The King Is Dead

by Griff Hosker

  I thought the blood coursed too hotly through their veins but then they nodded and rejoined me.

  "Form up!" The French before us stood, shattered. Dick's arrows fell yet and brought down both men and horses. "Charge!" We would not charge far but we had to clear our flank or the King's plan would have failed.

  We were not knee to knee. Our horses were tired too but we were just clearing the French from our front. I saw my standard appear between Rolf and I as William joined me. He held the standard and his reins in his left hand held his sword before him. I was proud. The King and his knights were ahead of us and I heard the sound of thunder as they met the weakened French centre. Our best knights followed the King, the Earl and the Royal banner. They swept imperiously through the French ranks. As we struck the French right flank they began to crumble and disintegrate. They could see the King's men sweeping away their centre. They fled.

  I reined in. "Wulfric, pursue!"

  He grinned, "Aye my lord, I see my horse. I will have it."

  I dismounted and began walking back to our lines with John and William behind me. As we passed each fallen knight I checked to see if they lived or not. Four of them did. I put my sword to their throat and asked each one, "Do you yield?"

  They all said, "Aye." We took their swords and escorted them back to our lines.

  There would be ransom. "John, check the dead and see if there is any treasure on them. William, gather any warhorses."

  Dick and his archers were moving through the dead. The men at arms who were wounded were despatched, the knights taken for ransom. I saw the first I had stunned with sword arguing with Dick, "You are an archer! I do not surrender to an archer!"

  I walked behind him and cuffed the back of his head my mail mitten, "Then surrender to me and be thankful my archer is in a good mood else he might have slit your throat for your purse!" He handed his sword over, "Dick take these back and guard them. Find their names and we will send for ransom."

  "Aye my lord, rich pickings." I nodded. He pointed to Rolf and Karl, "A shame about Sir Godfrey. He was a good warrior."

  "It was his time."

  I saw that Godfrey's death had been a clean one. The spear had ended his life almost instantly. Rolf and Karl were the last ones left from those I had first met in Germany all those years ago. "He died well."

  Rolf looked up, "Aye he did. Perhaps we are getting too old for this. Time was he would have stopped the spear before it got close."

  "God chooses the moment we die, Rolf." He nodded.

  I looked up as a jubilant Count Geoffrey rode up, "A great victory! We did as the King asked and we defeated them!"

  I had not seen the Angevin as they had fought. I had been too concerned with my vital flank. Had we been turned then the whole line would have been rolled up. I saw his young warriors were equally joyous. I smiled, "Have you much ransom?"

  Their faces fell. Sir Hugh of Langeais said, "We just slew them and then our men at arms finished off the wounded."

  I pointed to my men at arms who guarded the five knights we had captured. "My men are better trained."

  Count Geoffrey laughed ruefully, "We have much to learn!"

  When Wulfric returned, an hour later, he led the war horse he had captured and his men at arms prodded three knights towards us. We had had a good haul. I saw the envy on the faces of the Angevin knights. They would learn. My squires showed that they had more experience of campaigning. They had collected the gold and the rings from the dead knights and now they were tending to their horses and to mine. In contrast the knights from Anjou were regaling each other with tales of their heroism.

  I mounted Scout and handed my helmet and shield to William. "I will seek the King and find out what we do next. John, find the names of the knights to be ransomed and William copy them out."

  Other Norman men at arms and those from Blois had not been as lucky as we had been. I saw their bodies. The King appeared to have suffered the least losses. As I reached his lines I saw him and the Earl returning. Their lances had gone. Despite his age the King had a bloody sword and his shield showed the scars of war. He reined in next to me. "You held them well. Did you lose any?"

  I realised the Count of Anjou had not even mentioned the dead Swabian. It was as though Godfrey had just been any soldier and not the bodyguard of his wife. The Empress would be upset.

  "Aye, my lord. One of the Empress' knights, Sir Godfrey but he died well."

