by Griff Hosker
“It is why we go in at night. This will be knife work and the ones who fought in the Holy Land are now more skilled.”
“I am an archer.”
“And you will be the one to slay those who patrol the slave hall. Who else would you take with you?”
“Will and Richard are the ones who will be the steadiest, and Richard will be keen to get to his son. That will leave you just four men to take the other guards; will that be enough?”
I patted my metal-studded brigandine. “I have the most experience with a sword and Martin and Tom fought on the walls of Acre. They will do. I plan on eliminating their three best warriors first. We will have to wait until we get to the horses before we use our hammer and chisel to rid Robin of his fetters.”
The headwaters of the Severn are close to Crewgreen and the river narrow enough to swim on a steady horse. We saw many people on the road as we headed north, but they were the usual travellers; merchants heading to Ludlow or Shrewsbury, others heading north to Chester or south to Worcester. What we did not see were soldiers. The imminent arrival of the king meant that every lord would have been summoned to swear allegiance to the new king. Not to do so might result in the loss of lands. In Prince Llywelyn’s case, failure to pay homage to Edward was tantamount to a declaration of war. That alone made me more hopeful that he would be nowhere near his mine!
Where we planned to cross, we also had the advantage of thick undergrowth and trees to hide us so that we could make a camp that was safe from spying eyes. We left the road at Coedway. The road to Wales went west and we headed for the River Severn, just before its junction with the River Vyrnwy. We ensured that there were no prying eyes to watch us cross, and we found somewhere with rocks on the southern bank to disguise our tracks. Of course, a good tracker would find where we had crossed, but by the time they had backtracked us, I hoped to be back at Yarpole.
The river was just fifteen paces wide and although it was lively, the water was not deep enough to necessitate swimming. Our breeks, however, were soaked. Once on the other side, David and Will went up and downstream to ensure that we were alone and to find a good campsite. David found one upstream, to the west of us. Here the river was young, and it twisted and turned in narrow loops. He found a wooded area between a loop of the river. The trees hid us, and it meant we had just the north side of the camp to guard.
We tethered the horses and took off our breeks to let them dry. We would not risk a fire but there was enough warmth in the air to begin to dry them. When we donned them again, they would still be damp but that was all.
Having ascertained that we were alone, I gathered my men around me. “According to Peter, the mines are just ten miles from where the Vyrnwy meets the Severn. If we rise early, before dawn, and follow the river, we will add three or four miles to our journey, but we have to avoid the village. Peter passed through it on his way home and said that there was a hall there, and that suggests some sort of lord of the manor. I would not risk a confrontation. When we find somewhere to camp, we will leave the horses and scout out the mine. If Peter’s numbers are accurate then we may well attempt a rescue tomorrow night.” I saw Richard nod enthusiastically. “But, Richard, if I deem it to be too dangerous, then we will spend another day scouting it out.”
“But Captain, each day we delay makes my son weaker!”
“Better a little weaker and rescued than us dead and no hope of rescue. We are Robin’s only hope!”
I waited for that to sink in and then, having arranged for one man to be on watch each hour, we wrapped ourselves in our cloaks and slept.
I was woken by Will Yew Tree when it was my watch. “Quiet as the grave, Captain, although there is a fox hunting.”
I nodded and, after making water, I tested my breeks. They were dry enough to don. I ate some of the ham and stale bread we had brought and then sat with my back against the bole of a tree. I went over my plan and while I could find no fault in it, I knew the risks involved. We had to kill every guard who was awake. If we left one alive then there would be pursuit. I was keenly aware that if we succeeded then we might have twenty men. While I would not leave any behind, such a number merely increased our chances of capture. I could do nothing about that. Robin was our priority!
When I had completed my watch, I had a mere hour of sleep before Tom woke me. I had barely got back to sleep.
We left before dawn and headed into the darkness of the west, guided by the sound of the river from our left. We followed the man-made path which followed its loops. At one point the path headed due west and we cut out one large loop.
As the sun rose, we saw tendrils of smoke to the north of us. That was the village of Llanymynech, and we became warier. We strung our bows. I had not brought the Mongol bow. It was more powerful than mine and I could use it from the back of a horse, after a fashion, but here I would be on foot, and the familiarity of my warbow more than compensated. As soon as we spied the smoke, I had us dismount and we led our horses; in that way, we would make a smaller target.
A short while later, as the river wound around, yet again, I spied the mine and its workings above us. There were buildings and there was smoke. I guessed that they would do some smelting there too, to save weight when they transported the finished silver.
That set me to thinking. We had forgotten the men who would operate the mine. The miners would be supervised by a senior miner and there would surely be others; experts in giving commands and extracting the ore. Peter had not mentioned them but there was no reason why he should. He had not been in the mine itself. The ambush had been at the other side of the village, and he had only been taken to the mine workings to have his hand and lower arm amputated. The fire there facilitated that.
