King in Waiting Read online

  King in Waiting

  Griff Hosker

  © Griff Hosker 2019

  Griff Hosker has asserted his rights under the Copyright, Design and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the author of this work.

  First published in 2019 by Endeavour Quill.

  Endeavour Quill is an imprint of Endeavour Media Ltd.

  Chapter 1

  I am the captain of Lord Edward’s archers. One day he will be King of England, and I hope that I will still be serving him when he is crowned. Some men mocked him, calling him either Longshanks or Squinty Eye! They did not do that to his face or within his hearing, for he was a most vengeful man. The London mob had recently insulted his mother, the Queen, and, as we rode south to Rochester Castle, he had let all of us know his feelings towards those who had jeered her. When the siege was relieved, he would turn his attention to them.

  I am Gerald War Bow, and I command the handful of archers employed by the future King of England. I know that I am young for the task but my men, most of whom are older than I am, seem happy to serve under me. We get on well together. I was born the son of an archer and to me, they were the best of men and I liked them all.

  Neither King Henry nor his son, Edward, were likeable men. I was under no illusions; I was used because I was useful. I had helped to capture the son of Simon de Montfort, but I had been accorded no honours for doing so. It was seen as my job. Now, while the king, his son and their entourage of barons and knights headed south to confront the rebels, we were sent with Captain William and Lord Edward’s men at arms to ride into the wild forests north of Nottingham. The slippery Earl of Derby, Robert de Ferrers, had managed to avoid being in Northampton and Tutbury when those two strongholds were captured. Lord Edward had heard the wily and elusive earl had taken refuge in the forests. This was not the work of nobles – and so we had been detached from the army to find him, if we could, and put him with the other prisoners we had taken in the campaign thus far.

  I had just ten archers left to me. A third of my archers had died in the campaigns against the Welsh and the rebels. Only Jack of Lincoln remained of the outlaws I had first hired. I think that was why Lord Edward sent us on this errand. I heard him say to Henry Almain, his cousin, as we left, “Set a thief to catch a thief, eh cuz!”

  Another reason was that he believed he had the rebels defeated. Simon de Montfort’s support lay in the Welsh Marches, London and in the Midlands. We had destroyed the Midlands power base while the Welsh, effectively, threatened the west, and only London remained. When Rochester fell, the royal army could turn its attention to Simon de Montfort and London. The rebellion and threat to the king’s power would be over, and Lord Edward’s future as King of England would be assured. When the king and his son headed south, in the third week of April, we turned north and headed for the forests which stretched from Nottingham to north of Doncaster.

  I liked Captain William, who commanded the men at arms. We had fought together in Poitou and Wales, and we understood each other. They too had lost men, and just eight remained under his command. We worked well together, for my men could use swords as well as the bows of which we were masters.

  As we watched the royal army head south, Captain William turned to me. “Well Captain Gerald, this is your sort of land. I know not why the Prince sends us here. You and your archers could easily capture the earl if he hides close to Nottingham. We are only here to ensure that they are held.”

  I nodded. “He needs us when there is dirty work to do. This de Ferrers is a thorn in the king’s side but, from what I can gather, he is a clever man. I cannot see an earl hiding out in a forest. We may find his men, but I think we look further south if we wish to apprehend this elusive lord.”

  “Further south?”

  I nodded again. “He slipped through our fingers at Northampton and Tutbury and I fear he has done so again. While our eye is drawn north, he will head south for London and de Montfort. But,” I turned in the saddle and waved forward John of Nottingham and Jack of Lincoln, “Lord Edward is our paymaster and we obey him.”

  My ex-outlaw and most senior archer joined me. “Captain?”

  “You know our task?”

  “Aye, Captain, we seek a needle in a field full of haystacks.”

  My men had an open way with them. I knew that Captain William would not have endured such familiarity, but these were my men. They were older than me and I allowed it, within reason.

  “John, you are a Nottingham man. Where would you seek the Earl of Derby?”

  He gestured with his thumb behind him. “South, Captain, towards London.”

  I looked at Jack of Lincoln, who nodded his agreement. “He is right, Captain. Robert de Ferrers likes his wine and his comfort. There is precious little of either in the greenwood.”

  “Let us say I agree with you. His men are not with him. Where would they go?”

  Jack of Lincoln grinned. “Ah, Captain, now you ask the right question. To the north-west of Chinemarelie, there is a part of the forest where there is an absent lord. The master of Codnor castle, Sir Robert de Grey, is on a crusade and there is just a castellan. We found the hunting easy there, sir. No gamekeeper. Men would not have to travel far into the forest to have a safe home and food to hunt. It is not far from Derby and it is close to the main road to London.”

  Captain William frowned. “And why would that be important?”

  “You should know, sir, we all like to stay close to our paymaster. Robert of Derby will need his men if he is to continue this rebellion. His men wait to be summoned.”

  I shook my head. Captain William would not endure the same level of familiarity as I did. “Captain William, my men and I will be the vanguard. I would not ask you to do this, but I have few enough archers as it is. Would you and your men be the rear-guard with the baggage? We can move in the woods and forests a little more easily than you.”