  Nodding the King said, "The French have fled the field. They are back in France now. I sent Stephen of Blois and twenty knights to keep their swords in their backs. Now we deal with the rebels. Have your camp moved to the east of the castle. We will negotiate when our fires surround them." He dismounted. "I am getting too old for this. The fighting I can deal with but the saddle does not suit me anymore."

  I pointed to the castle, "If they resist, my liege, we will not have to fight on horseback. It will be bloody close in work."

  "Have you assaulted a castle before, Earl?"

  "No my lord but my father had, many times, and I know what to expect."

  "Good. Fetch your men then and that cockerel. From the way he is preening himself you would have thought he had won the battle single handed." I knew he was talking of Count Geoffrey. It was still an uneasy truce between them.

  "He and his men fought well, your majesty but they are a little naive. They took no prisoners."

  He laughed, "An expensive lesson!"

  It was dark by the time we had ringed the castle with fire, tents and the beginning of ditches. Stephen of Blois and his men wearily trudged into camp with four French knights. We now had twenty to ransom. The Earl of Gloucester took it upon himself to organise that.

  The King held a counsel of war. "We will leave them to stew this night. Let them think we attack at dawn. They will wait all night and it will make them nervous. On the morrow we will negotiate. With their ally departed they have little hope."

  "I fear it will be costly, my lord. There is a river, a ditch and many towers. It is well garrisoned too."

  "That is not like you, Cleveland."

  "I am just saying, your majesty, that we should begin to make siege engines. It will add to the worry for the defenders and means we can start to attack sooner."

  "That is a good idea. Have we materials with which to build?"

  "Aye your majesty, I brought them from Angers."

  "Then build away."

  As the King strode off I wondered at my position. Was I the only one he could rely upon? What if I had not had the foresight to bring what we needed to assault the castle? "Wulfric, get some of the Count's men at arms. We need to build a ram and a siege tower."

  "How about a mangonel or trebuchet too?"

  "How long will they take to build?"

  "A couple of days."

  "Start on the ram and the tower. Make as much noise as you can. Let them know what we are about." I pointed to the gate on the north eastern side. "Build the tower there. We will use it to assault the gate. I will get more labour for you."

  I found the camp of the King and the Earl. They were celebrating with Stephen of Blois and the Count of Anjou. I went to the Earl, "We need more labour if we are to build war machines. I have not enough men."

  He stood and put his goblet down on the table. Stephen of Blois said. "I will fetch some men, Earl. You did valiant work today as did your men. We should all share this burden."

  I did not know what to say. He was being polite, even complimentary to me. ""Thank you my lord, it would be appreciated."

  I saw the Earl of Gloucester give me a look as much as to say, 'I told you so'. We walked to his camp. "You know we hit it off badly when we first met. I am not your enemy, you know." I remained silent. I had seen him with a red surcoat attacking the Empress. This was a lie. "We both want the same thing: a strong England and a safe Normandy. Let us work together."

  I turned, "And I will happily stand shoulder to shoulder with you to ensure that happens. On that you have
my word."

  His smile was genuine as he said, "Then we are friends and we will join together to fight for England." He held out his hand.

  I took it and said, "And for the Empress Matilda and her son Henry, the next King of England."

  The smile disappeared but he nodded, "Aye, if they are strong enough."

  It was my turn to smile, "With me behind her she will be strong enough believe me."

  We had reached his camp and he shouted, "Robert, get the men at arms. We have some siege engines to build!"

  I led them back to Wulfric and the men at arms were soon banging and hammering. I joined in too as did Stephen. I do not know if he saw it as a competition but we managed to build the frame for the ram and the tower. The wall close to the gate tower was five paces high. Wulfric would make the tower six so that our men could jump down on the enemy. There would be two ladders within. There would have to be a small floor half way up. It meant that the tower could only accommodate ten men, five on each of the two floors but the rest would wait behind the open back, ready to follow the brave vanguard.

  The ram, in contrast, was much easier. The sharpened log we had brought would be suspended from a wheeled frame with a roof. We had fetched animal skins which were now soaking in the river. When it was ready for the hides I stood. "We have done enough for the night. Time to eat and then rest. Thank you, Count Stephen."

