Wolf Wood (Part Two): The Dangerous years

by Mike Dixon

  ‘We shall arrest Alice de Lambert.' The earl made a note on his writing block. ‘You say that Margery Jourdain is at the manor … the woman they call the Witch of Eye?’

  ‘That is my information.’

  ‘She will also be arrested.’

  The earl continued to make notes and William listened as he outlined plans for an assault on the manor. Nothing would be done until the duke and Sir William Gascoigne were well clear of the place. The duke and the duchess would not be touched but their associates would be taken into custody and subjected to interrogation.

  William wondered what fate lay in store for Alice de Lambert. Perhaps the Almshouse Witch would be put in an iron cage with spikes that poked inwards. There were straps that could be tightened until the miscreant confessed her sins or bled to death. He ran his mind over other instruments of torture and felt pleased with his day’s work.

  ***

  Robin plodded up Cheap Street. He had jogged most of the way from the manor to Sherborne, carrying his few possessions in a kitbag slung over his shoulder. His longbow was back at the manor. That was a battle weapon and useless for fighting at close quarters. His only weapons now were a small crossbow and a dagger that hung from his belt. It was midmorning by the time he reached the Julian Inn. His mother lived above a small shop at the rear. His intention was to see her then get well clear of Sherborne. Being anywhere near the Gascoignes was dangerous. When the upper classes got involved in witchcraft their servants were questioned. When the witchcraft was aimed at the king, the questioning could get very nasty.

  ‘Mum. I’m back!’

  He clattered up the stairs to his mother’s small room and banged loudly.

  A bolt was drawn and the door flew open. Her eyes filled with tears.

  ‘I thought I’d never see you again.’

  She threw her arms round his neck and hung onto him.

  ‘I came back with old Sir William, Mum.' Robin hugged her. ‘He said I could stay. He’s not like Guy. He wouldn’t let me leave France.’

  ‘They’ve been very kind to me … the Gascoignes. I don’t know what I would have done without them.' She brushed a tear from her cheek. ‘Alice comes to see me regular to make sure I’m all right. I expect Sir Harald asked his father if you could stay. He thinks very highly of you, Robin. He don’t trust the people Sir Guy has left there. It’s all very worrying … what with that Eleanor coming to stay … and all those people she brings with her. There’s that Margery Jourdain. Everyone knows she’s a witch and Alice don’t trust the men neither. There’s nothing she can do about it, seeing that Eleanor is married to Duke Humphrey.’

  ‘You mean Alice isn’t doing spells?’

  ‘Holy Mother. Whatever put such an idea in your head?’

  ‘People say she mixes magic potions.’

  ‘Those are wicked lies put out by Abbot Bradford and his toadies. The good brothers in the infirmary have told us how Alice saves lives with her cures.’

  ‘You mean she’s not part of it.’

  ‘Whatever do you mean, Robin?’

  ‘I thought she was working spells to kill the king. I saw them at it. They were melting a wax image of him and chanting. That’s why I got out.’

  ‘Alice was melting an image of the king?’

  ‘No. She wasn’t there.’

  ‘Nor would she be neither. Alice is a good Christian lady. She would never do such a thing. You must go back to the manor where you are needed. I’ve never known a kinder person than Alice. People think she’s a saint … the way she cares for others … and she’s got that lovely little boy.’

  Robin said he would return to the manor in a couple of days. Sir Harald had told him that he wasn’t needed straight away and should visit his mother before he got started. That meant they didn’t know he’d done a bunk. He would go back just like they expected.

  He spent the night with her, sleeping on a straw mattress on the floor as he had when he was a boy. His father died of the coughing disease when he was a child and his mother had never remarried. Unlike some widows, she kept her hair covered and still wore her husband’s ring, confident they would meet again in the happier life, promised by the church.

