by Griff Hosker
He nodded, “Worth capturing then?”
My son laughed, “First, Ralph, you must defeat them and they are good warriors. They are superior to the Scots. Despite what the King thinks this will not be an easy war.”
I listened as my son, Ralph and Samuel debated the merits of various warriors. What I learned was that Ralph had much more experience than Samuel. Part of it came from being so close to the Scots. He was also older and had taken part in campaigns before Samuel was even a squire. Sir Ralph would be good for my grandson. They worked well together and had an easy familiar manner. Now related by marriage they were even closer than they had been.
The first night in enemy territory we stayed at Erbray. Although in Brittany its lord was loyal to King Henry. Robert d’Erbray had fought alongside us when we had fought the French in Normandy. There would be few such havens over the next seventy miles. Some of the knights of Anjou were in for a shock. They were not used to campaigning. They had taken part in the odd chevauchée but they had been able to return to their own castles each night. When we crossed into more hostile territory, the next morning, we were entering a world of ambushes where, potentially, every man could be an enemy. The closer we delved into Poher the more likely it would be that we would have to fight.
We had Leofric’s scouts and his archers out ahead of us. They could sniff out an ambush. We had risen before dawn for King Henry wished to get to Guer by dark and that was forty miles away. We knew, from our scouts, that there was a castle there but it was an old wooden one. If the castellan chose to defend it we would overcome it easily. As events turned out he did not. Robert de Guer swore to King Henry that he was a loyal subject. To ensure that he was King Henry co-opted the knight and his men into our army. If he was an enemy then we would keep him close.
He might well have been a vacillating lord but the presence of so many knights and notable lords swung him to our side. I saw that King Henry had chosen the right course of action. He would be able to pick off the lesser lords and thereby weaken the Count of Nantes. Everything hinged on victory at Ploërmel. With Poher subdued then we could encircle Nantes and starve the Count of his support.
We found our first enemies as we closed with Ploërmel. It was just fifteen miles away. We were approaching Augan and the Broceliande forest loomed large to the north of us. Griff of Gwent led the scouts and he rode back to us. Although he spoke to the King his eyes were on me. He had served with me when Sir Leofric had been an English knight.
“Lord, I like not the forest. There are fresh tracks in the eaves.”
King Henry knew my scouts and when the two Counts of Anjou looked to become irritated he silenced them with a wave of his hand. “You suspect an ambush?”
“It is perfect ambush country, my lord. Let me take thirty archers into the forest first.”
The Count of Tours said, “I protest! We will be late!”
I laughed, “You have an appointment you need to keep? It matters not when we get to Ploërmel so long as we get there. If we have to camp another night before we reach it then so be it.”
King Henry nodded and dismounted, “Go, Griff of Gwent. Choose your men and we will rest here until you return.” There was a small stream nearby and the King led his horse there. He smiled at me as I followed him. “Now you see why I use your men. They know their business. These knights of Anjou are brave enough but they have no idea of how to campaign.”
“To be fair to them lord they did not hone their skills in a civil war.”
“How do you see us attacking this stronghold?” We had spoken with those who had visited the castle recently and we know what to expect.
“Divide the army into two. If we attack the two gates at the same time we will split their defence. We do not attack on a broad front but a narrow one. Use our superior knights to take the walls. Our archers can keep the walls clear for an attack.”
“A good plan.” We went through some of the details while our horses were being watered by our squires.
After our horses had been watered we led them back to the road where we could see the forest. Suddenly we heard shouts and screams. Horses neighed. The King shouted, “Mount! Prepare your weapons!” Even as he spoke horsemen burst from the forest. There were more than forty of them. They galloped down the road towards Ploërmel. The King raised his sword, “On!”
The archers had flushed out the ambushers. Their arrows felled a few more and then, as we passed the first of the bodies Griff of Gwent led his mounted archers from the forest. He saluted the King as he headed up the road to continue his scouting duties. “There will be no more surprises, lord.”
We could travel towards Ploërmel knowing that there were no enemies hiding in the forest. Samuel asked, “Grandfather, there were only forty men, how could they have hurt us?”
We were passing the body of a Breton slain by one of the archers. I pointed to him. “These are the Breton light horsemen I mentioned. We know not how many Griff and his men killed in the forest but even these forty could have burst from the trees, hurled their javelins and been gone before we could have done anything.”
“But what would a few javelins achieve?”
“They could have killed the King, the two counts, your father and me. Without us five then who would lead this battle? In one fell swoop the rebels would have achieved all. It was a gamble but it did not cost our enemies much. These light horsemen are cheap and expendable. But for Griff and his archers this might have ended the campaign before it even started.”
