Poisonous Plots Read online

  “I need a prisoner!”

  It was too late. My archers were trained to kill and kill they did. I wheeled Skuld around and headed for the one I had struck with the flat of my sword. He was still unconscious.

  “Find me one who is wounded! Search the dead for clues.”

  Padraig shouted, “I have found Ralph of Nottingham’s horse.”

  That meant we had found the ambushers of my man at arms. However, I still did not know their purpose. Dick came over to me, “I think that they were just brigands lord but they have been warriors. Three of them had surcoats. It looks like a red line with a forked tail on a yellow background although they are so faded it is hard to tell the colours.”

  “Have you seen one like that before?”

  “No, lord.”

  I turned, “Any prisoners?”

  “Just the one you clouted, lord. He looks in a bad way. His skull is creased.”

  I knelt next to him and poured some water in his mouth. His eyes opened but he saw nothing. “Who is that? I am blind! Who is there? Is it you Calum? Have the bastards gone?”

  I nodded to Padraig. He had the nearest to a Scottish voice. He said, “No, it is not. You are hurt bad, friend.”

  “Aye, give me the warrior’s death. Who else lives?”

  “No one.”

  “Then take the Englishman’s horse and ride to our master and the Norman at…” His eyes were open but he was dead. My blow had been too hard and I cursed myself.

  “Well done Padraig. I am guessing that their master is William. I will ask Sir Hugh about this William’s standard. But we still do not know where they are.”

  Dick said, “Fear not, lord, if anyone can find out it is Aiden and his men.”

  We buried the bodies and took the horse back. We only buried the bodies to stop the locals being plagued by carrion. As we rode back I thought of what we had seen. Only three wore surcoats and they were faded. This Scotsman and his Norman master were clever. They were disguising their men as brigands to allay suspicion. They had failed. The fact that they had been so devious led me to devise an equally devious plan.

  When my knights arrived for the feast, they brought their families. I had, unconsciously, created a rare gathering. The daughters of my knights mixed with the squires and young knights. The blossom of romance could be felt in the room. I saw matrons looking at the young squires who tried to impress their daughters. This was not the world of King Henry where five and six-year olds were not only betrothed, but, in some cases, actually married. This was the real world where the young had choices. Of course, the young men would have to face the fathers but all had been knights together and I knew that any marriages which resulted would be joyous. The squires would have to wait until they were knighted. Young Sir Ralph, following his knighthood and Sir James were seen as prizes. Sir James, especially, was the source of much attention. He had a manor! He had coin!

  While the lower end of my hall was filled with giggling and flirtatious laughter the top end saw my most senior knights talking earnestly with me.

  “Aye, Warlord. The design you describe is William’s. He has a line with a forked tail on just such a background. But from what I have heard he is not clever enough to come up with such a cunning plan.”

  “But de Vernon is!”

  Wulfric coughed. He did not look well. “It is simple enough Warlord. We take our knights, men at arms and archers, we ride north and we kill this Scot and his Norman dog! We have done so before.”

  I smiled. Wulfric was an old warhorse. He was as brave as they came but his approach to everything was to go at it head on. “We have peace now. The men we killed were masquerading as bandits.” I looked around the table. “But we will have to fight the Scots. From what Sir Hugh has told me this William is the next king. He wants Northumbria back and we will have to fight him. The men of Northumbria are not strong enough to do it alone. Build up your forces. Even if the King of Scotland dies before Christmas there will be no war until next year at the earliest. I am going to write to the King in Normandy and tell him what we have learned. He expects me back soon. That is now impossible.” I saw smiles and grins from those around the table.

  “And what do you plan to do lord?”

  Sir Harold had been my first squire. He and Dick had served me longer than any. I think that gave them an insight into me and my ways.