  He wiped the sweat from his face with his surcoat, "We are all on the same side are we not?"

  "We are indeed."

  We left it to the Earl of Gloucester to provide sentries for the machines which we had begun to construct. We had done enough. John and William had organised our servants and food. They were becoming old campaigners. We had, of course, to feed our prisoners. As knights they would expect it. The food was basic but hearty. I didn't realise just how hungry I was until I began to eat. It had been a long time since I had had stale bread and cheese before dawn.

  The Frenchman whom I had stunned had a bandage on his head. That would be the work of John. He had a kind streak and Edgar had given him some skills. The Frenchman looked up at me. "We had heard of you, my lord before we met you."

  "Oh, where was that? Was it our last campaign?"

  "No. We met a knight who had fought you. Sir Guy de Senonches."

  "How do you know him?"

  "He is a friend of my uncle."

  "Was he with the army today?"

  "No, my lord, he is in Paris he was summoned to court." I nodded. "He said you were a dangerous opponent. I was glad that I was chosen for the van today. I thought I would capture you and earn the respect of my peers."

  "I think it is better to earn the respect by being a good knight rather than trying to show off. There are too many good swordsmen out there to believe that you can beat them all."

  "But you do! Everyone said that you have never tasted defeat; you have never been ransomed. You have won every tourney and you are the champion of a king. Are you saying you do not believe you will win each battle?"

  "I hope I will win every battle but I view every opponent, including you, as a danger. The moment you think you are better is the moment you will lose."

  He looked at William. Your master is a philosopher."

  He nodded, "And he is my father. No son was more proud and I carry his standard."

  "Then you too are brave."

  With that fulsome praise ringing in my ears I retired. The next day promised even more danger.

  Chapter 11

  Our men continued with their work at dawn. The King waited until the sun was high in the sky before he led his son, the Counts and myself with him to the gates to speak. He smiled at me, "They fear you, Earl. Let us try to use that to our advantage."

  The lord of the manor who had rebelled and led others to join with King Louis was Louis de Vendôme. I wondered if he had French blood. I had been in Rouen when he had sworn allegiance to the King and to the cause of the Empress. That was two oaths he had broken. We rode bareheaded to the gates. Wulfric and his team of labourers were hammering and sawing as they built the three machines of war. They were out of range of the crossbows. We were not but it would take a brave man to kill a king in such a treacherous fashion. The church frowned on regicide.

  A voice shouted from the gates, "Well, what do you wish of us?"

  The King laughed, "You were always a fool Vendôme! If you cannot divine why I have brought this army here and why my men make siege machines then perhaps your men deserve a better leader!"

  That brought guffaws and laughter from the men standing behind the King.

  "You can build all the machines that you wish this is a well made castle and you will bleed to death on its walls."

  "Brave words but in case you were asleep your French allies have fled back to France. I give you and your men the opportunity to surrender and submit to my justice. Who knows, I may be lenient."

  "We want none of your leniency! We want our freedom."

  "Your freedom? You think that Fat Louis will give you that? You exchange one tax master for another. However, as I recall you swore an oath of allegiance to me. Have you now sworn one to Louis?"

  "I have wasted enough breath on you! Do your worst and we will watch your men die."

  The King allowed silence to descend and then he said, "I gave you the chance to surrender and submit to my leniency now you shall feel my wrath!"

  We rode away from the walls. The King said to the Earl of Gloucester, "Did you spy any weaknesses?"

  "The tower to the right of the gate looks to be a little lower than the other one. We could attack that with the tower and the gate with the ram."

  "And the mangonel?"

  "Will not be ready until tomorrow but we have twenty five archers who can keep up a constant shower of arrows which will wear down their will."

  "Very well. Let me know when all is ready and we shall begin the assault."

  I could do nothing to help so I went to our camp. I told Rolf and Karl of our plans. John said, "Will we be in the storming of the castle, my lord?"

  Rolf shook his head, "It is no place for you, young John of Stockton. If they fire the tower it is a deadly place and should they have pig fat and oil they can do that. The gate may fall or there may be a second and murder holes between. I had hoped they would see sense and surrender."

