Targets of Treachery : A gripping, action-packed historical epic (Lord Edward's Archer series Book 4)

by Griff Hosker

  Ralph was another long-serving soldier. “Hold hard there Geraint. They are not barbarians, but you are right, they need a strong hand. Captain Warbow, you fought with King Edward – is he a warrior?”

  “Through and through! We would not have won at Evesham but for him, and he scoured the land of rebels. You are both right. We need castles here. With stout walls, then King Edward could control the valleys, but he needs a castle with access to the sea. That is why Dyserth failed and, from what I have been told, Deganwy was seen as the stronghold to keep them in check.”

  “Aye, well.” Geraint rubbed his stubbly beard. “First we have to beat Llywelyn, and that cannot be done from London. We need buskins on the ground and to meet them beard to beard. This is not the country for knights.” He nodded to me. “This archer knows that, and I take heart that King Edward listens to an archer!”

  I realised then the responsibility that I bore.

  Chapter 10

  The king arrived two days later. His journey had taken much longer as there were over two hundred following him who were not soldiers. Cooks, weaponsmiths, armourers, minstrels, servants, priests, clerks and clerics were some of those who followed the colourfully mailed snake that made up the household knights of King Edward.

  If he needed an army to fight, he would have to raise the levy. Men like me would bring our spearmen and archers to fight on foot. Of course, I had a special position, but the reality was that when King Edward went to war, then the ordinary men would be arrayed before the knights and be the first to die. They were far cheaper than a horse that a lord might ride.

  The king, Otto de Grandson and John de Vesci, along with the Earl of Warwick: William de Beauchamp, almost dragged me into the Great Hall to hear my news. Two of them had been with us on crusade but I knew Sir John better than Lord Otto. Sir John de Vesci and I had exchanged words when the assassin had struck in Acre, but when his life had been saved, his attitude change. He now trusted me. I wondered why Sir John Malton was not here. He had been Lord Edward’s squire in Gascony and while we were not as close as we once had been, I still held him in high esteem.

  “Well?”

  There was no way to honey my words. “He wishes to pay homage, King Edward, but he does not trust his brother and the Welshmen at your court.” I paused and as I said the words, I mentally prepared myself for the storm. “He asks for you to meet him at Mold, just over the border.”

  He was silent for a while and I wondered if he had heard me. When he spoke it was in a quiet voice. “Does he take me for a fool? Is he making a woman of me? I am Edward, King of England – he is the one who will pay homage to me! He will come to Chester and I will see him on his knees.”

  That was the moment when the last chance for peace vanished. War did not come immediately but Llywelyn must have known what his words meant, just as King Edward must have realised that harbouring those who had tried to kill Prince Llywelyn would make him fear for his life.

  “Tell me, Warbow, has he a large army with him? Could we launch a sudden attack and take him by surprise? If we put him in the tower, then I could appoint his brother as prince and rule Wales through him.”

  I shook my head, remembering how Prince Llywelyn had been so well supported by both men and his people. “His army outnumbers yours, King Edward, because he has his archers, spearmen and the levy there. I have no doubt that man for man our knights are better, but this is the land of my birth, and I can tell you that it is the graveyard of fine horses and knights.” I hesitated, for I was about to offer the king advice. “You could use your knights and not require the levy, but you would need castles.”

  He smiled. “You are right, and we have none.” He slammed his hand on the table. “Then we shall build one!” He clapped me about the shoulder. “You are right; we need spears and bows. We will use the archers of Cheshire and see if they will serve me as well as they did de Montfort. I shall need your men too, Warbow, but not for a month. Then you can pay me the service you owe. I will need you and your men to act as scouts. I need all of your archers, mind! None of this leaving your outlaws behind. I shall need every one of your cutthroats if I am to succeed! And when my castle is built, then you and Baron Mortimer will claw back my lands in Powys. Be back here in a month, for by then we shall need men to protect my builders from Llywelyn’s brigands!”

