The Archer's Castle: Exciting medieval novel and historical fiction about an English archer, knights templar, and the crusades during the middle ages in England in feudal times before Thomas Cromwell (6 page)

      
The immediate question is what will Baldwin do now - attempt to parley with the castle to see if Dorothy has changed her mind?  Pitch a camp and organize an attack?  Or charge right in and have a go at the castle?  I doubt he’s going to approach for a parley after what befell his stupid brother but you never can be sure with these hereditary lords who come over from France.  They’ve got weak blood you know.

      
Ahh.  Well, we’ll soon find out.

      
As we watch from the tree line we can see Baldwin’s men putting down their loads and beginning to gather around the Earl and the little group of horsemen. 
At least I think that’s Baldwin; I hope so. 
And there goes a mounted knight towards the castle with a man running next to him.  Then they stop well short of the wall.  He must have heard about what happened to the Earl’s brother when he approached the wall. 

       Now what’s he doing?  Of course, I bet the man’s blowing a horn to get the castle’s intention.  Well, I’d wager he’s already got it but I suppose the formalities have to be observed.  Richard is a stickler for such things but the rumors say John is not. 

       Hmm.  I wonder what he is saying and if Thomas is going to reply.  He said he was going to keep the castle totally silent until someone gets careless and comes within crossbow range.  It happens, you know.  They think you can’t hear them because they are too far away so they come closer.  I got a Saracen that way for Lord Edmund.  Caught the wind and stuck him in the throat, didn’t I?  Probably the best shot I ever made.

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       From up here in the castle keep we can see more and more of the Earl’s men gathering.  It looks like they are being pushed into some kind of line.  And they’re carrying ladders, lots of ladders.  Well, it won’t be long now and we’re as ready as we can be.  Time for me to go back down on the ramparts to be with the men.

       As I wave at Lady Dorothy and start down the narrow winding stone stairs I start wondering once again if Baldwin will lead his men or send them and watch from a distance.  Our plan is for my men here in the castle to put up the weakest possible defense needed to keep the Earl’s men out until the Earl himself comes close enough to be pot shot for a poacher’s goose.  So we’re going to act as if we are only a few. 

       That’s only one of the reasons I’m going to be with the men on the ramparts – to make sure everyone stays with the plan and doesn’t reveal himself.  Another is to remind them once again that our men who will be coming out of the woods will all be wearing sailors’ caps and carrying either bows or ships shields.

      Motivating the men to do the right thing is important.  I thought about promising a gold bezant coin to whoever kills the Earl.  But I decided not to because then everyone will almost certainly shoot at extreme range in hopes of getting lucky - and that may cause Baldwin to hang back.  So I’ve offered five copper coins for each ladder that is pushed away with a man on it and two silver coins for every man who kills an attacker who gets over the castle wall.  I’ll be reminding them of that as well.

       William is undoubtedly watching and will decide when his men are to attack and hit Baldwin’s army in the rear.  But just in case I’ve got a couple of my steadiest men up at one of the tower windows with a flag and a lantern.  I’ll have them waved if I need William to launch an immediate attack for any reason. 

      
George and Lady Dorothy and the children are up there too.  I’m not taking any chances.

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       Things are tense out here in the trees.  The mounted knight and his bugler have returned and are talking to the group of mounted men.  One of them must be Earl Baldwin.  Oh.  Now what?  Yes.  Here they come.  But why so few?

       A small group of men is moving forward.  Of course.  They’ve probably been ordered to go forward and see if the castle is as abandoned and undefended as it appears.  They are all carrying shields and two or three of them seem to be carrying a ladder.

         About ten men cautiously walk up to the lowest spot on Trematon’s north wall and place the ladder against it.  A man starts to slowly climb the ladder with his shield up.  Then something happens and we watch as the ladder slowly tips over and he falls to the ground waving his arms and dropping his shield.  The men at the wall start to run but then they stop and come back. 

      
I bet someone reached out of one of the archers’ slits with one of the Swiss pikes Thomas asked us to bring him and pushed the ladder over.  They’ve got a notch between the blade and the staff that is just right to do it.

      In a few seconds three or four of the men in the Earl’s advance party are standing around the man who fell and trying to get him on his feet.  The rest of the Earl’s men are once again just standing around next to the wall.  But no one has his shield up or is acting alarmed particularly alarmed.  There must have been no arrows or shouts from the inside.

       After a minute or so a rider detaches himself from Baldwin’s party and rides towards the men standing next to the wall.  He must be shouting some kind of order for once again the men start putting up the ladder.  This time they’re going to try a little further down the wall.

       Once again something happens and the ladder falls over when the man on the ladder gets close to the top.  And once again the men gather around the fallen man without raising their shields.

       At this point the rider trots a little closer.  Then he dismounts and walks to the wall.  The way he is standing looks like he is shouting something up to the people in the castle. 

       After a while, he turns back and remounts his horse and slowly trots back to Baldwin.  The men by the wall start to follow him.  They don’t get very far.  The rider turns his head and says something to them over his shoulder as he trots away and they turn and walk back to the wall.  The man who went down on the second ladder is still on the ground next to the wall.  From here he doesn’t appear to be moving.

       There is brief conversation when the rider reaches the party of mounted men and I can make out arms being waved about.  Then several of the mounted men wheel away and a few seconds later all Baldwin’s men begin slowly walking toward to the castle walls.  The Earl and his little party of mounted men are right behind them.  We can see the banners fluttering on their lances as their horses trot forward.

       “Get ready but hold fast.  It isn’t time yet.” I shout.  All along our line of men in the trees the cry is repeated by the sergeants. 
Almost.  Almost.

