by Griff Hosker
After they had left I began to plan my response to Prince Henry, the Earl of Northumbria. This would not be an act of war but it would be a threat to Northumbria. I told my knights that we would leave at the start of September and then I wrote a letter to the Empress. When 'Adela' docked my captain would deliver it.
Chapter 11
Aiden and his men rode north. I had visited with Sir Hugh to ask him to keep a good watch on his borders to the west. It was the north where I feared treachery. With more new men for my walls I was confident that all my entire ring of castles could be well garrisoned. I would take such a large army north that Prince Henry would have to think twice before venturing south. It was when he feared an attack by me that I would be able to ride south and join the Empress.
I was kept very busy but I noticed Henry Fitz Empress keeping a close eye on me. The visit of the clergy had set him to thinking. "My lord if you ride north do you not risk excommunication? That risks your soul."
Gilles and Richard were also interested but they had feared to raise the issue. A warrior's beliefs were his own. They knew that some of my men were barely Christian. Sven the Rus and the Frisians were only Christians because it enabled them to gain work. I had seen Sven's hammer of Thor around his neck. They could reconcile their new choice with the fact that amongst the pantheon of gods they worshipped there was one Allfather.
"Do you know where I was born, Henry?"
"Yes, my lord, in the Eastern Empire; the city of Constantinopolis or as Erre calls it Miklagård."
"That is so and they are Christian. However they follow not Rome for they began their church before the church in Rome. They are Christian but a different branch. They are called Orthodox and they follow the teachings of the Patriarch. I would not wish to be excommunicated but that would mean I could not take communion in a Church of Rome. If that unlikely event happened then I would send to the east and hire a priest to serve here. I could build another church." I saw the three of them and their faces. I had shocked them. "But it will not come to that. This is a conspiracy concocted by the churches, the Scots and, I believe, Stephen or his wife, to force me from this country. They thought I would either stop my war or go to Rome to seek forgiveness from the Pope. That will not happen."
"But you risk your soul for my mother, me and for England."
"I do not think that my soul was ever in danger but I would have risked it if it was necessary. In my heart I know that what I do is right and if I am wrong then I will face my punishment on judgement day."
When Aiden returned it was with dire news. "The Scots have gathered an army lord. It is north of the Tyne by the bridges at the New Castle. They have improved the defences there since we raided."
We had captured the New Castle and held it for a while. The Scots, it seemed, had learned their lesson. The last time we had come, when we had avenged the death of Sir Hugh Manningham we had come from the west, through Hexham. I had no doubt they would have made the west end of the town walls and the gate there even stronger and would rely on the bridge across the Tyne for defence.
By the end of August my men were gathered at my castle. Sir Hugh and ten men of arms joined me but the vast bulk of his men remained at his castle. I needed Sir Hugh's banner. We had new men and so I was able to take north even more men than had raided Carlisle. All depended on how much I could convince Prince Henry that I would attack him.
We left at the beginning of September and took our spare horses but disguised them as sumpters carrying supplies for a long campaign. We rode quickly north up the Durham Road. We crossed the Wear upstream of Durham but I knew that the garrison or their scouts would have seen us. They were Scottish but were not the game I sought. We swung north east and reached the ridge overlooking the gate at the head of the bridge leading to the New Castle.
Although we had travelled quickly we had been seen and riders had warned Prince Henry of our imminent arrival. Refugees were fleeing over the bridge as we crested the ridge which paralleled the Tyne. These were not the native English. These were Scottish incomers who had taken over the lands of our people. They took only that which they could carry upon their backs. The Warlord of the North was coming and that was the time to flee!
As I lined my men up on the ridge I spied great activity both at the bridge gate and within the walls. Wulfric laughed and pointed west. I could see banners as men rode from their camps there, "They thought we would do as we did the last time and attack from Hexham. You have upset their plans for the defence of the north, my lord."
"Good. If they think they know my mind then they are wrong. Have the servants we brought set up the tents and the camp. Aiden, take your scouts and hunt us something. Dick go with Sir Philip and capture as many animals as you can."
"Aye lord."
"You know what to do when you have them."
The line of men which faced the Scots did not alter but a third of the men we had brought were now engaged in other activities. I, too, could deceive. Time passed and still we did not move. Each man stood next to their horse and stared at the walls of the castle. As the smoke from our fires rose in the skies the gates leading to the bridge opened and three men, bare headed and without shields, rode forth.
I mounted. "Henry, bring my banner. Sir Edward come with me." I took off my helmet and gave it to Gilles. We rode down the cobbled surface towards the bridge. They had abandoned the gatehouse at the southern end. We had taken it so easily the last time that there was little point in defending it. We rode under the arch towards the middle of the bridge where the three riders awaited us. I smiled when I saw that one was a Templar. They were using a priest albeit an armed one. The other two were Scottish knights and one had a Scottish lion on his shield.
We halted close to them. I saw them frown as they spied Henry. The Constable of Carlisle would have told his lord and master of the presence of the future king. The knight with the lion spoke first. "I am Alexander of Moray and I am Prince Henry's kin. I speak for the Earl of this land you have violated."
