while ladders were built. Henry Youngblood and Ridley the Giant built them just beyond crossbow range but in clear sight of the castle. The ladders were made using the timber from the woods which lay close to the road. With luck we would not need them but as the task had to occupy my men all day they made a good attempt. We rose and went to view the castle.
We saw smoke rising from the inner bailey during the afternoon. That was as a result of my men laying out the ladders they had completed. The defenders were heating water or oil to pour upon the men who would climb the ladders. I summoned my knights. “We will keep men toiling all night. I want them to expect a nocturnal attack. We will all get some sleep but to the defenders it will be as though we have not slept and they will keep a good watch.”
We had enough knights and men so that each knight and his retinue would just have an hour to work. I gave some of my men to Sir Peter. Mordaf led my son and Sir Fótr off before dark. They marched down the road as though heading for another camp. It would just undermine the confidence of those in the castle. They would wonder where my men went.
I slept but not well. I was listening for noises from the far side of the castle. My son and the others would be less than half a mile away as the crow flies but I knew that it would take them a good couple of hours to reach the river, cross it and then use the ladder they had built and taken with them. Mordaf was not certain if a light might be seen by someone using the beer cellar although they had discovered that the entrance to the tunnel was hidden by one of the barrels. I could not believe that the entrance had not been seen but as Ridley the Giant had said, as we played out the game of building another ladder, “Sir Richard only knew it because he was a boy and played there. This new lord, Sir Hugh, does not know it. I cannot see one of his men investigating a dark hole. Men are afraid of confined spaces and the dark. I could not do what your son is doing. He is a brave man.”
“I know.”
I dozed and woke at every noise. It was in the last hours before dawn that I finally rose. It was Sir Peter who was toiling with his men. He pointed to the walls of the castle, “They have had men watching us all night. They must have burned all their brands.”
Padraig the Wanderer said, “Aye lord and whatever they were heating has had to be refilled. What a terrible waste eh?”
We had taken our men into our confidence. They knew our plan. William came over. He had some stale bread, a hunk of cheese and weak ale. I ate but only because it gave me something to do. We woke all the men an hour before dawn. We would be ready to attack as soon as the dawn broke properly. I was able to watch the sun rise behind us. Our men, if all had gone well, would now be ascending the stairs. My archers would have their daggers and short swords ready to slit the throat of any unfortunate that they met. I hoped that they would only kill the warriors but we had to have silence and I knew that there might be some unfortunate accident. That was war. As I ate I said, “William you are too young to be a squire who fights. You are there to be used as my messenger. Keep your shield covering yourself and I do not expect you to have to draw your sword.”
He nodded, “I am not a fool, lord. Alfred has told me that until I have seen a few more summers I am here to be used.” He smiled, “One day I will draw sword and defend your back!”
I had decided to attack when the gatehouse was illuminated. We were all ready. Men at arms held the ladders and our archers had their bows ready. They glanced at me. I would determine when to attack. I closed my eyes and I listened. I hoped that I might hear, in my head, the sound of my son’s thoughts. I heard something but it was not his voice. I drew my sword. As soon as I dropped it my men gave a mighty roar. That was to tell those inside that we were attacking and I shouted, “Charge!”
I held my shield before me as I ran and it proved to be a wise move as crossbow bolts clattered into it. Two stuck. Ridley the Giant and Padraig the Wanderer were with me. They held axes. We would try the gate. It was well made and was studded with iron but if Fótr and Alfred succeeded then I wanted to be the first one within the walls. The first of our men fell. I did not turn to see who it was but as the cry came from behind me I knew that it was one of our men. Sir William and Sir Edward were leading men to scale the walls.
We reached the gate and William and I held our shields above the heads of the two men at arms as they began to hack at the door. I heard ladders strike the walls. There was a cry and a thud as an arrow plucked a defender from the walls and dropped him ten paces from us. Then I heard the sound I had been praying for. It was the sound of fighting and was coming from inside the walls. My men had gained access. William glanced up and said, “Sir William has made the top of the walls!”
Despite their best efforts Ridley and Padraig were not going to damage the gate, “Hold, we will rely on our men gaining access.” I had with me, my squire and ten men at arms. “Swing your shields around and when we gain entry we run for the inner gate, Sir Alfred will be hard pressed to hold it.” Even as I said it I did not know how many of my men had survived to reach the gates.
I heard the sound of heavy fighting on the other side of the gate. It seemed to be over quickly and then the bar was removed and the gate slid open. Sir William and Sir Fótr stood there. “Secure the gates! Well done Sir Fótr! My men, with me!” I led my men up the slope towards the other gate. I saw that the outer bailey had bodies upon it. I saw at least two of my men. The inner bailey could be seen through the opened gate. I saw Mor
daf and his brother loosing arrows towards the hall. I saw that John the Archer was tending to Henry, my son’s squire, he had a wounded arm. The squire pointed his good arm. “Sir Alfred pursued Sir Hugh into the hall!”
The door to the keep was open and I threw myself through it. I heard the sounds of battle coming from the Great Hall. On the floor, just outside lay two of my men. As we burst in I saw Alfred with Thomas the Welshman and Sean Wild Eyes. The three of them were standing before a weeping girl. Sir Hugh and six men were trying to get at them. Even as we entered I saw Sean as he was stabbed in the leg. The Irishman fought on.
“Stockton!” I was angry but it was a cold anger. My son’s life was in danger and these men who sought to hurt him and the girl were little more than savages. As the man at arms raised his sword to end Sean’s life I rammed my sword deep within his guts and I twisted it out. Even as he fell I ran towards Sir Hugh. He was a big man and Sir Alfred had no armour. My son would have little chance. “Turn, you pathetic apology for a man, and face me!” I backhanded his squire away with my shield and exposed Sir Hugh’s side. He had no choice. He had to face me.
He wore no helmet and his face was a mask of pure evil. “King John always hated you! Do you know he hired more than ten men to kill you?” If he said it to upset and shock me then he failed. I, of all people, knew the evil that had been within his breast.
“Then they failed! And now you will die. I will not save you for the executioner’s block. You will die and your remains will be spread across this land. There will be no record of you so that men will wonder who it was who caused such pain and suffering.”
I saw, in his eyes, the sign that he was about to strike and I took the blow on my shield. My men had disposed of the others and so I had room to swing. I put every ounce of strength I had in the blow and when it struck his shield I saw him wince. I stepped forward, pulled back my arm and raised it. The blow this time came down diagonally and he barely had time to swing his shield around. This time my strike must have completely numbed his arm. The shield dropped. As I pulled back my right arm I punched with my shield and hit him in the face. He reeled. This was no warrior. This was a butcher, a killer. From what I had learned he was a predator who preyed on young girls. This was a knight who did not deserve the title. He abused his power and position on the weak and the innocent. He had been happy to attempt to slay my son for he had no mail but when he faced a real knight then all of his flaws were exposed. As he lay there I brought my sword from on high, “This is for Sir Henry and all the others whose lives you have ruined!” The sword tore through his throat and continued down to sever his head from his spinal cord. It rolled away and a lake of blood pooled around it.