by Griff Hosker
I sat back. Now I knew that Walther had not died in vain. I had a task and I would do it. Sir James said, “I see from your face, Sir William, that you would do this and rescue the women.”
“It seems I have little choice.”
“Yet if you cross the border then you will be breaking the peace. You will incur the wrath of the King!”
I shrugged, “That never worried my father. If there is something which is right then I am honour bound to do it. I will return to my home tomorrow and then prepare to…” I looked at the child, “Where is this castle?”
“It is on the main road. I counted ten Roman markers before I reached Byrness.”
“Then that is Lord Malcolm’s castle, Branxholme.”
“A strong one?”
“It has a tower like mine but they live in a fortified hall. There is a ditch but no moat.”
“Dick, where are the captives kept?”
“They are locked in a barn at night and there is a guard on the door. Lord, you must help them. Two of the girls were taken away. They did not return.”
“Do not worry, Dick of Yalesham, you were sent to me for a reason. We will try to rescue your family.”
Sir James nodded, “And I will stir this old body and bring my men with you, Sir William of Elsdon. Yalesham was in my manor. It was I neglected those poor people.”
Chapter 9
Sir James provided a pony for the boy to ride and he had an old cloak cut down for him to wear. We left at dawn and reached my home quicker than was good for our horses. The boy was silent for most of the way. He was alone and he was parted from his mother. From his story, she sounded like a brave woman. As soon as we reached my lower bailey, I called over Anne, “This boy almost died. He was captured by Scots and his mother is still enslaved by them. I would have you care for him.”
Anne was a warm woman and put an arm around the waif, “Come here, bairn, a smith always has a good fire. We will soon warm you through to your cockles!”
When the boy clung to her then I knew that all would be well and, while Matthew and John stabled the horses, I headed to my hall.
Alan of Bellingham was in the hall poring over lists. He had the accounts of the manor to prepare. He looked up, “Yes lord?” Taking off my cloak and heading to the fire for a warm I told him the tale. He shook his head, “A sad business but at least we know where they are. We can make representation to have them returned.”
Shaking my head, I said, “I will take men and fetch them back!”
He turned and his face showed his concern, “Lord, you cannot do that. It might cause war. The King would not be happy about such a thing.”
“Alan, you were a Hospitaller, you know that sometimes the wishes of kings are secondary.”
“Aye lord but here in England, we are ruled by a king who is precious about his power. You have done good work here and if you were removed then I fear the heart would be taken from the manor. Do not act in haste.”
I was not sure what would have happened if Brother Paul had not entered. He knew nothing of the boy. “Lord, I am ready to ride to the Bishop.” He stopped and stared. He could see that he had interrupted something. “What is amiss?”
Alan of Bellingham looked relieved, “There is your answer, lord, tell the Bishop what has occurred and what you intend. If the Bishop sanctions this then the King cannot harm you.” Seeing the confusion on the priest’s face Alan explained the situation.
“Alan is right, lord. I was going to Durham in any case. What difference will the delay of a day or so make? You are angry and this is not the time to act in haste. As you say the Scots have not yet crossed the border. They may believe that the boy has died. We have a handful of men. It would be foolish to throw their lives away.”
They were right and I nodded. The relief on their faces was clear to be seen. “Ride to Durham and I will delay until you come back but with or without the Bishop’s permission, we try to rescue those women.
“I will ride directly. If you let me have a spare horse, lord, I can be there in one day.”
I smiled. He was not a happy horseman. “And you can ride that far?”
He shrugged, “If a small boy can survive in winter then a little hardship can be endured. Besides, Alan of Bellingham has loaned me a cushion to ease my discomfort when I ride. It will suffice.”
My men at arms and archers needed no persuasion to prepare for a raid which, on the surface at least, looked hopeless. They had seen the miracle of the boy. Superstitious men, they all felt an obligation to the boy they had found and who had been brought back to life. As they came into the hall, they were all of the same mind.
Idraf spoke for them all, “When do we return to rescue the bairn’s mother and the others, lord?”
“Not for a few days. Brother Paul goes to inform the Bishop and besides, the horses have had a hard couple of days. We pushed them to the limit to reach Otterburn. Prepare your weapons. We will return those women to England. That I promise you.”
I left with John and Matthew. We returned to our keep. We had mail and weapons to clean. The icy, damp air did mail armour no good. They both worked diligently to clean our mail for they knew their newly acquired skills would be put to the most severe of tests soon. When we had been in Otterburn I had spoken with men who knew the manor where the prisoners were held. I now took a piece of charcoal and one of the logs we would use to burn. It had a clean axe stroke and I drew upon it to make a crude map. My mind was able to work better with a picture. When I had been growing up, I had been fascinated by my father’s maps.
