Northern Knight

by Griff Hosker

  "My men are as important to me as my knights."

  "You cannot believe that."

  "It was the way my father brought me up." I genuinely believed that. It was the reason so many of my father's men had followed him to England. He had made them as important as any general or strategos.

  I saw that I had confused him. He did not understand this care and my sincere concern. "Then I am sorry for you. Your life will be much harder if you worry about every archer and warrior who fights for you."

  "Perhaps, my lord, but we cannot change our nature."

  "You are right there, Alfraed." He stood. "I will have your conroi's share of the ransom sent to you on the morrow. The campaign here is over and I daresay you will wish to return home?"

  "Thank you, my lord."

  With that I was dismissed. That night the way he viewed me changed and it would be many years before it returned to what it had been. He laughed and joked with those he had led to defeat the Welsh and we were left like lepers on the edge of the feast. We left after we had collected our war horses and loaded our sumpters with the weapons and the coins we had won. We headed north back to the land where I could be what I wished to be; a northern knight.

  We reached my lands when they were at their best. The fields were filled with growing crops and the hillsides were dotted with young animals. I quickly forgot the way I had nearly been betrayed and I threw myself into the running of my lands and my estates. I determined to make life for all of my people from the knights to the villeins, as good as it could be. The summer fayre we held was the grandest anyone had ever seen in this part of the country. I held a tourney and presented a golden hawk to the winner. I did not take part. I wanted my knights and squires to be rewarded and I wanted to watch them. They all fought well but Sir Richard proved the best and he won the hawk. His son and Harold both did well but their time would come. When the old became weaker they would become the strength we would use.

  We also held an archery competition and, surprisingly it was not Dick who won but Ralph of Sherwood. Dick took the defeat magnanimously and did not begrudge the young archer his silver arrow. The festivities lasted two days.

  My council met two days after that and when I entered the hall where they held the meeting I was applauded. The meeting was filled with suggestions for other ways of drawing visitors and new trades into the burgeoning town. All of the burghers had done well from the Fayre we had held. Alf asked me if I was out of pocket for he and the others would recompense me.

  I laughed and shook my head, "I did this for my people, Alf. If I wanted to do it for gain I would have taxed the stalls and the entrance to the tourney. Do you not know me yet?"

  Alf was crestfallen, "I am sorry my lord, it is just… you are right to chastise us. We should all trust you." He glared at Ethelred whose mercenary nature had obviously made him mistrust my motives.

  We held a short session later in the summer and then I enjoyed myself and spent a week hunting. It had been some time since I had indulged myself and it felt good to ride my lands without armour in the company of my squires, Aiden and Wulfstan. Life was worthwhile once more.

  When the Church was ready to be consecrated the Bishop sent his personal representative to do so and I felt that, at last, civilisation had reached my lands. I think that summer, in the year of Our Lord eleven twenty seven, was one of the most contented I could remember. After the close encounter with death in Wales the world seemed better somehow. We all appreciated the beautiful sunrises and glorious sunsets. The food we ate tasted richer and our land seemed more precious. A brush with death always made the world seem sweeter. Our success led to more men at arms and archers seeking to serve me. After I had filled my ranks I sent the others to my other knights and they improved their own retinues. The world I ruled was a better one.

  The black cloud on my horizon was that Athelstan, one of my father's oathsworn, was ill. He had the coughing sickness. There were just three left from my father's retinue and with Wulfstan aging as well as Osric I worried over each of them. They were as close to me as my family. I decided I would need to spend more time with the three of them while I could.

  And then the raiders came from the west. This was not an invasion of Scots lords who wished to increase their lands. This was not a rebellion of men who wanted power. This was a raid by an army of brigands and outlaws who had come from beyond the sea to raid the fertile valley filled, if one believed the troubadours, with streets paved with gold. Our success meant that stories were told of us. As with all stories they were exaggerated as they were spread. By the time they reached the western isles, and Orkney as well as Ireland they spoke of my valley as though it was the Holy Land. We were close enough to all of them for them to make a short sea crossing and then follow the line of the wall through half deserted lands before descending like wolves into my valley. They came with enough men to destroy us. The army who arrived had heard of our success against the Welsh and the Scots; they believed they would defeat us.

  It was Sir Hugh Manningham, Lord of Hexham who told me of their arrival. A rider galloped into my castle with a horse so lathered with sweat that it looked almost white. "My lord of Hexham sent me. There is a large band of warriors; Irish and Vikings, and they are heading for your valley. There are almost a thousand of them."

  "How do you know?"

  "We captured one and after we broke him he told us. We lost some men as did the men of Carlisle but these are a swiftly moving band and they skirt the castles. The last we heard they were this side of the castle at Barnard ravaging the high farms. I stopped to warn the Bishop and he has called out his fyrd."

  "Thank your lord."

  After he had gone I sent riders to warn my knights. We had little time to waste. John, my steward, asked me, "Why did not the lords of Hexham and Carlisle come to our aid rather than sending a message?"

  "There are too many in the warband. If they attacked with their small conroi then they might risk losing all of their men and then their lands. Besides they now guard the north against the Scots. Do you not think that the Scots would take advantage if the knights there headed south?"

