by Griff Hosker
“But will her father accept me? He has connections to the Earl of Suffolk.”
“And you are the son of King Henry’s champion and you are the friend of the next King of England. Besides, until you ask, you will never know!” He nodded, “However, first, speak to your mother. She feels that she is not part of your world and she still pines for Mary.”
“I know and I will but I find it hard, sometimes, to speak to her.”
“And that is my fault for I took you to war when you would have been close to her. Make the effort, my son, and try.”
“I will!”
His words were well chosen and his mother was delighted. She even offered advice on what to say to Lady Elizabeth’s parents. He left for Stanton a short while later. My wife sent gifts for her parents and she made certain that he was dressed as a young noble should be. Our poor mason also discovered that all the work he had done was to be restarted for my wife wanted even more rooms now. She wished all of the family to be accommodated in what had once been a humble hall. I smiled and was grateful that I could get on with the work of Sherriff of Northampton, a task I had neglected for some time.
When he returned it was with the news that Sir Humphrey had accepted my son’s proposal of marriage but they felt that she was still too young to be wed and the date which had been set was September. My wife and son would have to wait a winter, spring and summer before there would be a wedding. I needed that time for I could not afford to relax my vigilance.
One advantage of being Sherriff was that I could employ more men at arms than I could as Baron Strongstaff and I began to hire more men in Northampton. My son had lived there long enough to be able to weed out those who would not stand in a shield wall and he and I selected the men we would leave to garrison both Weedon and Northampton when we were called to the north. I also wrote a long letter to Sir Ralph Neville to explain what I had planned and I sent it with four of my men who would also buy four more horses from Mistress Mary. Her manor at Middleham Tyas was key to my plans. I also wrote one to the Bishop of Durham. His support was vital if we were to hang on to the north.
I had realised the dangers of riding alone in a land still riven with conflict and assassins. The Welsh and the Percy family would both like me dead for I was linked not only to their defeats but also to King Henry and his son. When I travelled from Weedon to Northampton I did so with eight men and Abelard. I also took to spending longer at Northampton so that, as the short days of winter arrived, I was not travelling in the dark. I was not afraid of my enemies but it was a foolish man who gave them an advantage.
My men and the reply from the Lord of the Northern Marches had arrived by Christmas so that I was able to enjoy the celebrations with my family. My second granddaughter, Margaret, was born on Christmas Eve. It seemed appropriate somehow and Mary and Margaret were both healthy. It made that Christmas, quite possibly, the best we had ever enjoyed. I had bought some barrels of wine from Bordeaux and I had some special ale brewed for the garrison and my men. In celebration of the birth of my granddaughter, I gave each of my men at arms and archers five pounds. I still remembered how such acts endeared men to their lord from my time in the Blue Company. Captain Tom had always been generous when he could. I was more than generous because I knew just how good were the men I led.
When, after Christmas, we were back in Weedon I spoke at length to Eleanor about my plans. I think she now understood them and was able to listen without becoming upset. “I may be away for most of the summer; it may not be this year when the north rebels again but I think it is likely. It means that I may not be present at the wedding. If events conspire then Thomas and Richard will also be with me on the campaign. Harry will understand.”
She put her hand over my mouth, “And I understand. You pay the price for the life we lead and I think I see that now. There are too many men who put themselves before the country and I thank God that you are not one of them. The King and his illness put the country in danger.” She made the sign of the cross when she mentioned the illness for my wife also believed, I am sure, that it was a curse from God. “You and Prince Henry will have to keep the land safe but I would you were at my side in the church at Stanton.”
“And if God is willing then I shall be.”
Prince Henry visited with me at the end of January and he brought news which both encouraged and disturbed me in equal measure. His father’s condition had worsened and Prince Henry feared that he might never be able to appear in public again. “It is not leprosy; the doctors have told me that but it looks as though it is and people are afeared when they see him. In addition, he now endures fits and we cannot allow him to be in public when such a fit occurs.”
