by Griff Hosker
As my squires dressed me I thought about the young knight. He may have done well in mêlée and the tourney but they were different from combat to the death. I had done both. He had been badly advised. Stephen had gone down in my estimation. I had thought him honourable. This was not. Perhaps I brought out the worst in him.
The final preparation was for my helmet to be polished and my mail given one last coat of oil. Although I wore my surcoat I knew that when Walter de Ferrers struck at me with his sword he would cut through the surcoat. I wanted his sword to slide off my mail and not to cut into it. The tip of my sword had been sharpened too so that a thrust had more chance of penetrating my enemy's mail. Such were the margins which would determined success or failure.
Richard had groomed Copper so that he shone. The young Ferrers had made a mistake choosing noon. The sun in the south made my horse shine like molten gold. It would seem like an omen. My warhorse himself was eager for combat. I did not think that the Earl had ridden him for some time. Once in the saddle I leaned forward and stroked his forelock, "Today we begin a friendship which will last a lifetime." I was taking a chance riding a horse I barely knew but it felt as though it was meant to be.
Copper whinnied and raised his head. I took it as a good omen. I took Gilles and Richard with me. They had spare weapons with them in case my own broke. Wooden bridges had been laid across the newly dug ditches and the sharpened stakes removed. There would be a truce for the day.
As I passed the main gate of the castle Sir Brian leaned over. "What is happening, my lord?"
"Young de Ferrers has challenged me to a fight to the death."
Sir Brian shook his head, "Has the young man a death wish?"
"I think someone has put him up to it."
"Go with God."
It was not a large area in which we would fight. It was, perhaps fifty paces long but only thirty paces wide. With the river at one side and a ditch at the other it would need close control for a rider to stay in the saddle. I saw Walter de Ferrers and his squire as they crossed the ditch towards us. I let him pass for he wanted the eastern side. It was his first mistake as it meant he was facing the sun. The three squires took their horses and spare weapons and stood close by the ditch. They would also have to be careful to avoid being knocked into the ditch during the combat. A whirling war horse could be as deadly as any sword or spear.
I rode to the western end and waited. He was the challenger and it was up to him to initiate the combat. I watched him as he began to build himself up for the fight. He kept pulling back on his reins to make his horse rear. It evoked a cheer from his own men each time he did so. I wanted my horse calm and so I stroked his mane and spoke quietly to him. I kept my eyes on young Ferrers. He had a proper lance and not a long spear such as I held. It would strike me before my spear could hit him. However it was much heavier. His posturing and rearing was sapping energy from his arm. The longer he did this the more tired he would become.
Perhaps he realised he was becoming tired for he suddenly put spurs to his horse and hurtled towards me. I set Copper off and kept my spear levelled on my cantle. He had decided to attack my shield side. That suited me. I saw the tip of his lance wavering up and down. He made a second mistake when he leaned too far forward. I remained upright and held my spear slightly behind me. Although he was aiming at my head his wavering lance meant that he hit my shield as I raised it. The lance shattered. I punched with my spear the moment his lance hit my shield. I aimed at his middle. My spear slid above his cantle and beneath his broken lance. The sharpened head struck him hard in the stomach and the head must have severed some of the mail links for I felt it grate before it was torn from my hand. It fell to the ground.
I wheeled Copper around and was able to turn faster than the young knight who was travelling far too fast. He barely managed to stop his horse before the river. I drew my sword as I cantered up. He turned his wild eyed horse's head around and saw that I was closing with him. He panicked a little and drew his sword as he spurred his horse. This time I had the choice of which side to attack and I pulled Copper to the left so that I met him sword to sword. I swept my sword just above his horse's head. I saw him raise his sword to hack at my head. Bringing my shield across I held it before me. The knight's antics had made his horse skittish and when my sword came towards its head it pulled to the left. The result was that my sword struck him hard in the middle again while his hit fresh air. Worse, he overbalanced and tumbled from his horse.
