As I neared the place we had designated as a toilet I saw a figure.
“Eleanor.”
The reply was supposed to be, ‘of Aquitaine’ . The figure did not move. I wondered if the rain had masked my words but, as I repeated it I drew my dagger and took a step closer. The Viking turned, with bloody sword in hand. I saw, as he turned, that he wore a cloak made of a wolf skin. The wolf’s skull was attached to the skin and formed a helmet. Beneath it he was bare chested.
“Alarm! Alarm! We are under attack!” I undid my cloak and held it in my left hand.
The wolfman leapt at me with his sword swinging. I whirled the cloak and it wrapped around the blade of the sword. I pulled the man towards me. I took him by surprise and as he came at me I rammed my dagger into his throat. I saw another three figures. They all wore animal furs. Roaring, they raced at me. I dropped the cloak and picked up the sword. Even as I was switching the sword into my right hand two arrows flew from behind me and hit one of the fur covered figures. He stumbled but still came on at me. There was a roar and Günther the Swabian leapt from the side swinging the axe he had taken. It struck one of the Vikings in the chest. The one with two arrows sticking from him swung his sword at me. I blocked it with my sword and ripped the man across the stomach. The last warrior was surrounded by my men at arms and butchered.
James had brought lighted brands from the camp and he looked at me with concern on his face, “Are you hurt lord?”
I shook my head, “Shaken. What were they?
Padraig said, “Shape shifters. I thought they were a legend. There were stories of warriors who could turn themselves into wolves and bears. It was said they could not be killed.”
Günther pulled his axe from the chest of the Viking he had killed, “Well we disproved that theory at any rate.”
Aelric pulled the two arrows from the chest of the one I had killed. “I do not know, this one almost did for the Warlord with two arrows in him.”
“Find our dead sentries and bury them. Then search them for signs. Take their heads and put them in a sack. We will return them to Waterford tomorrow. I am guessing that is where they came from.”
Count Striguil and Sir Raymond appeared through the trees, dripping from the rain. They looked in horror at the four dead men. In the light from the brands we could see that the men had sharpened and blackened their teeth. Their bodies had scars which had been impregnated with natural dyes. They looked as though they were from another world.
“Are we to fight more of these tomorrow?” Richard de Clare was visibly shaken by the four dead Vikings.
I looked at Padraig. He shook his head, “I have been to Waterford before and I have never seen the like. I would doubt it, lord.”
I returned to my bed but I had difficulty in sleeping and so I sat up and planned what we would do at Waterford. When I had my plans clear I examined the sword I had taken. It was shorter and broader than my sword. The hilt was smaller and it was unadorned save by a dragon carved into the blade. It had a good balance. I would have Lame Tom make me a scabbard for it and I would keep it on my horse.
As I had not slept, I rose early. The rain had stopped. It had cleaned away the blood. The four headless bodies lay in the woods where they had fallen. My men were also up and about. The attempt on my life had shaken them. They were all old-fashioned warriors. I was their lord and they were my oathsworn. If anything happened to me then they would blame themselves.
Waterford was a wonderful harbour. I could see why the Vikings had made it their own. They had built a wall around the burgh and they had two towers over the gate. This time they did not form up before the wall, they lined them. We reined in beyond bow range. Here their archers would have the same range as my bow men for they had the advantage of a fighting platform from which to send their arrows. When I had made my plans, I had two choices. If they had formed up then we would have attacked as we had at Wexford. I had a plan for their defence of their walls too. We would build an onager and reduce the walls. I would not risk my men in an attempt to storm their walls. We had too few for that.
“Padraig, do they understand the concept of a bare head?”
“You mean as a sign that you wish to talk, lord?” I nodded. “They do. The jarl here speaks your language too.”
“Count Striguil take off your helmet and you James. Sir Richard be so good as to fetch the sack with the heads.” I took off my helmet and handed it to Roger of Bath. I lowered my coif and I slipped my mail mittens from my hands. Spurring Warrior, I led James, Padraig and Count Striguil towards the gate. When we were two hundred paces I saw bows drawn. A voice shouted something indistinct and they were lowered. The first test had been passed. They would speak.
We stopped by the bridge over their ditch. “I am Earl Marshal of England. I am here to ask for your surrender.”
A grizzled warrior nodded, “I am Jarl Finni Siggison why should we surrender? We have stout men and strong walls.”
I nodded and held my hand out for the sack. Count Striguil gave it to me. I emptied the sack and the four skulls fell from it. “You mean stout men like these who came to our camp to murder me?”
I saw the warrior glare at a younger warrior who was nearby. “That was a mistake. They are not the same as my warband. We are warriors and we have never been defeated.”
“Good. For we would not make war on such men. We would have you as allies.”
“Allies?”
I saw the question in his eyes. Could he trust a Norman? I guessed this was the first time he had dealt with one. I chose to be as honest as I could be. “I offered the same to Jarl Sigtrygg Haakenson. He declined and he and his oathsworn are dead. I suspect many of your warriors fought with him too.” The look on the jarl’s face told me I had hit the mark. “You can carry on here as lord of Veðrafjǫrðr. You will acknowledge Count Striguil here as your lord.”
