by Smith, Skye
"Do you make for Cassel?" asked the guide.
"Yes, and so should you. Word is there is good coin to be had for horses there," replied a trader.
"We just came from there. They are thieves. They offer less than the promised price and when you do not accept they try to claim your horses in the count's name. We had to push a few guards over to save our herd," there was no reason not to tell the truth. "Waste of a long ride, it was."
"Shit," the trader said. "So what are your plans now."
"There is a battle brewing, so business should be a brisk and profitable so long as they aren't stolen from you. We don't have the men to guard them, so we must sell them quickly. I'd rather sell them to the Frisians than to that cheating bastard Gerbod in Cassel," said the guide.
"But where are the Frisians? At least we know where Cassel is," asked another trader.
"Do you know the monastery an hour back the way you came?" Raynar broke in.
"We know it. They are a new lot. Franks. Romanized Christians. Stingy and rich."
"My friends and I," said Raynar, "have convinced them to let us use their paddock as a way station for moving horses. It means the horses are defended at night. From their paddock we can move horses either to Cassel, or to the Frisians."
"And how does that benefit us," asked the trader.
"You bring horses to us at the monastery, and we will pay you Cassel prices in good coin. We will take the risk of selling them to the Frisians."
"Starting with this lot?" asked another trader.
"Yes, and as many others as you can bring us."
"You are on," and with that they turned their herd back towards the monastery.
* * * * *
The horse traders who had been trussed up in the monastery were told the story of the horse master of Cassel, and were paid the Cassel price for their horses and offered the same deal. They agreed to it willingly and rode away to the north in a great hurry.
Raynar now owned almost fifty horses but his purse was empty. He and the guide and six men of the patrol left the monastery immediately to lead the horses back to the ship to where he could refill his purse.
The ship was no longer one ship, but a dozen. The place was the last deep pool on the River Yser where ships of a sea going size could turn. Upstream from that pool the river became narrow and shallow.
He delivered the horses to Klaes, his ship's captain and a horse trader of reputation. After explaining the use he was making of the monastery, Klaes sent Raynar's men back to the monastery with several fat purses and more men. Klaes told the men not to bargain too hard for the horses. He wanted to encourage the local breeders to freely offer their horses to him, and especially not to the Franks.
"You will need to set up a shuttle to bring the horses here as soon as they are bought," Raynar called after them. Then he went back to talk to Klaes. "Who is in charge of all these ships?"
"Well, most are Sweyn's ships, but Sweyn is not here. Robert the Frisian is on the one with the lightning bolt flag, so he would be your man," answered Klaes.
Raynar and his guide rode quickly to the larger ship and haled the watch. He was known to the watch as he had been in charge of the bow training while the army had been assembling from villages as far north as Saxony and Denmark. He had been a guest at Robert's table many times over the past three months.
"Raynar," Robert called heartily from the stern castle, "it must be urgent news to carry you so quickly and on horseback."
"It is sire. Please assemble your staff. It is time for action."
It took an hour for Robert's lords to make there way from other ships and from the camp that was being set up on the high land to the west of the pool. While he was waiting, Raynar took over the use of a table and had it moved to the bank next to the ship. There, using the ships kitchen supplies, he created a model of Cassel.
Once the lords had made their inane pleasantries to each other, Raynar had them circle the table. He then invited their chief huscarls to join in the circle. This raised some eyebrows, but Raynar trusted the huscarls to remember his words better than the lords.
He called out to Robert to come to the center, and that stopped the chatter. "Arnulf's men are assembling at Cassel. For those of you who do not know Cassel, you need only look over my shoulder and you can see a dark grey mass meeting the low clouds. That is Mount Cassel. On a clear day they can see us here. They can even see England."
He pointed to the center of his model table. "That is Cassel. It has a long wall that is mostly intact and would cost many lives to take. Not only is it the high ground with a view for miles around, but each of these," he pointed to ribbons radiating from his model of Cassel, "is a Roman street in good repair. Roman streets are an advantage to their cavalry. From Cassel, the Frankish cavalry can control this entire corner of Flanders and still make it home for their evening meal."
He paused to let his words sink in. "I have just come from Cassel. The infantry has not yet arrived. Philip of France has not yet arrived, but most of the cavalry has arrived and is here," he pointed to his model, "in the village of Bavinchove. There are too many horses to keep them inside the wall on the hill, and that village has a large dry pasture to the south for grazing."
"My estimate is that there are 500 Flemish infantry in the burgh. There were a thousand horses at Bavinchove. As I said, Philip and his infantry have not yet arrived. I saw the pennants of FitzOsbern, and of Gerbod, and a few others that my guide said were from France."
One of the lords yelled out. "Then it is over. We may as well go home. They outnumber us already and that without France. They have a fortress on the high ground, they control the streets, the streets give them an advantage and they have a thousand cavalry." Loud chatter started around the table.
"Actually, I have sympathy for their families," Raynar said loudly and then hushed his voice so that no one could hear his next words. There were yells of shush around the table, and then yells asking for him to repeat his words. He started again very quietly so that they could not chatter and still hear.
