Irish War (Anarchy Book 16)

by Hosker, Griff

  “We will try the same thing again tonight.”

  “They will be ready this time.”

  “I know.”

  We had two onagers sending rocks at the walls. I knew that it was risky but I saw the chance to break the deadlock. Fate determined that we would not. As the sun began to set Ralph of the Ox Bridge galloped in, “Lord, Sir John has sent me. There is a Scottish army assembling at Norham. They are heading south! He says they will be here by tomorrow morning.”

  Wulfric was the only one of my knights who was not put out by that. “I would rather meet them on the open field than wait outside the walls.”

  I said, “How many men are there, Ralph?”

  “Thirty knights and more than two hundred others. They were beneath the banner of Fitzalan. Half are mounted. There were others coming from the west to join them.”

  “Roger de Mowbray you stay here and maintain the siege. I will take the rest of the army around to the north. That is where the attack will come from.”

  “And if they sortie, lord? I have but forty men.”

  “Then you will resist them. Use the servants from the camp if you have to. This is your castle, Sir Roger. Use the onagers to discourage them. Have your men move around. They will be busy repairing the damage to their keep. They cannot know that there is a relief force on its way. We will leave after dark so that we can be in position when Fitzalan arrives.”

  “Aye lord.”

  “Sir Wulfric, I will go and speak with Dick now. As soon as it is dark then bring the men, as quietly as you can, to the north camp.”

  “Aye lord.”

  “Warn Harry One Eye and the guards that they may be called into service as warriors again.”

  Sir Tristan laughed, “They will enjoy that. All of them think they are twice the warriors that whole men are!”

  Alf and I mounted. My squire had also brought Alciades and Remus. We would not need them until the battle but, in the battle, they might make all the difference. Dick and Sir John were awaiting me. “Do you have any firmer ideas on numbers, Sir John?”

  “No lord. I counted thirty banners but you know the Scots. A single could mean one lord and five men or a mighty lord and fifty men. There were banners coming from the west.”

  “Then perhaps the Countess’ man has scoured the lands to the west sooner than us.”

  Dick snorted, “They have no castles to subdue. King Malcolm was in the west. He would have ensured that they complied with his agreement. All of the rats scurried east. It is why we have had to fight so hard.”

  I wondered who commanded for the Countess. “Did you make more fire arrows?”

  “We have, perhaps thirty but no more.”

  “Then we will send them at their keep. It will distract them from Sir Roger. I do not want them to know he has so few men.”

  “Aye lord.”

  “Come, the two of you, ride with me and let us see if we can find somewhere to defend.”

  With our squires, we headed north until we came to Budle Bay. We followed the high ground which overlooked the bay until we came to Waren Burn. We were just over two miles from Bamburgh. We had high ground and the burn. Although shallow, it would act as a defensive ditch before us. “What think you Dick?”

  “Perfect. My archers can stand behind us. I am guessing that it is, perhaps a hundred and fifty paces to the burn. With our elevation we could make that a killing ground.”

  Sir John pointed to the south. “The further south you go the burn becomes less of an obstacle.”

  “Then we shall place some men at arms there and have them placed obliquely to stop us being flanked. Were there many fyrd with them?”

  “Aye lord. I would say a third to a half. The ones who came from the west were largely armed with hand weapons.”

  “Then they will spread out. They are the ones who will be the first to endure our arrows.”

  Sir John asked, “Not the knights?”

  “You said the banners were those of Fitzalan?” He nodded. “Thus far, he has avoided fighting us. He has let his own men do so. He will let those who came from the west, the ones who are angry at losing their lands to attack us first. They will be joined by those we dispossessed as we headed north. Dick, have you enough arrows?”

  He smiled, “Perhaps we can make them think that we have used them all. If we send three flights at the fyrd that will thin them. The men at arms can slaughter them and it might tempt the mailed warriors to venture closer. They fear our arrows. That way we could give them a rude surprise.”

  I was satisfied and, as darkness descended, we headed back to the camp. “We will be in position before dawn. There is enough undergrowth and cover to hide us. Surprise might win the day for us.”

