Sword for Hire

by Griff Hosker

  He brought us ale but it was good ale. I spied a bench and we sat upon it. We were not the only lords who were waiting but from the looks of the others they were not warriors. I had heard that the Prince was in the habit of giving knighthoods to those who had money. Many wool merchants were ennobled. The door to the hall would open now and again to admit servants. Each time I heard laughter from within. The Prince did not seem to be conducting business. When I saw food being taken inside I knew that it would be some time before we would be admitted.

  Surprisingly, a short time later, the door opened and a knight approached me. He was not like one of those who waited without. This was a knight. He held out his hand, “I am William Marshall. I knew your grandfather and father.” I grasped his arm. He turned over my hand while it was in his. “Where did you get the ring? It is not yours.”

  “It was my grandfather’s. It came into my possession when I returned from the crusades. Are you saying that I am not entitled to wear it?”

  He smiled, “I did not say that. Do not be so touchy young hero of Arsuf.”

  “It seems to me that my family has everything else taken from them! Lands, titles, even bodies!”

  He put his hand on my arm. He said quietly but with authority, “Peace my young hothead! I know you are angry and I know you are a fearless warrior but this is not Arsuf! Use your head. Your grandfather and father would have done so.”

  “And my father died protecting the King of England. What was his reward? I see little advantage in serving a king who forgets those who fought for him.”

  “Be careful, for you speak treason.”

  “I think, my lord, that there is treason which is much closer to home!”

  He put his hand around my back and forcibly moved me into a corner. “I am trying to make you curb your tongue so that you do not lose your head. Now be silent and listen or I will have you and your squire carted off the donjon here! You will soon be forgotten.”

  I took a deep breath and nodded. I would bide my time and I would leave. This had been a mistake. I had thought that this knight would be on my side. If he was against me then I had little chance of persuading the Prince.

  “You were a squire and then a knight. You had little time to learn the world of kings and princes. Your grandfather knew them well and that is why King Henry made him a Marshal. Your family was wronged! The Bishop of Durham had no right to do what he did but that is done and cannot be undone! You lost your castle. The prince will not return it to you. If you are able to curb your tongue and flatter the prince then he may give you a manor. That is a start. Your great grandfather began with a tiny manor without even a hall. You are younger than he was. You can do the same. Heed my words. I speak out of the respect I have for your family. If you love this country then you must accept that things may not be the way that you wish them to be.”

  I nodded, “And if I love my country and cannot accept the way things are, what then?”

  He shook his head, “Then you find another country. You have to be a realist.”

  “In which case, you have given me good counsel and I am now secure in my mind what I must do. Tell me honestly, will I get to speak with the prince or am I to cool my heels here until it is too late?”

  He sighed and then smiled, “You do not compromise, do you? I will speak with the prince but if you do speak with him then bend both your neck and your knee lest you lose your head!” He put his arm around me. “There are many of us who admire what you did at Arsuf. Your father’s sacrifice should have been rewarded. Perhaps when the king returns it may turn out better for you.”

  He left me. The other lords in the chamber stared at me as though I had two heads. In that moment, I knew that King Richard would not reward my father’s action. I doubted that he would even return to England. I would speak with the prince and make my petition. When it was rejected then I would know where I stood.

  The Earl of Pembroke’s words must have had an effect for we were admitted soon after. I made sure that William brought in the banner. The hall had twenty or so knights and they were seated along a long table. I saw the prince in the centre. He was older than I was but he was a short, barrel chested man. His seat was raised higher than the other knights. That was deliberate. He was a little man trying to appear bigger. I saw that William Marshall stood behind him. His hand was on the back of Prince John’s chair.

  “So, you are the knight who comes unannounced to disturb us.”

  It was not a good start. I saw the Earl’s eyes as they begged me to curb my tongue. I nodded, “I apologise, Prince John, but I have recently returned from the Holy Land.” I gestured to the banner. “This was the banner which marked the place where King Richard’s loyal knights died to protect him.”

  The prince said, “Little good it did my brother for he is now in a castle in Austria as a prisoner!” He laughed and the sycophantic knights around him joined in.

  I took a deep breath. This would be harder than I thought. “I am here to petition for the return of my manor and for the punishment of Hugh de Puiset, Bishop of Durham, who desecrated the grave of one of my forebears.”

  The room fell silent. Prince John frowned. “Be careful young crusader! You tread a dangerous path. The Bishop of Durham was entitled to throw the bones of the unbeliever away for she was not Christian. And as for the manor! Your great grandfather is to blame for that! He did not ask permission to build the castle. He paid no taxes to the crown from the time of the death of the first King Henry to the coronation of my father. Some say that he never paid taxes! As a result, your family has forfeited the right to hold the land!”

  “And what of Norton, lord? That was given to my family by your great grandfather. There is no castle there. Why can that not be returned to me?”

  He smiled. It was the smile of a snake, “Because your family always had too much power. Call it a retrospective punishment.”

  I now understood. No matter what I asked I would be given nothing. I smiled and I saw the look of horror on the face of William Marshall, “So let me be clear, my lord, all that my family had has been taken from me and I can expect nothing from you.”