  The captain could not really argue. Although none of the men were as well armed and armoured as knights, they each had a mail hauberk, coif and mail mittens. Some even had poleyn and cuisse. You could hear a man at arms moving through the trees from a mile away. We would only need them when we had cornered these rebels.

  “Aye, so we take the Codnor road?”

  I looked at Jack and answered, “Yes, Captain, and it is there we take the road to Chinemarelie.”

  “Then we will see if the castellan of Codnor can put us up for the night. I daresay it will take you more than half a day to find them.”

  “That it will.”

  “Then we will see you at Codnor.”

  We got on well with the men at arms but all of us, me included, preferred to be on our own. Archers like the company of other archers. We dug our heels in and our horses headed up the road. The men at arms would be slower for they had the horses with the baggage. Most of it was theirs. They had their spears, tents and spare clothes. We just had our spare arrows and food. We would make hovels if we could not find a roof. Archers like to move quickly, for speed and agility are two weapons we know how to use well. I waved Jack of Lincoln forward. “Take the lead. The sooner we find the earl or his men, the sooner we rejoin Lord Edward.”

  As he rode briefly alongside me, he grinned. “I quite like this freedom, Captain.”

  “And what about your pay? The longer we are apart from Lord Edward the more likely it is that he can do without us. I do not see a line of lords waiting to hire us.”

  He shrugged and rode ahead. John of Nottingham took his place. “Then more fool them, Captain. You have proved that we are of more use than men at arms. Would he have captured young de Montfort without us?”

  I knew that I had little reason to fear being released, but I knew how lucky I was to be one of the captains of the futu
re King of England. I might not like the man, but I recognised in him a leader and a good warrior. John could see that I was not in the mood to talk and so he rode next to me in silence. I looked at the land through which we travelled. We were still in farmland but the hedges were becoming taller and, in the distance, I saw the dark shadow that was the forest. John of Nottingham had told me that it covered three counties but that, once, it had stretched almost to York. It was hard to believe. It made sense that the men who followed de Ferrers would stay on the southern side of the forest, and we would head there first. Jack of Lincoln knew the forest well, and he would save us much time in fruitless searching.

  We were riding the Great North Road, which had been made by the Romans. It went south to London and north to York and beyond. The task, which might have seemed daunting to another, did not worry us. If we chose to hide in the woods then none would find us, but if a lord or a large number of men tried to hide then they would leave clear signs. It was another reason why I had wished to hunt alone. The men at arms would have muddied the water and masked the trail.

  We had left the main road and passed Codnor when Jack of Lincoln emerged from the forest. He had strung his bow, and that was always a sign of danger. I did not need to issue orders. My men all took their bows from their leather cases and strung them. I did not. I was the captain.

  “I have found a trail, Captain. There are men with mail in these woods, and that means they are not outlaws. I think that these are the men we seek.” He grinned. “They are lazy men and have not ventured far.”

  I reined in. “Are they close to the edge of the woods?”

  “I rode a mile or so and I didn’t smell them.”

  I looked at the sky. It would be night soon. As captain I was paid more than the others, and it was up to me to make a decision. I decided it made sense to spend a night in the forest. The rebels would cook, and that would give us smell and a light to follow. I did not know the men we hunted but I knew my own. I turned in my saddle. “Ronan, ride back to Codnor and tell Captain William that we will be spending a night in the forest.”

  Ronan was the youngest of my men and keen to impress. “Should I return to you, Captain?”

  “No, have a night in a bed. Bring the men at arms here on the morrow. We will leave a sign for you to follow.”

  He looked disappointed but he nodded. “Aye, Captain.” He turned his horse around and rode back to the castle.

  John of Nottingham nodded his approval. “He is still not over the wound he got when Peter was killed.”

  “And that is another reason for sending him. I am taking no chances with any of my men. We have perilously few of them as it is. I will not risk a night attack unless I am sure that we can win.” I pumped my arm and we headed into the forest.

  When first we had followed Lord Edward, we had ridden any old nag and sumpter. Our success meant that we had managed to acquire better horses for ourselves. Most of my men rode palfreys and I had a courser. Only a war horse was better. The squire from whom I had taken that courser had died, as had his master. It was the spoils of war. I did not know her name and so I gave her one. I liked Eleanor as a name, and she soon responded to its use. Captain William thought I should have chosen a shorter name. Perhaps he was right, but I did things my way; I liked the way the word rolled off my tongue, and my horse liked it. That was enough.

  At first, the forest was thin. Men had come into the eaves and taken smaller trees for wood. It was a crime, but if there was no lord at Codnor then men would take risks. It meant that the trees at the edge were thicker around the bole and had a mighty spread. Archers notice such things, for a tree with a large canopy gives shelter. As I followed Jack, I saw the trees becoming thinner but more numerous and the trail more tortuous. Jack had dismounted and tied his horse to a branch on a rowan tree. I dismounted and tied mine to another branch. He had stopped for a reason. I went close to him and spoke quietly.

  “You have seen something?”

  “It could be nothing, Captain, but I smelled dung.” He tapped the split nose which marked him as a former outlaw. “Men don’t go too far from a camp when they drop their breeks. They like to go downwind of the camp. The wind is blowing in our faces. By the time the lads have dismounted, I should have found it.”