  As we headed back to my home, I thought of the king’s words and those of the garrison. I valued both equally. I could see why I had been chosen by the king. His strength still lay in his mailed and heavily armed men riding warhorses. The land of the Dee Valley and the Clwyd Valley would be disastrous for fine horses such as Lion. I patted his neck. “I fear you will just be exercised, and you will have to wait for war until we find a better land for you.”

  David shook his head as he heard my words. “Then I fear that will not be for some time, Captain. I know my countrymen and they do not like the English. Even if they think they are going to lose they will fight on. They will hope that we give up as King Henry did.”

  “King Edward is not the same man as his father, David. I sensed determination, but you are right. This will not be a quick war.”

  Mary was just pleased that I would be back for slightly less than a month. “And if he demands forty days, then you shall be home for Christmas. From what Sarah and the others have told me, this is not the land to fight in during winter. I will take your company until the spring and Hamo can get to know you. He changes each day.”

  And so my life changed. I divided my time equally between my wife and child as well as running the manor and training with my men. Stephen spoke to me at length about Llywelyn. “I shall have the chance to fight the Welsh this time, Captain.”

  “War is not yet declared. I do not think that Llywelyn will pay homage, but King Edward is honour bound to wait for a month, which is why he has given us this time to prepare.”

  Peter of Beverley had been listening to the conversation and he added, “We do not have enough men, Captain. If you take away all the archers, as you say the king requested, then that leaves just me here. The border is still a parlous place. We could do with hiring men.”

  I shook my head. “I have gold from the Holy Land and I could pay them, but any warrior worth hiring will now be joining the great lords and King Edward himself. If any come, then hire them. The sons of John and Jack, as well as James’s boys – are they ready to begin their training as archers?”

  Peter rubbed his chin with his stump. “Aye, but it takes years to make an archer, Captain.”

  “What I have in mind is a mixture. Jack and John’s will replace their fathers in the fullness of time, but until then we pay them to guard my home and you train them with the sword. In the armoury are the weapons we took from Lord Maredudd’s men. They can use a sling until they are ready to use a bow, and you can have them use a sword. Train James and the other men of Yarpole and Luston to use a sword. Harold of Luston promised me that his men would fight for Yarpole. Use the time after services on Sunday. The men of Luston will be here then. I will seek warriors in the camps to serve us.”

  Peter looked a little happier. “Aye, Captain, that might do.”

  “One more thing – can you ride Lion with just the one hand? He will need exercise and I would have him ridden by a mailed warrior.”

  He grinned. “I might fall off the odd time, but to ride a warhorse, it is a price worth paying.”

  Stephen gave me a shrewd look. “Do you see yourself in mail, Captain?”

  I smiled. “I have a mail hauberk that was made for a rider, and now that I have not only one son but the prospect of another, I would protect myself in battle so that I may live to train them. I shall not abandon them as my father did.”

  “An archer wearing mail cannot use a bow.”

  “Blunt words, Stephen, but you are right. I am still an archer and can still draw a bow, but I am no longer a young man and whilst I am in my prime, I know that the day will dawn when I shall no longer be Lord Edward’s
archer but King Edward’s gentleman at arms. I will be ready for that day!”

  Later that week, as I sat with James and his mother to go through the accounts of the manor, Mary joined us. Hamo was at the stage where he liked to crawl and to play. Other youngsters lived in the manor and Mags and the other mothers supervised their play. Mary was a good mother, but her upbringing and her mind made her aware that Hamo’s need for her would lessen as he grew older and she wanted a position that was her own. We had spoken of this as we lay together.

  James looked up, although as his mother was there, he should not have been surprised to see Mary.

  “Mistress Mary wishes to know how the manor prospers, James. If I am to be away on the business of the king, then she will need to have her hands on the reins.”

  He smiled. “I can do that, Captain. Mistress Mary need not worry herself.”