I turned Copper towards Gilles and Richard. Sir Walter's squire ran to help his knight to his feet and to grab the rearing horse. He would have difficulty. As Richard held Copper I dismounted. "Gilles, you had better help his squire with his horse."
"Aye lord."
Richard asked, "Is it over, lord?"
"It should be but I fear the young man is too pig headed. He is brave but he lacks control." Richard helped me to tighten the strap on my shield. We used it loose when fighting on horseback but held it tightly fastened when on foot. I nodded my thanks and headed back to the knight who was now on his feet having shrugged off his squire. I noticed that he had not tightened his strap. That was a third mistake.
His fourth was to run at me. I had hit him twice in the middle. Those blows sapped energy and he now wasted even more. He was, however, a strong knight and his blow, when he struck my shield was a powerful one. I took some of the force from it by stepping to the side and angling my shield. I held my sword slightly behind me to disguise my strike. He was going for power and was attempting to bludgeon me to death. He swung at me a second strike, this time backhanded. It meant I could not angle my shield but I was able to bring my shield up across my body. The length of my shield absorbed the blow for me but I saw that it had hurt the knight as it jarred his arm.
He stepped back expecting a strike from me. I kept my sword behind me. "Use your sword old man!" Taunting me was a desperate measure. It demonstrated his lack of experience.
I said nothing. I noticed that his shield was hanging a little loosely from his arm. He had not tightened his strap and the blows had made him tire. Mine was still held tightly to my body. I knew what he intended next for he raised his sword high above him and swung from behind his back. He would take my head. Instead of stepping back, as he assumed I would, I took a step towards him and lifted my shield as I stabbed at his middle. His sword hilt hit my shield and I heard the gasp from him as his knuckles struck it. Then the tip of my blade began to sever the already weakened links. I kept pushing and the sword tore through the hauberk and the gambeson. He hurriedly took a step back. Pulling my sword back I saw blood upon it. Equally damaging for the young knight was the fact that his hauberk was now split and a length of severed mail hung down.
I spoke for the first time. "I have first blood and you are wounded. Let us end this now for you are brave but this will not end well."
In answer he ran at me. It was a double mistake. It made him bleed faster and his trailing mail tripped him. I stepped to the side as he lurched towards me. He fell and rolled on to his back on the slight slope leading to the river. I stepped above him with my foot on his right arm. I cut the fastenings on his ventail revealing his young face and put my sword to his bare throat. "Yield!"
On the castle walls fitz Court's men were cheering. I saw De Ferrers' squire hang his head but the young knight said, defiantly, "Never! Kill me! I die with honour!"
I raised my sword, "You are a brave young man but a foolish one." I brought my sword down and stabbed him in the palm of his right hand. I turned the sword as I pulled it out. I wanted him incapacitated for some time. "Live and have children. Learn wisdom."
I stepped away and lifted my sword.
I walked to the side where Stephen and his army watched. "I have defeated your young knight. He needs a surgeon..…"
"My lord! Watch out!"
Gilles' words made me turn around. Walter de Ferrers was running at me holding his sword in his left hand. I swung my sword backhanded. H
is sword flew from his hand as my blade struck it. Left handed he had no power. I pulled back my shield and hit him so hard in the face that he fell unconscious at my feet. "Brave and yet treacherous. Just like your master!" I sheathed my sword and waved for his squire. "Come, take your knight home. Gilles, Richard, help him to put the knight on his horse."
I was lauded all the way back to our lines. Sir Brian leaned over and shouted, "You should have killed him, my lord. He will hate you for the humiliation you have heaped upon him."
"It is why I hurt his right hand. He can still be a lord but he can challenge no other. I will live with his hate."
The enemy in contrast to the cheers from my men were malevolently silent. Stephen had gambled that he could not lose from the encounter but the sparing of the young knight had been unexpected. Soon his men would speak of it and would begin to doubt both themselves and their knights.
I crossed the ditch, followed by my squires and the defences were reinstated. The truce was over and the siege resumed. The castle's garrison was in good heart and we would soon have more men from Gloucester. I was more confident now than I had been.
