King Henry's Champion

by Griff Hosker

  I kissed the proffered hand, “Aye, your grace, I was at your castle of Norham.”

  He frowned, “Norham?” He waved a hand to his clerk. The man went to get some maps.

  “It is on the Tweed, your grace, close to Berwick. I had information that rebels were preparing to attack the north and I took my knights thence to forestall them. We stopped them from taking the castle and sent them back home. Your castle is safe but Sir Phillip of Elsdon died in the fighting. The King will need to appoint a new lord of the manor.”

  His clerk unrolled a map and was trying to point out where the castle was.

  “Quite so. I am grateful to you,” he turned irritably to his clerk, “William, stop distracting me. The Earl has told me where the castle is. Do something useful and get us some wine.” When he left the Bishop shook his head. “A papal appointment!” he smiled, “Sit. I have been told by Sir Roger and the Earl of Gloucester that you are my rock.”

  “They are kind.”

  “You recent action justifies that accolade.” I nodded. There was little else to say. “Who led the attack?”

  “Gospatric the Earl of Northumberland. He is also Earl of Lothian. I will have to speak with the King.”

  “I will write to him.”

  I think this was the Bishop trying to put me in my place. “No, your grace. The King appointed me as defender of the north. I am honour bound to report directly to the King. Besides he may have questions.”

  Surprisingly the Bishop seemed happy with that, “I was just attempting to save you a long and unnecessary journey.”

  “Thank you but the King likes to hear such matters from my lips.” William brought in the wine. He poured it and was dismissed by the Bishop. “How are you settling in here, your grace?”

  “It is not as comfortable as the Tower but it will do.” He leaned forward. “Of course I have yet to weed out those who would be disloyal.”

  “Disloyal, your grace? Whom do you suspect?”

  “Why the canons of course! My clerk warned me about them.”

  “I can vouch for them all, your grace. Brother Michael was appointed by the Archbishop of York himself. You say your clerk was a papal appointee?”

  “He was.”

  “And we know that the Pope and the Archbishop have differences of opinion do you not think that his judgement may be coloured?”

  He smiled, “And that makes perfect sense. I will have to take William Cumin’s advice with a pinch of salt. I will speak with Canon Michael this afternoon. He struck me as a good man. I was surprised at my clerk’s advice. Canon Michael seemed a little serious but then many of these fellows are.”

  The Bishop should have been man of that ilk but he was obviously a man with different skills. We spent a couple of hours discussing the Palatinate and I gave him advice and information which he did not have. He gratefully noted it all. Before I left I made sure that we both spoke with Canon Michael. He nodded his gratitude to me.

  We left in the middle of the afternoon. With luck we would make it home before dark. “Well Wulfric, what did you learn?”

  “That Sir Henry has gone to Anjou and he took with him half of the garrison. The Bishop will need more men.”

  “I will arrange that. Anything else?”

  The Bishop’s clerk, my lord, you know who he is?”

  “The Bishop said he was called William Cumin.”

  Wulfric said heavily, “I spoke with the men at arms he is also known as William Comyn. He is related to the Scots.”

  I had already heard that name but now I knew that he was one of Gospatric’s supporters and a rebel. The plots were growing. Vexin was in Blois and we now had a papal spy in Durham. As a papal appointee we could do nothing about him.

  Chapter 6

  I was silent all the way south. I needed to speak with the Earl of Gloucester. I could do nothing about a papal appointee but it seemed a dangerous move to have a relative of known traitors and rebels in the most powerful place in the north of England. The first thing I did when I reached Stockton was to summon John, my steward. He came thinking that I would deal with all the tasks which had accrued in my absences. “I wish you to write a letter, John.”

  He gathered his writing materials, “We have much to do in the manor, my lord.”

