A final crunch of wood, and the door was thrown open. Outside, John saw a crowd of men all orange and hideous in the flickering light. He bellowed incoherently, motioning with his weapon, but they laughed at him.
‘Out of the way, old man!’ one of them shouted, brandishing his torch. A second beside him held a lump hammer in one hand, a skin in the other, and he drank, dribbling wine, as the men guffawed.
Claricia was convinced that John was about to be murdered before her eyes. She had to clutch at Agatha for support.
Only to feel her daughter stiffen and draw away.
There were too many for John alone. He couldn’t hold them back, not with one little hatchet.
It was not only men, either; he could see women behind them – some of the whores from the stews, one or two women from the street – plus a few urchins hoping to see a fight. All had the appearance of devils taunting the damned, their faces demonic in the red firelight from a bonfire near the houses. There were four women, dancing with two men, all of them drunk. A couple were kissing and fumbling against a wall.
These were the dregs of the city, John thought angrily. Scum: ill-educated and foul-mannered bitch-clouts, all of them. They did not deserve to live in the same street as folk like the mistress. Claricia Paffard was a saint compared to this filth.
‘We want them out, all of them!’ a man bellowed.
‘Their old man was a murderer, and we want them out before they copy him!’
‘Bring them out, strip them, tar them!’ a woman chanted, and others began to take it up, until everyone was clenching their fists, shouting the words.
John gripped his hatchet firmly, turned quickly to see that Gregory had come down and stood now with his mother, an arm about her shoulder, while Agatha gripped his arm and waist, her face turned to the crowds with horror and fear. Then she reached up and buried her face in her brother’s neck.
‘Begone, you fools! There’s no one here deserves your violence,’ John tried, but the two men nearest pushed forwards, the man with the skin swigging from the open spout as he came. The man with the torch grinned wolfishly when he caught sight of Agatha.
‘That’s more like it,’ he said lecherously, and would have gone to reach for her, but John slashed at him, and he dropped the torch, grabbing his forearm and staring in dull disbelief. ‘You prickle!’
The other swung the hammer, and John had the wit to duck, but even so the maul hit his shoulder, and the head thudded into his flesh. He didn’t feel the bone shatter, but he knew he soon would if the man tried another attack. He dived down, thrusting with his hatchet, and was gratified to feel it slip into the man’s thigh, then grate on bone. Pulling it back, he crouched low, warily, eyeing the two men. Then he was aware of another beside him, and thought Gregory had joined him, until he shot a look and realised Benjamin the apprentice had come. He had a pair of cudgels, and swung them hopefully, narrowly watching the two men. Gregory had disappeared.
From somewhere overhead there came the three blasts of a horn, and John breathed a sigh of relief. That Gregory might have gone to an upper window to blow the alarm for the Hue and Cry had not occurred to him. There was a murmur, then a series of cat-calls and insults, but it worked. Suddenly the folk outside realised that the Watch would soon be with them, with their long iron-tipped staves, and they would be likely to ask questions about the people and what they were doing there.
For a moment the mob stood still, and John reckoned that his life was held in the balance, but then there was a bellow, and John saw two priests hurrying up the stairs to the door. They entered, and the mob gradually broke up, the man with the ripped forearm glaring at John as though memorising his features for later.
‘Thank you, Fathers,’ Claricia called, her voice trembling.
Agatha had gone. John wondered to where.
‘Are you all uninjured?’ Father Paul asked, his eyes wide with alarm. He saw the torch, still smouldering on the floor, and picked it up. ‘The fools! They could have set fire to the whole city!’
‘Please, Fathers, stay here a while and have some wine,’ Claricia said. She stared at her ruined door. ‘They may come back if you leave us.’
‘The Watch will soon be here,’ Father Paul said. ‘They will serve to protect you. But until then, yes, a little wine would be exceedingly pleasant.’
Claricia nodded, and then began very quietly to weep. Paul took her and walked her to the hall.
