Enemy at the Gate

by Griff Hosker

  Captain William made sure that the ship was securely fastened before he ran out the gangplank and stepped ashore. "Good voyage, Captain?"

  He shook his head, "Winter storms plagued us all the way north. We had to put in at Frisia. It cost us silver to sit out the storm there. Then, after the first storms abated and we sailed, we were struck by an even greater storm. I lost a ship's boy overboard."

  "I am sorry. Can I do anything to make your voyages safer?"

  He looked at me with surprise, "You are worried about us?"

  "You are my ship and you serve me. Of course I worry. Perhaps we could make ropes here in Stockton and you could carry spares."

  "Aye and sails too. If that could be managed we would be better off. As it is we will need a month, at least, to repair and clear the weed."

  "Take all the time you need but I have two more voyages for you. I would prefer you to be ready to sail safely rather risking a damaged ship."

  "We will be shipshape, lord."

  I sensed John, my steward, behind me. "I think my Steward wishes to know your manifest."

  He grinned, "And Gilles is bursting with news for you." He turned and shouted to his Bosun, "Harold Three Fingers, have the chest with the letters and the coin brought up."

  "Aye Skipper."

  "Henri, start unloading the cargo!"

  Gilles struggled over with the chest. Sir John said, "Here, give me one handle."

  The two of them walked behind me. I said, over my shoulder, "Did you enjoy returning to your home, Gilles?"

  "This is now my home, Earl. I enjoyed meeting the Empress and the Earl but this is where I belong. I could not wait to get back. You will be a grandfather by summer, lord!"

  Sir John burst out laughing, "I must teach you to be more discreet."

  "I did not know that my son was married."

  Gilles was an innocent, "He is not, lord. It is one of the girls who works in the manor kitchens. She is pretty. She laughs a lot"

  Sir John said, quietly, "He is young lord. Do not be critical of him. Why even King Henry sired many bastards in his time."

  "But he was not my son!"

  They both sensed my anger and were quiet. My father would have been appalled at such behaviour. A man had to be honourable in his dealings with women. And then my own hypocrisy struck me. The sins of the father were visited upon the son.

  I changed the subject, "And how is Leofric and his bride?"

  "He is to be a father too. Perhaps he is one already. I lose track of time. The voyage was hard, lord."

  We placed the chest on my table. Alice hovered nearby. Her face was filled with joy now that Gilles had returned. She shook her head, "You need fattening up Gilles! You have not been eating!" She began to straighten his hair, much as a mother might do.

  I saw Gilles looking embarrassed at the attention. "The ship has a cargo for us. Unless I miss my guess there will be wine. Have a jug brought to me and the rest placed somewhere cool."

  "Aye my lord and I will fetch young Gilles some food too. He looks a little thin to me. This foreign food is not as good as our English food you know, my lord. You always look half starved when you return from Normandy!"

  She bustled away and I felt in a better humour already. Alice's priorities were all her brood in the castle and well fed faces.

  "Before I read the letters tell me what your view is of the war in Normandy. Is it won yet?"

  The young squire frowned and then smiled, "The Earl and the Count control all but a small part of Normandy. I think there were talks of surrender but I am not certain. It was easy to move around the country and there was no danger to us."

  I nodded, relieved. That was good. I could open the letters now without the dread of bad news. Alice brought a jug of wine and another of water along with three beakers. "Better bring another for my Steward, Alice." I sat at my table and poured the three of us a beaker of wine each. I poured in a little water. It was not yet noon

  "Yes lord."

  I took out the letters. There were four of them. One each from the Empress, the Earl, my son and Leofric. I put the one from the Empress to one side. I would read that one when I was alone. The one I read first was the one from the Earl of Gloucester. I read in silence. When I had finished I downed the beaker of wine in one swallow. It was good news.

  Sir John looked at me expectantly. "The Earl of Gloucester has heard my pleas. He has declared that he will invade England soon and he has sent word to his knights in the south. We are not alone."

  "He will come soon, lord?"

  The joy I felt evaporated. I re read the missive. The letter was a promise and nothing more. I looked to Gilles. He was young but he was clever. "Did you see any sign of invasion?"

  "No lord. I saw much activity in Normandy where the Count and the Earl were busy besieging the supporters of Stephen who still held out."

  "Then the answer is no, John. We hang on still but I take hope from the fact that there will be help from the Earl's allies in the south."

  John, my Steward arrived. He was ebullient. "Your son and Leofric have sent many valuable goods; food, wine, linens."

  "Linens?"

  "Lord, linens and pots please the women. If the women of the town are happy then so are their husbands. We need the women as much as the men." Alice's arrival with food seemed to emphasise his point. "Is it good news lord?"

  "It seems the Earl has raised rebellion in the south. We are not alone."

  He frowned, "However, here, in the north, we are. If the Scots come again we will be alone to fight them. Stephen will not be likely to come north and defeat them again. The last refugees we had spoke of a the land around Carlisle, Durham and Newcastle falling to the Scots. They are seeping south and encroaching gradually. They will be here by summer."