  I had begun to think of this plan when I had been heading north from Forcett. All that had happened had merely confirmed it in my mind. “I will take my son, Dick, along with twenty archers and twenty men at arms. We will ride through the back roads to Jedburgh. I would speak with King Malcolm. He has land in England he owes fealty to King Henry. Perhaps I can find reasonable men around him. If this William and de Vernon are in Dùn Èideann then we might be able to sneak in unawares. Jedburgh is close to the border.”

  “It is a risk lord.”

  “Norham is but twenty-seven miles away. We know the land there well and we can reach that castle easily if there is trouble. This de Vernon is playing a dangerous game. He is using the Scots to do the work of the King of France. We have to stop him. Speaking with King Malcolm is just the first part. Once we know exactly where Richard de Vernon is then we take him.”

  “Even if he is deep in Scotland?”

  “Even if he is deep in Scotland.” I nodded and my men understood the threat that was Richard de Vernon.

  Chapter 11

  My son and I chose the men we would take and prepared that which we would need. We would not be taking servants. I intended taking ten spare horses. Two would take provisions. My son and I decided that we would come back using a direct route for we needed to speak with the Bishop of Durham. We were just selecting the horses when Aiden and his men rode in. They were leading a string of ten horses.

  I laughed, “You took your role seriously then?”

  Aiden shrugged, “It kept us safe. We found your man, this Norman, de Vernon. He is with a bull of a Scottish lord called William Strong Arm. They are at a place called Tranent. It is not far from Dùn Èideann. He has fifteen Normans and English with him. This William Strong Arm has more than a hundred warriors. There were only fifteen or so knights. The rest look to be little more than brigands.”

  “And what did you hear of the Scottish King?”

  “That he will not see another summer. He is doomed to die.”

  The rumours we had heard were all true and I had to put my plan into place quickly. “Thank you, Aiden. We will be gone a month.”

  “Do you need me, lord?”

  “For what we have planned, no. Keep a good watch on the manor, there may be enemies close to hand. They killed Ralph of Nottingham.”

  “Fear not. We will find any who dare to come within smelling distance of my nose.”

  We left at dawn. By heading through Fissebourne I was keeping away from prying eyes. Sir John was my lord of the manor at this most northern of my manors. His men rode the roads ahead of us so that we made our second camp at Matefen. We chose it deliberately. Hugh of Hexham had been one of my knights. Betrayed and killed most of his men had perished. The ones who remained had settled at Matefen. They hunted in the land north of the old Roman Wall. Cedric and Oswald would make us welcome and, more importantly, safe from prying eyes. From there we would have just forty miles to go. The forty miles would be across some of the most inhospitable land in the whole country but there would be no castles and no knights. If we could reach Matefen unseen then my plan had a chance of success.

  Sir John had been a squire with me along with Leofric. The difference was that John had never left England. That meant he knew the highways and backways as well as any man. We arrived in the early afternoon and he led us out before dawn. He had men riding the main roads while we went along tracks which had been used before the Romans had come. By dawn we were well north of his manor and he turned to leave us.

  “We will be coming back through Durham. Have your men patrol the land close to the Bishop’s domain.
”

  “Aye lord.”

  Fissebourne was, technically, in the Palatinate but as the Bishop had been about to give to an enemy of King Henry I had intervened. The Bishop had done nothing about it but I was the second most powerful man in the land and even the mighty churchman would not gainsay me. Once we headed north we were no longer in my land. We were in the land of the Prince Bishop. We would be seen for there were bridges over the largest rivers north of the Tees. Even the fords had villages and castles close by. Our hope was that they would not have either Scots or the men who followed Sir Richard de Vernon. We had a long ride. Our largest and heaviest men had to change horses.

  We now relied entirely on Dick and his archers. My oldest warrior still put himself in the greatest danger for he led, along with Aelric another experienced archer. They did not have the youngest eyes and ears but they had the most experienced ones.

  Tomas ap Tomas came riding back to us just before we crossed the river the Romans had called the Vedra and the locals called the Wear. “Lord there are knights at the ford.”