John was suddenly as weak as a newborn kitten, and would have dropped the hatchet, had not Laurence reached out and rested a hand on his shoulder.
‘You did well, my friend. A Hector at the gate.’
John didn’t know what that meant, but he did recognise the priest. He bowed, and went to fetch wine, and as he strode to his buttery, he saw Agatha coming down the stairs. She saw Laurence, and stopped.
As John poured wine, he heard Laurence say, ‘Hello, maid,’ with a kind of brittleness in his voice.
Second Thursday after the Nativity of St John the Baptist9
Marsilles’ House
Philip Marsille woke early the next morning with the smell of burning still in his nostrils. Here, at the wall with Combe Street, the daub was broken away at the base, and where the wattles were exposed, the smell of the bonfire had come in to him. The screaming and shouting had been terrifying, and he had been convinced that there would be a battle, here outside his house.
He rose, carefully so as not to wake his brother, and walked to the table.
When Alice had rejected him, he had gone mad for a while, he thought. The woman he adored, whose feet he would have kissed, had no feelings for him. In his passion, he had decided he must leave, and that he would go to war with the King, but when there was the reality of a fight nearby, like last night, he was too scared to go and pitch in.
He missed his mother. She had always tried to instil in him a strong code of honour, such as his father had possessed, but Philip hadn’t absorbed it. Or perhaps it was the shock of all the things that had happened in the last weeks. First Alice being found, then hearing they would lose their house, and Mother dying like that. Poor Mother! All she ever wanted was to see her sons do well, and they’d failed her.
William was clever. He would be all right, with a little luck. Perhaps he would learn his own trade. But it was certain that he was better off without a coward for a brother. Philip should be the master of the house since their father’s death – he was oldest, after all. But the chill reality was, he was too afraid. Of life, of the world, of other men. In fact, he was useless.
He threw an old cloak about him, and pulled on a hat, making his way out to the street. Walking often aided him when he felt miserable, and never had he felt the need for comfort more than now. He wandered up Southgate Street, and when he reached Carfoix, deliberated a moment about keeping on going up to the North Gate and perhaps continuing out of the city, leaving forever. But a small gathering at the High Street outside the Guild Hall took his attention and he went to see what they were doing.
It was a posse, he learned. A number of men were called upon to help Sheriff James de Cockington hunt down a group of trailbastons who were ravaging the episcopal estates, and who were themselves probably guilty of the murder of the Bishop himself. Apparently many others had been killed too, he heard, and he suddenly had a flash of brilliance.
Seeing the Sergeant on his sturdy rounsey discussing the men present, Philip called up to him. ‘Sir, can I join you? I want to be part of the posse.’
‘Where’s your sword?’
‘I have none.’
‘Horse?’
‘I . . .’
‘Yeah, right. Piss off, boy, and when you have something to offer, that’s when you can come back, eh?’
It was his laughter that sent Philip on his way. He walked on until he came to the East Gate, and there he stood staring out at the lands down towards Heavitree. That was where the felons were. He ought to go and see if he could find them himself, fight them
himself, and maybe bring news back to the Sergeant. Show him he had been a fool to refuse such a competent guide and fighter.
Except he wasn’t. He had no weapon, as the man had said. As for a horse, he couldn’t afford a day’s fodder, let alone the beast itself. Like the man had said, he was only a boy.
Sunk in dejection, he turned around and headed homewards.
Rougemont Castle
The Sheriff left his hall with his goblet in his hand. Draining the wine, he tossed it to a servant, who fumbled the catch, dropping the valuable pewter on the ground.
‘If it is marked, have it mended,’ Sir James de Cockington said to his steward. ‘You can have the man pay for the damage.’
He stood on the mounting stone while grooms brought his beast, and then mounted and surveyed the men all about him.
