by Griff Hosker
Angers was a fine castle. Count Fulk and his father had built well. The Maine was also a good river which provided not only defence but also wine. I could see why the King had coveted it so much. The only drawback to it position was its neighbours. I could see was Blois to the east and, now that King Louis had betrothed his son to Eleanor of Aquitaine, the vast Dukedom to the south. There was now danger all around the County.
We were expected and I was greeted by the Count and his household knights. They looked martial enough but the test would come upon the battlefield and lists.
“Welcome, Earl. I am pleased you came earlier than you said.”
“The Scots were pacified and there was nothing to keep me at home. Besides I wished to congratulate you both on your good news. Another child; that is good news.”
Count Geoffrey’s face lit up in a huge smile, “Another son I believe. One can never have too many sons.”
Matilda said, “My husband, the Earl lost his wife. He has but one son.”
His face fell. “I am sorry. Forgive me I speak when I should think. At least that is what my wife tells me.” He shrugged, “Come in out of the cold. I fear it is too cold for sword play and the lance but we have fine food and the best wine in the whole of the land.”
“Where are Rolf and your Swabians? I expected my normal bone crunching greeting from my brother knights.”
“As the Empress is confined to the castle and there was little danger to her I sent them to Germany to buy some of their new armour and weapons. I was impressed by the equipment of Lothar of Passau and his men.”
“Aye it was well made but I believe it was the gambeson and padding beneath which made the armour better.”
“Perhaps. When they return we shall see.”
I was saddened. I looked forward to my time with the Swabians. Perhaps they would return before too long.
The castle was much larger than mine and, having brought so few men with me my squires and myself were accommodated in the main residence. We were shown to our rooms. Margaret, the Empress’ lady, waited in my room. “Welcome my lord. As this is the first time you have stayed in the Count’s castle I was asked if there were any special needs and requests that you might have.”
There were things unsaid in her words. I smiled, “No Margaret. I am happy just to be here. How is the child?”
She gave a slight nod of her head, “The child is healthy, my lord. He sleeps well and he eats well. He suffers neither from the croup nor the blotchy rash. He is strong and he is a fighter. He will grow up to be a great warrior like his father.”
“The Count should be proud.”
“He is a proud father, my lord.” We looked at each other. I nodded. “Then if there is nothing else, I shall leave. But remember my lord you can have anything which you request. Those are the orders of the Empress.”
“And the Count?”
“Oh he too has ordered that you be made welcome. You are the champion of the King. He hopes to learn much from you.” She turned at the door. “Everyone hopes he does.”
My conversations with Margaret were always both enigmatic and elliptical. This one had been no exception.
The feast was a fine one. Thanks to my chatty son and my squires the Empress and the Count heard of the murders. They listened intently as I told them what had occurred. While the Empress showed shock the Count showed anger. “I would have hanged them all as soon as I suspected them of their deceit.”
I saw the flicker of annoyance on the face of the Empress. “In which case, my lord, I would not have known the identity of the knight behind it all.”
He nodded and as he chewed seemed to remember something. “I know the Waller family. They have long since left Normandy. They went to Outremer before my father did but I do not see how this knowledge helps you.”
“He will surface again. This time we know more about him and the next time we meet will be the last.”
The Count nodded admiringly, “You have cold eyes when you speak like that. I would not be your enemy.” He waved a hand for more wine. “And now outline how we will be trained. I am keen to start as soon as the weather improves.”
“We can start tomorrow. So long as it is not raining then we can train in any weather. The first thing we need to do is to make you and your knights fight as one.”
He looked disappointed, “I thought that would come without training.”
“It does or at least it did in my case but we learned that bond in combat. When you fight knee to knee in a battle you learn to trust the knight to your left. He protects your weak side.”
“But you had three young knights with whom you had never fought the last time.”
“And they were soon vanquished, if you recall, yet the Earl and Sir Edward fought with me until they were overwhelmed.”
He leaned forward, suddenly intrigued, “Are you saying with your own household knights you might have won sooner?”
“If I had had three more of my knights and the Earl then I believe we would have defeated the men of Blois without loss. They were not very good but then again Stephen of Blois was not with them and he is a good leader.” I did not like the man but I respected his qualities.
“My household knights will not be here before the month end so until then you can concentrate on improving my skills.” He smiled, “I have a son now, Henry, and I would like to make him as skilful as I.”
“Perhaps we can make him even better. It would be good to think that he could become the greatest knight in Christendom.”
“I like that! Let us toast my son! Henry of Anjou; the greatest knight in Christendom!”
I locked eyes with the Empress as I raised my goblet and saw the gratitude in her eyes. We both knew that I was making a promise that I would keep.
