by Griff Hosker
The gap was ahead of me and, again, I knew it would aid me. I could gallop straight through but they would have to take it one at a time and they would be strung out again. Once on the open grazing of Weedon’s pastures then they would have a better chance of catching me. In the dark, ahead, I heard Abelard as he shouted for help. We were within a mile of Weedon and although we kept no sentries my men at arms and archers would hear Abelard. His father’s smallholding lay just a mile to the west of us and my manor was even closer. I reined in a little to conserve Hart in case I needed to push her later in the chase. That my pursuers were close became obvious when I heard a Nottinghamshire voice shout, “He is tiring! Quickly, on him!”
They might have been scouting me for some days to see if there was a pattern to my movements but they had not explored the land. The road we had been taking looped around the fields and we were closer to the manor than they thought. I saw shadows ahead and knew, instinctively, that it was my men. For it to be enemies would have meant that my manor had fallen! I slowed even more for I knew that there was a small beck ahead. Hart could jump it but with my men approaching I did not want to jump and risk her hitting one of them. I saw four of the shadows ahead stop and I knew that they were archers. That meant I could clear the water safely and I jumped the beck, slowing to a stop. I saw Uriah Longface and Stephen of Morpeth as they raced towards me and each held a poleaxe in their hands. Neither wore mail and I could not let them face the chasing horsemen alone. I heard the whoosh of my archer’s arrows as they loosed at the shadows racing across the field. Whirling Hart around I saw that there were now just six horsemen and a horse wandered away from my waiting men. The first arrows had yielded a result.
Their leader realised, as another four arrows descended and my two men at arms flanked me, that they could not complete their task. I drew my sword as he shouted, “Back! We have failed.” Even as he turned an arrow smacked into his back. He kept his saddle. When eight arrows descended then I knew that more archers had come to our aid. This time three men fell from their horses and then the rest disappeared into the darkness.
Abelard rode up, “Are you hurt, lord?”
I shook my head and sheathed my sword, “Thanks to the alarm you shouted, no.” I dismounted and handed Hart’s reins to Abelard. “Put our horses in the stables.” I cupped my hands and shouted, “Form a line of beaters. Let us find their corpses!” I led Stephen and Uriah, along with my archers and the other men at arms who had hurried from my manor, across the field. We found the three who had fallen from their horses quickly. They were all dead. One had been killed by an arrow which had torn into his neck while the other two had been struck by arrows but had their necks broken by their fall.
“Oliver, have some men take these bodies to the manor where we may examine them.”
We found the leader by the gap in the hedge. He had been dragged by his horse but he was dead. I took the foot from the stirrup and turned him over. It was the final proof I needed of the involvement of Sir Nicholas. It was the captain of his guard and I recognised the long scar down his face.
“Take this one and his horse back to the hall. I need this head! Have it placed in a barrel of vinegar! Let us see the Sherriff squirm his way out of this.”
We walked back to the lane to make certain that all had been accounted for and then returned to my hall where an anxious Eleanor awaited me. “You could have been killed! You should take an escort when you ride abroad!”
I laughed and kissed her head, “The day the Sherriff of Northampton cannot ride five miles from his home without an escort will be a sad day.”
My two captains had joined us and Edgar said, “Her ladyship is right, my lord, and we have been remiss. We sit and practise here when we should be riding your roads to look for strangers. I will implement the change forthwith.”
“A little like closing the stable door after the horse has fled but it can do no harm however, you need to put this off until after we have returned to Nottingham. Send to Sir Henry for I need him, his squire and his men. I need quill and ink for I must write a message to the Prince.”
My wife shook her head, “You have almost touched the River Styx and yet you would still put your life in danger.”
“That is my lot in life. This is the man you married; would you change him?”
She shook her head, “I just hoped that becoming older would slow him down a little.” She turned to head into the kitchen, “Food will be ready shortly. You had best wash up.”
I turned to Oliver the Bastard. “What did you discover from the bodies of the three slain men?”
“That they all wore mail and were sergeants at arms. They had rid themselves of their surcoats but one had a dagger with the mark of Nottingham about it.”
“Then bring that with us. We ride at dawn. I will need a messenger to ride, at first light, to Windsor. The Prince needs to be informed of this treachery.”
My letter was both blunt and concise. I informed the Prince of the attack and my course of action. My son arrived as I was finishing my food. I told him what had happened and what I intended to do. “I will need you and your men. In a perfect world, I would have the knights of Northampton but I do not want this snake to escape. We ride with the men we have.”
“And if he simply bars the gates to Nottingham and denies you entry, what then?”
“Then we have won for that will be proof for all to see that he is guilty.” I had thought all of this out as I had eaten.
I led just fifty men north but they were my men and that made them twice as good as any other men in the land. We rode hard, stopping just once to rest. It was as we rested that we discovered that our archers had been more successful than we had thought. A man at arms had died on the way. His body was at the local churchyard awaiting burial. We went to examine it and I recognised him as one of the men who had been at Nottingham Castle for he had been stood next to the Captain of the Guard.
