English Knight (16 page)

He reached into his purse and pulled out a feather.  It was the feather of a golden eagle. “Unless I miss my guess, this came from one of the scouts.  I have never seen a golden eagle in these parts but they have them in Scotland and they like to adorn their hair with them.” He nodded to Egbert, “Remember those lads who came to join the Varangians?  They had tattoos, limed hair and these hung from their pigtails.” Egbert nodded his agreement.

“Then it is a slave raid. You are right my son. Send Harold to Stock’s ton. Tomorrow you go hunting Scotsmen.”

Thanks to the earlier raids we had plenty of horses and ponies.  We left Ralph, Branton and four archers to help my father defend the castle while the rest of us, all nineteen of us, including Aiden, set off to hunt that most dangerous of game, man. My ribs were a reminder of how dangerous wild animals could be and man could be even more fatal.

Aiden said, as we left the castle, “I have brought Wolf, sir.  He is almost trained.”

I looked around at the huge hound which Aiden had saved during the winter.  He had come half starved with a damaged paw and Aiden had brought him back to life.  The huge wolf like beast now growled threateningly at the men at arms as they passed him.

“Almost?”

Aiden shrugged, “He only bites those I tell him to.”

I laughed, “Very well then but remember our avowed aim is to find these raiders.”

“I know, my lord and we will find them.”

“Then take your beast and head for Thropp. That is the last place Wulfstan saw them.”

He kicked his rouncy on and the wild dog led him north west.

Wulfstan nudged his horse next to mine. “So, young Alfraed, you need no advice?”

“Of course I do but you did say the tracks began near Thropp did you not? And the farm which is furthest from the manor is that of Grim son of Aelfric.” He had a farm far to the west.  He had been one of the few farmers who had had cattle before my father had bought some.  He now had a healthy, although small herd.  He and his three sons were clearing the forest.  He had ambitions to make a much bigger farm.  When I had visited him he had told me that there was land which could be cleared for farms for his sons. If the Scots were raiding he was a prime target.

“You are learning.  How will we deal with the raiders, should we find them?”

I knew Wulfstan well enough now to know that he was doing my father’s bidding and asking me leading questions to test me. “We need to do more than stop them.  We must make pay such a price that they choose other manors.”

“Grim and his sons may pay the price.”

I set my face. “I know and I will try to do all that I can to minimise the damage but we have the whole manor to think of and not just one farmer.”

He nodded, “I agree but it is good that you are aware of the consequences of failure.”

I looked at him, as sternly as I could.  “We will not fail.”

Our route took us past Thomas Two Toes farm.  He and his sons waved.  I noticed that they were armed and his animals were within his enclosure. If we were wrong then it might be Thomas who would pay the price. I was gambling that the Scots would strike as far away from the manor as they could.  I had no doubt that the Normans who had raided us would have spread the word about the new teeth on the old dog that was my father. The land dipped below Thropp and then rose to the small ridge.  Aiden waited there. He was on the ground, examining the tracks.

He pointed to the hoof prints. “These are the prints of the hooves of the raider’s horses.  They have four of them.  See how they are much deeper than those of my rouncy. They carry mailed warriors. It is hard to estimate the numbers of those on foot but I would say there are at least twenty.”

“Good.  And where are they?”

He pointed to the west.  “They are heading for Grim’s farm.”

The farm was less than two miles away.  The track twisted, turned, climbed and fell.  The raiders would have to tread warily. I needed them all inside a trap.  “Wulfstan, you take the oathsworn and the archers.  Approach from the north.  I will take Edward’s men and our new knight.  We will approach from the south.  We should trap them between us.”

“We will keep the same road for a mile anyway, Alfraed.”

“I know but once we are close I shall move quickly. We take no prisoners but let one live.”

Osric had been listening and he cocked his head to one side, “One?”

“I would have a message go back to the north. Find easier pickings than Norton!”

We were a mile away when we heard the sounds of screams.  I kicked Scout on.  Sir Richard rode his destrier.  I did not know why. This would not be a battle. Wulfstan and his column disappeared through the woods. I shouted to Aiden, “Keep out of the battle.  Use your bow to stop any mischief.”

