by Griff Hosker
We were just finishing the bell tower when Phillip the Priest, who was at the top of the tower helping Brother Paul and Alan of Bellingham, shouted, “Lord, I see men approaching along the Bellingham Road. They have mailed men with them and there are knights.”
We were all nervous of mailed men but the south was the one direction enemies would not use. I sent Matthew up the tower and he shouted, “Lord, it is your father, it is the Earl of Cleveland. He has come!”
Part Three
Thomas, Earl Marshal of the North
Chapter 17
When I had left my son, I had thought I would just head to my home, collect my knights and return to him. Things did not turn out the way I had hoped. The journey south took longer than I had expected. The King had told all of my new title. Everyone wished me to help them in some way. The King thought the northern border was secure and peace had come. He was wrong. It soon emerged that it was bubbling with unrest. My son’s fears about Sir Eustace were not only justified, but they also hinted at a greater plot. King John’s rule had left many men dissatisfied. King Alexander was weak and some of the Norman barons thought they had a better chance of manipulating him than King Henry. Sir Ranulf and the Sherriff insisted upon entertaining me for some days and it was there I learned of the plots and plans of unsettled barons. A sinister picture began to emerge. I learned much. By the time I finally reached Durham I was concerned and anxious about my son. He was beleaguered!
The Bishop of Durham was particularly worried. I told him my news and his face and words told me that he had the same fears. “The Sherriff of Westmoreland has told me of bands of men wandering the western fells. Cattle and sheep have been stolen. Some of my lords have suffered too. This is not isolated, Earl Thomas. I see a plan in all of this. He has asked for your help. All know of your prowess and the quality of your men.”
“Bishop Poore, my son and Sir Richard are now isolated and surrounded by enemies. I will gather my men and return there. When the border is secure, I will go to the aid of the Sherriff.”
Those were my plans. They crumbled to dust. It took longer to reach Stockton than I had planned. As soon as I reached Stockton, I wrote letters to my knights and to the King. I sent outriders. The first part went well. I sent for my knights and their men. It would be a small force but a highly mobile one. Sir Peter, Sir William of Hartburn. Sir Geoffrey Fitzurse, Sir Robert of Redmarshal, Sir Gilles of Wulfestun, Sir Richard of East Harlsey and Sir Fótr of Norton were all veteran knights. Now that Sir Edward had been wounded, I even had a reliable knight I could leave to watch my land. With more than a hundred and twenty men at arms, not to mention a hundred archers, the force I led would be more than enough to calm the border close by Otterburn. It took more than a month to gather them. Sir Peter and Sir Richard lived far to the south. They could not simply leave their people with winter approaching. They had plans to make and men to organize. It all took time. I thought we had enough of that commodity which you cannot buy. I was wrong. Sir Robert was anxious about leaving Isabelle. The birth of my next grandchild was imminent. When they all arrived, I held a council of war. We pored over maps so that they would know the land. I told them of the suspicions we had and the potential conspirators. We were ready to ride. We had delayed but I did not think it would be a crucial delay.
Then the message came from the Constable of Carlisle. Carlisle was a royal castle. Its castellan, Sir Baldwin de Ferrers, answered to the King. It was his rider found me. The letter almost demanded that I ride west to help the Constable to curb the banditry and brigandage along the border. Like Sir Eustace, he had lords who had expressed a desire to be part of Scotland. The debatable lands north of Carlisle had always been a bone of contention. Now they threatened the very security of the whole frontier. The Earl of Chester added his pleas to the letter and his missive meant that I had no choice. If I went to the aid of my son when he was not being attacked, I would be accused of nepotism. When my men were mustered, we left Stockton. Instead of heading north we headed west. We rode to the aid of Carlisle and not Elsdon.