He had said that he saw the workshop, for he had been tethered by his good arm to the anvil in there, while the other captives had been dragged inside to have their fetters fitted. When they had come out, they were taken inside a building with but one door and a bar on the outside, before all of the slaves were returned to their quarters as the afternoon wore on. Peter had been sent on his way with his message the next day. That alone had saved his life.
From Peter’s account I had no idea how many men worked at the mine, only the number of slaves. The number of men we might have to deal with could be double our predictions. I wondered if I had taken too much on.
We found a sheltered and hidden spit of land close to the river and Will established that we could easily ford the water. There was no shelter on the southern bank; it was grazing and scrubland. We could keep any pursuers from it with our bows. I left Richard in charge of the camp while I went with David the Welshman to scout out the mine.
“Do not leave me here, Captain!”
“Can you speak Welsh?”
“No, but…”
“And that is why David is coming with me.”
Taking our bows and swords, we headed for the River Vyrnwy. I hoped that there was a bridge or a ford. It made sense to me that there had to be one or the other. There would be people in the fields and travelling the small roads and tracks which crisscrossed the increasingly uneven land.
When we reached the river, it did not bode well, and I wondered if we would have to bring our horses. But the closer we came to the steep slopes on the other side of the river, the more likely it became. Eventually, we found a place where many people had stepped into the mud. It was a ford, but not an obvious one, made from rocks which had been dropped into the river. In the afternoon sun we could see them, but I knew that, at night, we would not. We would have to lead our horses here.
I could now see, above me, the shape of the mine, elevated amongst rocks, and its buildings. Peter had given me an idea of what to expect, but he had been no scout, and his account was not as accurate as I might have liked.
We took a wooded trail which seemed to loop around the side of the rocky hill. It was risky but we needed to find a way to get close to the workings. I soon realised that the path would take us above the mine. Perhaps it wen
t around the hill to one of the other villages and hamlets which were dotted about this land.
Suddenly the trees ended and, halting, we slithered on our bellies to peer down, for we could see the mine, the buildings and the workings. The smell told us that they had many fires going. They were smelting. There was also the sound of banging. I knew that there were iron and lead workings to the west and north of us. I wondered if the workshop used material from those mines. They would need a source of metal for the fetters and the tools.
As I had expected there were few people there. Disappointingly I saw no sign of a stable or horses, but I did see a pigsty with four enormous pigs.
I saw just four large buildings; they would not keep the silver here. They would take it to the village and the hall that was there, although horses and wagons would be a temptation for the slaves.
I saw the halls used by the senior miners, other workers and guards. Each hall had at least two doors, and there was smoke rising from the fires they burned within.
I spotted the slave hall which was the smallest and meanest building. I heard the caw of a crow and saw the sudden movement of a couple of the birds. They were pecking at two heads which were atop two spears close to the slave hall. I could not detect any features. Was one of them Robin? I was happy now that I had left Richard behind. He might have reacted badly. This way I could warn him.
David tapped my leg and pointed. “I see one of the guards.”
We were far enough away to be able to talk quietly.
I saw the man and realised that Peter had been right. He was a warrior, for he had on a leather studded brigandine and a mail coif around his neck. His sword was a good one. He was off duty, for he was drinking, and he was doing so alone. That was useful intelligence, for it showed a structure. The three senior guards did not associate with their men. Kill the three and the others might just decide that they would not take us on.
“Have you seen enough?”
“Aye, we can use this path. I see a way down to the buildings, and any guards would be looking towards the village.”
After we had crawled back to the trees and risen, he said, “Do you think one of the heads was Robin?”
I shrugged. “We will gain nothing by speculating. I will tell the others what we have seen. We will have to bring the horses, for we are too far away from our camp to be certain of escaping to them.”
We managed to return to the camp unseen before the sun started to dip to the west. My men gathered around, and it was a mixture of both eagerness and, in Richard’s case, dread.
“We will have to go now and leave the horses closer to the mines, for we have another river to ford, and we need to cross it while there is some light. Coming back may be harder than we hoped. You should know that we saw two heads on spears close to the mine, but we could not identify them. It does not change what we do.” I saw the grim determination on their faces. They were good men and knew that what we did was not without risk, but they were brothers in arms and Robin was one of ours. “Let us go. David will lead.”
We barely made it across the river before the sun set in the west. If we were successful, then we would have to cross it in the dark.
Once on the other side, David led us, as we walked our horses, towards the small patch of scrubby bushes we had identified closer to the mine. We would have to leave someone with the horses to keep them quiet and that took away one more man. I had decided to leave Tom with the animals, for he was good with horses.
When we had tethered them, we strung bows and prepared ourselves. I pointed to Tom and the horses. His face fell but he nodded. I pointed to Will and Richard and then David the Welshman. The two of them nodded. I circled my hand to the others, and they showed me they understood. They would follow. These were my men and words were unnecessary.
As David led us up the path, I held two arrows next to the strung bow. My men all did the same. We could and would use swords if we had to, but we were archers, and even in the dark we preferred bows. There would be enough light, even on a dark night, to make out not only the body of an enemy but also the lightness of a face, and if we were within twenty or thirty paces, then we would not miss!