  He was no warrior but he knew numbers and he was clever. "You are right, John. We cannot wait for a month to send for your garrison, Sir John. You had better press on training your men of the town. I fear they will be needed sooner rather than later."

  "Aye lord, and what of Leofric and your son? Their letters are unopened." He pointedly did not mention the missive from Matilda. I wondered just how much my men knew.

  "You are quite right." I read Leofric's first. It dealt initially with the war and then, briefly, his own circumstances. "He confirms what Gilles has told us. The war in Normandy goes well. He has not had to campaign this year. The demesne prospers. He mentions my son and begs me to be forgiving." I shook my head. Leofric and John had been as big brothers to my son after my wife died. "He and his wife prosper as does my manor which yields much."

  "Aye lord, I can see that from the goods we have brought within our walls today."

  I laid that to one side and, with a heavy heart opened that of William. It was brief.

  December, the year of our lord, 1137,

  La Flèche

  Father, I must beg your forgiveness. I have fathered a child out of wedlock. Eliane is the love of my life and I would have married her but Leofric and the Empress urged me to wait until I had spoken with you. When you come to Anjou you will love her as I do. Until then I will curb my desires. I pray you sanction our marriage.

  Your son

  William

  I laid down the letter. I could see now, that this was not a wilful act but an impulsive urge. I blamed myself. He had spent a great deal of time with King Henry and the young knights and squires. He had picked up their habits. I should have kept him closer to home and my side. It was a distraction and I put it, briefly, from my mind. He was in Anjou and I could do nothing about it.

  Sir John said, "Well, lord?"

  "It is as Leofric said and I will reserve judgement on my wayward son."

  Gilles said, innocently, "Lord, the letter from the Empress remains unread!"

  Sir John shook his head and I smiled, "I am tired, Gilles. I shall read that later. Now come. Tell us of your voyage and your travels."

  He needed no further urging and his tale confirmed my beli
ef that I had the best of crews for my ship. He told of how every man had had to fight the sea and the weather to bring my ship home safely. He spoke of the haven that was the Frisian port they had discovered.

  "Were there many men in Frisia who were hiring out their swords?"

  "There were, lord. We spent time in the taverns and inns there while we waited out the storms. It seems that the Count of Flanders is waiting to see how things develop in Normandy. There were swords looking for masters. Many of the men we spoke with had been hopeful of employment in that war but the Count is safe from attack and watches to see what develops."

  "Clever. He can wait while Normandy tears itself apart and when peace comes there he can pick up juicy morsels at little cost to himself."

  Gilles looked amazed, "Lord that is strange for those exact same words came from one of the men at arms with whom we spoke. He had served the King of France too and said that the French King had not sided with either side in the civil war as he thought it more prudent to let the Normans kill themselves first. He did say that Blois was being threatened from the east. Count Theobald is sheltering behind his walls."

  "Then, Sir John, I think you should go to Frisia and hire these men. Take Gilles with you. It will be good experience and he seems to have knowledge of the men we might need."

  "What of my duties here, as castellan, lord?"

  "I will not be abroad. Now that I know what the Earl intends I can plan. Tomorrow I will send Phillip of Selby on an errand." I stood. "And now I am tired and I shall retire. Thank you Gilles. You have not let me down. You shall be rewarded."

  "I have been rewarded already lord; I serve you. In Normandy your name is oft spoken. They say that the war there would be over if we had your standard and your sword."

  "They are kind words but I listen not to flattery."

  "It is no flattery lord. It is common talk. None would gainsay you."

  I took the letter from the Empress to my chamber. There would be little in it which would be incriminating. Maud was a clever woman and would not leave herself open to anything which would jeopardise her position. I would have to read between the lines. I knew her well; my father would have said too well. Although she would have trusted Gilles she could not allow the letter to contain anything which would help our enemies if it fell into their hands. Geoffrey of Anjou had to hold Anjou and then Normandy if we were to win back England too. He could not be allowed to know of the feelings we had for each other

  I opened the letter. Perhaps it was my imagination but it smelled of her hand.

  La Flèche, January

  My Lord of Cleveland,

  I hope the letter reaches you and finds you well. Although the war goes well here in Normandy there are many enemies who surround us both. I urge you to take great care in your dealings with all who come to offer aid. There may be many who purport to come from me. Know that I only use those who are dear to us both. Be wary of any others.

  Your squire, Gilles, is a delight and he has regaled us with tales of your courage. My son, Henry, is once more filled with admiration for his favourite knight of the realm. He echoes his mother's thoughts. I pray you be more careful. Gilles has told us how you are sometimes reckless. You are a puissant warrior but it would harm our cause if you were to fall in battle.

  I have to tell you that your son is to be a father. Do not judge him harshly. After all my brother was conceived out of wedlock and he, like you, has been my rock. When hands touch and lips meet who knows what may follow? I advised him not to marry until he has spoken with you. It may be the impulsive act of the young but, who knows, it may be a love which will endure through the years. Such things happen. Such things are what make us human.

