Hoodsman: Frisians of the Fens

by Smith, Skye

  He wondered if the armour still served him. It had been very finely made and looked like it was made from metal fish scales, but it was too small for most English warriors. Hereward had told him that the mercenary archer was probably from the great sea of grass that stretched eastward from the Black Sea near Constantinople. He had been a short man with dark skin and almond eyes. Raynar sent a quick prayer of thanks to the man for supplying him with such a fine Byzantine bow, and such a fine Syrian sword.

  Raynar was surrounded by the Frisian men from the island village of Westerbur, and he was not much interested in the head table. He was talking and jesting with the serving girls, most of whom he knew from the island. The young women were serving everyone, but were spending longer at the table of villagers than anywhere else.

  The warrior Gerke had one that he didn't recognize on his knee, and they were speaking into each other's ears in order to hear over the happy noises of the hall. When she stood and returned to her duties, Raynar leaned across the table and asked, "Who is she?" .

  Gerke stood and walked around the bench and sat next to Raynar. "She is my little sister Gretje. Both of my sisters live with Beatrice now. She is arranging rich husbands for them."

  "So all of these girls are from your village then?"

  "Of course." His huge arm wrapped around the young woman filling his wine horn and he hugged her towards him affectionately. "Do you know any others so pretty?" The girl kissed him and rubbed against him and then squirmed away.

  Gerke came closer to Raynar's ear. "See the woman with the blondy-brown hair next to the Earls. That is Princess Margaret, Edgar's sister. She is supposedly the loveliest woman in court." At that moment Gretje was offering Margaret more lamb. "She looks like a plain mouse compared to our women."

  To be fair, the princess's beauty was different from the Frisian beauty, but there was not doubting that she would turn heads in any crowd. She was not as tall, and not as lanky, and had white skin rather than the honey colored skin of the Frisian maids. She was also well kept in jewels and clothes, and well spoken as if she were a lawyer or a priest.

  Raynar smiled at Margaret, but she ignored him because she was suddenly upset, as if she had heard Gerke's words.

  "And she knows it," continued Gerke. "Look there, she hates having our women around her to be compared to.” Gerke was now laughing. "My other sister Edeline is standing behind her on purpose. She wants all the eligible men to notice her instead of Margaret. She wants to see more of the world than just the villages around the Wash, so her plan is to win herself a rich husband and travel with him."

  Klaes was now walking towards them. "Come," he looked down at their plates as they were standing. "Oh, finish your food first, it is not urgent." He sat with them for the last few bites, then together they stood and made for the doorway. The doorway led to the central courtyard.

  The Countess's manor was comprised of three longhouses built as three sides of a courtyard. The fourth side was completed by a wall with a gate and the stables leaning against it. The design created a secure site surrounded by walls. Of course the walls were just of saplings and clay, but all were built on a mound that rose above a steep ditch. The house roofs were low and of thatch, but the outside wall stood higher than the other walls and had planking to enable walking the walls. They followed Klaes to that walkway on the wall.

  "The great hall is in the center house. The other two houses each have two large rooms," Klaes said "The countess has her quarters in one of the north house rooms. The serving women have the other room. In the south house are the men’s quarters, and the visitors' quarters. The stablemen guard the gate and that cartway is the only way across the ditch."

  The three of them had an all around view across the flat land, even at this small height. Klaes continued. "Beatrice has asked me to secure the manor while the Earls are her guests. She knows and trusts me and my men. She does not know the others from the cog."

  "Are all your crews here?" asked Raynar.

  "All but those watching the ships."

  "Then it is simple. Each crew is a watch. Have them bring their bows and watch from the wall in all directions. There will be a half moon rising soon. That will be enough light to watch for movement in the ditch."

  "I agree." nodded Gerke, "I will get my men and take the first watch."

  "I need some of the men to watch the courtyard," Klaes pointed out. "Two should be enough, one on each side of the gate looking in. There would be no blind spots. "

  "If you expect trouble from within, then have the Countess send the seamen from the big Cog back to their ship to sleep," Gerke suggested.

