Sword for Hire

by Griff Hosker

  My father’s sister’s face showed her concern. She did not know what I had done. While her women saw to my men and William saw to the horses I sat with her before her fire. I told her all, or almost all. “No matter what we did the result would have been the same. They will send men here. Too many people know that you are my relative and you live here. I would have you tell them where I have gone. You can say that I threatened you if that will make your life easier.”

  She shook her head, “I may not be a warrior but I will not be foresworn. Where are you going? The Holy Land again?”

  “Outremer is finished. They may hang on to a few fortresses for a while but King Richard knew that he could not do what he said. That is the real reason he came home. He took the peace that was offered and he ran! We go to the Baltic and Sweden. I have been offered the chance to fight for pay for the Swedes against the barbarians and pagans of Estonia. We will take ship when we can.”

  “Have you coin enough?”

  I nodded, “I have and all the men that I lead are worth the investment. They fought for what was right. I will not abandon them.”

  She nodded, “Sir Richard came for the carts. He is a kind man. He told me that you had asked him to watch over me. You are a sweet boy but I can look after myself.”

  “I would not be too sure about that. I listened to what William Marshall did not say. Prince John will do little to return King Richard to the crown. He will continue to gather power by ridding the land of all who oppose him. There will be another civil war. When that war comes then I will return. Until then I will be in Stock Holm at the home of Birger Persson. He is an important jarl in that country. We have faced death together.”

  She looked relieved. “And when do you leave?”

  “We will be out of here by dawn. There are men pursuing us. It will take them time to get here but I would not make your home the scene of a battle.”

  She stood and embraced me. I felt the tears as she hugged me, “You are the only family I have and now you are going. This is not right. My grandfather and father made sacrifices so that this land would be whole and now to see it torn apart by a weasel like John. When the king brought the boys to Stockton and they played he was the one who would pinch and nip others. He pretended that it was he who had been injured and his mother would berate us. Your father never liked him.”

  I laughed, “Well he has not changed overmuch.”

  I was tired but I did not get much sleep. I was busy planning how I would gain entry to Durham Castle and how I would kill the bishop. I fell asleep unsure of exactly how I would do it but when I awoke I had a crystal-clear idea. I would use Prince John as my unwitting accomplice. I took leave of Aunt Ruth. We had said all there was to say the night before. Besides both of us were close to tears. This could be the last time we spoke. I just nodded as I mounted Skuld and headed north. When we were two miles north we stopped. My men looked at me.

  “I know how we will gain entry. William, the surcoats.”

  William had found four surcoats amongst the dead knights we had slain but two of them were bloody. I put one over my own.

  “Robert of La Flèche, you wear the other. Rafe and Ridley, take off your surcoats. You will come in with us. My plan is simple. The four of us will say that we have a message about Sir Thomas of Stockton for the bishop. The rest of you will secrete yourselves in Durham. There is movement in and out of the castle and the cathedral. Cover your surcoats with your cloaks. You will be there to help our escape. When the deed is done we ride to Hartness. Edward and Garth should have secured us a ship. If not…”

  The men did not seem worried about the uncertain prospect.

  “The archers will guard the horses and our baggage. Your arrows will be used to clear the gatehouse when we flee.” They seemed satisfied. “We ride.”

  I had been to Durham on more than one occasion. The last time had been with Sir Wulfric when he went to admonish the bishop on my grandfather’s behalf for failing to stop the Scots from attacking our lands. When we had ridden there that doughty knight had told me how my great grandfather had captured the castle from within. He knew of the secret ways in and out. We would not be needing those ways. I would enter by the front door and leave by the same. While we had been waiting to see Prince John I had discovered the names of some of his newer knights. I hoped that the bishop would not know them.

  “Robert, you will be Sir Brian of Sheffield and I am Sir Thomas of Shenley. They are real knights and they serve Prince John. They had been on crusade, albeit, briefly. We can pass for them. We will rely on speed to achieve our ends. Rafe and Ridley will cover our backs. I want the bishop dead. We may have to kill more but let us try not to.”