The tower and village lay just a few miles from the border. There was a tiny inconsequential hamlet just a mile or so from the border. That would pose no threat to us. Jed Water was close to the hall and there was a burn too. Both afforded protection to the lord and his people. Jedburgh was also less than five miles away and I could see why they did not need a castle. Jedburgh was a royal residence. The tower would be a sanctuary in case of attack. Unlike Otterburn, the hall was not attached to the tower. I guessed it was used to keep watch on the land during the day. If danger was seen then a bell would be peeled and they would occupy the tower. That knowledge determined my method of attack. We would use the cloak of night. I did not have enough men to fight a battle. My aim was to rescue the captives and gallop back across the border. If we could do so without fighting then I would be happy.
Matthew came over when I had finished my crude map. He looked at it and shook his head, “I can read some words lord but those squiggles confuse me.”
I explained to him what they meant and gave him the outline of my plan. By talking aloud, it helped my thinking. “If they are on foot, lord, then the captives will be slow and the Scots will be able to pursue us.”
He was right. “Then we shall have to steal their horses too.”
“How many captives are there, lord?”
“From what Dick told me there are six Yalesham women who remain alive. Four are mothers and there are two young women. Then there are five children and all are younger than Dick. There are other captives there but not from Yalesham. Dick did not say how many others there were.”
Matthew gave me a rueful smile, “I know how hard John and I found riding. I doubt that the women and the children will find it any easier. The children will either need to be carried by their mothers or by warriors.”
I shook my head, “My men at arms and archers will be occupied.” I looked at him, “You and John will have to carry a child each. Sir James can carry another.” I would not risk the old man unless I had to. I smiled and poured Matthew some ale. “Thank you, squire. I now have a plan.”
“But I just gave you problems, lord!”
“Sometimes that is what my mind needs.”
The next two days were frustrating for me as we awaited the return of Brother Paul. The icy wind disappeared but was replaced by March squalls. As the land warmed the rain turned paths to mud. Dick son of Harry appeared to be content living in the smithy
with Anne and Tam. He was well fed. Anne was handy with a needle and she had made him better fitting clothes. The ones from Sir James, while well-made were old and moths had been at them. Matthew also made him a pair of boots. The boy’s feet were not large and he had enough leather left from his own to make a pair. In that way, they were occupied but I was not. The mud would slow us down. Garth Red Arrow pointed out that the rain and the poor conditions would deter the Scots too.
Five days after he had left Brother Paul returned and he was not alone. With him, he had seven men. The priest looked pained as he dismounted, “That was harder than I had thought. I have a message from the Bishop but these men were sent by your father. That is why I tarried, lord.” He gestured for them to speak.
Each said his name and stepped back. “Edward of Yarum, lord.”
“Peter of Hart.”
I knew their villages. They were close to Stockton.
“Martin Longsword, lord. I served the Sherriff of York. My father was one of the guards slain when your brother died.”
“Egbert son of Harold, lord. I too come from York. Martin is my friend.”
“Lol Longstride, lord.” He smiled, “I come from everywhere. I am like a butterfly! Perhaps I will settle upon this flower eh, lord?” Lol was the eldest of the men but I took to him straightway. He had humour. I later learned that he had been a travelling warrior since he had been less than seven years old. His father had been a soldier and his mother a camp follower. He had forgotten more about campaigning than I would ever learn.
The other two had bow staves in canvas bags. They were archers.
“I am Robin Greenleg, lord.” I saw that he had one leg of his breeks made of green material and the other was a faded red.” I cocked an eye. He shrugged, “I served the Lord of Hereford and his men wore this style of breeks. When I left his service, I continued to wear them. It gave me my name. When a man is given a name, it is unlucky to discard it.
“Alan Whitestreak, lord.” I could see how he had acquired his name. He had black hair and on one side was a patch of white as wide as three fingers and running across his ear. He pointed to the streak, “A bolt from a crossbow nearly took my life. It is a reminder to me to kill those with crossbows and to wear a helmet when I fight.”
“You are all welcome. Garth Red Arrow and Roger Two Swords will show you your quarters. I will speak further with you.” My two captains would discover all that there was to know about our new men! I turned to Brother Paul and Alan of Bellingham, “Come. Let us go to my keep. I am anxious to know the Bishop’s thoughts although, I must confess, it will not change my course of action.”
John hurried with a jug of wine and three goblets. We would need to buy more soon. It was fortunate I still had the ransom. Wine was not cheap up here in the north. “Well?”
“The Bishop understands your dilemma, lord. He supports you and he will not order you to ignore the plight of the captives.”
Alan of Bellingham nodded, “Which is just a way of doing as Pontius Pilate did and saying he washes his hands of the matter.”
Brother Paul was uncomfortable. I could see that. “I think he means that if the King hears of this and wishes you to be punished then the punishment, which the Bishop administers, will be lenient.”
I turned to Alan, “The answer was the best one that I could have expected. We will rescue them but I will not do it under the Bishop’s colours. We will wear plain livery. My plan means that we will be attacking at night.” I decided that the experience of Alan of Bellingham and the natural wit of the priest might augment my plan. I told them what I intended. I would take my spare horses for the captives.
Alan of Bellingham nodded his approval, “You will have one sentry to eliminate. Once he is gone then, if you can steal their horses, you will be able to make a successful escape.”
Brother Paul asked, “Will you take the boy?”