“And what does that mean? I have to bow and kiss his arse?”
I smiled, “No, jarl. It means that if there are common enemies then you fight under his banner but you lead your own men.” I sensed hesitation. “I do not ask for an immediate decision. I will return in the morning and you can give me your decision then.”
“Thank you.”
“But know this, Jarl, I will not leave belligerents behind us. You will either be our friends or I will reduce your walls to kindling and slaughter every one within your walls. I would prefer to be allies but…”
“I understand and I thank you for your honesty. You are a man. That Irish lord, Mac Murchada, is not to be trusted but I believe that I can trust you. You spoke well to our kin at Veisafjǫrðr.”
As we rode back I knew that some had left Wexford to warn the men of Waterford.
“Will they accede to our demands?”
I turned to Count Striguil, “I hope so for if not we will have to spend time building war machines and I am concerned that the High King may be gathering another army.”
“What if he does not?”
“Then we can secure the borders of Leinster and you can begin to build castles!”
We made our camp even more secure by planting stakes around it and digging a ditch. The ditch also helped to make the camp drier. Tomas ap Tomas ad his Welsh archers hunted and we ate venison! It was a better meal than the one we had eaten the night before.
When we approached the town the next day I knew we had won for the gates were open. We had Waterford and it had only cost us two sentries. That was a small price to pay.
Chapter 13
With Waterford as an ally and Wexford under the command of Sir Hervey we sent a ship back to England for more men. I hoped there would be young knights who were eager for land. Already de Clare was looking for sites which could be defended and made into manors. It was not the Irish way but I knew that Richard de Clare was going to rule the Norman way.
When we reached Ferns, I saw that more men had arrived to serve the King of Leinster. Perhaps our victories had made their backbones stronger. The K
ing had a hall but it was hardly palatial. They had a wall but only the gates were made of stone and the wooden walls were just two paces high. I could have cleared them with Skuld. I saw the disappointment on de Clare’s face. As we rode up he said quietly, “And he expects me to lie here with my wife?”
I shrugged, “When the borders are secure find yourself a good place to build a castle and use stone.”
The King came from his hall to greet us. He had the Bishop of Ferns with him and his chiefs behind him, “Welcome, husband of my daughter. I hear you have quashed the Vikings! Now we can begin to take more land from our enemies. If you have taken Wexford and Waterford then Dyflin should be easy.”
I looked at the Count. I was willing him to speak but he did not. He was looking at his wife who had come to join him. She looked radiant and I think Count Striguil was somewhat distracted. I spoke, “Your majesty, we will need your men in order to take Dyflin. We lost men in our attacks.”
He scowled, “I know not why you are even here, Earl Marshal. I invited Count Striguil, who is the husband of my daughter.”
It was my turn to smile, “I am the representative of King Henry. As I recall you asked him for help and he allowed his knights to aid you. If I return to England then you will lose half of the Count’s army.”
He turned and nodded to the Bishop. The Bishop stepped forward, “I believe that you have freed my slave, Padraig. Who gave you the right to do so?”
“The Pope, Bishop. He is not happy with your practices. Slavery is no longer acceptable. He is also unhappy at what he sees as corruption. I have yet to do as my king asked and write a report on the activities of the Church for we have been too busy fighting the enemies of the King of Leinster. When time allows then I will do so.” The threat was enough and he backed off. I turned my attention to the king, “Well?”
“We have men ready to fight but I would have them fight under the banner of Count Striguil.”
“And that is perfectly acceptable. We will make a camp yonder.” I pointed to a slightly higher piece of ground about half a mile from the cathedral. “Are you coming, Count Striguil?”
“I think I will stay in the hall with my wife this night.”
I think the king saw it as a victory for he beamed. When we reached the open ground I said, “Sir Raymond, I would have you make a camp but I would have you use this higher ground. I think we will make this a castle for Count Striguil.”
As it seemed likely that we would be at Ferns for some time I intended for us to be comfortable. I went with four of my men at arms and we laid out the lines for a simple square keep. I had spotted the only ground higher than the cathedral. It would have to do. I did not plan on using my own men to build it. I would use the men of Leinster. I sent James, with Padraig, to find a quarry which was close by for the stone. At the end of two days we had a strong, defensible camp and James had found stone. Count Striguil remained in Ferns. That suited me for it meant I could act without being watched. When all was ready I went with Sir Raymond and Hugh de Lacy to visit with him and the king.
When we were announced I saw that Count Striguil was a little embarrassed. “I am sorry that I have been absent, Earl Marshal. The King has been telling me of his plans. They are grand and achievable. I believe that we can take County Meath. It is weakly held.”
I saw the King preening himself at the praise. I nodded, “Excellent, then perhaps the King will provide us with labour to build you a castle here.”
Silence fell, “A castle?”
“Your majesty, surely you must see that you can only hold this land if you have a strong castle. I have laid out the lines of a castle just half a mile away. I know where we can source the stone. Is there a problem?”
“What of the High King?”