  Mary was not cold but she was firm as she said, “James, I wish to know this, for if my husband is killed in one of the king’s wars, then I will be the one who will run the manor.” She smiled and it took any harshness from her words. “I do not seek to usurp you nor even to take over the day to day running, but I need to know whence comes our coin and how the villages prosper.”

  Sarah’s voice was colder. “James, I am surprised at you! Captain Warbow does not question me and I am a woman. Mistress Mary is far cleverer than you and do not forget it!”

  I smiled as James tried to make himself as small as possible. “Yes, Mother!”

  Once that was out of the way, it proved to be a constructive meeting. The manor was, despite the wars, prosperous. That was mainly down to better management of the people and the land. Matthew of Yarpole had been a bad landowner who just took from the farms and did not care for them. Now that Luston was added to my lands, they too benefitted from our practices.

  We rotated crops. I had introduced, at the request of James, more animals to my lands so that they were able to graze the fallow fields and fertilise them. A mixed farm was more economical.

  We also used the markets to our advantage. We were welcoming to travellers, and we learned when there were shortages and surpluses so that we sold our produce at a time that made the greatest profit for us.

  I was pleased that my wife had asked for the lesson in husbandry, for I realised that I could hire another four or five archers. We had the coin, and there was enough land to let them farm a hide or two and become connected to the manor.

  When I left for the muster and the building of the first castle, I was a little worried about leaving the manor with so few experienced men, but not enough to make me lose sleep. Hamo was even able to stand, wave and shout goodbye as I left. He was growing!

  The king had not left Chester, but things had moved on apace. Eleanor de Montfort had been arrested and placed in Windsor. She had made the mistake of trying to hide her father’s banners when she landed in England. She was seen as a threat, for she was a symbol of the rebels. Her arrest was also a message to Prince Llywelyn. By declining to pay homage to the king, he had, in effect, declared war on England. As yet there was no formal declaration, but as autumn passed, the king intended to begin work on a castle at Flint. There was no room for my men and me in Chester castle and so we camped in the loop of the Dee amongst the Roman ruins. I did not mind.

  There were still too few archers to be had. The men of Cheshire had provided but a hundred. Their leader, Matthew of Tarporley, was younger than I was and had not been at the battle of Evesham when the men of Cheshire had sided with Simon de Montfort. The captains from that time had either been killed or had lost their right hands when they refused to serve King Henry. The result was that the men who joined King Edward were all good archers but few, if any, had battle experience. A couple had been on the crusade with us and I knew them, but Matthew of Tarporley was more than happy to place his men under my leadership. That suited me, for I knew how to fight!

  I had taken my Mongol bow. I had fewer arrows left from that time, but I found a fletcher who knew how to make good arrows and he was happy to produce new ones for this bow.

  The other archers were all keen to see the bow in action. I mounted Eleanor to show them how it could be used while riding. Of course, I was nowhere near as fast as the Mongols, nor was I as accurate, but the lesson was useful. More than that, it enhanced my reputation. I had seen when serving with men like Hamo l’Estrange that such reputations were useful, for others fought better with a leader they respected and admired. When I had been a bow for hire, I had often had to use my fists to show other archers that I knew my business. Now my reputation did that, and if I could give a practical demonstration, then so much the better.

  I was sent for, a few days after my arrival, and entered the mighty castle of Chester. I saw that the Earl of Warwick commanded and that pleased me for he was a warlord. De Vesci and de Grandson were also there, but so was Dafydd ap Gruffydd, looking smug. It spoiled the meeting for me but, thankfully, he was neither invited nor did he offer to speak.

  “Warbow, I need you to take the archers and secure the land eleven miles from here on the Dee. Richard L’engenour will supervise the building, and you must protect him and his workers until there is a ditch and an armed camp. You will be needed until the end of November, by which time the construction should have protection and there will be men at arms who can defend the place. Your task is to ensure that there is no mischief to slow down the work. I have sent for the Savoyard master mason, James of Saint George, but he will not be here until next year. The stone will be arriving then too.”