  “Aye, lord.”

  We stopped at the ridge just a mile from the castle. We could see it, through the trees on the other side of the river which looped around. It was a hard place to take and I wondered just how my great grandfather had done so. I nodded to my men. They knew what they were about. They had no need for a speech to inspire them. The four of us rode quickly towards the gate.

  As we galloped towards the gatehouse there was a sudden flurry as the guard was called, “Who are you that you ride so quickly armed thus?”

  I pointed behind me, “We have been sent by Prince John. I am Sir Thomas of Shenley and this is Sir Brian of Sheffield. We have news of the son of the Earl of Cleveland, Sir Thomas of Stockton!”

  The captain of the guard said, “So it is true, the grandson of that devil is returned. Admit them!”

  We galloped through the gatehouse and into the outer bailey. We walked our horses through the second gate after repeating our message and we found ourselves in the inner bailey. Our arrival had caused great consternation. Soldiers raced to us and I repeated my news a third time. They looked behind me as though an enemy was upon them.

  “Watch our horses carefully. We have to ride to Stockton to warn Sir Richard after this.”

  “We can get you fresh horses!”

  “No, these will do.”

  A priest hurried us through the castle to the bishop’s chambers. The priest said, as we hurried, “He is inside with two of his knights. He had heard that this devil was returned. Your news will be welcomed!”

  There was a man at arms guarding the doorway. I said to Rafe and Ridley, “You two guard the door.” I winked. “Let no one else enter until we leave.”

  The priest opened the door and entered, “My lord these men are from Prince John, they bring news of Sir Thomas of Stockton.”

  I saw that the two knights were mailed. I had only seen the bishop once but people had told me that I looked just like my grandfather. As soon as he looked up the bishop shouted, “You fool! That is Sir Thomas!”

  Robert had quick hands. Even as the first knight’s hand went to his sword Robert had run him through. I had my sword at the second knight’s throat. “I do not wish to kill you but I will if I have to. Put your weapons on the floor and then turn around. Priest, do the same!”

  I heard a scuffle outside the door and then the sound of something hitting the floor. The sentry had been dealt with. The priest obeyed my command immediately but the knight glared at me. I pushed my sword into his cheek and a tendril of blood dripped down his cheek. “I have nothing to lose. You will die if you do not obey!”

  He reluctantly obeyed. I nodded to Robert. He spun his sword and smacked first the knight and then the priest on the back of the head. Both fell to the floor. Hugh de Puiset was defiant, “You do not frighten me! We have your lands! You will be caught and hanged!”

  “What do you think we come here to do?”

  He suddenly looked worried, “Why to rob me of course!”

  I shook my head, “We are here to execute you. You desecrated my grandmother’s grave and for that you will die! I am the judge and I sentence you, Hugh de Puiset, to death.”

  “She was a Jew!”

  “Confess your sins! You will die and I give you the chance to confess your wrongdoing.”
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br />   I held my sword at his neck. “I confess that I did wrong. I was greedy and avaricious.” He closed his eyes and began to mumble a prayer. I saw him soil himself. As soon as he stopped I swung the sword and took his head. It was over in a flash and I wished it had lasted longer. I sheathed my sword and we left. The four of us hurried out. The men were still there with our horses.

  “That was quick.”

  “Bad news is best delivered quick. I told the bishop that Prince John said that Sir Thomas is heading here with an army! I would close your gates.”

  “Thank you, friend!”

  We mounted and galloped out of the inner bailey. I saw some of my men at arms leading their horses up the hill towards the cathedral. Seeing me they turned and headed out. The captain of the guard looked at Jack son of Harold suspiciously, “Why the change of mind?”

  Jack’s sword was in his hand and the captain died before he could utter any more. Arrows flew and the other three guards fell dead.

  “Ride!”

  A couple of belated bolts flew from the walls but we were beyond their range and they clattered harmlessly onto the bridge over the Wear. We stopped at the top of the ridge and changed. “Now we head for Hartness.”