We all followed in the footsteps of the man in front and David was like a surefooted goat as he led us to our vantage point. We stopped at the top to calm our breathing and to allow everyone to see what lay below us. There was a fire and it burned in the centre of the four larger buildings which lay five hundred paces down the slope. The four guards Peter had described could be seen. The firelight reflected from the metal studs on the brigandine of the man at arms. There were occasional bursts of laughter or noise, which came from one of the two halls we had identified as the sleeping quarters of the guards and the senior miners and workers.
David looked at me and I nodded. He began the descent and I followed him. I let him get two paces away before I did so. I knew, without even turning, that Richard was behind me.
It was a tortuous journey, for we had to watch our footing as well as keeping an eye on the guards. If we were seen prematurely, then we would have to move quicker than we wished. Luckily for us, the path was not covered in loose material nor was it slippery, and we moved down. I knew that the four guards would not see as far as we could, for they were all looking at the fire. Even when they took a turn around the buildings and came back, the fire would soon destroy their night vision. So long as we moved slowly and silently, then we should escape observation.
Suddenly there was a flash of light from one of the other buildings. I saw that it was the guard hall, and a figure stepped out. We were two hundred paces away but still above the man’s eyeline. We all froze. David had nocked an arrow when he had begun his descent. If he had to release, then there was a risk the bow might creak or that one of the other guards would hear the thrum of the arrow. David would only do so if he had to. I heard the hiss and splash of liquid. The guard was making water. When he had finished, he opened the door and returned. It had been handy, for that showed the door the guards would be likely to use and I would be watching that one.
When we made the flat, we stopped and listened. The noises were louder now, and we could hear the four guards talking. They were speaking Welsh, which was why I had placed David at the fore. He could understand them. He mimed pulling back on the bowstring and Will and Richard nodded. They nocked an arrow and when David moved, they followed him, one on each side of him.
I nocked an arrow and then mimed for Martin and William to go to the other door, the one on the fireside. Robin of Barnsley waited with me. I suddenly realised that if anyone came to make water, then the sound of their body hitting the ground might alert those within. I laid my bow on the ground and drew my dagger.
As I did so, from the corner of my eye, I saw my three men pull back with their bows and Richard fire off a second arrow as soon as his first had landed. There was a slight noise as one of the guards murmured as he died, and the four bodies fell to the ground, but those in the halls would have heard nothing. The four falling bodies made virtually no sound, for they were seated and had not far to fall.
I moved to the side of the door. The first part of the plan had succeeded. Now David had to get the door open and the slaves freed, but as they were fettered that would not be easy. I gestured for Robin of Barnsley to place himself where he could see the slave hall and he nodded and moved. The movement took him to the side of the hall.
It was then that I heard laughter within the guard hall and the door began to open. I pressed myself against the wall as a man stepped out. As he turned to close the door, he saw me. His mouth opened but my hand was swiftly upon it, and my dagger’s edge slashed across his throat. Warm blood flowed over my hand and he choked, but there was no sound, and when I saw the life go from his eyes, then I knew he was dead. I am a strong man and I held him there. After sheathing my dagger, I took his body and slung it over my shoulder. As I did so I noticed that he wore a brigandine. The second man at arms was slain.
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p; I carried the body towards the undergrowth. Perhaps they would think he needed to empty his bowels. At the very least, when he did not return, then they would have to search for him, so I laid him down, satisfied that he was hidden from casual view, and hurried back to pick up my bow. In my hand, I held his sword.
Robin of Barnsley waved to me and I joined him. I saw that the slaves were now moving from the slave hall. They held their metal fetters so that they would not make a sound. I saw Richard embracing one and knew that Robin was alive. There were not twenty slaves. I counted a bare ten who were following David to pass the other sleeping hall and head down the path to our horses. Even so, how would we escape with all these slaves? I forced myself to leave that problem until later. I saw that four dead guards had been disarmed and that meant four of the slaves had been armed with their weapons. We now had more men if we had to fight our way out.
David, Richard and Will shepherded the slaves while the rest of us faced the guard hall with nocked arrows. Amazingly none emerged, and we backed our way to the path. I could hear the noise of metal as the fetters inevitably clinked, but then it came to me that the guards and workers would be used to such noises, and I began to think we might have escaped.
We were halfway to the horses when I heard a commotion from the camp. The escape had been discovered. David was hurrying the slaves as fast as he could, and so I waited with the other three to watch the top of the slope. I heard a horse neigh and cursed. Tom was not to blame. The smell of strange men would make our horses do that, but the noise would attract attention. Sure enough, one hundred and ten paces above us, two faces appeared. It was dark but the white skin stood out like the centre of a target, and four arrows flew to smack into them. The faces disappeared.
“Move!”
We turned and hurried down the path. David had seen what had happened and I heard the sound of a hammer hitting a chisel as they began to rid the slaves of their fetters. Each bang sounded like the crack of doom, but it could not be helped and besides, they now knew where we were. We had rid ourselves of at least eight of them and we now had another few allies, but we were in the land of the Welsh and there would be pursuit!
