by Griff Hosker
I worried about our armour. When I had been in the Holy Land last, we had all worn mail hauberks. Now some knights wore plates to protect their knees. I knew the heat and, as plate would make our armour even heavier, we took just mail. The surcoats we had would be too heavy and thick but we had no choice for there was no time to have new ones made. I would have to hope that we could have thinner ones made once we reached Italy or Palestine. I sat with William, our squires and pages and my three senior men in my Great Hall. It was there I explained what we would take and our route.
“We have to visit with the Pope. It would be quicker to join the muster at Marseille which is where the King of Navarre is gathering his men but the King’s command means that we will have a longer land journey. We will have to join with those who leave from the southern part of Italy. The only advantage we have is that is a shorter voyage. The further one sails in the Blue Sea the more chance there is of meeting pirates!” I saw the pages’ eyes widen. “The crusade will begin in Acre. With luck it will not involve fighting but, if we have to fight, then I will be under the orders of the King of Navarre. To that end, Cedric, you will command any English archers and, Padraig, any English men at arms. I know not which knights have been secured for us but when we meet, they shall know that I command them. I have no time for politics. Richard Red Leg, you know horses. I wish you to keep a close watch on our mounts, especially in Palestine. If we are afoot then we will die.”
It was the first time I had mentioned the possibility of death and I saw John and Henry Samuel look at each other. My squire, Mark, asked, “But if we do not fight then…”
I laughed, “The enemies who are Muslim are not our only foes. There are bandits and sub-sects who wish us harm. This is not the army which was led by Saladin. There are factions and rebels. It is why we still hold Jerusalem and the Holy Orders are not always on the side of crusaders.” I said no more on the matter but it had been Templars who had almost done for me when I had been a young knight abandoned by King Richard.
All too soon it was time to leave. The day before we left, I visited with Edward. His son had no reason to lie to me and I knew that I would never see Edward again. There had to be a parting which would satisfy us both. We had stood in battle side by side and back to back. We had held each other’s lives in our hands and so there had to be honesty.
“Farewell, old friend.”
“Farewell, my lord, but I wish it was not so. I would rather die in battle than this way, piece by piece; coughing up blood and pissing my breeks.”
I nodded, “You know then?”
“They try to keep it from me but Father John is an honest man and I know. Take me with you, lord, and let me die with a sword in my hand.”
“If there were just the two of us then I would say, aye but I have my son and grandson. I lead men for King Henry. We both know that battle finds any weakness in a man and you would not wish another to die trying to save you.”
He nodded; resignation on his face for he was an honest man and knew I spoke the truth, “Then I ask you to pray for me at the place they crucified our lord.”
“Know that I will and when I see the Pope, I will ask him to intercede for you.”
He smiled and said, “You are a good man, lord. Do not throw your life away for Lackland’s son. He is not worth it! This valley needs you and your son.”
“I intend to do all that I can to return but if God chooses to take me and William then I have left two other sons, and the knights of my valley, Sir Peter, Sir William of Hartburn, Sir Geoffrey Fitzurse, Sir Robert of Redmarshal, Sir Gilles of Wulfestun, Sir Richard of East Harlsey and Sir Fótr of Norton, will all watch out for them. We trained them, did we not?”
“Aye lord, we did and they are all good men.”
We clasped arms before I left. We were warriors and there were words in our eyes and our hands as we parted. I would pray that he had a peaceful end.
We rose in the early hours for I wished to be on the road before dawn. The grandsons I left, Alfred and Thomas, were most upset that they were not joining Henry Samuel and my granddaughters were upset that we were going at all. It was hard leaving my home. Little Geoffrey was too young to complain but he was upset that his grandfather and uncle were leaving not to mention Henry Samuel who was everyone’s favourite. My wife was stoic when we parted for we had said goodbye the night before. Then she had wept and we had told each other those things which are normally kept for a death bed. Strangely they made me feel better. We had been married for a long time and our feelings were kept hidden. That last night they were bared and we were both the better for it.
We crossed the river on our ferry and our long train with ten sumpters headed down the road to York. I intended to push on and reach it in one day. William and I had three good horses. We each had a couple of coursers and a good palfrey. The journey to York would allow us to get to know them. We had spare horses for the others but they would have a long sea voyage to Calais to help them to recover. I had no doubt that we would end up buying more horses along the way. We kept the same formation all the way to York and I intended it to be the same all the way to the Italian port. Cedric had four archers before us as scouts. The others were with the baggage. William and I along with the squires followed the scouts and Padraig and the men at arms followed behind me, Richard and two of the men at arms were at the rear. Our experience stiffened the column and the three veterans would counsel and advise the youngsters. They would return different men; if they returned at all.