  We had been riding for some hours and were due for a halt. We could also have been seen, many times. “Tell Dick that we will try to cross peacefully but he should be ready for war.”

  “Aye, Warlord, but he is always ready for war!”

  Alf son of Morgan said to my son, “Lord, do we arm for battle?”

  We were riding with shields and helmets hung from our cantles. Our spears were on sumpters. Our heads were not even protected by arming caps and ventails. Our coifs hung over the backs of our necks. William looked at me and I shook my head. “No, but we will be ready to draw swords if the Warlord gives the command.”

  I explained, “If this was our enemy they would not bar our way they would ambush us. If I was to hazard a guess then I would say that the Bishop knows our route.”

  “But how? Sir John brought us well to the west of Durham.”

  I told my son that which he did not wish to hear. “Then there may be a spy of the Bishop in Stockton.”

  He looked disappointed rather than surprised. He nodded his head. “And they must have access to a horse.”

  “More than that, it is someone with access to the castle. The town did not know of our journey. Only those within the castle knew our route.”

  He smiled, “You knew that there might be a spy and used this journey as a means to flush them out.”

  “Let us say that I suspected there would be one. There was one in Rouen and it cost us dear. I would not have our family put at risk. When we return we find him. My experience of high ranking churchmen is that they bear grudges and know how to suborn men. This interruption does not harm us. However, the Bishop has links with France. Sir Richard de Vernon may not be his only agent.”

  When we reached the river Dick and his archers were, ostensibly, feeding and watering their horses. However, I saw that they had strung their bows and their weapons lay within each reach on their cantles. Across the ford were six knights and twelve men at arms. If there was danger then there would be others who would be hidden. I rode Skuld and I let her ride to the middle. I released the reins to allow her to drink. I did not recognise the shields of the knights. The Palatinate had many knights.

  I took my ale skin from my cantle and drank. After replacing the stopper, I said, “What is your name, sir knight?”

  The knights had arming caps and their ventails hung loose. I saw that the leader was a young man. He said, in a surly manner, “I might ask you that since you ride in the Palatinate and you have not sought permission to do so from the Bishop.”

  I nodded, “You must be new to this land.” His eyes narrowed. I tapped my shield, “I say that for you do not recognise my device. It is well known not only in the Palatinate but also in the north of England. I admit it has been absent for some time as I have been on the King’s business. I do not need to give my name for this shield tells you that I am Alfraed, Earl Marshal of England and Warlord. I do not need to seek permission from the Bishop. Now, impudent young cockerel, tell me your name before my archers sent twenty arrows to rid me of this obstruction.”

  He looked up and his eyes widened. I did not need to look behind me to know that Dick and my archers had levelled their bows. “I am Guiscard de Lyonesse and I am one of the Bishop’s household knights. He sent us here for he heard that riders were abroad and he feared they might be Scots. I am sorry if I caused you offence, Earl Marshal.”

  I smiled, “I am hard to offend and you would have known if you had done so for you would lie dead in the river. Lyonesse, you are French?”

  He looked nervous, “My father was French but my mother was the great niece of King Stephen.”

  “Then your poor manners are understandable. Now remove your men and tell the Bishop that, when time allows, I will visit Durham and I will take him to task.”

  “Yes lord!” He wheeled his horse around and galloped off.

  I turned and said, “Dick!”

  “Aye lord. Grant and Robert son of Alan, follow discreetly and make sure that the young Frenchman does as he was ordered.”

  “Aye lord.”

  We continued north. I planned on crossing the Tyne not at the New Castle but further upstream. There was an old Roman bridge close to Chollerford. The nearest castle was Hexham. The knight there was Sir Robert of Hexham and although I trusted him he was old and he did not have a large garrison. Morthpath had a reliable lord and a larger garrison but it was closer to the Scots and I wanted our arrival at Jedburgh to be secret.

