King Henry's Champion (12 page)

His face was filled with fury but he could do nothing.  He had been beaten. He bowed his head and lowered his shield. I raised my sword and the crowd erupted.  We had won.  As I felt feeling rush back into my hand I thanked God that I had had extra padding fitted to my shield.  Otherwise I might have been hurt even earlier in the combat and then all would have been lost.

He followed me to the refuge where the Earl was now standing with his head already bandaged. William and my squires were screaming with delight. The Earl grasped my hand as I entered.  “Well done, my friend.  That was masterly.” He pointed to the main stand. “Go and receive your prize.”

Taking off my shield I handed it to John. “But it is your team, my lord, you should go.”

He shook his head, “Were it not for you I would have been captured.  No, my friend, the honour belongs to you. Beside we will make a fortune from this.  We have captured two whole teams and only four of ours have been captured.  The ransoms will be great.” He patted my squires on their shoulders.  “We will let these young men have the honour of collecting our treasure.”

I turned Star’s weary head and, with my helmet in the crook of my left arm I rode to the main stand. The crowd tried to reach out to touch Star’s flanks and the King’s men had to hold them back.  They shouted comments to me or just cheered, wildly. It was as though I had won a battle rather than a competition. I reached the stand and turned to face the King, the Queen, the Empress and the Count.  I bowed my head.

The King stepped forward with the golden laurel crown. “This is richly deserved, Alfraed, Earl of Cleveland. Truly I have never seen such courage and such skill. My daughter chose her champion wisely.”

Matilda nodded.  He husband jumped to his feet, “I shall learn to joust as well as you, my lord.  I will have my own team at the next tourney and you shall come to Anjou and be my adviser!”

“I will be honoured, my lord.”

The King shook his head.  The tournament had been important but it had been a distraction.  I had a greater role. “But that will not be this year, my son.  The Earl has tasks in the north.  He has enjoyed his pleasure and now he must return to defend our land.  I know that the north is in safe hands!”

I felt foolish, with the golden crown upon my head as I rode back to the refuge but the crowds loved the spectacle. The captured knights were speaking with each other as I entered. Lothar looked at me with pure malevolence, “You were lucky today, Alfraed, Earl of Cleveland. Should we ever meet on the field of battle then you would do well to avoid me for next time you will be lucky to escape with your life!”

The Earl burst out laughing, “Lothar you are a fool! I have seen the Earl fight.  He is even more deadly in a battle where there are no rules.  If you see the blue standard with the wolf and the stars then avoid it.”

The Count looked at the other knights, Theobald of Blois nodded.  “I hate to agree but I fought in the border wars against Coucy and Puset and I too have seen him fight.  He is a war machine.”

The Count shook his head.  He did not believe them. “I will send the ransom. I have had enough of this English hospitality!”

Although it was against the rules we allowed him and his knights to leave the refuge even though the ransom was not yet paid. He would have to pay whatever the Earl demanded, honour was at stake and he was representing the Emperor.

I rode Scout back to the hall of the Earl.  I was desperate for the salve which I had.  My shoulder and arm still ached.  I would have to see the Earl’s healer for his advice. William chattered like a magpie all the way back.  He was just full of the spectacle. Equally inquisitive were the three knights from our team, all of whom had been captured.  I felt as though I had been interrogated by the time we reached the hall.  I was disappointed that my men were not there. I had expected them to have watched the tourney and reached the hall before us.  Perhaps they had taken the opportunity to enjoy the delights and doxies of London.  I would not blame them.  They were men, after all.

The Earl had baths for us to ease our aches and pains. I sent Leofric for the Earl’s healer. His doctor, a Greek, examined my arm. “It is the elbow which troubles you, I understand?” I answered the question in Greek and he smiled, “Your words are like music to my ears.” He used his hands to search my arm, elbow, hand and shoulders. It took some time.  He asked me, when he touched various places, if I could feel it. Eventually satisfied he nodded, “Yes it is the elbow which is the heart of the problem.  Do you occasionally lose feeling in your fingers?” I nodded.  “When it has been struck?” Again I nodded. “I could make a cut and try to remedy it.”

