Outlaw (Aelfraed)

by Hosker, Griff

  “King William hopes that this coin will be sufficient.”

  I pricked my ears up and watched as Normans carried ten huge chests across the bridge. That was it. Sweyn was being bought off! The money which William had ripped from the poor inhabitants of England was buying off the Danes. The chests were obviously enough for the Normans followed the chests to the Danish camp and we were left alone again, in the dark. I had heard enough and we made our way back to the safety of the woods.

  “That double dealing bastard! Damn him and damn Edgar.”

  “It puts us in a difficult place then, my lord. We will not have a weakened William to deal with. We will have him and his army hunting us.”

  We mounted our horses and rode eastwards. “We will do what we did before we were duped by Sweyn and Edgar. We will fight from the woods and we will do all in our power to weaken William.”

  The only sounds, for a while, were clip clop of the hooves. “In the end, my lord, it may be for nothing.”

  “So what are you saying? That I should submit?”

  “Edwin and Morcar did so and they were given lands.”

  I stopped my horse and stared at the blackened shadow which was Branton. “Do you think I could do that? That would be a betrayal of all those who have died before now.”

  “It is an option which is open to you my lord. Those who follow you have no choices do we?”

  Branton was right. They were not Housecarls and they were not bound by an oath. We could submit but I knew I never would; if only because Ridley would fight on and, probably, die. I would have to speak with the men once we reached camp for they had to know the truth. The truth was unpalatable but it had to be spoken. We could not win, ever. We would all die and we would not make a difference once we did end in some bloody, anonymous and soon forgotten battle.

  We reached the camp just after dawn and Osbert had hot food waiting for us. I suspected that he and Ridley had spent most of the night awake, worrying about us. Osbert was as sharp as a knife and one look at our faces told him that something was amiss. He did not say anything but he led our horses away as Ridley handed us our food. They both waited for me to speak. I did not want to speak for, until I said the words then they were not true. I could almost feel Branton willing me to tell them. Eventually I sighed. “Branton gather the men together. I need to speak to them.”

  They gathered in silence around me sensing from my face that the news was not good. “Men, we came here to attack the Normans once they had fought the Danes. There will be no battle for William has bought off the Danes.” He pointed to the river. “I fully expect to see the Danish fleet sailing eastwards later this day. It means that we will have the full army of William to contend with.”I peered around their faces. “I have to tell you now that we have no hope of winning. We do not have the numbers to defeat the Normans and there is no-one else left to fight them. Once Hereward in Ely is defeated then that will be the end.” I allowed this to sink in. I gave a half smile at the truculent look on Ridley’s face. He would not be giving in! “I am telling you this because I will continue to fight, as I imagine will Lord Ridley.” The smile appeared like a new dawn on Ridley’s face.”I have offered you coin before if you wished to leave my service and I do so again.”

  Edward stood and looked at the others. “Are you saying, my lord, that you do not wish to fight with us?”

  “No Edward. I will always be proud to fight with you but if you remain I want you under no illusions. There is no hope.”

  He sniffed and sat down. “Well that is all right then, for I stay.”

  There was a chorus of, ”and me,” which rippled through their ranks.

  Osbert gave me a wry smile, “It seems you can’t get rid of us then. So what do we do first?”

  I had not thought that far ahead. I had assumed that they would be leaving. For once I had no plans. Branton said, “Well if you want my suggestion, they will have to travel south today to get back to Jorvik. The King is finishing his castle. Why don’t we attack their rearguard eh? Annoy them. They will not be expecting it for the enemy they were going to fight has gone.”

  Osbert and Ridley both nodded and it suited me, for we would kill some of the hated invaders. “Break camp. Let’s annoy some Normans.”

  We rode hard and with purpose. They were less than twenty miles from us and, riding along the edge of the hills we could see them as a black shadow crossing the land. Edward took eight archers to dog them a little closer while I rapidly came up with a plan to do more than annoy them. I wanted to leave as many dead as I could. We were converging with them and as the sun began to sink in the west, it hid us in the shadow and highlighted them. The men at the rear were the wagons and the light cavalry. They were moving at a slower speed than the foot soldiers before them and I could see a gap appearing. I suddenly realised that there were heading for Ripon. They would not be camping and would travel through the first hour of darkness. It made sense for it was a good road and a straight road. Better to sleep beneath a roof than a leaky tent.

