The Dunston Blade

by John Daines

  On the day of the funeral there were only mourners from Laila’s family and friends and they kept their distance from Roger. Word had spread about what had happened and even his own men were distant to him.

  After Laila’s affairs had been settled, such as they were, Roger went to see the Mayor and resigned his position saying that he could not continue.

  “What will you do now?” asked the Mayor.

  “Go and visit my sister and mother in Norwich, after that, who knows.”

  Roger left Stamford the following morning, riding his stallion and leading a laden packhorse. He passed through the guard house in silence and headed out into the country, he did not look back, it was a period in his life that he would try to forget.

  Roger arrived at the house where his mother and sister were staying to find his mother had also died and Avis was about to get married to a young, but successful, butcher. He stayed with his sister for the wedding but became listless and decided to travel to Nottingham where he had heard the Sheriff there was looking for good men. Several days later Roger arrived in Nottingham and made his way to the Castle where he was hoping he could find a position. His funds were now very low and he needed to find gainful employment, it was not however, to be with the Sheriff. Without sufficient funds to spend long in the city Roger headed out to the forest. The first night he camped by a stream, caught himself a rabbit and was cooking it over a fire when two armed men walked into his campsite and demanded to know what he was doing there? Roger stood up.

  “I am just a traveller and I have stopped for the night, who are you?”

  As he spoke he moved slowly into a position that he could see both men. He suddenly drew his sword and threatened both men.

  “Now leave me alone or I might have more than rabbit lying here before me.” The men laughed and several archers appeared through the bushes led by a man Roger recognised.

  “Robert, is this how you greet a friend?”

  Robert greeted him and asked what he was doing here in the forest. Roger told him of the events that had led him here. Robert was sympathetic and led the way to their camp, which surprised Roger. The camp was like a small woodland village with a small forge and several cooking fires.

  “Where did all these people come from?” asked Roger.

  “They are villagers who have been turned out of their homes or are being persecuted by the Normans,” explained Robert. “We are classed as outlaws and the Sheriff often sends men into the forest to try and capture us, but we know the forest and it’s paths and the soldiers do not.”

  Robert also disclosed that they obtained money by holding up travellers who looked rich enough to have heavy purses, they would then pass some of this to the poorer villagers.

  “We are a happy community and we even have a Priest who looks after our souls and performs weddings and funerals,” said Robert. He asked Roger to join them and as Roger sat down to a meal he thought maybe this would help to alleviate his black moods. The next day Roger realised that there was quite a sizeable fighting force gathering in the forest. One morning as the camp was rising and preparing for the day, a lookout came in and went up to Robert to report a small caravan of people were going through the forest. It was a bishop on his way to Nottingham and his purse would be fat, full of indulgence payments and offerings to the Saint in his church.

  “I can see he is ready to do good works for the parish,” said Robert with a grin.

  The men grouped around him as he outlined how they would ambush the travellers.

  “No unnecessary violence now, if they surrender peacefully we will let them go. Come with us Roger and see how we treat these fat leeches.”

  The ‘hold up’ went peacefully enough as the soldiers with the bishop realised there were too many outlaws for them to fight. With loud protestations the group were walked to the edge of the forest and sent on their way.

  “That should get some of the fat off him,” laughed Robert. “By the time he gets to Nottingham he will have lost some of his lard and all of his money.”

  When they arrived back in camp everyone crowded round to look at the horses and the weapons they had captured, the cash, Roger noted, went into a chest that Robert had where he slept. Roger stayed with Robert for several months and he witnessed many travellers being relieved of their valuables. However he decided this life was not what he wanted, it had filled a gap and increased his funds but it was time to move on. One day a group of men came into the forest on their way to join King Edwards army in Wales and Roger decided to join them and said farewell to Robert and his band of outlaws. With his new companions Roger travelled to Wales to join the King’s army.

  II

  John stayed another day discussing plans with the Earl and enjoying the evening with Tania and Joan who were planning the wedding. He thought that when it was all over and they were settled in Dunston he would have the time to organise his tenants and land to provide the maximum profit for all to enjoy. His plan was that all his Tenants should work to a common goal with a fund that could be accessed by all, under his watchful eye. By sharing the wealth that they created there would be more purpose to their lives and an incentive to increase living standards.

  John and Stephen with their men arrived back in Dunston to find John’s father waiting for them.

  “Did you have a good journey?” said Jack.

  “Yes, thank you,” replied John as he handed his horse to Stephen. “Is there some trouble?”

  “Not at all John, I wanted you to have this gift I made. It was really for your investiture but I did not finish it in time.” Jack paused and led John into the Castle and into the Hall. Supported on a stand was a beautiful, complete, suit of armour, it had been tempered so that it glistened in the candle light, a blue black colour. John was overcome and clasped his father to his breast.

  “Thank you father a truly magnificent gift, I must try it on.” John stripped to his undershirt, he asked Stephen, who had just come in, to fetch his protective suit that he wore under armour. Stephen assisted John to don the armour and it fitted perfectly. John stomped around the hall stretching his arms and making jabs in the air.

