Enemy at the Gate (24 page)

I knew that I had some little time.  They would halt at their comrades.  I scanned both sides of the road anything which would help me.  Half a mile up the road, by a Roman mile marker I saw a track crossing the road.  I stopped.  There was a holly tree and I cut a branch.  I went to the left side of the road and tied the reins of the captured horse around the cantle.  I could hear the approach of the hooves. I jammed the holly under the saddle of the horse and clapped its rump. The pain and the prickles were enough to make it start. It leapt across the road and its hooves clattered on the cobbles.  A heartbeat later the four riders galloped up in time to hear the riderless horse as it raced, in panic and pain, away up the track to the north.

"There lord! They are heading off the road."

"John you wait here in case they double back.  You two come with me."

I watched as three of them raced down the trail.  The man at arms they left behind watched the trail to the north. I waited until the other three had ridden into the woods. I had my sword out and I burst out of the undergrowth swinging my sword as I went.  The man was so surprised that he did not shout.  My sword smashed into the side of his helmet and he fell, stunned, to the side of the road.  I grabbed the reins of his horse and hurried up the road after my squires.  The odds were now a little more even.  I was another mile down the road, having seen another mile marker, when I heard the shout from the road behind.  It was followed by the sound of hooves.  There was no sign of my squires and I took that to be a good omen.  It meant they might reach my men.

The sound of the hooves drew closer.  They were gaining.  I let go of the reins of the second horse when I came to a clearing. As soon as the reins touched the ground it stopped and began to graze. I spurred Rolf.  When the three saw the horse they would slow.  They would expect a trick like the other one. Following someone at night was difficult. I had a reputation as a trickster. I would play upon that. Inevitably, however, they began to gain.  As I passed the marker showing just three miles to Hereford I glanced over my shoulder and saw them hurrying after me.  It was a man at arms leading; he had a helmet but no mail. The knight was behind him.

I drew my sword and leaned forward, "Come on Rolf.  Just a little further!"

I did not risk turning again. I kept myself low to help Rolf travel faster.  I could hear the rider behind and he was gaining. I could hear his horse snorting and then I felt a huge blow as he hit my back.  Had I not had my shield there it would have done for me.  The blow hurt but did no harm. Turning I swung my sword horizontally.  He was raising his sword for a second strike.  My sword smashed into his hand, making him drop his sword and then it continued across his front, just above his cantle. It bit into his reins and the palm of his hand.  The sword was sharp and cut through to the bone. His horse stopped and he fell from its back.

The two mailed men had taken their chance and now rode at me. They started to overtake me  One was to my left and one to my right.  Rolf had given his all and could go no further.  I slowed down and prepared to sell my life dearly.  I had two men to fight. I wheeled around Rolf's head and the manoeuvre took the man at arms by surprise.  He thundered past me. I went directly for the knight.  I had met Sir William de Villiers before.  He was not known as a great leader but I knew him to be ambitious. Perhaps he thought to end my life and gain favour with the Earl. I brought my sword around and he blocked it with his own.

I heard the hooves of the man at arms behind me.  I needed to defeat the knight and hope that would discourage his man at arms. Rolf was too weary to be used as a weapon and so I drew my dagger. As Sir William swung at me I blocked his blow with my dagger and thrust at him. Hooves thundered behind me and as my sword struck Sir William's mail his man at arms swung his sword at my back.  It was a powerful blow.  Rolf's legs gave way and I found myself tumbling to the ground.

I tucked my head and rolled with my arms held before me.  I knew that I had to hang on to the sword and dagger.  It would be bad enough being afoot against two horsemen without being defenceless too.

Sir William saw his chance and he galloped at me.  Rolf staggered to his feet as the knight neared me.  It made Sir William's horse veer to the side. As the killer knight tried to control his horse I swung my sword at Sir William's leg.  I found flesh and the edge of my sword ripped into bone. I barely had time to spin around and deflect the man at arms' sword as it swung at me.  I made a cross of my dagger and my sword.

Sir William managed to control his horse and he whipped the head around to run me down. This time there was no Rolf to help me.  I gambled that the horse, despite the knight's urging would not trample me. I could also hear the man at arms as he turned to charge my back again.  This time he would strike, not at my back, but my head and I would die. Sir William's horse veered at the last moment.  I saw a gap above the cantle and, even as I was knocked over I stabbed forward with my sword.  It was torn from my body and I turned, with just a dagger to face the man at arms.

The rider had a look of joy on his face as he leaded forward to take off my head.  He was but three paces from me and if I dropped to the ground I would be trodden on and killed by his horse.  I would die as I had fought, on my feet.  Even as the sword was raised I saw his face contort in pain and he threw his arms in the air.  His body tumbled from his horse and I saw Richard with his bloody sword in his hand.