  Your son is someone of whom you can be proud. He has taken young Henry under his wing and it is good to see the two of them together. It is a sign of the bond and the links we share. There are but three Knights of the Empress who yet live. You are all three precious to me.

  I hope that we shall meet again but that will not be for some time unless you return to La Flèche.

  Your friend,

  Maud

  I read and re-read it four times. To me it was a love letter for I recognised the nuances and hidden meanings but one thing was clear; the warning of enemies. There was a plot afoot. Neither the Earl nor my son had mentioned it and so it was a deep secret. I would be wary.

  The repairs on the ship went far quicker than I could have hoped. Partly this was John's doing. He set up a rope walk where we could manufacture our own ropes. It was on a flat piece of land close to the Ox Bridge. With the extra coin we had from the two new manors we could afford to pay some of the women to make ropes. As we had many more women than men in my town this proved advantageous. Sixteen days after he returned, Captain William, Gilles and Sir John sailed across the German Sea to hire men in Frisia. They hoped to return within ten days.

  I rode, with my men at arms, to Barnard Castle. I worried about Hugh of Gainford. We had captured the great castle overlooking the Tees from Barnard of Balliol but Sir Hugh did not have a great number of men in his garrison. I would be away but one night. Even so I worried about my home; I had sent Sir John to Frisia. The words of the Empress worried me. She had suggested treachery.

  The young knight who had survived a Scottish attack when all his family have been killed was now one of my most trusted confederates. He and his wife, the daughter of Richard of Yarm, were now my bastion in the west and controlled the upper Tees but I now worried about the Scots. Barnard de Balliol had fled to London to join Stephen of Blois. King David could, by taking Barnard Castle, control the whole of the north of England. There would be isolated pockets such as Hexham but, by and large, it would be under Scottish rule. We had to hold Barnard Castle.

  Fatherhood had brought maturity to the young knight. The callow youth was gone; in his place was a seasoned warrior. "Welcome Lord. How goes the world? Here we are isolated."

  "I am not much better in Stockton but we survive. How is your wife?"

  "She is with child again and this one is proving troublesome. The priests and her women have confined her to her bed."

  I nodded, "I am glad that we do not have to bear children. Ninth months is eight and half months too many!"

  "You are right there, my lord! Come let us sit in my solar. You have business to discuss. We can be private."

  "I have information to impart." Our two sergeant at arms, Wulfric and Harold of Huntcliffe sat in with us. They were as much part of the defence of the north as any. "The Earl of Gloucester and the Empress have begun the stirrings of rebellion in the south. I have sent Philip of Selby to his uncle to glean more information but there is a danger that Stephen's eye may be drawn to the south."

  Harold of Huntcliffe said, "Surely that is a good thing, lord."

  Sir Hugh said, "I think not Harold. It means that King David could take advantage of the movement south and attack. That is why you are here, lord, is it not? You fear that we will be the focus of the attack."

  "David has three choices: attack here, Stockton or Chester. Chester is well garrisoned as is my castle. However the Earl of Chester appears to lean towards Stephen of Blois. I believe he has received monies from him. Yours would be the place I would attack. It takes a day to reach here from my castle. That means if you were attacked you would need to hold out for two days. Could you do that?"

  He walked to the window which looked to the west. That would be the direction the enemy would attack. "We have the bridge and that is a major obstacle. The gate there is strong and well made. An enemy could not take it quickly. Then they would have to travel to the east, around the outer wall, to attack the main gate. That would take them a day, at least. My main gate is well made but it is a dry moat. I do not have the luxury of a river running around it."

  I smiled, "I know, I am lucky. The Tees is a friend."

  "Have you anything which can pour boiling pig fat or water at your gate?"

  "Not yet lord but I could build s
omething."

  "You have thick stones walls. Fire is a danger but if you could heat the water or the pig fat there then that would help."

  "I could do that, lord."

  "The most important thing you must do is keep a close watch north and west of the river. At the first sign of an enemy then send to me. By the first sign I mean hoof prints and scouts. If you wait until you see King David's banners then it may be too late."

  "I will."

  I hesitated before I made my next suggestion, "If you wish your wife to stay with me at my castle I will guarantee her protection."

  "I thank you for the offer and I would take you up on it but I fear the journey there might be worse than the dangers she might suffer here."

  I left him the next morning feeling happier than when I had arrived. I still feared for the safety of the castle but I now knew that its salvation would lie with me. We had walked the bridge and the perimeter. I had given him suggestions to make an attack difficult for our enemies. The only place it could be attacked would be from the east.

  Two days after my return from the west Philip of Selby arrived back from York. I was closeted with him, Wulfric, Dick and Sir John. He had news of great import. "Kent has risen in revolt under the banner of the Earl of Gloucester."

  "The Earl has landed?"

  "No lord, but Baldwin de Redvers and other friends of the Earl have been taking castles. Stephen of Blois has had to return from Normandy."

  Wulfric said, "This is great news my lord."

  Philip shook his head, "My Uncle fears for the North. He begs you to be ready to join his standard and to fight the Scots should they come." He paused, "He believes they will come. The north is ripe for plucking."