by Griff Hosker
"I just want my arms around you for however brief a moment. This will be our only time together, my love. My brother is ever suspicious and once he knows you have returned he will cease hunting."
I did not want to let her go. I nuzzled her hair. It smelled of rosemary and thyme. For something to say, more than anything, I said, "Our son grows."
"And each day looks more like you."
I stepped back, "He does?" She nodded, "Then I shall grow a beard. We cannot have any suspicions."
She kissed me one more time. "Now you should go to your chambers and change. Tonight we shall talk of the campaign."
Before we do I have news for you from the Earl's daughter. Your niece. I have been to Lincoln and spoken with the Countess of Chester. I was going to speak of it in the presence of you both but he is not here and I am anxious to unburden myself. She believes that her husband will split with Stephen soon and that means he will return to our side. I know he is untrustworthy and I would disregard his defection save that Maud says if he does she will hold Lincoln until her father can get there."
"Truly?"
"She is a strong woman. She reminds me of her aunt."
She smiled and suddenly looked much younger. "Has she the men that she can trust?"
I nodded. "I left her some of mine to augment those that she could trust but it is important that we are ready to act as soon as Stephen breaks with the Earl and he will. He is going to take back Lincoln. We both know that the Earl likes his manors and his power."
"Then that is good news and you are wise to speak of it privately. When my brother returns we will talk more. Thank you, my lord."
"It was Maud and not me."
"I know that you make these things happen. You are too modest!"
I was about to leave and I hesitated, "My lady, Mandeville. It did not sit well with me surrendering him. He is a bad man. I did not mind losing the gold but he is not a noble man and there is little about him which is knightly."
"Sometimes my lord we must choose strange bedfellows. The Earl of Essex is contemplating defecting to our side. He controls London. We could take that city without a fight if he were on our side. It seemed worth the gamble."
I nodded, "I can see now why you did so but London is not England, my lady. It has always looked after itself. I think it is because there is no lord to whom they owe allegiance. Be wary of London."
"Thank you Alfraed. As ever your words are both wise and welcome. I am glad that you are by my side again. I believe our cause will be furthered now that you have joined our ranks once more."
Gilles had laid my clothes out for me and had managed to get a bath for me. I suspected that Margaret and Judith had thought of that. It was such a pleasant experience that I confess I fell asleep and Gilles had to wake me. I saw him take out the knife he used to shave me. "I think I shall grow a beard, Gilles."
"A beard lord!"
"I have whimsy to grow one. When I was younger I could never manage one. I think I shall try."
"Very well lord."
"But you can cut my hair. That is getting too long."
"You always wear it long, lord. You said Wulfstan wore his long."
"Aye but he wore his in pigtails. It is not the fashion now. I will try it shorter." I shrugged. "I can always grow it long again."
"As you wish, lord." I could see that I had mystified my squire.
The Empress nodded approvingly as she saw me enter her Great Hall. It was filled with knights. It was lucky that there were just the seven of us. We would have struggled to find a seat had it been all of my knights. Sir Pain and Sir Miles fitz Walter sought me out as soon as I entered. We had fought together at Worcester. They were both reliable knights. Sir Pain was a huge man. He reminded me of Wulfric in many ways. "It is good to see you Earl. While we have sat over the summer you have been fighting I hear."
"There is always fighting in the North. If it is not the Scots then it is Stephen's men and if not them then robber barons who seek a throne for themselves."
Sir Miles said, "We should have gone to the aid of the Bishop of Ely." He pointed to the prelate who sat by the Empress' right hand. "He is a good man. He has not complained that he was abandoned but I have spoken with him and it would not have taken much to go to his aid. Now the east is lost and many good men too."
The feast went well. Everyone seemed in good humour. The Empress glanced over to me many times during the feast and smiled. They were small gestures but I read much into them.
After the food had finished the Empress stood and silence descended upon the room. "My lords, your Grace, today we have been joined by our Champion." There was a cheer and goblets were banged upon the table. Matilda waited until the room was quiet once more, "He has come fresh from more victories against those who would harm us and he brings tidings for my brother and me. I give you a toast, the Earl of Cleveland, the Champion of England!"