  “ It is so light, can it be strong enough to deflect a blow?”

  His father laughed and answered him, “I have worked with metal all my life and you will find this withstands any blows aimed at it.”

  John tried the Helm and again it fitted well to his head with a beaked visor and a ridge across the crown, there was a fitting for his crest when he chose what it would be.

  “I have also a shield but I do not know your crest.”

  John told him he was still undecided but would tell him as soon as he had made a choice. When John had divested himself, with Stephen’s help, they sat down to a meal together and John told his father that Joan would stay with Tania until after the wedding.

  John, Stephen and Roderick rode out to visit the Tenants and see what was happening on the land, he was still waiting for news of his application to hold a market in Dunston. The wool buyers would be visiting Wymondham soon and he wanted to make sure there was a good amount from Dunston. They rode out to their furthest farm in the East, near to the fens, and found a cluster of cottages where the men were gathering reeds in bundles. They stopped and chatted with the people who said, as far as they were concerned they had no landlord and paid no taxes to anyone. Their main concern was the occasional raider who missed Yarmouth and Lowestoft and ended up pillaging their settlement. John said that if they sent a message to him he would come to their aid for the price of a few bundles of reeds. This was acceptable to them but they would talk to their leader before agreeing. As they rode away John turned to the other two.

  “It is wise to have a lookout in this area, especially if there are raiders maybe from France. We need to be ready to protect our lands. We must meet this leader of theirs.”

  When they had completed their tour they returned to the Castle where John settled down to study the finances. Father Aldred had tau
ght him well and he had a good grasp of mathematics, he needed it as the Castle accounts had been poorly kept by de Brehalle, as long as the sale of their wool reached expectation then there would be money to spare. The arable land and the cattle also needed to produce a profit so that the farms could be updated both in equipment and their buildings. With these thoughts spinning around in his head John retired to bed. As he lay waiting for the welcome sleep to overcome him he thought of Tania and of his approaching wedding, he was a lucky man, he prayed there were no evil happenings waiting to disrupt his plans.

  The day of the wedding drew near and a messenger arrived to ask John to journey to Wymondham Abbey for a rehearsal. John, Stephan, a page and six men-at-arms set off for Wymondham. They stayed at the Earl’s Castle overnight and John sat with Tania for the evening meal, which was the closest he was allowed. Tania and Joan kept glancing at each other and smiling throughout the meal. Sir Cedric was in a good mood and when all the ladies had departed he joined the remaining men to enjoy drinking with them. The following morning John’s head was feeling a little sore as he walked the battlements to get fresh air, but by the afternoon it had cleared and the rehearsal went well. On the morning of the wedding many of the guests that Sir Cedric had invited had travelled some distance and started arriving early and the Castle was filled with talk and laughter. The weather was bright with the sun shinning and everyone in an excited mood. When John arrived at the Abbey there were many people outside wishing him well and when he stepped through the great door he was astounded at the number of people who had come. As he walked to the front he noticed many Lords and Ladies that he had met at the London house, they were smiling and nodding to him as he passed. Gavin stood at the foot of the altar steps waiting for him, as John had asked him to stand for him. Just behind were Carac and Stephen looking very knightly in their new clothes. John took his place and at that moment trumpeters sounded the arrival of the bride. As the bride and her father entered the Abbey choir sang accompanied by several instruments, John stole a glance down the aisle and gasped as his eyes beheld a vision floating down the aisle towards him. When at last Tania was by his side he thought his mouth would split from the smile he'd had upon it. Joan arranged Tania’s dress and John noticed that her own dress was a beautiful golden one. John hardly heard the words of the service and had to be prompted occasionally to say the replies. The service seemed extraordinary long to him, not that he had any recollection to go by. At last the Abbot pronounced the blessing and with Tania on his arm John started the walk down the aisle a married man.

  There were crowds outside the Abbey, everyone from Wymondham had turned out to see the couple and they shouted and cheered as he and Tania walked to the carriage that the Earl had arranged. They drove slowly back to the Castle waving to bystanders, the carriage was not the most comfortable of vehicles but in their euphoric state this did not interfere with their embrace although it did cause one or two giggles. The Castle staff who were not at the Abbey, were lined up to welcome them home and guide them to the Great Hall where a wedding feast had been prepared, it crossed John’s mind that he would like to have gone straight to their room! The guests soon started arriving and Tania and John’s arms were soon aching from all the well wishing handshakes. The food was sumptuous and the wine and ale flowed, Sir Cedric was on good form and welcomed John into his family and not to be outdone Jack did the same for Tania following up with the fact that she could call on Matilda at any time, specially when baby sitting was eventually needed which brought laughter from the guests and blushes from Tania. The celebrations were reaching a raucous state when John looked at Tania and whispered that it was time leave them to it. Amongst some very suggestive comments they tried to slip away to their room, but it was not to be as a merry crowd carried the pair saying it was a local tradition, John was worried that they would stay. When at last everyone had gone and they were alone they stood facing each other in the large bedroom and slowly began to undress. John beheld a beautiful woman before him and he enveloped her in his arms, their mouths met and still clasped together they finally reached the large bed that lay behind its curtains, these will hide their first night as a married couple.