“You will take the crown?” I could be blunt with the Prince for he knew my motives were not tainted by personal greed.
“No, for that is not my way. At least not yet. The doctors are trying some new remedies and so we will see if they work. All of this means that I will need to stay close to London and my father for I will have to work with the King’s Council and Parliament. I intend to make the Council more supportive. I will not be able to help you and I wanted to tell you that to your face.”
“I had not planned on involving you unless I had to.”
I told him my plans and he beamed, “Your mind is ever working. I like the plan and I also bring good news. Anglesey has been taken by knights from Ireland. Beaumaris is relieved and there are just the castles of Harlech and Aberystwyth which are thorns in our side. My gunners have the cannons made and when the north is secure then we can take Wales but it may not be this year for that will depend upon the northern rebellion. This year we protect what we have and it will be next year that we retake that which is ours.” He smiled at me, “And I shall not be alone. My brothers, John and Humphrey are preparing to bring men to aid us when we fight Wales. They will do so at their own expense.”
“And your Uncle, the Duke of York?”
He frowned for Edward, Duke of York, had been a supporter to King Richard and was now held as a prisoner in Pevensey. The news had rocked the court for it was thought that the Duke was loyal to the King but there were now doubts. “I do not believe he is treacherous. His younger brother, Richard, is a different matter but my uncle is safe in the castle at Pevensey and that safety works both ways for I fear there are those who would use him to their own ends. If you can manage the north, along with Sir Ralph Neville then I believe there will be hope for us!” He lowered his voice, “The Bishop of Norwich is a clever cleric and he has a network of spies in France. My father asked him to begin to gather intelligence once the French invaded Wales. He has learned of their civil war and he is preparing information which will be advantageous to us when we decide to reclaim our birthright. He has heard a rumour that the Earl of Northumberland is gathering an army. I cannot believe that he would attack in winter but spring is a different matter. It might be prudent to leave for the north earlier rather than later.”
“Aye, Prince Henry, you may be right.”
Before he left, he gave me a chest of gold to help to pay for the army in the north. I would not need it for my men but I knew that the Lord of the Northern Marches was not as rich as the lords further south.
I took my sons and son in law with me. There were more than enough men left to guard their homes and the north was not Wales. It was closer and they could, if the northerners did not rebel, be back home within seven nights.
Chapter 11
It was a hurried goodbye but that was no bad thing for I needed no tears before I left my home. Sir Wilfred and Sir John had both arrived promptly and with Sir Richard and my sons living so close we were able to leave as soon as we were mustered. We were able to allow Harry to visit with his bride to be on our way north. As we rode the rumours of a northern rising were told to us in both Nottingham and, more alarmingly, in York. I spoke with the new Sherriff of York, Sir Thomas Rokeby.
“My Lord Sherriff, I think we should prepare to call out the levy for t
hese rumours grow stronger the further north we come.”
“I too have heard the rumours but I find it hard to give them credit. The ground is still frozen and winter is still upon us.”
“Aye, and that alone makes me think it might be true. Percy is a northerner and he knows his people cannot till fields yet. Further south men are finding the land warm enough to plough but, in the north, it is still winter. This strikes me as the perfect time to strike. I will be at Middleham Tyas with my men. If you hear any news, either good or ill, then send for me and I will serve under you. I will have riders ready to summon Sir Ralph Neville and the men of Westmoreland.”
Even as we left the city the summons was being sent out for the loyal knights and men of Yorkshire to gather. It was a gamble for they only owed the Sherriff forty days service and if the Percys did not arrive in that time then they would be disbanded. When we reached Middleham Tyas I was disturbed to see that the lord of the Northern Marches was not at home. After settling our men into the farmhouse, I went with Sir Ralph and my sons to Middleham castle. There were just ten knights in residence and they had with them just one hundred and forty men at arms and archers. Sir James, who commanded the castle in the absence of the earl, told me that the Earl was still in Westmoreland, at Carlisle, for he did not think that the Northumbrians would move until Spring. It was disappointing for he must have heard the same rumours that we did. Why had he not reacted?
