King Henry's Champion (11 page)

Rolf gave me a look which said, ‘I told you so’.

“We do, my lord, and where is this fine armour you told me about?”

“Come to my chamber and I will show you.”

He took me alone to the room which contained his armour.  It was indeed well made. “There Cleveland, what do you think?”

I went to examine the links.  They were all smooth.  None had the toughness of cheaply made mail but more than that they looked to be made of steel. “This mail looks to be as strong as my sword.”

“It is! I knew you would appreciate it.  I am sorry that we got off to such a bad start when we drove Puset and Coucy back to Fat Louis. It was only later I realised that you were largely responsible for our success.  I think I have much to learn from you.” He leaned towards me, “I confess I have made large wager on your success with the Count of Aachen.”

“He is here?”

“He is supporting the Count of Stuttgart’s cousin.  When I win I will have a fortune from that arrogant German.”

“There is no guarantee that I will win, my lord.”

He put his arm in the middle of my back and led me from the room, “Nonsense.  Even the King says you are the finest knight in England and you have beaten the best of the Empire already.  The gold is as good as mine already.”

I felt my heart sink to my boots. If I did not win then the Count would become my enemy once more. My life grew more complicated moment by moment.

It was when I was leaving that I was taken to one side by Sir Roger, “The King would speak with you.”

The Tower was a large building with many nooks and crannies.  The King and his son were in a small room on the south eastern side of the keep. “My son has given me your disturbing news.  I knew of the Pope’s meddling.  The man hates me.  Gospatric was another thorn of which I was aware but De Brus came as a surprise. Are you sure?”

“As you know, my liege, I have had problems with the de Brus family before but I have fought alongside the Baron of Hartness and he was a de Brus.  It is a large clan and therein lies the danger.  Some may be loyal to you but there are others who are treacherous.”

“Then it is even more important that you are vigilant.  Now that Rufus is Bishop we may have more order in the Palatinate.”

“It is strong lords of the manor that we need, your majesty.”

“It is poor land up there.  It is fit for oats, rye and barley.  It is only young landless knights who wish to go and they, perforce, are poor.” He put his hand on my shoulder.  “I will come to the border but if Louis is behind this unrest then I must return to Normandy and make sure that my border there is secure and use my own pressure on the French.”

I was dismissed.  The Earl stayed with the King and I went back to my quarters as unhappy as I had entered. The King was vacillating.  King Louis might be behind the unrest but the danger was in the borderlands and not France. The sooner I returned home the better.

My men were in high spirits as we prepared for the tourney.  They had nothing to do but watch. It was my squires who had to work.   Wulfric and the rest of my men would watch from the stands.  They could buy the ale which was on sale and the food hawked by the vendors.  For them this was as close to pleasure as life became. We were with the King and my life would not be in danger- save from those in the mêlée.  They came to our refuge and cheerfully advised my squires. My horse, Star, was groomed such as he had never experienced before.  They also wagered huge sums on my success.  I did not like that.  I was not as confident in my ability as they were.

There was high excitement on the day of the tourney.  We had tents set up for us to change and my squires, and the other knights’ squires were in the refuge arranging the equipment we might need. We wore our own livery.  That was a double edged sword for I knew I had enemies out there. They would know who I was.  My blue surcoat with the yellow stars and red wolf were well known. The men from Blois did not like me and most of those in the team led by Lothar of Passau dearly wanted me dead. I knew that the Earl and Sir Edward were competent but I did not like the idea of three unblooded knights being the ones to protect me.

We gathered at our refuge.  The four refuges were like the points of the compass.  We had the Normans to our left and the men of Blois to our right.  We faced the Empire. The Earl addressed us, “We fight as a team. I would prefer the men of the Empire to be weakened before we defeat them.” I smiled at his confidence.  “Therefore we will attack the men of Blois. As we can charge them from their left we should make quick victories. When they are vanquished then we will take on the men of the Empire.”

Sir Gervaise asked, “What if the men from Normandy win?”

“They will not but if they do then we will take them on. I hope you are right, Sir Gervaise, for I have jousted against these Normans before and always won.  The men of the Empire are an unknown quantity. Only the Earl of Cleveland and Edward has fought them.”

Sir Edward warned, “And they do not always play by the rules.”

A fanfare announced the start of the tourney.  The King and his wife had arrived. We mounted and rode to form up before the stand.  I saw that the Empress was to the King’s right while Queen Adeliza was to his left. The King stood and raised his hands for silence. “The celebration this day is for the birth of a grandson who will one day rule this land.  Henry!”  There was a huge cheer from the populace of London who had gathered for this opportunity to see a joust of epic proportions. He held the crown, the golden laurel: the prize.  “To the best knight this day goes this golden crown.” He turned to his wife, “My dear would you give your favour to your chosen team.”

