Baron of the North (8 page)

That made even the dour Wulfric laugh. "Then how many knights and how many men at arms?"

"There were five knights and I think, four squires.  Twenty men at arms and then there were others."

"Others?"

"Aye, Baron.  They had no mail and they rode small horses which were little bigger than ponies.  They had markings on their faces and some had spiked hair.  There were a large number of them." He shook his head, "I would be guessing but I think forty, maybe more."

"You have done well. Roger of Lincoln escort this family back to the castle."

Tom's wife said, "Baron, we would like to bury my husband and his father if you please. They loved this land and I know the very spot."

"Of course.  Roger, take a couple of men and help them."

"Aye Baron."

It set my mind to thinking of Wulfstan and his family and their grave. Before I could attend to the matter I heard the sound of hooves in the twilight and Harold and Dick rode in followed by Tristan. Harold's face was as black as thunder. I knew what he would say before he even opened his mouth. "They have been there, lord.  They killed all of the men, burned my hall and took the women and children as well as the animals.  I would go after them!"

"And we shall but not until the morning." He opened his mouth to argue, "I command here!" My voice softened, "Aiden can pick up their trail when it is daylight and we will have fresh horses.  We have not eaten and our mounts can go no further this day." He did not look convinced. "Where can he go?"

Richard of Yarm said, "My family!"

"I think they will be safe but take Tristan and your men and go to your home.  If it is secure then send Tristan back in the morning with your archers.  They can join my pursuit."

Geoffrey of Piercebridge said, "And my home?"

"I fear he will be heading there.  He can cross the river.  But it is no use travelling there this late.  We will head there in the morning.  Now let us bury a great man and a noble warrior."

We dug a grave facing west. I took a shovel and helped.  I had to be part of this funeral. The land was on the slope above the beck. We carefully laid the shrouded bodies in a line and I placed Wulfstan's sword across his body. We piled earth on the top and then laid stones we gathered from the stream.  Finally we placed a cross.  Father Matthew could come and say the words which were necessary but I would not leave my friend and his family above ground for the rats and foxes to feast upon. We made a sad procession back to my castle.  I was weary but I knew I would not sleep overmuch that night. I was too angry for that.

My wife was wonderful.  When she had heard of the horror she had known what to do. She had put on a feast, not only for my knights but for the men at arms and archers. It was not a celebration but a feast of thankfulness.  More might have died. I knew it was appreciated although neither Harold nor myself ate much.  We were both filled with regrets. For myself I regretted not spending more time with Wulfstan as he aged. I know I still had much to learn. I regretted not forcing him to live in the castle whilst I was away. He would still be alive. Most of all I regretted my delay.  Had I started south earlier I could have saved his life and that would live with me forever.

We left Stockton with a pared down conroi. I left more men at arms to protect my family. I left Star in my stables and took another palfrey.  This would be a chase. I also took Aiden.  He was like a hound and he would sniff them out. He left before dawn and rode west to find these killers.

We approached Piercebridge with caution. Aiden had not returned and that had worried me.  Sir Geoffrey led his men ahead of us and galloped off to see if his home had been damaged.  We arrived and I saw the walls still standing. They had been attacked; the bolts in the walls told me that but they had not crossed the river.  The barrier of logs showed that the defenders  had fought hard to keep this wolf from the door. I now knew why Aiden had not returned. He had seen that the castle still stood and the passage over the Tees had been barred.  He was on their trail. I did not stop and we carried on.  Sir Geoffrey would catch us up.

Aiden did return to us shortly after we had  left Piercebridge. He galloped up to me and whipping his horse's head around he pointed to the north west. "Baron, they have left the road and they are heading to the north and west."

This needed words with my knights.  "They are not heading south and if they head to the north and west they must come up against Barnard Castle.  That cannot be taken. Its lord is noble and would not side with the rebels. Which way would they go?" I was stumped. I had been outwitted again.

