English Knight (27 page)

“That is your final answer?”

“It is!” They turned and rode away. “I am pleased I have your archers with me. I wish you had brought all of Sherwood’s men with you. We could have defeated this Count Fulk before he could reach the moat. If he has any sense he will attack at a number of different places. He must know he has superior numbers.”

“Where do you want me and my men?”

“Leave half of your archers here with me and take the rest to the gate you used last night. They may attempt a ram there.” He peered at their camp. “They do not appear to have any serious siege engines. I dare say they will be building them as we speak. Hopefully our reinforcements will arrive.” He laughed, “I wish they were all as early as you!”

I made sure that I had Harold, Dick and John with me. My other archers were good but those three were the best. This would be a test of my leadership for I would be responsible for the defence of half of the castle. I had not experienced such a siege before. This was my first. I noticed that Aiden had joined us. I gave him a questioning look. “The horses are quiet my lord. I might as well defend the castle too.” He held up his bow.

I was proud of all of my men but particularly Aiden. He might have begun life as a slave but he had proved as loyal and valuable a warrior as any.

We watched as the enemy moved the huge pavises forward. Harold laughed. “They hope to use them for defence.”

“They will work though, will they not?”

Dick shook his head, “No, my lord. They can nock their arrow behind it but they must pull and step back to release. We can have them then. We have the advantage of height.” He patted the battlements. “We can shelter behind these mighty stones.”

My archers were as good as their word. They waited patiently until the Count’s archers had stepped back to loose at us and then my men released. By the time he had lost ten irreplaceable archers the sergeant who commanded them stopped that attempt.

Edward shook his head, “He has learned his lesson, my lord. He is bringing up crossbows.”

Even I knew that they were a different matter. They did not need as much skill to use and they could be used behind a pavise. The crossbowman did not need to step back. He could cock his weapon in the shelter of the pavise and then lift it over the top. “Harold, fell them before they reach the pavise.”

Before they could reach the safety of the wooden shields they had to run the gauntlet of my men’s arrows. The men at arms tried to shield them but they paid a heavy price. Half of the arrows found flesh. However, once they were in the shelter of the shields then my archers had to take cover as the deadly bolts were released. Unlike an arrow they did not arc and many pinged off the battlements. My men could release their arrows high and the plunging trajectory could strike behind the pavise but a hit was a matter of luck. They caused few casualties but they kept our heads down. We heard the relentless beat of the ram at the gate.

Four men at arms appeared next to us with a pot of boiling water which Robert of Gloucester had sent. “The oil is not yet ready, my lord but the constable thinks that this will slow them down a little.”

There were channels built into the walls and they poured the boiling liquid to cascade down on to the men below. The outlet made a waterfall of boiling liquid which insinuated its way through armour and jerkins. We did not venture our heads beyond the battlements but we heard their screams as they dropped their ram and they ran. There was a brief hiatus as they prepared their ladders. Count Fulk was getting desperate but I knew that this was his best chance. If he mounted three or four ladders his crossbowmen could keep us from hurling them back and once he had gained a foothold on the walls then we were doomed. He had enough knights and men at arms to swamp our defence.

Harold saw my dilemma. “Do not worry, sir. Once the ladders are up we can concentrate on the crossbows. They will be aiming at you and not us. Come on boys.” He led the archers away from where we stood so that they could release obliquely at the sides of the pavise. The crossbows would have a choice then; target the archers or us. They could not do both. I risked a peek over the top and saw the ladder resting against the wall. The bolt pinged off my helmet and then I heard a cry as the crossbowman was felled by an arrow. It became a game of dare as I watched the progress of the climbers and the crossbows tried to hit me. Our archers were few in number but they kept both the crossbows and the climbers at bay. Inevitably, however, through sheer weight of numbers, the climbers made progress.

“Edward, you take that ladder. Wulfric, behind me.”

“Aye my lord.”

I saw that Wulfric had a pole axe with a wicked looking hook on it. He grinned at me. “This’ll give the buggers a surprise, my lord.”

I saw a crossbowman as he took aim at me. I watched in horror as the bolt sped towards me. I jerked my head back and it clanged off my helmet. It spun off and stuck in Edgar’s cheek. He was a tough man and he jerked it out and spat the two broken teeth to the ground. He hurled the bolt over the walls.

“That was lucky, my lord. Had it not struck your helmet I might be a dead man. I am not meant to die today!” He hefted his shield and stood next to me on the battlements.

Wulfric waited until the sergeant at arms who was leading the attack was standing at the top of the leader. The sergeant raised his shield and then tried to swing his sword at me. It had little force behind it as he was trying to keep his precarious balance at the same time. As I swung my sword at him he held his shield up to block the blow. I swung again from the side and as I did so the tip of my sword connected with his eye sending him tumbling to his death. Another soldier began to climb from a position a few feet below where the sergeant had been. Wulfric hooked the hook around one of the rungs and the side of the ladder. I had not realised how strong he was but he began to march down the ramparts, backwards, pulling on the pole axe. The climbing soldier slowed down Wulfric’s progress somewhat as the increased weight made it difficult for my warrior. I saw what he was doing and I began to batter the sergeant at arms who was climbing towards me with his sword held out. Harold and the others were hitting those lower down who were ascending the ladder and suddenly the whole ladder began to slip down the wall. The sergeant and the others screamed as they saw the moat below them. They crashed to either die immediately or lie with shattered limbs in the bottom of Caen’s moat.