The Queen came from Brabant and I wondered if she would favour the Empire. I should have known better for, with the briefest of glances at her husband she gave it to the Count of Ponthieu. The King was ensuring the loyalty of his Norman barons. There was a muted cheer from the patriotic London crowd. As the Queen sat down Matilda stood, “And I will give my favour to the knights who are sworn to me, the Knights of the Empress.” She leaned forward and placed her favour on my lance. This time there was a huge cheer.  The crowd wanted English knights to win.

We rode back to our refuge.  I put the favour in my gambeson.  I could smell the Empress as I stuffed it beneath my mail. Sir Edward and I were to the right of the Earl while the younger knights were to the left.  I had not seen Stephen of Blois at the feast but his brother Theobald led the knights of Blois. I wondered where Stephen was. I did not recognise any of the others.  I was under no illusions.  The six men we faced would know their business.  I hoped that the three young knights were not overconfident.  I smiled at myself as I adjusted my helmet.  When I had fought the Count of Stuttgart I had been their age; I had been the young inexperienced knight.  They would learn as I had learned. I held the reins loosely.  I did not need to hold the bar at the back of the shield as it was firmly fixed to my shoulder and arms by leather straps. I would use my knees when I was in close combat but for the initial charge I would use my reins.

The trumpet sounded and the Earl spurred on his warhorse.  The men of Blois saw that we would charge them and they began to turn to face us.  The knights from the Empire had been charging us but the Count of Ponthieu had emulated us and made a flank attack. We were all closer than we would have been on a real battlefield and Star barely had the time to get to the canter. I would have to use the swiftness and strength of my arm to make up the deficiency in speed.

The two knights at the end of the Blois line were slow to turn. They were at an angle to Edward and me. I stood slightly in the stirrups and, pulling back my arm punched hard at the knight’s shield. He was leaning slightly when my blunted spear shattered on his shield and threw him from his saddle.  He crashed to the ground.  I threw the stump of my lance away and drew the tournament sword. I reined in Star. As he rose I tapped him on the helmet, “Yield!”

He took off his helmet and nodded. Edward had despatched his foe and we led the two of them back to our refuge.  William was ecstatic, “You had the first victory!”

“Then get me another lance and I will try for a second.”

Thus armed we returned to the fray.  I saw the Earl leading back his captive while Sir Phillip and Sir Gervaise were now fighting with swords from horseback. I saw Sir Geoffrey in the refuge of Blois.  His victor had a lance and was now cantering to attack Sir Gervaise. I spurred Star on.  We had no line to keep and I gave him his head.  The knight from Blois saw me and jerked his reins around to meet me.  The move slowed down his horse a little. I pulled my lance back and hefted my shield around a little tighter to my front. In a tourney you used the shield as a target.  The aim was to knock the knight from the horse. I chose a different tactic. I aimed for the centre of his chest.

I saw him pull his arm back as I stood in my stirrups again.  It was a risk as I could easily topple over but I would have more power in my blow. His lance struck first as I punched at his chest.  Had I not been lunging forward so hard then the blow to my shield might have unhorsed me.  As it was I regained my seat as the knight was knocked from his horse and crashed to the ground.

I pointed my lance at his chest, “Yield.” He did not move.  I waved over his squire.

He ran and when he found the knight he took off his helmet. Kneeling down he put his ear to the knight’s mouth. “He lives!”

I nodded, “I take this knockout as a victory but take him to your refuge and have him cared for.”

“I will, my lord.”

I saw that we had vanquished the men of Blois. All had been unhorsed or captured. That was the way most combats developed.  As soon as you knocked out one or two then the other team was outnumbered.  A quick strike worked. I went back to the refuge with the fallen knight’s war horse.  He was a fine animal. The Earl had Theobald as his captive and our leader was in high spirits.  “We have won much already. How goes the other?”

Robert, his squire, said, “There are two Normans in the Imperial refuge.  The Count of Ponthieu has one prisoner.”

“Then we are in a good position. Come, let us mount and join this mêlée.”

As we rearmed and formed our line I knew that this would be the most dangerous time for who were friends and who were foes? Even as we galloped across I saw the Count of Ponthieu knocked from his horse. He was led to the Imperial refuge. The outnumbered three who remained were quickly taken. We now had parity of numbers but we had two young knights and all five of the enemy looked to be experienced.

The inexperience of Sir Phillip and Sir Gervaise showed when they spurred their horses and left the safety of our line. They had had a victory and assumed that the next would be as easy. They charged the Imperial knights as they formed their own line.  Three of them, led by Lothar himself, charged the two border knights.  Both were thrown from their saddles and captured. Our parity of numbers had vanished in the blink of an eye.

“Damned fools! We must strike now while they are escorting them to the refuge.”