The room roared, "Champion of England!"
Sir Miles said, as the room subsided and more wine was fetched, "She thinks highly of you, lord." I nodded. "There are just two left now of the knights of the Empress."
"Two? What of Sir Guy?"
"Did you not hear, he was killed when French forces attacked his lands and those of his brothers. France is flexing its muscles. I fear that Count Geoffrey may need aid there soon. He may be winning the war in Normandy but this new French king is anxious to make a name for himself."
Sir Pain said, "Aye but the young wolf, Sir William of Ouistreham is now as powerful in Normandy as his father is here. You have a son in whom you can be proud, my lord."
"I am proud." As I drank I reflected that it was sad I had to hear that from someone other than my son. He had never been a great writer and I suspected that he was busy. I yearned for news of him and my grandson. Yet I knew I could not leave England. Our paths seemed fated to diverge.
I listened more than I spoke as Sir Miles and Sir Pain told me of events beyond my valley. I had had little news over the last year. That was understandable. The Archbishop had not been well and letters could be intercepted. The result was that I had much to think about as I headed back to my chambers. I discovered that I had a good manor in Liedeberge although it was, occasionally, subject to Welsh raids. Both Sir Miles fitz Walter and Sir Pain knew it well. I decided that when I had spoken with the Earl I would visit it. I would also have to speak with the Bishop of Hereford for he was also my liege lord.
The Earl did not arrive for two days. I suspected the delay was deliberate. It would be seen as an insult. It did not upset me for it gave our animals time to recover and I was able to spend time with young Henry. It afforded me even more opportunities to be close to the Empress without any suspicion falling upon us. Henry Fitz Empress was a clever boy and I saw quickness in his thinking. He understood things beyond his years. When we spoke of my new manor he asked if I would subjugate the Welsh.
"These are not my lands, lord. They belong to your uncle. It is for him to take that on."
"But if he will not do you not have a duty as my mother's Champion to do so? England's destiny is to rule the Welsh. My grandfather began that rule." I nodded, amazed at his understanding of such matters. "When I am king I shall conquer it and you will lead my armies."
"And I will gladly be there with you!"
The Earl of Gloucester made a loud and noisy entrance when he did return. He came accompanied not only by his own knights but also Welsh allies including the Lord of Powys, Madog ap Maredudd. He was the brother of the Welsh king. It was a statement of his power and I wondered if he had delayed his arrival so that he could come by so many men. Perhaps I was becoming cynical.
When he leapt from his horse he greeted me warmly. The Empress had warned me to curb my tongue and think of the greater good. She knew how I felt about her brother. I smiled as he greeted me. "It is the Wolf of the North! We are all grateful that you keep us safe from the privations of the Scots."
"And it is good to see you too lord. I have much to tell you."
The Welsh lord looked just like any other Norman save that he was Welsh. He dressed the same as any Norman knight. However, when he spoke his accent made it difficult to understand all that he said, "I have heard much about you, Earl Alfraed, Warlord of the North. It is good to finally meet you. I look forward to the day we fight alongside each other. I have heard that you, alone amongst the English, have archers who are the equal of the Welsh."
"We find that they are useful when fighting the Scots, lord and I have good ones." I gestured for Dick, "This is Sir Richard, he leads my archers and is the finest bowman I know."
Dick bowed and the Welshman said, "A knight who is an archer; interesting."
Dick smiled, "I was an archer long before my lord knighted me. I use a sword but I prefer the bow."
Madog laughed, "Spoken like a true archer. We must talk."
I think that the Earl was irritated by the lack of attention on him. "You say you have news, my lord?"
"It would be better spoken of in private. Perhaps in the Empress' antechamber."
"These are all friends."
Matilda said, "And it is too public, brother. The Earl is right."
"Very well." He turned to his knights. "We will enjoy the fruits of our hunt this night!"
Once in the antechamber he said, "Well what is so precious that it has to be heard in secret as though we are conspirators?"
