Northern Knight (19 page)

There was panic amongst the ranks before us and this was exacerbated by the animals and the captives in the middle.  It mattered not that we were there to save them they panicked even more and prevented those at the front from turning to face us.

I drew my sword and swung it from behind me to rip up and into the head of the mailed warrior with a shield and a sword.  He tumbled backwards although not dead he was out of the battle. I glanced over my shoulder and saw that we had ridden deep into the warband. When I looked ahead I saw the warriors on the horses organising a shield wall to face us. Our horses were tiring and there was little point in risking them further.

"Norton, turn right!" I had no John to signal with the banner and I pointed to the west with my sword. The knights with me heard and began to wheel. As we galloped through the fleeing Welsh we laid about us with our swords and the shattered remains of lances. It was as though a whirlwind had attacked a field of wheat.  You could see the bloody lines of bodies behind us.  It took some moments for them to realise that we had turned and we used that time well. I saw the hedge ahead of us. It was too high to jump and so we headed for the gaps. As soon as I was through the first gap I wheeled Scout around to watch the rest as they came.

Some of the riders on ponies had pursued our men.  I saw the squires being attacked by them.  They did us proud.  Although young and inexperienced they rode fine horses and wore mail. That saved them for the Welsh riders jabbed spears at them as they closed.  It was their mail which saved them from serious injury. They hacked at the spears and used the weight of their horses to force the ponies away from them.  I saw John use my banner as a spear and he knocked a rider to the ground.  Roger of Lincoln wheeled the men at arms to aid the squires.

I looked beyond them and saw that the Welsh leader, I assumed it was their king, had organised his men and a line of horsemen led the ponies in a line towards us. Behind them the men on foot were being ordered into lines ready to advance towards us.

I said nothing to Dick for he knew the range better than I did.

"Position yourselves close to the gaps. Dismount.  We will face them on foot. That is where they will come through."

I saw that we had lost at least two men at arms but my knights appeared to be unscathed.  I saw Tristan and Harold congratulating each other. I understood their pride. They were young knights and they had acquitted themselves.  They had done well.  Already we had scattered the Welsh army and halted their plundering. It was all that the Earl could have hoped for. Now we had to hold them until he and the army arrived. I hoped it would not take too long.

I was next to Wulfric at the central gap in the hedges.  "They are piss poor soldiers, my lord."

"Aye Wulfric but now they are angry.  They have seen how few we are and that makes a man fight harder.  This will not be easy."

The men at arms were formed on either side of me.  John and Leofric hurled themselves from their horses and stood behind me. "Make sure they see my banner, John son of Godwin."

"Aye my lord." I heard the pride in his voice as he raised the standard.

"Release!" The thirty arrows soared high over the hedge and even as they reached their apex a second flight was on its way.  I knew without counting that they would release five and then begin to aim.  To the Welsh on their small ponies it must have been like stepping from a house into a blizzard save that this storm was deadlier. Ponies and men fell as though scythed. Inevitably some got through for they were attacking on a wide front. The gaps were not large but two or three ponies could get through. I deflected the spear of the first rider who burst through the hedge and swung my sword. He jerked his pony's head around and my blade bit into the skull of the beast which reared in pain.  The rider was thrown and the pony fell to the side.  I stepped forward and killed the rider where he lay. The dead animal effectively blocked the gap and the other riders struggled to make their ponies climb over.  Wulfric and my men at arms stepped forward and began to lay about them with their weapons.  Ponies and riders fell. Most had no armour and could not stand against such disciplined men.

I heard a trumpet and the Welsh fell back.  They left behind a bloody pile of ponies and men.  We had held them; for the moment.

"Wulfric, see to the wounded. Dick, send a rider to the Earl and tell them that we have stopped the Welsh but we need help." I turned to Leofric and John as my men attended to their duties. "Come we will ride towards the Welsh.  Bring my banner."

We rode west to the departing Welsh.  Although I had done as ordered I did not want the Welsh to slink off and escape the wrath of the Earl. I could see that some of the Welsh lived still.  John looked aghast at some of the wounds the men had endured and yet they lived still. "Many of those will have their pain ended, John, but we have other duties to perform."

"Will the Welsh not attack us, my lord?"

"They may do although I doubt it. It is more likely that they will talk for they will be curious about me.  My banner is unknown, I think, in these parts. If this is the Welsh King who leads them then he will have been surprised by our ambush." I pointed to the huddle of knights, "See how they hold conference.  He is asking his men for advice.  We have piqued their curiosity."

We halted some two hundred paces from the Welsh.  We were still close enough to our own lines to ride back if we had to and I knew, without looking, that Edward would have my knights ready to ride my rescue if it was needed. I sensed the nervousness of my two squires.  "You two did well but John you need to learn to ride with the banner in your left hand and wield a sword with your right.  We cannot have my banner broken because you have used it as a spear."

"Sorry, my lord, but the blood was in my head."

"I know but better you keep a calm heart and a mind which thinks.  You will live longer."

There was a pause.  I saw the Welsh leaders still arguing. "I am still learning to ride, my lord."

"You need to practise riding without using reins."

"That is magic my lord!"

"No, you use your knees.  You will need to know your horse better than you know Sheba and Caesar." I was just talking to fill the silence for both of them were nervous.

I heard Leofric say, "I did tell you."

Just then a trumpet sounded and a knot of mailed knights with banners rode towards us.  They bore the standard of Gwynedd. "Now keep quiet and listen. If this is a trick then I will tell you to ride back to Sir Edward.  Do it instantly."

The five knights stopped twenty paces from us.  They were as wary of a trap as we were. I removed my helmet to show that I was here to talk and they did the same. Their leader, who bore the dragon on his shield, spoke, "I am
Llywelyn ap Gruffydd and I command this army of Gwynedd. Who are you?"

