by Griff Hosker
Harold saw my dilemma. “Do not worry, sir. Once the ladders are up we can concentrate on the crossbows. They will be aiming at you and not us. Come on boys.” He led the archers away from where we stood so that they could release obliquely at the sides of the pavise. The crossbows would have a choice then; target the archers or us. They could not do both. I risked a peek over the top and saw the ladder resting against the wall. The bolt pinged off my helmet and then I heard a cry as the crossbowman was felled by an arrow. It became a game of dare as I watched the progress of the climbers and the crossbows tried to hit me. Our archers were few in number but they kept both the crossbows and the climbers at bay. Inevitably, however, through sheer weight of numbers, the climbers made progress.
“Edward, you take that ladder. Wulfric, behind me.”
“Aye my lord.”
I saw that Wulfric had a pole axe with a wicked looking hook on it. He grinned at me. “This’ll give the buggers a surprise, my lord.”
I saw a crossbowman as he took aim at me. I watched in horror as the bolt sped towards me. I jerked my head back and it clanged off my helmet. It spun off and stuck in Edgar’s cheek. He was a tough man and he jerked it out and spat the two broken teeth to the ground. He hurled the bolt over the walls.
“That was lucky, my lord. Had it not struck your helmet I might be a dead man. I am not meant to die today!” He hefted his shield and stood next to me on the battlements.
Wulfric waited until the sergeant at arms who was leading the attack was standing at the top of the leader. The sergeant raised his shield and then tried to swing his sword at me. It had little force behind it as he was trying to keep his precarious balance at the same time. As I swung my sword at him he held his shield up to block the blow. I swung again from the side and as I did so the tip of my sword connected with his eye sending him tumbling to his death. Another soldier began to climb from a position a few feet below where the sergeant had been. Wulfric hooked the hook around one of the rungs and the side of the ladder. I had not realised how strong he was but he began to march down the ramparts, backwards, pulling on the pole axe. The climbing soldier slowed down Wulfric’s progress somewhat as the increased weight made it difficult for my warrior. I saw what he was doing and I began to batter the sergeant at arms who was climbing towards me with his sword held out. Harold and the others were hitting those lower down who were ascending the ladder and suddenly the whole ladder began to slip down the wall. The sergeant and the others screamed as they saw the moat below them. They crashed to either die immediately or lie with shattered limbs in the bottom of Caen’s moat.
Edward had had less success and I could see that one knight had gained the ramparts and was beating Edward and his men back. I ran towards the knight. As I did so I heard the sound of a trumpet. I had no idea what it foretold. I had to get to my men or the castle would be lost. There were now three knights who had clambered up their ladder and they were racing to face me. Others were forcing Edward back. They had managed to split my tiny force. I had to contend with the battlements on my right hand side. It restricted my swing and it forced me to swing down from a height. They could swing at my shield. The first knight had an axe and I knew already what damage they could do to my shield. My anger at Richard’s treachery gave my arm added power. It struck the side of the first knight’s head for he was too slow to raise his shield and he overbalanced to plummet to his death in the bailey below. I did not give the second man a chance to strike at me as I reversed my thrust and brought up my sword, sideways, under his raised arm. He had no armour beneath his arm. I took the arm off at the shoulder and I used my shield to punch his body into the man behind. The last knight could not raise his own sword as his companion lay against him and I stabbed and twisted my blade into his throat. It was not an elegant blow but it was effective and he died. He fell gurgling at my feet. Wulfric had hooked the second ladder and, as it fell to earth, Edward killed the last intruder.
I looked over the wall and saw the men of Anjou and their allies fleeing. I could not believe that we had defeated them so easily and then Aiden shouted, “My lord, it is King Henry. He is here. We are safe! The siege is over.”
I dropped to my knees and thanked God. I had expected to die but we had triumphed. God was truly on our side.
Epilogue
We had lost men and others were wounded. Once I had recovered, we saw to our casualties. Many of my men had suffered wounds. Two lay dead. It was less than I expected and was a warning to me of the dangers of attacking a castle which had not been weakened by siege weapons. Then we descended to the bailey.
“You are wanted in the hall, my lord.” The man who spoke to me was one of the King’s household. I gave my shield and helmet to Harold. I was not presentable but one did not keep a king waiting. He was talking with Robert of Gloucester when I entered.
“Here, my liege, is the reason we survived this day. If Baron Alfraed had not arrived early for the muster then I fear we would have fallen.”
The king nodded and smiled, “Once again it seems we are indebted to you.”
“I also came, my liege, to warn you of treachery.”
“Treachery?” He frowned and beckoned me closer. “Tell me more.”
“Count Fulk bought Tancred de Mamers and Robert De Brus. They were hired to ferment rebellion in the north and draw off your forces. King David was also involved.”
The king shook his head. “And he is related to me!” However it is those knights who swore allegiance to me whom I must deal with first. It is time both De Mamers and De Brus were punished. But have you proof of this? De Brus has powerful allies.”
“I killed Tancred and captured his son. He is within the castle walls. Robert of Gloucester heard his confession.” The king’s son nodded. “De Brus fled here. He tried to ambush us at sea but we fought him off.”