Edward had had less success and I could see that one knight had gained the ramparts and was beating Edward and his men back. I ran towards the knight. As I did so I heard the sound of a trumpet. I had no idea what it foretold. I had to get to my men or the castle would be lost. There were now three knights who had clambered up their ladder and they were racing to face me. Others were forcing Edward back. They had managed to split my tiny force. I had to contend with the battlements on my right hand side. It restricted my swing and it forced me to swing down from a height. They could swing at my shield. The first knight had an axe and I knew already what damage they could do to my shield. My anger at Richard’s treachery gave my arm added power. It struck the side of the first knight’s head for he was too slow to raise his shield and he overbalanced to plummet to his death in the bailey below. I did not give the second man a chance to strike at me as I reversed my thrust and brought up my sword, sideways, under his raised arm. He had no armour beneath his arm. I took the arm off at the shoulder and I used my shield to punch his body into the man behind. The last knight could not raise his own sword as his companion lay against him and I stabbed and twisted my blade into his throat. It was not an elegant blow but it was effective and he died. He fell gurgling at my feet. Wulfric had hooked the second ladder and, as it fell to earth, Edward killed the last intruder.

I looked over the wall and saw the men of Anjou and their allies fleeing. I could not believe that we had defeated them so easily and then Aiden shouted, “My lord, it is King Henry. He is here. We are safe! The siege is over.”

I dropped to my knees and thanked God. I had expected to die but we had triumphed. God was truly on our side.

Epilogue

We had lost men and others were wounded. Once I had recovered, we saw to our casualties. Many of my men had suffered wounds. Two lay dead. It was less than I expected and was a warning to me of the dangers of attacking a castle which had not been weakened by siege weapons. Then we descended to the bailey.

“You are wanted in the hall, my lord.” The man who spoke to me was one of the King’s household. I gave my shield and helmet to Harold. I was not presentable but one did not keep a king waiting. He was talking with Robert of Gloucester when I entered.

“Here, my liege, is the reason we survived this day. If Baron Alfraed had not arrived early for the muster then I fear we would have fallen.”

The king nodded and smiled, “Once again it seems we are indebted to you.”

“I also came, my liege, to warn you of treachery.”

“Treachery?” He frowned and beckoned me closer. “Tell me more.”

“Count Fulk bought Tancred de Mamers and Robert De Brus. They were hired to ferment rebellion in the north and draw off your forces. King David was also involved.”

The king shook his head. “And he is related to me!” However it is those knights who swore allegiance to me whom I must deal with first. It is time both De Mamers and De Brus were punished. But have you proof of this? De Brus has powerful allies.”

“I killed Tancred and captured his son. He is within the castle walls.
Robert of Gloucester
heard his confession.” The king’s son nodded. “De Brus fled here. He tried to ambush us at sea but we fought him off.”

“I like you more and more, son of a Varangian. Then when I have interrogated his son I will make a judgement on this traitor. I shall elevate you further for you have richly deserved it. Your father will be proud of you.”

“My father and most of his oathsworn were treacherously slain by Tancred and the men of Hartness.”

“Then I am sorry for your loss.”

“I also rescued Adele de Ville and she is at my castle. I would know what to do with here, my liege?”

“A noble deed, indeed. Then I shall make a judgement. She shall be your ward until she attains the age of twenty one. Perhaps I can find a place for her as one of the ladies in waiting for my daughter. That is for the future. I have much to do in England once we have dealt with the problems here. I would have been here sooner, Baron Alfraed but I was escorting my daughter. She and her husband are, er, well they are having difficulties. She should be joining us soon. I would have you and your men protect her while she is with us.”

“I would be honoured my liege.”

The doors opened and a vision walked in. On that first day when she strode into the hall at Caen I saw a young and beautiful twenty one year old woman. She looked every inch a princess. She looked helpless and vulnerable at the same time. I was dumbstruck. I had no words which I could summon up. And, thus, I met Matilda, Empress of the Holy Emperor and daughter of King Henry for the first time. I fell in love with her the moment I laid eyes upon her. She would be the woman I worshipped and never attained. She would be the cause to which I would dedicate my life and I would fight a king for her. My life changed irrevocably that day and I never regretted the meeting for one instant. My life and that of Matilda had been woven into the web by the weird sisters and no one could break that thread. Not even the man who would become Stephen the King of England.

The End

If you enjoyed reading about Ridley then there are three novels about his early life:
Housecarl
Outlaw
Varangian

Glossary

Battle- a formation in war (modern battalion)

Conroi- A group of knights fighting together

Destrier- war horse

Gonfanon- A standard used in Medieval times (Also known as a Gonfalon in Italy)

Maredudd ap Bleddyn- King of Powys

Moneyer- a man who makes official coins

Musselmen- Muslims

Palfrey- a riding horse

Pyx- a box containing a holy relic (Shakespeare’s Pax from Henry V)