I demanded that Sir James send a message to him informing him of the urgency and necessity of his return. I then sent Harry and four men to Durham. I needed the eyes of the Palatinate to watch for the rebels in the north. I was now even more convinced that they would choose this cold and miserable time to head south. Henry Percy, with his last throw of the dice, hoped to catch us napping!
Harry was the reason that we had prior warning of the rebel army which had crossed the Tyne and was now heading across the Tees. The Bishop of Durham had received word of an army moving south and even as he was confirming it my son arrived at Durham. Harry was quick thinking and he headed back south to tell us. He encountered them south of Yarum and he managed to avoid the Northumbrian army which was augmented by Scottish raiders and, as such, busy ransacking churches and stealing cattle. Sending one of his men to York he hurried to Middleham Tyas. When he gave us the size of the army he had seen I knew that we would struggle to hold them without the aid of the men of Westmoreland. That we were unprepared was an understatement. With a handful of knights and barely two hundred and fifty men we could not stop a Northumbrian army. I raised the local levy and that brought us another one hundred men. We headed east for the enemy would be making for York. York had always been the capital of the north and if Percy held that city then he could hold Yorkshire to ransom and use it as a new power base. I had too few men to send out large numbers of scouts and we headed towards the Great North Road like a man walking along a cliff in a fog. I did send two of Sir Ralph’s men to make contact with Sir Thomas Rokeby. The Sherriff had a sizeable force and they were my hope.
It was coming on to dark when we reached Knaresborough and there we had word of the rebels. Their army had been spotted by Sir Thomas Rokeby and his men. The rebels now knew they could not take York by surprise as the levy had been mustered. Sir Thomas had sent men to order all the towns and villages to bar their gates to the rebel army which was marching south. It was time for me to make quick decisions and so I changed my horse and rode one brought by Sir Ralph. Leaving Sir James in command of the army and with orders to rest for at least five hours, I rode with Captain Alan and my archers through a darkening evening towards Wetherby. I had to find the rebels. Sir Thomas would be doing the same but he was highly visible for he had a large army. My men and I were so small that we were invisible and Henry Percy and Lord Bardolf did not know that we were close.
The rebels had already passed through Wetherby when in the dark of night, we passed through. People were just returning to their homes having been attacked when Percy and his marauders passed through. The town had been pillaged and ransacked. Food and animals had been taken and I wondered why they had not stayed in the town and then, as we headed towards Bramham, where the survivors said that the rebels had gone, I realised why. They had destroyed too much of the town. They needed somewhere that they could defend and we found that place. Bramham Moor was a tiny hamlet but it lay on top of a rounded moor. Their campfires alerted us to their presence and we dismounted to walk through the dark to their camp. They had chosen a piece of high ground close to the small settlement of Bramham. This time they had not reduced the hamlet and that explained its choice. Percy would sleep with a roof over his head while he waited for the men of Yorkshire.
We made our way back to our horses and I sent two archers to ride around the army with orders to fetch Sir Thomas Rokeby. We retired to the hamlet of Clifford where there were just six houses. We were close enough to the enemy to be able to keep watch if they moved and yet we could move north if we were threatened.
“Matthew the Millerson, ride back to my knights and have Sir James bring our men here at daybreak.”
When he had gone, I sat with Captain Alan in an empty house in the village for when the rebels had passed those who could had fled for family who lived further away from the wild scots and Northumbrians. I did not want the flames from a fire to alert the rebels but it was so cold that we needed the warmth. Only three of the houses were occupied and so my men and I were able to take shelter from the cold February air. We cooked some dried ham in water. It would make a broth to warm us and chewing the leathery meat would make it feel as though we had eaten.
Abelard asked, “Do you have a plan, lord?”
His father tutted, “Do not be impertinent, boy!”