"Then you know that I have punished the Constable of Carlisle for his effrontery and despoliation of the west." I smiled, "How is he, by the way? Has he recovered?"
"My cousin will fight you again Warlord."
"Good. I need the exercise!"
I could see that my words had irritated the Mormaer. "I did not come to bandy words with an enemy of the Church! What is it that you want?"
I had been right. This had been a Scottish plot. "I come to speak with Prince Henry, the one who has usurped the title of Earl of Northumbria."
"I will see if he will deign to converse with you." He looked up at the sky. "It is late and I do not trust you in the night. If the Prince will speak then we will sound the horn in the morning and meet back here."
While he had been speaking the smell of cooking meat had drifted over. This was not accidental. Aiden and Dick had put two of the animals on the fires and men were using sheets of old canvas to waft the smell across the river. Aided by a breeze from the south east the smell of beef being roasted was unmistakeable.
"There is no hurry, mormaer, we dine well on the fare from the fields to the south of us. My men enjoy beef; especially when it is free. Take all the time you wish. We are going nowhere." I leaned forward and added, ominously, "Nor I think, are you!"
We turned and rode back up the side of the river to our waiting men. "Sir Wulfric place guards here. Sir Harold and Sir John, take your men upstream and watch for them crossing with boats. We did it the last time we were here. They may try to copy us."
The weather was clement. The breeze from the south east brought warm air. I wondered if it brought it all the way from Anjou. The squires tied the horses to lines and we sat around the fires and stuffed ourselves with the two deer Aiden and his men had caught and the two old cows Dick had slaughtered. The people had left so quickly that we found a great quantity of ale, food and grain. Our horses grazed and then had a second meal of oats. What we took the Scots could not consume.
Sir Edward said, "I wondered at your strategy, Earl. It seemed overly complicated."
Wulfric threw the gnawed bone on to the fire and wiped his hands on his surcoat, "You should have known that the Earl thinks things through. You and I Edward, are old warhorses. You point us towards an enemy and say kill! The Earl thinks two moves ahead of the enemy. That is why we win more than we lose."
Henry piped up, "But what if the Prince fights?"
"Then we have already won but I fear that he will not be as compliant as the Constable of Carlisle. I have been defeating the Prince since the battle of the Standards. He will not risk a battle with me. This is a gesture merely so that we can travel to Oxford unseen. Tomorrow will be a time of threats and counter threats. I will see if I can make him blink first." I waved a hand at the knights seated around the fire. "He fears me but he also fears these men. It is many years since a Scot took one of my valley knights. Aiden has reported that it is a huge army which is gathered. It is a measure of how much he fears all of you."
The first time I had fought Prince Henry he had showed me his character. He was brave and he was clever. He had almost won the battle at Northallerton but when the tide had turned he had shown that he had a keen sense of self preservation. He had fled the field and arrived at Carlisle with but one retainer. All the rest were abandoned and captured or killed. He would be king. He feared anything which might stop that and one more major defeat might bring out a rival. That was my gamble. He want the crown more than he wanted a battle.
The next morning I sent half of my men, archers, men at arms and squires led by knights to range up and down the Tyne. Already the crops were being harvested and some had been collected in. We would take it. Hungry men would have enough to worry about feeding their families and would be reluctant to try our walls.
The horn sound as I had expected and I rode with Sir Edward and Henry to meet with the Prince. Since his son's recovery Edward had been his old pugnacious self. He laughed as we headed across the bridge. "I would gamble a suit of armour that this king has witches trying to lay spells upon you warlord. You, truly are the bane of his life."
We waited in the middle of the bridge for the gates of the castle to open. "What do you mean, Sir Edward?" Henry was curious.
"If it were not for the Earl here then Prince Henry would have all of England as far south as Lincoln and Chester. Those two castles would be the northern border of the County of Northumbria. Each time he has tried to gain more territory it has been the Earl who has thwarted him."
The gates opened and Prince Henry, his standard bearer and Alexander of Moray rode out to meet me. The Prince had put on weight since I had last seen him. He had eaten more than he had fought. Warriors should have a lean and hungry look about them. I pointed to the castle, "I see you re-invested the castle after I left."
"It is my castle."
"For the moment."
"The Empress has signed a treaty with my father. You are outside the law."
"True and that should worry you for if I am outside the law then who restrains me?"
"The Church," he jabbed an accusing finger at me. "You have broken the treaty!"
"I signed no treaty. I was not consulted about a treaty and my lands are ruled by me!" I pointed to Henry. "Until the rightful heir, Henry Fitz Empress becomes King of England and Duke of Normandy I have no King to give me orders."
I had not given him the answer he expected. "But the Empress...."
Henry said, "My mother told the Earl to defend the Valley of the Tees." He pointed a finger at the Prince. "It was your man, Malcolm, who raided England and we punished him. The Earl has done no wrong and I approve of his actions."
For some reason it seemed to amuse the Prince who chuckled, "A young cockerel crowing in the farmyard eh? Before you can become King you need to rid your land of Stephen, and his son, and his wife and then gain the approval of the Church!"