I took a deep breath as I saw the warning in the Empress' eyes. I spoke calmly, "I visited Lincoln, lord and spoke with your daughter." I could see that I had taken him by surprise. "She believes that her husband will be stripped of his new titles by the King and that Stephen will invest Lincoln with a royal garrison once more."
"And how does this help us?"
"She will hold Lincoln for us but we need to go to her aid."
"Not her husband?"
Matilda said, "Ranulf is like a straw, brother. Your daughter is made of sterner stuff it seems."
"Aye it looks like my fate is to be surrounded by strong women."
Matilda gave me the slightest shake of her head. Her brother had insulted her but she wished me to ignore it.
"Lincoln is far from here."
"It is and winter approaches."
He gave me a shrewd look, "Can my daughter hold?"
"She did before and I left her some of my men. I believe she can."
The Empress leaned forward. "We cannot act yet. We must wait until Stephen has broken with the Earl."
"From what Maud told me, lord, that will not be long. The people of Lincoln grow tired of your son in law."
"Then we need to gather our army. Lincoln is in the heart of the enemy's lands. It would take many days to reach there."
"Perhaps we could gather at Wallingford lord."
He looked at me, "Wallingford?"
"Fitz Count holds it still and our enemies might think that we are preparing for an attack on London down the Thames Valley. It would be more logical than a strike a hundred miles north, to Lincoln."
He laughed, "You are a true Greek! Your mind could unravel the Gordian knot. It is a good plan but we must do this slowly. Fitz Count will need time to prepare quarters for us and we will need supplies."
The Empress shook her head, "We cannot take them from our people."
"Then we take them from Stephen's. The harvest will soon be in. We raid along the borderlands. It will weaken the resolve of our enemy and empty the lands through which we must travel." This was the old Earl.
"Let us keep this plan to ourselves, brother. We can tell our knights that we raid but not the grand strategy. We must give Maud every chance!"
He nodded and we were all in agreement. "Aye, she is the fruit of my loins and no mistake!"
That seemed to set the mood for the next few days. The Earl seemed both enthusiastic and confident of our enterprise. He took it upon himself to visit Wallingford and prepare the camp there. We wanted all of our men in place before we began the raids. The Empress also sent spies to London so that she could assess the likelihood of Lincoln reverting to the crown. I took the opportunity of visiting Liedeberge. Sir Miles came with me. He knew the area well. I just took Sir John, my squires and my men at arms. Dick and his archers were scouting the sites we might raid.
Liedeberge was a quiet manor. It looked to me as though it had been largely a hunting lodge which had expanded into a small manor and village. There was no castle but the hall had a wall around it. I realised it would never bring in a huge income but it was a gift from the Empress and, as such, should be held in high regard by me. The reeve was an old man, Ralph of Liedeberge. He appeared to be related to everyone in the manor. He was pleased to have a lord and took us around everyone who lived within a mile of the hall to introduce us. My title impressed him. He seemed a good sort. His three sons had the three best farms and his four daughters had all brought other farmers to the others.
"What sort of income can I expect Ralph?"
I do not know if he expected me to be a typical knight who used the manor for hunting but he was in for a surprise. "Income, my lord?"
"Yes Ralph. This war against Stephen the Usurper costs money. I have knights and men at arms to support. You do want the Empress Matilda to win do you not?"
"Of course, lord." He rubbed his grey beard. "This year has not been as good a year as we might have expected."
"Why? Did you have storms when you were gathering in the harvest? Your barns look full. Perhaps you were raided?"
Sir Miles said, "Stephen got no closer than Wallingford, lord."
I went close to the old man. "I am a good lord. Ask my people in Stockton but I expect the truth. Do not try to deceive me. I will expect you to bring an account of the manor to Gloucester in two days time." I swept a hand around the village. "It would not please your family if I brought in another reeve would it, Ralph?"
His shoulders sagged, "I am sorry my lord. No, my family would not like me to be replaced. I swear that I will answer all of your questions honestly."