“I like you more and more, son of a Varangian. Then when I have interrogated his son I will make a judgement on this traitor. I shall elevate you further for you have richly deserved it. Your father will be proud of you.”
“My father and most of his oathsworn were treacherously slain by Tancred and the men of Hartness.”
“Then I am sorry for your loss.”
“I also rescued Adele de Ville and she is at my castle. I would know what to do with here, my liege?”
“A noble deed, indeed. Then I shall make a judgement. She shall be your ward until she attains the age of twenty one. Perhaps I can find a place for her as one of the ladies in waiting for my daughter. That is for the future. I have much to do in England once we have dealt with the problems here. I would have been here sooner, Baron Alfraed but I was escorting my daughter. She and her husband are, er, well they are having difficulties. She should be joining us soon. I would have you and your men protect her while she is with us.”
“I would be honoured my liege.”
The doors opened and a vision walked in. On that first day when she strode into the hall at Caen I saw a young and beautiful twenty one year old woman. She looked every inch a princess. She looked helpless and vulnerable at the same time. I was dumbstruck. I had no words which I could summon up. And, thus, I met Matilda, Empress of the Holy Emperor and daughter of King Henry for the first time. I fell in love with her the moment I laid eyes upon her. She would be the woman I worshipped and never attained. She would be the cause to which I would dedicate my life and I would fight a king for her. My life changed irrevocably that day and I never regretted the meeting for one instant. My life and that of Matilda had been woven into the web by the weird sisters and no one could break that thread. Not even the man who would become Stephen the King of England.
The End
If you enjoyed reading about Ridley then there are three novels about his early life:
Housecarl
Outlaw
Varangian
Glossary
Battle- a formation in war (modern battalion)
Conroi- A group of knights fighting together
Destrier- war horse
Gonfanon- A standard used in Medieval times (Also known as a Gonfalon in Italy)
Maredudd ap Bleddyn- King of Powys
Moneyer- a man who makes official coins
Musselmen- Muslims
Palfrey- a riding horse
Pyx- a box containing a holy relic (Shakespeare’s Pax from Henry V)
Sumpter- pack horse
Tagmata- Byzantine cavalry
Ventail – a piece of mail which covered the neck and the lower face.
Wulfestun- Wolviston (Durham)
Maps
Map courtesy of Wikipedia
Courtesy of Wikipedia –Public Domain
Courtesy of Wikipedia –Public Domain
Historical note
The book is set during one of the most turbulent and complicated times in British history. Henry I of England and Normandy’s eldest son William died. The king named his daughter, the Empress Matilda as his heir. However her husband, the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire died and she remarried. Her new husband was Geoffrey of Anjou and she had children by him. (The future Henry II of England and Normandy- The Lion in Winter!)
When the king died the Empress was in Normandy and the nephew of Henry sailed for England where he was crowned king. A number of events happened then which showed how the politics of the period worked. King David of Scotland who was related to both Stephen and Matilda declared his support for Matilda. In reality this was an attempt to grab power and he used the Norman knights of Cumbria and Northumbria to take over that part of England and invade Yorkshire. Stephen came north to defeat him- King David, having lost the Battle of the Standard fled north of the Tees.
The Scots were taking advantage of a power vacuum on their borders. They did, according to chroniclers of the time behave particularly badly.
"an execrable army, more atrocious than the pagans, neither fearing God nor regarding man, spread desolation over the whole province and slaughtered everywhere people of either sex, of every age and rank, destroying, pillaging and burning towns, churches and houses"
"Then (horrible to relate) they carried off, like so much booty, the noble matrons and chaste virgins, together with other women. These naked, fettered, herded together; by whips and thongs they drove before them, goading them with their spears and other weapons. This took place in other wars, but in this to a far greater extent."
"For the sick on their couches, women pregnant and in childbed, infants in the womb, innocents at the breast, or on the mother's knee, with the mothers themselves, decrepit old men and worn-out old women, and persons debilitated from whatever cause, wherever they met with them, they put to the edge of the sword, and transfixed with their spears; and by how much more horrible a death they could dispatch them, so much the more did they rejoice."
Robert of Hexham
Meanwhile Matilda’s half brother, Robert of Gloucester (one of William’s bastards) declared for Matilda and a civil war ensued. The war went on until Stephen died and was called the anarchy because everyone was looking out for themselves. There were no sides as such. Allies could become enemies overnight. Murder, ambush and assassination became the order of the day. The only warriors who could be relied upon were the household knights of a lord- his oathsworn. The feudal system, which had been an ordered pyramid, was thrown into confusion by the civil war. Lords created their own conroi, or groups of knights and men at arms. Successful lords would ensure that they had a mixture of knights, archers and foot soldiers. The idea of knights at this time always fighting on horseback is not necessarily true. There were many examples of knights dismounting to fight on foot and, frequently, this proved to be successful.
William the Conqueror’s family tree
William The Bastard (The Conqueror)
William II (Rufus) Henry I Adela
William Matilda Stephen of Blois
Henry II
The dotted line indicates that they died before they could attain the crown or before they could rule effectively.