  "Is that not true of us too, my lord?"

  "No for with all of the estates close by we can present an army of almost two hundred; more if we call upon the fyrd."

  "But the harvest!"

  "Do not worry, John, I will not call upon the fyrd. What I need to do is to find them first but you need to prepare for hard times. Have the supplies in the castle and the town replenished. If we have to we will sit behind our walls."

  "But if we do that then they will rampage through the valley!"

  "I know and we shall not do that unless all goes against us and we fail. Now go!"

  I took out the map of the valley. I hoped that Sir Guy and Sir Geoffrey had not yet been reached by these barbarians. Although they were the closest to the line of attack they were both stronger than they had been but not strong enough to withstand a thousand barbarians. If the enemy were close to Barnard then they could be at Gainford within a few days. I wondered if the Bishop might send men and then dismissed the idea. He would want all of his men protecting the Palatinate. If the raiders destroyed us then they could take their time and capture the riches of the Palatinate. This would be a task for me and my men. This time it would be me making the decisions and not the Earl of Gloucester. I found myself relishing the prospect.

  The knights arrived in swift succession. Wulfstan had hurt his leg hunting wild boar and could not come. Of that I was glad for I knew that he was now too old to fight the fast battles we would expect and, if we failed, he might be able to save my family. Edward and Harold were the first of my knights to arrive, being the closest. They had brought all of their men and emptied their manors. Both knew that a sudden summons from me was an indication of danger. Sir Richard and Sir Tristan brought most of their men but they had left some to guard their family. I understood that. Sir Guiscard and Sir Raymond now had the largest retinues and they a
rrived last. I held a council of war for we would ride west to meet with our remaining knights.

  "We will needs must ride hard and ride fast. A warband moves swiftly."

  Sir Raymond ventured, "But if they have no knights then surely they will be easy to defeat."

  Sir Edward snorted, "Do not make that mistake. It would not do to underestimate them. These are old fashioned warriors. They may not ride horses nor use lances but each one could be a knight if they chose. These are not like the Welsh or the hired swords we have fought before. If they are of Viking or Irish blood then they will be sworn to fight to the death for their leader. They may be Christian now but they believe that it is better to die honourably for an oath than live in shame." He looked at the younger knights. "There will be no ransom from these enemies."

  I waved a hand to the west, "Come we waste time. Our enemies are yonder and our people in great danger. We ride hard. I would reach Gainford by dark. Dick will command the archers and Wulfric the men at arms." They all nodded, understanding the need for a single command.

  Adela came with my children to see me off. "Take care, my husband. Each time you ride away I fear I shall never see you again."

  "But each time I do return and I will do so again. If there is danger then bring the people within these walls. The men of the town can protect you."

  "Fear not; your castle and your people will be here when you return."

  I sent Aiden to ride as fast as possible and reach Gainford. As we passed the farms the farmers and their families knew that something was amiss. We told them all the same as we passed. "Enemies are coming and we go to fight them. Be prepared to move to safety in case we fail."

  There was fear on the faces of the women and the old as I told each farmer the same but determination on the faces of the men. We had faced wolves and enemies such as this before. My valley would survive. Sir Geoffrey of Piercebridge caught up with us close to the estates of the Bishop of Durham some five miles west of Stockton. He had ridden hard.

  He rode next to me so that we could speak; my message to him had been succinct. I had urged him to make all haste but I was surprised to find him this close and so soon. "I had thought you might have followed the river west to Sir Guy at Gainford."

  He shook his head. "I had many of my men with me as we were going to Durham to make a pilgrimage to the saint. My men wished to thank him for saving us from the Welsh. We were already on the road north when your rider found us."

  I nodded; Sir Geoffrey and his men lived an almost monastic life. None of them were married and they were deeply religious. It would not surprise me if he did not take the cross one day and go to the Holy Land. "We have barbarians to deal with. Sir Guy and his men are in danger. They were at Barnard yesterday. We could meet them at any time."

  "How many do we face?"

  "The reports said a thousand but these do not fight as we do. It could be a far greater or a far smaller number. Whatever the number we will be outnumbered."

  As we passed Sadberge, one of the Bishop's manors, we took the opportunity of telling the reeve there of the danger. This was an undefended manor. The Bishop had many such as this. The reeve collected the taxes for the Bishop but he was in charge of the fyrd.

  "Robert of Sadberge, there is a warband of Vikings and Irish to the west of us. Prepare to defend your manor."

  The poor man, who looked to be of an age with the ailing Athelstan, almost shook with fear. "My lord, we have neither knights nor men at arms!"

  "Then call out the fyrd or if you need to then go to Hartburn or Stockton. There you can be defended."

  He nodded his thanks and hurried off. We had travelled no more than two miles when Aiden galloped in leading a horse with a wounded warrior. I saw, for he wore no helmet, that it was Sir Guy's youngest son, Hugh. Aiden spoke while Wulfric tended to the young squire's wounds. "Gainford has fallen, my lord." He pointed to the west and I now saw the pall of smoke in the distance.