  William pointed to the gates of the castle. “Lord, they are sending riders.”

  “Then we had better move.”

  I was confident that we would escape them. We had killed one of the senior knights and injured a second. They would head for Stockton. By the time they realised we had ridden due east it would be too late. Everything now depended upon Edward son of Edgar. If he had failed then we would die.

  Birger Brosa

  Chapter 8

  It was a wild ride to Hartness. Just six miles separated my aunt’s home from the port and the land between the two had few farms. Sir Richard had told me that while Stockton’s fortunes had declined so those of Hartness had grown. Ships did not have to navigate the tortuous Tees and now that there was a stone quay and the beginnings of a wall it would soon eclipse Stockton as a port. The Bishop of Durham had seen another way to have his vengeance on the Earl of Cleveland. My family had had little to do with the town. My great grandfather had rescued my great grandmother from it and destroyed one of the early halls. I hoped that their memories were short. It was late in the afternoon as we crested the rise just after Elwick. I saw masts in the harbour. Further out to sea I saw more ships. The seaways were becoming busier.

  The wall did not extend all the way around the town. Soon it would and then those who wished to use it would be forced to use a gate and could be scrutinised. There were too many of us and we were too well armed for the town watch to challenge. There was no gate yet. They had built the gatehouse and the four, portly men of the watch waved us through. Recognising a lord they knuckled their foreheads. We rode directly to the harbour and there I saw Edward and Garth. They were standing by a large ship. It was also an old ship. This one had had a hard life.

  Edward looked relieved to see us. He beckoned us up the gangplank, “Lord, this is Henry the son of William of Kingston. His father used to sail your great grandfather’s ship, ‘Adela’ .”

  Henry, who had the weathered skin of a veteran sailor, nodded, “Aye lord. I am the youngest of the boys. It would be an honour to take you to Sweden. I have begun to sail those waters in the past couple of years. The iron ore they trade is of good quality. It is much sought after.” He looked at the horses. “I fear my ship is not large enough for all the horses you have.”

  “How many can you take?”

  “No more than fifteen.”

  I turned to Edward, “You know horses. We take Skuld and the best fourteen. Sell the others.”

  “Aye lord.”

  “David of Wales, get the gear on board and then help Henry here load the horses.”

  My men moved quickly. We all knew that there would be horsemen seeking us. It would take some time to get to Stockton and realise that we were not there. However, it would take time to load horses. I watched as Skuld was led up the gangplank. She was a seasoned traveller and she went easily. It would help to calm the rest. The loading might not take as long as I had thought for they would not need to use a sling. There was a ramp down into the hold. We needed to leave as quickly as we could. I did not know what awaited us in Sweden but I would need as many of my men alive and fit as I could manage.

  I turned as an officious voice spoke, “I am John. the collector of taxes. Have you paid the port fees?”

  I looked down at a little man. He was neat and had the look of a clerk. That was confirmed by his inky fingers. “Port fees?”

  “We charge ships to land and we charge those who wish to use the port. Your captain has paid already for his ship. Now you must pay.”

  I saw Edward return. He had a small bag of coins from the sale of the horses. We could pay fees. If they went to Sir Richard then I would pay them.

  “And to whom do the fees go? Who is the lord of this manor?”

  The clerk smiled, “They go to no lord. They go to the Bishop of Durham.”

  The bishop had been a greedy little man. “Then in that case we do not pay the fees. I will pay nothing to Hugh de Puiset.”

  His mouth dropped open, “But he is the bishop!”

  “I will not pay.”

  He looked around as though seeking support. There were none nearby. “I will fetch the town watch.”

  “You can fetch the bishop himself I will not pay.” I leaned down so that my head was level with his, “And you cannot make me, can you?”

  He suddenly took in my surcoat. He recoiled, “You are Sir Thomas of Stockton!”

  I nodded and turned for the last of the horses was being loaded. “Captain, when can we sail?”

  Henry looked over the side, “We either leave now or wait until the next tide, my lord.”