"I am Baron Alfraed of Norton and I command the vanguard of the army of Robert Fitzroy, Earl of Gloucester and Lord of the Welsh Marches. You have come where you are not wanted and raided our people.  You must pay." I saw some of his knights look over their shoulder as though the Earl might appear like some vengeful angel.

"We outnumber you Norman! Surrender and we will give you terms."

I almost laughed but my father had taught me that was not polite. "We bar your way home.  If you wish to drive us hence then do it and do not waste words."

"Who says we wish to return home?  We have retaken the land your people stole from us."

I nodded, "Then stay and the Earl will drive you hence.  And I am Saxon, not Norman.  My land was taken by the Normans too but I have learned to live with that.  Perhaps you and your King should too. Remember what happened to Powys when King Maredudd ap Bleddyn dared to threaten England.  I have heard that the men of Powys have forgotten what beef tastes like." I suddenly realised that this knight was talking Norman.  He had served under a Norman lord.  I stored that information. Perhaps the Earl knew of him.

"If you stay then we ask permission to carry off our wounded and dead.  You may have the same courtesy."

I smiled, "Thank you for the courtesy but none of ours lie on the field. You may carry them hence.  They died well."

"Thank you," he paused and smiled, "Saxon. I will remember you."

"And I you."

As we rode back Leofric asked, "Why did you allow them to carry off their wounded and dead, my lord?"

"It affords the Earl more time to reach us and it does not harm us.  Our horses are resting and when they move we can still follow."

When I reached Edward I saw the relief on their faces. "Well, Baron?"

"They carry off their dead."

"And then?"

"And then they have two choices.  They either return to their camp at Nantwich or they ride west.  Both bring them into contact with us. If they return north they meet the Earl and if they head west then they have to shift us."

Edward nodded, "The Welsh are a poor people.  We found little on their bodies and their weapons are useful only as ploughshares."

"I know.  And their King is not with them. It is not like King Henry who lives hundreds of miles away; their King lives in Anglesey. A leader should fight with his men."

We waited while they collected their dead.  They had to come quite close to us. As they did so I had a chance to examine their men at close quarters. We saw no mail on those who were sent to collect the bodies and the helmets were simple affairs; they were pieces of metal attached to a rim and one central cross piece. All had left their shields behind but their swords were also crudely made.  I could not see how they would stand against a determined charge by a large number of horses.  Our vanguard had been simply too few in numbers to destroy them but we had seriously damaged them.

Their eyes flicked to the dead ponies as they collected the bodies. Wulfric looked at me and I nodded. It was a small gesture but we made it anyway.  Taking his sword Wulfric hacked off the hindquarter of a pony and gave it to one to the Welsh soldiers.  His face lit into a smile and he nodded his thanks.  We did not understand his words but guessed they were thanks.

As night fell the Earl had still to arrive. "Dick, send a couple of archers a little closer to watch them.  I do not want a sneak attack on us."

My men had a fire going and the ponies that had died had been butchered and were now roasting on the fires. My conroi was made up of practical soldiers.  You never knew where your next meal was coming from or when; you ate when you could.  If we had to leave in a hurry then they would take the half cooked meat and devour that.

Aelric arrived, "My lord, the Earl has captured the men at Nantwich. He says he will join you on the morrow."

I was both surprised and disappointed.  The Earl had taken the easy route of a quick gain. Had I led the army then I would have destroyed the Welsh first and returned later to the Welsh camp. We had just eaten and were contemplating camping when Garth the archer rode in, "My lord, they have broken camp and are heading south quickly.  Griff of Gwent follows them. They have left their captives." He hesitated, "They have slit their throats."

Dick had done well; he had sent one of our Welsh speakers to watch them. "Aelric ride to the Earl and tell him the Welsh have broken out. Wulfric mount the men.  We follow."

I was angry. If the Earl had come when I had sent for him then we could have attacked and the captives might have been saved.  Equally Gruffudd could have just left them.  He and I would need to cross swords. Edward said, "They will turn west."

"I know."  Although it was dark we could see the shapes of the mountains in the distance, a black shadow which rose like a wall to the west.  "If they make the mountains then we will have the devil's own job to catch them."

John brought me Scout and I mounted. We were lucky not to be encumbered by too much captured weaponry and we would be able to move swiftly.  However we had to find our way to the south and west over unfamiliar land.

"Dick, send all of the archers south and west.  We need a road and we need to find the Welsh." The archers rode off.

Wilson arrived back within a short time.  "My lord, there is a track which heads south west.  It is wide enough for four horses.  If you would follow me I will take you there."

We picked our way across the fields until we came upon the track.  It was rutted but we could, finally, move more quickly. Dick had sent the archers out in pairs and gradually, over the next few chilly hours we received reports.  The Welsh were almost running back to Wales. They were well ahead of us.  The delay in leaving and the early, difficult terrain had given them a lead. We could do nothing else but follow as quickly as we could. The Welsh were moving swiftly; they were a warband with no order and that gave their legs more speed. They had no captives to slow them down and they were heading for safety.  I knew there was an old fort called Wrecsam.  It had been destroyed by William, the Earl's grandfather, but who knew if it had been rebuilt.

As dawn broke and the weak spring sun made us feel marginally warmer we saw that we were close to the foothills of the mountains. Our scouts had kept us informed of their movements and we now knew that they were not heading to Wrecsam.  It had not been rebuilt.  They were heading for the mountains and the safety of the rocks and gullies there. I knew that we were tired.  We were riding; the Welsh also had to be exhausted. When I had seen them, collecting the bodies I had seen how squat they were.  Compared to our men they were almost dwarves but they were hardy and that hardiness was showing now. The advantage of daylight was that we could push harder.  After we had stopped at a stream I summoned my knights.