"Good. My men will use the manor while we are in the area. Sir John here will act as my constable." I nodded to Sir John. He knew what to do. "Come Sir Miles we have pressing matters in Gloucester."
As we rode back Sir Miles laughed, "Ralph was just seeing what he could get away with, lord, you know that?"
"Of course and that is why I left Sir John there. Sir John was castellan at Stockton. He worked closely with my Steward. He will give me an accurate assessment of the worth of Liedeberge. Let us see how truthful the old man is."
"I can see why you have gained so much power at such a young age. Nothing gets by you."
"When you live surrounded by enemies it is what you have to do. One mistake can prove disastrous as my friend Sir Hugh Manningham discovered."
"And yet you did not avenge him. I was surprised by that."
He said it mildly but I whirled to face him, "When I have time I will avenge him. Had I gone charging up to the New Castle it would have availed me naught save the loss of irreplaceable men. I will bide my time and Prince Henry will feel my wrath."
"I am sorry, lord, I did not meant to offend you."
"You did not. The memory is too raw and I berated myself on the journey south. I am the one who knows when I have done wrong or made a mistake. The death of Sir Hugh haunts my dreams and I will have vengeance but on my terms and in my time!"
As we neared Gloucester he asked, "You are in the Earl and Empress' confidence; tell me what this massing of men and supplies at Wallingford means. Do we attack London or Oxford perhaps?"
"I cannot divulge the Earl's plans but suffice it to say that we will see action soon. It is why I wanted affairs at Liedeberge putting in order."
As we approached Gloucester I could see more knights and their men heading for Wallingford. Soon Gloucester would be emptied and the citizens could get their lives back to normal. The Empress' household knights and the garr
ison of the town walls would be all that remained.
Chapter 10
Sir Brian Fitz Count was happy that his castle would be used as our home for a month or two. He confided in me that it would give him the chance to ride his horse to war and see how his knights fared beyond the safety of his walls. Dick had suggested Banbury for our raid. It belonged to Alexander, Bishop of Lincoln, but he had fallen out with Stephen and had had his castles confiscated and was imprisoned. I concurred with my knight's decision..
The night before our raid I gathered my men. "Our aim is not to hurt the people. We will be taking their livestock and their grain but they should not be harmed." They nodded. My men did not like making war on those who could not defend themselves. "My plan is quite simple. "Dick and the archers will conceal themselves close to Banbury Castle. I have no intention of taking the castle. It will be a waste of men. I will lead the knights and men at arms to frighten the farmers from their farms and flee to Banbury. Hopefully they will leave their animals and grain. After all the Wolf and his pack will be abroad!" My men laughed. "If any try to take animals then Dick and his archers will be able to capture them. When we approach Banbury I suspect that they will risk trying to capture me. After all we have few enough men. Dick, you will spring our trap then."
"And after lord?"
"Then, Sir John, we drive the animals back to our camp and scout out another target."
"I meant after the raid, lord. We are collecting animals and grain for a purpose. What is that purpose?"
"That is out of our hands. Suffice it to say it is a great prize. This winter we seek a crown!"
Dick and his archers left before dawn. They had scouted out the town walls and knew where to hide. Their hiding place was well within bow range. We had the luxury of just approaching any farm. We did not need to be silent nor did we need to be cautious. We just rode. The first farm we spied had just a wooden palisade. It was to keep wild animals out and not men. We were spied when we were a mile away by a cowherd. We saw him run and I guessed that he was shouting. They had two horses and the family crowded on the backs of the two beasts. The farmer led them as they fled towards Banbury. We slowed as we approached for I wanted panic. While John of Norton and Peter Strong Arm began to herd the animals together, Richard and Gilles went to find the grain. We knew that the farmers in this county had gathered their grain in already and it was conveniently stacked in sacks in their barn. Leaving the two squires and men at arms to secure our booty we hurried after the farmer and his family. When we spied Banbury's walls, just half a mile ahead we stopped as though we had been deterred by the walls and I led them along the greenway to the next farm we had selected.