Kingmaker (The Anarchy Book 12) Read online

  The archer's arrow meant that Gilles had no opponent in the front rank and even as we hit their line his lance drove deep into the side of an unsuspecting knight. I swung my sword and hacked into the arm of the knight behind. The blow was so powerful that it almost tore my sword from my hand. I pulled back a little on Rolf's reins to slow him. It had the effect of making him rear and his hooves smashed onto the thigh of the next knight. I brought my sword over to strike down on his shoulder and he tumbled from his horse. Our attack on their weak side was causing mayhem.

  I saw, ahead of me, Sir Harold approaching from the west of the road, we had almost severed their line. He had brought his men from the other flank. They had not expected us to attack for they outnumbered us. Now was the time for the second part of my plan. Their leaders were between us and Wulfric. Leaving my dismounted knights to finish those off I wheeled Rolf and shouted, "On! South!"

  Sir Tristan, who was next to me, still had his lance and as he punched into the helmet of one of William of Aumale's men at arms I stabbed under the arm of the man at arms next to him. All order had gone from our lines now but it mattered not. We were amongst men who had lost their leaders. Where they had been following their knights and leaders they were now faced with their enemy. Our archers were still sending arrows over our heads into the massed ranks of horsemen before them. Inevitably they broke.

  When the ones before us turned to flee through their comrades it caused confusion. Horses reared and men were thrown as the men at arms, many of them mercenaries, tried to save their lives by fleeing the field. In many cases it was in vain for we were in hot pursuit and an unprotected back is an easy target. There were knights before us and they were frustrated in their attempts to rally their fleeing men at arms. Soon I heard the familiar cries of, "I yield!"

  One knight and his four men at arms continued to stand and, seeing my banner he yelled, "I will kill you, Earl of Cleveland!" Swinging his war axe the knight with the yellow and green checked shield rode at me.

  His men at arms guarded his flanks and I ignored them. Gilles, Edgar and Tristan could deal with them. The knight was a more dangerous opponent. He rode at my sword side. His axe was more powerful than my sword and I had just a shield to protect me. There was no one to my left now. I watched as he pulled back his arm to swing at my chest. Jerking Rolf to my left I pulled my shield up. I would form a barrier across my chest. At the same time I swung my sword at head height. This was not a time for faint heart. His axed smashed into my shield and the blow was so powerful that I reeled. Only my cantle held me. When my sword connected with his neck he died but the force of the blow threw me backwards over the rear of Rolf's rump. Even as I fell I tucked my head into my chest. There were horses charging behind me. It would be ironic to have my head caved in by one of my own men. I hit the ground hard. It knocked the wind from me and I saw stars.

  I felt something clatter into my head and then all went black.

  "My lord! I am sorry! My lord awake!" It was Henry FitzEmpress' voice I heard. I opened my eyes and saw him and Gilles standing over me. There was relief on their face when they saw I lived. “I could not reach you in time! I thought you dead!”

  "We have sent for a healer." Gilles smiled but I saw concern in his eyes.

  I held out my arm for Gilles. As he pulled me up I said, "I need no healer. I was knocked from my horse is all." I nodded at Henry. "The same thing happened to your great grandfather at Hastings I believe.”

  Richard rode up with Rolf, "We have the field my lord. We have a great victory! The enemy are fled and their knights yield!"

  I sheathed my sword and holding Rolf's reins said, into his ear, "Well done my steed. That was my fault and not yours." Once on his back I could see men at arms running down the fleeing men on foot. Other men at arms were despatching the enemy men at arms who were badly wounded. I saw the body of the knight whose axe had almost done for me. My shield had been almost cut in two and I would need another. The body and the head of the knight lay ten paces apart. He would have known nothing of his death. He would have been alive one moment contemplating his victory over the Earl of Cleveland and in the next ... oblivion. Such were the narrow margins in a battle.