  Despite being back at home, Robin was lonely. He felt the need for a head beside his pillow. He’d had girls in France but they were not lovers. The archers’ term for what they did together was shafting. It was fun but not the same as making love. Kissing a nice girl was more like making love but those sorts of girls weren’t into shafting. Some wouldn’t even let you hold hands.

  On the following day he went round to the Julian Inn to see if there was anyone he knew. A crowd of Agincourt veterans was sunning themselves outside, swigging ale and hurling insults at the people next door in the George Inn. Robin surveyed the line of pot bellies, hanging out over leather belts, and resolved never to get like them.

  He decided to give the Julian a miss. He didn’t want to get involved with the veterans. They’d ask about the war in France and he didn’t want any part in it. As far as he was concerned, the English had no right to be there and should get out. That wasn’t what the veterans would want to hear. Four years ago, he had looked up to them as heroes. Now he had nothing but contempt for them.

  The sign outside the George was of a knight slaying a dragon. He walked beneath it and peered inside. To his surprise, the place was packed with soldiers wearing the uniforms of the Earl of Salisbury. They were lounging around on benches and ignoring the Agincourt veterans who were yelling insults at them. Normally, they would have dashed outside and a fight would have ensued. Robin glanced at a steely-faced sergeant and guessed he had his men under control.

  ‘Humph! Humph! Humph!’

  The veterans set up a chant. Robin looked out of the window and saw a man coming up Cheap Street on a black horse, bearing the colours of the Duke of Gloucester. He was followed by Duke Humphrey. His duchess, Eleanor, rode beside him on a huge mare. She sat astride the animal in a manner that was most unladylike. Even in France, people talked about how she behaved. Some said she rode on a broomstick to attend witches’ covens. After what he had seen at the manor, Robin was prepared to believe every word of it.

  ***

  The Duke’s party halted before the veterans and he stopped to speak to them while Eleanor handed out coins from her purse. The earl’s men hung back out of sight. No one spoke until the duke and his armed escort had passed through the green and were heading out of town towards London.

  ‘Right, lads. Prepare to leave.’

  The sergeant called his men together and Robin listened through the window.

  ‘The Lord Protector is on his way to London and Sir William Gascoigne has departed our shores for France. The weather is fine and he should be halfway to Cherbourg by now.’

  ‘Can we be sure of that, Sarge?’ a voice sounded from within. ‘We was told that when we was with Sir Roger Knowles and you know what happened then.’

  ‘Don’t you worry about that, Thomas,’ the sergeant laughed. ‘A little bird told us and he should know.’

  ‘Yeah. But can we trust the little bird?’

  Robin recalled trapping carrier pigeons for Richard Vowell, who read the messages they were carrying and substituted ones of his own. It was possible that Sir William had got hold of one of the earl’s pigeons and used it to send a false message but it didn’t seem likely. What the sergeant said made sense. Sir William was probably at sea by now.

  The sergeant continued to allay the fears of his men. They were worried that a superior Gascoigne force might suddenly appear from Wolf Wood and attack them. When it last happened they were going to attack a barn and capture some boys. This time, they were going to raid the Gascoigne manor and arrest a couple of witches. One had been travelling with the duke’s party and the other lived at the manor. Robin guessed they were talking about Alice.

  ***

  Alice scurried around the hall giving instructions to the servants while Harald’s mother looked on. There was
a time when she would have resented Alice's interference in the running of the household. Now, she was content to sit back like a royal duchess and watch as Alice got things done. Their guests had left and her husband was on his way to France.

  Henriette entered the hall with little Stephen. She now spoke good English but with a distinct French accent. Her French had also improved. Alice had taught her to moderate the harsh sounds of her rough relatives. Henriette had blossomed into a vivacious young woman. Today, she wore an expensive dress, which Eleanor had given her. Alice said she should change into something else now that the duke’s party had gone but she wanted to wear it a little longer.

  Stephen was dressed in a squire’s uniform, which the duke had given him. It was complete with leather boots of the highest quality, feathered hat and a miniature sword. Alice hated to see her son with a weapon and tried to take it away but the child threw a tantrum and she agreed to let him keep it for a while.

