Northern Knight (9 page)

Edward and Rolf rode next to me and raised their helmets.  Rolf was laughing. "I am glad I never faced you in a tourney Englishman.  I have never seen a lump of wood wielded so well!"

"Save your thanks until my archers arrive.  Change horses!"

When Aiden and the horse holders arrived, with the ladies, we all changed to fresher horses. The spares we had accumulated might prove to be the difference between success and abject failure.  "Catch the horses of the dead French too."

The Empress was wide eyed, "Baron Alfraed! Does my father know how you fight?"

I nodded, "He does."

"Then he should reward you for I have never seen anything so gallant as that charge."

The archers galloped in. Dick pointed over his shoulder.  "They are a mile back my lord but we have barely five arrows left."

"You have done well.  Lead once more and we will head for Rouen.  We stop for nothing. We reach Normandy in one march!"

My archers must have thinned them out for they came along cautiously. We rode west steadily rather than fast.  Aiden watched and saw that they halted where we had defeated their comrades. The bodies of the dead and the wounded warriors must have daunted them. They ceased their pursuit. That was our last combat before, in the late evening, we reached Normandy and safety. We had evaded capture and the Empress was safe.  As the mighty doors of the castle slammed behind us I wondered what fate had in store for the Empress.  What had I taken her to?  We would find out when we reached Caen.

After two days of recovery at Rouen we rode south to Caen.  We had an escort of another five knights and thirty men at arms for this part of the journey.  It was not necessary for our safety but it was a statement that Matilda was now the daughter and heiress of King Henry once more. It sickened me for it was almost like parading her for potential suitors. The three ladies now rode side saddle and were dressed as fine ladies. The knights from Rouen and their men at arms also looked sparkling and shiny.  By contrast our men looked like brigands.

King Henry greeted us on the road so that he and his household knights could lead his daughter through the thronged streets of Caen where her return to her father could be celebrated. After greeting his daughter he rode next to me and clasped my arm.  "Once more I am in your debt.  We shall thank you properly, later.  Thank you, Baron Alfraed."

Relegated to the rear of the column we were the last to enter Caen. The well wishers had drifted along with the Empress and her father.  I did not mind. It showed that our task was complete and we could go home. Edgar took our men and the Swabian men at arms to the warrior hall while we led Rolf and his knights to our quarters in the castle.  For Rolf, Gottfried and Carl, this would be their new home; at least until the Empress was married. It is strange to think, now, that she never lost the title of Empress.  Even in the dark days ahead when she fought against the tide that was Stephen she was always called the Empress.

"Harold, take our armour and helms to the armourer and have them repaired.  I hope we will not need them in a hurry but we cannot be sure."

"Aye, my lord."

"And when you have done that then look in on our mounts.  Make sure they are cared for."

I had left fine clothes in the castle and, after bathing and grooming myself, I changed into the better ones I had brought from the east. I had grown in the five years since I had left Constantinople.  I would have to purchase new ones soon. Sadly, I realised I would not be able to buy such well made clothes west of the Byzantine Empire. Rolf saw my sad look and misinterpreted it.  "Do not fret for the Empress, Alfraed.  We will watch over her."

I smiled, "I will not worry so long as you and your brother knights are close by. But I was thinking that I will need new clothes soon."

He laughed, "That is what marriage does to a man.  He worries about matters which are unimportant. Now what we worry about is where we will get decent ale in these parts!"

"I am afraid you will be disappointed.  It is either cider or wine. If the Empress comes to England you will find decent ale once more."

That evening there was a feast for the Empress and to celebrate her safe return.  We were now relegated to a lower table for there were lords and princes aplenty.  I noticed, sourly, that all were handsome young men. She was being paraded. The food might have been well prepared but I had no appetite.  I had not realised when I had set off that this would be the result.  I had thought I was rescuing the Empress for a life of freedom.  I was wrong.

King Henry waved me over.  I stood behind him and bowed, "My daughter has been singing your praises, Baron Alfraed.  You have exceeded my expectations.  I had not thought that there would have been so many attempts to kidnap her. My son thinks highly of you and I concur with his view."

"Where is your son, my liege?  I have not seen him."

"He is in Wales. They are being troublesome again but this time it is in the south of the country close to his estates. Come tomorrow morning and I will speak with you.  I shall reward you and your men for their services."

When I rejoined Edward and the Swabians they asked what the King had said.

"We are to be rewarded for our services and I need to speak with him on the morrow."

Edward asked, "Will we be heading home do you think?" I shrugged, "We have done well already.  We have fine horses and much gold. I am not certain that there will be much to be gained from staying here."

"I fear you are right, Edward." I nodded towards all the suitors, gathered to woo the Empress. "I think this will be just the start of it. I do not envy you Rolf."

