The Archer: Historical Fiction: exciting novel about Marines and Naval Warfare of medieval England set in feudal times with knights,Templars, and crusaders during Richard the lionhearted's reign

by Martin Archer

  “Good William; things are good, thankee. We are ready to sail anytime you give the word. But we’ll need more food and water if we are to go beyond Latika or bring back a full load of recruits and refugees.”

  “You’re right and thank you for reminding me. The galleys may go out but don’t worry about the cogs, at least not for a while. We don’t know when the cogs will sail but when they do it looks like we’ll be using the galleys to convoy them all the way to Alexandria with cargos of olive oil and grain, maybe wine too. And we don’t have enough sailors and fighting men to do it. We’ve got to get ourselves more men first.”

  “Aye Captain, that’s the talk I heard when I was ashore for breakfast this morning. Nothing is secret around here. Do you want me to bring the cog we took off the Algerians to the dock so it can be loaded?”

  “Not yet. George and I are off to the market to see the merchants so I’ll let you know how soon it will be when you come ashore tonight for supper. But it probably won’t be immediately - we can’t go until we have enough men both for the ships and to stay here and defend the fort.”

  “Aye, so I hear. Well there is one thing we’uns will need if we are to go to Alexandria with more than one ship - pilots who knows the way. Naught but Harold among the men I have knows how to pilot us from here to there.

  “By God, you’re right,” is William’s response. “We’ll need one for each ship in case they get separated. Thank you for reminding me. I’ll ask the merchants. Maybe they’ll know of some pilots.”

  Randolph absolutely beams when William acknowledges his idea. I’ve got to remember to praise the men when they make good suggestions and accomplish things.

  @@@@@

  Aaron’s stall is in one of the busiest sections of the Limassol market, the one where the dealers in cooking oil and grain do their business. Large amphora jars of oil and sacks of grain are stacked in his stall and piled high in the yard behind it.

  Several women are standing in front of his stall with pots and gourds. They’re obviously there to buy supplies for their households.

  One of the men working in Aaron’s stall, a heavyset man with graying hair, sees us approaching and shouts something over his shoulder in a strange language. Aaron himself comes bustling around the corner a few seconds later with a big smile on his face and greets us most effusively in Latin.

  “It is good to see you William and you Father Thomas, and you too young George and Yoram. Please join me for some wine or tea and tell me about your good health and how your compound is progressing. Everyone says your men are doing a splendid job and it’s coming along nicely.”

  Aaron promptly gives some instructions to the heavyset man in a language I do not understand and motions for us to follow him through his stall to a low table in a shaded part of his storage yard.

  We have no more than exchanged pleasantries and begun to seat ourselves on the ground around the table when a skinny young man from a nearby food stall rushes in with a skin of wine, some mugs, and a tray of sliced lemons.

  A few second later two men I haven’t met before appear, both obviously merchants, greet us effusively and sit down with us.

  “My partners for the shipment of oil and grain to Alexandria,” Aaron explains as he introduces them to William and the rest of us as Tramon and Leon, grain merchants. Behind them a young man appears with a tray of dates, olives, and figs, and then another arrives with tea and cheese and dainty little cups the likes of which I’ve never seen.

  We are getting the full treatment due valuable customers and rightly so – this is big business and our custom is valued.

  We constantly wave our hands to distract the flies as we begin exchanging pleasantries and the men vie with one another to entertain little George by slicing fruit and cheese for him and squeezing lemons into his water bowl. Only when George runs off to play with some boys in the market do we get down to serious business. Our tablemates, of course, want to know how soon they must have their cargo assembled and to the dock.

  “Two weeks, and perhaps more than that,” William tells them. His response draws looks of relief from the men.

  They are obviously still organizing the additional oil and grain for the second cog. And perhaps wine too since some of Aaron’s friends are wine merchants.

  “We won’t go until we have recruited more sailors and fighting men, both for our ships and to defend our base here. The stronger our force, the less likely that pirates will try to take the cogs and their cargo.”

  “That is twice good news, Admiral William. And I’m glad to hear we’ll have a few more weeks. It will give us more time to find the most profitable cargo to send. We have the wine and grain from last year’s crop, of course, but most of the olives are not yet quite ready to be harvested and pressed.”

  I wonder how they know about the ‘Admiral’ in Admiral William? They must have someone in the King’s court.

  Then William gets down to business as he responds.

  “As you probably know my friends, we have sent recruiting parties across the island to find experienced soldiers and archers to add to our company for the trip to Alexandria with your goods. Frankly, I am not optimistic about finding many more men on Cyprus although we may find some among the King’s men in Nicosia. So I’m seriously thinking about making a quick trip back to Latika with two of the galleys, and perhaps on to Acre. I believe we might be able to find experienced fighting men in the cities and among the refugees.”

  “If I decide to go back to the Holy Land, which is how I’m leaning at the moment, the third galley and most of our men will stay here to help guard your cogs and my compound.” And, of course, although I didn’t say it, if we go we may find more refugees willing to pay to escape to Cyprus.

