Charlie Watts and the Rip in Time

by Marcus Anthony (UK) Eden-Ellis

  Gramps flung himself again at the knights; two had regained their senses and were bearing down on him. He threw down the small knife and gripped the battle sword with two hands and fought both men at the same time, hacking and slashing with the huge weapon as if he was waving a simple bamboo cane. One made the fatal mistake of lowering his guard during the fight and Gramps saw an exposed neck into which he drove his sword. A bright red gout of blood spurted from the wound and the knight was done for, dropping like a stone to the ground, twitching momentarily before becoming lifeless.

  Suddenly, a mounted soldier came crashing into the clearing leading two riderless horses. He rode straight at Sir Geoffrey who was gaining the upper hand in his fight with Sir Robert, and knocked the knight clean off his feet onto his back.

  “My Lord, we are discovered! The castle guard has been raised and even now they attack our camp. We must flee now!”

  Matilda, who had shrunk back from the fight, ran to one of the horses and hauled herself up onto its back, breaking free, and charging headlong into the woods. Sir Robert took the reins of the other horse and tried to haul himself into the saddle but Sir Geoffrey had grabbed at his leg and held fast to him. Sir Robert slashed with his sword catching Sir Geoffrey’s arm with a clean stroke of the blade that sliced through his leather gauntlet and bit deep into his flesh. He saw that Sir Geoffrey’s neck was exposed and he slashed at that as well, hitting his spot exactly and Sir Geoffrey fell back, blood welling out of the gash. Sir Robert flashed one last look at Stephen, who was still in a confused heap, and then he too mounted and rode away after Matilda.

  The final knight had fought, with Gramps, to exhaustion and he saw that he was lost when Sir Robert and Matilda fled on horseback and he immediately flung away his sword and dropped to his knees.

  “I yield Sir, I can fight no more. I am at your mercy.”

  Gramps raised his sword to make the killing blow but stayed himself when the sword was ready to fall. He lowered his weapon. He snatched up the vanquished knight’s sword and hurled it into the depths of some gorse bushes and immediately turned and ran to Sir Geoffrey. He knelt beside the man, who looked old and grey and he could see the life was ebbing from him. He lifted Sir Geoffrey’s head and cradled it, looking at the wound and seeing that it was a mortal blow.

  “I am done for, Sir,” whispered Sir Geoffrey. “Did we win the day? Is the king safe?” His strength was failing him.

  “Yes, Sir Geoffrey. We won the day. The plotters have fled the field. Good has prevailed-the king is saved.”

  Sir Geoffrey managed a smile; a small glistening trickle of blood emerged from his mouth to run down his chin.

  “It is an honourable manner in which I die. Please, Sir Henry, bury me in my manor of Bagshotte, at the church in which my ancestors are buried.”

  “I will,” said Gramps.

  “I should like to have seen my friend Charlie Watts. just one more time. he is such a fine boy…” said Sir Geoffrey. His eyes became sightless and his head fell gently to one side. This is the way Sir Geoffrey de Lancie

  of Bagshotte died. Gramps gently closed the old knight’s eyes and laid him down.

  FORTY

  They met a mile from the castle. Sir Geoffrey and Rufus came hurtling from the small side track that led away from Boars Reach monastery and nearly rode straight into Gramps and Searcher who were travelling at a cantering pace. He reigned in Rufus, just in time to avoid a collision, and Gwendolyn managed to bring her horse to a halt, in the space of just a few metres, otherwise she would have crashed right into the back of Searcher. The halt was so sudden that Charlie was nearly thrown off but he held tight to Gwendolyn and maintained his balance-just.

  “Charlie!” cried Sir Geoffrey, steering Rufus around Gramps and Searcher and bringing him level with Gwendolyn and Charlie. “My boy, I though that you were done for and I would not see you again. Longhaired Nick told me that you had been abducted by outlaws who took you into the forest.”

  Sir Geoffrey could not suppress a beaming grin. He was so delighted to see Charlie again, looking well and in the company of, well, he did not know who he was in the company of. He flashed a glance at Gwendolyn, and then at Gramps, before turning back to Charlie. “You seem to have gained some companions since I last saw you,” he said, more as a question than a statement.

