by Griff Hosker
"Good."
"And he speaks. He is weak, that is all."
I was relieved, "Then we will give thanks to God and Father James!"
We had made a pyre of our dead and they were burned at the top of the hill where Wulfric had held the enemy at bay. The Scots had taken their dead back across the river and buried them. As the smoke drifted east the air was filled with the smell of burning human flesh. It was not a pleasant smell. "Wilfred, have the dead horses butchered and cooked. That is a better smell to fill a man's nostrils."
"Aye lord."
I rode with my squires, Sir Harold, and Sir John as well as my archer knight, back to the gates. We would speak with the Constable. It was the grizzled old Scot who greeted us.
"Thank you for allowing us to bury our dead. They died bravely."
"They did indeed. And I take it that the Constable is still with the healers?"
"He is but I have authority to speak with you. What would you have with us, Warlord? I am an old warrior so speak plain."
I liked this man and I did him the service of speaking honestly with him. "I would have the Scots go from Carlisle but I know that the Constable will not agree to that and I value my men too highly to waste their lives in a fruitless attack on your walls. I would take it but it would be pyrrhic victory so send this message to your Constable. I will take every animal I can find between here and Barnard Castle. If ever he dares to try to take one life in England then I will return and every man I meet will die. That is a promise. If you know me then you know I keep my word."
"Aye Warlord, it is true. Until he recovers you have my word, Angus of Menteith, that we will respect the border."
"Farewell Angus. I wish you a long life."
He laughed, "Aye well that is out of my hands is it not?"
By the time our hunters returned with cattle and sheep as well as some horses which had fled the battle the funeral pyres were smoking ash and the horse meat was ready for eating. My knights were in good humour. "The castles are locked up tighter than a reeves' purse and we collected many animals. The people fled when they saw our banners."
"Are there more animals to be had Wulfric?"
"I think another six days should see us clear the fields."
"We have five. I have no doubt that if we tarry longer then Prince Henry will cause mischief in the east."
The next day I sent back Sir Edward, his son and Sir Gilles along with their men. They drove the animals we had gathered. They would leave them at Stockton. Over the next few days, as more animals were recovered from the Scots I sent other knights and their men to return with our booty. Sir Hugh was the second to leave. He would retain the animals he drove for his people had suffered already.
At the end of the five days the rest of the army left. There were just five knights. I rode with Dick, Sir Harold, Sir Tristan and Sir John. We had the fewest animals but I wanted to ensure that we travelled safely. Aiden and his scouts ranged far and wide seeking enemies. They found none. We reached home by the middle of summer. My valley was peaceful and my people prospered. The new animals increased our wealth. The treasure, mail and weapons we had recovered would make every man richer and the people of Stockton would prosper. All of my men now had remounts and we had a good herd of horses from sumpters and rounceys to palfreys and destrier.
As I sat in my Great Hall eating with my household knights, squires and my constable, John of Craven, Sir Harold said, "Perhaps we should stay apart from the rest of the Empress' army lord. Being a Warlord is far more profitable."
I was about to censure Sir Harold when Henry Fitz Empress said, "The Earl serves my mother, the Empress. This is a minor disagreement. He will soon be fighting alongside her once more."
Sir Harold looked at me and I shrugged. He was right but so was the future king. "We shall need all the coin we can and soon. John of Craven see if you can get two of your Frisians to sail home and recruit more of their fellows. They are good warriors."
"They are my lord. They will never be horsemen but they can stand a watch on a wall and can defend ramparts like no warrior I have ever commanded."
Sir John said, "Alf will appreciate the business."
Sir Tristan laughed, "It is more money for the family coffers eh John?"
Sir John blushed, "He makes good mail and excellent swords."
"I was only having fun at your expense."
"We have much to spend the coin on and we have the animals to fairly distribute. I am mindful of the fact that Erre and his men had no opportunity to capture animals for themselves."
John of Craven said, "The people say that you do not take as much as you ought, Earl. They are right."
"I am happy for my share to benefit Stockton. If Stockton is rich then I profit from the taxes. Is that not so Steward?"
"We have a healthy surplus. That is true."
Sir Harold roared with laughter, "Do my ears deceive me? Is John the parsimonious steward happy with our income?"
John was known for being tight fisted and he had the good grace to acknowledge it. He shrugged. "I confess that you have all done far better than I could have hoped. We will need to build a bigger workshop for my father." William the Moneyer made our coins. Since the Civil War had begun we had had to produce many more coins and they were in high demand. Their value could be trusted. As we had discovered in some of the ransoms for the Scots many of their coins had base metal mixed with the bronze, silver and gold. It was another reason why we were able to trade so far afield. Our coins were known to be true. The sign of the wolf was a good one when it came to money.
The good humour of the hall continued over the next weeks as wounds healed and coins were spent. 'Adela' docked twice more taking back with her, on one voyage, Günter the Frisian who sailed to his home to hire more mercenaries. Gilles and Richard continued to train Henry to become a better squire and I fretted that I had no news from the Empress. Since Stephen had recovered from his illness we had heard nothing.