Two Imperial knights faced us while Lothar and a knight encased all in black hurried to meet us. The Earl was the target of the two knights.  Both their lances hit him as Edward and I hit them.  All three were hurled to the ground. Then we were struck by Lothar and the black knight. I kept my saddle and I used my broken lance to punch hard against the black knight’s helmet.  Already overbalanced he fell to the ground. Edward was reeling and Lothar pursued him across the ground.  As the black knight and his two companions rose I said, “Yield!”

They nodded and I escorted them back to our refuge.  The Earl had managed to make his way back too.  They had failed to ask him to yield but I could see he had been wounded.  He had a cut across the side of his head.  I saw Edward making his way across to the refuge; Lothar of Passau had his lance pressing against his back. I was on my own against the last two knights of the Empire.

“A lance, Leofric!” My one chance was to unhorse the last knight before Lothar could rearm.  He handed me one and grinned. He had more confidence in me than I did. As I spurred my horse towards the charging knight, himself keen for glory, I heard a cheer erupt along the stands. I had the support of the crowds at any rate.

I hoped that this knight had not watched me fight the others.  I would try my trick of standing and punching down.  As we galloped towards each other I was acutely aware that both of our horses were tiring. That could affect the outcome.  He was a smaller knight than I was.  He would be harder to unhorse. I waited until the last possible moment before standing and punching. It worked for his lance caught the bottom of my shield and leg only. My lance caught him square in the middle and he began to fall backwards.  He dropped his lance and would have lost his shield if it were not for the fact that it was strapped to his arm.  I whipped Star’s head around as I caught sight of Lothar of Passau heading for me. I saw the knight trying to right himself and I punched him in the chest with my broken lance.  It proved too much.  His left stirrup broke and he fell to the ground. I slapped the rump of his horse and it dragged the knight towards my refuge. I would not need to ask him to yield.  My squires would guide his horse into our sanctuary.

Throwing away my now useless stump I yelled, “Lance!”

The horse dragging the knight entered the refuge as John gave me a lance.  “My lord, wheel left!”

I trusted my squire and I jerked the reins to the left and spurred Star.  I felt the lance as it grazed the top of my cantle. But for the warning it would have been over and Lothar would have won. He had seen me rearming and used the opportunity to make a sudden hit.  It was within the rules.  He circled with his horse, ready for his next charge. I still had a chance.  However the continuous blows on my shield had taken their toll of my shoulder, arm and elbow.  All ached; and now I faced the most feared of all the knights in the tourney, Lothar of Passau.

I rode to the middle of the field and waited for Lothar of Passau to charge me.  I needed to rest Star as much as I could. When he was fifty paces from me I spurred Star who leapt forward. I suspected Lothar had observed me standing in my stirrups.  I could not use that particular attack this time.  I rested the lance on my cantle and slid it back.  We both punched at the same moment.  I saw him reel back but he retained his seat. He had anticipated my stroke and his own had hit me high on the shoulder.  Although the shield took most of the impact I felt my left arm grow numb.  I had been warned of this.

I could not risk a lance again and so I drew my sword. Neither of us wore a great helm and Lothar’s helmet was even more open than mine.  I saw him grin as he drew his own sword.  “Your weak shoulder and elbow have caught you out eh Earl?  Perhaps I will hurt your arm some more or do you wish to yield now?”

I chose not to answer him.  Instead I put spurs to Star and swung my sword hard at the German.  My quick hand caught him by surprise and I saw him wince as my blow clattered into his shield.  Combat on horseback is never easy. Both horses were constantly moving and it was harder to judge the positioning of the blows.  I was lucky as Star responded well to my knees.  He had to for my left hand was still tingling from the lance blow. Before Lothar could bring his shield around I swung the blade horizontally at his neck.  There was no edge on the tournament swords but it could still inflict a wound if it hit. I was rewarded for my efforts.  As he pulled back he exposed the inside of his shield and the sword, blunt though it was tore through the fastenings and the whole shield dropped. He reached for the bar as the fastenings had gone and I urged Star forward.  Unable to control his own war horse his mount stepped back and I kept Star advancing.

This time I did risk standing in my stirrups and I brought the sword over my head.  Lothar of Passau had managed to grip his shield and his reins.  My blow forced him to bring up his shield to defend himself and this time I brought much greater force down onto the shield and it was his hand which took the force of the blow holding the handle as it did. The shout from his face told me that I had hurt his hand.  Star was still pushing his mount back and Lothar found himself turning so that it was his sword arm which faced me.  I brought my sword down again.  Even though I was tiring I had to end it soon. He brought his own weapon up to counter the blow.  My strike knocked the sword from his hand.  I brought my own around to his throat.  “Yield, Lothar of Passau, or do I drag you to my refuge?”