  “Branton, take the rest of the archers. Find Edward and, as soon as it is almost dark then shoot at the cavalry, not the horses but the men.”

  “And if they chase us.”

  “I am counting on that! When they chase you then ride north west , towards Persebrig and then return to our camp near Medelai.”

  He hesitated, “And you my lord?”

  “I think we will see if we can capture those wagons.”

  When he rode off I turned to the company. “When the archers attack we will strike from this side. I want the drivers and the guards killing. We want whatever is in those wagons.”

  Ridley asked, “Why? What is in the wagons?”

  “I have no idea but it must be important to the Normans or they would not guard it.” I found myself grinning. I had worried and planned for so long to rid my land of the Normans and now that was no longer possible, it had freed us up and that, in itself, was a victory.

  We halted less than a hundred paces away from the wagons but, in the gloom of dusk and with our hooded cloaks about us we were all but invisible. Suddenly I saw horsemen plucked from their mounts. There had been forty men guarding the wagons but suddenly there were just over twenty. Their leader roared an order and they galloped off in pursuit of Branton. We silently moved forwards. The attention of the wagon drivers and guards was, as I expected, to the west and the departing cavalry. The first that they knew of us was when our spears and swords hacked them from the six wagons. I did not even get to draw blood. Discarding the bodies we turned the wagons around. There was a road which led from just south of Catherick to Medelai; this turned into a woodman’s trail which ended close to the camp. We could empty the wagons and then dispose of them in the Swale which ran nearby. We whipped the wagon horses a little harder than their drivers as we urged them north. I calculated that William would not notice the non arrival of his wagons for at least an hour and then, by the time they had headed north we should have escaped.

  Suddenly a party of riders loomed up on our left. To our relief it was Branton and Edward. His teeth grinned white in the dark night. “All dead my lord! We thought you might need some help.”

  “Thank you Branton. Keep your archers half a mile back and warn us of any one heading north.”

  It was a nerve wracking ride but that helped to keep me awake for I had not slept for two days. Ridley was in good spirits. At least four of the Normans had fallen to his mighty axe. We made it to camp, some time before the moon rose. The boxes from the wagons were manhandled for the last mile and then Osbert took the wagons to the high cliff overlooking the river and they were rolled in. They smashed on the rocks below. We took the horses with us and Edward and Branton masked our trail. Once in the camp I just fell asleep, in my armour. Exhaustion took over.

  We were like children as we opened the chests. I wondered if they contained money. Perhaps Sweyn had been bought off cheaply? In the event they were even more valuable. Half of them contain
ed mail armour, kite shields and swords while the other half had tunics, and food. It was a treasure trove more valuable than gold for we were now, truly outlaws. We could no longer ride into town to buy goods. We would have to steal and forage.

  Osbert strode over to me as the men emptied the chests. “My lord we need to think of security now. The Normans will have men looking for us. We are well hidden but we need warning.”

  “I agree. What do you suggest?”

  “Have eight men in pairs at the edge of the forest. If they see the enemy then one rides back here to warn us while the other watches them. If we split the men into two halves it will mean just one duty every four or five days; not too arduous.”

  “Good. Set it up.” He started to walk away. “And Osbert, include Ridley and me.” He went to the camp shaking his head. I went to Ridley. “Here Ridley, help me off with my armour.”

  He seemed almost disappointed, “Aren’t we fighting today?”

  “No Ridley. We have travelled late and the men are tired. Tired men make mistakes. We will attack when we are fresh.”

  As he helped me to pull my mail shirt off I explained about the watches. “That seems like a good idea but I for one want them to come here.”

  “They will come, Ridley, make no mistake. We have been a burr in the Norman’s side since Senlac Hill. We have bloodied Aux Gemon’s nose too many times and do not forget my moment of madness, Copsi.”

