The Bloody Border

by Griff Hosker

  It was not a path we followed. Garth had seen evidence of men but this was no regular trail. Garth’s horse’s hooves had obscured any sign there might have been there. We climbed a small slope and then the ground fell away to our right. I saw a natural dell. Garth dismounted. Leading his horse to the lowest point he stopped. He gestured to the ground as he moved last year’s dead leaves, “This was where they had their fire, lord.”

  I dismounted and saw, beneath the old leaves, blackened earth. The fact that last year’s leaves covered it told me its age. “You have good eyes, Garth.”

  “A bandit needs shelter and water.” He pointed to what appeared to be branches broken from the trees. “They used those to make hovels. They were careful and they scattered them, when they left, to make them look natural.” He picked two up. “See, lord, they have been cut with a blade. They were not broken.”

  There was more to Garth’s words than he was telling me, “Speak your thoughts Garth Red Arrow. What is it that you are thinking?”

  “If the bandits hid this camp then they intend to return to it. They have not been here for almost a year. The wood they cut has not yet rotted. If you asked me to put my wages on it then I would say they will return when we harvest.”

  Walther of Coxold shook his head, “Conjecture, lord, what does this cockerel know?”

  I stared at Walther. He was one of the oldest men I commanded. I had known him since first I went to war. He was talking to me as though I knew nothing. “Let him speak, Walther. He can give us an insight into the minds of these men who may return to do us and our people harm.”

  Emboldened Garth spoke more confidently. He became animated, “Bandits are lazy men. Most of the year they need do nothing save live off the fruits of their robbery. In the forests of Sheffield, we had travellers on whom we could prey. Here there are no travellers. The gold they mine is from the crops and animals of the farmers. They cannot take the crops until they are harvested and the animals are safe until they are full from summer grazing. If they come south at harvest time, they can take what they need for the winter.”

  I nodded, “And that makes perfect sense to me.” I looked up through the trees. It was almost noon. “We will return to the castle. I will speak with Rafe and Alan of Bellingham.”

  Once back at the castle I took Walther of Coxold to one side, “Walther, you are a good man. I have seen you in battle and there is none braver.” He nodded, “Yet you do not seem to trust Garth Red Arrow. We both know that is not a good situation. You volunteered to be here. If you cannot serve with Garth then return to Stockton. My father would have you back in the blink of an eye.”

  His face looked as though I had slapped it, “Lord, you would choose a bandit over me!”

  “He was a bandit. The Church has forgiven him. My father has forgiven him and I have forgiven him. He has skills. Tell me, is he a poor archer?”

  “No, lord, he can send an arrow further than any save me or David of Wales.”

  “And he found the camp today?”

  “Aye, lord, but that is my point! He is a bandit! Scratch his skin and he will bleed bad blood. He told us his father was the leader of the bandits.”

  I shook my head, “And is that not a reason why he stayed a bandit longer than he wished? When his father died, he left. That speaks well of him in my eyes for he was loyal to his father. You have until we harvest the fields to make up your mind. We cannot have a divided camp when we are fighting bandits. I would rather be light by one man than have a division amongst my warriors.”

  He left. I had hoped that my words would make him change his mind but I was wrong. For the next month, he continually tried to find fault with Garth Red Arrow. Matthew came back from stabling my horse. “Lord, Garth Red Arrow is a good man. The other archers like him.”

  Matthew had grown. Since his brother had left with my father he had grown into his role as a squire. The two of them had been competing against one another, now he was not only watching over me but also helping John. That day saw a change in our relationship. A good squire is also there to help his lord with problems. “And Walther?”

  “Less so, lord. The other archers are all young. Walther orders them around. They do not mind taking orders but…”

  “But it is his manner.” He nodded. “I thank you.” I put my left hand on his shoulder and swept my right one around the upper bailey. “What think you to our home?”

  He grinned, “I think, lord, that if bandits came, they would bleed upon our defences.”

  “Aye but if an army arrived then my father would find our bones inside burned walls. Let us pray the Scots heed the King’s words.”