"They must be heading back to Scotland. Do you think they know we pursue them?"

I was about to answer when Wulfric said, "My lord they have left no one alive and taken only prisoners to pleasure them.  They think they have vanished.  It is an old trick." He smiled, "When I was younger and wilder… well let us say I know how this works. He goes back to Scotland and he goes by secret paths and hidden ways."

"Then he will try to get back to Scotland using the lesser known paths. He will avoid Durham and Hexham and we know he heads north and west."

"Carlisle bars his way there."

"But the border is close. He will cross between Hexham and Carlisle. I do not think he can cover that in less than two days.  It is almost ninety miles. He has to cross the wall and that means using one of the passages and gates in the wall." I turned and summoned Dick. "I want four good archers to accompany Aiden and keep on the trail of this conroi. We will travel to Barnard and thence to Brampton. If this knight looks to deviate from the course I have predicted find us.  We will ride a parallel course and will be just a few miles from your men." Aiden had been listening and he nodded.  The two rode away.

The hooves of Sir Geoffrey's men made us all turn. "They came to my castle, Baron.  It was a half hearted attack.  They stood off and used bows and crossbows. When my men resisted they turned away."

"Your people did well."

He nodded, "We had the lesson of Gainford and we have made our castle stronger."

We halted at Barnard.  Guy de Balliol had been given the castle by King Henry's father. Although old he was still a force to be reckoned with.  He offered some of his men to accompany us but I saw that many were as ancient as Sir Guy and they had not been in combat for some time.  I deemed it safer for them to deny the passage of the Tees to any raider. We left early knowing that we had to have had a more comfortable night than Fitzwaller and his men. They would be ahead of us but we were rested and our horses had had grain. We also had something else driving us; vengeance. We pushed hard.

With Aiden away to the east of us we used Dick and Roger of Lincoln to scout. When they did not return we knew that the road was clear and we rode into Brampton as the afternoon became evening. There was no castle.  Carlisle was but nine miles away. We warned the villagers of the potential danger and we set sentries as we awaited our scouts.

Griff of Gwent rode in soon after dawn. "Aiden sent me. They have headed north to cross the Irving close to Lanercost."

I had almost been outwitted. Instead of being able to bar their return I now had to follow.  He had found somewhere to cross the wall. The advantage I had was we had fresher horses. As my men armed and mounted I asked my scout, "Did you watch the camps?"

"Aye, Baron, we were hidden and were able to get a close look at them."

"Have they lost many through desertions?"

"There have been some fights in the camps and we saw four of five bodies on one morning as we passed through. They are not a happy band of warriors. They still have more warriors than we do."

I nodded.  I turned to my knights. "We have nearly been outfoxed but the nearest crossing of the river is closer to us. We ride north and we will meet them at Walton." There was another crossing of the Irving not far from Brampton and we would, once again, get ahead of them and this time we would end this chase.

We reached a peaceful and sleepy Walton less than an hour after we set off and as we halted on the eastern side of the huddle of homes we saw that we had arrived in the nick of time.  We spied the banners and the sun glinting off the armour as Guy Fitzwaller brought his raiders to us. "Lances! Archers to the flanks."

My conroi was practised now and they moved swiftly and efficiently. I had John behind me with my banner.  Harold rode to my right and Sir Richard to my left. I saw that they outnumbered us but their superiority was in the wild Irishmen who rode the small ponies.  They would not fight on the ponies.  They would fight on foot. Fitzwaller had his men at arms before his knights. They would bear the brunt of our attack and blunt our blades.  He was a cunning adversary.

