The Fallen Crown (8 page)

"My cousin cares not for me.  You will get no ransom!"

"I told you before Baron that money does not interest me." He looked surprised.  "I know that you find that hard to understand.  You robbed and stole from those with nothing.  You fight for Stephen because it is your chance for riches and power.  I fight for the Empress because, like you, I swore an oath to her father to ensure that came about.  Unlike you and your cousin I keep my word."

For the first time I saw that I had said something which could not be answered by an insult.  He had broken his word and he knew it. From that moment there was a slight change in his demeanour. He was never pleasant but he became slightly less unpleasant.  He was resigned to his fate.

As Midsummer Day drew close preparations for the ceremony took over the castle and town.  Midsummer Day was not a Christian festival but in ancient times the custom had been for marriage on that longest of days. It was still a time when couples married.  It also meant we had many babies born in the spring, at Easter, and that too was seen as symbolic and harkened back to an earlier time.

I had had a reply from the Archbishop of York to my missive.  The men who had sworn an oath were taken into his service.  It suited the old Archbishop.  They were warriors all and with so many wild and lordless men wandering the countryside his city needed protection. He also thanked me for making his nephew a knight.  My appointment of Father Thomas was sanctioned. In a world of chaos it seemed somehow a normal act.  When would we return to such times? Hidden within the letter was a message about the war.  Stephen of Blois had taken the offensive against Bishop Nigel of Ely.  He was making inroads.  As the Normans had found when they tried to defeat Hereward the Wake that was easier said than done. I wondered why the Earl of Gloucester had not taken the opportunity to launch his own attack.  With Stephen in the east then London would have been vulnerable. As much as I had made the borderlands safe I knew that I was needed at the Empress' side. He also sent me a letter for William Cumin. I kept that safe.

All of my knights attended the ceremony.  It was an opportunity for the wives of my knights to show off the fine clothes they had bought with the riches their husbands had earned.  It was also a chance for me to see the next generation of knights and ladies. Wulfric and Erre apart the rest of my knights had sons and daughters.

Before the ceremony I spoke with Philip now of Piercebridge. "How goes the rebuilding?"

"Thank you for your mason, lord.  William has many fine ideas. We have walls, albeit wooden and the gatehouse is stone.  It is men I need."

"We will get them in time but use the men of your manor and that of Walworth. Train them. Father Thomas is happy?"

"He too is a good appointment. He is enthusiastic and never still.  I have offered him  a horse for he flies between Piercebridge and Walworth almost daily."

"Good. I will require some of your men when we go to war but, at the moment, the Empress and the Earl are consolidating.  Much will depend upon Ely.  I will need half of your archers and a sergeant at arms."

He nodded. "I have the men in mind for that."

My little church, where Adela my wife and my child was buried, was packed.  Adela would have liked that. I found myself smiling at the memory of her. Gilles was nervous as I dubbed him and gave him his spurs.  Philip was older but I could see the pride in his eyes as he was knighted. Alice had outdone herself with the feast she had provided and with wine from Anjou it was a joyful celebration.

Before they became too inebriated I took Sir John of Stockton and Sir Wulfric to one side. "I know that Pickering was abandoned when you closed with the castle but how goes it?  Does my plan work?"

Wulfric nodded.  "With the new men you sent we have the garrison we need and Sir John here has proved most adept at capturing and hanging the brigands who preyed in the remote villages.  Gilles will be a good knight.  If you so wished you could make him lord of the manor.  He is young but he has learned well from Sir Edward."

"Perhaps. Pickering and Helmsley are temporary.  I hope that when the war is over then the Empress will appoint her own lords there.  I would have you and Gilles closer to home." I  pointed to Erre.  "He has no children.  When he dies I will need a lord at Norton and that manor is special for it was my father's."

"Aye lord.  We forget the past at our peril."