“Aye my lord.”

I rode knee to knee with Sir Richard as we thundered along the track which led to the southern entrance to the farm.  I smelled smoke.

Grim had built a wall.  It was mainly to keep his animals in but it had served to slow down the Scots.  I saw one half naked dead warrior at the gate.  It was a heavily tattooed body.  It was a Scot. A slave’s body lay close by. Sir Richard had a lance but I had a long spear. As we galloped through I saw that the Scots were hacking at the door of the large hut and they had fired it to make those inside leave. One warrior, at the rear of the band, turned as he heard us.  I punched my spear into his chest and flicked the body to one side. I stabbed at a second warrior but the man dived to the side and I merely scored his ribs. The three mailed warriors had dismounted and were organising a ram.  I held my spear aloft and I hurled it towards them. A warrior called a warning and an enormous Scot turned just in time to have the spear plunge into his chest.  He was such a large man that he fell amongst his comrades and knocked some of them to the ground.

As I drew my sword I saw Sir Richard still using his lance. I leaned to the side as Scout galloped towards a knot of warriors I swung it horizontally and it cracked and crashed into the side of the skull of a man at arms.  His falling body jerked my blade from his head. A warrior with a spear lunged at Scout and I whipped his head to the left. The spear head rose over my pommel and I smashed down with my sword.  The head broke from the haft. I backhanded the man and my sword ripped across his face.

I saw two of the raiders fall at my feet, their backs pierced with arrows and I knew that Wulfstan had arrived. The three mailed warriors now advanced towards Sir Richard and me. I galloped Scout towards them.  He was a brave horse but he would not charge their wall of shields. I reined him in and leapt from his back. Harold grabbed his reins and took him away from the fray. The three knights advanced menacingly towards me.  I was not worried. Edward and his men were already dismounted and rushing to my aid.  I just had to hold them off until they arrived and Harold returned.

I had time to work out which was the most dangerous of my opponents.  They all had mail with a ventail and they wore helmets with a nasal. They all bore swords and held shields but two of them were the old fashioned longer shields.  They were difficult to use on foot.  I brought my sword over and swung at the knight with the better shield. He deflected the blow and he and a second knight struck at my shield.  I dropped to one knee and supported my shield with my left leg.  At the same time I swept my sword at knee height.  None of them wore greaves and I felt my sword slice into the shins of one of them who screamed and dropped to the ground. I stood and leapt into the gap he had created. The move took the other two by surprise.  I saw, through my visor, Edward and my men at arms rushing to reach me but they had to fight their way through half naked Scotsmen who were laying about them with two handed swords. Sir Richard was still mounted! The man whose legs I had hacked was out of the fray and he was writhing on the ground.  The two remaining knights were more wary now.

I did not give them the chance to outflank me.  I darted forward with my sword and the tip went for the eye of the one to my right. His head jerked back and I flicked the sword to the left.  It caught the nasal of the second knight.  I stepped back quickly as the first knight hacked at the space my head had just occupied. My move took my head away from the body of the blade but the end of the sword cracked into my helmet.  It made my head ring but my helmet was well made and my padding prevented injury. I stepped forward and punched at the knight whose nasal I had caught.  My shield caught him full in the face and he fell to the floor.

It was the last knight who was the most dangerous.  He had managed to strike my helmet. His sword arced towards me and I met it with my sword.  It rang like a church bell. I had quick hands and I brought my sword around faster than he did.  He barely had time to block the blow and he stepped back. I saw that there were no Scots behind him and he was backing towards the hut.  Bodies littered the ground before us. I feinted towards his eye again and, as his head jerked back I stabbed down towards his knee. Although covered by hose it was not good mail hose and the tip tore through the links.  I twisted as I pulled the sword from it.  He suddenly dropped his sword and yelled, “I yield! I am your prisoner! Mercy!”

I was suddenly aware that Edward and his men, along with Harold were now standing at my back. I saw the other two knights behind me, lying dead. My men had finished them off. We had won. I took off my helmet and felt the cool air wash over me and I struggled to get my breath. All I could hear were the cheers of my men and the sound of their swords on their shields as they chanted, “Alfraed! Alfraed!” Over and over.