  “Yes Admiral, we have heard about the recruiting parties you sent out. I for one am pleased to know that our cogs and their cargo will be so well guarded.” The others nod enthusiastically and add their agreement.

  I bet they are most pleased of all that Father Thomas and George will remain here if William sails. It is a surety that William will not just sail away with their cargo and the cogs they are buying from us.

  Everyone around the little table leans forward and listens intently as William continues and raises the possibilities of new opportunities.

  “There are other things we might be able to do together beyond the guarding of cargo ships and carrying merchant orders and payments. I need to buy weapons for the apprentice archers we will be recruiting even though they will not be going to Alexandria - bows, particularly long bows and cross bows, as well as swords, metal arrow tips, strong bow strings, and wood that my men and their women can work into arrow shafts.”

  What follows is a lot of discussion on many topics: about prices and commissions for supplies and weapons, where the Limassol and Latika merchants do business elsewhere and how they might use our galleys to convoy their cargos in the future or carry messages, about how soon Latika and Acre will fall, and where else our English Company of Archers might find it profitable to set up fortified compounds similar to the one we are establishing in Limassol – places where we might safely gather cargos and passengers so they’ll be ready to move when our galleys arrive to carry them or escort them.

  It is all quite interesting – particularly when the discussion turns to the possible use of heavily armed war galleys such as ours to carry the merchants’ parchment messages and coin payment orders to other cities so they will not have to risk sending their payment coins.

  I believe I understand how that might work but I’m not sure. I think it would mean holding a supply of coins in each headquarters to pay the parchment payment orders that arrive - and that could attract robbers and pirates and greedy officials. It would be dangerous without a proper fortress to keep them out.

  @@@@@

  The very next morning William orders me go to the market to confirm to Aaron and the merchants that he has decided to take two of our galleys on another trip to Latika, and possib
ly on to Acre. That will give the merchants time to gather their shipment together - and give us a chance to carry more passengers and recruit more sailors and fighting men.

  The big and very distressing news, at least so far as I’m concerned, is that I am to go with him. Lena gasps and is quite distressed when I tell her. Which pleases me immensely.

  In any event, we will leave tomorrow on the morning tide and return in a week or two depending on the weather. Father Thomas and George will remain here. One galley will also remain here with a full crew of fighting men on board, with Raymond in command. It will be his job to deter any pirates that might try to cut out the cogs and to help in the fight if our compound is attacked by the governor or anyone else.

  Perhaps I look unhappy when I hear the news because William hastens to explain to me that the galleys are not likely to be attacked even if they sail with partial crews because they will have no cargo and everyone on board will be a fighting man. I thank him profusely for the reassurance – and don’t tell him that my unhappiness is about leaving Lena and the baby.

  I’ve been increasingly concerned ever since Lena told me her baby is a girl and shyly asked me if I think Aria is an acceptable name. And I got even more concerned when she asked me if I think Father Thomas would be willing to baptize the baby even though her husband is dead and she has no man to stand up for her.

  I was quick to tell Lena that Aria sounds like a fine name and she smiled shyly and nodded her agreement when I offered my services at the baptism - that’s why I went straightaway to speak with Father Thomas about baptizing the infant and protecting here while I’m away.

  Father Thomas nods sagely when I explain the situation.

  “Of course she should be baptized” is his response. “But there is a problem because the child’s father is dead - someone must take primary responsibility for her religious upbringing and someone else must be available as her godfather in the event the first man fails or falls. And both must be men the mother will accept. Will she accept you and William for such important roles?” Would Lord William really be Aria’s Godfather if I ask him?

  “Do you think William would do that?” I ask. “Lena said she would be very pleased if I took the father’s role and it would please me to do it. But do you really think William might be willing to be the child’s godfather?”

  Father Thomas just smiles and suggests I ask him. So that is what I do when I return from telling Aaron that two of our galleys will be leaving tomorrow for another voyage to Latika and, perhaps, to Acre.

  What happens next truly surprises me: William agrees and that very afternoon all the archers and many of the men gather around as I hold little Aria and Father Thomas baptizes her.

  Lena clings to me with tears in her eyes throughout the ceremony and the men all nod and murmur their agreement when Father Thomas asks if they too will stand up for the child Aria and help her when she needs help. Truth be told, I feel quite emotional and have tears in my eyes when it is all over. Then everyone gathers around to very gently touch the child and then kiss Lena on the cheek and clap me on the shoulder.

  We all laugh when Aria’s tiny little hand closed around one of rough old Long Bob’s fingers and melts his heart so that he can’t move and exclaims “Blimey, she’s got me” in wonderment.

  @@@@@

  Our plan is to go out tomorrow on the morning tide with about sixty fighting men and sailors on each galley even though that is not even enough men to man all the oars.

  We’re taking so few men because we don’t expect to be attacked - and going out lightly manned will give us more room for new recruits and paying passengers.

  But that is not to be. Everything changes late in the afternoon when a horseman appears at the gate with a message saying the documents are ready in Nicosia. That was quick.

