by Griff Hosker
“Baron, you are most welcome.”
I saw that he had suffered injury in the battle. His arm was in a sling and I saw men at arms with bandages on heads and arms.
I nodded at the sling, “You suffered that at the battle?”
His nostrils flared and his eyes widened, “Treachery! That was what it was, treachery! That traitor Mortimer brought Welshmen who changed sides as soon as the battle began. Mortimer lowered the standard immediately. We still had enough men to defeat them!”
I now saw whence the King had heard the news and understood how he had reached his conclusion. “And where is Glendower now, my lord?”
He shrugged, “The man is as slippery as an eel and cowardly to boot. He was not on the battlefield but his army retreated into the vastness of a wild and mountainous Wales, taking Mortimer with them.”
An idea began to form in my mind. This Welsh lord was clever and wished to avoid armies made up of knights who would defeat him in open battle. He would retreat to the higher ground. The castles around the periphery of his land would drive him to places with which he was familiar.
The Baron made us welcome in his lonely English outpost. It must have been a relief to see friendly faces. He seemed to have forgotten our first meeting or, perhaps, he had become more philosophical about our differences.
We left, the next day, for the battlefield. The Baron offered to send men with us but I declined as I was not sure we would return to the castle of Clun. I had a more circuitous route back to Chester planned. The battlefield, when we reached it, was a spectacle of horror. The English bodies lay where they had fallen although as carrion had feasted on them since the battle, they could have been Welsh for their features and garments were gnawed and ripped. My three scouts had remained hidden until we approached.
Owen shook his head, “A sorry sight it is and no mistake. They could have buried them.”
Geraint looked angry, “They had their parts removed and put in their mouths. I am betting that it was the women who did that. A Welsh woman can be terrible cruel.”
As much as I sympathised with the dead men, we had a job to do, “Did you find their trail?”
David of Welshpool nodded, “My dad could have found it and he was blind. The bulk of the army went to the south and west.”
I heard a ‘but’ in his voice. “But?”
“The knights went north. They had no foot with them nor did they have wagons.”
Alan and Edgar had joined me, “What are you thinking, lord?”
“That Glendower has gone north. He has gone home to hide.”
“But, father, we burned his home at Glyndyfrdwy!”
“That was some time ago and he may have rebuilt it but he has another home less than forty miles from here at Sycharth. We try Sycharth first. Owen, does the trail head in that direction?” My Welshmen knew the land better than I did.
“Aye, lord, and I think you are right. Glyndyfrdwy was a finer home but Sycharth is a castle. If he has Edmund Mortimer that would be a good place to hold him.”
“David and Geraint, follow the main army and let me know where they go. We will meet back at Chester.”
We headed north and David was right; the trail was easy to see and to follow. They were not expecting pursuit. Animal and human dung marked their passage. It was clear to me that this was a column of mailed knights for where horses had left the road they had sunk into the ground. They were laden. It also became obvious that, although mounted, they had moved slowly. We were faster. We could have used a safer road which went through England but I wanted to ensure that we followed Glendower. If I had made a mistake and he was not with the knights then David and Geraint would bring us news of him. It was, however, a potentially dangerous action. We were heading for the heartland of Glendower’s land and he would have with him the knights who would be the most loyal. For that reason, Alan rode ahead with Owen. He would be able to spot any danger and warn us.
We stopped just a mile and a half from the castle. Alan had ridden back to warn us that the castle was ahead. “We passed a stream up ahead and there is a heavily wooded area on both sides of the stream. It will be cosy but there are no houses close by and we can approach the castle without being seen.”
“And where is Owen?”
“There is a village close by, Llansilyn. He has gone to buy food and ask questions.”
“Good, then lead on.”
It was not a river, in fact, it was barely a stream but the trees afforded good cover and we would only need to stay there one night. While my men made our camp, I went with Alan of the Woods towards the castle. It was an old-fashioned castle made of wood with a simple hall and a wooden palisade. We looked at it from the shelter of the trees by the road. Alan pointed out that the village lay on the far side of the castle.
“Were you seen as you rode north?”
“Probably, my lord, but I did not come back along the road. I took a circuitous route through fields.”
It was a mistake. One armed rider might pass unnoticed but two would raise eyebrows. I said nothing to Alan. I should have been clearer in my instructions. Stephen the Tracker would have been a better choice for he knew how to disappear far better than any man I had ever known.
“No matter.” I could hear noise from within the castle, even from a distance of over half a mile. There were horses within and many men. Smoke spiralled from ovens. If this was Glendower and his lords they would still be celebrating.
Alan had sharp ears, “Lord, I hear a horse.”
The road bent around the castle and we saw Owen walking his horse down the road. As he neared the gate of the lower ward, I saw the gates open and men emerged. They stopped Owen and spoke to him. Had he alerted them or had they noticed that two riders rode north and only one came south? They seemed to speak for a long time. When I saw one of the guards laugh and clap Owen on the back, I breathed a sigh of relief.
We let him pass us and then mounted our horses and rode through the trees to intercept him at the road. He saw us and nudged his horse up the slope towards us.