  Our men had arrived from the southern camp and were sharpening weapons. Food could wait. War was coming. Dick took his archers to the shore. The would follow the retreating tide and when they had the chance would shower the keep with fire arrows. We could not possibly hope for the good fortune we had had the previous night but any damage would keep the defenders occupied and make it easier for us to take the castle.

  I gathered my knights. We had thirty-seven of them. Although outnumbered by the Scottish knights I was not worried. My men were superior. Our men at arms were also better than anything the Scots had but our secret weapon was the bow. Our archers would win the day. “I want the men at arms to dismount and they will make a shield wall. The knights and the squires will be at the southernmost end of the line. I want us hidden in the woods close to the Spindelstone Mill. When their men cross the burn downstream from the mill, then we fall upon them and cross the burn to roll up their flank.” My men nodded. “Wulfric, I want you with the men at arms. You will be the rock upon which they break. With you and Dick, I know I have warriors on whom I can rely. You young knights will have the pleasure of the charge. Fitzalan will hold his knights until he has weakened our centre. Wulfric, you will have the men forty paces from Dick. When you deem it appropriate, you will fall back.”

  He grinned, “Fitzalan will think his men are winning and will prepare to follow up.”

  “He will concentrate on you. The last thing he will expect will be an attack on his flank. We will ride boot to boot and drive them from the field. Do not chase them home. Turn and destroy the men on foot.”

  One of the knights sent by Henry, Henry de Beaune asked, “What about ransom?”

  Sir Harold answered for me, “Better we win the battle than worry about taking prisoners and losing it. Fear not, Sir Henry, there will be prisoners. We have yet to fight the Scots and not come away as rich men. However, do not expect riches such as we had when we fought King Stephen. The Scots are as poor as church mice. That is why they fight for this land. To them it is rich!”

  “We will be in position before dawn. Brief your men at arms and archers. Tomorrow they are commanded by my captains. Tell them that!”

  We had no tents. Alf and I shared a hut with Sir John and Sir Harold. We left to watch the fire arrows fall on Bamburgh. The wind was not as favourable but Dick and the archers still managed to set the keep alight again. The lack of wind also meant that there was a frost and we needed fires to keep warm. That suited for it would appear to the defenders that we had been reinforced. This time they must have had sea water ready for the flames were doused but it took time and it kept their attention on the north. Sir Roger was not attacked.

  I had our squires take spare spears. We would be attacking men on foot and spears were the best weapon to use. The men at arms marched first. They were followed by our archers and I led the knights and squires last. Thanks to our scouting expedition we knew the lie of the land. The ground we were to occupy was slightly more open but we would be shielded from the advancing Scots by the trees in the valley sides. When they emerged from the stream then they would see us.

  As we waited Sir Gilles asked, “Will this be a total surprise to them, lord?”

  I shook my head. “The Scots know that my father a
nd I are no fools. They will expect us to be aware of their advance but they know not where we will meet them. That is why I expect scouts and the fyrd first. They will not risk their mounted men until they know where our archers await them.”

  Alf had grown up in Constantinople. He did not yet fully understand the English way of war. “Lord, why do not the Scots use archers? If this was Byzantium then our enemies would have similar weapons and arms to us. Are they fools that they do not use the war bow?”

  Sir Harold, who had been an archer, laughed, “It takes years to make an archer. You begin when you can barely stand. I was given a bow to pull every day. I pulled it until my arms burned and when I could fully stretch I was given a stronger one. I used an axe every day to cut down trees and make logs.”

  “You did not release an arrow?”

  “Not from the war bow. I had a hunting bow and I used that to practise on the squirrels, rats and rabbits. Then I moved on to birds. When I had seen nine summers I was allowed to use the war bow with arrows and we practised at the butts.” He shook his head, “Like you I cannot understand why others do not use archers. The Welsh do and they are an enemy to be feared.”

  Sir John said, “Only if you fight them in the mountains. On the lowland we always win. Their knights ride short horses and are no match for any of us.”