  “Sir Geoffrey,” began Charlie, “I have so much to tell you. Longhaired Nick lied to you; I was not taken by outlaws but was kidnapped by Sir Robert of Gloucester and thrown in prison. I overhead Sir Robert talking to Longhaired Nick about a plot to kidnap the king when Matilda visits. They saw me listening and caught me. I managed to escape with the help of Gwendolyn here and we are trying to get back to raise the alarm.”

  “By God, Charlie, I knew there was something more to this. Matilda will already be at the castle, we have no time to lose.” Sir Geoffrey looked

  directly at Gramps. “We have not met Sir Knight, what may be your part in these events?”

  Charlie jumped in, immediately. “This, Sir Geoffrey, is my grandfather; he has travelled from Putney to find me and bring me home.”

  Gramps looked Sir Geoffrey directly in the eye. “Sir Geoffrey de Lancie of the manor of Bagshotte, allow me to introduce myself. I am Sir Henry Grosvenor, lately come from Normandy. I have been seeking out Charlie who, as I understand, you have taken into service as a squire. I further understand that he has had the benefit of your protection and patronage and I am therefore in your debt. It is my intention to ride with Charlie to aid him in warning the king. I would consider it an honour to have you riding by my side.” Gramps offered a hand of friendship to Sir Geoffrey.

  They studied each other’s eyes and each saw the same as the other; honesty, integrity and courage. Both men knew that they were hewn from the same rock and each instantly understood the other.

  “Sir Henry, I am honoured to make your acquaintance. We will have plenty of time to get to know each other better after our task at hand is complete. I too will be honoured to ride with you.”

  The two knights spurred their horses on and Charlie and Gwendolyn followed up behind. It had become a race against time.

  FORTY-ONE

  They approached the castle and came to a halt at the outskirts of the village. Sir Geoffrey turned in his saddle, “Charlie, tell me what you know of their plan as quickly as you can.”

  Charlie related the salient points that he was aware of and told Sir Geoffrey about the secret passage.

  “I know it well,” confirmed Sir Geoffrey. “It comes out in a copse to the west of the castle. That is where we will confront the abductors. Sir Henry, are you with me?”

  Gramps looked at Charlie and thought intensely: it had spiralled out of control and he was breaking almost every rule that a Guardian was sworn to obey. If he should be injured, or even killed, Charlie would be stuck here but he had come too far now to withdraw. He silently asked Charlie with his eyes and Charlie understood.

  “Gramps, Sir Geoffrey needs our help. We must support him, we cannot fail now.”

  Gramps looked at Sir Geoffrey, “I am with you, Sir Geoffrey, we will fight side by side but you, Charlie, will remain here. You have done all that you can.”

  Charlie began to protest but Gramps held up his hand and cut his grandson short. “No arguments Charlie.”

  Charlie immediately knew that he had been instructed and that he would obey.

  “I have another, equally important task for you Charlie,” said Sir Geoffrey. “Ride with Gwendolyn into the castle and seek out Thomas Thomasson. Tell him all that you know and that Sir Henry and I are tackling Matilda and Sir Robert. Tell him to raise the castle guard and to attack Matilda’s knights encamped at the castle gates. Give him the word

  “sword” as this will tell him that the message truly came from me. Go now Charlie, our time is come and we are in the endgame!�
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  Gramps spoke again, “Charlie, I am taking so many risks, both with your life and mine, but I think we both know that honour and duty demands we do this. Take the best care of yourself and I will seek you out when this is over.” He brought Searcher alongside and grabbed Charlie, giving him a huge hug, and then broke away. “We have a mission, Sir Geoffrey!”

  They wheeled their mounts and galloped off towards the west wing of the castle.

  Charlie spoke to Gwendolyn, “Take us into the castle Gwendolyn! We must find Thomas.”