The journey to Carlisle would normally take between three and four days. This journey took longer. The one who was the happiest was Henry Samuel. This was his first campaign. He had his helmet, shield, short sword and mail. He had his horse and he was as happy as a puppy with two tails! He did not shut up all the way to Barnard Castle. I had planned on staying but the night. However, the attitude of the baron and the news he conveyed made me stay an extra day. I learned of the problems of the high passes. Once this castle had been controlled by my family. King John had given it to a man with estates in both Scotland and England. I did not totally trust de Balliol.
“Is this the work of Scottish lords trying to retake our land?”
Baron de Balliol shook his head. “They are not Scottish rebels they are chancers who take advantage of the disorder in this northern land.”
He suddenly realised what he had said. I was the Earl Marshal of the North! “I am sorry, Earl, I meant no disrespect. You have only been charged with the Northern Marches for a short time.”
I knew he meant exactly what he had said. De Balliol had sympathies with Alexander yet he held his fiefdom through Henry. He would do as little as possible to control the lawlessness. I waved a hand and smiled, I could play this game too. “Do not worry, my lord, I am not sensitive. What is it that they do?”
“They live in the lands around Hobkirk. The lands there are inhospitable. No lord rules there. Rather than farm they head south, steal cattle and slaves and head north. They are hardy men and they can live in the bleak highlands. The captives are sold north of the Forth and the cattle either eaten or sold to Scottish lords. When we reach their homes there is no evidence of their wrongdoing. The Sherriff has captured many of them and tried them. There is no evidence to convict them. He has had to let them go each time.”
That did not sound right to me. There were ways of using courts to try men. It seemed to me that the Sherriff and Balliol had colluded with the raiders. Already I had a plan to destroy these bandits. What angered me was that de Balliol and the Sherriff could have done what I planned to do. I knew why de Balliol had not, he enjoyed the disorder but the Sherriff? I would need to speak with him. I spent a day speaking with the burghers of Barnard. They told me much that helped me formulate a plan.
The next morning before I left, I took de Balliol to one side, “My lord, you know me? My reputation, I mean.” He nodded and I saw fear in his eyes. “Good. I am the King’s man but, more than that, I am of the blood of the Warlord. In times past this castle was controlled by my family and there was peace in this land. Now it appears there is not. You see where I am going with this? Do not play games. Do not try to play one side off against the other. You either keep this land safe or…”
“Or?” I heard the terror in his voice.
“You make an enemy of me. If that is the case then there is no hole in which you could hide.” I smiled and gently patted his back, “But you are a loyal subject of the King who will keep these high passes safe!”
My knights had been close enough to see that something was going on but they had not heard what transpired. I trusted all of my men and, as we left Barnard Castle, I told them what I had said and why.
Sir Geoffrey asked, as we headed west, “How will you stop them? They are clever.”
“You think bandits are cleverer than us, Sir Geoffrey?” He shook his head. “Good. I am glad you agree. It is simple. We use patience. We have the finest archers in the land. They circle Hobkirk. When they see the raiders leave for a raid then they tell us. This is the time of year when they will raid. We catch them returning with their ill-gotten gains. We kill them or hang them”
Sir Geoffrey looked appalled, “There will be no trial?”
“If any survive then they will be tried. I am keen to reach my son and so I urge you all to think of the people who live here. We cut out the canker and the ordinary folk will prosper.”
It was only Si
r Geoffrey who was shocked. My other knights all agreed with me and I did not need to speak to my sergeants and archers to know that they would slay any bandit in a heartbeat. Padraig the Wanderer’s wife had been a captive of such men. If he caught them then it would be all I could do to make him kill them quickly! These bandits and brigands had made a choice and they would have to live with the consequences.
Carlisle had been much improved since the time of the Warlord. It was a mighty fortress. My thoughts went to the Sherriff. Why had he not solved this problem and, more worryingly, why had he sent for me? Robert de Vieuxpont had been the Sherriff I had known and the new one was unknown to me, Sir Baldwin de Ferrers was a newly appointed Sherriff. He had been in position slightly longer than my son at Elsdon. I had fought on these bloody borders many times but I had never encountered him. Why not? When I met him, I found that I did not like him. He smiled too easily. He was oily. He tried to flatter me and I never liked that. He tried to excuse his inaction by saying he was only recently appointed. I thought of my son and what he had done in the short time he had been Lord of Elsdon. I did not believe him and when he said that he was a cousin of Eustace of Rothbury then I became even more suspicious. He obviously did not know of the information my son had sent to me. The conspiracy began to crystallize before my eyes.