Henry raised his voice to the Prince. "Do not tell me what to do! You are a Scot and as such bend the knee to the King of England!"
I think it was his tone which annoyed the Prince so much. "I have no time to bandy words with a child! What will you , Earl? I have pressing matters."
"I come here to tell you that your plot has failed. I am ignoring the Pope. I was baptised not in the Church of Rome but the Church of Constantinople. If the patriarch wishes to summon me then so be it but I fear your gold does not reach that far. I will be in my valley and we will watch. I know you have an army north of the Tyne. Come south and the rats will feast on your men's bones all the way back to Din Burgh! And I would not look to the land south of the river of food. We will collect it all before we return to my valley."
The Prince was beaten. His shoulders slumped. "You will be defeated one day, Warlord. Of that I have no doubt."
"True but I guarantee one thing... it will not be by you or any Scotsman!"
He whipped his horse's head around and they returned to the castle. As we rode back Sir Edward said, "That was well done, lord."
"It will be well done if I can slip away unseen. Now let us do as I said and return south. We collect every animal and every grain and fruit as we do so. We shall do as your great grandfather did without the slaughter of people. We shall make the land south of the Tyne empty of life!"
We spent four days ranging as far west as Hexham and as far east as South Shields. We drove the animals south. When we reached our valley the first signs of autumn were upon us. The apple and pear trees were dropping their fruit and the fields had all been harvested of oats, barley and, on the south facing slopes, wheat. It was just afternoon as we reached Stockton, my home. Even as I entered my gates John of Craven shouted from my east tower, "Lord, the 'Adela' has been sighted. She will be docking within the hour."
I waved my acknowledgement. I had wondered why I had not heard from the Empress. Had the Earl not gone to France? I changed from my mail. These days the relief from shedding my iron skin was huge. I had to wear it once I left my valley. I was surrounded by foes.
I summoned John, my steward, "John is there any news from the Empress?"
"No lord. Had there been I would have sent word."
I would have to wait to see what William of Kingston had to tell me. Impatient for news I went to my quay to await him. He looked surprised to see me as he sprang ashore, "My lord? I had not expected to see you here."
My heart sank, "Why not?"
"I was in Bristol a month since and one of the Empress' men wondered why you had not responded to her summons for help."
"I received no summons. What help did she need?"
"The Earl Of Gloucester left for Normandy almost three months ago now and King Stephen began to attack the castles surrounding Oxford. He captured Cirencester and cut the road from Gloucester to Oxford. The Empress is cut off."
"Treachery!"
"What my lord?"
"Not you, William, but the messengers she has sent have been intercepted. It is that damned renegade and turncoat Ranulf of Chester who is treacherous. The land between here and the Empress is now not safe. Thank you for your warning. I pray I am in time."
"Would you wish me to sail there with you, Lord?"
I shook my head, "I need to be there quickly. I will leave this night. A voyage would take many days."
My squires and Dick were in my hall and I rushed through the gates. It was two hundred and fifty miles to Oxford. If we used spare horses then we might make it in four days perhaps even three but there were perilously few places for us to stay. Even as I entered my hall I had made a decision.
"Sir Dick we leave for Oxford this night. I want you and the best six men you have. I want to travel quickly and to be hidden."
Dick had served with me long enough not to be surprised by such a request. He nodded. Harold, Tristan and John were there and heard my words.
"Lord that is madness. You will be travelling the length of the country just about and it is filled with your enemies."
"I kno
w but the Empress needs me. She is surrounded by Stephen's forces. They are closing in. Time is of the essence. Her brother left for Normandy three months since. I would dearly love to take all of my knights and men but that is what the Scots want."
Dick turned and said, "If we take four sumpters and remounts for us we can carry the mail on the sumpters and travel quickly. There are places we can stay. You are right, lord, with just eleven of us we can stay hidden and the places we can stay will be smaller. I will arrange this. Come Gilles, bring the squires and we will teach young Henry how to pack light."
"We will not need the standard, Henry."
"Aye lord."
I waved over John, my steward. "I will be leaving for Oxford. I know not when I will return. Sir Edward commands in my absence. Harold, you will tell him."
"Aye, lord."
"I need him to keep a close watch on the borders and be ready to repulse the Scots if they dare to venture south. Alice, we may be away some time. Have you winter cloaks?"
"We have lord but I have not had time to dye them with your colours. They are plain white."
"They will have to do. How many are there?"
"I have ten."
Then pack those and as many furs as we can carry on our sumpters."
"Which servants will you take lord?"
"None, we travel light."
"You are a great lord! You should have servants and slaves to wait on you."
I laughed, "When I am old and in my dotage I shall do so."
As she left I heard her muttering, "If you live to old age."
She cared for us and I forgave her insolence but she was right. One day I would take a risk too many or a younger version of me would come along and I would fall.
Chapter 12
Dick led us south along the Great North Road. It was a risk but we could move quickly and one we had passed York then we could disappear. Dick was taking us to the tiny hamlet of Cadeby a few miles from Doncaster. We were some miles along the road and passing Osmotherley when I asked him why.