  I nodded. “They will be digging ditches and building earth ramparts to protect the site.”

  King Edward smiled. “See, Warwick, I told you he knew his business. Aye, Warbow, we can supply the castle from the river and the sea, but Llywelyn may well try to slow down our progress, and labourers are expensive. You will ensure that he does not harm any of our workers.”

  “And how long is the contract and what is the pay, King Edward?”

  He smiled. “You have become more astute of late. You are quite right, of course. Your men can give me their forty days of service which they owe me!”

  “King Edward, we have already served some of that. Indeed, I have given you more than forty days.”

  “Hmm, I like not paying for men who owe me service.”

  “Yet you know that we will get the job done when those who give their time as service might not.”

  “Then I will hire your men for forty days and they shall be paid three pence a day.”

  “Crossbowmen will be paid fourpence a day and you know, my lord, that my men are better than any crossbowmen.”

  Shaking his head, he said, “There are not enough of you to quibble about. Fourpence, and there is an end to it!” I nodded. “I leave you to speak with the earl. I leave for Wigmore and then South Wales to see how Payn de Chaworth fares.” He nodded and left, followed by a gaggle of courtiers and senior lords.

  The Earl of Warwick shook his head. “He can be like a whirlwind, can he not? I have every confidence in you, Warbow, but this work will not be easy. You know this land, for you lived here. Will we be able to continue working during the winter? King Edward is desirous that we do!”

  “I believe the site is close to the river and you should be able to work, but the workers need to get the foundations as deep as possible before the onset of winter.”

  “I had planned on doing that, but first we need to get defences up. We will ride on the morrow. I have men to guard the camp, but it is your archers who will have to act as our guard dogs.” He smiled. “No, offence, Warbow!”

  “It is a good comparison, my lord, and my guard dogs keep my family safe whilst I am here.” I looked at the sun, which was a thin one trying to peer through grey clouds. It was just a couple of hours past noon. “I will take half of my archers this afternoon, lord. You build the castle to the northeast of the town?”

  “We do.”

  “Then that is where we shall camp, and I wi
ll take some men out in the morning while you and the wagons travel. That way we can aggressively scout.”

  “Aggressively scout?”

  “Aye, my lord; question and disarm every man with a weapon. I would rather upset a man than risk a blade between my shoulders!”

  *

  Having travelled part of the Dee with just three men, I was not in the least fearful when I rode out with half of my archers. We had sumpters with tents, tools, spare bows, and sheaths of arrows. We also had food, but I planned on raiding and eating from the Welsh supply. A starving enemy was more likely to hunt food than King Edward’s archers!

  I had an idea where the castle would be sited and, although we were the first of the men to reach the banks of the Dee, the rocky knoll above the river yet close to the waterline was an obvious choice. I could not believe that no one had placed a castle here before. I guessed that there might have been one, but it would have been of wooden construction. Despite the abundance of stone, the Welsh, if they built at all, used wood.

  The first thing I did was to set my men to cutting down saplings and beginning a ditch. This would be to protect our camp.

  Then I rode with David the Welshman and Stephen de Frankton to speak with those who lived in the village that bore the name Flint. They were largely fishermen who put nets in the river and took boats out to fish. They would not be a danger to us, for they already relied on the English who lived in Chester. Without English coins to buy their fish, then the village would not exist. When I told them that a castle would be built there, they did not seem surprised. If anything, they were pleased as they would have both protection and an income! They sold us some fish and I happily paid. You do not bite the hand that feeds you, and I wanted these hands on our side. I knew that the Earl of Warwick could also use them to help build the castle and it would be erected far more quickly.

  Our camp would not stop an army but there was no Welsh army close by. Our men were watching the road from Chester, however, to ensure that we remained undisturbed. I would ride out early and find them.