“You had us worried, Owen.”
He smiled, “They asked why two of us had ridden north and only one returned south. I told them that Alan was from Machynlleth and we had fallen out. I told them that I bought food and was returning to Newport and the family farm.”
“Then why did they laugh?”
“I told them that my companion snored and his absence would be no loss.”
“You were lucky.”
“Aye, lord. Sorry, Captain.”
“No matter, Owen, I should have allowed you to go on alone rather than riding before the castle. I was anxious to see if there was a village.” Alan had obviously realised that I was disappointed in him.
I turned to Owen, “What did you learn?”
“That you were right, lord. Glendower is in the castle with his knights and with Edmund Mortimer.”
“He is a prisoner?”
Owen shook his head, “If he is then he is the only prisoner I know who laughs and jokes with his captors. I saw him strolling with Welsh knights.”
I smiled, “Then we have done what we were asked and can return to the King and the Prince.”
“There is more, lord.”
Owen was a reliable man and I nodded, “Go on.”
“There are Breton horsemen and two French knights in the castle.”
This was news indeed. The French were ever willing to foster discord in England and use it to increase their empire. They had done so with the Scots. Were they now using the Welsh?
“You have done well. We will return to the camp and eat. I think better with food in my belly.”
Back in the camp all was well organised. Edgar and my men had fed and watered the horses and food was being prepared. I sat with Alan and Edgar while Harry brought me food. I told Edgar what I had learned. “This changes matters. We need to know numbers. It now becomes clear why Glendower headed back here. Mortimer is not a prisoner and the Ki
ng is correct. The French involvement is worrying. Baron Fitzalan did not mention Frenchmen.”
“To be fair, my lord, he was busy fighting for his life and might not have been able to differentiate.” Edgar was a clever sergeant.
“Tomorrow I need to get as close to the castle as I can.”
Harry said, “That is a risk, my lord.”
“I know. Owen, Alan, is there another way to get to the village so that I could approach from the north?”
My captain of archers said, “I found a road which headed east and I found the river four hundred paces from it. That is a possibility.”
“Then tomorrow we all ride up the river and I will walk into the village.”
“Is that wise, you look like a lord!”
I laughed, “I know, Harry, but tomorrow I will not. We are close to the border with England and I will play a simpleton who is lost. You will all wait by the road and be ready to ride quickly if trouble comes.”
“Lord, your son is right. You should not go alone. Two men stand a better chance than one.”
I shook my head, “You attracted attention, Alan, when Owen returned alone. I will try to go when the road is busier. When you two went it was late afternoon. There may be wagons and the like. Knights require provender and wagons have to use this road.”
The next morning, I took off my spurs and my sword. I kept a dagger in my belt. We dirtied my cloak and breeks in the mud of the river. None of us wore livery. I was not being foolhardy. I now had grey in my hair. I had not shaved and my stubble was also grey and made me look to be down on my luck. Older men drew less attention than younger ones. We headed up the stream. We walked in the centre which meant we left no tracks. I saw the rear of Sycharth for the stream bent to the east of the castle whilst the road turned to the west.
Alan stopped. “Here lord. There is a track which heads to the road. Follow the field boundary.”
I nodded, “Give me time to reach the road and then walk the men and horses to hide close to the road.” I was taking the chance I did because the stakes were so high. Glendower was elusive and slippery. If we could find him then that gave us an advantage.
I adopted a shamble and a stoop as I walked up the field boundary. I had the story I would use in my head. I had camped by the river and was seeking employment. I heard people moving towards the large village as I neared the road. There were wagons and therein lay my salvation. I waited until a wagon followed by two men had passed before I emerged and headed towards the village. I heard hooves behind me and a French voice shouted for us to beware. The two men who followed the wagon did not move. I assumed they did not understand and so I feigned ignorance. The riders shouldered their beasts into me and then the other two. I waved a hand but the two Welshmen were quite vociferous in their shouts.
“Foreigners!”
“Go back to France!” There was no love lost there. One turned to me. “Are you alright, old man?”
He spoke in Welsh but I gathered the gist from his expression and I nodded and then coughed as though I had an ailment. He said something to his friend which I did not understand. I could now see the edge of the village. The solicitous Welshman hurried to the back of the wagon and pulled an ale skin. He handed it to me so that I could drink.
I decided I could play dumb no longer and I took a chance, “Thank you, my friend.”
He nodded, “English? I thought you were. What are you doing here? This is Wales you know?”
I nodded and pointed east, “I come from Kinnerley. My master was killed in the recent battle and I have no work. I thought there might be something here.”
“Sorry about the job.” He took back the skin. “You might have made a shrewd move. Owain Glyndŵr is on the rise. We have a wagon load of cheese and ham for him and his knights.” He lowered his voice, “But he doesn’t like the English. If you help us unload our wagon, I can give you some ham and a little cheese. You might hang around the village. Who knows, someone might like an old codger with a gammy leg like you.”
This was better than I might have hoped and I nodded. “Food would be good and it is a start.”