  I waved my hand irritably. “We now have a Bishop of Durham. I have less work to do and this is important.” He knew from the tone of my voice that I would not brook any whinges from him. I wrote to the Earl of Gloucester. I wrote about the thwarted attack and the results. I told him of the Earl of Gospatric but not the others. It was a long way to Gloucester and I did not want to risk the letter falling into the wrong hands. I did, however, tell him that I would visit with him. I preferred to tell the Earl privately of my concerns. I wrote another one to the King. Once written I sent them both with two of my archers to the Archbishop of York. He had royal messengers who would deliver my missive. It would take four days to reach the Earl but up to three weeks to reach the King.

  That done I returned to John, “Now, what are these tasks that I need to complete?”

  This was the part of being a lord of the manor I hated. There were legal disputes I had to settle. There were new taxes to be decided. There were marriages to approve. All of that was before the other requests which John made. Adela had dealt with them before her death. They were to do with the running of the household. By the time we had finished I was exhausted. I went up to my battlements to view the river. It always had a calming effect upon me. When peace reigned within me I walked to the gate which overlooked the town. Alf and Ethelred had been busy in my absence. I saw more order in the paths and roads outside my walls and gates. It looked organised. I decided to speak with Alf. Ethelred would be busy with more schemes to make money. Alf would still be working in his smith. I had learned that he could beat metal and still speak.

  He stopped work as soon as I entered his forge. “Carry on Alf; I have just returned from war and wish to talk of the town.”

  He spoke in clipped phrases punctuated by the beating of his hammer. It sounded almost musical. “There are more settlers come, my lord. We are a popular town. Your name and your reputation bring people from afar.”

  “I noticed that you and Ethelred have brought order to those who live outside the walls.”

  “It was not easy. Some of them complained that they had less security than those within the walls. We agreed they could pay fewer taxes.” He stopped working and looked at me with a worried expression on his face, “we asked John son of Leofric and he sanctioned it.”

  I smiled. John had told me already. “I think it is only fair. The result is a clean and orderly town. That is good.”

  He began banging again. “The town council has decreed that all buildings inside the walls of the borough should have a stone base.” He stopped banging. “Too much wood makes for a bad fire risk and besides there is plenty of stone left over from the church and the castle. The pieces were too small for William the mason to use.”

  “That is good. And the people prosper?”

  “Aye. Six new babies born since you went away and another five due before midsummer.”

  “Deaths?”

  “Just old Harry the swineherd.” He shook his head. “It is a shame. His daughter, Alice, was married to your archer, Alan of York. She looked after her father and her husband. Kept a fine table and now she has nought.”

  “My archer?” He nodded. So much had happened that I had forgotten. Alan had been killed the previous year. “Had they any children?”

  “No, my lord. It is said she could not bear children. She was rammed by a boar when she was little.”

  “And now?”

  “And now she is a swineherd.”

  This would not do. I was angry. I should have known about Alan’s wife. My archer had died fighting for me. I had been too preoccupied. “Where will I find her?”

  “On the road to the Ox Bridge. She tends Adamar’s pigs.”

  I nodded, “
Thank you. Are there any other widows in such dire straits?”

  He shook his head, “Most who can bear children are taken by your warriors. Alice is comely but the warriors are not drawn to her.”

  I strode out of the gate. The town watch knuckled their foreheads as I passed. I waved distractedly. I normally rode but this was less than a mile from my gates. The walk would do me good and it would afford me the opportunity to speak with the new people. The women gave a curtsy while the men bowed. I spoke to all of them. I smiled as the fathers forced their children’s heads down. They wanted to stare at the knight in fine clothes who smelled so pleasant. I confess their smiles and affection made me feel better about myself. Yet I had allowed Alice, wife of Alan, to spend her life in the fields with pigs. Her husband had been a good archer. He deserved more than that for his widow.

  Adamar’s farm was in a hollow by the beck. Few others wanted it for it would grow little but his pigs enjoyed wallowing in the mud. I spied Alice as I approached. There was a young boy with her; I took him to be Adamar’s son. I left the track and walked across the field to the farm. The whole family came to see what I wanted. This was a rare visit from the lord of the manor.

