by Griff Hosker
I heard Prince Edward behind me shout, “Come, let us help our brave archers for these are men on foot!”
The men at arms and knights led by Prince Edward arrived just in time and they advanced through the stakes to meet the French on the ground before the stakes. We were able to send our arrows through the gaps so that even when one of our men at arms was struggling to beat his opponent an archer was on hand to end the Frenchman’s life. The attack ended. I was amazed that, as yet, none had surrendered to us.
“Prince Edward, we need arrows, I beg leave to take my men and search for usable arrows.”
“Of course, we will stay here until you return.”
As I left I heard his standard-bearer ask, “Will they come again, my lord?”
Prince Edward shrugged, “I know not but so long as they keep the field then so shall we! I fear I need a whetstone!”
“Hawkwood, let us seek arrows! Michael, watch my back!”
I knew that my men would also take the opportunity to rob the dead and if any were alive to slit their throats. I retrieved twenty arrows, twelve of them bodkins. I also found several good rings and purses with golden florins in them. Michael discovered the greatest prize, at least in the eyes of the Prince, the Oriflamme, the sacred French banner lay in the blood and the gore of knights who had died defending it. When we returned, he gave it to Prince Edward who promised him a reward when the battle was over. We resumed our positions and we waited. Hours passed and it became clear that the fighting had finished for the day. I looked up at the sky and estimated that it was midnight.
The Earl of Warwick came amongst us and told us to rest where we stood. I unstrung my bow and said, “One man in three will stay awake. The rest get what sleep you can!” I turned to Michael, “You can sleep, you have earned your rest.” I heard some men head to the river to drink. I had my ale skin with me and I took a swig from that.
I would not sleep. I peered into the dark and I listened. There were men alive out there for I could hear their moans. Such had been the press of men that there were knights and men at arms buried beneath piles of bodies. When we had searched the dead we had, quite literally, just scratched the surface! I heard other archers as they exchanged duties and men who had snatched a short sleep now watched.
I took out my whetstone and began to sharpen my swords. It was as I was doing so that the Prince and his standard-bearer approached. “When you are done, I would sharpen my own sword.”
I rammed the swords into the soft soil and said, “I will do it for you, my lord. When I was an apprentice tailor, I learned the art of sharpening my master’s shears!”
“You were a tailor?”
“Briefly, my lord, it was not for me.”
Sir Richard said, “You were born to be a warrior and I, for one, am pleased that you chose this path!”
I looked at the sky, “Soon it will be dawn and I wonder what it will bring?”
Prince Edward looked thoughtful as I stroked the stone along his sword, “I know not but from the reports I have we have barely lost forty men so far.”
I shook my head, “Surely that is wrong, my lord, for the enemy dead lie like a wall before us!”
“It is hard to believe but the men who counted the dead and the wounded were priests and have no reason to speak falsely. They have nought to gain from such a lie.”
“Then we have won!”
“No, archer, for until they quit the field there is no result. If they keep the field, then we cannot leave for they will hunt us down.”
Their blades sharpened, they continued their march around our lines, and I watched the sun rise. He was right, they had not quit the field and we would have to fight them again. After we had made water and ate what food we could find we prepared to fight. Then a horn sounded, and Prince Edward and his household knights left for a council of war. They returned a short while later. Mounted on his horse the Prince spoke to us all as he and the men at arms prepared to leave.
“The King has decided that we will make the French quit this field. Yesterday we saw them as they tried to break us. This day they will feel the full weight of English horsemen. When we drive them hence then the field is yours! Enjoy it, yeomen of England!”
The three battles formed up and they made a magnificent sight. There were two thousand seven hundred mailed men on horses which had rested for more than a day and a half. King Edward led them, and they picked their way past the dead Frenchmen before forming up. The French stood to and I wondered if we would be called upon to rain arrows upon them but the King had judged it well and as soon as the men at arms began to trot, panic set in and the French took to their heels! The rest of our army cheered and roared for a panicked army would be slaughtered. We heard the crash and clash as the first battle struck the last of the French men at arms and then, a short while later, they disappeared as they chased the army back to Abbeville.
We also took to our heels too but, in our case, it was to finish what we had begun the day before and relieve the dead of their treasure. We left their surcoats and their plate for the knights and men at arms would wish those as trophies. Besides, we had no means to carry back plate. We looked for coins and jewels. We sought swords which we could sell or use, and we looked for food.
It was the middle of the afternoon when the army returned, and they had with them prisoners for ransom as well as many horses. We had captured the French baggage and so the army would be well fed. We ate well that night and we heard the full extent of our victory. We had lost less than two hundred men and only two knights had been lost. The French lost four thousand French knights. Among the known knightly dead were two kings, nine princes, ten counts, a duke, an archbishop and a bishop. The ordinary Frenchmen had lost so many men that number was rounded and was more than sixteen thousand. In all my life I never heard of such a one-sided victory and yet, when we had been fighting, I was unsure if we were winning or losing. Such is war.
