by Griff Hosker
We each nocked another arrow and, as it only took one man to remove the fetters, that left seven of us with bows. Burning brands appeared on the slope above us and I heard their shouts as they spied us. They sent arrows in our direction, but they were wasted, for we were more than four hundred paces from them and hidden in the dark. Even so, some hit the ground fifty paces from us. I turned and saw Robin. He was helping his father remove the fetters. Already some of those who had been freed were racing towards the river which bubbled not far from where Tom and the horses had waited.
One of the freed prisoners had tried to cross and had missed the rocks. Martin urged his horse into the water and leaned to grab the flailing arm.
I shouted to the others, “Hold on to our stirrups as we cross. Will, lead the way!”
I turned and nocked an arrow. It could be a wasted arrow, but better a nocked arrow than nothing. However, I could now see that our pursuers had realised the futility of chasing horsemen afoot. Instead, they were racing down the road to the village. They would seek help from the lord of the manor, and we would be pursued by horsemen.
I was the last to cross. The man who had fallen in grasped Martin’s hand. “Thank you, friend.”
“I couldn’t let you drown.”
All the faces looked to me as I was patently the leader. I sighed. “I am heading back to England, but we will be pursued.”
One of them, a man with a large frame but who looked as though he had been starved, said, as he pointed northeast, “I come from Alberbury and it is just a few miles yonder. If you can escort us to the Severn, then it is but four miles.”
The man on the horse next to Robin spoke. “There is no garrison at Alberbury. Robin, son of Richard, and I are the last two surviving soldiers.”
The wasted giant nodded. “That may be, but it is my home and I know where to hide when they come.”
I looked at the others. “And the rest of you?”
“You have freed us and that is enough. Get us across the Severn and we shall be in your debt…”
“Captain Gerald Warbow of Yarpole. Now let us move, for we waste time, and I would be across the river before daylight.” I was aware that we would be slowed by stopping at Alberbury, but I could see no way around it. I was just grateful that only this handful had chosen to follow us.
David led us unerringly to the ford we had used. It was one thing to cross it on horses but quite another to risk it in the dark on foot. I was keenly aware that these men had been ill-treated and not in the best condition. The wasted giant had shown me that. I should have brought more food and ale, but hindsight is always perfect!
Richard was riding next to his son and the other man who had mounted a horse, the man who said he had fought with Robin. I did not know his name. I could also work out by their haircuts that the two heads on the spears were the other two captured in the ambush, the crossbowmen. I had planned well but fate, as ever, had intervened.
We would need to find somewhere on the other side of the river to hide. Technically, the land was England, but that would not stop the Welsh from seeking us. We had attacked Prince Llywelyn’s men and they would try to take us sooner rather than later.
It was as we neared the ford that I heard, to the north, the sound of dogs. Every face turned to look at me. I could offer no words of hope. The river might disguise the smell but if they were good hounds, they would find us. We were forced to cross, and it was a hard crossing. One man clung to each horse as we laboured across the water. I had the wasted giant with me, and I kept my right arm under his arm. As my horse struggled out of the water, I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Break out the food and the ale; let these poor fellows eat and drink.”
“Thank you, Captain; you are a Christian. If I survive, then I will light a candle for you in our church.”
“Just live and I will sleep easier.”
We had brought little enough food, and more than half was taken by the captives, who would now make their way home. Four went with the wasted giant while the others took off in different directions. One man in each group had a weapon and I knew that they would not be taken without a fight.
The man with Robin said, “Captain, I served around here for six months. There is a rocky hill covered with trees a mile or so from here. If we were to ride our horses up the river, the hounds might not find us, and we could shelter there.”
I nodded. “I bow to your local knowledge. Your name, friend?”
“Stephen de Frankton. I am, or was, a man at arms, but now I am just a freed slave who is glad to be alive.”
“Then lead on, Stephen de Frankton. I will fetch up the rear with David the Welshman.”
We left space before us so that the others could ride in single file. David was my most experienced man, and this was his country.
“Well?”
He turned and grinned; even in the dark, I saw his teeth as the first hint of dawn appeared in the east. “As I see it, Captain, we have done more than we might have hoped but it has put us in peril. On balance I am a happy man. We lost not a man and, if this man at arms knows what he is talking about, we can rest up until after noon and then try to get closer to Pontesbury and the Shrewsbury Road.”
“You would not rest until darkness?”
He pointed to the south-east, where we could see the looming lump of rock and earth that was the hill Stephen de Frankston sought. “I know not this rock, Captain, and it looks a good place to hide, but I would not fancy descending in the dark. We need just a little rest, but the horses need more than we do. The fording of the river took it out of them.”
It would be my decision, but everything he had said made sense. I had the best horse, Eleanor, and yet she was struggling. I would not kill a horse with exhaustion unless there was no other choice. As we had the hill, mountain, whatever one chose to call it, between us and the rising sun, it was still dark when we left the river and began to seek a path up its sides. Stephen de Frankton might have seen the rock, but I doubted that he had ridden up from this side.