I shook my head, “There is no need. I know where the captives are held and I would have him safe. He is a brave soul and God has marked him for life. I will not jeopardise it. When I leave it will be you two and Tam who guard my castle. Now that I have more men it will not always be so. I can leave sentries but for this, I need all of them.” I stood. “Thank you and now I will speak with my men and archers.”
They were all getting to know one another. Weapons were being compared and they were sharing stories of past employment. When Matthew and I entered they fell silent. “To my new men, I bid you welcome. You have come at a propitious time. A village was destroyed and the captives taken to Scotland. I intend to recover them.”
My original men all nodded and looked pleased. “How will we do it, my lord?”
“I intend to attack at night. Garth Red Arrow, I will need a man who can hit a sentry and kill him so that he utters not a sound.” He nodded. I knew that he would take on that task himself. “We also need a way to silence dogs.”
Edward of Yarum held up his hand. I smiled and nodded, “I like dogs, lord. I would not be happy to kill one. I can quieten them without hurting them. I have a way with them.”
“Then, Edward of Yarum, that will be your task. You new men, do any of you have an affinity with horses?”
Martin nodded, “Aye, lord, I worked with Egbert at the Sherriff’s stables. We schooled the new horses.”
“Then your task will be to find horses for the captives. They will not be good riders. When you have the horses for them, I rely on you two to effect their escape. You may have to ride with either women or children on your saddles too.”
“Aye lord.” Martin nodded confidently.
Roger Two Swords asked the most obvious question, “And how many men do we face, lord?”
“That is the one question I cannot answer. There will be Sir Duncan and his father. We know there is at least one man at arms, probably more, and squires. The men Lord Duncan led were more like bandits and farmers than retainers who know how to fight. Lord Malcolm has a tower and it is safe to assume he employs warriors. The simple answer is that I do not know.” They nodded, appreciating my honesty. “This action will not meet with King Henry’s approval although, as he is in Gascony, by the time he hears of it we will either be dead or the captives will be safe. For that reason, we do not wear my surcoats. We will not need shields in any case, The Scots will know who did this and it will invite reprisals but they will not be able to prove that the men of Elsdon avenged Walther of Coxold and the men of Yalesham.” I looked at their faces and I did not see any dissension. “We leave tomorrow. We do not need an early start. We will meet with Sir James at Otterburn. He and his men will come with us.”
Roger said, quietly, “They are old, lord.”
“I know but there is honour involved. They feel they let down the villagers. I intend to have them watch and guard our horses. It will be the men of Elsdon who take all the chances.”
That day I wrote a letter to my father. I thanked him for what he had done for me. Without telling him what I was doing I prepared him in case I did not return. I hoped and I prayed that I would but there was always a possibility that I might not. I left the letter in my keep. Brother Paul would know what to do with it if I failed to return.
We left after a hearty meal. Anne knew we had a long day and night ahead of us. Alice was now confined to the farm. Her husband did not want her to have to travel. Anne made do with Rafe’s youngest daughters as helpers. The girls were willing and had skills. They enjoyed her company and the coin I paid helped their father. Now that her brothers were clearing the two farms Rafe and his wife had an emptier house.
We reached Otterburn at noon. Sir James was ready with his men. He would leave two to watch his tower. All were older than even Ridley the Giant and my father. I admired them for what they were doing but I would try to ensure that they came to no harm. We rested the horses and ate while I went over the plan with Sir James. We now had days and nights which were almost equal in length. We would use the length of the night to our advantage. We left Otterburn with
about three hours of daylight left to us.
I had my archers out as scouts. As well as the plain livery on our cloaks we had all chosen dark cloaks. I hoped to be invisible. It was dark and we did not know when we had crossed the border. There was no moon. One of Sir James’ men thought we had crossed it. Not long after we crossed what we thought was the border we passed through one huddle of huts. There were no more than three of them and none stirred. When we were through, we knew that we were not too far from the hall. We halted for we were within a few miles of our destination. The archers strung their bows. We tightened girths and we took off our cloaks. We would need free movement. Garth led us forward. There was no frost but it was a cold, damp night. The hall kept fires burning and when the wind brought the smell of woodsmoke towards us we knew that we were close. In the distance, a dog barked. Edward of Yarum joined Garth and we followed slowly. When Garth held up his hand and then dismounted, I repeated the signal. We walked our horses.
I spied the tower silhouetted in the distance. Once more Garth held up his hand. Wilfred of Sheffield moved forward and took the reins of Garth’s horse and Edward’s. The two of them slipped off in the dark. We moved up slowly to join Wilfred. Sir James’ men knew their task and they, along with John and a boy from Otterburn, took the reins of our horses. They would watch them. I unsheathed my sword. I chose not to wear my helmet. Sir James did. As we waited, I spied the hall, the tower and the ancillary buildings. The noise of the stream, which bubbled away close to us, afforded some protection and, although I could not see, I guessed that there was a ditch around the tower. It was a sprawling settlement and I hoped that the boy’s description would lead us quickly to the slave hall. Garth and Edward would be able to find it for the only guard, according to Dick, was at the slave hall.