“Might that make it worse?” I did not like the idea of a scalpel being used to cut me open.

He nodded cheerfully, “It might; in fact it probably would.  I think the only alternative is to give up being a knight but I can’t see you doing that.” He took the salve.  “What is this?”

“It eases the pain.”

He sniffed it and tasted it.  He nodded. “What you need, my friend is something which will delay the reaction.  I will make something for you.”

“Thank you.”

“Oh you need not thank me. You won today and you can afford to pay a good price for my medicine.  A good doctor and his cures do not come cheap!”

I laughed, “It will be worth the price if it works.”

“It will work, my lord.  You have my word on that.”

His words made me feel better and after the Earl’s slave had massaged and oiled me I felt a new man.  I was in the Great Hall with Edward and the Earl when Wulfric was admitted. The Earl frowned at the intrusion.

I gave an apologetic nod, “Wulfric would never dare to come uninvited unless the news was important.”

Wulfric dropped to a knee.  A man of few words he came directly to the point. “We have found the man who hired the outlaws my lord. The dark skinned knight with the white streaked beard. He is in a tavern close to the Abbey of St.Peter; the Confessor’s church.  Ralph of Wales and Roger of Lincoln watch him.”

I looked at the Earl who nodded.  “Go and find this assassin.” He took his seal from around his neck, “Take this, you may need it.” I took it and he grabbed my arm, “Try to get him alive eh, Alfraed.  It would be good to know who pays this killer.”

I went to my rooms and said, “John, get my armour. William, fetch my sword.”

“You go out father?  Should we come?”

I shook my head, “Stay here.  I want the three of you safe.”

We took all of Edward’s men as well as mine.  I wanted a show of force so that he would surrender rather than fight.  Like the Earl I wanted to know who had paid him. “Wulfric, the tavern is it close to the quay?”

“Aye, my lord.”

“And were there ships tied up?”

“I am not certain.”

“Sir Edward, when we get to the tavern, find out which ships are in port and where they are bound.  Find out also the names of any ships which are expected.”

“You think he is fleeing?”

“Perhaps.  Wulfric, where did you first see him?”

“He was at the tourney.  He had four men with him.  As soon as you defeated Lothar of Passau he left.  That was when Ralph of Wales saw him. The five of them were the only ones leaving and they barged their way out. It was how we noticed them.  The rest all stayed to see you receive your prize.”

“Then we must be careful for the Earl is right.  We need to know who pays them.”

We reached the tavern. Ralph and Roger appeared from the shadows.  Night had fallen and the streets were narrow and dimly lit. Edward and his men disappeared.  I left Griff of Gwent with the horses and approached Ralph. “They are still within, my lord and this is the main way in.”

“Good, John and Brian, see if you can find the rear entrance in case they try to flee.” They hurried off.  I had Wulfric. Roger of Lincoln and two archers; my archers had wickedly sharp knives whilst Wulfric had his axe. It would have to be enough.  Watch my back, Wulfric.”

“Aye, my lord.”

I entered the dimly lit tavern. None of those within looked to be anything other than rogues and vagabonds.  I saw the five men we sought.  They sat at the back.  I held up the seal of the Earl of Gloucester and said loudly, “I am Alfraed, Earl of Cleveland and I am here on the Earl of Gloucester’s business.” I held up the seal. “I command you all to obey me!”

The five men suddenly stood. Three of them raced towards the back. The knight, for I could see now that he was a knight, and the other man drew their swords.  I think they thought we would run through them to get their fleeing companions. The knight shouted, in Norman, “This time you will not escape!”