I saw, ahead of us, the castle. There appeared to be little scrutiny of those entering. A cart ahead of us was being hauled up the hardened path which led to the lower ward. When we reached the bottom, the friendly Welshman handed me a rope. “Here, pulling the wagon with us will get you ale too. The path is steeper than I expected.”
The three of us tied our ropes to the wagon and walked up the ramp. The driver said something to the horses and cracked his whip over their heads. The three of us pulled and the wagon moved. I had to remember that I was supposed to be old and did not pull as hard as I might otherwise have done but we managed to reach the gate and the ground flattened out. A Welsh sentry shouted something and pointed to our right. There was a long wooden building and a stone built outdoor oven. I guessed it was the kitchen. It was well away from the inner wall and the hall. When the wagon stopped the driver began handing sacks of cheeses and hams to us. I followed the other two into the wooden kitchen. We just laid them on the table and returned for more. It did not take the three of us long to empty it and the Welshman appeared pleased, “You were more of a help than I thought. For an old man, you are quite strong. You might get work here. Come, we will sit in the wagon and eat.”
Although I was desperate to escape, I knew it would look suspicious if I left and so I ate and drank with them. It allowed me to view the castle. It could easily be taken for it was made of wood. I spied the stables and saw that there were many horses grazing around it on the grass of the lower ward. The grazing would not last long. There were men on the walls but not as many as I had expected. However, from the upper ward, I could hear much noise.
We had just about finished and were preparing to leave when I saw a man I recognised, it was Edmund Mortimer. He was chatting easily to a much older man and there were four other knights with them. They were laughing and joking. He had, about his waist, his sword. He did not look like he was a prisoner. The friendly Welshman said, “And there he is, Wales’ great hope, Owain Glyndŵr.” I now had confirmation of his presence. I kept my face down as they rode past us but I was not noticed. They rode out and headed south.
Once we had left the castle I said, “Thank you for the food and ale. I will wait in the village to see what I can find.”
“Good luck!”
They headed back out of the village. I would not be long behind them. I heard the Welshmen in the village laughing and saying how they would all be rich thanks to the Welsh lord who had flouted England. These men might not take arms against England but they would happily profit in its demise. I allowed them a two hundred pace lead by pretending to go behind a wall to make water and then walked after them. To any sentries on the walls, it would not look odd. By the time I reached the track which led to my men, the wagon had disappeared east. We would be taking the road which led north at the crossroads. We would be heading for the Clwyd valley. My men were three hundred paces down the slope and hidden for they were dismounted. They looked relieved when they saw me, especially my son. I quickly changed into my riding gear and armed myself.
“Owen, take us home.”
We rode up the track and, instead of riding to the crossroads, he led us across country to pick up the road when we were further away from the castle. My captains and Harry were keen to know what had happened. They would have to wait as we had plenty of danger ahead of us. We were alone and in Wales. The only English soldiers were safely ensconced inside their castles.
Part Two
The Road to Shrewsbury
Chapter 13
We only had twenty odd miles to go to reach Chester but they proved more dangerous than we had expected. We had ridden just five miles and were close to the border with England when trouble came. The border was a misnomer. It was an arbitrary line but there was something reassuring about it and, perhaps, that was why we relaxed a little. It was getting on for late afternoon when
we neared the tiny hamlet of Y Galedryd which marked the border. It was a crossroads. The road turned north for Chester and Alan and Owen had turned and disappeared north as we entered the hamlet. We were just turning north when a column of Breton horsemen appeared from the east. They must have been raiding for I heard the noise of distressed animals. We were only saved by the fact that we wore our armour and we had quick reactions.
Edgar and I were the closest to them. As soon as they appeared, I drew my sword as did Edgar. Both of us had more experience than any other man in my company and we turned our horses to charge into them. We knew they were not English for all rode smaller horses than we did and they wore no mail, just a simple round helmet, in addition, they all carried a light spear. I had no idea of numbers when I swung my sword at the leading rider but I knew that offence was better than defence. Edgar and I caught the two leading riders by surprise. My sword tore across the Breton's chest and his arm. He tumbled or jumped from his horse. I could not tell. Edgar's war hammer drove into the other man’s skull.
I heard Much Longbow shout, “Loose arrows!”
Harry urged his horse forward and he used his sword to slash at a Breton. His blade made the smaller horse flinch and the rider turned aside allowing my son to slash at his unprotected side. The blade came away bloody. A spear was hurled at my head. I wore no helmet; it was still on my cantle and I turned my shoulder. It struck the plate and mail protecting my arm. It was well thrown hitting the joint between plates and it broke the skin but there was no real wound to worry about. I spurred Hart and rode through the middle of them. Their spears were more dangerous when thrown. The closer we were to them the better. My men at arms and Harry had their swords out and were fighting for their lives. They were also fighting to protect me for I was deep in the centre of their column. Spears were thrust at me but they struck mail or plate. Their smaller horses meant that I was higher than they were and my sword struck down on arms and shoulders. When my archers’ arrows fell on those further back it proved too much and the Bretons broke and headed south. That told me they were part of Glendower’s army. They were running for his castle. It also meant that we would now be hunted.