"Actually, I have sympathy for their families because tomorrow most of these men will be slaughtered," he repeated. At the first chatter he dropped his voice lower. The chatter stopped. " If we give orders with one voice. If we attack them tomorrow before King Philip arrives. If we attack them tomorrow before they are prepared. If we attack them tomorrow while the clouds are this low so that we can move our forces unseen. If you are ready to attack them tomorrow then I have a plan that will slaughter the cavalry and have Cassel surrender to us."
No one spoke. They waited.
"Someone said there are a thousand cavalry. I said a thousand horses. That means five hundred able cavalry. They are who we must defeat before they have Philip's infantry to protect them. They are not in the fortress but in a pasture on the flats. The Roman streets are to their advantage, but the winter marshes beside the streets are their doom.
After this winter of rain, the streets are like causeways. They cannot leave those causeways by horse because the horses legs will sink. They cannot leave them by foot because they are too heavy in their armour and they will sink. They have caught themselves in a trap set by Thor to rid this country of Frankish knights."
There was cheering at the mention of Thor, but the faces were skeptical. The "Yeh, but" phrases came fast and furious from the ring of warriors. Raynar answered each one at a time. These men were confused because they did not know the awesome power of his wolfpacks.
He had brought eight wolfpacks with him to Flanders, though the bowmen-oarsmen on Klaes's ships could make up another two if necessary. The eight were the most experienced, in other words, the most successful cavalry killers. That had left about eight still under Hereward’s command in the fens.
He kept thinking that he should have brought more wolfpacks to Flanders, but last fall when they had to embark on the ships before the winter storms, he had thought that he was taking too many. He was in Holland with Robert's army before he heard that
the Normans had called for a peace and a truce in the Danelaw, supposedly so that this winter no folk would starve or freeze.
"I have already bought us some horses," he announced once all the side chatter had calmed. "More will be arriving before nightfall. The Franks have many horses, while your horses are still being led here from Holland. Still, I think that we have caught them only half prepared for us, because we came so quickly by ship. Luckily, for my plan we do not need many horses. Besides, this is the season of mud, and the downfall of the Franks will be their horses.
Here is where we will use our horses. These two streets run east from Cassel and it is on those streets that Arnulf's couriers will ride to Philip of France, and on those streets that Philips reinforcements will march. I will send two of my wolf packs mounted on our few horses the long way around Cassel. Their job is to block those eastern streets."
The men closed the circle and the ones at the back strained to see the model.
"They will block those streets. No couriers are to get through. No scouts. No skirmishers. On each of the streets, they are to choose a bridge across deep water and pull it down, and then defend the Cassel side of the resulting gap. When they can no longer hold the gap, they are to flee.
If they can't flee by horse, they will get wet feet fleeing through the marshes. They will survive. Stopping couriers from reaching Philip is no good reason for them to become martyrs. Besides, I have promised their families that they will see them again, and I keep my promises."
There were a few chuckles from the circle, but not many. Some of the men were starting to nod as the plan came together in their minds.
"So with Cassel cut off from Philip in the East, we can attack from the west. This street here," he pointed to a ribbon, "runs from this pot, which is a monastery, which we already hold, to the base of Cassel hill and then up to the wall. Here, there is a dry cartway that skirts the base of the hill and leads to Bavinchove. Our main force against the town of Cassel will use these roads. And they must be seen to use these roads so that Arnulf's infantry crowd the walls at those gates, waiting for an attack.
They are not to attack. Do you all hear. They are not to attack. Their task is to stop the infantry, and especially any archers from leaving Cassel to help the cavalry down in Bavinchove. Do you all hear. None of Arnulf's infantry or archers must leave the burgh. If they are able to break through our axemen and support the cavalry at Bavinchove, then all is lost."
There was murmuring as men began to appreciate the tactics of divide and conquer.
"Now pay attention, because now comes the real fighting. This other street here runs along the Yser river, and then straight to Bavinchove. I want the rest of the wolfpacks and the most vicious third of the axemen on that street.
The wolfpacks will do some of their fighting from the deeply flooded field beside that street so we need every small boat we can find to be carried or floated to positions along the street close to Bavinchove. Here, and here," he pointed to the model, "that strings our bowmen out along the north side of the street, and they are protected from a cavalry attack by the water and mud of the fields."
Robert sent two of his aides away with orders to find every small boat and to have them collected.
"The wolfpacks will use the small boats to move along parallel to the street, and use them to save themselves if necessary. The axemen will stop about here, still far enough away to be hidden from the watchers on Cassel's wall, and wait to be attacked by the cavalry. As they butcher the cavalry they will advance ever forward until they reach Bavinchove.
Each time the cavalry makes a charge, the wolfpacks in the small boats will outflank them on the water, kill them, or kill their horses. The street is narrow so only eight or ten cavalry horses will be able to charge the front line of the axemen at a time. There is no footing for horses in the fields on either side so they have no escape. They will have axes in front of them, and arrows behind them. Our axemen will not be pushing them backwards, they will be walking over the corpses. Constantly walking over corpses of men and horses, until they reach Bavinchove."