"We will hunt and we will practise.  At least here the Empress is safe from kidnap. Caen is the most secure castle in the whole of Normandy."

The King was alone when I saw him.  "Sit, Sir Alfraed." He had a parchment in his hands and he was playing with it. "I always desired the crown you know. But now that I have it and no heirs it seems to weigh heavily upon me. William, my son, would have been your age, had he lived. Things would have been so different had the White Ship not sunk." He shrugged, "Such is the will of God." He made the sign of the cross. "Perhaps I am being punished for imprisoning my brother." I squirmed a little for this felt embarrassing.  He saw my discomfort and smiled, "I am sorry, Baron.  I speak like this with Robert when he is here. Forgive me.  I feel older these days especially when I hear of exploits of knights such as you.  You must forgive a father for thinking of what might have been..."

He handed me the parchment.  "This increases your lands in the valley of the River Tees and gives you the title of Lord of the Valley of the Tees. Roger of Ripon wrote a report for me and informed me that the lands on both sides of the valley have increased their yield of taxes and animals.  That is, largely, down to you." I was about to protest and he waved his hand.  "No false modesty, sir. There is a manor at Thornaby which had been vacant because it was impoverished.  You can hold that and give it to one of your knights if you wish. You would profit from the land. I would have given you Red Marshall too but it is close to the land of the Bishop of Durham and I would not risk losing the affections of Bishop Flambard. However there is a manor at Elton which I have it in my power to award." He allowed me to read the parchment. I saw that I was now the most powerful baron and only subject to the Bishop of Durham.  It was quite a coup.

"In return I expect twenty knights from the valley and eighty men at arms as well as forty archers."

"Archers are hard to come by."

"I know but I do not expect that you will have to bring them to muster this year.  Apart from Wales, my lands seem peaceful.  You and my son have managed to quieten down the ambitions of the Scots and the rebels.  With the Palatinate now secure too I hope that the northern border will remain peaceful and prosperous. I must stay here for my enemies gather around me like wolves.  Anjou, Flanders, France; they constrict me and conspire against me." He leaned back; a sure sign that the interview was over. 

Picking up the parchment I stood, "I will do as you command, my liege, and I will await your orders." Even as I said it I knew how stuffy it sounded.

He smiled, "There are two ships leaving for England today.  You and your men can use them to return to England. The castle is crowded and we expect more visitors.  Your work is done here and my daughter safely delivered. Go home and enjoy some time with your family." I was summarily despatched.  He had no further need of me.  I wondered if someone had spoken of the affection of the Empress towards me.

Thus dismissed I went to inform my men.  I told Rolf the news and he clasped my arm.  "Perhaps it is for the best that you do not say goodbye to the Empress, my friend, eh? Go and see your wife and your son and make more children." Rolf was a wise knight and he watched and listened as all good leaders do.  I knew that he was right.  It hurt me to do it but I could not allow myself the luxury of saying goodbye to the Empress.

Later, as the two laden ships headed out to sea I looked at the castle of Caen. I hoped that Matilda would come to the battlements and wave but the walls remained devoid of any ladies.  Rolf was right.  This clean break was for the best.

We reached home in late summer.  The journey had not ended in London for we had to march north with our horses and we used the time to recruit more men at arms and archers. With the wars in the west and the north over there were many spare men at arms who sought employment. We even found more Welsh archers.  Sherwood had been quiet for some time and that source appeared to have dried up.

I gave Edward the manor of Thornaby. He was delighted.  He had been a man at arms for years and suddenly he was a man of substance. He would now have to bear the expense of men at arms but he accepted that burden.  Some of the other men at arms we had hired would be serving my other knights and I would need to find another two knights to serve with me. I was not looking forward to that.  I had made a wise choice with Edward but Richard had almost done for me. I needed to use better judgement.

As we passed the tiny manor of Thornaby, Edward and I inspected it.  Lying across the river from Stockton it had been just two farms and a few huts when we had arrived. The security we had brought meant it had prospered.  The wolf winter had cost us one family but more had arrived to replace them. The river sometimes flooded and that brought the bounty of richer harvests.   The farmers who lived there would do well so long as they learned to work with nature. There were now half a dozen farms and would bring an income to Sir Edward.

Edward's experienced eye took it all in. "I would have my hall there on the high ground."

"Would you not wish a castle?"

"No, Baron, Stockton is close enough to afford us protection. Stone castles are expensive. I have little enough to spare at the moment. I will have my men begin to hew wood from the river bank tomorrow.  We have time enough to build before winter."

"Good.  Now let us get to the ferry, I am anxious to see my family."

As we waited for Ethelred I viewed my castle as though for the first time.  It was not large.  Although we had built three floors in the keep the lower one was below ground.  With just one hall and one antechamber it was almost an old fashioned warrior hall but it had a river running around three sides and it had a curtain wall.  We could defend it. It was my castle. In time it could be enlarged.  Perhaps that would be a task for my son, William.