  "That is already arranged. There was no room for them. They should be leaving soon.” Klaes looked around. He saw Raynar's face. "What? You do not agree?

  "The manor looks strong enough," began Raynar, "but the roofs are a mix of old and new thatch. The old is still damp from the winter, but the new on top has dried in the last few weeks. If I were asked to attack this manor I would loose fire arrows at the roofs to cause panic in the houses. In the confusion, the panic to get away from the fire, and the efforts to fight the fire, the manor would be vulnerable."

  Klaes nodded and spoke to Gerke. "Have your men put barrels along the wall planks. Start a bucket line to fill them with water. Tell the men on the walls to be ready to douse any flame, if it comes to that. "

  Raynar added, "Tell them to douse the flame, but not to raise a fire alarm. If we are under attack we don't want a panic in the courtyard. Instead, send someone down to wake the rest of us islanders so we can mount the walls before the courtyard fills with folk."

  The three men nodded to each other. Klaes pointed at the buildings. "The three Earls, their treasure, and their women will be staying in Beatrice's wing. The Earls' men in the visitors' room. Our men will sleep in the great hall."

  Gerke walked off to find his crew. Klaes and Raynar both looked down into the courtyard as Gerke strode across it. "Beatrice wants me to guard her. Edwin wants you to guard him. So we will sleep in Beatrice's wing. " Klaes looked a Raynar's raised eyebrows. "What?"

  "Not the first time you have guarded her, and the language of your bodies tell me there is more," observed Raynar.

  "There is more. I would kill or be killed for her. That is all you need know for now."

  * * * * *

  It was not until most of the folk were asleep, and Raynar and Klaes had finished their last rounds to ensure the watch was in place, that they had a chance to talk with the Earls more or less in private. Even so they still had the ears of Beatrice and Margaret to consider.

  "How far were you tracked by that Karvi?" asked Klaes.

  "Since Caister, or perhaps Yarmouth, " Edwin replied thoughtfully. "She never closed on us though, until we made to enter the Wash. Then a strong incoming tide caught us and we could not go outside the sands. She herded us towards the sands, but then luckily that same tide pushed us through that channel. "

  "Do you expect trouble on land as well?” asked Klaes.

  Beatrice answered, "There will be no trouble in Spalding. Not now that there is no Norman sheriff in Peterburgh. Since he had that argument about the price of rush mats, the Norman garrison has moved to Nottingham and they have left the keeping of the peace to my husband, Thorold."

  Edgar spoke up. "I don't understand. What is all this about the price of mats?"

  Beatrice chuckled. "It seems that the sheriff was clearing the market for reasons of his own, and cost a wandering mat merchant a few lost sales. The merchant was most displeased with him and split the sheriff's chest with an arrow."

  Edgar was still confused, but Edwin looked straight at Raynar. Raynar nodded to him and added, "The sheriff was issuing writs to his patrols giving them permission to destroy any Danelaw village, and to slaughter any Danelaw men. This upset the local villagers."

  The Earls began talking amongst themselves. They were not pleased by this news. Klaes spoke up. "We sent copies of the Writ to York, to Dun H
olm, and to Denmark. All the villages here about know to be wary. But as Bea... as the Countess has said, all has been quiet since the death of the sheriff. It is as if the Normans cannot find a man willing to replace him."

  "Well, that settles our paths then," said Edwin. "Edgar, you continue with the Cog to Dun Holm and discuss it with Bishop Aethelwine, and then to Scotland to discuss it with King Malcolm. Morcar and I will ride to Chester and arrange to meet the Welsh princes."

  "That puts us far apart Edwin," said Edgar. "How will we exchange news and make plans?"

  "Send your messages for us to Chester," Edwin replied. "Of all Mercians, they are the boldest and the most loyal. We will send messages to the Bishop in Dun Holm for you. He will redirect them to you."

  Morcar shook himself. "I still think that York is where we should all be heading. If we hold York then..."