We began the training the next day. I discovered that the Count was not without skill but he lacked judgement. His squire, Gille, was also equally willing to learn but he lacked the ability to anticipate. Leofric took charge of the squires and we worked each day from dawn until dusk. In many ways it helped me as much as the Count for my body had been getting a little flabby of late; I suspect it was my age. The daily exercise made me stronger; especially my shoulder and arm which ached less and needed less of the Greek doctor’s salve. The Count too, while still a young man, was also growing stronger. I was growing to like him. That came as a surprise for I had more reason than enough to dislike him. He had matured since those early days when he was little more than a boy. His earnest attitude helped. I wondered if fatherhood had been responsible for that change.
He needed the most work, however, on his riding skills. He could ride but he did not have that bond with his horse that a knight needed. I persuaded him to get into my habit of visiting his horse each night with a treat of some kind; normally an apple. He felt foolish, at first, talking to his horse but, as there was no-one else about he did so and once his embarrassment had gone he quite enjoyed it. I noticed that when we rode and he spoke to his horse it responded better; the union of horse and rider was growing closer.
“You have some strange methods, Earl, but by God they work! I shall have my knights use them too.”
They came not long before Easter. The five of them were of an age with the Count and were, on the whole, affable and keen to learn. My fame had preceded me and they were all keen to meet the knight who was now known as the King’s Champion. I thought the title a little grand. I had, technically, fought for the Earl. I think the King gave me the title to make his own position more secure. He had glory by association. Of equal interest to the knights were my exploits in war. When we had finished our training and were dining in the Great Hall, they would shower me with questions. They were interested to know about fighting what they considered barbarians.
“The Scots and the Welsh are not barbarians. True they have little armour and their hand weapons are of poor quality but their courage is beyond question. I have fought Scots armed with but a hammer and they have thrown themselves at a li
ne of knights. And Welsh archers can rain death on even mailed and armoured men.”
One young knight, Sir Raymond of Nantes asked, “Why do you use archers rather than crossbows? Any man can be trained to use a crossbow and it does the same job.”
“I could tell you the answer but I think a demonstration tomorrow might be better.”
As the weather had improved we had moved out of the castle to a field next to the Maine. The softer ground was kinder to our horses and would cause fewer injuries. I spoke briefly with Griff of Gwent and Ralph of Wales before we began the challenge.
I put the knights at one end of the field. Pointing to the far end where John and William stood I said, “The Count and I will watch. Gille here will count the time it takes you to reach them. I want you to walk, then canter and then charge my squires.” I smiled, “When you reach them try to avoid hurting them. They are hard to replace.”
The young knights came back full of excitement. This was the first time that they had been watched by the two of us.
“Did you see, my lord? We kept knee to knee and our line did not break!”
The Count, too, was full of enthusiasm. “Aye you did. You have worked wonders with us Earl.”
I nodded, “Today, my lord, we are demonstrating bows and bolts.” I waved and my men at arms, archers and squires began to set up targets. “Sir Raymond if you would care to pick ten crossbowmen and have them stand where my squires stood.”
It took some time to organise. I went with the Count and his squire to stand at the far end of the field. “I am intrigued, Earl. What is it you do?”
“Gille, can you remember the numbers you counted?”
“Aye my lord.”
“Then you will count again in a moment.”
The crossbowmen joined us and the knights. My archers could barely hide their disdain. I pointed down the field. “The targets represent you gentlemen. There you were walking. There you were trotting and then there.” I pointed to the targets just fifty paces away. “There you were galloping. My men have offset the targets. That is for the benefit of the crossbows. Gille here will count. My squires William and John will ride off to the side so that you know which targets to use. We will see who wins by counting the bolts in the targets.”
Sir Raymond said, “But you only have two archers! We have ten crossbows.” I nodded. He shook his head in disbelief. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Wulfric and my men at arms making wagers with the Count’s watching men at arms.
John and William were ready. I dropped my arm and said, “Count, Gille.” The counting was unnecessary but it made the crossbowmen work harder. The clatter of the crossbows contrasted with the snap of the bow string. Then there was just the sound of the snap of my men’s bowstrings and the cranking of the crossbows being loaded. My archers worked almost effortlessly yet I knew it was not so. It was just years of training. It was their whole body which was the war machine, not just the war bow. The pounding of the hooves also added pressure. Gille reached the end of his count at the same time that my squires reined in, grins all over their faces.
As we walked towards the targets it became clear who had won. The closest targets had one bolt embedded there and four arrows. The next ones had no bolts and six arrows and the last targets had eight bolts and eight arrows. The knights looked at the two archers with awe. “But there were just two of them. They had eighteen hits. That is nine each the ten crossbows made but nine altogether! That is less than one each! Your bows are ten times better!”
“True and at home I have twenty of mine own and when my knights all gather together we have almost sixty. Imagine charging, as you did before into that hail of arrows.” I took an arrow from Griff of Gwent.” These can penetrate mail and, unlike a crossbow they can be released from behind a line of knights. Your crossbows come into their own when used inside a castle but on the battlefield give me archers every time.”