  “Lord?”

  “Nothing, Matthew. I was just being as Walther of Coxold and seeing the beaker half full.”

  Now that we had a priest, we could have a real service on Sunday morning. We had repaired the church. There was no bell to summon the parishioners but most lived close enough. Brother Paul waited until Phillip the Priest and his wife arrived. Only Old Will did not come to the Sunday service. The little church was packed but that was because of my men. Two remained on watch in my keep. Alan of Bellingham had done his best but a real priest gave the folk of my manor security. Life was parlous enough. If they died then they were more confident of going to heaven. They could be shriven by a real priest and not a warrior monk.

  My archers set up the butts after the service. The farmers knew the importance of archery practice and now they had experts to help them. Phillip the Priest needed all the help he could get. He could barely pull back the bowstring. I saw that Garth Red Arrow was very patient with him. I stood with Matthew, John, Alan of Bellingham and Brother Paul.

  “What of Old Will? Why did he not attend?”

  Alan of Bellingham shook his head, “He blames God for the loss of his family. He is a bitter old man. He has lost his faith, lord.”

  Brother Paul said, “Then I will visit with him. It is my duty to serve all of Christ’s flock. If I might borrow a horse, lord?”

  I nodded, “Matthew, John go with Brother Paul. You know the way to the farm and you can be his escort.”

  “I need no escort, lord.”

  “You remember the road to Jedburgh, Brother Paul? Three men on horses may deter a bandit!”

  John and Matthew were now wearing their leather and their mail all the time. John had no helmet yet but Matthew’s father had sent hide and he had made himself a leather helmet. It was some protection. Both had daggers and Matthew had his short sword. Roger Two Swords had been showing the two of them how to use their weapons.

  I had so much to occupy myself that the days were never long enough. The manor had been without a lord and that had hurt it. Alan of Bellingham and I pored over the accounts while my men continued to improve our defences and Brother Paul tried to save the soul of Old Will. At the end of four hours of my life I would never have back I poured us both some well-deserved wine. “So, what you are saying, Alan, is that if we had not had the supplies from the Bishop and if he had not paid me a subsidy then we would all starve and the manor would not be viable.”

  He smiled, “That is about the size of the problem, lord.”

  “And there is an answer?”

  He nodded, “Have more farmers come to farm the abandoned ones and have our own farmers clear more fields. There is a demand for wool. Sheep are easy to raise. It is just that they are hard to keep hold of when there are bandits.”

  “We have two years of grace then. We must clear the bandits and make it more attractive to men seeking land.”

  “Aye, lord. You have made a good start by helping David of Amble and his wife. They are young and they are eager. I will ask Rafe if he wishes one of the other empty farms for his sons. He was loath to do so while there was no lord of the manor.” He smiled at me. “You have brought us hope, lord. Do not fall into melancholy. It destroys a man from within.”

  When Brother Paul returned, he was down heartened. “The man has truly lost his faith and
lies in a pit of despair. Perhaps God sent me here to redeem him. With your permission, lord, I will visit with him each Sunday while the men practice with their bows.”

  “So long as my squire and page ride with you, aye.”

  When the days became shorter and the mornings had a chill in them, I initiated patrols around my manor. I had four men in each patrol. There were two archers and two men at arms. I went along with one every other day. John and Matthew came with me. We rode the boundaries of the manor. That encompassed a larger area than was actually farmed. We went to each deserted farm to ensure that there was no occupation. We also visited the camp Garth Red Arrow had found in the wood. When it continued to be empty that gave us hope. One Sunday, while the men were practising their archery and Brother Paul was at Old Will’s, I spoke with Rafe.

  “So Rafe, what do you think of Alan of Bellingham’s suggestion that your sons take over two of the fallow farms?”

  “I confess, lord, that I am pleased and reassured by your presence but I was equally impressed when Sir Robert was lord and we both know how that one turned out. May I speak openly, my lord?”

  “Of course.”