  Hugh of Gainford struggled from Wulfric's grip. "We did not receive your message until it was too late, my lord. My father saw buildings burning in the distance and called out his men. They headed north for the smoke and your rider arrived. We were ambushed close to the hamlet of Ingleton. They were wild men with axes and they fell upon our horses. My father commanded me and your archer to ride to you." He lowered his head, "Your man, Paul of Stockton, died when four enemy scouts caught us. He slew three before he fell and I received this wound. I owe him my life."

  I nodded. Paul had been with me since the start and had been one of my best archers. Dick would be saddened by his lost but if he had saved young Hugh and given us warning then his death had not been in vain. "Where are they now, Aiden?"

  "They were five miles in that direction when I saw them." he answered my unspoken question without me asking it, "They were still north of the river. They are heading in this direction."

  I stood in my stirrups and looked around. Sadberge was on a slight rise but a warband could sweep around us. "Is there anywhere west we can stop them?"

  Sir Geoffrey said, "Aye, Baron. Close to the Skerne there is a steep slope. We could use that as a stand. It is like the place in Wales where the Welsh stood but this is flatter at the top. It is like an island. The Skerne is nothing but, at this time of the year, it is boggy and will slow them up."

  "Then lead us there."

  I noticed that Gille, Hugh's cousin and Edward's squire spoke to Hugh and comforted him. The two were the last of their family. We had suffered our first serious loss since my father's death. My world was changing once more.

  We rode as though charging into battle. We had to find a place to halt them or we would be swept away. If we could not reach this place before the warband then we might suffer the same fate as Sir Guy. We were now weaker by almost forty men. It was a grievous loss. As we rode I looked at the faces of my knights. This was our first serious setback. Until this moment we had enjoyed victory after victory. Even in Wales we had lost neither knight nor squire and now we had lost both. They now knew that we were not invincible. This coming fray would be a test of their character and their mettle. If any had any doubts about the skills of these barbarians they had been destroyed along with Sir Guy

  When we reached the high land above the Skerne I saw that Sir Geoffrey had been correct. The small river which led to the Tees was some six hundred paces below us and the land fell away steeply. Sadly, unlike Wales, this was not a rock and gorse strewn slope; this was land with animals grazing upon it. It would be easy to cross. The farmer, whose hut topped the rise, looked in fear at us. "Gather your animals and, with your family, drive them east. Enemies come and we will have to fight them. They have called out the fyrd at Sadberge. You can reach there."

  This was the palatinate and he was one of the Bishop's subjects. I hoped that my message had reached Flambard but I had no confidence that aid would come from that direction. Perhaps my success had made everyone else complacent and they thought that I could deal with any danger in this land. The farmer and his family grabbed their meagre possessions and began to drive their animals east. I hoped that they would make it.

  I spied a small stand of willows adjacent to the river. "Wulfric, have our men cut down the willows. Make a palisade of sharpened stakes before us. Leave a gap in the middle five horses wide."

  He grinned as he visualised what he had to do, "You draw them into a fish trap, my lord!"

  I smiled, "Aye for this pike may be a dangerous fish and I would not have him twist and turn."

  As I dismounted, Leofric, who was holding my horse asked, "Why do you not put a wall all around us, my lord?"

  "For if I did so then the enemy would come between the stakes. We have not enough to make a solid wall. There have to be gaps. By making one big enough for a large number of men through then we force them there. We can face whoever they send with an equal number and our archers can rain death upon them. Men, like fish, always choose the easiest route unless they are well led. This is a warband and
we use that weakness to our advantage." I sounded more confident than I was. I was clutching at straws. This defence was all that I could come up with. I prayed it would work.

  We had brought our warhorses and I had them taken to the rear of our lines to rest. When we needed them we would have to ride hard. Until then we would remain on foot. Sir Geoffrey had found us a perfect place to defend. The warband could not get to the rich valley without first defeating us. We could fall upon them whichever direction they chose. Of course when they saw us they might choose to head south or north or even return west but we could follow them. That was where our horses would give us the advantage. If the numbers had been exaggerated them they would move west otherwise they would attack us and I hoped to make them bleed to death.

  Wulfric and the men at arms worked swiftly. The thick willow branches they cut were all different lengths and girths. My men made them roughly the height of a man and they sharpened one end before driving them in at an angle. My archers then used small hatchets to sharpen the stakes. Had we had time we would have fire hardened the tips but we wanted a barrier to slow them down and they would have to suffice the way that they were fashioned. The slower the barbarians came the more my archers would slaughter before they arrived.

  As the men at arms finished I said, "I want the knights and the squires in the gaps. The men at arms will be in two lines behind them and the archers behind those. Plant our banners in the ground. We do not retreat and every man fights!"

  While we waited I made sure that the men ate and drank. Another advantage, however slight, which we had, was the fact that we would be fresher than this warband which had had to move across the spine of the country. They would neither be rested nor refreshed and the slope up which they came, after a boggy crossing would sap and suck the energy from their legs. At least, that was my hope but I still had little idea of true numbers. I knew that although he and his men had all fallen Sir Guy would have extracted a high price from these enemies. I waited to see their numbers.