Knight of the Empress (7 page)

"Good.  I would like to ride hard, Sir Guy, and get to your uncle's castle as soon as possible. I wish to question Lothar and Konrad.  We now have names to put to them."

That night we camped on a small hill where we could defend ourselves.  I divided the money we had won between Sir Guy and Edward.  I knew they would use some to pay their own men.  I would do the same.  Sir Guy had used his reward from the Emperor to hire four more men at arms.  There had been many in Worms and Rolf had chosen them for him. We were a formidable looking force as we sped along the roads to Bar. I hoped that, without the Empress and with so many men, we would deter any attacker. I was proved correct for we reached Bar quickly and without incident.  However as we approached the gates of the town I saw, on top of the castles walls, the heads of Lothar and Konrad. We would question no one.

"But the message came from the Emperor with the news of your good fortune, Guy.  We were told to execute them as traitors. The rider arrived two days ago." The Count du Bar looked upset. He had given his word and the Emperor had forced his hand.

"That explains the games and the delay in holding them.  They wanted us there. I wonder what they could have told us."

"Just before they died, Lothar shouted, 'Curse the Count! He has betrayed us'. I guessed he meant the Count of Flanders."

Sir Guy shook his head, "We met two more candidates in Worms, uncle; the Counts of Aachen and Stuttgart. I am glad to be home."

His uncle smiled, "And now we can help you build your castle.  Baron, will you stay awhile?"

"No, thank you for your kind offer but we must get back to Caen and I fear we have the more dangerous part to come."

"We will escort you as far as La Cheppe."

"You do not need to."

"It will not be any trouble and I am loath to lose your company."

Sir Guy laughed, "I think my uncle will be glad to have me off his hands! He just has one demesne to find for Raymond."

Raymond nodded, "Oh you need not worry about me.  I am going to seek my fortune in the Holy Land. You have found fame and fortune when you left Bar, perhaps I will have the same good fortune."

"Besides, we need to help him rebuild the castle and this time we will do it in stone.  It does no burn so easily. We can make a better castle than poor Guiscard did."

"I only made a few gold coins, uncle."

"We still have the gold from Lothar and Konrad.  I feel I can use that to build a stronger defence.  After all you will be protecting my western approaches."

We camped that night, at the desolate graveyard that was La Cheppe. I did not envy them their task.  They would have to clear the site of the dead before they could begin their work. or our own.  We now had to move through the land of France, skirt Flanders and find a way to avoid Count Fulk's men in Anjou. We left the encampment at La Cheppe at dawn. The farewells showed the bond that we had made.  Three of us were Knights of the Empress.  I was not certain how we would serve her but I knew that the three of us would never forget our oaths.

We did, at least, look like a real conroi.  The blues of our gambesons and surcoats were almost the same colour and the two stars looked good.  The men, even the archers, had liked them. We now had only five archers. This had been an expensive foray for archers were almost impossible to replace. I split them into three uneven groups.  Being lightly armed their horses could ride further without tiring and I had three, under Dick, ranging far ahead while the other pair rode to our left and right protecting our flanks. We were also down to five men at arms.  Our adventure had cost us good men. We shunned towns wherever possible. The Count had provided us with supplies of dried meat and we had water skins.  It would be the rivers which would determine our course west.  We had to cross the major ones and use the minor ones for drinking. That was how they eventually trapped us. We had not been forgotten.  We had merely delayed their pursuit. We had headed to the north of Paris this time but we had to turn west otherwise we risked crossing into the land of the Count of Flanders and that was when they found us..

Dick came galloping back towards sunset.  We were close to the tiny hamlet of Saint Nicholas d'Azy.  Ahead was the River Nonette. There was a ford but once across we were clear to Caen and we would be home in three days. Dick's sudden arrival put paid to that.

He reined in, breathing hard. "There are men waiting on the other side of the ford, Baron.  They are waiting for us, I think."

"How do you know?"

"I saw the knight with the red shield again.  I recognised his horse." He shrugged, "Unless there are two such knights."

"No you are probably right. How many are there?"