It was yet another lesson for Samuel. I had learned, years ago, that the knights with experience were honour bound to pass on their knowledge. Samuel would be a better knight for it. We saw no more enemies until we reached the town of Ploërmel but our scouts reported that the Bretons knew we were coming and that their ambush had failed. The wooden wall around the town was manned and the gates closed. Sending the archers to the far side of the castle and the town we made camp. The King did not want a siege. As the sun set in the west the five of us walked their walls to identify weaknesses. We saw no signs of stone throwers or catapults. We would just attack the walls rather than the towers or the gatehouses themselves. Back at the camp he explained our plan. “We attack the east and the west sides simultaneously. I will lead, along with my son, the men of Anjou. We will attack the walls by this gate. The Earl Marshal will lead the rest. He will attack the walls by the west gate. It is a wooden wall. Have the men make ladders.”
And with that he left us to it. While Wilfred organised the ladders, I spoke with the younger knights. Few, if any, had assaulted a castle walls. “Attacking walls is tricky. We will use just two ladders. William you will lead half of the knights up one ladder and you, Sir Harold, the other. Aelric you and the archers will keep the walls clear for us. It is why I am using a narrow frontage. My squire, Simon, will use the horn to give you my commands.” I smiled, “Unless you would like me to lead one of the attacks?”
My son grinned, “No, lord. We are more than happy for you to be a spectator. Perhaps you can advise us, when we return, how we might improve.”
“Just come back alive is all that I ask.”
Even though I had said I would not be fighting I had Simon sharpen my sword and polish my helmet. I had one weapon which only I could use: me. The Count of Poher would know I was commanding this attack and he would know my reputation. As he polished my helmet Simon asked, “How will they attack the walls lord? You cannot hold on to a ladder, a sword and a shield all at the same time.”
“It is not easy. The best way is to hold your shield horizontally and above you. That way your left hand grips the ladder, protected by your shield, while your right is free to swing the sword. When you move your feet, you keep a grip on the ladder. If our archers do what they have done in every battle up to this one then there will be few men on the walls who can hit our knights.” I saw the apprehension on his face. “Squires are not expected to lead an attack and as my squire it is unlikely that you will even have
to wait at the bottom of the ladder with your knight’s spare spear.”
“Some knights use spears?”
“It gives them extra reach. You will see tomorrow.”
There was no point in attacking at dawn. There would be little advantage to be gained and so the men ate well after a good sleep and then made their way to the walls. I went with them. It would give them more confidence and I would be in a better position to view the battle. Simon and I rode to the battle lines. We all halted three hundred paces from the walls. My son and I had decided that we would attack to the right of the gate. The gate had two towers. There were no such towers along the walls. My men at arms carried the two ladders. The forty men at arms laid the ladders on the ground and held their shields before them and with two archers sheltering behind them marched in a solid line towards the wall. The crossbow bolts cracked into their shields. My men wore chausses. Some even had greaves. It would take a lucky bolt to hurt them. Even so I knew that the advance would be nerve wracking. When they were two hundred paces from the walls they stopped.
I was not wearing my helmet and my arming hood and ventail lay around my shoulders. I heard the clash of steel from the other wall. King Henry had begun his attack. When the archers were ready I heard Aelric shout, “Draw!” The sound of eighty war bows being pulled back makes an audible sound. It is a mark of the power of the bow. The crossbowmen could not see them and my archers would send their arrows into the air to fall upon the walls. Aelric had told me that he would clear the walls and the gate for forty paces. I believed him. “Release!” Even as the eighty goose feathered messengers of death headed towards the wall another eighty were in the air. My archers could send ten flights so quickly that it would seem like we had five hundred archers.
I saw men plucked from the walls. Shields were pulled into position. A plunging arrow can be stopped but only by a well-made shield. The poor standard of shields could be seen as more men fell.
I turned to my son, “Now, Earl, now is your time!”
Raising his sword, he led the knights towards the archers. The Breton crossbows had appeared on the walls. It was a disastrous mistake. They had no shields and before they could send a bolt all were slain by archers who hated them worse than any other enemy.
The squires picked up the two ladders as soon as they reached them. When they reached the men at arms twenty of them joined the knights. They were replaced by the squires of my knights who stood with their own shields to protect the archers. Sir Harold and Sir Tristan carried one ladder while my son and Sir Morgan of Seamer carried the other. Our knights held their shields above and before them. I heard the clatter of stones as brave slingers risked the wrath of my archers. The boys were slain but they managed a storm of stones before they died. The wall had no ditch for it was a town wall. The two ladders were held against the wall just ten paces apart. It made the archers’ task easier and the two bodies of knights could support each other.
I found myself gripping the pommel of my sword as I watched William climb the ladder. His former squire, Alf followed him and that gave me confidence. The son of a Varangian Guard Sir Morgan of Seamer was like a man mountain. A spear was thrust over the top of the wall and the owner tried to keep my son from ascending. I saw Griff of Gwent send an arrow into the hand to pin it to the wooden wall. The spear dropped. My son took advantage of the arrow and leapt up the last few steps. He landed lithely on the fighting platform. Sir Morgan then showed his strength by gripping the top of the palisade and leaping up to join my son. Their swords were out in an instant and I saw a Breton pitch over the side. Sir Harold and Sir Tristan quickly cleared their section of the wall.
I shouted, “Roger of Bath take the rest of the men at arms to the gate! Aelric!”