  “Very perceptive.”

  “And I will have to wait until the King of England returns to petition again?”

  Prince John stood. It just accentuated how small he was. “That is treasonous talk!”

  I spread my arms, “How is it treasonous to speak of the rightful King of England who, in the Holy Land, after the Battle of Arsuf, promised that my family would be rewarded?”

  Before the prince could speak, William Marshall said, “That may be the case, Sir Thomas but while King Richard is incarcerated then Prince John is the Regent and all of us must accept his judgement. Do you agree with that?”

  I smiled, “Of course, earl. I just wanted clarification so that I may plan what next to do.”

  The prince, for the first time, looked worried, “And what will that be? Return to the Holy Land?”

  “Perhaps, my lord but there is always La Flèche.”

  “La Flèche?”

  I smiled, “Yes, my lord. It is my family’s estate in Anjou. It was given to my family by the Empress Matilda. It is in Anjou and not England. That cannot be taken away as a punishment by any save the Duke of Anjou.” I smiled, “And that is King Richard. As you say he is prisoner and therefore he cannot stop my claim.”

  William Marshall’s eyes narrowed. He had not expected that.

  I bowed, “I will take my leave and I thank you for listening to my petition.”

  I backed out. We headed directly for the stable. While the ostler saddled them, William furled the banner. The Earl of Pembroke appeared. “Well that has set the prince a problem! You are a fool!”

  “But I am an honest fool and I still have my honour. Do you?”

  “Be careful, Sir Thomas. I have never lost a combat and I would hate to have to slay you.”

  “I fear that one day it might come to that.”

  He shook hi
s head and held on to my reins. His eyes and voice pleaded with me, “Be careful! The prince surrounds himself with those who would do his bidding for what they could gain. You had best watch your back. Despite what you think I am fighting for England! We are on the same side.” They were the same words Sir Richard had said.

  I mounted Skuld, “Not from where I am standing!” I spurred her and we galloped out of the gate, scattering the guards who stood there. The die was cast. I was about to become an outlaw!

  My men had made a good camp. They looked up as we galloped in. “Make the most of this. We leave in four hours’ time at dark of night.”

  Surprisingly none seemed surprised. David of Wales said, “You received short shrift lord?”

  “You could say that and I believe that men will come in the night to finish me off.”

  Jack son of Harold said, “Then we had best lay some traps and surprises for them.”

  William said, “You had better eat, lord.”

  I shook my head. They were all as mad as I was!

  I confess that I felt better when I had eaten. I now knew what I would be doing. I sat with William, David of Wales and Jack, son or Harold. “We ride hard when we leave here. It took six days to get here. I would get back in four.”

  David of Wales asked, “Why the hurry?”

  “I believe that Prince John will have men sent to kill us. I am an embarrassment. When his men do not return there will be a hue and cry to try to take us. We ride to Wulfestun. I need someone to go to Hartness and secure a ship for us. We go to the Baltic.”

  William nodded as did David of Wales but Jack asked, “Why the Baltic, lord?”

  “Firstly, because England will be unsafe. Every man’s hand will be turned towards us and secondly, we have friends there. We can earn coin doing what we do best, fighting.”

  “A perilous cold place, lord.”

  David said, “I will take cold over heat any time. At least you can drink snow! You cannot drink the sun!”

  “Then who will be best?”

  “Edward son of Edgar, lord. He is clever. I would send him.” Jack nodded emphatically.

  “Good. Send him to me.”

  William asked, “And you still intend to end the life of the Bishop of Durham?”

  “He will not be punished otherwise. I want to send a message to Prince John, I do not forgive and I never forget! If my message in there had him worried then think what the death of de Puiset will do.”

  Edward came, “You sent for me, lord?”

  “I would have you and one other ride to Hartness.” I took out a pouch of coins. “Secure us a ship. If you have to buy one then do so but there should be enough here to ensure that we leave England.”

  “And what destination do I tell the captain?”

  “You do not. Tell him we need the ship for no more than a month. Get the largest one that you can.”

  He took the purse and nodded, “And when do we leave?”

  “Now.”

  He did not seem surprised, “I will take Garth son of Garth. An archer who is good with a dagger might be useful. When will you be there lord?”

  “When I get there. Use the coin for lodgings. You have a small fortune there. Use it wisely.”

  He nodded and shouted, “Garth! We ride!”

  I prepared myself for the fight that I knew was coming. My men returned, having set traps. We had a way out, to the north, but every other route was either barred or trapped. We would know when they were coming. We tethered the horses, already saddled, close to the escape route and then we lay down before a banked fire. My archers hid in the trees which surrounded the camp and the rest of us lay down, like bait!

  As I lay down I said, “Keep talking and behave normally. Our men in the trees will warn of us of enemies.”

  A murmur of conversation sprang up. “How will we get to the bishop, lord?” William was resigned to my course of action and wished to know the details.

  “Getting to him will be easier than getting out. We will go in disguise. When we have dealt with these knights and men at arms who come to kill us I would have you take two surcoats and cloaks from their bodies.”