It was late when we reached York and the knights promised by the King had yet to arrive. In some ways that pleased me for we had more time to rest our horses and to choose the best of the ships for our men. There were eight ships waiting for us and, as I had expected, all belonged to the King. It was not a navy; it was a way to make money. I guessed that I would have the largest entourage and so I commandeered the largest two. I was lucky in that the two captains looked to be the most trustworthy and the most experienced. Captain Jack and ‘Petrel’ looked to be both veterans of the sea. A good captain would ensure that our animals arrived in port safely and in the best condition! While we were at the river, we purchased all that we might need for the journey. The closer one came to the Holy Land the higher would be the prices. Rope, leather, bits, bridles and stirrups were all purchased. Our archers had a good quantity of arrows as well as fletch, arrowheads and bowstrings. Alf Fletcher, one of the archers I had brought, was the son of a Fletcher and he could make arrows if they were needed. Each of my archers had a spare bow made of English yew for that wood was the best for bows.
Padraig and Richard Red Leg also advised the men to buy a good round of English cheese. I smiled when I heard them advising the younger men, “Foreign cheese is fit for pigs only! It stinks and is soft! A good, well-wrapped cheese will last three months or more. Trust us, you will get no decent cheese once we board the ships!”
They thought I could not hear them for Alan son of Paul said, “But I thought that lords and kings ate foreign cheese!”
Richard shook his head, “Aye they do! I think that must be a penance. It is why I will never be knighted!” That made the other men laugh.
The knights promised by the King did not reach us for two days. It did not bother me that we were leaving later than the King wanted. They were his knights and the delay in our departure would be down to his choice of men. They arrived not long after noon which told me that they had spent the night within fifteen miles of York. It told me much about their character for they could have pushed on and reached us sooner had they been keen. They were accompanied by the younger brother of the Earl of Norfolk who was the King’s representative. Hugh Bigod was a close friend of the King’s. He was not even twenty and yet entrusted by the young King with the delivery of the knights.
He gave a bow and swept his arm behind him, “My lord, I bring the knights who will serve King Henry and yourself in this noble crusade.” I saw that all of them, the seven knights, thirty-eight men at
arms and twenty archers all wore a white tunic with the distinctive cross of Jerusalem upon it. Perhaps they thought I would be impressed by such attire. There were also three young priests. I hoped they knew how to heal! I frowned at the young nobleman. “They are late! Were they waiting for their fine surcoats to be finished?”
I saw the faces on the seven knights fall at my disapproving tone. They were slightly older than William and he was young for a knight.
“The King wished them all to look the same. He has fifty surcoats on the sumpters for your men, too.”
I waved a dismissive hand. Such frippery was unnecessary. My men would ride to war wearing the family surcoat. “And has he sent the coin which we will need?”
“The King said that the Archbishop of York has the monies collected in the north and that he is to use that to pay your expenses.”
The King and the Archbishop of York would have ensured that they made a profit from the monies collected in the south. Between them and the Chancellor, they knew how to extract every coin that they could. The people of England had paid the crusade tax for the last four years and now the King could, legitimately, tell them that it had been used to send English knights on crusade. Perhaps there was too much of the cynic in me.
“Very well and will you be coming with us, Master Hugh?”
He looked embarrassed as he replied, “As much as I would love to go to the Holy Land, I must wait until King Henry goes.”
And that would be a long time coming!
I was introduced to the knights. All were English and all served one of the lords living in the south. None were from the same manor. Had the lords whom King Henry had approached sent me their poorest knights or were these genuine crusaders? Time alone would tell. Two were from the north, Sir Robert of Kendal and Sir Stephen of Malton. The latter might be known to Sir Ralph. The rest were from the south of the country. Sir Richard of Tewkesbury and his men might be of some use as they often had to fight the Welsh but all the rest came from such manors as Lewes, Norwich and Dunwich. At best they would have been to a tournament.
“Welcome, my lords. I am sorry to see that despite my request you have brought but twenty archers. I needed three times that number and so your archers will have to work three times as hard. The captain of archers is Cedric Warbow. The men at arms will be commanded by Padraig the Wanderer. There will be no argument about the command. Any archer and man at arms who objects should stay in York.” I glared at the men at arms and archers daring them to object. “You are all late and this is our last night in port. We leave before dawn when the tide is high.”
After they had gone Hugh asked me, “Why were you so hard on them, my lord? They go to do God’s work and they serve the King!”
“And none of that matters on the battlefield. When these men fight, they will have to obey my orders instantly. They will need to heed my every command. If they do so then some may survive. They do not have to like me but they need to obey me.”
“Then I am glad that I will not be with you.”
I laughed, “Then we are in agreement over that!” I took his hands in mine and turned them over, “These hands are not calloused. You have not spent enough time with a sword in hand. If you wish to be a knight then work at it. Being a knight does not just mean wearing mail and a fine surcoat. It is having a weapon in your hand and knowing how to kill the enemy who seeks your life! When you can do that then return to me and I will tell you if you are ready to go on a crusade!”