It was a goodly-sized posse. More than fifty men were gathered on horseback before him in the castle’s inner ward, and none were the foolish old dolts one expected at this time of year. Usually the hale and hearty types would be held back for their work in the fields, but today he had forced the Watch to scour the city for younger, strong lads who knew how to handle a sword. Apprentices, the sons of richer men, some men-at-arms from the castle’s garrison, and of course Sir Baldwin, Sir Richard, and their friend Puttock, were all there. All competent men.
‘My friends, today we go to hunt outlaws. These men are wolf’s heads. They have murdered your Bishop, and they have ravaged his lands, killing his peasants. They will do the same to us, if they come here. Make no mistake about that. So our duty is clear. For the defence of the city, for the protection of our families, we must find them, and arrest those we may, and kill those we cannot. Are there any questions? No? Then we ride: first to Bishop’s Clyst, and thence to see where they have ridden.’
He raised his hand, gave a wave to indicate that they should move off, and then as he urged his great palfrey into a trot, the cavalcade began to fall into line behind him.
Some distance to the rear, Sir Richard was talking to Simon. The big knight rode in a casual manner at the best of times, but today he was at his ease, and he leaned back, giving space to his belly, which rested on the crupper.
‘Ye see, Simon,’ he said in what he fondly supposed was a conspiratorial whisper, ‘what ye have to bear in mind is that the fellows down here don’t need too much in the way of training. You point ’em at the enemy, and they’ll fight all day. All the same, they are, the fellows down here in the wild lands.’
‘Hardly wild,’ Simon bridled.
Baldwin chuckled. ‘He means compared to the delights of Lifton, Simon.’
‘Lifton has much to commend it, aye,’ the knight agreed. ‘There’s good land about there, and the water is clean and pure. Makes a man grow. Some grow old.’ He chuckled to himself, and Simon winced, knowing a witticism was about to appear. ‘Y’know, I was talking to a man there, just an ordinary peasant, you understand, and he looked so old, I said to him, “How old are you, fellow?” and he answered that he was, “Ten and three score, Sir Knight.” And I thought that sounded odd, so I said to him, “Hey?” I said. “Ten and three score? Why not three score and ten, fellow?” And you know what he said? Eh? Ha! He looked at me, and he said, “Because I was ten before I was three score!” Eh? You understand? Ha!’ He roared with honest delight.
Simon muttered unintelligibly under his breath, and Sir Richard glanced at him smilingly, and nodded, without hearing.
Baldwin guessed at Simon’s comments, but his own deafness made it difficult to hear anything while they were surrounded by the racket of the horses’ hooves, the chatter of the men, the squeaking of harnesses. Edgar was at his side, which was a relief, but even though he was so close, now that he spoke, Baldwin had to cup his hand to his ear to try to hear him. As he did so, Wolf yelped as a hoof came too close, and Baldwin’s horse jinked sideways.
‘Wolf, get out,’ he called, then cupped his ear again. ‘Eh?’
Edgar moved closer. His customary smile played about his lips, but his eyes were hooded and alert. ‘There are plenty of men here with skill with weapons, but few who have actually been in combat, Sir Baldwin. I think we should be very cautious when we approach this group. If it is Sir Charles, he will know how to bait a trap.’
‘A good point,’ Baldwin said, glancing about the men in the column.
They were riding spread well apart, with some jogging along three or four-abreast, bunching up, while others were single-file or in pairs. Trying to organise such a group would not be easy in an emergency.
Baldwin peered through the rising dust towards the Sheriff. Sir James de Cockington was no fool, but he would take offence at any idea presented by Baldwin. Sir Richard too was a deadend. The large knight had not yet been insulted by the Sheriff, but it was obvious that Sir James disliked any companion of Baldwin’s, and he would be sure to have noticed that Sir Richard had been with him when they first arrived in Exeter, and had remained with him ever since.
‘Edgar, we cannot speak to the fool who leads us, but we can take precautions. Do you ride to the right flank and go ahead to spy the roadway, and I will take the left.’
‘With respect, Sir Baldwin, I think I would prefer to remain with you,’ Edgar said.