  I saw Edgar grinning, "A spectacular fall, my lord! At our age it is not the best thing to do." He was always the same. No matter how many times we fought Edgar was always there like a rock.

  I nodded, "Aye Edgar! I am slipping. Did we lose many?"

  "Jean of Angers and Guillaume of La Flèche have served you for the last time. Others are wounded. Sir Tristan lost a couple of men too. He is leading the others in the chase."

  Any loss was sad but these men had fought with me for some time. The two dead men at arms had both joined me years ago when I had been given the manor of La Flèche. Both Angevin, they had become Englishmen by choice.

  "Make sure their families receive their share of treasure."

  Henry, who had been silently listening to this, said, "But they are dead!"

  "And they served me. They deserve a share of the spoils of war. This is a lesson to you. Keep loyal men around you." He nodded but, as we discovered later, he was not listening and he paid the price of that temporary deafness.

  Fifteen knights had been captured although, sadly, William of Aumale was not amongst them. We sent the three squires who had yielded for ransom and then, after dismantling our defences, we headed back up the road to Yarm. Our dead were buried in a large grave by the side of the road. We marked it with a single cross. When we passed it as we rode the road we would remember them. On the other side, we made a pile of the enemy dead we had fought and, using the stakes which had kept them from us, we burned them on a pyre. The blackened earth remained for the rest of the year. It was a reminder to the enemy of the dangers of taking on the Warlord of the North.

  Chapter 6

  I kept the knights waiting for ransom at my castle. Gone were the days when I would have asked for reasonable amounts. Now we asked for all that we knew they could pay. It was another lesson to teach. Knights would think twice before joining a venture to attack us. Amongst the knights we had captured was Diederik of Brugge. He was one of the Flemish knights. He was a surly man. The knights who yielded had given their word and were allowed the freedom of the inner bailey. Most accepted their imprisonment with good grace. The only knight who was deliberately unpleasant was the Flemish knight. The rest behaved civilly towards my people.

  John of Craven came to me on the third day. He was angry. "Lord, that foreigner is upsetting my men. He is disrespectful about you and the women of the house. It is all that I can do to stop them laying hands upon him. The other knights are all gentlemen; they are English!"

  I smiled. John had the typical attitude of most of my men when it came to anyone not born in England. They were foreigners! "I will have a word with him." I waved over Henry, "Come, you can have another lesson in leadership. This one is called diplomacy."

  I approached the knight who was alone. He was shunned by the other knights. That told me a great deal. "Sir Diederik, a word."

  His lip turned into a sneer, "What words of yours would you think I would hear, barbarian?"

  My men had to take that but I did not. I backhanded him across the face with a blow so hard that he reeled.

  His hand went to the sword he had already surrendered. "I will kill you for that!"

  "Watch your tongue or you shall spend the rest of your time confined to a cell. You are my prisoner and you lose all rights if you choose to behave in such a dishonourable fashion."

  He looked surprised, "What have I done?"

  "You have insulted my men, my ladies and my name!"

  "Your men are peasants!"

  I had had enough, "John, fetch two men and confine this man in a cell!"

  As they pinioned his arms he struggled in vain. "My cousin William of Ypres will hear of the manner in which you have treated me!"

  "Good! Perhaps he will challenge me. Each time he has had the opportunity he
has declined. Perhaps every man of Flanders is a coward."

  "I am insulted!"

  "If you wish I can have your sword brought and you can try to redeem your honour here and now. What say you?"

  As with all bullies he backed down. I saw fear in his eyes as he shook his head, "Fight King Henry's champion in his own castle? You must think me a fool."

  I smiled, "Yes I do." His head bowed, "Take him away and report any more insults to me. This has increased his ransom. Each insult from now on increases the amount!"

  Henry smiled, "What lesson was I to learn, lord? How to use my hands as well as my sword?"

  "That you must face up to bullies wherever they are and in whatever form they present themselves." Each day was a new lesson for Henry. I did not spend my time with courtiers; I was a warlord whose every move, action and word had purpose.