A rider arrived in August. He was one of Miles of Gloucester's men. He had a letter for me and one for Henry. Both were from the Empress. I was selfish and wished to read my letter alone. I tucked it in my tunic for later. Henry devoured his and I questioned Richard, the messenger, about his news.
"Ranulf of Chester has allied himself with Stephen once more. My journey here took longer than it should. I had to avoid Lincoln."
"And what of the Usurper?"
"He is trying to take the new castles of Cirencester, Bampton and Wareham. The noose tightens around the Empress' lands."
I nodded, "And the Earl of Gloucester?"
He hesitated and then said, "He hunts a great deal, my lord." He looked at me with as an honest a look as I could remember. "The Constable told me to be honest with you." He pointed towards the unopened letter, "I am guessing the letter tells you more. I was told to destroy it if any threatened to take it."
"Sir Miles must trust you."
"I am his cousin, lord, and he does."
"If you would wait a week or two I can offer you a voyage home on the 'Adela'."
"Thank you Earl but I am anxious to return home. I find it cold this far north."
"But it is summer!"
"I know!"
When he left us I turned to Henry, "What does your mother say?"
He looked disappointed, "Nothing! She asks about my health and hopes that I am eating well!"
"That is mothers for you. You had better go to Gilles. He has your new sword ready from Alf."
His eyes lit up and he raced from my presence. He was almost a youth but there was still enough of the child in him to forget his manners. I did not mind and I took a jug of wine up to my solar to read the letter from the Empress. Despite Miles' trust in his cousin I had no doubt that the Empress would be discreet and I would have to read between the lines but knowing that she had penned this herself made it seem like I held her in my hands once more.
Alfraed,
The manner of your departure and the ug
ly words which were exchanged have weighed heavily upon my mind. I have had sleepless nights and I have paced the floor. My soldiers and servants believe it is because my son is absent but I know that you care for him and will watch over him as carefully as if you were his father.
My brother is cold towards me. I know not why for I sided with him over you. Perhaps it is because the Earl of Chester has defected again. He is untrustworthy and yet his wife is so brave. My brother hunts. I have heard a rumour that he intends to join my husband in Normandy. Margaret overheard a conversation between two of his men. He sees more chance of victory and glory there. On a more positive note, if he does leave for Normandy, then I shall be able to send for you. Prepare to join me. I know we can reverse the gains made by Stephen.
I have no doubts that Henry will prosper with you but ask him to write to me, please.
Your friend,
Maud
I read and re read the letter a number of times. She must have trusted Miles' cousin for the letter was more open than I expected. I sent for Sir Richard. "We may be travelling back to Oxford soon. Prepare your men. I will travel light with just archers if the summons comes."
"You have had word, lord?"
"I have had a hint. However it may be next week, next month...."
"We shall be ready. The new horses have been schooled and we have arrows aplenty. Half of my archers now have a short mail vest. They can form a shield wall if needs be."
"Good. You anticipate my every wish."
We were all in good humour for a long week and then a party of Churchmen arrived from the south. We had received news that Sir Edward's squire, John had fully recovered. He would walk, talk move and, most importantly, laugh. It seemed a sign. The men who came wore the garb of the men of Winchester. What had Henry of Blois to do with me? I might be Warlord but even I had to be civil to the clergy no matter what their politics. I respected honest priests like Father James and Father Henry. In fact I held none in higher regard for they placed themselves in danger without any weapon save their faith. I could not do that. These robed prelates with rings on their fingers were as far removed from priests as I was from a swineherd. They were pampered young men who had chosen the church rather than knighthood. The Templars and Hospitallers showed that you could be both but the party of eight who awaited me in my Great Hall were too well fed to be poor priests. My knights and squires waited behind me.
I smiled at them and watched as they fell upon the food and wine Alice had brought as though they had not eaten for a week. I had no doubt that their arrival heralded something unpleasant in my life. I wondered what sin or crime I had committed which demanded such a gaggle of clergy. I waited until they had finished. The Canon who led them looked at me sternly. "Thank you for your hospitality, Earl. The north, it seems, has rather less in the way of lodgings and fine food. "
A younger priest said, "And the monks of Fountain's Abbey served us porridge!"
I nodded and kept a serious expression. "It is the war. We have many raiders and bandits. I am sure that when we have peace then the fare will improve."
The Canon jabbed a podgy finger at me, "It is this peace of which we need to speak. We have had representation from King David and the Archbishop of Glasgow. The Empress made peace with the Scots and you have broken it!"
I flashed a warning look to my knights and squires. They too remained impassive. "I am sorry but what has this to do with you? The last time I was in Oxford it was said that the church would not support the Empress or her son's claim to the throne."
"The Church is neutral in these matters but the Archbishop of Glasgow has sent word to the Pope. He wishes you excommunicated."
I could keep a straight face no longer. "If every warrior who made war on another was excommunicated then there would be few indeed who would escape that judgement." They looked stunned. I think they expected a more penitent response. "What did you think would result from this visit?"
"We thought that you would apologise to the King of Scotland and then make a pilgrimage to Rome to beg the Pope's forgiveness. That is not unreasonable. The Archbishop and the King have assured us that this would be an acceptable penitence."