  Edwin put a hand on his younger bother's arm. "There will be time enough for planning tomorrow when we are fresh, and with Hereward here with more news of the rebellions."

  It was not late, still barely dark, yet everyone made for their beds. A curtain separated the Earls from the women in Beatrice's long room. Klaes curled into his cloak beside the curtain. Raynar wrapped himself in his cloak and drew his sword and lay across the doorway. On the other side of the door he could hear the low voices of the personal bodyguards of the earls. They were sharing the watch outside the door.

  * * * * *

  The night was as peaceful as could be expected with so many folk sleeping in such close quarters. Raynar, on the cold floor by the door felt every draught and heard every footstep, but he still slept for some hours. He would catch up on sleep in the warmth of the day.

  Beatrice was the first to dress and tap Raynar to have him move away from the door. The kitchen women were waiting for her outside the door. They had to organize the morning meal. The next tap was from Margaret. "I need to go outside," she said with some urgency, holding her tummy.

  Raynar sat up and shivered. He looked up. She was still in her night things but wrapped in a wool traveling cloak, and she was alone. "I will come with you."

  "You will certainly NOT come with me," she said hold her tummy, "I need privacy."

  "Your choice. Me, or one of your brother's bodyguards."

  She relented.

  He respected her privacy while she relieved herself, and then escorted her to the kitchen, where they warmed themselves by the cooking fires and pilfered some hot bread. She gave him a sly look. "I was watching Edwin when Beatrice was telling the story of the sheriff of Peterburgh. The way he looked at you, I think Edwin believes you to be the killer."

  "Edwin knows me capable of such things, but saying such things in public puts my life at risk," said Raynar at a whisper to reinforce his message.

  "Beatrice made it a strange tale. I cannot imagine you, a warrior, selling mats in a market," she whispered and held up some bread smeared with butter for him to taste.

  "If I had been there, it would have been my arrow," He had stayed close to her ear so they could speak softly. "I lose my temper when men abuse women. Apparently, the sheriff allowed his stallion to crush an innocent child and then when her mother came to rescue the child, the horse kicked her. He gave them no more thought than if they were ants under his boots. It was fitting that his blood should mix with theirs on those same cobble stones."

  She crossed herself. "That was fitting. If more mothers became archers, perhaps their children would be safer."

  Margaret was about to use feeding this good looking man more bread, as an excuse to push closer to him, when Anske pushed between them on her way to pull more loaves from the oven. She stopped in front of Raynar long enough to brush her ample chest against his as she reached behind him for an oven paddle. Once she had the paddle she gave him a kiss on the cheek and then licked some butter from the corner of his mouth.

  Both Anske and her sister Roas already knew Raynar better than this fancy princess would ever know him. She caught his eyes and said, "Raynar showed many of our women how to handle a bow," and then looked around mischievously at Margaret, "and a shaft." She giggled and kissed Raynar on the same corner of his mouth before she went about her work with the paddle.

  Raynar knew he was blushing. He tried to calm his flush and continue the interrupted conversation. "A mother can rarely afford the risk of killing a man. Too many innocents rely upon her. Even with a bow and the opportunity, a mother would not have taken the shot. That is why men must defend mothers."

  Margaret, on an impulse, reached up, pressed her breasts against him, and kissed him in the same place as had Anske. "A reward for the man who made the shot for her." Her body was close to his and it wanted to be closer, though her mind was warning her to back away. Her mind lost and she pressed harder against him and reached up with her arms and draped them around his neck so she could keep her balance.

  Beatrice walked towards her and gently pulled her away from Raynar. "Ah, Margaret, good. Please organize some food for the women in our quarters. They can break their fast there. There is no need for them to put up with the morning farting of the men in the hall."

  Once Margaret was moving away, she spoke to Raynar. "Be careful with that one. She is of royal blood and has probably been raised in a convent to be that age and still unwed. You will make powerful enemies if you plough her field."

  "I would never, unless she asked me with her heart."