  “My lord, what is it you wish? A sow for a feast, perhaps?”

  “No Adamar, I would speak with Alice here.”

  He took me over to her. I waved him away. I wished to speak privately with her. The poor woman looked embarrassed. Her clothes and hands were filthy and she looked around for something to clean herself.

  “Alice, your appearance does not matter. I wish to speak with you and to ask you some questions.”

  “Yes my lord. I pray I have not offended you.”

  There was fear in her voice. I smiled. “No. You have not. I came first to tell you that I am sorry that your father died. And I also remembered that I not spoken to you after Alan was killed. For that I am also sorry. He was a good archer and served me well.”

  She looked shocked, “You do not apologise to me, my lord! I am but the daughter of a swineherd.”

  “Do not think that way. You were the wife of an archer and I am here to make amends for my oversight. You ran the home for your father and Alan?” She nodded. “How would you like to run my household at the castle?”

  “The castle?”

  “It is still a home, albeit larger than the one you had with your father and husband. My wife organised my table, look after my clothes and saw that my son and I were presentable. She has been taken from me and I need someone to do what she did.”

  “I am confused my lord. I cannot be Lady Adela.”

  I laughed, “I am explaining badly. My steward runs my castle. He sees that there is food to be cooked and that there are slaves and servants to see to my needs. I need someone to tell the cooks what to cook for me and William. Someone to tell the slaves when to change the bedding, turn the straw. Someone to have candles ready at night time. Someone to….” I saw her nodding and her face lit up. “You understand?”

  “You want someone to keep house for you.”

  “Aye I do. I will pay you six pennies a month and you shall stay in the castle. You will wear my livery. I will clothe and feed you. How say you?”

  She dropped to her knees, “I say thank you, my lord, and I shall not let you down. That I promise you.”

  “Get what you need and I will speak with Adamar.”

  She ran to the hovel in which she lived and I walked over to the curious pig farmer.

  “Adamar, Alice will be my housekeeper. She is moving to the castle today.”

  “But what of my pigs?”

  “You will have to pay someone else to care for them.”

  He laughed, “I did not pay her. I fed her and gave her a roof.”

  I stared at this fat pig farmer who, as far as I knew had never fought for me or this land and I felt the urge to strike him. I did not. He was like Ethelred. He was out to make himself rich. “Then either you look after them or you pay someone else to do so.” Alice ran over to me and I turned my back on him and we walked back to my castle.

  At first John was a little taken aback by my choice but he knew me well enough to keep his feelings hidden. When Alice went to bathe and to change into the clothes I gave her I spoke harshly to him. “Do not look down your nose at a woman who has fallen on hard times, John son of Leofric. When your father came to me as my moneyer he had little. As I recall his clothes were also threadbare and neither you nor your mother had eaten for many days. You say you have too much to do. Now I have halved your work for Alice will look after my house. I expect twice as much work from you.”

  “I am sorry, my lord. You are correct to chastise me.”

  In the end the two of them became great friends and worked together as well as any married couple. She soon discovered what William and I liked to eat. She mothered William so much that at times I though Adela’s spirit had entered her body. It was a mutually agreeable arrangement.

  My archers returned some days later. They had with them two letters. One was from the Archbishop and one was from the Earl of Gloucester. I opened the seal on the one from the Archbishop. Archbishop Thurstan was a wise old man and the letter I received confirmed what I discovered at Durham. Cumin was a papal spy. The only way that the King was allowed to appoint Rufus was if the Pope could appoint his clerk. At least the Bishop of Durham now knew to be wary of his clerk.