  “When April comes and the land becomes warm, if you are still here and we are all above ground then we will look at the farms which are fallow and, if they are viable, we will take them over. Does that answer suit, lord?”

  “It is an honest answer so aye.”

  Two Sundays later, while Brother Paul, John and Matthew were at Old Will’s, David came to me with his wife. “We have news, lord, Alice is with child.”

  “And that is truly good news!”

  David’s arm around his wife told me how much it meant to them. “Until the babe is born Alice can continue to cook for you.”

  I had not even thought of that. I smiled, “Of course. I can make other arrangements. Rafe’s daughters are growing and they may be able to do as you do.”

  “I shall miss the payment, lord. We now have a flock and like my wife, they have young within them. We will prosper.”

  I went over to the butts. The farmers, especially Rafe’s sons were improving. A mixture of regular practice and expert advice from my archers had wrought a much-needed improvement. “That is better Rafe son of Rafe. You almost hit the inner.” James was a good teacher. He had been with my father almost as long as Walther of Coxold but he had an easier, less abrasive manner about him. Walther was the one who found the faults and James was the one who corrected them. They were a good team.

  “My lord! My lord! Riders!” Wilfred’s voice made me start.

  I turned and saw Brother Paul, Matthew and John galloping towards us. Brother Paul lagged behind. Matthew reached us first. He leaned down and said, “There are bandits at Old Will’s farm. I fear he has come to harm!”

  I did not hesitate, “John, you stay here with Alan of Bellingham. Men at arms and archers, to your horses. Farmers, fetch your flocks within the bailey and guard my walls.” We were going to have to fight together for the first time!

  Chapter 6

  It took longer for us to arm and then ride out than I would have liked. Later I realised why. We had not been mailed and it was Sunday. In future, we would be mailed all of the time. I did not bother with my helmet. I wore my mailed hood instead. As we rode Matthew told me what they had seen. “There were men at the farm. We must have surprised them. Brother Paul had kept us at a slow pace and we did not gallop. We counted at least twenty men. When they spied us, they prepared to fight. Brother Paul told us to return.”

  “And right glad I am that he did so.” The idea of losing two untried young men did not bear thinking about.

  When we reached the farm, the bandits had departed. Old Will lay in a pool of blood. Brother Paul would no longer need to minister to him. He had fought hard. His dog also lay dead. We looked in his home. The old man had had little to take but what he had they had taken. I turned and spoke to Garth Red Arrow. “If you were the bandits what would you do?”

  “I think they may have already done it, lord. See the tracks, the bandits came from the north and the west. When they left they headed towards the road and their camp. There are other tracks leading here to the farm. I think they came from Phillip the Priest’s house. They must have raided that farm first. It would be empty for the farmer and his family were in church.”

  Walther’s face had a scowl upon it but I knew that my young archer was correct. “We will ride towards the camp but not follow the warband of bandits. We will head to Phillip’s farm.”

  Wilfred of Sheffield had a wise head on his shoulders, “A good plan, lord. They will be watching their back trail. They will be moving at the pace of the animals they took. We have a chance to catch them.”

  I shook my head, “The aim is not to catch them but to hunt and kill them. We make the experience of raiding this valley so unpalatable that they seek somewhere else.”

  When we reached Phillip the Priest’s farm, we saw that it had been ransacked. He and his family were at my church. Thank God that they were unharmed. His goats and sheep had been taken. We hurried to the road and then the river. We would be travelling faster than men on foot who were driving animals before them. I intended to use the fact that we knew of their hideout to our advantage. We rode around the woods to approach from the north. That was the one direction they would feel was safe. We left our horses more than a mile from their camp. We tied them close to the water where they could drink. I had too few men to leave horse guards. I let Garth lead. He was the woodsman.

  “Alternate archers and men at arms. Await my command to release your arrows. Spread out in a line. We are hunters and we will drive our prey.”