As we approached Nottingham Castle, early the next day, I saw that the gates were wide open and there were no sentries there. I knew, even without asking, that our prey had fled and taken his men with him.
“Secure the gate, Captain Edgar. Captain Alan secure the walls. Put the head we brought on the spike on the city gate. We need it not to prove the Sherriff’s disloyalty. Let us use it to show other traitors the folly of treachery.”
The steward was at the entrance to the hall, anxiously wringing his hands, “I am sorry Sir William, I knew nothing about this treachery.”
My eyes narrowed, “What treachery?”
“Men returned late last night and Sir Nicholas immediately packed his belongings and took his men. When I asked why he struck me but one of the servants overheard the conversation and learned that an attempt had been made on your life.”
I had not thought the steward would be involved and his words confirmed it. “And where has he fled?”
“They took the road north.”
“And the rest of the country is vast. Be more specific. Where would you think he went?”
“His family have estates in the north, lord, but I know not specifically where they are. He has a manor at Alfreton but I think that is too close for him.” He was aware that his words were not telling me what I needed to know and fear was in his voice. “I am trying to help you, lord.”
I heard the panic in his voice and knew that I had terrified him and yet I knew not how. I made my voice softer, “Did he just take men?”
“No, Sir William, he emptied the treasury. There were taxes which had been collected but not yet sent to London. They were taken.”
“We will await Prince Henry. He will need chambers preparing.”
“The future King comes here?” I nodded. “Then I must away.”
There were some members of the garrison left in the castle and I discovered that they had been here before Sir Nicholas had come. It became glaringly obvious that Sir Nicholas had secured the appointment to ensure that the next rebellion would succeed.
The Prince arrived late the next day. I had begun to wonder if he would arrive at all. He came with a large number of young knights. I knew most of them for they had been with us in Wales. As soon as he dismounted and before I had time to greet him, he began, “Where is this traitor? I see a head upon the gate is that Sir Nicholas?”
I shook my head, “Sir Nicholas has fled and the head belongs to his Captain of the Guard. He was the one who led the assassins who tried to kill me.”
“And for that, I apologise. I should have done as you said and acted quickly.” He waved forward a knight I did not recognise. “This is Sir Robert Fraunceys and he will be the Sherriff until I can find another. I trust Sir Robert and we can leave the castle safely in his hands. It is the reason I am late for he has a manor just south of here, close to Newark.” He took off his gloves and propelled me towards the Great Hall. “We cannot allow this viper to escape justice. More, I wish to find out the magnitude of the rebellion. Until it is scotched then we put the assault on Wales to one side. We can see who are the Welsh rebels, here all dissemble.”
“I believe that Sir Nicholas has a number of manors north of here but if I were to put money on the outcome, I would bet that he will be in the one closest to Northumberland.”
The Prince smiled, “And you have worked out which one?”
I nodded. “Through his mother, who was a Hepdon, he has claims to the small manor of Hetton-on-the-Hill. It lies halfway between the Tees and the Tyne and, more importantly, is not part of the Palatinate. I know nothing more about it and would not have known this if the servants had not had such sharp ears. They were happy to tell me of Sir Nicholas’ holdings for he did not treat them well.”
“Then we ride there tomorrow. It will give me the opportunity to visit York on the way north and to see how the new Archbishop is coping.”
I was more confident about the new Archbishop than I had been with Scrope. There had been two attempts by the Pope to have another Archbishop appointed before Henry Bowet, the Bishop of Bath and Wells was appointed. I knew him as Henry for he had been a clerk under King Richard and I had seen him, often, at Eltham Palace. He was loyal and that was all that we could ask.
Sir Robert had enough men to garrison the castle and so the Prince led our column north. We stopped in Lincoln briefly before pushing on to York. I suspect that if the King had arrived his greeting would have been chillier than the one accorded to Prince Henry but he was as popular as his father was unpopular. Crowds cheered us as we rode through the city.
Henry Bowet had just grown older; he had the same smile and manner as he had always had and was in contrast to the political animal that had been Archbishop Scrope. We stayed but one night and learned that most of those associated with the former Archbishop had fled to Scotland with the Earl of Northumberland. He was confident that he was secure in York. It helped that he was a good friend of the Bishop of Durham. Scrope had resented the Palatinate and its loyalty to the crown.
When we left we hurried north, not towards Piercebridge but to Thornaby and the ferry to Stockton. The castle there was in the hands of a loyal knight although he was on a pilgrimage to Rome. His absence partially explained why Sir Nicholas had chosen the manor of Hetton-on-the-Hill to hide.
Lady Isabelle was a gracious hostess and was pleased to be able to accommodate the Prince. Everything about the visit reassured me that the Tees was as loyal as anywhere. You can learn more from speaking with the servants and burghers of a town than you can ever learn from conversations with their lords and the people were behind the King and they confirmed that the lord and the lady of the manor were too. We also picked up useful information. The manor at Hetton had no castle and the fortified house was not particularly strong. Both Prince Henry and I had feared that there was a castle and that a siege would provide a rallying call for other rebels.