  “Then we leave now!” I stepped aboard. I saw John, collector of taxes pointing at us and exhorting the watch to do something. They were too far away for me to hear any words but the shaking of heads was enough. We had passed by them when we had entered and they had recognised us as men not to be crossed. We had just slipped our moorings and the tide and wind was taking us to the narrow entrance when I saw riders in the distance. They rode beneath the banner of the Palatinate. Had we delayed then we might have had to fight our way out. We had reached the mouth of the harbour when they reined in at the quay. I saw fists raised and waved.

  Henry said, “I take it the bishop did not wish you to leave.”

  I said, “You should know, Henry, that I have slain the Bishop of Durham. You carry a killer on your ship.”

  He clutched his cross. His face showed his shock, “Lord, he was a bishop.”

  “He was an evil and a venal man. When you return tell them that I forced you to take us. They will believe it of us. I frightened the port official and he will confirm that I am a dangerous man. I swear that he deserved to die.”

  “Did you murder him, lord?”

  “No, Henry, I executed him!”

  I joined my men and we took off our mail. It would not do it any good to be subjected to salt water. I had a leather bag which was lined with sheepskin. After William had helped me take it off and we had used a sack of sand to clean and dry it, we folded it and placed it in the sheepskin lined bag. William had a similar bag. We had bought them when we had landed at Cyprus on the way to Pisa. My men had to make do with hessian sacks. The bags were then placed in the hold. That took some time. When I looked up I saw that we were some way from the coast of England. Soon it would be a smudge and then it would be gone. When would I see it again?

  I turned to descend into the hold. I saw that the horses were all secure. There was fodder for them. Each horse was tethered and supported by wooden walls. Henry had explained it stopped the cargo of iron shifting too much in bad weather. It made for good stalls. Henry had estimated the voyage to be between six and ten days in length. He said that it would depend upon the winds. I looked up at the pennant. The
winds were from the south and west. God favoured us.

  I headed to the canvas covered shelter we would use while on deck and I slept. My men would eat but I needed sleep. I was exhausted and the execution of the bishop, although necessary, had wearied me. My spirits were also low for I had left England and the only family I had left. Sweden was new and was unknown. What if it proved to be like the Holy Land? My dreams were dark. I was grateful that, when I woke, I did not remember them. I opened my eyes to a grey day. The wind had veered a little and although still a westerly was now from the north west and it was accompanied by flurries of rain. I wrapped my cloak about me and joined Henry. He was supervising the steersman.

  “Lord.”

  “Henry. Tell me Henry what do you know of this Stock Holm?”

  “I have used it before. This last year I have been there four times. In fact, I know it better than most other ports saving Stockton and Hartness. They have iron mines close by and we carry that cargo. Usually we travel there empty for there is little that they want from us.””

  “Stockton has iron too!”

  “Aye lord but since the Bishop took over the lands there is less of it mined. He taxes the miners. He charges too high a fee on the river. Hartness will be the same. There are other ports further south which can be used. Hull has wool. The monks encourage ships to use that river and they do not charge high port fees. The iron mines can take their iron there. It takes a little longer but it is cheaper than using Hartness or Stockton. He is… was strangling the valley.”

  I looked astern. My father would never have left England with his knights had he known the result. We had lost all. The people were now poorer and I felt as though I was abandoning them. I knew what my own crusade would be. I would fight for the Swedes but my purpose was to gain enough coin to be able to mount a fight against Prince John. I needed King Richard back on the throne!

  After the mainly benign waters of the Mediterranean the dark grey waters of this German Sea seemed almost malevolent. We were tossed and buffeted. Some of my men had not sailed before and they took some time to adjust to the motion. When we turned and navigated the passage called the Skagerrak even some of the more experienced sailors suffered. Once we entered it the Baltic was quieter and was calmer. It was also colder. I was glad that we had bought furs and thicker cloaks when we had left for England all those many months ago. William used the salve which Birger Persson had given him. When we had put the mail in its leather bag he had confessed that he was desperate to acquire more of the salve. England had been damper and colder than was good for his wound. It helped him to sleep.