  With the new horses we had acquired we had to build more stables. The inner and outer bailies did not have enough room and so we built them to the west of the western wall of my castle. Although beyond the ditch and moat they could be watched from my walls. We built a hut and Hal and Osbert lived there. It suited them and they were able to act as stable guards. The mail and weapons we had taken were as valuable as the coins we took from the purses of the dead men at arms. Those that we did not reuse we would sell to the Danes and others who wished to buy weapons from us. My steward was happy.

  Summer was drawing to a close and I had not visited my western borders. Taking Ralph of Nottingham and the new men as well as Dick and his archers we headed west. This was partly to show my new men at arms our land and also to let Henry know the value of our valley. The fields we passed were filled with farmers and their families gathering in crops and collecting animals from summer pastures. They were prosperous. It had been many years since we had been threatened from the north and even a couple of summers without a raid brought great wealth to my people. They waved to us as we passed. My banner was recognised as were my men. It was a sign that they were safe and secure. There might be anarchy beyond my borders but within all was peaceful and prosperity reigned.

  Sir Phillip was now prosperous. As the nephew of Archbishop Thurston he had come to me as a captain of archers. Now he had men at arms guarding his castle which improved year on year. When he received his share of the ransom he would be even richer. I saw that there were more people living close by and he had improved the defences of this vital river crossing. We did not stay long for I was anxious to get to Barnard Castle. Sir Hugh's former home at Gainford now had a small garrison. There might be a time when it became Sir Hugh's once more but it was still a useful refuge when enemies threatened. It had a ditch and a wall around the hall. In contrast with the simple castle at Gainford, Barnard Castle was a redoubtable fortress. The mighty castle had an impressive position. Perched on a rock high above the river it protected my valley from the west. Sir Hugh had cleared much of the woods to the east to afford a fine view as we headed towards it. That also allowed the garrison to see us and we were spotted a mile away. Sir Hugh awaited us as we entered the gates and went into the outer bailey.

  He bowed, "Good to see you my lord and you too, Henry FitzEmpress.” He stood back to appraise the future king. He was impressed. “You will be a knight soon."

  They were the right words and pleased my charge. "And this castle, Sir Hugh, is truly impressive." He looked at me. "The Scots claim it, do they not?"

  "They claim all of the land north of the River Tees. They lost it to your great grandfather and now seek to reclaim it through stealth."

  As we walked towards the inner bailey he said, "My mother has a treaty with her uncle, the King of Scotland."

  "She does and that is why we do not do as my men and I wish and that is invade Scotland and take back the castles they stole from us."

  "Stole is a strong word, my lord." Henry had not lived close to the Scots and he believed the stories they had spread.

  "Not strong enough. I lost knights who were loyal to England. I have a long memory and I will pay them back. Until your mother gives me permission then the Scots are safe... so long as they do not try to take a single blade of grass from that which I hold!"

  Henry laughed and I saw his bodyguards smiling. "You make a hard enemy!"

  "And there is another lesson for a future king. Make your enemies fear you." I turned to Sir Hugh, "They fear you, do they not, Sir Hugh?"

  "That they do. I ride abroad at least once a month. I ride as far as their first castles. Any Scots I find I hang. Any brigand I find I hang."

  Henry asked, "When did you hang your last Scot?"

  Sir Hugh smiled, "A year since; they have learned." He turned to me. "I take it you were victorious against the men of York, my lord."

  "I was. We were outnumbered but they had too many mercenaries. They fled the field when we attacked them. They left only fifty dead upon the field but there will be many more cripples begging in York's streets."

  We stayed three days and travelled north and east so that Henry could see that which had been lost to the Scots since the civil war had begun. As we headed back home I saw that it had been a worthwhile journey. Henry spoke of making our castles stronger and building more. "The Romans looked to have the best idea. Build a wall." We had travelled as far north as the Roman wall and, like me he had been impressed. "If we could build castles closer to the wall then we could stop any incursions."