We left early for we had just twenty odd miles to travel. There was but one main road in this area and we headed up it. The nearest castle along our route, apart from Durham itself, was Newcastle and that was held by loyal men. The traitor must have had men watching the road for none passed us heading north and yet, as we neared the manor, we could see the signs of a hurried flight. Every door was open and there were just five terrified servants who dropped to their knees when we galloped up to the hall.
The old steward, Jocelyn, pointed north and west, “Sir Nicholas went but an hour since, Your Highness.”
There was little point in berating a steward who could have done little about it in any case. I turned to Harry, “Sir Henry, take my archers and find the traitor. Send us word which road he has taken and do not try to take him yourself. We will rest briefly and follow.”
He grinned for he now had his chance, “Aye, f… Sir William!”
When he and my men galloped off Prince Henry said, wryly, “That should have been my command!”
“Aye, Prince Henry but in the time it would have taken you to ask my advice and for me to give it then the rebel would have been even further away. My son knows what he is about. We should water our horses and take some food.”
“One day I shall make such decisions as quickly as you but, until then, I am content to follow your advice for it is sage.”
As I ate, I ran through all that I knew of the land. There was a castle close to the Wear at Lumley. It was in the Palatinate and would hold against Sir Nicholas for Prince Henry had sent riders ahead to warn the Bishop of the Sherriff’s flight. Sir Nicholas and his men, we learned he had more than forty, would have to cross the Wear and that meant it would be downstream from Lumley. He would need to keep heading north and west for while he might be able to ford the Wear the Tyne was a different matter and to get to the heartland of Northumberland, he would have to reach the Roman bridges which lay close to the Wall. If he reached the Wall then we had lost him for the borderlands were Percy land.
We set off with the knowledge, gleaned from the frightened steward, that Sir Nicholas had five knights with him and the rest were men at arms. He had no archers. However, it meant that all of his men were armoured and would fight hard. They knew that their fate had been sealed once their attempt at assassination had failed.
Much Longbow met us on the road. “We have not caught up with them, lord, but they forded the river northeast of Lumley. Sir Henry thinks it would be quicker to cross the river at the castle for you could save time and he will continue to trail them.”
My archers all had good horses and without the need to carry mailed men could travel faster. This made sense. “My son has come up with a good plan. I advise that we take it.”
The Prince nodded, “Take the message back, Much, that we will do as Sir Henry advises!”
When we reached the castle, the Prince asked for some local men to act as guides. The lord of the manor, Sir Hector, was no longer young but he gave us ten men who knew the land. As we headed along the road which led to Ovingham our new guides told us that the river could be forded there.
“Not an easy ford, Your Highness, but from what you told his lordship these are desperate men. If they took the ford over the Wear then we have a chance to catch them.” Old Walter looked up at the sky, “But we may not reach them until after dark and to speak truly your horses look all in.”
The Prince said, “Ovingham sounds like a risk, Sir William, for Prudhoe Castle lies close by.”
“And it will be dusk when they cross. By the time the castle is alerted they may be across but from what Walter said we may catch them before they reach the castle. My horse still has some miles left in him and my squire has Hart. She may not be a warhorse but she is a good one.”
“We have cast the die, Sir William, we push on!”
It was getting dark when we passed the hamlet of Tanfield and we had had to leave ten men behind whose horses could go no further but we caught up with my son whose horse also looked exhausted. He pointed triumphantly north and west. “They are less than half a mile ahead. They think they have lost us for they have s
lowed.”
“That may be because they wish to cross the Tyne under cover of darkness. You have done well. You can rest here if you wish. The Prince and I have more than enough men to deal with Sir Nicholas.”
“My mount is one of Mistress Mary’s best and they are hardy animals. He will finish the task and then he can rest.”
The Prince nodded approvingly, “Your son has the same heart as his father. Let us push on. If we start them, like game, and they run then it will alert Prudhoe’s garrison.”
He was right and we put spurs to our mounts. Although it was poorer light, we could still see them ahead, and they, in turn, could see us. That Sir Nicholas knew the land became obvious when the column suddenly left the road and, riding over open fields of winter barley and oats, headed north.
Old Walter said, “He is heading for Spen Burn, Your Highness. There are trees and trails there. We could lose him and he could escape.”
The Prince was angry for he did not want to let this traitor escape. “I will be damned if he will. Sir William, take your men and continue north and west. Then ride north to cut him off. If he rides through the trees then they will slow him down. I will follow the beast!”
It was not the decision I would have made but, at least, he was thinking and reacting quickly. I shouted, “Men of Weedon, follow me!” I knew that my son and his men would join us too. We were splitting our forces and the Prince had the greater number of knights but I had archers. As we rode, I shouted my orders, “When you close with them, Captain Alan, then dismount and hurt them until we can close with them. Then it will be knife work for it will be dark.”
Archers were the deadliest of killers. Not only could they use a bow and kill at distance, once they were in a mêlée, they knew the weak points in armour and any knight they found had better surrender or he was a dead man walking. I saw a village ahead and guessed that the beck ran through it. There would be no cover there and we hastened towards it. The night was so close that we could almost touch it but there was still enough light to make out the stream and the thin undergrowth.