  The old Ridley grinned back at me, “It seems I am not the only one who has the red mist descend upon them then!”

  As well as the sentries we also sent out patrols to watch the roads and so it was that a week after we had stolen the wagon we had word of the Normans. They burned Medelai to the ground and slaughtered every living thing. The scouts returned too late to prevent it but I mounted twenty men and rode south to ambush the perpetrators. I took a mixture of archers and men at arms. Ridley and Osbert did the same north of us.

  As we headed towards the road I could see a number of columns of smoke on the horizon. There was more than a little mischief at Medelai that was certain. If the fire starters were heading south they would have to pass by Catherick and we waited in the thick woods to the east of the town and the road. Branton rode towards Catherick to see if they had gone there. When he returned his face was white. “What is amiss?”

  “Catherick is no more. It is burned to the ground and the land littered with unburied bodies.”

  We did not know it then but this was the beginning of what came to be known as the harrying of the north when William killed everyone who lived north of Jorvik. He merely completed what Sweyn had started but, as with all things Norman, it was done with far more ruthless efficiency for even the animals were slaughtered and where he could he sowed the fields with salt. The north was being punished so that they would never rise again.

  I addressed the men. “The Normans intend to slaughter us all. We take no prisoners.”

  The grim resolution on their faces told me that they understood. “Horsemen!”

  The column of men rode down the road. There were thirty of them led by a knight. I nodded to Branton who loaded one of his precious knight killers. We waited until they were level with us and as soon as Branton’s arrow had flown, the other archers loosed their missiles and we charged. I rammed Boar Splitter into the side of the sergeant behind the knight before he had the chance to draw his weapon. We had the advantage for their shields were on their right which was the other side to our attack and, as they turned to face us we slashed and hacked at horses and men alike. Although we were outnumbered Branton’s archers could pick their victims off at will and we were in no mood for kindness. Soon there were thirty of their men dead on the ground but we had lost four and four more were wounded. In a war of attrition we would lose. I did not doubt that for one moment; the question was, how many of the enemy could we take with us?

  When we reached camp we found that Ridley and Osbert had also encountered William’s men. The Bastard was making sure that the north would not rebel again, by killing everyone he found! Six more of our men lay dead close to the Tees. William could not afford to allow us to live. We had killed sixty of his men, including two knights and he began a sweep to destroy us.

  The sentries saw the columns coming long before they reached the edge of the forest. He had brought over two thousand men; including fifty knights. We noticed that he had not brought his crossbowmen; the forest did not suit them. His men at arms rode but we were under no illusions, once they reached the forest they would dismount for the trees were no place for horses.

  We held a short meeting. “My plan is to divide the men into three groups. Ridley and Osbert, you take one each and I will take the third. We will divide the archers. I will take Branton and Ridley you can have Edward.”

  I paused and Osbert asked, quite mildly in the circumstances, “And we fight until we die?”

  Although Ridley nodded, I shook my head. “No we withdraw further north and west. I will use the five camp guards to move the horses close to Persebrig and the Roman Bridge. Those who survive meet there.”

  “And?”

  “And then we decide what to do with whoever is left.”

  They nodded for we were now in the hands of the gods. I did not think that we could defeat two thousand men but, as Aethelward had often told me, three hundred Spartans had held off the largest army ever assembled. Who knew what we could do? “I will take the centre. Ridley you will be a mile to my right and Osbert a mile to my left. We should be able to slow them down for a while. And remember, when they are killing us, they cannot kill our people.”I looked at each in turn and grasped their arms. “I will not say goodbye for I do not think it will end here in the forests west of Medelai. I will say that you are my brothers and it has been a privilege to fight alongside you.” They nodded their goodbyes and we separated.

  Branton and I headed due east with the other twelve warriors. I almost laughed at the pitiful numbers; six archers and eight warriors. Our only advantage was that they did not know where we were but their numbers meant we would hear them coming. “Branton, tell your archers to reserve their knight killers for the mailed warriors and be prepared to use you swords.”