  Henriette asked if she could take Stephen to the stream to pick primroses and other spring flowers. Alice said they could go so long as they had a reliable escort. She asked for Robin and was told he had left. A stable hand was found and told to take the young master and mistress down to the stream and see that no ill befell them.

  Alice returned to her work. The hall was cleared but the yard was still a mess. The soldiers had camped there and in the adjoining meadow. She checked that the servants were emptying the latrines and removing horse droppings then turned her attention to the guest rooms. Some of Eleanor’s entourage had chosen to stay. The notorious Witch of Eye was still with them and so was the astrologer, Roger Bolingbroke. She was wondering how to get rid of them when she saw Robin gallop into the yard. He was mounted on an old stallion and came straight across to her.

  ‘Sister, you must leave!’

  He shouted at the top of his voice.

  ‘Robin. Whatever is the matter?’

  ‘The earl’s men are after you … they’re just behind me ... they say you’re a witch and you’re making spells to kill the king.’

  Alice’s heart missed a beat. She knew she could trust Robin. He was like a younger brother to her. Not well educated but honest and unselfish, just like his mother.

  ‘How do you know they’re after me?’

  ‘I heard them talking in the George. They said the Witch of Eye was here and you’re a witch too. They’re after both of you. They want to burn you, Sister.’

  ‘How much time have we, Robin?’

  ‘Not much. They were coming up the slope towards Wolf Wood when I last saw them.’

  ‘What are we to do?’

  ‘Get horses and leave at once. You must take Stephen or they’ll use him to get you back.' Robin spurred his mount and made for the stable. A moment later he was back with two horses in tow.

  'I'll take you to France,' he shouted. 'You'll be safe with old Sir William.'

  Chapter 3

  Fen Forest

  Abbot Bradford went to his window and looked down onto the abbey green. The new almshouse stood at the far end. The establishment had been in operation for a year and had just received a new resident. Sir William Gascoigne's wife had sought refuge. The lady had arrived with no more than the clothes she wore and was deeply in distress.

  The Gascoigne manor had been searched by the Earl of Salisbury's men. Banned books were seized. Lady Gascoigne's son, Harald, and her personal chaplain were taken into custody. And, most damning of all, Duke Humphrey's personal secretary, Roger Bolingbroke, was apprehended, dressed in the robes of an astrologer and in the company of the infamous Witch of Eye.

  Cardinal Beaufort was particularly pleased with that last piece of evidence and had conveyed his deep appreciation to William in a note delivered by carrier pigeon. William unrolled the tiny sliver of paper and put it between the pages of his prayer book so that he might read it afresh throughout the day. It was deeply satisfying to receive the praise of such a highborn peer of the realm.

  It was also satisfying to see the demise of Harald Gascoigne. William's blood boiled whenever he thought of him. The man had seen fit to threaten him over his election as abbot, saying he would report him for using the title before it received royal assent. Sir Harald had paid dearly for that piece of insolence.

  The only upset, in an otherwise perfect day, was the escape of the Almshouse Witch. William's spies informed him that a young fellow came galloping into the manor on a stolen horse, saying the earl's men were coming. The de Lambert woman made off with him. They were last seen heading south with a girl in an expensive dress and a little boy in a squire's uniform. They wouldn't get far dressed like that. The earl's men would soon capture them.

  ***

  Alice crouched beside the fire and watched Stephen playing in the dirt. He was wearing his squire's uniform but it was now so soiled and covered in burrs that he no longer stood out amongst the other children. Smoke blew in her face and memories of the previous day flooded back. The manor had been set ablaze and the glow was still visible at sunrise.

  Robin said the earl's men would have stripped the buildings of valuables then set them alight. That's what Guy did to Roger Knowles' ancestral home and there were plenty of people waiting to do the same to his. Alice had long feared something like this would happen. The Gascoignes took pride from living in Wolf Wood.