As Ethelred's man pulled us across on the ferry I wondered about replacing the wooden towers at the top of the castle.  I had talked myself out of it by the time we had reached the north shore.  It would be expensive and it was unnecessary, at the moment. We had other needs now.  A bigger stable would be needed and an armoury.  Both could be built against the walls of the keep.  They would add protection and heat in winter. In addition I had much to do as Lord of the Valley.  The grand title meant more work.  It would also mean more taxes for me but my main role would be as defender of the Tees.

Adela and my son came to greet me.  He had grown immeasurably since I had been away.  Travelling from Caen meant I was dirty and unkempt. I must have frightened him. He burst into tears when he saw me.  It made Edward and my men at arms laugh. Poor Adela was distraught.  "I am sorry Alfraed, it's just…"

I smiled, "Do not worry. I must look terrifying.  When I have bathed, shaved and had my hair cut then we will try again."

She handed him to Seara and threw her arms around me.  "I missed you so much.  Did you do what the King wished?"

She took my arm as we walked up to my gate. "We did and I am rewarded with two more manors and a new title, Lord of the Valley. But we need to have more knights."

She laughed, "They will come for your fame must be spreading."

"I don't know about that.  But we will need to build a warrior hall in the outer bailey. I have realised, since travelling in the Empire, that our castle is small.  The keep is good for defence but we need accommodation. Remember the wolf winter?  We need to make plans in case we have such a hard one again."

She turned as she heard the horses being brought up from the ferry.  "Have you gained horses?"

"We have and treasure too.  We will have to try and find some time to spend some before winter arrives. We could hire more servants or buy slaves."

"We have enough of those but we need cloth.  We are well provided for in leather and wool but not fine cloth."

"Then we shall buy some."

As I entered my hall I felt the cares of the world fall from my shoulders.  I was home and I was happy. My wife's requests were mundane and all the more welcome for that.  There was little danger in buying cloth and men did not die building halls.

The next day Edgar and Wulfric took the new men at arms with Edward and they went to hew wood.  We would cut enough for Edward and for my hall.  I went with Harold to visit Wulfstan and Sir Richard.  I would visit the others in due course.  I left Aiden with his hawks and his young falconers. Along with his dogs they were his family.

Wulfstan's family was growing and his hall had been enlarged to accommodate both them and the servants he now needed. It was a pleasant afternoon and we sat outside his hall and watched his children play.  I told him, in detail, what had happened.  I could hide nothing from my old mentor. I saw that he was worried about the need to find more men at arms. "I will see about hiring more men at arms and training archers but the King asks a great deal of us, Wulfstan.

"He is the King and what he says he gets. You have done well, Alfraed, and your father would be proud. You do not command the Varangian Guard yet but you command a mighty force of fine knights.  I would be happy to lead them."

"How is the Lord of Hartness?"

"I know you will not wish to hear this but he is nothing like his cousin.  He appears to be a good man.  He cares for his people and they love him.  I have visited with him on a number of occasions and I find him good company."

I knew I had an irrational dislike of him but I could do nothing about that.  He was one of my lords and, as such, I would have to learn to have him fight under my banner.

Sir Richard, at Yarm, looked even more prosperous than he had when I had first met him. There were more fields being tilled and his wooden castle had been strengthened and its walls raised.  He and his son, Tristan, were practising.  Tristan had grown much during the year since I had last seen him. I watched them finish their bout before I approached them.

They were both sweating heavily.  Although Sir Richard had defeated his son I could see the latent skill the youth had. "Well done, Tristan.  You will soon have the beating of your father."

Tristan shook his head, "He has taught me and all the tricks I know are his. He is the one man I will never defeat."

"Unless you devise ways of your own."

He shook his head, "I am afraid I just use what I have been taught and, besides, at the moment I find the lance too difficult to control."

Sir Richard put his arm around his son.  "That is my fault. I am not as skilled in the lance as others. Could you not advise him?"

I nodded and took a spear from a rack. I threw it to Tristan. "But this is not as long as a lance, my lord!"

"And you are not at your full strength yet." They had some sacks filled with straw close to the stables. I shouted to a man at arms. "Fetch three of those sacks over here." When they came I piled them one on top of each other. "Now, Tristan, imagine that this is a man with a spear and he is crouching behind a shield." I jammed the tip of my shield into the ground and rested it against the bales of hay. "I want you to gallop at it as though you were in battle.  Rest your spear across your cantle and then, when you are twenty paces from the hay, pull back and punch above the shield."

I saw Sir Richard smiling.  He was a good knight but I think he lacked imagination.  I was making this more of a game.  When they tilted at each other Sir Richard would win every time and Tristan would become demoralised.  I thought he might be able to defeat the three sacks of hay.