  "We could but it is hard to have knights who wish manors here. The land is poor. You cannot grow wheat. In winter it is cold and harsh. Sir Leofric in Anjou noticed the difference. For a knight to live up here he has to be as hard as the land around him."

  "Sir Hugh seems to manage."

  "He comes from Gainford and his wife is the brother of Sir Tristan. The land is in their blood."

  "Yet you came from a country even hotter and you live here."

  "My father was born and bred just south of the Tees. I am no Greek. If you are to be King of England then remember your blood. Your father was Angevin but your mother was born in England. Your great grandfather chose this country in which to live; think on that."

  When we reached home all of the ransoms save the one for the Flemish knight had been paid. I went to see him, "Perhaps the fact that your countrymen do not seem willing to pay your ransom speaks much about you, eh?"

  He smirked, "Beware, Warlord, William of Ypres may be coming here to defeat you as he did with the Earl of Gloucester."

  It was my turn to smile, "I have only faced William of Ypres once and that was at the battle of Lincoln. We captured a king and your master fled the field. He is welcome to come and I will see that he does not run away this time; he will crawl on the stumps of his legs!"

  A week later there was great excitement as Ethelred's cog was launched. His wife named her after herself, 'Mary of Stockton'. The name seemed to suit her and she floated on the river easily. It would take until autumn to fit her out and have her ready for sea. On that same day William of Kingston went to sea. He had goods for Antwerpen and Edjberg. His wife, son in arms, came to see him off. Soon we would have two such ships and my people would be even richer.

  Mary and Gilles escorted Morag back to the castle. From the looks Mary was giving the babe I knew what was in her mind. I would need to think about knighting Gilles soon. All Saints Day would be a propitious time. I would speak with Father Henry and Alice about it. It would need a feast. The last knight I had dubbed had been Sir Gilles of Normanby and that had been when Sir Edward was still alive.

  I had had no letters since I had returned from Normandy. Perhaps there were some waiting for me in Anjou. I found it hard to be isolated in my valley, not knowing what was going on in the wider world. I penned one to the Empress telling her of the battle, her son and our new alliance. I did not tell her of her husband's infidelity. Nothing could be gained from that. Then I wrote to my son. I knew that bridges needed to be rebuilt and I was getting no younger. I would have to make the first move if I wanted to see my grandchildr
en.

  I was halfway through it when I heard a cry from the battlements, "Riders approaching from the south. They bear the livery of Flanders."

  I knew that this would be the ransom for Diederik. I went to the outer bailey. "John, have our guest and his baggage brought here. He may be leaving but have two men to watch him."

  The gates were opened to admit six riders. They had with them a magnificent war horse as well as two palfreys with a chest between them. The leader dismounted and bowed, "I am here to pay the ransom for Sir Diederik of Bruges."

  "He is coming but he proved an unpleasant guest and I have increased the ransom."

  The knight looked nonplussed, "But that is unheard of."

  "As is a knight insulting his host."

  "But we brought no extra coin!"

  I nodded, "Then I will take the war horse as compensation.” I turned to my men, “Remove the saddle and put it on the palfrey. That is good enough for him." The knight looked as though he was ready to object. I spoke coldly and quietly, "You know that I am the Warlord of the North and I answer to no man. Do not try my patience or I will keep your Sir Diederik as a permanent prisoner."

  The knight was beaten and he nodded. His men had just removed the chest and put the saddle on one of them when Sir Diederik appeared. He grinned as he passed me, "I will not forget you, Earl. One day I will have my vengeance!"

  He turned and strode towards the warhorse I said, "John, have your men take my new horse to my stable!"

  The Flemish knight turned and his face was filled with fury, "This is an outrage!"

  "I told you that you would pay for your insults. Choose your words a little more carefully next time!"