  While most people feared wolves, they held them in high regard. The treacherous beast was emblazoned on their coat of arms. They emulated its ferocious nature. Now, a stronger pack had descended on them and attacked their lair.

  Robin had arrived shouting. He said the earl was after her and she must flee to Sir William in France. He got horses and they set off at a mad gallop with Steven and Henriette. To her relief, the shouting about France was a ruse. Robin wanted the servants to hear. There were traitors amongst them and they would send the earl's men off on a false trail.

  After a mile, he reigned in his mount and led them into the trees. They picked their way through a maze of brambles and headed towards Salisbury. Robin said that was the last direction anyone would expect them to go. The earl's force numbered no more than twenty. Most would be kept at the manor, questioning people and searching for things. Only a few would be sent in pursuit. They would have a hard time hunting them down unless they had dogs or were good at tracking. He had listened for dogs and hadn't heard any.

  They went into Fen Forest. The tangled expanse of marsh and scrub lay to the east of the manor and had an evil reputation. It was where criminals went to hide. The breakdown of law and order had left whole tracks of country off-limits to normal folk. The sheriff's men wouldn't go there unless accompanied by a military force.

  Robin knew people who lived in the forest. They were archers who had been with him in France. Some had got themselves injured. Others had grown too old to fight or had grown tired of fighting. Many had radical political views and dreamt of overthrowing the government. The tinker was amongst them. He didn't worry her but some of the others did.

  They were living in a watermill that had once been part of a prosperous estate. The millpond was full after the recent rain and the wheel was turning but the rest of the mechanism was broken and the millstones had ceased to grind corn.

  Signs of burning were everywhere. Alice guessed it was the result of feuding between rich families. Lawyers benefitted, hardworking people suffered and England was made poorer by these acts of wanton destruction. There seemed nothing the government in Westminster could do about it.

  Her sympathies were with the Beauforts. They wanted to end the war in France and get the country back on its feet. Yet, she was being hunted by them. In the crazy place that England had become, the people she supported wanted to capture her and burn her as a witch. It was Eleanor's fault. Alice wished she has never clasped eyes on the accursed woman.

  A cry from Henriette caused her to turn. Robin was back and he had Owen with him. She was pleased to see the old archer. He was a bit of a rogue but honest when it came to things that re
ally mattered. Owen was intensely loyal to friends and she counted herself amongst them.

  Her eyes returned to Henriette. The sixteen-year-old was sitting astride her horse in the garments Eleanor had given her, dress drawn up over her thighs in a most unladylike fashion. A woollen shawl covered her shoulders and a small dagger hung from her belt. The shawl was a present from one of the women, who said she needed it to keep warm. The dagger came from the tinker who said she might need it to defend her virtue.

  Henriette's gaze was firmly on Robin. Her eyes blazed with an animal passion that was impossible to ignore. Alice had seen it in others at times of danger. It was as if they were overcome by a burning desire for physical fulfilment before it was too late.

  Passion was one of the many things that had been denied Alice by her strict upbringing in the convent. The holy sisters described it as the temptation of the devil. Alice had questioned their teachings from an early age and had become more argumentative as she grew older. Too much of what they said didn't make sense.

  God moves in His mysterious ways his wonders to perform.

  They said that when their reasoning was found lacking and they couldn't think of anything better to say. Relations between the sexes threw them into a state of confusion. Had it never occurred to them that passion was God's way of bringing boys and girls together? Without passion babies might not be born and God's praises never sung.

  There was a time when she was bold enough to speak out. That had got her branded as a free thinker. Now, she kept her views to herself and stayed quiet when priests spoke nonsense. But that had not stopped her being branded as a witch.

  'Good Morrow, Sister.'

  Owen came ambling across and touched his forehead in a gesture of respect. She wished people would call her Mistress or just plain Alice. Calling her Sister made her feel trapped in her unhappy past. She did her best to put on a brave face.