  I felt the sun begin to rise behind us and watched as the first rays lit up the west. I could not see the Scots yet. Sir John guessed that they would have marched south and camped. Most were on foot and it would have taken longer for them to reach the Waren Burn. Alf’s sharp eyes spotted them. “Lord I see banners!”

  As I glanced up I saw the sun glinting off metal. They were coming. I did not have orders to issue. My men were being led by my father’s warriors. Dick and Wulfric needed no guidance from me. The crucial decision would be mine. I reached behind me and Alf gave me a spear. It had a gonfanon with my gryphon upon it. I was using my new helmet, made by Alf. I rested it on the saddle. I liked it but it did restrict my view. That would be the last thing I donned. I could have charged with just my coif. I would only need my helmet when we fought the knights.

  The column headed down the Roman Road. They would aim to cross by the bridge over the Waren Burn. The bridge, however, was within range of my archers. As soon as men approached it they would be showered with arrows. There was a possibility that they might stop and reconsider their actions. I did not think it likely but it was a possibility. If Bamburgh fell then Fitzalan’s dreams of a fiefdom in the east would be shattered.

  I saw, through the trees, scouts approaching the bridge. They would be cautious. Dick would allow them to cross unopposed. The sun was now shining brightly from behind us. It was low sun, as often happened at this time of year. It would make it harder for the Scots to see us. It was not the fyrd who crossed first. It was Highland warriors. They wore no helmets but they were fierce fighters. With sharp swords, helmets and good shields, they were a force to be reckoned with. When they filled the bridge then Dick ordered his archers to release. He had eighty with him. It was a tightly packed target and the arrows simply could not miss. I had a poor view of the bridge but I saw bodies tumbling into the water. Then I heard a Scottish horn and men fell back. Fitzalan or whoever was leading these men now knew where we were. His horsemen would avoid the archers.

  When they began to form ranks on the other side of the valley then I had a better view. They were not doing as I had expected. They were interspersing the blocks of fyrd with better armed men. They were supporting the weaker elements. The horse, however, was doing what I had predicted. They were behind the men on foot. A horn sounded and the blocks moved towards the burn. Dick’s orders had been to attack the fyrd. He ignored those orders. Instead he and his archers targeted the ones directly in front of them. His arrows swept through the front rank of three of the blocks as a farmer might reap barley.

  Almost unconsciously, the Scots began to edge to their right and towards us. We were still hidden from view. Dick’s archers sent another three flights and then stopped. This was partly because the Scots had reached the river and partly because it would make the Scots think we had run out of arrows. The lack of arrows seemed to encourage the Scots and I saw them begin to flood across the burn. My men at arms were forty paces up the slope in a three-deep line. They had a wall of shields and there was a solid line of spears behind them. The danger my men faced was the enemy hacking at their ankles but as they all had the long Norman shield I did not think that would be a problem.

  I turned to my line of knights. “Be ready when I give the command. I will not shout. I will lower my spear and then we ride. That is why I use a gonfanon. Squires stay close to your lords!”

  I knew that Alf was eager to prove himself. When he had first come to me he had been a raw piece of clay. In the years he had served me, he had learned many things but he had not fought, yet, in a charge of knights.

  I heard the clash of wood and metal as the two sides met. Fitzalan, if he was on the battlefield, would be wondering about our archers. Why were no arrows falling? I could see his horsemen, through the trees. They stood in a solid block. It was hard for me. I could not see the battle. I could only hear it. We awaited the moment when they tried to out flank us. When they did that they would not be in a solid block. The would be racing to get around the wall of steel and attack my men in the flank.

  It was Sir Tristan who spied them. He was on the extreme right of our line and was the closest to the battle.

  “Lord, they come!”

  I dug my spurs into the flanks of Alciades and lowered my spear. The gonfanon fluttered as I did so. My line of knights moved down the slope. There was no point in galloping too soon. When we had ridden through their men on foot we would have to ascend the slope and attack horsemen who would have the momentum of a slope to aid them. We emerged from the trees and I slowed to allow my knights to form up on me. I was pleased that the knights who were next to me were Sir Harold and Sir John. I had trained with them. As soon as I felt their boots I spurred Alciades again.