“David, ride to the fore and find us a way up this slope. I trust your judgement and this de Frankton is unknown. I am grateful that he has found us this hideaway, but I will not gamble all upon his word!”
By the time the sun had risen and bathed the upper Severn Valley in daylight, we were in the trees and seeking somewhere to shelter. The horses had drunk well in the river, so we sought grazing. We had a bag of oats with us, but they would not go far. David had dismounted when I rode into the clearing, and that told me we had found a place to rest!
Chapter 4
I let the others eat first and, after setting a watch, I joined Robin and Richard. I knew that I was intruding but I needed to know as much as I could, and I was still the captain. “Speak, Robin, about your life since you were taken, and leave nothing out.”
“You should know, Captain, that Stephen and I are shield brothers. If he had not been with me, then neither of us would be alive. I slew the Welshman who was about to kill him, and his shield saved me when another Welshman tried to take my head!”
I nodded. “I thought that there was a bond.”
“The two heads you saw were the two crossbowmen, Jacques and Henry. They tried to escape the first night we arrived. I would have done so but I had drunk some bad water and I was vomiting. Stephen cared for me. They took their heads as a warning to the rest of us. Their bodies, and the others who died, were fed to the pigs. Rhodri ap Rhodri is a cruel man. He taunted us with the pigs.”
I remembered the pigsty. “Was he one of the men at arms? He wore a brigandine?” Robin nodded. “Then know that we slew two of the three men at arms. Mayhap this Rhodri died.”
Robin shook his head. “He is the spawn of the devil and we know that the devil looks after his own. He will be alive, and he will seek us out. We were told that he had once been a lord but had murdered his own brother. He lost his title, but Prince Llywelyn recognised his skills. Each day we worked from dawn to dusk in
the mines.” Robin pointed to the sun. “This is the first sunlight I have seen in a week. Two men died in that week. As they were not replaced, we had to work even harder. Rescuing all of us was a most Christian act, Captain, and I swear that I will not leave your service again.”
Richard said, “And I will try to be a better father. Mags has told me that I turned my back on you and—”
Robin waved his hand. “I came back from the Crusades arrogant. I had been close to Lord Edward and his lady. I thought I was better than I am. I have learned humility.”
I nodded. “Rest. We leave in the middle of the afternoon.”
As if to emphasise our danger, I heard the hounds to the north of us. I wandered around the camp and spoke to Will Yew Tree. “Is everything quiet and secure?”
“Yes, Captain, but get some rest yourself.”
“I will, but first I make sure that we are safe. We did not plan to come here, and so I need to check it thoroughly.”
He looked over to Stephen who was making himself a bed using a pair of horse blankets. “You think he might be a spy or something?”
I shrugged. “Perhaps. Acre made me suspicious, and I look at every stranger with jaundiced eyes. It is easier and safer to say you are sorry for a misjudgement than to pull a knife from between your shoulder blades!”
He laughed. “I reckon he is all right, but it does no harm to be wary. I will keep an eye on him.”
When all was checked, and I had seen that Eleanor was comfortable, I took my cloak, wrapped it around myself and fell straight to sleep.
It was Will Yew Tree who woke me. “Captain, the hounds are getting closer. David the Welshman and William of Matlac have slipped down the other side of the hill to investigate.”
I was awake in an instant. “Get the horses saddled.” I ran around the camp, waking the others who were asleep. “To arms, there is trouble!”
I strung my bow and, selecting two good arrows, headed along the path which David and William had taken. We had a place on the other side where we could observe the road and where I saw my two men peering around the boles of a pair of trees.
I sidled up behind David who whispered, “They have dogs and men on horses. It looks like a lord is leading them, for he is wearing spurs. There are four men at arms, and we have counted twenty men on foot. They have bows.”
“Do the dogs have our scent?”
“No, for the wind is from the east, but they know where they are searching. They left the road and followed the path which crosses here. They will come up this path.”
An idea began to form in my mind. I looked at the path which I saw twisted and turned along the natural contours of the hill. It rounded rocks and large trees. There was, however, a straight section just one hundred paces below us, where the path ran along from north to south. When they reached it, almost all of them would be in sight at the same time. “We will ambush them. We have no bodkins with us so we will have to aim at the knight and hope to hit his horse. Wait here and I will fetch the others.”
I hurried back in a crouch, confident that I would not be seen. The Welsh had almost nine hundred paces to climb. “Robin, Stephen, hold the horses. The rest of you, fetch your bows, we have company.”
The man at arms said, “I am a warrior! I can fight!”
“At the moment you are not. You do not even have buskins! I need two men to hold the horses and you two are the least use to us at the moment!”
The man did not look happy, but Robin said, “The Captain is right. We have barely eaten, and we are both tired. If I had a bow… but I do not. We will hold the horses, Captain, and await your command!”
When time allowed, I would have to explain the facts of life to the man at arms!
I caught up with the others, who were making their way to the other side of the hill, and as I passed, I said, “Wait for my command. I want as many men hitting with the first two flights as possible. Kill the dogs!” We could not allow any sentiment. These were large hounds and could easily maim or even kill a man. It was not worth the risk.