  I took up the letter from the Earl. I had received many such letters and I knew his seal well. It was his seal, it was his hand but when I looked at the seal I saw that it had been broken and then resealed. It had been a good effort and had taken much skill but I knew that the letter had been opened. I was now glad that I had not put too much information in my letter to him. The letter was innocent enough. It was an invitation to a tourney in London at the festival to celebrate Henry’s birth. The King had put up the prizes to celebrate the birth of his grandson. Sir Edward and I were invited to take part as members of the Earl’s team. My reputation in Germany meant that I was an obvious choice. It was strange that our two letters had passed by each other in York. I would ask Archbishop Thurstan about the letter when I headed south.

  “Leofric!” My squire entered the hall. “Ride to Sir Edward and tell him we go to London for the summer tourney. We leave at the end of the week.”

  His eyes lit up. “Will you take all of your squires, my lord?”

  I smiled, “What do you think?” He almost skipped out to tell the others.

  Organising my journey south for a tourney was as complicated as taking my men to war. We had as much to take. Alice proved her worth for she was an organised woman. Her skill at packing the bags and boxes which contained our surcoats, clothes and accoutrements was matched only by Adela. She thought of all the things which I had not thought about. We would not need the archers but I brought Griff of Gwent and Ralph of Wales in case there were any archers we could take on while we were in London and York. They knew the type of man we sought. I took Wulfric and four men at arms only. I wanted my home well garrisoned. We had almost as many servants as warriors. We needed five to lead our sumpters. It took one sumpter just for the lances and weapons I would need.

  John made me smile. It was on the night before we departed and he was going over all that he would need to do while I was away. “And when you return with your riches, my lord, we can think about building a farm to the north and east of Hartburn. It is virgin land there. It would grow wheat.”

  I laughed, “Riches, John?”

  “Aye, my lord; when you and Sir Edward win the tourney.”

  “There are many teams, John, and I am not as young as I once was. Do not spend money that I have yet to earn.”

  He shook his head, “You will win, my lord. I could put money on it.”

  As my small conroi headed south Edward and Wulfric continued with the optimism. Both thought we would win too. “The King will not stint on prize money. It will be the richest tourney in history.”

  “And will draw knights
from all over the Empire. We know not yet whom we have to fight.

  “But you will win my lord. You did in Germany.”

  “And that was many years ago.” I changed the subject. “I am concerned that the letter from the Earl was opened.”

  “Do you think it might not be from the Earl?”

  “No, Edward; it was his seal and the hand was the same all the way through. The letter came from the Earl of Gloucester.”

  “Then there is nothing to worry about. There was nothing secret within the letter.”

  “You miss the point, Edward. If that letter could be read what about the ones I send to the Earl and the King? What about the messages I write? They are not trivial are they?”

  “But you have not given anything away in your letters which could bring danger to anyone, have you, my lord?”

  “That is the only thing which helps me to sleep at night. All I am saying is that we need to be wary. We have enemies. York and London are full of my enemies. Leofric can watch William but all of us need to watch each other’s backs.”

  “That is why you insisted we wear mail, my lord.”

  “It is Wulfric. This will not be a gentle progress south. We are heading into enemy territory. Treat it as such.”

  York had grown since the Conqueror had first come north. The former home of the Danes was now the second city of England. The Archbishop of York was now the most powerful man outside of London. Even the Earl of Gloucester bowed to the prelate. He was more than a man of God. He was a man who knew politics. He understood plots and machinations. He was not an innocent churchman who would turn the other cheek. He had steel in him.

  We reached York in the late afternoon. I was greeted warmly by the Archbishop. “Your men and squires can stay in the castle with the garrison but you two shall stay and dine in my hall.”

  I knew the reason for the invitation. Archbishop Thurstan was as careful as I was. His food was well cooked and presented. My cooks had a more functional attitude to food. There was lots of it and it was hot. The cook at the Archbishop’s hall chose very delicate and lightly spiced dishes. Each course was a delight on the tongue. Thurstan picked at his food. He reminded me of a bird for he was angular and thin. With his robes he looked like a raven. His sharp eyes missed nothing. When the last course had been taken away and we were left with the Malmsey wine he turned to me.