I had had to house and home knights held for ransom before. Normally I came to like the knights even the ones who later turned against me. Edward Fitz Mandeville was the most unpleasant guest I ever housed. Perhaps it was his wound or maybe it was his nature but he was offensive to all. It was when he insulted Alice that I finally took action.  He was able to move around and I allowed him the freedoms of my Great Hall. It was a mistake. He took to wander as though he owned it.  That I might have pardoned but he insulted the women.  He seemed to take great delight in demeaning them.  When Alice fled in tears after one of his outbursts I confronted him.

"While you are in my home then you will treat all within with respect."

Laughing he had said, "Servants are like dogs and should be treated as such. And as for women..." The leer left me in no doubt about his attitude towards women.

"As for women I command that you treat them with respect; all of them!"

"You do not command me! I did not surrender my sword.  I will speak as I choose and no man tells me other."

"Then as you do not think yourself to be my guest then you are my prisoner and you shall be treated accordingly." I had him put into my dungeon.  It was well kept and had a bed but it had a locked door and a guard. He also had the indignity of using a bowl for his toilet.  That shamed him. His vile insults towards the women of my home made me glad that I had rid myself of his unpleasantness.

The letter I had sent to the Earl of Essex through the Archbishop of York took some time to reach Edward's brother. The reply to my offer reached me at the end of June. As I had expected the offer to release his cousin if Geoffrey de Mandeville ceased hostilities against the Empress was rejected.  He made a counter offer which was a large ransom. I reluctantly sent a letter rejecting the amount and demanding a higher figure.  I say reluctantly for I wished to be rid of my prisoner. The ransoms for the other knights were paid promptly and we were all the richer for it. The captured armour and horses were also invaluable and I felt more confident.

My dilemma was the lack of communication from both the Empress and the Earl.  I felt cut off.  I had no idea how the campaign in the west fared and my only news of Ely's campaign was second hand. When
'Adela'
docked just two weeks after Midsummer's Day I had more second hand information.  The Bishop of Ely was now deep within the Fens and Stephen of Blois was closing with him. The putative rebellion in the east had apparently failed. Once again the procrastination of the Empress and the Earl had cost us the opportunity to inflict another defeat on Stephen.  I was frustrated. Had I not had to watch my prisoner and await his cousin's next offer then I would have visited the Empress. I also learned that King David had met with the Empress and told her that he would appoint William Cumin as Bishop of Durham.  The meeting had ended acrimoniously and the Empress had refused. My letters to her and the news they contained had not been wasted.

My ship brought more men for us and our garrison was swollen by another twenty men. I hated the inactivity of just waiting and so, leaving my new men in my castle I took Dick's archers and eleven men at arms to patrol to the north and see what Cumin had been up to. I left after sending my ship back to Anjou. My townspeople had much to trade with Anjou.  William of Kingston promised me a fast voyage.

I did not take Rolf with me as I headed north. He had picked up a wound in the battle and it had not healed.  It was not a serious wound but I did not want to risk him.  I took a new horse we had captured at the battle.  He was not a true war horse but Lion was a horse with a heart.  A golden copper colour he reminded me of Scout.  I did not know him well and a journey north would enable me to get to know him.

We halted at Thorpe.  William of Wulfestun had been a captured prisoner forced to be a bandit. He had helped the survivors of an attack on Thorpe and they had taken to him.  He was now married to Hilda, one of the women and acted as a headman.  He was a good man.  We halted there so that I could speak with him.

"Have you seen aught of men from the north?"

Thorpe was on the Durham Road and none passed north or south without that William knew who they were.

"No lord.  Since you passed south and warned me I have kept a wary eye open.  I thought that the lack of a lord might mean more bandits but there has been none."

"You do well to be vigilant.  We intend to travel north and see how the land lies."

"Fear not, lord.  I will watch this road and send word if I see any danger."

As we headed north Dick said, "A castle there would give us more protection, lord."

I smiled, "A man born and bred in the forests advises me to build walls?"