I took him to one side, “I will deal with this problem and then do that which I said I would do. I will solve the problem of the Tweed border. You will provide me and my men with every man at arms and archer that you do not need to watch Carlisle’s walls.”
“If I can be of any assistance…”
“What I need you to do is feed my men and horses and guard these walls.” I stared into his eyes and let him know my innermost thoughts. I did not trust him. I now saw that this was a ploy to get me as far away from my son and the border as possible. As soon as I left him, I sent for David of Wales. “Take every archer we have. I want you to ring Hobkirk. Take supplies for you may have to watch for some time. You will stay hidden and watch. When these bandits leave their lair to raid and raid they will, then you shadow them and send word to me. Do not stop them. We let them capture the cattle and then, when they return home, we slaughter them. The animals and the captives will be evidence enough. The Sherriff has allowed them to escape before now by using the law to help them. We will use the law to kill them!”
He grinned. This was his type of work. “Aye, lord! There will be little treasure but killing vermin is always a task we enjoy!”
I took my knights riding the next day. I wanted privacy. We rode west to the coast and the end of the old Roman Wall. I dismounted and gestured for them to join me. We stared over the remnants of the turf rampart which had marked the western end of the Roman Empire. “We have been duped. The Sherriff has drawn us here so that I cannot go to the aid of my son and your brother, Sir Robert.”
“Then let us go to their aid, my lord!” Sir Robert did not want to lose his brother and Elsdon for a second time.
“As much as I wish to there is a problem here and if we leave now then it is the men of Cleveland who will be blamed for the loss of animals, land and captives. The King would blame me and the Sherriff’s position would be strengthened. There is a conspiracy here. I plan to end the terror of these bandits and then head to Elsdon. We have to trust that my son and Sir Richard can hold out. This means we rely on our archers but they are the best of men. I have the Sherriff’s archers and they will ride with us, as will their men at arms. When we leave for Elsdon we will leave this county safe from enemies. The Sherriff thinks he plays a game. I will show him that he is a novice at this sort of game. We deal with the bandits and then Elsdon and Otterburn. When the border is safe then we come back here and settle accounts with the Sherriff. I brought you here so that you know my mind. When we are in Carlisle, we play the fool. We appear stupid, indolent, whatever it takes to lull the Sherriff into a false sense of security. David of Wales will tell us when we leave. The raiders will not succeed. We will stop them and kill them; everyone! Until then, enjoy yourselves!”
Once back in the castle I spoke with Ridley the Giant. He would tell the sergeants what they needed to know. Then we waited. It was hard to appear indolent and it was not in my nature. In addition, the time spent in the castle made me dwell on my son and his perilous position. Was I making the correct decision? That there was brigandage on a huge scale was not in question. Speaking in the town of Carlisle with burghers and merchants I learned that the debatable lands were still a bone of contention and the raids were the Scottish way of applying pressure. They wanted the lands under their control. I had visited the land and found little in it to warrant such bloodshed. For the Scots, it seemed almost a matter of pride. Christmas was approaching and I knew that I was keeping my knights from their homes and families. It made it hard to chat easily with the Sherriff. I had to play a part I did not enjoy.
The Sherriff thought he had fooled me. When we dined, he kept telling me how the Scots were slippery. “They will have the cattle and the captives dispersed and sent north before we even know. This is a thankless task, Earl. I am glad you are here but I fear that you and your men will become a permanent feature here in the west.” His words confirmed my suspicions. We had been dragged here to allow the Scots in the east to take Elsdon and Otterburn. Until David of Wales sent to me we were helpless.