I looked up and saw that Sir Richard had taken off his helmet and he was grinning too. He saluted me with his sword.  “I can see that I will make my fortune with you, Sir Alfraed.” He shook his head.  “By God sir but you are fearless!”

Wulfstan walked over to us, “He has been ever thus Sir Richard.  Next time I would recommend that you dismount or else you risk losing the lord who will bring you that fortune.” There was heavy censure in his words. He nodded to Edward, “And you need to be a little nimbler on your feet too!”

Edward looked a little shamefaced.  “It will not happen again my lord.  Sir Alfraed is a mighty warrior and we will become better.”

I had regained my breath and I took the sword of the knight. “What is your name, sir?”

“I am William of Jedburgh.”

“And can your family afford a ransom or should I have your throat slit here and now?”

He looked shocked.  I saw that he was my age.  This was his first loss. “But I surrendered my sword!”

I pointed my sword at the hut. “And you tried to kill my people.  I ask again, can your family afford a ransom?”

He nodded, “Aye sir, they can.”

I turned to Wulfstan, “Are there any of his men left alive?”

Osric laughed, “We left one as you requested Sir Alfraed.”

“Good.  Then give him a rouncy and send him back for the ransom.” They brought the man forward and gave him a horse.  He had a slight wound to the head but he would survive.  “Tell your master’s family that they have one month to send the ransom or he dies.”

The warrior looked at William of Jedburgh who asked, “How much is the ransom to be?”

“I laughed, “Whatever they think you are worth so you had better pray, William of Jedburgh, that it is enough.” I slapped the rump of the rouncy which galloped off.

Grim and his family came out.  He was nursing a wounded arm but he was smiling. “Thank you for coming to our aid, my lord.”

“I am sorry we were so tardy.  Take any weapons you wish from the dead.  We will dispose of the bodies.”

He nodded, “Thank you, my lord.  That is kind.”

“Did you lose anything?”

He shook his head, “Two slaves, and my son has a cut to his coxcomb but we were lucky.” He pointed to his hut. “I built my hut big enough for the animals too.”

“Perhaps you should use stone next time.  It does not burn!”

As we stripped the bodies and piled them up I noticed that there had been casualties. Scanlan had a wound to the leg and he would limp for the rest of his life but, more seriously Big Tom, one of Branton’s archers had suffered a wound to the shoulder. He tried to struggle to his feet as I approached.  His son, Little Tom was bandaging him.  I waved them both down.

“Well Tom how is it?”

He looked up at Harold and shook his head, “I’ll never pull a bow again, my lord. I am useless as an archer.”

I saw, from Harold’s face, just what a devastating piece of news that was. Young Tom, too, was upset. “Fear not, we will not abandon you.  We will devise something.”

As we rode back to Norton, leaving a pall of smoke marking the dead Scots, I spoke with Wulfstan and Harold. “What can we do for him?  He is a doughty warrior.”

Harold spoke up, “I know him.  He could not bear to watch others using their bows and him unable to help.”

Wulfstan nodded, “He can still work though.  He could farm.” Harold shot a look of surprise at Wulfstan. “We need farmers and farmers who can fight are even more valuable than ordinary ones.”

“What about his son Tom?”

Tom and Harold were of an age.

“He could join his father on the farm.”

I found myself agreeing with Wulfstan. “It is time we trained our own men to be archers.  If it had not been for Branton and the rest of you we would not have survived.  We owe you all a debt we can never repay.  Have you a plot of land in mind?”

Wulfstan nodded, “When we came back the other day we passed by the burn where the deer congregate. It looks to be a pleasant little plot of land and no-one lives there yet. It will need clearing but Tom could hunt for us while the land was being cleared.  It is just a mile or so from the castle.  They would have a safe refuge.”

“Good, then they can have the land at Hart Burn.  I shall speak with my father.” I glanced over my shoulder and saw Sir Richard watching us. “Well, Sir Richard, what say you?”