  How he knew such things I would never know, but he had survived in the woods as an outlaw for some years. My men all chose other trees to tether their horses. We knew which horses got on with others. Mine was the leader, and Jack of Lincoln’s would happily let the courser have the best grass. I took my own bow from its case and, removing my cap, took out a string. I strung the bow. I was pleased that it was hard to do; it meant that neither the bow nor the string needed replacing. I took out a war arrow and a bodkin and put them in my belt.

  Jack came back and used hand signals. We had all been together long enough to have worked out such signals. Dick, son of Robin, Will Yew Tree and Tom, John’s son, dropped to the rear. Matty Straw Hair took the left and Robin of Barnsley the right. My other men followed Jack and myself.

  Jack pointed to a barely discernible path, which led up a slight slope, next to the smallest of becks. I nocked a war arrow, as we would be more likely to see a warrior without mail rather than a knight or man at arms. We knew that we were looking for a very distinctive livery. Captain William had told me it was ‘vairy or and gules’. I did not know what it meant but I knew what it looked like; red chalices next to yellow helmets. I had decided that if we came upon outlaws, we would just leave them. Peter of Wakefield and Jack of Lincoln’s tales had given me sympathy for the men of the greenwood.

  We seemed to walk for a long time, and I saw the sun beginning to set in the west. Jack of Lincoln had told me that we were walking into the wind and, a few steps later, I smelled wood smoke. This was an open outdoor fire and there was food being cooked upon it. Jack was still leading us, for this was his land, but I gave the signals to order my men into position. I waved my hand for Stephen Green Feather to join Matty Straw Hair, while David the Welshman joined Robin of Barnsley. They spread further out. I needed as large a circle of bows to surround however many men we discovered.

  This had not been my plan. I had hoped merely to find them and then use Captain William and his men. The fact that we had discovered them within a short time changed my plans.

  I heard the noise of laughter and also of argument. Both told me that there was a camp ahead. Jack crouched as he led us closer. When he held up his hand for us to stop, all of us obeyed him. We were one company, and we trusted each other implicitly. He dropped his bow and crawled forward.

  He seemed to be away for a long time and, when he returned, he almost ghosted next to me. He held up twenty-two fingers. Then he tapped his sword and held up five. He patted his chest. He held up five fingers and tapped his bow. There were five men at arms, and they wore the livery of de Ferrers. There were five archers and the rest, the other twelve, were just de Ferrers’ retainers. I patted him on the back; he had done well. The surprise would be on our side.

  With John of Nottingham on one side of me and Jack of Lincoln on the other, I led Matty and Will towards the camp. It soon became obvious where it was, as there was a glow in the dark of the gloomy forest. The men on our flanks were invisible. They would know exactly what to do when we neared the camp. Archers, unlike men at arms, needed to fight together, to nock, draw and release as though they were one person, and to hit the same target at the same time.

  I stepped ahead of Jack, for I was captain and I had to lead. It helped that I was the best archer in our company, thus my men had total respect for me. This was our kind of battlefield; all of us could move silently. We looked for the branches and leaves and almost slipped through, without disturbing them too much. We scoured the ground for the tell-tale twigs that would break, alerting an enemy. The camp was a confident one and they had no sentries out; I knew that from Jack’s signals. Had there been sentries, then he would have given me the numbers and pointed at his eyes w
ith two fingers from his right hand.

  I stopped just thirty paces from the edge of their camp. They had lit a good fire and were roasting what looked like a young deer. Jack had good eyes. I saw that there were four men at arms and they wore de Ferrers’ livery, but there was also another man at arms who had no tunic. I knew him to be a man at arms for he was sharpening a sword – and it was a good one. The other five men at arms had mail hauberks beneath their tunics, but the sixth one did not wear his; I saw it lying on the ground.

  None of the archers were close to their bows. They had the leggings of liveried archers. The other eleven men were hired men. They were paid less than archers and men at arms. Lord Edward employed none, for he wanted professional soldiers and not the kind of men who might run when a battle turned against them. I saw that some had spears, for they had stacked them together. I spied another man sharpening an axe. These were de Ferrers’ men.

  I changed my arrow. Five mailed men meant I needed a needle bodkin. I hoped that we would be able to take them without a fight, but I was ready to kill if I had to.

  I began to move closer, but all the time I kept my bow aimed at the man at arms who was sharpening his sword. He was the one closest to a weapon. I had not fully drawn the bow; that weakened both the weapon and the archer. I could draw and release in a heartbeat if I had to. I heard fragments of their conversation and as I moved, I listened.

  “So, how long do we stay here?”

  “Rafe the Grumbler, you are well named. We have been here just a sennight and you have eaten well.” It was the man sharpening his sword who spoke, and that marked him as the leader. I had been right to cover him with my bow.

  “Aye, and his lordship has abandoned us here, Henry Sharp Sword. That knight might come back from the Holy Land any day now. What then?”

  “We find somewhere deeper in the forest! God’s blood but the forest is big enough, and the land to the north-west belongs to our master.”