Baldwin watched his mouth as he spoke. This deafness was infuriating! ‘No. I will ride with Simon and keep our eyes open on the left. You ride with Sir Richard. Simon is not so experienced in this work as me, and Sir Richard’s eyes are not so sharp as yours. Keep your eyes open, remain alert, and with luck we shall be safe.’
Venn Ottery
Sir Charles had been up before dawn, preparing the ground.
The land about here was clear, and while he had made a decision not to upset the farmers in the vill, he would not allow any of them to escape the place in case they might run to warn any approaching force that he was here.
His dispositions were simple. The vill was held overnight by him with twelve of his men. The peasants here would see only that small group, and as soon as he left the place, he would ride eastwards, along the straight lane until he reached Sog’s Lane. This small track led between two high hedges until it passed down a slight dip and through between a shaw. On either side the bushes and trees rose high. And that was where the bulk of his men would be waiting.
In the north, Sir Charles had often been forced to ride with Earl Thomas of Lancaster to pursue the Scottish raiders, and he intended to use their own tactics if he could. He had seen how devastating their attacks had been.
For now, he would enjoy a leisurely breakfast. There were eggs and bacon, cold capon and pottage along with good bread, and he sat down with a wooden trencher on his lap to watch the distant horizon. From here there was a good view of the land to the west if a man was up high, and he had a fellow stationed in an elm not far from the farm. With him, Sir Charles was confident he would receive good warning.
It was possible that he would remain here for a day or more and see nothing. But if he had to bet, he would think that the fat knight who had caught him would not be prepared to give him up so easily. No, Sir Richard would want his head.
Sir Charles chewed his bread and ignored the weeping and complaints of the women from the farm while his men enjoyed their rest.
Clyst St Mary
Sir James de Cockington rode up to the causeway with a sense of nervous anticipation. There were places here where a force could possibly attack a man, he thought.
He beckoned his squire. ‘Men could be set to hide beneath the low walls here, and then spring up to shoot arrows into us when we ride along the causeway. Or they could be waiting, hidden in the trees all about here, and as soon as our men are on the causeway, they might block both ends and attack us like that. Should we send a small force out first to see whether the passage is safe, do you think?’
Edgar had been trotting off on the right flank with Sir Richard, and now both rode up at the canter.
‘Sir James, this was where I caught him and sadly lo
st him again,’ Sir Richard said, glowering at the roadway as though it had itself betrayed him.
‘I was just deliberating as to whether to send some men to ensure we were safe in the vill up there,’ Sir James said.
Edgar shook his head. ‘He will not have remained here after his capture. He will have moved further away, hoping to avoid capture or to find a better location for an ambush.’
‘Where?’ Sir James asked.
‘East of here. Nearer the hills.’
Sir James eyed Edgar. ‘You are very sure of yourself.’
Edgar smiled. ‘I am experienced in war.’
‘A knight, are you?’ Sir James asked with a sneer in his tone. ‘I am a knight, you see, and yet you, I believe, are a mere man-at-arms.’
‘That is correct,’ Edgar said, and his smile broadened. ‘I am sure you have more experience than me. So, Sir James, please, you go in front of all of us and test the safety of the causeway.’
‘It would be a mistake for me to go,’ Sir James said quickly. ‘The captain of a host doesn’t risk himself unnecessarily.’
‘Then I shall go, Sir James. If I die, pass on my best wishes to Sir Baldwin.’
He jabbed his heels at his rounsey’s flanks and was off in an instant, the beast cantering along the causeway, kicking up the dust.
‘Arrogant puppy,’ Sir James muttered, ignoring the fact that he was younger than Edgar by almost ten years. ‘He needs some of that assurance knocked out of him.’
Sir Richard snorted. ‘I don’t think you understand his skills, Sir James.’
‘Such as?’
‘He was crusading in the Holy Land while you were still being told which end of a lance to hold.’
‘Really?’ Sir James eyed Edgar’s disappearing figure. A shame he never learned manners while there.’ Or you either, fat man, he added silently to himself.
Combe Street
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