“I had planned on taking a body of knights and men at arms to find his whereabouts. When we know where he is then we can plan to defeat him.” I had prepared my answer before I met with the king. I could now see how he had lost his kingdom. He was indolent. The only way the Count of Striguil could regain Leinster was with Norman knights and men at arms backed up by English and Welsh archers.
“Very well. I can see no problem with a strong castle.”
That night I walked around the projected castle. I had decided on four towers around a central keep. From what I had seen so far that would be more than an obstacle for the Irish. I needed a mason. I did not believe that there would be one in Ireland. It would take time to collect the stone and have the foundations dug. I had time to send to England for one. The payment would come from the Irish. King Diarmait Mac Murchada was regaining his kingdom and the price, so far, just his pretty daughter.
I took just my men at arms and archers along with Hugh de Lacey and his men. I liked Hugh. He had had problems in Wales and this was his chance to regain his fortune. He did not complain nor bemoan his situation. He worked hard and his men were as loyal and hard working as he. We headed north west. The High King had his centre of power in Connacht. That lay to the west. I intended to head there and see if I could find him and his army. If he was not preparing to march against Leinster then we might be able to take some of his land.
The land over which we travelled was largely flat. I knew that there were mountains in Ireland but, thus far, I had only seen them in the distance. It was land made for horses. The only horses we had seen had been large ponies. It was no wonder that our charge had come as a total surprise to them.
We were about to turn and ride back to Ferns when Tom the Fletcher’s sharp eyes picked out something. “Lord, up ahead, there are huts and beyond them I see armed men.”
“You have good eyes.” Confident that we would be able to outrun the enemy if they were in large numbers we continued up the narrow road. I had learned that the Romans had never built any roads here. They were, at best, cobbled but normally, they were a greenway. The recent rain had made them somewhat slick and slippery. Men would find it as hard to move quickly as we did.
If we could see them then it was certain that they could see us. The thin sun sparkled off metal. They were moving. We kept heading towards the houses. It was not a large place. I counted no more than twenty huts and buildings. Given that I guessed that it was a gathering place. The High King had summoned men. We must have arrived shortly after the summons for there did not appear to be a great host. What was most interesting was the river. From the direction it took I guessed it was the river which flowed through Wexford. Had this been England then I would have expected a castle to guard the bridge. There was none.
As we headed closer the Irish formed up with one flank on the bank of the river. I turned to Hugh de Lacy. “How many would you say?”
He stood in his stirrups. “I would say more than two hundred.”
I nodded my agreement. “Let us get a little closer. Aelric, if we get the chance see if you can make them charge us.”
“Aye lord.”
My eighteen archers were all mounted. No matter how close to the Irish they went they would be safe. We closed to within two hundred paces. The warriors banged their shields. The ones without shields banged their chests. There were the usual warriors who bared their backsides at us. Four of them dropped their breeks and began to make water in our direction.
“Aelric!”
While my archers dismounted and nocked an arrow I studied the banners. There were six different ones and I had not seen any at the first battle. What I needed was an Irish warrior who knew the lords. Aelric and his archers did not just send the eighteen arrows randomly. They targeted those who had bared themselves. As soon as the fourteen who had done so fell the rest fell back or sheltered behind shields.
“Now the leaders on horses.”
Switching targets my archers sent their arrows at the six men who were mounted. Three of the men fell. Two horses were struck. One died quickly. The other ran around for a while, throwing its rider and careering into men on foot before a warrior with an axe ended its suffering. Another three flights later and
the Irish withdrew into the relative safety of the huts.
“Come, we can return to Ferns. The High King is coming but not yet. We have time to prepare.” We had not inflicted a large number of casualties but we had damaged their morale. We had struck and killed with no loss to ourselves. When we met them then those who had been at the river would remember.
The King had provided people to dig the foundations. I suspect that many were slaves. The stone had yet to arrive and my request for a mason would not have even reached England yet. I waved over Padraig. “There is a small settlement by a river north of here.”
“Athy.”
“Thank you. Next time I will take you with us for your knowledge will be invaluable.” I rode directly to the King’s hall. Count Striguil and Sir Raymond were both there. “The High King is gathering an army but they will not be ready for some time.” I looked at the King. “If you could have scouts out, your majesty we might have warning. We found them gathering at the place you call Athy.”
The Bishop frowned, “That is close, your majesty. If they have left already then they could be here within half day. Perhaps instead of having our people build the castle for these Normans we should have them preparing defences.”
I laughed, “Stick to the church and your books, your Grace. Leave the strategy to warriors. We will meet them long before they get here so long as the scouts give us warning when the High King arrives. I did not see his banner yet.”
“What if he brings an even larger army, Earl Marshal?”
“It matters not. If we meet them in the open then they will be slaughtered.”
“Pride and arrogance are both sins.”
“I have pride but it is pride in the men I lead. As for arrogance then I can tell you that I am not but I know my trade.” I left and Count Striguil and Sir Raymond followed me. Once we were outside I said, “How many men does the King bring?”
Irish War (Anarchy Book 16) Page 19