I nodded. I could see now that this was a plot. King David or, more likely, Prince Henry, wished me far from the Tees. Then they would attack and use the treaty with the Empress as an excuse. I was just amazed that Henry of Blois had been taken in by this. There was something I was missing. I waved forward Henry Fitz Empress. "This is my squire. He is the son of the Empress Matilda." I could see that they did not know of this. I guessed that they had not even bothered to speak to Henry's mother before travelling north. "Henry, tell the priests from Winchester why we went to war with the Scots."
He said, firmly, "They raided and killed many Englishmen from around Barnard Castle. They stole animals, burned farms and enslaved women and children. I saw the bodies and burned farms."
"So perhaps you, as churchmen of England, should write a letter to the Pope demanding that the Scottish lords should be excommunicated."
"We have no proof of that!"
"You have my word and that of the future King of England. And what proof has the Archbishop of Glasgow!"
"The word of the Constable of Carlisle."
"Ah so an English priest believes a Scottish lord over an English one. Interesting." I turned to Henry, "You will have some interesting decisions to make when you are king, Henry." He nodded and I winked at him. He joined the others. "Will you be returning south tomorrow, gentlemen or visiting the Scots?"
I had confused them. They had expected the threat of excommunication to have had more effect. They were bluffing. Pope Innocent was too crafty to side with one side or the other in the Civil War. The outcome was still in doubt. He was a practical and pragmatic Pope. He would side with the winning side... at a price, of course.
"We will return south tomorrow."
"Good then tonight we will serve you fare which is more representative of this valley. My steward will show you to your quarters."
When they had left us Sir Richard asked, "What was that about? Excommunication? Are you not afraid for your soul, lord?"
"Did we do anything wrong? Did we do anything which others have not done?" They all shook their heads. "This was an attempt to make me leave my valley. I will delay my visit south until after the harvest is in. I do not trust the Scots."
Henry said, "Visit south, lord?"
"Yes Henry. It seems I may well be welcome at your mother's court soon. I did intend to go before the month was out but now I shall wait. We will use this time to send scouts and determine what the Scots are up to. I had thought our expedition would have taught them a lesson but it seems not." I turned to Richard. "Fetch Alice to me."
When my knights and squires had departed I spoke to Alice, "I want tonight's feast to be fit for a king. I want these priests to leave here thinking that this is the land of milk and honey and we are over flowing with food and ale."
"But we are well off, my lord!"
"I know and I want them to talk of this feast for months to come." She went away confused but I was becoming crafty too. I wanted them to think that I would not leave my valley at all. When I did return to the Empress' side I would sneak away in the night. I could plot too. I had been brought up in the court of the Byzantine Emperor.
I dressed in my finest clothes. I had silks I had brought from the east. I wore gold on my fingers and around my neck. After I had bathed I used expensive oils. I made sure that my squires and knights all wore the new surcoats which Alice had just had made for us and we used expensive candles not the tallow ones. The Great Hall looked as festive and as glorious as it ever had. Adela would have been proud although she would have frowned at my motives.
We had a wild boar as the centre piece for the meal. Even the gaggle of priests could not consume it all and my men at arms would feast well upon it. A brace of swans began the meal as well as four stuffed salmon. I ate sparingly but they seemed not to not
ice. The wine was a heady one from Chinon. Rich and powerful, it proved too much for two of the priests who had to have their sleeping forms pulled from the food. The dessert was a plum pudding. It was heavily spiced and was a speciality of Alice.
Canon Theobald beamed at me, "You eat well here, Earl. I have not tasted finer food since... I have never tasted food so fine and the wine is superb. Why even the Bishop's table is poorer than this and yet you said that the north is poor."
"It is, your grace, but not for those who support the Empress."
He seemed to see, as though for the first time, my clothes and my gold. He glanced around and saw the tapestries on the walls and the fine goblets used for the wine. "You must have few men then if you can afford all of this."
My natural honesty almost undid me for I would not actually lie nor would I exaggerate. All that I had said was the truth it was just that this was not the normal feast. "I have over three hundred knights, men at arms and archers under my command. Every one of us has at least two horses and every man at arms has a full hauberk. I have every castle garrisoned by dedicated warriors and we make swords and weapons so highly prized that they bring much gold to this land."
I smiled as I saw him sit back. I knew what he would do. He would tell the Bishop what I had said. He would tell Stephen and Queen Matilda. I have no doubt that there would be Scottish spies and they would be told too. The result would be that my enemies would be fearful of attacking us. They would all have the numbers and they would be given to them by a canon. They would be believed. If I was to be away from the valley then I wanted all to fear attacking us.
They left the next day. Some of the priests were a little unsteady on their feet but the Canon had much on which to ponder. I knew that they would visit York. There had been two nominations for Archbishop to replace Thurstan: Waltheof of Melrose had had his nomination quashed by Stephen while Henry de Sully had had his nomination quashed by Pope Innocence. There was a religious void there now and the Canon struck me as a clever man who might try to exploit the situation. Such conspiracies suited me as I now trusted no one in York and the more confusion which reigned there the better.