When we reached David, the others naturally spread themselves out to cover the path. I saw them each choose the best two arrows that they had. No archer worth his salt had a poor arrow, but there were always some that were as close to perfection as a fletcher could manage. I did the same. I had one bodkin in my arrow bag, but I was loath to change it. I would use a war arrow first.
The Welsh hunting party appeared and disappeared as they wound their way up the slope. My men would know the place I had chosen for it gave us the clearest view of our prey. Rocks had tumbled from the summit and cleared away the vegetation, affording a clear view. But if the enemy looked up, they would have the problem of looking directly into the afternoon sun. They would be relying on the dogs, but the wind was against them.
As soon as the dog handlers emerged below us, I began to draw back on my bow. The path was flatter, and I heard the Welsh knight urge the men on. The dog handlers began to run. Tom and Martin were on the extreme right of our line, and they would first kill the dogs and then try to hit the handlers.
William was to my right and he, along with David on my left, would aim at the knight and the first two men at arms. Richard, Will and Robin of Barnsley would deal with the other two horsemen and the more dangerous of the men on foot.
David aimed at the knight, who was preceded by two men at arms. I let out my breath as I released my arrow at the second man at arms. All the power of my pull was transferred to the bow and it hurtled towards him. I heard two yelps as the hounds were slain by my men. My arrow struck the man’s leather brigandine at the shoulder. Some men wear a piece of metal there. He did not, and the arrow drove down and through his body. The power was such that it knocked him from his horse. Still holding on to the reins as he fell, he was sent with his mount down the slope. I nocked a second, and in the drawing of my bow, saw that William had sent an arrow into the side of the head of his target, and David the Welshman’s arrow had driven through the knight’s thigh, his saddle and into the horse. The animal took off down the slope.
I switched to my left and saw that all the horsemen were down, but the Welsh archers were nocking arrows. My arrow slammed into the chest of one a heartbeat before Will Yew Tree’s hit the same man in the arm. My third arrow was sent towards a Welshman who was trying to take shelter behind a rock. My arrow hit his right arm. A swordsman can fight one-handed, but not an archer.
I saw that all the Welsh had gone to ground. I heard moans from the wounded and the dying. Two of the horses stood inertly on the path.
I said, “David, tell them that we can kill them any time we like. I want them to leave and take their wounded with them. If we see them near us, they will die.”
“Better to just kill them, Captain.”
“True, but do you think we can do so without losing anyone?”
“No, Captain. They will be good!” I heard him shout and a voice answered. David spoke again and two Welshmen stood. They unstrung their bows and began to head down the slope. One went to take one of the horses, but David sent an arrow into the ground close to the man and shouted something. He chuckled, “Cheeky! They said how did they know they could trust us, and I said they had my word. Then they attempted to take the two horses. They won’t try that again! I said I would have his jewels if he did!”
I turned. Arrows had been sent at us, but I had heard no cries. “Is anyone hurt?”
“No, Captain.”
“Then go back and fetch the horses. David and I will see what we have.”
With nocked arrows, we made our way along the path. It descended quite sharply before flattening out after the bend, and we saw the two dead hounds, a dead handler along with the other dead men. In all, there were six Welshmen who were slain. I saw, at the bottom of the hill, the knight having his wound tended to by one of the men at arms who had survived. In theory, they could still attack us, but I thought they knew that they would lose.
We searched the men at
arms and took their weapons and their treasures.
I heard the horses and, looking around, saw my men coming towards us. “Robin, there are buskins here for you as well as daggers and swords. Stephen de Frankton, if you wish to be a man at arms again, then there are three dead ones to rob. Take what you will, but hurry. The lord is wounded and fled but he may raise the county against us. We will ride now until we reach Yarpole.”
I saw the man at arms look at the dead and when he spoke there was less arrogance in his voice. “Thank you, Captain. This is good war gear.” He spied the shield that had been dropped by the knight and he went to retrieve it. After he had hung it from his saddle, he continued to take the better pieces from the dead. He said, “From the shield, the lord is Maredudd ap Iago. It was he who led the ambush with his cousin Davy ap Cynfyn. Some of our dead are now avenged.”
I looked at Robin. “This is the only raid we do for vengeance, Robin. I would not have a blood feud with the Welsh. We live too close to the border and my family is more important than some misplaced sense of honour.”
I saw Robin nod towards his father. “Captain, I may be bull-headed, but even I can learn a lesson. My Welsh madness is gone.”
I saw that Stephen had put his gear on his horse and mounted. Will and Martin were leading the captured horses which were laden with the weapons and equipment we had taken, and I said, “Let us ride. David, lead us home!”
As we descended the twisting path, we saw the survivors of our ambush heading back towards Wales. Our divergent paths meant that even if they reached home and returned with more men directly, we would still have a good lead and they would not be able to catch us. Nonetheless, I kept a steady pace, and we reached my hall, walking our horses, but whole, after dark. We had saved our comrade and suffered little. I said a silent prayer of thanks to God as the door to my hall opened and I saw John of Nottingham with drawn sword. My family had been safe and well protected in my absence!