David the Prince - Scotland 03 (34 page)

Then after the altar, the officiating clergy turned to wait, while Prior Ralph and his original dozen colleagues from Pennant-Bachwy, plus some new adherents, paced in through the throng, to fine singing. Advancing to the altar-steps Ralph knelt, and Bishop John laid hands on him, to bless and declare him Abbot of this new Abbey of Saints Mary and John the Evangelist, and to pray God's divine aid and guidance in the furtherance of this His work in this place. He raised him to his feet.

Abbot Ailred stepped forward and presented the new prelate with his crozier or abbatial staff, whilst singers and players burst forth in praise and thanksgiving.

So, ceremonial over, all filed out, to do justice to the ample cold provision and ale set out on trestles by the riverside, again to the sound of music.

It was upon this pleasant scene of peace and easement that disharmony erupted in the shape of two weary messengers from Ersildoune, sent by Cospatrick's steward there, that earl being here amongst the guests. They announced that a major raid of Northumbrians was in progress, more than any mere raid in fact, for they had been reported as crossing the march at three points simultaneously - more, perhaps, but that was all that they had heard of at Ersildoune - so that it looked more like a planned invasion. The object was not evident as yet, nor were the full numbers involved. But clearly it was a serious matter.

David wasted no time. Calling for all his colleagues and lieutenants to attend on him in the refectory, he there had the messengers repeat their story, more slowly and coherently. They revealed that the Northumbrian forces had crossed into Scotland, on the west by the ancient Roman road of Dere Street, from Redesdale, to Jed Wa
ter and to cross Teviot at Nisbe
t, a few miles upstream of Rook's Burgh. Centrally, they had come, also from Redesdale, down Kale Water to More-battle, to ford Tweed at Sprouston. And their third probe had come up the age-old invasion route through the Till valley, six or seven miles further east, to cross Tweed at Coldstream and Wark.

"Who leads?" David demanded.

"We do not know, lord. There are many banners."

"What can be their aim? This is no cattle-reiving venture -not in such strength and style. Men of note are behind this. Have we such unfriends in Northumbria? Another of Henry's earldoms?"

None answered that, but de Soulis, who was responsible for Liddesdale and the eastern Cheviot passes involved, exclaimed that it must have been carefull planned indeed, to coincide with this celebration — for they would never have got past him otherwise. All the North knew that the Earl David's assistants and officers would be congregated here today, would not be in their own places, ready with their men. It had been well thought out. There was no hiding the criticism implied there, with a viceroy who placed more importance on abbey-building and the like than on military virtues.

David did not argue. He turned to Cospatrick. "You know this part of the march better than any, my lord. What think you could be the reason?"

"God knows!" the Earl said. "Small men's raiding is easily understood - cattle, gear, women! But this is different. Who is it against? Myself and my earldom? Or you, my lord? If we knew who led, 'we might be wiser."

"Three different forces means many men. None could move such large numbers northwards without the knowledge and permission of Ivo de Vesci, w
ho presently acts Earl of North
umbria. Why should de Vesci countenance this? Against me? Or against you, either?"

"Perhaps . . . perhaps it
is against us both, David. For I
claim Northumbria, of which my father was once earl. And does not your lady-wife also claim it, in right of
her
father Waltheof son of Siward, whom the Conqueror used to displace my father? De Vesci now rules Northumbria, in Henry's name. He may think to warn us off, both . . ."

"King Henry it is who decides who will
be Earl of Northumbria - not de
Vesci, nor you, nor me!"

"Will Henry fight for your claim, or mine? I think not. This is Scotland, a long way from London or Winchester. What happens here will concern him little. It is not only the Norman barons on the Welsh marches who may draw sword to carve their own sway."

"We shall see. But—enough of talk. We must move, and fast. Unfortunately our armed strength is far from us here, dispersed. I cannot bring up any part of my Cumbrian force into the Tweed valley in less than four days. The same applies to my Lord Fergus and most others. Only de Soulis and de Brus can put men in that field fairly quickly - and you, my lord of Dunbar. But to wait even for these to be mustered and brought, is unthinkable. By then these invaders could have overrun Tweeddale and the Merse, Lauderdale and Teviotdale. Or wherever they aim. So we must move my friends - ourselves! Down Tweed. Here we are but some score of miles from Rook's Burgh. Well mounted, we can be there before evening. We are not many — but we are strong in trained knights. We will be poor creatures if we cannot give these Northumbrians pause, one way or another, until our own forces come up."

There were growls of agreement from almost all.

"So, de Soulis and de Brus - off with you. Bring your men, so many as you can quickly muster, by the swiftest route to Lower Tweedale. That will be down Teviot and Jed. I shall seek to keep you informed, by courier. The rest, my friends, to horse. Clad as we are! Time only to say a brief farewell to our women. Every able man to ride - the women to bide here at the abbey meantime. We shall plan it as we ride ..."

In haste and disorder, then, the great celebration broke up. In fact, some three
hundred men prepared to ride off
, for the lords and chieftains and Norman knights had all brought small mounted escorts with them; also some of the local herders and foresters were possessed of garrons, and well able to bear arms. Nevertheless they made up a rather extraordinary company with almost as many officers as men and anything but a unified force, their finery of apparel and lack of armour and chain-mail notable.

David's parting with Matilda gave him cause to think. Although she did not seek to dissuade nor delay him, she did venture a warning note.

"My dear - have you considered well? That there may be more to this than appears? Henry. If this de Vesci it is who leads, or at least permits, he may be acting not
against
Henry's wishes and interests but at Henry's instigation. Have you thought of this?"

"Henry would never desire this armed invasion. What could it serve him?"