  I drew my sword and my dagger. Matthew was on one side of me and Garth on the other. Roger Two Swords flanked Matthew. We moved slowly through the woods. The ground was firm and we watched for branches. We needed to be silent. We heard the animals before we either smelled or heard the men. The goats and sheep did not enjoy being moved and they were bleating. Having been here before we knew that the ground rose up a bank and the dell would be below us. The bandits would be expecting danger from the south-east. When Garth reached the top, he nocked an arrow. I was next to him a heartbeat later. We used the trees for cover. Below us, we saw their camp. We spied the bandits and our animals. There were just fourteen men. I saw that three had been wounded. Old Will had died hard. They were facing away from us. I think they were selecting an animal to slaughter. This was one direction from which they did not expect danger. It was too good an opportunity to miss.

  I shouted, “Release!” As six arrows flew from bows the rest of us ran towards them. Six arrows found flesh and another six sped on their way even as we ran towards the bandits. I saw one bandit who looked to be a leader. He was wearing a leather jerkin and had a helmet on his head. He attempted to rally his men. I ran to him and even as he brought down his sword to take my head, I blocked it with my own. His sword buckled but it mattered not. My dagger drove up into his throat. I ripped it sideways and he fell in a spraying arc of blood. The archers targeted those who were not close to us. The ones who tried to flee fell with an arrow in their backs. Roger Two Swords wielded his two weapons better than I had seen some men wield one. Even Matthew managed to gut a bandit who swung his axe at my squire’s head. Matthew ducked and rammed his sword into the man’s chest. It was over so quickly that I had to scan the dell twice to make certain that none lived. I saw my men kicking over bodies to ensure that the men were not feigning death.

  “Collect the animals and then strip the bandits.” I turned, “Roger, pile the enemy bodies on their fire. We will let the fire consume them.” I had planned on leaving their heads as a warning. I decided that burning their bodies would be as effective. When the camp began to smoke and acrid smoke made us cough, we left.

  We drove the animals back to Elsdon. The pall of smoke rose behind us and the smell of burning death filled the air. Matthew looked a little green. Roger Two Swords rode next to him. “You did w
ell today, Master Matthew. You killed your first man. He was a wild Scottish axeman and they make many grown men shake with fright. You will do well, Master Matthew.”

  It was almost dusk as we reached our castle. Alan and Rafe opened the gates. The men of the outlying farms looked at me expectantly and I gave them the bad news immediately, “Old Will is dead, as are his killers. Phillip, we have recovered your animals. Stay the night in the castle just in case there are enemies abroad. It is better to be safe than sorry. Tomorrow I will take my men and ensure that the enemy, these bandits are, indeed, destroyed.”

  There was sadness at the death of Will. Brother Paul felt especially bad for he had not redeemed him but there was also joy. The raid could have been much worse. My men had done all that was asked of them. We had a beginning.

  The next day the people returned to their homes. Leaving just Brother Paul and Alan of Bellingham to watch my castle we rode back to backtrack the Scots. We discovered that they had passed by Otterburn. We saw that they had destroyed farms along the road. We reached the tower and Sir James emerged. He was no longer a young warrior.

  “Sir William, were you attacked too?”

  “We were. We destroyed the bandits who sought to take from us. They killed Old Will. And you?”

  “They struck quickly. I brought my folk into my tower but we have lost farms and animals. Your losses?”

  “One farmer was killed and we recovered the animals. Sir James,” I lowered my voice, “we need a system to warn us. You have a tower. If you light a signal then we will know of an attack. It can aid you. We have good men and between us, we can make this a killing ground.”

  He shook his head, “Once I was like you. Then I lost my wife and my sons. These barbarians grind you down. They are like the tide on a seashore. Eventually, our defences will crumble as will I.”

  We went into his castle and spoke. It emerged that there had to have been a large warband which split into two. Sir James’ men in his tower had seen them driving animals towards the border. I left Otterburn feeling subdued. We had had a victory but it did not feel like one. I was on my own. Sir Eustace could guard one flank but Otterburn would merely slow down an attacker. We needed a different strategy.