I left a shocked young noble. I had been deliberately harsh with all of them. It was partly anger at the enforced delay but it was also to save their lives. The Archbishop had brought a chest with the gold and silver. I thanked him for the chest, “Many people suffered to pay this tax, lord. Use it wisely.”
“Have I ever done other?”
He smiled, “No, lord, your motives are beyond reproach. Go with God.” He made the sign of the cross and gave me an inlaid wooden cross. I saw that the four ends were marked with Whitby jet. “This has been blessed too and may offer you some protection although the Muslims treat Christians harshly.”
“They learned from us, Archbishop, but I thank you for this gift.”
Sir Ralph was waiting for me at the gate, “A word?”
“William, take the horses to the ships and begin loading.”
My son waved cheerily, “Aye, father. Farewell, Sir Ralph!”
“You take care, young William!” When we were alone, he said, “I had some unwelcome news from the knights who came from the south.” I frowned. If the news concerned me then why had I not been told directly rather than this second-hand method? Sir Ralph continued, “Malcolm, the Earl of Fife and your avowed enemy, is with the crusade. He took a ship from Southampton to sail directly for France and the muster.”
“The Earl of Fife?”
“Aye, it seems he sees this as a way of garnering support when he tries to become King of Scotland. He has family who live in France; they are his allies and there has been communication between Scotland and France. The longer that the royal couple are childless the greater his chance of success. Everyone, it seems, considers this crusade has the greatest chance of success.” He smiled at the scowl on my face, “Everyone it seems but you. By taking part he gains honour and support from the Pope. He boasted that he will be away for less than a year.”
I nodded, “That is the same message given to me by King Henry but none of them has fought the Turk and the Egyptian. I have. None have experienced the treachery of the Templars, I have. For my part, I do all that I am asked but I will return home once Richard, Earl of Cornwall arrives with the main English contingent. Once I am sure that Jerusalem is secure then I will hurry back to England and my home. I will have a clear conscience.”
“I thought you should know.”
I smiled, “And it is good news that you have brought me.”
“Good news?”
“Aye, for if the Scottish snake is in the Holy Land trying to kill me then my family is safe!”
As we headed down the river, I told William the news. “Can he hurt us? We are on a crusade and protected by the Pope and the King of Navarre.”
“He wished to have your bride and her fortune for himself. He will not be worried about the niceties of protocol and honour. He will not face us openly but we watch for the knife in the night. I will see Padraig and Richard Red Leg. They will ensure we are safe.”
Even though we had left before dawn we had had a twisting and turning river network to negotiate and, by dark, we had barely cleared Whitby to the west. As soon as we hit the cold sea the winds made our movement more violent. My three veterans and I were the only ones immune from the mal de mer which afflicted everyone, to the great amusement of the crew. The green-faced warriors hurling the contents of their stomachs overboard brought them some satisfaction; I know not why. I looked astern at the other ships. The one which followed us, ‘Stormbird’ contained half of my men and then the knights and their men were spread around the other ships. I knew it was a mistake not to have at least one of the knights on my ship, ‘Petrel’, but I was selfish. I wanted my family and my men around me. We would have a journey across France and Germany to get to know one another.
When darkness fell few of our men were ready for sleep; most were too busy vomiting and so the four of us with stronger stomachs had plenty of room to sleep. I always slept well at sea and the motion, extreme though it was, sent me into a deep and untroubled sleep. I awoke at dawn and stepped on to a deck which was littered with the bodies of my men. Their colour and appearance might lead one to believe we had been attacked but the Captain put me straight on that.
“When they emptied their stomachs for the last time they just collapsed and fell asleep. They will be fine now. We couldn’t light the galley last night, my lord, so it will be cold fare but we have some fresh bread, Yorkshire ham and Wensleydale cheese.”
I rubbed my hands, “Provender for a king.” I looked astern and saw only ‘Stormbird’.
“The other ships?”
“We lost them in the night. The wind has dropped and we are a little too far east for my liking but it is a good wind from the north. It might be a chill wind but it will take us where we need to go. I dare say the others will catch up but it doesn’t really matter. We all know the destination, Calais. With this wind, we might be there by dawn tomorrow. Anyway, I will get your food sorted out. “Nob, food for his lordship.”
“Aye, Captain!”
Cedric, Richard and Padraig woke and joined me in the lee of the bowsprit as the food and beer arrived. While we ate, I told them of the threat from the Earl of Fife. “I am not worried about Scots, my lord, but there are Italians and Frenchmen who are quite happy to slit a throat for the price of a bottle of wine. However, have no fear, we will keep them all away from you.”
William rose. He had not been as ill as the others. He had at least one sea voyage under his belt but that had been a relatively calm one. “I am sorry about last night, my lord.”
“You have it out of your system now but we appear to have lost our consorts. Not an auspicious start to our crusade.” I lifted out the Archbishop’s cross. “I am not certain that God smiles upon this venture.”