  "She was just asking with her heart, lad. Leave her be." She realized she was standing closer to this man than need be, but felt herself wanting to move even closer to him. "I have a better idea. You will make a vow to me that you will become her personal bodyguard."

  She felt his body straighten and bow as a salute to the task and so it was that he swore his first ever oath to the nobility, to be Princess Margaret's man.

  "Good, good. In that way, she can enjoy the company of all of these interesting men, and neither her mother, nor I, need worry about her honor." She had a hundred things to do, but she was reluctant to leave this delicious young man's company. "By the way. I met that sheriff only once, umm, with my husband, and I found him repellant. No one mourned his passing, but I will light some candles for your soul."

  * * * * *

  * * * * *

  The Hoodsman - Frisians of the Fens by Skye Smith Copyright 2010-13

  Chapter 14 - The meeting of the Northern Earls in Spalding in March 1068

  Hereward arrived at mid day. A dozen wealthy men spent the rest of the day in a corner of the great hall debating and planning. Hereward was still Edwin's spy master, and brought reports from all over the land. Edwin first needed to explain his own situation after spending the winter with William in Normandy.

  He told them that while in Normandy he had earned the trust of William and his wife Mathilde. From that trust had come a plan to split the kingdom into Earldoms similar to how King Knut had. He then told them that he had been betrothed to William's twelve-year-old daughter. He smiled at them and told them that the outcome would have been an England very similar to the England under Edward, except that the Godwinsons were replaced in the south by William's family. He then frowned.

  "For months, William and I perfected the plans. After less than a month back in England, William reneged on the plan. There is to be no wedding. There are to be no English Earls." He looked around at the faces. "Do not blame William. William had a vision for this kingdom. It may not be our vision, but it did require peace to achieve it. The halting of our plan was due to his half brothers, the odious Bishop Odo and the vicious Robert of Mortain. May the Mortain family rot in Hell forever.

  What I learned while in Normandy was that Norman lords all wish to hold land in both Normandy and England. William spends most of his days trying to keep Norman lords true to him. He fears a death from a Norman sword more than a death from an English one. He is angry with Odo for how he abused his regency, and yet he needs Odo's support to stay in power. Bloody Mortains. I have met other Mortains. Odo is
the worst of an evil lot. The evil of the Mortains holds sway over Normandy."

  He took a breath and was silent. The men began discussing his words, and he allowed it for some time, then said, "William is being twisted by the fates just as Harold Godwinson was. He moved heaven and earth to invade England, and once his army was tied up here, the fates twisted once again. Flanders has a new count, and Philippe of France is now a boy king without the old Count of Flanders to protect him. If he hadn't invaded England, William would be the Count of Flanders by now, and by next year, the King of France.

  As you can imagine, William is not happy. He landed in England and immediately led his army to sweep away the southern rebellions. He marched his army from London through Kent and is now marching them from east to west across Wessex. The rebels will be crushed by him." He held up his hand to silence Hereward's comments. "There are many rebels and many rebellions, but each is unto itself. Each small rebellion will be crushed quickly by William's full army. None of them standing alone are strong enough to slow his army's march. There is no help for those rebels. There is no other army in the field in the south.

  I will not be surprised to hear that he executes every rebel, and anyone harbouring one. Such is how dark his mood has become. True, some of the rebels are Norman lords, and they may be exiled instead of executed. Some of the rebels are nothing more than raiders trying to capture and escape with treasure before the Normans take it all. Harold's sons for instance. They must know where the Godwinson treasure is hidden..

  I doubt it will take a month for William to put down all resistance as far as Exeter and Devon and Cornwall. He will then turn north and do the same all along the Welsh border. Now the Welsh, and their longbows, well, they may slow him down. Slow him a lot." There were murmurs of agreement.

  "William has learned his lesson. He needs to build a second Norman army in Normandy, so that he can have a full army on both sides of the Manche. For that he needs coin, a lot of coin. And land to promise to new knights. As he marches, he will be collecting everything of value and calling it taxes.