He charged towards the target.  I saw the concentration upon his face as he pulled back his arm. He plunged the spear into the top sack and shouted excitedly.  Unfortunately the weight of the sack pulled the spear from his grasp. I nodded.  I had expected that.

"You have not won when you strike an enemy, Tristan.  It is after the battle when you cheer. A knight is vulnerable once his lance has broken or it is lost.  You could have retained your grip on the spear."

"How my lord?"

"Once you have struck then you twist and withdraw. If your weapon does break then draw your sword as quickly as you can.  In a
mêlée there will be other knights around you."

"Thank you, my lord.  When will I be able to progress to a lance?"

"Once your arms are stronger.  Here, take the hay back to where they are stored and when your father sends his woodcutters out go with them and your target is to cut down more trees than the woodcutters." I turned to Harold, "Go with him and tell him how you train."

He nodded and hefted the sack upon his back. Sir Richard chuckled, "My woodcutters do this all the time he will never out cut them."

"This means he will become stronger."

"Thank you my lord.  I value you your advice."

"I have an ulterior motive. The King has asked for twenty knights form the valley as well as eighty men at arms and forty archers."

"How many do you command now, my lord?"

"We have eight.  I need the squires that we have to become knights by next year. Until the weather worsens have Tristan come to Stockton each Saturday. He and Harold can improve each other's skills.  We will make soon make them both into knights. You have another son; he should begin his training as a knight too."

Sir Richard frowned, "Do we go to war?"

"Not this year but the Scots will only remain cowed for a short time and there are still men who have rebellious hearts." I saw his eyes flick to his wife who was talking to Tristan. "We will leave men at arms to protect our manors. You have six men at arms.  You need to double that to twelve and then six can watch your manor.  I will tell all of my lords the same.  As for archers…" I shrugged, "That is practice for your young men. We now have more people who wish to live in the valley.  Although the land is fertile there will be young men who wish a more adventurous life. We can offer them that.  Train as many men to be archers as you can. We will go to war again; the question is when."

I gave the same information to the other nights over the next four days.  As we were riding back from Hartness Harold and I paused to look down from the hill close to Hart to view the river and the land all the way down to the hills south of the river. "Baron, I have heard your words to your knights. Do you expect me to be a knight now?"

"In the spring I will knight you and give you a manor."

"But I am not ready!"

"You think you are not but you will be.  When you and Tristan practise you will improve each other's skills. You and he are at the same level in many areas but you have more experience of war. You will tell him of that." I smiled, "I am grateful that you have served me as well as a squire and your reward will be that I will give you the manor of Elton.  It is close to Wulfstan and me and small enough for you to grow into the role of lord of the manor."

"But, my lord, I was born the son of an archer!"

"And I am the grandson of a servant.  Our course is not set in stone.  We make our own future.  The King has been kind to me and, I believe, we have deserved the rewards we had been given. I will have a band of knights around me who are as close as brothers.  I will have knights that I can trust.  You will be such a one, Harold.  Set your mind to becoming the best knight that you can be."

He was silent as we headed south.

"And one more thing Harold, have John teach you to read by the spring.  A knight needs such skills."

His face which had been filled with joy, now filled instead with dread.  John was a good teacher but I remembered that I had preferred the sword to the parchment.

Our winter was not as harsh as the one we had called the wolf winter.  The river did not freeze and the snow, while it came, departed with equal speed.  Although the cold was harsh we found no frozen families this time. We went in the hills, after Christmas, to hunt the wolves while their sense of smell was not at its best. We killed many.  There were still many more left to roam in the remote parts of the land but they preyed on sheep and not man. The world settled into a better routine. Many of the wives of the men at arms were with child.  Winter was the time for such things.  The long nights were good for that.

We trained hard during those early months of the new year. Winter was slow to lose its grip on the land but eventually it did. As the trees and fields blossomed so did our families who were able to get out into the warm sun. Our children were our future and my son would be a knight.  There would now be daughters of knights and men at arms for him to marry. Family helped warriors create unbroken bonds.

With Easter just a few weeks away I took half of my men and rode down to York.  We needed to prepare for summer. We had had peace for half a year since I had returned.  I was not certain that it would last. York might have men at arms and we could buy the things we could not make ourselves. John, my clerk, came with us. In truth he was more than a clerk.  He was the one who ran the castle and the lands.  Faren had been a housekeeper when she had lived with us and my wife could run the kitchens and the servants but it was John who saw to the day to day running of my lands.  He had been honest when he came to me.  He wished to be rich.  I did not stop him from achieving his aims.  I knew that he was a good man and would not cheat me.  I was well read enough to check his figures rigorously but he liked money and knew how to make it grow.