The Count nodded, “You have made your point, Earl but we will have to continue using crossbows for we have not enough archers trained.”
“But, Count Geoffrey, you have archers on your manors. You have young men and farmers who hunt. The war bow is only a little harder to use. Have them trained.”
“But we would need a master archer to do so.”
“Hire one.”
The Count smiled, “Can I hire these two?”
He thought I would say no but I spread my arm, “Ask them?”
The Count said, “I would hire you as my captains of archers. I will pay one gold piece a month each.”
I saw the look of dismay on the faces of the crossbowmen who would not receive such an amount in half a year. Ralph of Wales said, “That is a kind and generous offer, my lord, but we will stay with the Earl.”
“Does he pay that amount?”
“No, my lord, a silver coin a month.”
The Count shook his head. “My next lesson will be how to inspire such loyalty.”
We were questioned all the way back to the castle. From the smiles on the faces of Wulfric and the others they had won healthily large bets from the Angevins.
Chapter 16
The Empress was not having a happy pregnancy and physicians were summoned. The Count shook his head. “When she bore Henry she had no problems at all. She was in good health for the whole time. Why should she suffer with our second child?”
I shook my head, “It is all a mystery to me, my lord.”
“I shall send for a physician.”
As the best physicians were in Normandy, the Count sent men there to bring back the finest of them, Basil the Greek. I took my men with them as far as Le Mans. There was a horse market there and they were renowned for their war horses. Another reason was that I felt constricted and constrained by the castle at Angers. We all needed some freedom. I knew the lord of Le Mans; Sir Robert had fought with us when we had scoured the land of bandits. My name and reputation secured us rooms in the castle and the Baron himself came to the sales with us. He confided in me, “The traders who come here are generally honest but you are a stranger and they may think you are a sheep for shearing. My presence will ensure that you receive an honest price.”
I went there looking for a trained war horse. The spring sales meant that breeders brought horses to be sold. Trainers brought those that had been readied for war and there were horses from knights who had fallen on hard times or grown too old to ride to war. I began to think I would not find one. Each one I examined, fine though it was, did not seem to have the spirit in its eyes which I desired. I was also looking for something else. I was looking for a horse which wanted me. We wandered the horses before the sale began. There was a grey, older than the rest. As I stroked it I saw that it had scars. This mount had lived. Unlike every other horse which I approached this one did not back off nor baulk at my approach; more than that it nuzzled its muzzle into my hair. I liked him immediately. I felt his spirit.
When the sale began Sir Robert was surprised that I did not bid. “I thought you needed a warhorse?”
“I have one at home but I want another. I will wait until the right war horse presents itself.”
The last horse to be auctioned was the grey. No one made a bid. All of the other horses had gone for large amounts of gold. The auctioneer dropped his price to silver and still no one bid. My voice broke the silence, “Five gold pieces!”
A ripple of conversation ran around the ring. Sir Robert said, “You could have had the beast for five silver coins. It is old.”
“I have bid the price it is worth.”
I went and paid with five Imperial coins bearing the face of Conrad. The horse had cost me nothing. There were dead assassins in England who had paid with their lives. It had been blood money. We were about to head back to Angers when I discovered that there would be another sale of yearlings the next day.
“With you permission, Baron, we would stay for the sale of the yearlings.”
“They will need much schooling. Better to buy a ready trained warhorse
.”
“In many ways I agree but I buy the yearlings for my squires.” The look of joy on their faces was worth any amount of gold.
“You would buy a war horse for each of your squires?”
“It is an investment, Baron. They will train them well and in battle I will be safer. These three watch my back and I trust them.”
My squires were already interested but now became even more so. I wanted a horse with spirit and with the ability to carry, when fully grown, someone the size of John. The untrained raw animals were considerably cheaper than the war horses which had been on sale before. We would have to put the work in. I bought four for I wanted a spare. We had been lucky up until now. We had yet to lose one but the day would come when we would.
As we rode back to Angers I saw that each of my squires led a yearling. They had not asked me and I daresay they would have told me that their choice was accidental. I knew better. They had agreed between themselves. I did not mind for that was part of the bond. Roger and Wulfric led my war horse and yearling. “What will you call him, my lord?” Wulfric had the grey which trotted easily next to him.
“The auctioneer said the knight who had owned him called him Hunter. It seems a good name.”
Wulfric nodded. He too approved, “What happened to the owner, did he get a new one?”
“No he died, of old age. I would like to think that he would approve of me as the new owner.”
Wulfric nodded. It was a sentiment of which he approved. “When we were in the town, my lord, we picked up some interesting information.” What my sergeant at arms meant was when they were in the taverns.
“Go on.”
“Before they knew who we were we were asked if we wanted to earn money fighting for a lord who lived in the Île de France.”
“Did you get a name?”
He shook his head, “No my lord for someone recognised your surcoat and they shut up. I could find no more.”