The weather began to change. My leg had healed but I had a limp and it ached in the cold weather. It began to ache as we peered north and east towards the distant hills. We saw snow appear on the hilltops to the east of us and the wind grew colder each day. The rain and sleet made life uncomfortable. I felt for my archers living outside. Then the snow began to lie. A slight thaw turned it to water and the ground became muddy and slippery. Winter was growing closer. Would we catch these thieves before the ground became too frozen for us to move?
The Sherriff, annoyingly, continued to smile. He thought we were being duped. I allowed him his delusion. My men at arms kept watch on messengers the Sherriff might send for help and I waited, each day, for the rider from the east. Eventually, it was Cedric Warbow who rode in, “We have them, lord.” He spoke quietly to me. “They are five miles north of Gilsland and heading north. They are going home. Dick has two men trailing them and he has taken the rest along their line of march. We found their camps as they had headed south. They do not follow the main roads. These are little more than hunter’s trails.”
“How many do we face?”
“There are sixty men. No knights amongst them but they have two men on horses. They have captured more than sixty head of cattle; a flock of sheep and they have twenty-two captives already.”
“Go tell Ridley that we ride.” Turning to Mark and Henry Samuel I said, “Tell the knights we have our prey. I wish them mounted.”
“Aye lord.” They ran off. Both were eager for action. They knew that Matthew and John had been fighting for my son and they had been inactive watchers. It did not sit well with them.
I went to the Sherriff, “Have your archers mounted and fetch your horse. We have found the enemy.”
His face fell briefly and then he rubbed his hands together, “Most excellent news, Earl. We leave in the morning?”
I shook my head, “We leave now.” I watched his every move. When he went to his chamber to don his mail, I saw a servant slip out. Mark had returned to me. “Follow him and take Cedric with you. The Sherriff’s man does not leave the castle.”
By the time we reached the stables my men at arms and knights were mounted. I did not see Cedric Warbow. The Sherriff only had fifteen mounted archers. He saw my look of disapproval and gave me a nervous look, “We have few mounted archers, my lord.”
“Which might explain why you have failed to stop these incursions.” Just then Mark and Cedric appeared. Cedric nodded. The messenger had been taken. The Sherriff thought he had sent word to his confederates. His messenger was not going anywhere. “No matter, we end the threat this day and then I shall put in place
measures to make this border secure.”
We left as snow began to fall and to lie. Had the Sherriff been leading the chase we would have walked our horses. I knew we had but fifteen miles to travel and we galloped. We found Rob and Michael, my archers, twelve miles from Carlisle. They were north of Gilsland. I saw that the raiders had visited Gilsland. My archers had tended the wounds of the men who had fought to stop their cattle and families being taken. They looked accusingly at the Sherriff, “My lord! We pay taxes! Where is our protection? These bandits grow bold! Last year they did not raid this far south. Where next? Lancaster?”
The Sherriff rose in his saddle, “How dare you speak to me like that! I am Sherriff.”
I turned to him and snapped, “For the present! This man is right. You have not done your duty and if you say that they cannot speak like that to you then I will have you bound and tried for dereliction of duty!” He was silent. I looked down at the man whose head was encased in a bandage, “Fear not, the raids will end now.”
Michael pointed north, “They are not far ahead in that direction, lord. Their path is clear to see. They are heading north.”
He was right. The large number of cattle and sheep they had taken left a clear trail of hoof marks and dung. The muddy track cut a dark line through the increasingly white landscape. The black muddy line wound its way north. The land rose and fell. This was not a Roman road. It followed the contours of the land. When we began to pass steaming piles of dung then I knew we were close to the warband. I had to trust that David of Wales was ahead of them. When we launched our attack, he would stop the flight of any who might try to evade us. We reached a rise and looked down at the shallow valley below us. The mass of animals, captives and bandits lay just a mile away. They appeared to be watering the animals. The Sherriff had been silent since Gilsland. I said to him, “What is it that we see? A river?”