  FORTY-TWO

  Thomas Thomasson was standing in the bailey village talking to a group of men at arms; they were discussing the relative merits of the sword as opposed to the mace and which was the more effective weapon when charging infantry on horseback. It was a common argument amongst soldiers with the sword normally emerging as the favourite. Thomas was taking an active part in the debate but he was in an uncomfortable frame of mind. He had no idea where Sir Geoffrey had disappeared to and was surprised that the knight had gone riding off, to look for a mere squire, when such a momentous event was taking place at the castle. However, he had nothing but respect and admiration for Sir Geoffrey, so he would not be asking awkward questions. Thomas was also unhappy to have been made to close the inner keep doors without a guard of some kind being left on the inside. It was not usual in these circumstances but his instructions from Sir Richard were clear and unequivocal. He had had no choice. On top of all of this there was a band of twenty enemy knights armed to the teeth camped just outside the castle walls and he had no affection for them.

  All in all, Thomas was distinctly uneasy, but he maintained a calm air and continued the discussion with his men. At first he did not spot Charlie and Gwendolyn galloping through the main gates of the castle. The men guarding the gates had not been paying attention and lowered their pikes too slowly to stop the youths and their horse. In any case, Charlie and Gwendolyn were on a mission now and nothing was going to stand in their way. Charlie realised that Gramps and Sir Geoffrey would need help as soon as possible.

  Thomas heard the shouts of the guard and immediately spun around to see the horse heading straight for him and the men. They all scattered

  and threw themselves to the ground as Gwendolyn, unable to stop the horse in time, rode straight through them. Thomas sprung to his feet directly, his huge face plum with anger. He ran straight towards Charlie with a mind to tear the stupid squire’s head cleanly off, regardless of whatever Sir Geoffrey might say.

  Charlie saw Thomas thundering towards him and immediately he held up his hands and shouted “Sword! Sword! Sword! I have an urgent message from Sir Geoffrey!”

  Thomas did not seem to hear him at first and did not break his stride or change the look on his face. He still maintained that Charlie was due for a whipping with a leather strap. The words Charlie was shouting finally stabbed their way into his brain and his resolution, to strap the boy, wavered and then died away.

  “What word from Sir Geoffrey boy? Speak quickly!”

  The code word “sword” carried more meaning than Charlie realised. Sir Geoffrey and Thomas had agreed, long ago, that if ever a message was passed between them, by a courier, this code would serve two purposes. It would, first, act as authentication, that it did indeed come from one of them. Secondly, it would indicate that the message was of the highest importance and that the security of the very castle was in peril.

  Charlie breathlessly related as much as he needed to ensure that Thomas understood the situation perfectly. Thomas listened carefully with a look of disbelief slowly spreading across his face. The look was then quickly replaced with one of anger and frustration. He knew now that his instincts had been correct and that something had been wrong from the very start. He wasted no time in bringing matters to a head and called to his side the men with whom he had just been in conversation. They saw the earnestness in Thomas’ face and listened gravely and attentively as he issued a series of commands to each of them.

  “Edward, you take a troop of ten men immediately into the keep. Go directly to the king’s chamber and stop for no one. No one, do you understand?”

  Edward nodded in the affirmative.

  “If the king is there, throw a guard around him, and arrest the Lady Matilda immediately. Hold the hall until I command you otherwise. If necessary, kill anyone who tries to prevent you carrying out this instruction. Now go!”

  Thomas turned to the other two men. “You two, go straight to the barracks and raise every man, they are to be by my side as quickly as possible, with their swords drawn…. go!”

  “Squire.” he began, turning to Charlie, then he stopped and checked himself, “Charlie, you have done your duty so far. There will be battle now and I suggest that your place is by the side of your master. Find Sir Geoffrey and support him. I go to deal with Matilda’s knights outside the castle.”

  With that Thomas turned, drawing his sword, and ran toward the main castle gates. Already he was being joined by armed men of the castle guard.

  Charlie felt the now familiar adrenalin surging through his veins and he spoke to Gwendolyn.

  “The quickest way to Sir Geoffrey and my grandfather is, into the keep, and then through the secret passage. That is where I am going but I do not expect you to come with me.”

  She looked at him and smiled, “I have a mission of my own, Charlie Watts,” she said.

  “I have two dear friends who will be in Matilda’s carriage. They are ladies in waiting and I am sure that they would prefer to build their lives anew with me here than go back into her service. I intend to keep them from being harmed. You and I will meet again shortly, Charlie.”