I turned to my men. "We ride to avenge Wulfstan and those who fell at Elton. No mercy and no quarter! Forward!" Our horses moved down the slope, which was gentle. I spurred Scout to make him move a little faster.  We would not gallop but we would have more speed than the weary looking Scots.  We rode together but not quite knee to knee. Dick and his archers had galloped forward and were ahead of us.  They dismounted and, using horse holders, began to shower the enemy with arrows.  They aimed at those on foot and it was their archers and crossbows who fell first.  As I had expected the wild Irish did not take kindly to the rain of death and they hurled themselves up the slope after my archers.  We had not discussed it prior to the encounter but Dick would take advantage of it.  Dick ordered his archers back on their horses and they fled up the slope with the foot in hot pursuit.  It left the men at arms at our mercy.

I spurred Scout again as we approached to within twenty paces.  I pulled back my lance and then stood to punch at the man at arms before me. His horse flinched and Scout headed for the gap as my spear struck him on the shield.  The weight of my blow, my armour and Scout made his shield ineffective and the spear plunged into his chest.  The head sheared off my weapon as he fell to his death. I threw the broken haft like a spear high in the air and drew my sword. I headed for Fitzwaller. I tightened my grip on my shield and urged Scout on.

Fitzwaller swung his sword at my horse's head but I was ready for such tricks and I wheeled away and smashed down on his sword with own. There was a loud clang of metal on metal and sparks flew.  We both had well made swords. Rather than turn Scout to the right I continued to wheel him around and the manoeuvre fooled Fitzwaller. I appeared on his sword side. Neither of us could use our shields for protection. I stood in the stirrups to bring my sword down on his head.  He had quick hands too and he brought his blade up to counter the blow.  The force of my strike was so powerful that it bent his blade. He threw it at me and took the war axe from his pommel.

"Your Saxon dog died badly, Greek! And his family joined him screaming and weeping! I have begun to pay you back!"

"And how would you know?  You were not there.  You sent your animals to fight him and he slew them all.  It was the fire which took his life and you shall burn in hell for your crimes!"

I saw the anger on his face and he swung backhanded at me.  The axe head barely missed Scout's head and it cracked into my shield.  It could not take many blows such as this. I stabbed forward as our horses jostled together. Surprisingly he did not manage to get his shield down in time.  My blade slid along the cantle of his saddle and across his hauberk. As I drew it back I heard it tear the links.

We were oblivious to the battle raging around us save that I was aware of John and Leofric guarding my back and my banner fluttering above my head. Fitzwaller brought his axe over his head to strike at my upper body.  I brought my sword up and the edge bit into the haft and stuck.  We pulled back and forth.  I stood in my saddle and leapt at him. I struck his body sideways on and we both tumbled to the ground.  I heard the air pushed from him as we crashed to the ground.  I found myself rolling to the side but the sword had freed itself from the axe.  I was the first to my feet. As I did so I saw Leofric take the head from Fitzwaller's squire who held the banner.  The flag fluttered to the ground.

Fitzwaller swung his axe at my legs as he rose.  I managed to leap backwards and we circled each other warily. I saw that his hauberk was hanging down at one side.  My sword and the tumble had weakened it. It would drag him to the right.  I could use that.  An axe was a wicked weapon but it had a tendency to make the user over balance.  Whilst in the saddle he had been protected by the cantle which held him in place  Now he was on foot.  He would also find it hard to counter my blows. I swung my sword at head height and he brought up his shield.  When he swung his axe at my head I stepped back with my left leg while still holding my shield.  He struck the shield but began to overbalance. I accentuated it by stepping forward with my right and bringing my sword hard round towards the top of his shield.  He brought his shield up but my blow made him step back and he had to take extra steps to regain his balance.  I continued my attack and swung backhand.  I saw a huge chunk of wood fly from the haft of the already damaged axe.

Fear filled his face as I swung my sword at his shield once more.  I was tiring but I knew that he was tiring more.  An axe is a heavier weapon and more of his mail links had severed.  The end of his hauberk was trailing along the ground. He tried to rally and force me on the defensive.  He swung at my shield again.  This time he anticipated my move and put more force into the blow.  I did not step back and I put my shoulder behind my shield.  The blow numbed it but I heard an ominous crack from the axe.