“Aye Warlord!” He knew that he had to change targets.
The archers switched their targets to the two small towers over the gate. Now that we had a bridgehead it was safer to try to weaken another section of the defences. The archers also began to move closer. The closer they were the more effective would be their arrows. I saw Tom the Fletcher get to within thirty paces of the gate. His arrow penetrated the mail of the knight who was attempting to rally the men at the gate. As the knight flew backwards so John son of John and Peter Strong Arm began to hack into the gate with their axes. I saw that the two groups of knights and the men at arms had now cleared one section of wall. I could not see my son, nor Sir Morgan and my grandson. I had done this, myself, enough times to know that they would be descending to the gate. When I saw the gate opening then I knew that my son was alive.
“Come, Simon! We will risk the gate.” I spurred the war horse Sir Leofric had brought for me. He was a fine horse and he had a noble name, Ridley. Sir Leofric had named him after my father.
My men at arms and archers were no stranger to assaulting a town. They had burst in and spread out. They would head for the castle. Unlike many armies we were well trained. Our men would not be distracted by plunder. They knew that they would all receive their reward when the fighting was done.
As we headed through the gate I shouted to Simon, “Draw your sword. Men may still attack us.” I wore no helmet and my shield hung over my left leg but my senses were attuned to battle. I felt the Breton rise, like Lazarus where he had been feigning death on the ground near my horse’s foreleg. He lunged at me with his pole axe. I flicked the head away and it rasped along my mail and then I brought the blade back to hack into his neck.
Tom the Badger had seen the treacherous blow and he shouted, “Make certain the dead are dead! Unless they yield, kill them!”
Two men rose from the ground where they had been hiding and tried to run away. Tom picked up a spear and hurled it into the back of one. Simon galloped after the other and brought his sword down on the man’s unprotected head. By the time we reached the castle the King had also fought his way to the walls. He raised his hand in acknowledgement. I saw that my son and grandson, as well as Sir Ralph, were still alive. The Count we fought was still alive. His banner flew and he stood on the gatehouse of the castle donjon defying us.
Simon asked, “What now? Do we assault the castle too?”
“That can prove a costly exercise. King Henry is not wasteful of men. He will try to persuade them to surrender.”
A silence fell and King Henry took off his helmet. I saw a crossbow raised but before I could even speak Aelric’s arrow had killed the would-be assassin.
The King’s voice was loud and filled with authority and confidence, “Mathuedoï, Count of Poher, you have broken the oath you made. You are sentenced to death. Surrender and your people will be spared.”
“You are a fool, Henry Curtmantle! Why should I surrender? If I do then I die!”
“Your walls are made of wood. Your hall is wooden. I have here eighty archers who can send fire into your hall. Would you burn alive? Would you have your family burned to death? It is your choice. We are going nowhere.” He turned to me, “Warlord, have your men search the town for food and treasure. We might as well eat before we burn this castle and those within!” He shouted it loudly. The words were intended for those within the castle.
I turned, “Wilfred, make it so!”
My archers stayed where they were. Their arrows were aimed at the walls. My men at arms hurried to obey their orders.
I said, “Aelric, one flight of arrows, if you please. See if you can clear the gatehouse!”
“With pleasure, Warlord.”
Eighty arrows flew high and when they descended men fell. I think thirty of those on the walls were hit. Suddenly there was a commotion, voices were raised and I heard the clash of steel on steel. Suddenly the body of Mathuedoï, Count of Poher, was thrown over the wall. He landed with a thud at King Henry’s feet. It did not need a healer to know that he was dead. His head had struck the cobbles and was caved in. A voice from the walls shouted, “We surrender if you will keep your word!”
King Henry’s voice was calm and measured as he replied, “You will surr
ender and that is an end to it!”
We heard voices arguing and then, slowly, the gates swung open. The warriors came out with open hands. They had surrendered and we had won.
King Henry showed how astute he was. He made every knight swear allegiance to him and he made them do it on a Bible while the body of Mathuedoï, Count of Poher, lay close to them. It was a reminder of the risks in fighting Henry. He made them join our army for the march to Nantes. The losses we had taken, mainly among the men of Anjou, were more than made up for by the new men we forced to join us.
We ate in the count’s hall. We ate well. The Count of Tours asked, “Can we rely on these men?”
King Henry shrugged, “It matters little. I will send them in first. Let them show me their loyalty by either winning through or dying. Either way we win.”
Chapter 7
We spent two days in the town. We ate well and we took all the treasure from the town. King Henry was true to his word and all who were in the battle received rewards. The knights of Anjou found it hard to accept that they received the same as men at arms and archers. None would argue with the King. He had shown a ruthless streak which frightened them.
Samuel and Ralph had both been chastened by the experience. The evening after the capture of the town we had found a place where the four of us could drink quietly away from the exuberant knights of Anjou celebrating the victory.
Sir Ralph turned to me, “It is easier, Warlord, to ride to war on the back of a war horse. Watching a knight climb a ladder, knowing that if any threw a spear or released a bolt at you then you would have no defence is not something I would like to repeat.”