He lunged at me with his sword.  I not only had fast hands I had quick reactions too.  I swivelled out of the way of his blade and swung my mailed fist at him. He fell and was dazed.  His companion raised his sword as he tried to take my unprotected head.  Wulfric swung his axe and hacked through to the man’s spine.  His body juddered as he died. Roger stamped his foot on the knight’s hand as he reached for his sword.  I heard the bones in his fingers crack.

Wulfric growled, “Now if anyone else wishes to try his hand then come forward now!” The other thieves and vagabonds shrank back into the shadows.

John and Brian entered from the back.  They were wiping blood from their blades.  “They died, my lord, sorry. There were three of them and just two of us.  We could not afford to be gentle.”

“It matters not.  We have the one we sought.  Search them and then dispose of the bodies in the river. Where are their bags?” The landlord hesitated, “I can have you taken before the King if you wish.  This man is an enemy to England.  Are you?”

“No my lord.” He turned to a boy, “Alan, bring their bags.”

When the servant ran off the knight flashed a look of pure hatred at the landlord. “You were paid for your silence!”

Wulfric backhanded him across the face, drawing blood. “You speak when we say!”  The servant arrived with two leather satchels.  John and Brian took them.

I smiled at the landlord who stood looking at the bloody mess in the middle of his tavern.  “Next time I would choose my customers a little more carefully, landlord.” I turned to Roger, “Fetch the prisoner.”

By the time we were outside Edward was there.  “It was a ship from Flanders which was waiting at the quay.  We spoke to the captain.  He seemed a little nervous.  As we headed here we saw him departing down river.” He saw the knight for the first time, “Your ship has sailed and you are stuck here.”

“Bind his hands and bring him along.”

Roger roughly tied his hands.  It must have caused him great pain for Roger was not gentle and he had broken fingers in his right hand.  Roger tied the rope to his cantle and with John and Edward watching him we headed back to the Earl’s hall.

The Earl awaited us at his gate.  I handed him his seal.  “Was he alone?”

“He is now!”

“Let us take him somewhere quiet so that we may speak with him.”

“Wulfric, Roger, bring him along.  The rest of you, stable the horses and I will join you presently.”

The Earl and his sergeant at arms, Egbert, led us to a cellar. There were shackles on the wall and I guessed that this was not the first time that it had been put this use. Egbert fitted the shackles.  I saw that the knight’s right hand was turning black. It must have been agony for him and yet his face showed nothing.

“What is your name?”

The man remained silent.

“What is your country?”

He said nothing.  I remembered his words spoken to me in the tavern, “He had a French accent, my lord, and the men of Sherwood said he was French.”

“So a Frenchmen comes to England to try to kill one of my nobles.” The Earl nodded, “I thought the French had some honour. Obviously you do not. Interesting.  Egbert, fetch the irons.”

He disappeared. Wulfric said, “I can beat the answers from him, my lord.”

The Earl smiled, “I think not.  This man is tough.  He can endure pain.  We will soon discover just how much pain.”  Egbert arrived with various metal implements and was followed by two men at arms carrying a brazier. “Egbert here is something of an artist when it comes to extracting information.  Many Welshmen have died cursing him.” He turned conspiratorially to me.  “We always leave the tongue until last.  It makes confession easier.”He said that for the benefit of the bound man.

Egbert put a long poker into the fire and fanned the flames to make it hotter. He turned to me, “Which one, my lord?”

“Which what?”

“Which eye will he lose first, the left or the right?”

I neither liked nor approved of torture but we needed this information.  Until we knew who were our enemies we could not plan to stop them.  We were operating in the dark.  I nodded, “Right!”

“Good choice, my lord. Wulfric and Roger would you hold his head still.  I have known men who try to end their pain by forcing the poker into their brain.  That is too quick an end.” My two men at arms held his head and his shoulders so that he could not move. I saw sweat dripping from the knight’s face. He closed his eyes and Egbert laughed, “I have seen men do that too. The poker can burn through the eyelid just as easily.” He took out the poker and seemed satisfied with its colour. He walked towards the knight.