  Father Thomas and William are elated and our plans quickly change. Instead of sailing on the morning tide, Father Thomas and I and the archers and all the soldiers in the crews of the two galleys, over one hundred men, are on our way to Nicosia with a mule carrying six small sacks of gold and silver coins for the king and a smaller pouch for the Chamberlain. The men will rejoin their galleys and we will head for Latika and the Holy Land as soon as we return.

  We make good time on the cart path to Nicosia and even run into several of our recruiting parties coming back along the track in the other direction. The party from Nicosia has done very well. It has almost forty recruits including some dozen or more experienced archers and men at arms who, the recruiting party’s sergeant commander warns us privately, are probably deserters from the King’s guard who left with their weapons.

  On the second day of walking along the track to Nicosia who should we find coming towards us on the back of mule with a large party of guards and a big smile on his face and our parchment documents - the King’s Chamberlain, Lord Alstain.

  The chamberlain obviously wants to get his hands on the bezants before the king sees them - which is fine with us so long as we get the signed and sealed documents.

  Examining the documents their seals and exchanging them for the gold coins takes only a matter of minutes, particularly once Father Thomas ostentatiously asks me if I have the sack with the gold coins for Chamberlain to cover his expenses. On the face of things, the Chamberlain is behaving properly and we will all end up with what we want.

  But why did he come to meet us?

  I can’t contain myself once we turn around and begin our walk back along the dusty track to Limassol.

  “Why did he come to meet us, Father Thomas… uh, I mean Bishop Thomas?”

  “I’ve been wonder about that myself. He probably wants to steal some of the King’s coins. But it really doesn’t matter; we drafted the documents and the seals of the king and the papal nuncio look genuine so it doesn’t matter who ends up with the coins.”

  Chapter Ten

  THE KNIGHTS OF SAINT JOHN

  A day and a half later the rowing drums begin beating and our two galleys finally get underway for Latika and the Holy Land. We are going out on the morning tide of a hot summer day without a cloud in the sky; the rowers are already sweating before we clear the harbor. And I dread having to take my turn at the oars; my hands are still blistered from the last time.

  We’re going out with both galleys severely under strength, both so we’ll have more room for paying passengers when we return and so enough of our most experienced and dependable fighting men can be left behind to defend our ships and our quarters. But we don’t expect our galleys to be attacked even if we run into pirates – we’re in war galleys and all of the men in the two crews except for me and a few sailors are fighting men. And besides, we have nothing of value on board to interest pirates.

  While we’re gone the men we leave behind under Father Thomas and Randolph will keep working to strengthen the headquarters fort and begin training our new recruits. Also, and something new and important, an arrow making workshop is to be set up with Brian, the wounded archer, as its sergeant.

  The barber dug the arrow out of Brian’s leg and he seems to be recovering although he now walks with a limp that’s worse than ever. Poor Athol, on the other hand, still only looks off with a blank stare despite all the bleeding the barber has been doing. Even the potions administered by Limassol’s Greek doctor haven’t helped him.

  Harold the red haired English slave with the pocked face is the sailing sergeant on our galley. He’s been to Latika before and says he knows the way. Randolph, the archer who is the sergeant master of all our ships, is staying in Limassol to supervise the archery training of our new recruits and command the men and sergeants on the cogs and the galley which will remain behind.

  All the arrangements were made before Father Thomas and I got back from delivering the gold bezant coins to the Chamberlain so I’m not sure who has been appointed the sergeant captain of the other galley or if it has its own pilot.

  I hope they have their own pilot or they might not find their way if we get
separated. It’s worrisome because that galley cost a lot of coins and we only just bought it a month or so ago. I’ll have to ask William.

  @@@@@

  Our galleys each hang a lantern on their mast that night and the next. And it works – the weather isn’t bad at all and keeping each other in sight throughout the two nights enables our fast moving galleys to travel together for the entire trip. We see but one ship in the distance the first day and, of course, nothing at night since only war galleys and guarded convoys would dare show lights in these pirate infested waters.

  When the sun comes up on the third day we are near the coast of the Holy Land. That’s when we begin seeing other ships in the distance. What we see are cogs and fishing boats, but not a single war galley. Several of the cogs turn tail and run as soon as they see us. William totally ignores them.

  I am much relieved; now I know for sure we are not going to be pirates.

  Unfortunately, despite the good weather and visibility, the winds and currents push us further south than we intended. And then Harold, the red haired former slave we took off one of the galleys we bought, compounds the problem by turning us to run further south along the coast. We are half way to Acre before he realizes he’s made a mistake and admits the problem.

  I wonder if Harold really is a pilot or if he just is pretending.

  At that point things change. William decides that Acre, the heavily fortified and most important port in the Holy Land, will be our first port of call.

  Acre, William tells me when I inquire, is a place he and the archers know well. They’d been here a few years ago under King Richard when he starved out the Saracen defenders and took the city’s great fort - and in capturing it caused the archers to contract to follow Lord Edmond to the Bekka Valley. That happened when Richard killed his Saracen prisoners despite giving his word that he would not.

  I am learning that William and Father Thomas and all the English are touchy about people who don’t keep their word even though the prisoners were only useless heathens and undoubtedly deserved to die.