He laughed, "Let us just say, lord, that I have seen the advantage of loosing arrows from the walls of a castle."

"Perhaps you are right but if Durham belongs to the Empress then we have no need to protect our northern road.  Cumin is a distraction that is all."

"You do not think he will attack us?"

"Cumin? No.  However he has allegiances to Scotland and King David. It may be that he encourages the Scots to come south.  That is what I fear. And if it was Scotland then a castle at Thorpe would not aid us except to dilute the number of men we would have to defend Stockton.  If the Scots come again they either attack us or Piercebridge and now we have a garrison there. I think Sir Philip could hold out until a message was sent to us. He has stone walls and a river."

Gilles had been listening.  Since the dubbing of the two knights he had become increasingly interested in such matters. "Your purpose in this ride, lord, is it to warn Bishop Cumin?"

"He is not anointed Bishop, Gilles, but you have it aright. I do not want him to think that we have forgotten him and his treacherous act.  He knows not that Father Thomas escaped.  He thinks all the priest who fled are dead. I also have a letter to give to him from the Archbishop.

"Why is he not Bishop of Durham, lord?"

"The Prince Bishop of the Palatinate is appointed by the ruler of England.  Cumin is King David's man.  Stephen will not appoint him.  Pope Innocent will not sanction the appointment of a bishop where there is such conflict." I patted my saddlebag.  "This letter I have from the Archbishop will confirm, I have no doubt, that Cumin has no right to be in Durham.  Of course the letter alone cannot shift him and I am loath to lose men in an attack on the walls of Durham but the delivery of the letter will weaken his position."

Gilles nodded and Dick said, "What you wish, lord, is for Cumin to be foolish enough to try to take on our men."

I nodded, "It will not happen for he is no leader.  However the prisoners we spoke with told us that Osbert Cumin has a brother, William, and that he serves Prince Henry.  He may be more of a threat than his uncle.  We shall see."

We saw no sign of armed men as we headed north. When the travellers we met spied my banner they approached us.  They told us of depredations continuing in the Palatinate. One older woman pleaded, "Lord, end this tyranny! This new Bishop is a cruel man! His riders still prey upon us."

I nodded, "I can only offer hope for the future and not for the present. Until the Empress' son is crowned king then I fear I cannot do as much as I might wish."

I waved a hand south. "There is land by the river and I can promise you that you and your families will be safe there."

The old woman looked at her family. "That seems an honest answer."

The father who was also a grey beard said, "But my family have farmed the land since the time of the Conqueror.  Can you offer us land which is as good?"

Dick shrugged, "A dead family cannot farm at all. That is your fate if you remain here.  The Earl has not yet enough men to face King David and it is his men who rule this land.  I would take the Earl up on his offer."

"I go now to Durham and I will speak with this Cumin on your behalf. My offer stands.  If you present yourself at my castle then you will find land."

It was not an idle offer.  Hartburn, Elton and Norton all had good land for farming. Stockton had slightly less for we were more popular. We reached Durham in the early afternoon. We halted out of bow range with our helmets removed. Dick had two of his archers with arrows at the ready. We waited to be addressed.  Four men appeared.  I recognised one as William Cumin and the other two, from their looks, appeared to be of his family.  The fourth was a Sergeant.

"What is it you want, wolf and murderer?"

I did not wish to engage in a useless exchange of insults.  I was no murderer and he knew it. Instead I held up my hand with the letter from the Archbishop. "I have a letter here from the Archbishop of York!" I handed it to Richard.

William Cumin shouted, "He has no authority here! This is now part of Scotland and King David has appointed me!"

"And the Empress has refused to confirm it.  I come not to bandy words with a usurper.  I come to deliver a message."

I nodded to Richard who trotted forward.  I saw one of the young men who flanked Cumin turn and speak to someone.  A crossbow appeared.  Before it could be used Henry Warbow's arrow had plucked the would be assassin from the battlements.

"Any more treachery Cumin and I will have my archers slay you and your kin!"