“Let him be, Alan, he does right to question me for one day he will be a knight and he will have to make decisions such as I make.” I turned to him, “The simple answer is no. If Percy runs, we follow but if he stands and fights then we have to join battle. It depends upon the terrain and on Sir Thomas. I know not how close he is. Let us say, Abelard, that I am glad that most of the men we bring are mine for I know how they will fight and for the rest then we are in the hands of God.”
Alan nodded, “You see, son, that battles are not won by kings and princes, but men like us. Kings can have plans and strategies but if we do not carry them out then they will fail. For myself, I am confident for the enemy army is led by Lord Percy. He has escaped justice so many times that I am convinced that God will give us the victory for we deserve it and we are led by Sir William. We could be faced by ten times the number who face us but right will win!”
I rose before dawn and sent half of the archers to watch the enemy. A weary Harry Fletcher rode in and said, “Lord, the Sherriff is heading for Bramham. He will be here after noon!”
“Then we have them. Captain Alan, when the men arrive, take all of the archers and head for the rebel camp. Keep yourselves hidden for my plan is to wait until their attention is fixed upon Sir Thomas Rokeby. I will bring our mounted men at arms to fall upon their rear and you will distract them with your arrows.”
He grinned, “Aye, lord!”
My men began to arrive and Captain Alan organised the archers. I gathered the knights around me. I knew my sons, son in law, Sir Wilfred, Sir John and Sir Ralph but not Sir James and the men of Middleham. “Today we have a chance to make the north secure for the King and his son. More, it will be safe for you and your families. With James of Scotland a hostage our only northern enemy is Percy!” I was pleased to see their eyes brighten as I spoke. They knew of the odds but my words had put steel in their hearts. “I intend to wait until Sir Thomas focusses the attention of the rebels on their attack from the east and then attack from behind, using our archers to weaken them.”
One of the Middleham knights, Sir Jocelyn of Otley said, “Lord, is that not dishonourable?”
I laughed, “Sir Jocelyn, if you think there is any honour in war then you are deluded. Dishonour is allo
wing a coward like Percy, who let his son fight his battle for him, win. Follow my banner and do not even think of ransom. This day we fight for England and not for coins!” I saw that they all now understood my words. “We move east but we walk our horses and we do not progress beyond my archers’ horses. We will need to be patient this day but when we do begin, we will mount and move as though the Devil himself was behind us. If their position is strong then we will attack on foot.”
Sir Wilfred smiled at me as we walked our horses towards the battlefield. He was now the oldest of my knights. He had recently married but his wife was an older woman, a widow and he would have no children. “I am glad that you summoned me, lord, for since Shrewsbury my sword has become a ploughshare and that is not my way. It is good to be fighting for England again.”
“And I am glad that you are here. I ask you to watch Harry when we fight for he is young.”
“Fear not, Sir William, I have no bairns of my own. Your kin are my kin!” I was satisfied.
I led Hawk and my men towards Bramham Moor. It rose above us but the hedgerows and many small woods hid it from us and, I hoped, us from the enemy. It was Walter of Sheffield who halted us. “My lord, Captain Alan said to tell you that the ground betwixt us and the enemy, who are waiting, is uneven and rocky. He advises that your horses would not be able to keep a continuous line and you would have no speed.”
I saw Sir James give me a strange look for I was listening patiently to the advice of an archer. I would listen to my men for they knew how we fought. I turned. “We leave our horses here.”
I would not tell knights and men at arms which weapons to take. They were fighting on foot and each man would know their own weapon of choice. I took a spare roundel dagger and held it in my shield hand, along with my shield and I would take my sword. I removed my cloak and left it on my horse for I would not need to be encumbered by that. The chilly day would soon become warm when I began to hew heads. I estimated that it was about noon when we moved once more. As we were not on our horses, we were able to reach our archers unseen by the rebels who were in their prepared position and awaiting the men of Yorkshire. Handing my shield and helmet to Abelard I joined Captain Alan who sheltered behind a large oak surrounded by saplings and scrubby shrubs.