I dismounted in the heart of my camp, "What now, my lord?"
"Now, Sir Miles, we prepare for a night attack from our enemy." Both he and the Sheriff of Hereford looked at me quizzically. "They will think we celebrate. Their tower and their ram are not ready. They were close enough for me to see that they were still being constructed. It was as they intended. Stephen is clever. In Normandy he used a night attack on the French once. They will think we will be relaxed. Have the men make much noise this night as though we feast. I want half of the camp standing to as soon as it is dark. They will come across their ditches and it will be knife work this night."
Had we been in open country then I would have had my men lay traps but we were so close to the enemy and the ground so open that was impossible. I waved my household knights and my leaders of archers and men at arms over. Pointing to my standard I said, "They will make for us with their best warriors. Stephen tried to get rid of me today and tonight he will use assassins. Have our men rest now. Tonight we play drunks. Before dark I want our men to pretend to drink. I want much cheering about the fight today. They will expect it. Dick, I want you and my knights to do the same. You will stagger around as though drunk and retire early. It will encourage them."
Dick grinned, "They will come thinking that we are unable to move because of drink and they will slit our throats."
"Exactly and their very silence will work in our favour for the noise of any who die will be taken as our deaths."
I went to my tent with my squires. "Put an edge on our swords and daggers. Then the two of you will sleep. Tonight you must be alert. We will have to wait within for those who come to kill us."
Gilles nodded, "Aye, my lord. Come Richard. I will show you how our lord likes his sword sharpening." Gilles would keep young Richard occupied rather than dwelling on the morbid thoughts of death.
I took off my own mail and gambeson. Some of the blows I had taken had been hard ones. I used some of Father Henry's ointments. They would make my aching injuries less painful. Then I lay down on my bedding and closed my eyes. I doubted that I would sleep but I would need my rest. I had made it sound easy to the others but I knew that waiting to be killed by shadows in the night would test the nerves of all of my men. Harold, Dick and the others who had been brought up in Sherwood would find it easiest but even they would worry as they lay in the dark feigning drunkenness. They would need senses that they rarely used now.
Gilles and Richard returned. I heard them enter my tent but they made not a sound. I smiled. Gilles would be gesturing for Richard to lie and to sleep. I felt my cloak being laid upon me, "Thank you Gilles but I am just resting."
"Aye my lord."
Despite myself I dozed. However I was awake before dark. Wrapping my cloak around me I went out into the camp. It was like a midsummer fair. I smiled as Dick and Harold came up to me as though drunk and shouted, "Hail, the Knight of the Empress!" The drunken cheer went up from my men and Dick winked at me. I passed around my camp and was cheered by all. Sitting next to the pot of food I fed myself and then picked up a wineskin. Leaving the stopper in I held it to my mouth and mimed drinking deeply. I pretended to put the stopper back in and wiped my mouth. I repeated that a number of times and then staggered back to my tent.
Poor Richard started when I entered, "Are you ill, my lord?"
I smiled, "No, Richard. I was a mummer! Now go and eat and then become as drunk as you can as quickly as you can."
Richard looked confused. Gilles said, "Just do as I do, Richard!"
It was dark when they returned and the noise from the camp had diminished as men fell to the ground in a drunken stupor. Or so I hoped the enemy would believe. We were hidden in our tent and we could prepare. We wrapped my spare hauberk in bedding and placed it across the tent entrance. Any assassin would assume it was a squire protecting his knight with his body. Then we dressed for war. We donned our gambeson and our mail. We would not wear helmets for we would need to hear. We stuck our spare swords and daggers in the ground at the sides of the tent. That would be where we would sleep. Then we used straw wrapped in our bedding to simulate our bodies. The helmets made a fair imitation of a head. Gilles went to the candle and snuffed it out. We sat in the dark recesses of the tent and we waited with our swords in our hands. We sat close together. It was getting colder at night and wearing mail seemed to make it even colder. The proximity of our bodies slightly offset that. Waiting was hard. I think young Richard found it harder than any.