  “Will we survive?”

  I shrugged, “I know not but this seems as good a place to die, in as good a company as it is possible. I think Aethelward and my father would approve.”

  He nodded. “At least we have a chance here but at Senlac they were doomed from the first flight of the fyrd.”

  With our hooded tunics we blended into the woodland well and I was not worried that they would see us first. One of the scouts held up his hand and we halted. I trusted my men and the sign meant that the enemy were close. I waved Branton forwards and then the rest of us hid in the undergrowth. I was amazed at how quickly Branton and his men disappeared. The forest was filled with the sounds of silence and then we heard a scream, and another; suddenly the forest was filled with the noise of men as Branton and his archers ran through us. I had left Boar Splitter with my horse and I held Death Bringer. The comfortable, worn shaft seemed to be part of me. My shield was slung on my back and I was ready for death if it was my time. The knight who hurtled through the trees was intent on killing an archer. As I stepped out, I was already swinging my blade and the sharpened edge cut him in two so quickly that I swear he almost looked at me before death took him. The man at arms behind him was taken by the backswing; Death Bringer took his head. My third victim stopped and looked at the two corpses before him. His hesitation cost him his life. There were now lines of Normans but Branton and his archers shot volley after volley, thinning their ranks. “Back!”

  The archers covered us as we ran through the trees to form up behind Branton. There were now but six of my men left. I had not seen the other two warriors fall; I hoped that they had had a good death for all of my men were as brothers to me. The Normans were more cautious now and they used their numbers to try to flank us. I gestured for Branton to split his a
rchers, three on each side and they ghosted away, suddenly invisible. I pointed to the ground and we all sank to our knees. The Normans were maintaining their eye level search and they saw what they expected to see, trees. I pressed myself as close to a tree as I could and I smelled the Norman before I saw him. I slid my dagger out and held it in my left hand. He was beyond me before he was aware of my presence, by which time the dagger had ripped out his throat and he had died a silent death. I waited until the next two men had passed beyond me before I stepped out to hack Death Bringer through one man’s spine and then swing it upwards to split the other in two. I quickly ran towards the west and I felt the sword slice down to the place I had occupied. I turned quickly, just in time to parry the sword aimed at my head. I lowered my head and drove the small spike into my opponent’s face. I did not strike an eye but he fell backwards and I chopped at his bleeding face. The two men approaching me were wary of the whirling blade and so I charged one of them. The problem with forests is the roots of the trees and he fell over one. I stamped on his face and then whirled the axe at the man approaching my back. He died as the axe took off his head. I did not even look at the man on the floor I just hit him with the axe. I was suddenly alone with the corpses lying around me. I checked that no-one was close and then I ran west. I almost tripped over Ralph’s body; he had taken five Normans with him. “It was a good death Ralph of Yarm. I salute you.”

  Night was falling and, in the deep forests the gloom became darker. I halted and waited behind a thick pine. Soon I heard noises behind me as the enemy made their way through the dead and the dying. I heard an occasional scream and a clash of metal on metal and still I waited. The line of skirmishers nervously edged through the trees. I waited, almost holding my breath as I saw them move westwards. I waited until I was certain that they were before me and then I stalked them. I slung Death Bringer and drew out my sword and shield. I saw dim shapes before me and knew that they were close. The knight who was at the rear had sounds masked by his helmet and mail coif. He never heard death approach as I walked behind him. There is a slit in the side of a mail shirt and, approaching from the rear, it becomes an easy target. I slid the sword upwards through his body, directly into his heart. He fell with a soft sigh at my feet. Darkness was almost complete and I heard shouts in French. I crouched, waiting for they would have to pass by me and I intended to kill as many as I could. The men at arms were easier to spot than the knights for they had white faces. I aimed my silent sword at their throats and they died silently, one by one. I could hear their terror as they shouted one to another and then the steady escape became a rout as they raced through the forests to escaper the ghosts that were there. I lost count of the Normans who died at my hands. Sadly most were men at arms and not knights but the ones who died would never slaughter another villager again.