"Six knights.  I counted ten men at arms and I think they have six crossbowmen. I could not be sure of the crossbowmen.  I did not wish to get too close in case I was seen."

"You did well.  Where are our other two archers?"

"They watch from the trees.  I found John and Mark, the other scouts and they watch too."

I turned to the others.  "Council of war." My men at arms, squires and Edward, gathered around me. "We have five archers and nine who can wield a sword." I looked at Alan.  "I will not risk you. You can watch the spare horses. Someone needs to do it." He nodded.

Edwards asked, "Dick, could we charge them?"

"You would be slain by the crossbows before you were half way across the river.  It is narrow but the crossbowmen are well hidden in the trees."

"And the others are hidden?"

"They are all hidden."

"Then I have a plan." I gathered them around and explained my idea to them.  It was risky but it was the only one I had.  We had to get around Paris and the alternative was a hundred mile detour south.  Who knew what dangers we might meet in France?

As I led Harold and Wulfric towards the ford I was relying on the fact that our ambushers had not spotted my scouts. I had tried to envisage what they would see.  They would see the three of us, the advance party, heading for the river.  We would talk of setting up camp and letting our horses water. I doubted that they would attack until they had us all.  Because we now wore surcoats they would just see a knight, a squire and a man at arms.  I guessed they would be expecting more men. That was the plan but if I suddenly found a crossbow bolt in my chest then I would know that I was wrong.

We rode leisurely towards the water. I found it hard not to stare across the river and look for our enemies. I had stressed to Harold and Wulfric that we had to appear casual.  I had also told them what to say. We dismounted and feigned checking our girths. In reality Harold was stringing his bow.

"I wish Edward would get a move on. Damn his lame horse."

"He is doing his best, my lord.  Don't forget poor Alan's wound will delay them too."

I snorted, noticing that Harold had an arrow nocked already.

"Well this looks like a good place to camp.  When they come we will cross and set up camp. You two wait here and I will see if I can hurry them up." I mounted.  I watched as Wulfric, hidden behind his horse slipped his shield over his shoulder. I pulled Scout's head around as though heading west and as the first arrows sped across the river strapped my shield close to my body, drew my sword and galloped across the river.  I heard the hooves of Edward's horse as he galloped up to join Wulfric and me. I braced myself for the crossbow bolt which never came.  My archers had hit them all and were now felling the men at arms who, seeing the trap sprung, were streaming down to the water to get at us.

This time we would approach them in single file. I was still not confident about Harold in combat, especially when facing so many knights. They came at me in a wedge lead by a knight with a yellow quartered shield and a light green and yellow surcoat. He had a lance.  He would need more than a little luck to hit me while riding down a rough slope.  I heard a roar from the two flanks as my archers and men at arms fell upon the ambushers.  I knew the crossbowmen were dead which made our numbers almost even and I hoped that the sudden attack would give us the edge.  First, however, I had to fight my way through the four knights who were charging towards me.  By lowering my head slightly I avoided the lance which stabbed at the empty air above my helmet.  I punched with my shield and the already unbalanced knight tumbled into the water. 

A second knight came at me and I stood in my stirrups to rise up and bring my sword down hard on his helmet.  Although he brought his shield up quickly it was not quickly enough and he fell backwards off his.  He had not had time to make a strike with his sword. As he splashed into the edge of the river I heard a shout of pain as Edward finished off the knight with the quartered shield.

My archers were raining death with great accuracy on our enemies and the men at arms were fleeing. I saw the knight with the red shield.  He turned and began to gallop up the slope.  I spurred Scout on. He was one of the keys to these attacks. He had been at the last two and I would have words with him this time. I passed the bodies of some of the dead ambushers. Up ahead I saw Wulfric and his men as they laid into the remaining warriors with their swords. The trees, which lined the river, began to thin and I started to gain upon the knight in red. I hoped that Harold was still with me but I could not look around.  I had to concentrate on the red knight.