  My son asked, “Why would the Bishop have a French knight as one of his household knights?”

  “He is protecting himself. I have no doubt that he knows as much as we do of William and de Vernon. Did you not hear the claim the knight made? His mother is related to the Usurper. The Bishop plays a dangerous game. He has this knight whom he can use to travel back to France. It would arouse no suspicion. He has a conduit to Louis.”

  William said, “What can we do about de Puiset? He is becoming more than an irritant!”

  “Let him know that we know his game and inform King Henry.”

  Grant and Robert returned as we neared the Tyne. “They headed back to Durham, lord. They also picked up another twenty knights and men at arms just a mile from where we waited.”

  William said, “Then it was an ambush.”

  “It also tells us that their spy in Stockton did not know that I would be with you nor who would be the men in this group. It is someone who comes into your castle but not your hall.”

  William nodded, “Then that limits the possibilities. I had worried, when first you mentioned it that it might be one of my men at arms or archers.”

  “No, this will be someone who lives in the burgh. We have time to think of that once we have met with the King.”

  When we reached Matefen it was almost dark and the five or six huts looked deserted. The fire burning in the centre told us that they were not. There had been people here recently. We dismounted and unsaddled our horses. There was a well and my men went to get some water. I saw Padraig, Samuel and Alf looking worried. Dick said, “Cedric and Oswald are just being careful. They heard a large number of warriors approaching. They will know who we are but they will be making certain that we are alone. They have survived this close to enemies by being cautious.”

  Sure enough a few moments later and people emerged from the woods. Cedric and Oswald bowed. Oswald spoke, “I am sorry, lord, for the discourtesy but we have had trouble of late.” He turned, “Woman, get some food on. The Warlord will be hungry.” One of the wives hurried off to the pot we had seen on the fire in the middle of the huts.

  I pointed to one of the sumpters. “There is a deer on one of the horses. It was killed ten days since. Butcher it and it will feed us all. We would not take what little food you have with winter approaching. And then tell us about this trouble.”

  The huts were too small to accommodate us and so they led us to the fire where my men dragged logs for
us to use as seats around the cooking pot.

  “A few months back a warband came through. As you know, lord, we are cautious and we hid. They ransacked the village and took what little we had. Luckily it was spring and we had yet to harvest the early crops.”

  “Who were they?”

  “That is what is strange. They were a mixture of Normans and Scots. There were Scottish knights and Norman knights but they had not a shred of nobility about them. They had half a dozen girls with them and they abused them. It was pitiful to watch and do nothing but we would have been slaughtered had we intervened.”

  “You did right and, although it may seem heartless, I am pleased that the girls are alive for we can still affect a rescue.”

  “Is that why you have come, to help the girls?”

  “We have another purpose but we will attempt a rescue.” I took out a bag of coins. They were a mixture of English, Scottish and French. “Here, I assume you have a market you can use?”

  “Thank you, Warlord but we need not charity.”

  “It is not charity. Tonight, we have somewhere to rest. Regard it as payment for lodgings.”

  “These rude huts are lodgings?”

  “Oswald, you have campaigned and know that we have often slept out in the rain and snow. These are lodgings and we are grateful.”

  The next morning as we headed north through the mixture of moorland and forest I told my men my plans. “All of you will wait on the English side of the river which marks the border. My son and I will go with our squires.”

  John of Chester said, “A bad idea, my lord. The Scots are not to be trusted.”

  I smiled, “It is not open for debate but I would agree that, in most cases, they cannot be trusted. This King Malcolm is different. When he gave his word to return Northumbria and Carlisle to us he kept it. He has, as far as I know, never lied to either myself or the King. I will not cross with a conroi. It might be considered to have broken the peace. Many men died to achieve that peace. He is in an Abbey. We will be safe. What I need you to do Dick, is find us a way south to Durham. There is a valley called the Law. It is twisting and it is steep it might do.”