  Dawn filtered through the windows and lit the embroidered curtains that surrounded the bed, John awoke and sensed the warm body laying next to him, he thought of the previous night and his body began to react, turning he reached for Tania and thought, there is plenty of time before we need to rise. Later that morning the two newlyweds entered the hall to find it completely deserted, a maid entered, giggled and ran out. Merek appeared and asked if they required any food but there would be the usual midday meal in a short while, John and Tania smiled at each other and said they would wait. Merek said that the Earl had gone hunting and would be back towards sunset. The happy couple walked out into the gardens, it was a clear day, if a little cold, as autumn approached.

  “We must go to Dunston soon,” said John. “I must find out what is going on there and we shall be shearing before long.”

  Tania nestled closer to him as they walked arm in arm. “I will have to sort out the household too, I am taking some of my ladies, including Joan, so I hope there is room for us.”

  John laughed and said there was ample room and she could bring whoever she liked as long as she was happy. When they came back to the Castle Sir Cedric had returned with a large deer, he was smiling as he saw them approach.

  “You decided to awake then. I thought I might have to batter the door down to see if you were still alive.” Tania blushed and John stammered. “No one woke us.”

  The Earl laughed and walked with them back inside the Keep. Two days later John, Tania, Joan, Stephen, John’s men at arms and two ladies with four pack horses rode off to Dunston. The day was bright and clear and as they rode through the forest they could smell the wood smoke from the charcoal burner’s fires, it was almost idyllic. They came to Dunston as the sun was setting and a gentle mist was forming over the grass. They crossed the drawbridge and entered the bailey where the whole Castle had assembled to greet them. Boorman, resplendent in a new coat, assisted Tania to dismount and welcomed her. A banquet had been prepared in the Great Hall for all the staff and as John and Tania took their seats at the top of the table everyone rose and Boorman proposed a toast to the couple. John looked down the tables and felt proud of the people who were now their people, almost like a big family he thought. Many of the Tenants had been invited and the atmosphere was merry and light hearted. Some wandering minstrels had been hired and one of their number was an amateur Juggler who kept them entertained. At a suitable time Tania and the Ladies withdrew and the men fell to drinking and telling stories, some of which were quite unbelievable. John remained for a while and then made off to his rooms. Tania was in their bedroom and Joan had just finished putting away her clothes when John arrived.

  “How are you liking looking after my wife?” queried John.

  “I like it fine sir,” answered Joan.

  “You don’t have to address me as sir, and certainly not in private.”

  “You are a Knight and I was brought up to be polite.” All this was said with a twinkle in her eye and Tania laughed.

  “I am fortunate to have such a lady to attend me, and doubly fortunate that she has a handsome brother.” John realised they were joking with him and he was glad that they had made good friends in only a short time. Joan left and John began to strip off his cloths, Tania turned to him and let the nightgown she was wearing, fall to the floor. John stood looking at her for a moment, admiring her beauty. Tania looked down at him. “I think you are ready for bed by the look of it.” John reached for her and they moved to the bed to enjoy each other once again.

  “Today I will ride east again to visit the Fens and the small hamlets there,” announced John to Stephen at breakfast.

  “We will take 20 men with us, go and round them up and bring bows and spears, we may see some game in the rushes.”

  The party set off and as they p
assed through the villages people stared at the number of armed men moving through their lands. They reached the edge of the Fens and could see the tall reeds stretching out before them. A small group of men stood by the side of the Fen.

  “Good morrow sirs,” said John.

  The men explained they had heard them coming from scouts along the way and remembering John’s promise to help, should they need it, they had decided to meet him. The leader spoke.

  “There is movement on the seaward side of our land. Two ships have come into Yarmouth and a large armed party of Flemish men have come ashore and are moving towards our main settlement.”

  John offered his men to strengthen the garrison at their settlement. Aelfraed, their leader accepted readily explaining they were not fighting men as the Fens were a peaceful area. John sent out his best scouts to find out more about the intruders. Aelfraed led them through the rushes on paths they could not see and John thought they could soon be lost without a guide, so who was guiding the Flemish men?

  Suddenly their guide stopped and signalled them to be quiet, out of the rushes appeared one of the scouts. “They are camped in a small clearing just beyond those trees you can see, there are about fifty of them,” explained the scout.

  “They are between us and our settlement,” said Aelfraed.

  John dismounted and signalled his men to do likewise quietly.

  “We need to get either side of them, then we can surprise them on three sides. I will go forward first and try to find out what they are doing here, I will call you forward if I am not satisfied.”

  Aelfraed pointed out paths they could use to get into position, the men split into three groups and started off. John, Stephen, Aelfraed and five men remounted and moved towards the Flemish men. As they rode into the camp the intruders sprang to their feet and picked up their weapons. A tall man shouted in French to stop and he turned towards John who was shocked to find himself looking at Henri Hausman, the man he had met in London.