       Baldwin’s men are carrying several dozen or more ladders, maybe a lot more.  That’s actually pretty smart because it means there will be more climbers than defenders so that some will be able to get over the wall – if there are only a few defenders as Baldwin apparently believes.

       In what seems like only an instant the great mass of the Earl’s men moves forward and gathers below the castle wall.  They begin slowly and cautiously climbing the ladders and all of the men on the ladders with shields have them up. 

       Less than half of the Earl’s men appear to be carrying shields but Thomas’ men must still be waiting – the Earl’s men who aren’t climbing don’t have their shields raised.  And once again the ladders begin to go over as the climbers get close to the top.

       Then it happens.  In a trice an absolute stream of arrows and rocks pour from ramparts on to the men gathered below.  I can’t see them come down at this distance, of course, but I can certainly see the sudden reaction of the men who must be receiving them.

     And a lot of the arrows on the north side seem to be being directed at the Earl and his horse – I think that is what is happening because there seems to be a particularly great amount of confusion in the area where Baldwin and his knights have been sitting on their horses.   Most of the horses are down or staggering except for one that is running off without a rider.  All the men at the walls with shields have them up.

       “Charge,” I shout as loudly as I can as I point my longbow toward the castle and the men around it.  “Charge.” 

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       We burst out of the trees as a great mass of men and begin running towards the battle going on in front of us.  There are a few shouts but they soon end as we begin trotting towards the castle.  We’ve practiced this before and we know need to save our breaths for the run and the fighting that will follow.  At least, praise the Lord, it looks like we’ll significantly outnumber the castle’s attackers. 

       I’m moving well and most of the men are staying up with me.  That’s good because we want to crash into the Baldwin’s men in one great irresistible mass.  And like everyone else I’m wearing a sailor’s cap and carrying a little shield in addition to my bow and two quivers; one with longs and one with heavies.

       A couple of our men are way out in front of us.  They are clearly racing each other to be the first to engage.  They must have very good legs and very small minds because they are moving ahead despite the orders to move together and spread out.  And as I look back I can see a few of our men lagging behind. 

      
Damn.  Another mistake. I should have placed a steady man back there to chivvy them along and take the names and kick the arses of those who are deliberately avoiding the fight.

       Generally things are going well.  At least so far.  Our men are following their sergeants and spreading out as we move towards the castle.  That’s good because our plan is to sweep around the castle and the men at its walls like the horns of the ox - so the men gathered at the castle wall are inside the horns and can’t escape, particularly the Earl. 

       Unlike Thomas who will wait to the last moment so Baldwin isn’t warned away, I’ve already put a bounty on him – ten silver coins and a gold bezant for the man who kills him.

       We are still some distance from the castle and moving fast when the Earl’s men begin to see us and begin to become alarmed.  Our arrival is obviously unexpected and they don’t know what to do.  

       The indecision of Baldwin’s men doesn’t last long.  One after another they begin to scatter and run.  Some of them even run soon enough and fast enough to get away before the horns of our attack close around them.  A few foolish souls even turn around as if they’re going to stand and fight.  But then they too begin to run. 

       Among the early runners attempting to escape are a couple of knights in armor who are somehow able to swing themselves on to their horses.  One of them gallops away safely through the shower of arrows and rocks falling on the crowd of panic stricken men but the horse of the other suddenly goes down.

       I’m puffing and have a pain in my side by the time I finally reach the pile of dead and wounded men on the ground where I’d last seen the Earl and his mounted retinue.  And there he is.  Baldwin is in the middle of a pile of men and horses on the ground – deader than a plucked chicken in the cook’s pot.

       He is seriously dead and there is no half way about it.  Thomas obviously had every archer shoot at Baldwin as soon the fighting starts and keep shooting.  Baldwin’s armor didn’t save him - he and his horse and the ground and men and horses closest around him have the crossbow bolts and the arrows of our strongest longbow men sticking out of them everywhere.  Their metal tips will go through chain mail don’t you know?  He and his horse look like one of those little cushions with pins it that I saw in the Damascus market.

       Thomas’ archers obviously continued to shoot at the Earl long after he died.  Of course they did.  Thomas wanted to make sure of him so he obviously did what he’d said he intended to do – lead our best archers to where the Baldwin is approaching the wall and shout out a promise of a silver coin for every arrow or bolt he pulls out of the Earl or his horse.  No doubt some of them are from Thomas himself but there are so many it is likely some of the men will get a good handful of coins. 
And worth every penny isn’t it?

       We’ve got what we want and there is no doubt about it - Cornwall needs a new earl.

       “Stop killing.  Take prisoners” …. “Stop killing.  Take prisoners.”  

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       Thomas waves down to me from the castle ramparts and a few minutes later the castle gate opens.  He comes out with some of his men and a big grin on his face.  He’s very excited with an urge to talk as we shake hands and clap each other on the shoulder.  All the men are as excited as he is and so am I.  Everyone is talking at once.

       “Well we got the bugger didn’t we?” 

       “Aye.  That we did, Thomas.  That we did.”

       “Well then.  Let’s see to the prisoners.  Are you still going to let them go home if they pledge their liege to you?   I hope so.  First thing tomorrow I’ll say prayers over all the dead, theirs and ours and then go with you to Restormel Castle.  ” 

       And that’s what we do.

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       Our review of the battle is not pretty as we walk together and talk that night after dinner.  We made a lot of mistakes and we know it.  Thomas called me to task and rightly so.

       “We won big but were damn lucky to do so.  What if Baldwin had kept his wits and had a reserve come in behind us once you’d spread out your men and commenced your attack?  We would have been the ones slaughtered.  Or what if he’d crossed the river somewhere else and he’d showed up before I had time to send for you?  Or what if he had trained his men so they had turned from the castle walls and faced your wild charge in a steady formation?”