They ducked behind the battlements and Henry Warbow snorted. "If you wish them dead, lord, then it matters not where they hide."

He was right for my archers knew how to loose an arrow vertically.  At this range my archers could clear the gatehouse with just ten arrows. Richard threw the letter to one of the guards and then backed his horse all the way back.  It was intended to insult those within by telling them he did not trust them to send a bolt to his back.

When he reached me I said, "Bravely done Richard." Then I shouted, "And I have a message for you.  If you send your barbarians to rampage through this land they risk my wrath.  I give you fair warning that I will hang any I find whether they be lord or commoner.  I will not seek ransom."

One of the young men who flanked Cumin shouted down, "And here is a message from me! I am William Cumin and you slew my brother, Osbert! I will have my revenge upon you!"

I laughed, "Then have it now.  Come down and try your lance against me!"

The silence was deafening. I saw the guards along the wall look to him. He should have accepted my challenge but, instead, he said, "I will bide my time!"

My men all laughed.  The guards on the walls hung their heads.  How could they follow a man who refused a challenge?  My visit had been worthwhile. I turned my horse and we headed east.

"Where do we go, lord?"

"We will head to Bishop's Auckland.  I know there is a hall there.  I would keep watch on the castle.  Have two of your archers wait close by.  If armed men leave the castle then I would know."

Dick nodded, "Aye lord." He turned to two of his most experienced archers. "Rafe and Long Tom.  Hide in the woods yonder.  We ride to the Bishop's hall at Auckland.  Fetch us if men leave."

"Aye lord."

In the days of Geoffrey Rufus the hall at Auckland had been popular.  There was good hunting nearby.  King Henry had even visited and hunted there.  As we rode in to the small village it seemed almost deserted. There were just two priests at the wooden church and a handful of mean huts. We reined in and I dismounted. The leader of the two priests came over to speak with me.  "Earl we are honoured by your presence. I am Father James. We have not seen you since..." His voice tailed off.

"Since Bishop Geoffrey ruled the Palatinate.  I know." I waved a hand around the village.  "It seems the estate has fallen on hard times.  How do you manage?"

He shrugged, "We eke out a living."

"Do the men hunt?"  The priest hesitated.  Hunting on the Bishop's lands was punishable by death. "The man who calls himself Bishop has not been appointed by either the Church or the throne. There is no Prince Bishop at the moment."

"Even so, lord, none of the men would risk it and we dare not condone the act."

I nodded.  "And you would starve. I am not bound by such conventions and rules.  Dick, send your archers to hunt in the forests.  It is richly filled with game."

He grinned.  At heart he was still the young man who had lived off his wits in the forests of the Sherwood. "Aye lord! I will not have eaten sweeter meat since I lived as an outlaw!"

As they rode off I said, "We will not take food from your mouths but we will use the Bishop's lodge this night and we will share whatever my men hunt with you and your people." He still looked uncertain. "We are here for a while.  I intend to stop the raids on the homes of the poor of Durham.  When I am satisfied that there is no danger then I will leave."

"Thank you lord.  I meant no offence."

"And I took none, Father James."

I handed my reins to Richard and went to the lodge.  The door groaned as I opened it and inside it smelled damp and musty.  Edgar said, "We will clean it up lord and make it fit for us to use."

I nodded and, after taking off my cloak and laying my helmet and shield upon it walked around the village.  I saw that only half of the huts were occupied.  Pale faces peered fearfully at me as I passed. I smiled, "Fear not.  We are not here to harm any of you." I knew my words would not reassure them.  If I meant them harm I might say the same thing. By the time I had walked the village my spirits were low. It had taken a short time for this prosperous estate to fall into ruin. It was a reflection of the whole country too.  I knew now that the valley I ruled was an oasis in a wasteland. The Scots had tried twice to do us harm and we had not suffered. It made me more determined than ever to continue to resist them with every ounce of my being.