  She hesitated for a second or two and then threw her arms around him and gave him a hard kiss on his lips. Charlie was taken aback but did not try to stop her and kissed her back. Then she was gone, mounted and riding hard back towards the main gates.

  Charlie watched her go for a few seconds and then ran toward the keep where Edward was already opening the main gate.

  FORTY-THREE

  Longhaired Nick was a frightened youth. He had seen Sir Geoffrey and the other knight, who he did not recognise, waiting for Matilda and Sir Robert. He could immediately tell from their stances and expressions that they were going to fight and he wanted no part of it. Just like all bullies, he was a coward at heart, and knew that his best chance of escape was to run away back down the passage and out of the castle. There was a chance that Sir Robert and his men would win the day but he would not wager on it. He knew that Sir Geoffrey had seen him and that he was undone. His dreams of newly acquired power, reward and prestige were now nothing more than that-dreams. He also realised that he was an accomplice in the kidnapping of a king. There would be only one reward for that, death under the headsman’s axe, or at the end of a rope. His bowels turned to water at the very thought and all that mattered now was his own preservation. He resolved to get as far from the castle as possible and head for London. If Sir Robert survived then he would surely understand Nick’s need to escape and see it as his duty to reward him for his loyalty by granting him protection. If Sir Robert did not survive, then he would take to the forest and fall in with a band of outlaws while he decided what to do next.

  He was now back at the foot of the circular stone steps that ran to the keep courtyard and he began taking them, two at a time. He had decided to steal a horse from the stables and then ride straight out and reach the road to London as quickly as possible.

  He had only made the first six when a figure appeared in the stairwell moving as swiftly down the steps as he was moving up them. They inevitably collided and Nick was thrown backwards. The two figures tumbled back down, falling over each other into a tangled and untidy

  heap on the ground. Nick was underneath but writhed his way out and scrambled to his feet. In the light of the blazing wall torches he realised who
had crashed into him. Charlie Watts! How on earth had the little beggar appeared here, now, at this time of treachery?

  The truth dawned on him. It was Charlie Watts that had undone them, he had somehow escaped from Sir Robert and then he must have alerted that oaf, Sir Geoffrey. Nick now realised that his plans had come crashing down because of this stupid boy that he had hated instantly, at first sight. He decided that he would pause in his flight, just long enough, to have Charlie Watts twitching on the end of his blade.

  Nick reached down and slid the knife from his boot and held it out before him. The steel blade glinted as it caught the light from the torches and created tongues of orange and yellow that licked the stone walls. Nick walked towards Charlie, who was just getting to his feet, with the knife raised in his hand. A sickening grin of satisfaction smeared its way across his cadaverous white face and he brought the evil weapon down, aiming squarely for the back of Charlie’s neck.

  FORTY-FOUR

  Charlie ran into the keep courtyard, alongside Edward, the man at arms, and seven other guards. The group paused a second to assess the situation and then Edward ordered them to the king’s audience hall.

  “The castle is breached by the enemy, go with your swords drawn and stop for no one, the king’s very life is in danger and infamy is at hand.”

  They immediately ran towards the keep entrance but Charlie ran the opposite way, toward the entrance to the secret tunnel. He reached the flagstone and threw it open, dropping nimbly into the dark stairwell. He didn’t know what help he could give Gramps and Sir Geoffrey but he knew that he needed to be where they were, even it was against the express orders of Gramps. It was clear to him that Thomas had matters in control and that Gwendolyn had tasks of her own to attend to. It was just him, on his own again. He moved down the slippery steps as quickly as he dared and managed to build up a good speed, keeping his body braced against the wall as he went to minimise the chance of falling. The circular steps seemed to go on forever and his mind was now racing with thoughts of what he might find at the end of the tunnel. Would it be Gramps and Sir Geoffrey, still waiting for the plotters, or would it be the heat of battle and the clanging of swords as they put paid to the escape of Matilda and Sir Robert? He rounded two more steps and saw the leering face of Longhaired Nick-too late. He was unable to stop himself and careered right into the creature, throwing him back, and they both tumbled down the steps.