"Do not be so sure. Henry has a devious mind. It could be his way of warning you off any claim to the Northumbrian earldom, through myself. Warning off Cospatrick likewise. At no cost to himself, not seeming to be involved, using de Vesci as tool. I am sure that Henry does not intend that my claim to Northumbria should be granted. Not that I care for it — but it could benefit you. He may reckon that you have ambitions there. Especially as the Kings of Scots have long considered it as truly part of their realm — and now you are heir to Scotland. He may see it as a danger. So would have you to perceive that it would be . . . difficult. Encourages de Vesci."

"I do not believe that. If he thinks that way, could he not tell me so?"

"That would not be Henry's way. This may well be." So David rode off thoughtfully. Th
ey went, in fact, not down
Tweedside, north-eastwards as he had intended, but up into the hills due eastwards of Shiel Kirk, on the advice of locals, who pointed out that they could cut a great corner by so doing, even though the terrain was more difficult. By climbing ove
r the high common lands by Midle
m to the Ale Water, they could reach Teviot at Ancrum and so save four or five miles. Thereafter it was only some six more miles to the joining of Teviot and Tweed at Rook's Burgh.

He had intended to plan as he rode, but it was difficult to do so without any real knowledge of the strengths, positions and objectives of the invaders. Only generalities could be envisaged. Clearly they must rely upon their wits rather than on armed strength. Surprise must be exploited to the utmost, for their presence could hardly be expected so soon. Authority too ought to be brought into play, if at all possible. Men were conditioned, to some extent, to respect authority - and he, David, was the viceroy of both kings. Even if Henry was in any degree behind this adventure, he could not be present and so in no position to over-rule his representative's voice.

They followed the Ale Water down into Teviotdale, to reach Ancrum in late afternoon. Her
e was the rath of one of Cospat
rick's vassals, Colbain mac Comgall, who was able to inform them that the raiders - or some of them - had crossed Teviot from the south that morning about three miles downstream and then turned eastwards, not coming in this direction. He had men out shadowing them, but no further word so far. So whatever the enemy's objective, it did not appear to be Teviotdale and its subsidiary valleys.

They moved on, taking Colbain of Ancrum with them, plus about a score of his men, all additions welcome. They approached Nisbet ford warily, in case the Northumbrians should have left the crossing guarded, the more so as they saw smoke rising from the area of the nearby mill. But scouts reported no enemy presence, no presence at all save for a maddened, raped woman and sundry dead bodies, the mill and its cothouses burned down.

The woman, only part-clothed, fled screaming into scrub woodland at sight of them; and there was nothing to be done for Nisbet Mill. David steeled himself, and they rode on leaving behind this all-too-normal detritus of war.

As they moved on eastwards they passed other similar evidences that they were following the tracks of the raiders, and David had to take himself very much in hand, reminding himself that he was here for the larger purpose of ridding the land of the invaders, not for comforting and assisting the victims. They were heading up into an ever-narrowing tongue of land between Teviot and Tweed, which would come to a point at the confluence, where his new castle of Rook's Burgh was being built. Such advance could be dangerous, David did not have to be told, for they could be trapped between the rivers. They maintained scouts ahead and to the flanks, of course. The question as to where the enemy were heading became ever more vital, and where their other two forces might be. Near the confluence, Tweed took on a somewhat different character as it entered the Merse, the lowland plain which stretched for nearly twenty-five miles due eastwards to the river's mouth at Berwick, through an ever-widening and open vale—where, according to the reports, the invaders had crossed at two points. In the other direction, the great river coiled its way through closer country, presently to turn almost due northwards, to pass the mouth of Lauderdale and circle the tall peaks of the Eildon Hills. Cospatrick was growing ever more anxious about his castle and town of Ersildoune, where were his wife and family.

David decided, although it would weaken his little force, that they should part company meantime. By striking due northwards from their present position on Nisbet Moor, Cospatrick could utilise one of the very few crossings possible on this stretch of Tweed, at Rutherford, and so be able to reach Ersildoune, some seven miles north, cross-country by Bemersyde, in about an hour. More than fifty men, including Colbain's people, could not be spared; but at least Cospatrick would be able to send back news as to any enemy presence on that side of Tweed. Also, he could raise as much as possible of his armed strength in Lauderdale, and if he found all well at Ersildoune, come back to aid in the situation here.

So they split up. David's company had not gone more than a mile further, eastwards, when his scouts brought back one of Colbain's people who had been sent earlier to shadow the invaders, and whom they had picked up returning. This man reported that the Northumbrians who had crossed at Nisbet had halted some three miles ahead, a bare mile this side of the joining of Teviot with Tweed, where the neck of land had narrowed to less than half-a-mile. There they had taken up a defensive position across the peninsula, backs to the township of Rook's Burgh, facing this way, making use of burn-channels, outcropping rock and the like to form a protective line.

"Halted? Facing
this
way? Defensive?" David exclaimed. "Why? To what end? They must have learned that we come.

But - how could they? If they had left scouts behind to watch their rear,
our
scouts would surely have seen them ..."

"I know not, lord," the Ancrum man said. "But there they wait."

"How many?"

"Many. More than you, lord. Who can tell? Six hundred, perhaps, Seven. I could not see them all."

"And the town? Of Rook's Burgh. Are they occupying that? Have they sacked it?"

"I know not. But they must hold it, yes."

"I do not understand this. Somehow they must have learned of our approach. But - if they so outnumber us, why wait in a defensive position? Why not turn and attack us?"

"Does it matter why, David?" Fergus of Galloway
asked. "The fact is, they wait for us
to attack. So they must fear us. So be it - let us do so! If they are stretched across a half-mile neck, they must make a fairly thin front. Even a thousand men would not look very many over half-a-mile. With our charging cavalry we can break through such line, and then turn and roll them up."