The word Fitz shows that the owner of the name is an illegitimate son of a knight. As such they would not necessarily inherit when their father died. There were many such knights. William himself was illegitimate.
Ridley, the father of my hero, was in three earlier books. There were two regiments of Varangians: one was English in character and one Scandinavian. As the bodyguards of the Emperor they were able to reap rich rewards for their service.
Ranulf Flambard was the controversial Bishop of Durham who was imprisoned in the tower by Henry for supporting his brother. Although reinstated the Bishop was viewed with suspicion by the king and did not enjoy as much power as either his predecessors or his successors. Hartness (Hartlepool) was given to the De Brus family by Henry and the family played a power game siding with Henry and David depending upon what they had to gain. They were also given land around Guisborough in North Yorkshire.
Squires were not always the sons of nobles. Often they were lowly born and would never aspire to knighthood. It was not only the king who could make knights. Lords had that power too. Normally a man would become a knight at the age of 21. Young landless knights would often leave home to find a master to serve in the hope of treasure or loot. The idea of chivalry was some way away. The Norman knight wanted land, riches and power. Knights would have a palfrey or ordinary riding horse and a destrier or war horse. Squires would ride either a palfrey, if they had a thoughtful knight or a rouncy (pack horse). The squires carried all of the knight’s war gear on the pack horses. Sometimes a knight would have a number of squires serving him. One of the squire’s tasks was to have a spare horse in case the knight’s destrier fell in battle. Another way for a knight to make money was to capture an enemy and ransom him. This even happened to Richard 1st of England who was captured in Austria and held to ransom.
At this time a penny was a valuable coin and often payment would be taken by ‘nicking’ pieces off it. Totally round copper and silver coins were not the norm in 12th Century Europe. The whole country was run like a pyramid with the king at the top. He took from those below him in the form of taxes and service and it cascaded down. There was a great deal of corruption as well as anarchy. The idea of a central army did not exist. King Henry had his household knights and would call upon his nobles to supply knights and men at arms when he needed to go to war. The expense for that army would be borne by the noble.
The border between England and Scotland has always been a prickly one from the time of the Romans onward. Before that time the border was along the line of Glasgow to Edinburgh. The creation of an artificial frontier, Hadrian’s Wall, created an area of dispute for the people living on either side of it. William the Conqueror had the novel idea of slaughtering everyone who lived between the Tees and the Tyne/Tweed in an attempt to resolve the problem. It did not work and lords on both sides of the borders, as well as the monarchs used the dispute to switch sides as it suited them.
I can find no evidence for a castle in Norton although it was second in importance only to Durham and I assume that there must have been a defensive structure of some kind there. The church in Norton is Norman but it is not my church. Stockton Castle was pulled down in the Civil War of the 17th Century. It was put up in the early fourteenth century. My castle is obviously earlier. There may have been an earlier castle on the site of Stockton Castle but until they pull down the hotel and shopping centre built on the site it is difficult to know for sure. The simple tower with a curtain wall was typical of late Norman castles. The river crossing was so important that I have to believe that there would have been some defensive structure there before the 1300s. The manor of Stockton was created in 1138. To avoid confusion in the later civil war I have moved it forward by a few years.
Vikings continued to raid the rivers and isolated villages of England for centuries. There are recorded raids as late as the sixteenth century along the coast south of the Fylde. These were not the huge raids of the ninth and tenth centuries b
ut were pirates keen for slaves and treasure. The Barbary Pirates also raided the southern coast. Alfraed’s navy had been a temporary measure to deal with the Danish threat. A Royal Navy would have to wait until Henry VIII.
The Welsh did take advantage of the death of the master of Chester and rampaged through Cheshire. King Henry and his knights defeated them although King Henry was wounded by an arrow. The king’s punishment was the surrender of 10,000 cattle. The Welsh did not attack England again until King Henry was dead!
Books used in the research:
The Varangian Guard- 988-1453 Raffael D’Amato
Saxon Viking and Norman- Terence Wise
The Walls of Constantinople AD 324-1453-Stephen Turnbull
Byzantine Armies- 886-1118- Ian Heath
The Age of Charlemagne-David Nicolle
The Normans- David Nicolle
Norman Knight AD 950-1204
The Norman Conquest of the North- William A Kappelle
Griff Hosker January 2015
Other books
by
Griff Hosker
If you enjoyed reading this book then why not read another one by the author?
Ancient History
The Sword of Cartimandua Series (Germania and Britannia 50A.D. – 128 A.D.)
Ulpius Felix- Roman Warrior (prequel)
Book 1 The Sword of Cartimandua
Book 2 The Horse Warriors
Book 3 Invasion Caledonia
Book 4 Roman Retreat
Book 5 Revolt of the Red Witch
Book 6 Druid’s Gold
Book 7 Trajan’s Hunters
Book 8 The Last Frontier
Book 9 Hero of Rome
Book 10 Roman Hawk
Book 11Roman Treachery
Book 12 Roman Wall
The Wolf Warrior series (Britain in the late 6th Century)