"Gilles said you needed help, my lord!"

I laughed, "And he was right.  I turned and saw that Sir William's horse had stopped.  My sword was still stuck in his middle. He was dead but I think it was my blow to the knee which had caused it. I had severed an artery.

Hooves clattered down the road and I saw Dick and Sir Harold with half a dozen of my men.  "Gilles found us my lord! What happened?"

I walked over to pat Richard on the back.  "My new squire became a warrior today and saved his lord and master. Come.  When this siege is over we will quit the west and head home.  I grow tired of this treacherous war."

Stockton Christmas 1139

We stayed in Hereford just long enough for the siege to be ended.  I wrote two letters: one to the Empress and one to the Earl.  I told them of Sir William's treachery and attempt on  my life. I cared not if I offended the Earl. If it had not been for my squires then I might be dead on the Gloucester Road. We went home richer for Hereford was filled with all kinds of treasures.  Our journey had, perforce, been slower than normal. We travelled in winter through the lands of the Earl of Chester.  He was still Stephen's man.

My castle looked solid and welcoming as I rode through its gates.  My mason and my men had not been idle and it was improved. I also saw that Henry of Brotton and his family had made it safely to my castle.  For some reason that gave me more hope than anything.  He would know soon enough that his former lord was a traitor but the family had found sanctuary and that made me happy. Gilles' wound healed and Rolf recovered from his exertions. The year ended well.

As I sat in my west tower I pondered on the year.  We could have had victory but the defection of the Earl of Chester and the arrogance of the Earl of Gloucester had stopped that.  Sir Miles and Sir Brian had shown me that I was not alone.  I was not the only knight who fought for the Empress but I also realised that this war was far from over. The Anarchy had just begun and the enemy were still at the gates.

Allaghia- a subdivision of a Bandon-about 400 hundred men (Byzantium)

Akolouthos - The commander of the Varangian Guard (Byzantium)

Al-Andalus- Spain

Angevin- the people of Anjou, mainly the ruling family

Bandon- Byzantine regiment of cavalry -normally 1500 men (Byzantium)

Battle- a formation in war (a modern battalion)

Booth Castle – Bewcastle north of Hadrian’s Wall

Butts- targets for archers

Cadge- the frame upon which hunting birds are carried (by a codger- hence the phrase old codger being the old man who carries the frame)

Cadwaladr ap Gruffudd- Son of Gruffudd ap Cynan

Captain- a leader of archers

Chausses
- mail leggings. (They were separate- imagine lady's stockings!)

Conroi- A group of knights fighting together. The smallest unit of the period

Demesne- estate

Destrier- war horse

Doxy- prostitute

Fess- a horizontal line in heraldry

Galloglass- Irish mercenaries

Gambeson- a padded tunic worn underneath mail.  When worn by an archer they came to the waist. It was more of a quilted jacket but I have used the term freely

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

Gruffudd ap Cynan- King of Gwynedd until 1137

Hartness- the manor which became Hartlepool

Hautwesel- Haltwhistle

Kataphractos (pl. oi)- Armoured Byzantine horseman (Byzantium)

Kometes/Komes- General (Count) (Byzantium)

Kentarchos- Second in command of an Allaghia (Byzantium)

Kontos (pl. oi) - Lance (Byzantium)

Lusitania- Portugal

Mansio- staging houses along Roman Roads

Maredudd ap Bleddyn- King of Powys

Martinmas- 11
th
November

Mêlée- a medieval fight between knights

Moravians- the men of Moray

Mormaer- A Scottish lord and leader

Mummer- an actor from a medieval tableau

Musselmen- Muslims

Nithing- A man without honour (Saxon)

Nomismata- a gold coin equivalent to an aureus

Outremer- the kingdoms of the Holy Land

Owain ap Gruffudd- Son of Gruffudd ap Cynan and King of Gwynedd from 1137

Palfrey- a riding horse

Poitevin- the language of Aquitaine

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

Refuge- a safe area for squires and captives (tournaments)

Sauve qui peut – Every man for himself (French)

Sergeant-a leader of a company of men at arms

Serdica- Sofia (Byzantium)

Serengford- Shellingford Oxfordshire

Surcoat- a tunic worn over mail or armour

Sumpter- pack horse

Tagmata- Byzantine cavalry (Byzantium)

Turmachai -Commander of a Bandon of cavalry (Byzantium)

Ventail – a piece of mail which covered the neck and the lower face.

Wulfestun- Wolviston (Durham)

Map courtesy of Wikipedia

Courtesy of Wikipedia –Public Domain

Stockton Castle c 1136