The men listening were now excited. Now they understood why the Danish fleet had brought this peasant and his bowmen from the Danelaw. He was telling them how to destroy, not defeat, but destroy heavy cavalry.
Robert shushed the voices, and told Raynar to continue. "So now all we need to make this plan work, is for the Frankish cavalry to charge the axemen. Well they aren't going to ride into such an obvious ambush unless we bait them. I will ask my bowmen for six volunteers. I will take them dressed like horse traders leading horses to Bavinchove to sell. Our task is to punch some arrows through a few knights and then race for our lives towards our waiting axemen.
The cavalry that they send after us to kill us will be in hot pursuit. The bowmen strung along the street using the boats will remain hidden. The cavalry must remain totally ignorant of our army until they see the axemen. At that point they will stop chasing the bait, send a messenger back to Bavinchove for help, and then keep an eye on the axemen.
After all, they will feel safe enough knowing that they can outrun any charge by the axemen. As soon as the messenger is safely away, and it is important that he gets safely away, then the bowmen will come out of hiding and wound or kill the cavalry horses, so the axemen can kill the riders. Then the bowmen hide again, and the axemen will move forward over the bodies to a clear place in the road and get ready for the next wave of cavalry that will be sent to support the first. The more waves we slaughter on the road, the fewer cavalry we are left to face in the dry fields of Bavinchove.
Raynar grabbed the ale pot from Robert's hands and took mighty gulps. "Hold your questions," he yelled above the growing noise of too many voices, "I will walk through the plan again, and then I will answer your questions."
He was interested to see which of these chiefs would spot the flaw in the plan. He had purposefully told it in the wrong sequence, and he waited to see who corrected him. Robert would have to lead the main force from the monastery to trap the warriors in Cassel. He needed another thinking leader for the attack on the cavalry in Bavinchove, and this was the test that would find a strategic thinker in this lot of lords.
By sunset the orders had been sent, more ships had been hurried to the pool to unload, road weary axemen were drifting into the camp, and about sixty small boats had been gathered. Some could hold but one man. Most could hold three. A few could hold up to ten, and those were sent on ahead using the longer water route, as they would be too heavy for the flooded field to flooded field portages of the direct route.
The lords and the chief huscarls had split into two separate groups. The lords were now happily socializing. The huscarls were grouped around Raynar going over and over the tactics to be used in the fighting. It was slowly becoming clear to the huscarls that the weapons of the front line would not be shields and battle axes, but pole axes and pikes.
* * * * *
* * * * *
The Hoodsman - Ely Wakes by Skye Smith
Chapter 23 - The taking of Cassel, Flanders in February 1071
The seven horse traders trotted towards Bavinchove from the west and the river. This was the last stretch of the Roman street before the village of Bavinchove and the cavalry camp. On the south side of the street was the higher land with the grazing fields and the meadows. On the north side of the street was the flooded lowlands that were as wide as Mount Cassel and reflected the dark mound in its still waters. A half mile back they had tested its depth. Two feet of water, with a soft bottom that sucked you into the clay beneath the soil if you stood too long in one spot.
Raynar lifted his eyes to the heavens and thanked Thor for the low clouds. He sent a mental thanks to Robert for keeping his axemen out of sight of Cassel on the monastery road for a little while longer. That was the correction to the plan. The first cavalry charge chasing the bait must be made, and the messengers sent back to Bavinchove before the fortress of Cassel saw the axemen on the street
coming from the monastery. Just before if possible.
To choose the six men with him from the dozens who volunteered was simple. All the volunteers had ridden with him in wolfpacks in the fens. They all knew his ways. They were all skilled bowmen and fighters. He had lined them all up so that everyone could see who had volunteered, and then he asked all men that still had close family alive to take one step backwards. That left nine. They drew straws.
The men at the first guard post were watching them ride up. Raynar hailed them and pointed at his horses and rubbed fingers and thumb together in the common sign for money. They waved him towards the place on the Cassel side of the meadow where the horse master was making himself rich.
They rode slowly. From this direction there were more of the rich marquees that the Frankish lords and knights used as camp roofs. They had no actual interest in the horse master so they did not want to go further. The further they went, the more men stood between them and escape back the way they had come.
The morning drizzle had half the camp under their roofs. Raynar could see the practice area, and even there the men were dismounted and standing in the shelter of some trees. There were no leaders walking about, no leaders to target. He slowed a bit so the others could catch up.
"Get your bows ready with the first arrow, loosen some others in readiness, and then release our trading horses and chase them into those marquees over there." He held his own bow low in his left hand out of sight beside his leg. "No heroics. Shoot at anyone in fancy dress, and then turn and get out of here. If one of us falls, don't stop. We must give them something to chase back down the street."
The panicked horses ran through the marquees and Raynar's pretend horse traders raised a hue and cry for anyone to stop them. Men came out from under their roofs to see what was happening. The marquee closest to them was large and rich and a half dozen well dressed men came storming out through its flap. "Them. Get them!" Raynar yelled as he was already raising his own bow.