Chapter 14
The English fleet arrived as we were breaking camp and the King, his son and the Earl of Northampton rode down to the shore to speak with the lords who led the ships. When they returned it became clear that we would not be boarding the ships. Now that there was no longer a threat from the French the King had decided to take Calais! We had thought we would take the ships and return, richer men, to England. The King, it seemed, still had ambitions. Paris was just too large a bite for us to take but Calais might be a juicy morsel. We prepared to leave.
Whilst foraging the deserted camp we had found a couple of sumpters which had been abandoned and we used those for the Hawkwood company. As we were the first on the battlefield, we were also the first to find the dead horses and to butcher them. While we waited for the men at arms to return, we had cooked them. Now that we knew we were going to Calais we had enough food to last until we reached that port. It would be a siege and that meant the King would have to lay in supplies of food for us. We would forage for a while, but it would not take long for us to exhaust the land around Calais. I had raided around there and knew how little there was.
We raided and burned every town and farm as we headed north and then we came to Wissant. This was the major port for trade from north-west France and the King unleashed his army on the town like dogs of war! It was not only the vast warehouses which were pillaged but also the houses of the burghers of Wissant and when we finally gathered everything that they had to take we burned the town to the ground. If it was a message to the men of Calais to surrender then it did not work for as we arrived the gates were barred, and the town was prepared for a siege. Until the King’s fleet managed to establish a blockade the French continued to supply the town by sea. By the end of August Calais was almost cut off but supplies still came in at night and it would be a long siege. King Edward could not feed his large army over the winter and some companies were paid off. I knew that mine, Hawkwood, would be one for I had offended a major ally of the King, Count Godrey. I suspect that Prince Edward was reluctant to do so but
Count Godfrey had become increasingly vocal about what he called the peasant archer and his impertinence. There had been too many times when I had questioned his competence and he did not like it.
Prince Edward softened the blow by not only paying us that which was owed but also by giving each archer twenty pounds and to me, fifty. “I will need you again, John Hawkwood, and when I summon archers to follow my banner then I will expect you to be there.”
I smiled, “And if I am a man at arms, Prince Edward?”
“Then I will be twice as pleased to have you serve me.”
My forty men, Michael and myself, took ship and headed for Dover. I had money and I could afford to buy somewhere, the question was, where? As we disembarked at Dover I spoke with my archers. “None of us need to work but I, for one, will continue to try to seek employment. Prince Edward will have need of us again and, to be truthful, I did not relish a siege in winter. I think that we are better off in England for we all have full purses and none of us will starve. If I do not see you again then it has been an honour to lead you, but I hope that one day, you will follow me once more.”
We clasped arms, as warriors do and the last to leave me were Ned, Robin and Jack. Ned and Jack were old friends and they would head back to London. Ned was a Londoner and had a sister who lived at Southwark. He said, “Captain when you were appointed over me, I wondered at that for you seemed so young. Captain Philip was right, you have the stuff of Caesar coursing through your veins. You know where to find me. My sister lives close to the Castle Inn. Jack and I will make ourselves known there.”
“And I would have you in a heartbeat if I was asked to lead a company of archers!” I knew that men like Ned and Jack were rare. They were not only good at what they did they were good men and a leader liked to have his back protected by such men.
They left and I turned to Robin, who said to me, “Captain, I would stay with you.”
I was touched but I needed to be honest with the archer. My plans were as vague as a morning mist. “But I know not where I will go.”
“And that matters not to me for I have no plans and besides, I feel some responsibility towards Michael here. I will not be a burden.”
I smiled for this was good news, “I am right glad that you wish it to be so. We will need horses but let us find an inn this night and celebrate our new union!” I do not know why but I felt enormously grateful to have two companions for I liked both of them and, more importantly, trusted them. Only Ned and Jack were the others who completely fitted that description. I felt obliged to pay for the inn, the food, the ale and the horses for Prince Edward had been more than generous to me. I now had twice the treasure that Basil of Tarsus kept for me. Even if he robbed me, I was still a rich man.
That evening as we ate the finest food in the inn and drank decent ale for the first time since Brussels, I began to formulate a plan. “I will not go to London for it is a cesspit filled with the worst of men. We will take a ferry and cross into Essex. Captain Philip lives in the north beyond the River Tees and I have never seen it. I would visit there.”
The truth was that I was being less than honest with the two of them for by crossing to Essex I hoped to visit with my mother. I missed her and she had always treated me well. My sisters too would now be women grown. I intended to attempt to see them and then carry on north. “We will visit with Captain Philip and, perhaps, he may know where we can find employment for the winter.” I knew that I would have to return to Southampton and the village of Bitterne to pick up my suit of mail for I still intended to become a man at arms. It struck me that a man at arms who could use a bow was three times as valuable as either an archer or a man at arms! The two of them seemed quite happy at that and I felt guilty. “Let us have an agreement, I shall pay you both the rate for an archer per day and you shall be part of my company, the Hawkwood company!”