  Coming up the slope the Scots had been looking at the ground. As soon as they felt the ground vibrate and heard the drumming of the hooves on the grass they looked up. When they saw us, there was a wail. The men we saw were spread out. There was no order. I saw fyrd armed with bill hooks and axes as well as men with helmets, shields and spears. What I did not see was a lord commanding them. They turned and fled. It takes a brave man to stand before more than seventy horses, with mailed men, charging towards them. Our horses were bigger than the Scots’ and must have appeared as monsters to them, I pulled my spear back and rammed it into the mail byrnie of the warrior before me. If I could avoid killing the fyrd then I would do so. There was neither honour nor glory in that. If we did not kill them then they would continue to run until they reached their homes.

  I twisted my spear as I pulled it out. The entrails hanging from the end, like garlands, told me that the man was as good as dead. A highland warrior turned and faced me. I did not have to pull my arm back. He had no mail and my spear rammed through his middle. As he fell backwards his body was dragged from my spear. We had reached the stream. In their haste to cross some had fallen and I saw at least three who lay face down in the burn as they were trampled by their fellows. They drowned. I glanced to my left and right. I had knights with me and we crossed the burn. As I did so I noticed that the Scottish knights had begun to charge down the slope. They had not seen my attack and thought to exploit my archers’ lack of arrows.

  We were fortunate that we were riding up hill. It enabled us to wheel. Some of their knights saw us and they wheeled to engage us. The rest of the knights and squires headed for the burn and, as we crashed into the first of their knights, Dick’s archers began to send accurate arrows at their knights. At the same time, I heard Wulfric’s voice as he roared, “Charge!”

  We had broken their flank attack and now we had them between the jaws of our pincers. I pulled back my arm as the knight wi
th the yellow and green striped shield rode towards me. I aimed my spear at the top of his cantle. He aimed at my head. My new helmet restricted my vision but the angle of the metal plates was designed to deflect spears. When my spear tore into his middle, his glanced off my helmet. As he fell he broke my spear. I held up my hand and Alf, riding Remus, rode next to me and handed me a fresh one. This one had no gonfanon. It was just in time. A Scottish knight, seeing me without spear turned uphill to strike at me. My shield was on my left side and he came up the hill towards my right. Alciades was a war horse. I jerked the reins and used my knees. The spear seemed to flash across my chest before cracking into my shield. As I passed him I punched him in the side with my shield and he tumbled from his horse. I heard Alf’s exultant cry behind as the Scottish knight yelled, “I yield! I yield!”

  Dick’s arrows and the wall of spears wielded by Wulfric had stopped the knights and they had turned. As we galloped towards them I saw that they had ridden their horses too hard. They were lathered as they struggled up the hill. I pulled back my arm and struck the first Scottish knight in the chest with the edge of my sword. As my other knights and squires appeared, the ten knights who had survived threw down their weapons and begged for mercy. I glanced to the left and saw that twelve knights had escaped. They followed Fitzalan’s banner. He had escaped me again. I could have pursued but behind me I heard the clash of metal. Wulfric and my men at arms were still engaged. I turned Alciades and rode down the slope. I did not gallop. We had all the time in the world and I did not wish to risk Alciades. Surrounded the remaining Scottish men at arms had no choice. They threw down their weapons. There were seventy bows facing them and seventy mounted men. Their leaders had fled. To fight on would have been suicidal.

  My men began cheering. We had won.

  Chapter 5

  It was barely after noon when we reached Bamburgh. We had brought our own dead but left the Scottish. The bodies had been stripped of weapons, treasure and armour and the horses collected. The ten knights and eight squires who had surrendered were kept apart from the thirty men at arms and forty fyrd who had also chosen life over death. I sent Sir Harold, Sir Gilles and Sir John, along with their men to bolster the forces of Sir Roger.