  "Will we win, Sir Rolf?"

  "Of that there is no doubt. We outnumber them and they have too many inside. They will run out of food in days but we will still have to assault and even hungry men can fight. The ones who ascend the tower will be the ones who seek glory and honour. There is little reward to be had."

  "Is he right, father?"

  "Probably. I have never assaulted such a castle. If it was made of wood then this would be easier but there is stone and a river. It means we have to attack on this eastern side. The west and south are protected by the river. Therein, however, lies their problem. There is but one gate in and out. If they flee, they flee onto our swords."

  The messenger arrived the next morning to tell us that the ransoms for our French prisoners would be paid within ten days. My men at arms and the Swabian men at arms would share in the ransom. Some knights kept it all for themselves. Rolf and I did not work that way. It created a loyal band of men at arms.

  The King decided to begin the attack at noon. The mangonel still required work. "My warriors will man the tower and those of Blois the ram. The men of Anjou and Cleveland will use their archers to annoy them and be the reserve should our forces fail."

  I saw the Earl of Gloucester preparing for the assault. He would lead the Normans. Stephen of Blois had his men ready to follow the ram. "Dick, fetch the archers and the fire arrows." I had had Dick prepare fire arrows. The walls of the castle were stone but the buildings within were wooden. They were like mine at home. The roofs would burn well.

  Wulfric and the men at arms waited with Rolf and the Swabians. They would be spectators. I went with Dick and the archers who were closer to the wal
ls. They had made large wooden shields which they placed before them. I nodded to them and they loosed their arrows. The first flight caught the men on the walls by surprise and six were pitched from the ramparts. They ducked down or grabbed shields. The archers then deliberately aimed at any flesh they saw. The arrows they sent were infrequent but well aimed and they struck bodies. The archers' attack enabled the tower and the ram to close with the walls. As men popped up to throw stones and spears they were hit by arrows. The crossbow bolts were released through slits in the wall but they found only wood.

  "Dick, fire arrows. Let us give them something else to think on."

  Fire arrows were notoriously inaccurate. Dick had his men pick up their brazier and move down the wall so that if their arrows fell short they would not strike either the tower or the ram. I stayed with Ralph of Wales and the other archers. The ram began to strike the gate. It boomed as it struck. Stones were dropped from the safety of the gatehouse. They were not large enough to destroy the ram but they would weaken it. The wooden structure could only take so much damage. The tower was approaching the walls but it now hid the wall from the archers and I saw our men falling from its top as the defenders were able to use their own weapons to hit them.

  Dick and his archers began to release their fire arrows. They had made over twenty. After they had released them they rejoined me. "Well Dick?"

  He grinned, "Just wait, my lord. Unless they have water to hand, the fires will soon catch hold. We spread them and I heard them strike."

  It was the thatch on the roof which would fire and fires there were almost impossible to douse. I saw the first tell tale tendrils of smoke begin to appear in three or four places. Suddenly there was a whoosh of flame and I saw fire leap into the air. Inside the castle there were cries of alarm. The fire had started. They now had an enemy within and without.

  "Good work. Keep up the arrows." I turned and saw that the tower had reached the gate and I could hear the clash of steel. The tower was filled with the ten attackers and the next twenty waited in the lee of the tower. I saw the Earl and four of his household knights as they leapt down to the wall from the tower. At the gate I heard a crack as the gate began to give way to the ram. Then things began to go wrong. I saw four defenders racing with two filled pig skins held between poles. They had pig fat in pigs' skins. They hurled them both at the tower. Dick's archers hit one warrior and his pig struck the side of the tower. The other, however doused the knights and men at arms who had just reached the top of the tower. Four men threw burning brands. Once again our archers hit two but the four brands all hit. The tower flared up like a volcano. I saw the four knights at the top become human candles as the pig fat on their mail and surcoats burned. Three flung themselves from the top. Those waiting to enter were also showered with burning fat and they burned. The rest ran.