The two of them had drunk more than I had and they happily nodded, “For me,” said Robin, “I would follow you for nothing but if you are willing to pay then so be it! I shall be your man!”
Michael shook his head, “I should be paying you for training me!”
I laughed, “At Crécy you saved my life and I owe you. I am content!”
We left the next day and headed across the river. I rode hooded and I was a little more honest with my companions, “I go this way for I would see my mother, but I only wish to see her or my sisters. If my brother or my father is at home, then I shall ride on.” Strangely they both understood that. “Robin, you will speak and say that you are archers who served with me at Crécy. If my father or brother comes to the door then we shall leave.”
“Aye, Captain!”
My home looked quiet as we rode into the courtyard and I saw no signs of either my father or brother. I remained hooded as Robin dismounted and Michael held the sumpter which was laden with our gear. He knocked on the door and my heart soared when I saw my mother. They spoke briefly and my mother widened the door to admit him. He shook his head and spoke further, then she answered, and Robin dropped his hood. That was our sign that my father and brother were not at home. I dismounted and, heading towards the door, I handed my reins to Robin. I dropped my hood and my mother, now grey-haired, burst into tears and threw her arms around me when she recognised the man who had been but a boy when he had left.
Robin said, quietly, “We will watch here, Captain. Take all the time you like for you shall be safe!”
My mother sobbed and I felt her salty tears course down her cheek and my neck. I fought back the tears which would unman me. Eventually, red-eyed she pulled away. “All these years and not a word!”
I shrugged, “My father!”
She linked my arm and led me inside, “We have not shared a bed since the day you left. He keeps a whore in London and another in Colchester! I was cursed when I married him.”
She led me to the family table which I remembered from so many years ago. “He will not return, nor my brother?”
She gave a rueful laugh, “They make money now and the two of them are too grand for here. They fancy themselves gentlemen but there is nothing gentle about either of them! Now it is just me for your sisters are married and have families of their own. I am a grandmother!”
It was then that I broke down for this was not right, “I will kill him and my brother! I am a warrior and have slain many of England’s enemies. The two of them will take but a blow or two!”
She then became the mother who had chastised me as a child, “You shall not for that is a mortal sin and he is not worth it! I will fetch your food and have some sent to your companions who are so diligent that they watch over you! Then you shall tell me of your life for I can see a tale here!” She started to leave and then turned, “And tonight my son shall sleep under my roof. I will see to your companions.”
I nodded, “Robin and Michael!”
She smiled, “They seem like good boys! I am pleased you have chosen your friends well!”
As she left, I looked around the room which seemed, somehow, smaller. This had been my home, but I had moved on. Despite my mother’s admonition if the opportunity came then I would kill my brother and my father for the way that my mother, a real lady, had been treated. I had seen too much butchery and cruelty to believe that God actually cared about what we men did!
My mother returned and a short while later Robin brought in the leather bag with my clothes and treasure. He said quietly, “We are well looked after, Captain. Rest easy for I will watch over Michael!”
The food was brought in and my mother said, “I am pleased that you have found such loyal companions. Now, while we eat, tell me of your life since you were driven from your home!”
It took a long time to tell her what I had done. It was a sanitized version, of course, for she was my mother and a lady. It was the story of the battle sung, later, by troubadours and not the bloody butchery of reality! She poured some of my father’s best wine, it was to punish him in his absence, and nodded to me as she touched my g
oblet with hers, “You are a great man already, I can see that and you will become greater.” She laughed, “You will become the most famous Hawkwood and all of your father’s money cannot diminish that.”
I smiled and went to the two chests which Robin had brought in. I opened them and waved a hand over them, “There is a third as overflowing in Southampton. Take what you need and leave my father!”
She began to weep and kissed my hand. Shaking her head, she said, “I will not but this gives me such a feeling of joy that you cannot imagine. Your father believes you died in a gutter after you left for London and nothing could be further from the truth.”
I closed the lids on my treasure and laughed, “If he goes to London then soon, he will hear my name. I would dearly love to be there when he hears my name lauded.”
She laughed and then told me of my sisters and my uncle. They all did well, and my sisters held the same opinion of my father and brother as my mother and me. I now had nephews and nieces. By the time we had finished talking, it was almost midnight. She took a candle and said, “I will lead you to your chamber.”
I took the candle from her, “Your son is almost a gentleman and I will escort you for I know where I shall sleep. I am sorry I left!”
“Had you not then you would have been dead for your father hated you!”
I stopped, “Why? What did I do to displease him?”
She began to weep, “That was my fault. There was a priest who used to visit us before you were born. I liked him for he was young and he made me laugh. Your father believed that the priest was your father.” Before I could even think of asking the question she said, “I have given myself to only one man and that is the beast that is your father. He had the priest hounded from the village. I am sorry.”