  “You are certain that we can defeat them?”

  “William, do you doubt these men that we lead? I am confident that they will give whoever comes to kill us a surprise. Keep your sword and dagger handy.”

  Mine were under my cloak. The murmuring gradually stopped as one would expect. Silence fell. An owl hooted. I heard the sounds of animals moving and pigeons as they roosted in the trees. They were the normal sounds one would expect. Then Skuld whinnied. An attacker would not worry. When it was followed by a whistle then I knew that they were coming. Our traps worked well. There was a shout as one of the men sent to kill us tripped on the cord strung between two trees. I heard the thrum of an arrow and then a scream. Realising that they had been seen the killers raced through the woods eager to earn the money their prince had offered and the reward for killing a nuisance.

  William and I, along with my men art arms, were on our feet in an instant. I heard more cries as men tripped traps and others were slain by arrows sent from the dark of the woods. Even so one of the knights I had seen seated close to Prince John broke through and ran at me. He had a shield and a sword. He had good night vision for he came directly for me. I blocked his sword with my dagger. He held his shield to the side to block the swing of my sword. Instead I rammed my knee between his legs. As his face came forward I punched him with the pommel of my sword and when his right hand fell plunged my dagger through the eye hole of his helmet. I saw William fighting a knight. He was losing. I stabbed my sword through his ribs so hard that the tip came out of the other side.

  With all surprise gone and dead men littering the ground I heard a voice shout, “Back to the castle! We need more men!”

  I shouted, “William!”

  “Aye lord!” My squire went to seek the surcoats we would need for our deception.

  “The rest of you, take what you will and then mount. They will pursue us!”

  I took the helmets from the dead men. They were knights the same age as me. My experience in the Holy Land had been the difference. William quickly stripped two surcoats. I saw the men without mail taking the mail shirts from dead knights. I ran to Skuld, “Well done, my fine horse! You have saved us again!”

  I heard horns from the castle. The survivors had sounded the alarm. We were half a mile from the castle. It would have to be enough of a start.

  “Let us ride!”

  I allowed William to lead. “David, keep the archers at the rear. If we can find somewhere to ambush them then so much the better.”

  “Aye lord!”

  As we rode north, towards the Roman Road, I realised that I was now a traitor and an outlaw. Prince John had sent those men. We had slain them. There was no stepping back from this road.

  We did not stop until dawn. We were north of Rotherham, having skirted that walled town. We stopped in the shelter of the forest which stretched north for another fifty miles. We did not need the rest, the horses did. There was a house there. It was rude and crude and it was empty. We went to the water trough which was filled with unpleasant looking water. It would have to do. As the horses drank my archers spread out on either side of the road, hidden in the trees. Half of us rested in the middle of the road while the others saw to the horses. I heard the thunder of hooves.

  “Ready!” This time we would need our shields and we stood in a loose line across the road. I wanted the enemy to see us. I saw that there were forty men. Two knights led a line of sergeants. They wore the livery of de Lisle, the castellan of Bolsover Castle. I guessed that one of the knights was de Lisle.

  They had lances and they lowered them as they charged down the road at us. Few had fought since the civil war. Had they done so then they might have expected an ambush. Any who had fought the Turk always expected an ambush. There were just seven archers but they were all experts. Seven arrows found seven targ
ets and then another seven followed. By the time they had realised it was an ambush, ten sergeants had been hit and four horses. The two knights bore charmed lives as did their squires. There were eight of us. I caught de Lisle’s lance on my shield and I hacked my sword into the shoulder of his horse. The knight fell. His squire was butchered by Rafe and Ridley the Giant. The second knight had his lower leg taken. The squire threw down his shield and sword. He yelled, “Quarter! Quarter!”

  The sergeants who had survived had fled. My men dragged the terrified squire from his saddle. The two horses we had captured were taken to join our others.

  As de Lisle stood, somewhat groggily I used my sword to flip his helmet from him. I took his sword from his scabbard. “You are a lucky man today! You will live. I am not certain if your companion will. I will take your sword as a reminder to you that I could have taken your life. Tell your Prince John that we are now at war. I have men who can use the night and the dark. He will never be safe. When he sleeps advise him to have men sleeping by his doors. Until my estates and titles are returned to me then he is in danger. Do you understand?” I held my dagger to the bridge of his nose.

  He said, “I will tell him but you are a dead man! Prince John will be the next King of England!”

  I dragged the edge of my dagger down his nose and split it. “Then God help England! That is to remember me by.” Turning to my men I said, “Mount! Let us ride!”

  We now had at least a day start on the enemy. That would be time enough. With less than eighty miles to go I was confident that we could make Wulfestun in two days. That would give us two days to get to Durham and then leave England. We headed up the road north. I knew that we could avoid any other enemies. With four spare horses, we could rest four horses every hour. We would make it.

  Our horses were exhausted, one was even lame but we made Wulfestun after dark on the second day after we had fled Bolsover. We had camped on the high ground close to Loidis in a sheltered valley. If it had not a had a stream and turf we might not have made it but the horses ate, drank and rested. We could sleep on the voyage to Sweden.