I was convinced I had heard something outside but when there was no alarm I relaxed again. Then I smelled something. It was a human smell. It was not one of my men. I nudged my two squires. They gave the barest of nods. We had sat in the dark so long that we could see clearly. A hand came through the tent flap and a knife slashed down on the mail. Immediately four men raced into the tent and leapt at the three bundles of bedding. Even as they hacked and slashed at them we were on our feet. I thrust my sword through the side of one assassin. I pulled it back and then hacked the right arm of a second. Richard and Gilles both had swords and they killed the two men at arms each with a single blow. The man whose arm I had severed moaned as he began to bleed to death.
Grabbing my shield I led my squires from the tent. We moved through my camp. I could now hear grunts and moans as men died. Then there was a shout from Sir Miles' camp to my right and the sounds of sword on sword. Silence disappeared. As the alarm spread so did the cacophony of noise. The sneak attack was over and now it would be a battle.
"To me!"
My men came from where they had been fighting with the unarmoured killers sent to slay us in our beds. Stephen had stolen the idea from me. My archers formed a line behind my knights and my men at arms. The archers would struggle to see targets; it was night but any flesh which could be seen would be hit. There was a roar from the dark as the first wave of men at arms and knights rushed at us. They were hampered by their own dead men who lay haphazardly in their path. One knight was so eager to get to us that he failed to see a body and as he tripped Sir John brought his war hammer over and used the spike to impale the knight.
A man at arms thrust his spear at me. I stepped forward and punched with my shield. I deflected the head and brought my sword diagonally across his neck. With the weight of my body behind it I broke the man's neck. I quickly stepped back as a sword swung at my head. It missed and Sir Tristan's blade darted out and severed the knight's arm.
"Lock shields!"
My men squeezed together. Sir Tristan' shield overlapped mine and I tucked mine behind Sir John's. We held our swords over the tops of our shields. The enemy ran into the wall of wood, leather and steel. We did not strike. We had no need. Their weapons struck our shield and some of us were lucky enough to have a warrior pressed on to our blades. They came at us in a mass; they were a jumble of men eager to get to us. We were an unyieldin
g wall. There was a brief moment of almost stillness as we stood face to face. Dead men were pressed against some of us. The man at arms who faced me spat at me. Suddenly a dagger came over my shoulder and pierced his eye and his skull.
Gilles shouted, "Do not spit at my lord! Barbarian!"
That simple act of spitting seemed to inflame my men. Edgar shouted, "Forward! Kill them!"
I should have given the command but my men had taken enough insults. I stabbed forward with my sword. The dead man at arms was still before me but my sword scored a hit on the cheek of the man behind. Sir John's war hammer swung high and crushed the skull of the hapless warrior in the second rank. My archers and the squires pushed into our backs and the enemy before us fell to the floor. I saw a face beneath me and I stabbed down, skewering the man. The enemy fled. We rushed after them. When we reached the ditch I yelled, "Hold!"
We spent the rest of the night despatching the dead. The wounded knights had been carried to safety by their squires. There would be no ransom. As dawn broke we saw the charnel house that was our camp. I sought out Edgar. "Find wood. I want a mangonel building. It need not move."
He did not question me. He just said, "Aye lord." He and my men could knock one up in a couple of hours. The difficulty was always in making one with wheels. I did not need that. The enemy had set sentries. They stood two hundred paces away. They had shields before them for they respected my archers. I summoned Dick and Ralph. I gave them instructions.
Sir Miles and Sir Pain joined me along with Sir Raymond. "You were right, lord. It was well that we prepared. It was an attack in force."
"Did any of you lose large numbers of men?"
"One or two but the enemy suffered more. It was not their knights. They had neither mail nor helmets."
I nodded, "Stephen is clever. He sent assassins who could use knives and would profit the most from our deaths. He did not risk his knights. They were to attack later."
"What now, my lord?"