Suddenly another knight came charging from the trees to my right. I do not know if he had waited there for me or was just lucky. His lance struck my shoulder and I felt myself falling from Scout.  I kicked my feet from my stirrups.  I did not want to drag my horse down with me.  As I fell I saw a large tree to my left.  I instinctively put my head behind my shield and when we struck the tree the shield took the worst of the damage. I rolled to my right just as the lance jabbed into the tree against which I had fallen.  It proved to be the knight's undoing.  He failed to release the lance and he fell forward as the lance embedded its head against the tree.

He fell in a heap some ten paces from me.  I ran to him with my damaged shield and my sword. I was putting my sword to his throat and yelling, "Yield!" when he swept his foot and took my legs from me.

As I crashed to the ground I resolved to stab first next time; if there was to be a next time. He was on his feet in an instant and he drew his sword and brought it overhand to strike at me.  It hit my shield and a huge rent appeared in it. I could see my life being ended here in this inconsequential valley in the middle of Frankia.  That could not be.  I had too much to live for. I brought my sword horizontally across his body.  He countered with his shield but his feet were on the slope and the blow caused him to slip and stagger.  While he was concentrating on balancing I swung vertically and when he brought his shield up my powerful blow made him lose the little balance he had.  He tumbled backwards down the steep slope towards the river. I went after him, watching my footing for I did not wish to lose my balance too. I saw him crash, finally, to earth and he gave a sigh.  A tendril of blood appeared at the corner of his mouth. I saw that he had speared himself on the broken stump of a tree. It grew from his middle like a red flower. He was dying.

"What is your name?"

"Roger of Conisborough."

He was from England. "Who sent you here?"

He tried to laugh but it was too much, "De Brus has a long arm and a longer memory he…"

His head fell off to the side and he was dead. De Brus haunted me still.  Harold ran towards me.  "Are you all right Baron?  I am sorry I did not stay close enough."

I laughed, "It was a plan riddled with risks. Find how many men fell." When he left I searched the body.  His sword was a good one and I took it.  He had a jewelled dagger too. However when I found his purse I discovered five gold coins and each one was from Charles of Flanders. He might have said De Brus, but Charles, Count of Flanders, had his sticky fingers all over the ambush.

I found Scout and the dead knight's horse was close by.  I led them both back to the river. There I saw what we had gained and what we had lost. There were four good horses and a pile of arms.  The bodies of Roger and Geoffrey told me that we had paid a price. Edward held out his hand; on it there were eight golden coins.  Each one bore the face of Charles Count of Flanders. "It seems he wants you dead, Baron!"

"But the knight I questioned spoke of De Brus.  This is a complicated web.  Let us bury our brothers and then make camp.  This has been an expensive journey we have taken."

Wulfric nodded, "And yet, my lord, we are all the richer. I served with these two for many years. They would have taken the gamble any day.  It is a risk we all take.  Though there are but three of us left but when our time comes, Baron, remember us but do not mourn us.  We do what we do because we can!"

The men had collected all of the weapons.  I watched in amusement as the archers and men at arms smashed the crossbows into tiny pieces. "Why do you hate them so, Dick?"

"Crossbows are the work of the devil, my lord.  They enable a pathetically weak man to release a bolt.  God did not intend that.  God wants archers who have spent years training and preparing to pull back the bow and release the arrow.  He does not want a devilish infernal machine that can be used by a weakling!" In a final gesture of destruction the pieces were used to feed our fire so that even the metal parts were rendered useless.  Archers hated the crossbow.

It was a pathetically small conroi which rode into Caen.  We had horses and we had gold but we had but two knights, two squires, three men at arms and five archers. I hoped that the King did not need us soon for we were in no condition to serve him as we should.

Robert of Gloucester commanded. "How is my sister?"

"We got her highness there but it was not easy." I told him of the plots, assassination attempts and the treachery.  Finally I gave him my losses.

"You have suffered and for that I am sorry. I know how valuable your men are to you.  And I have no good news for you.  The King cannot release you for we go to war against Charles of Flanders."

"And there you are wrong. That is good news for that man has paid for all the attempts on our lives." I held out a handful of the coins we had collected from his assassins. He nodded sympathetically.  "Where is your father?