Earl (21 page)

Then the King and the other knights arrived and the battle began to go our way.  I tried to raise my sword but I had no strength.  I saw the blood puddling at my feet and I sank to my knees.  I heard Wulfric roar, “Edgar!”

As I lay panting on the ground William took my sword and held it.  “You have won father!”

Then Edgar appeared, “Lie down my lord, you are losing too much blood.”

Leofric took off my helmet as John laid me on the ground.  I stared up at the blue skies filled with scudding clouds and heard the sounds of battle around me.  It felt strange and I remembered my dream.  Then I seemed to be floating and now it felt the same.  Was I dying?

I must have blacked out for the sky disappeared.  I knew I was not dying when I heard William’s voice close to my head, “Do not die father!”

I forced my eyes open and sat up.  Edgar said, irritably, “I pray you stop moving, my lord.  I am trying to staunch the bleeding!”

I saw that he had pulled away the damaged mail and ripped my sleeve.  I saw that it was a deep wound but he had tied a piece of cloth around my upper arm.  Having seen the wound I knew I would not die, at least not yet. “Leofric, fetch a torch.  You must cauterize it, Edgar.”

He laughed, “You have seen my needlework then, my lord.” He turned to William, “Fetch your father two goblets of ale from the camp.”

He looked at me and I said, “Obey Edgar, he is a healer.”

As he ran off I surveyed the battle as I could see it from my prone position.  Wulfric’s rapid arrival and my archers’ skill had stopped this becoming a disaster.  I now saw that the fight had been planned so that they could destroy our siege engines and catch us unawares.  It had been the arrogance of de Coucy which had saved us.  He should have given the signal earlier but he wanted the glory of defeating me first. John could see further.  “How goes the battle?”

“There are horses coming from the castle, my lord.”

That would be a disaster if they attacked our men.  It was a
mêlée and there was no order.  A line of mounted men could sweep through our lines and the King would be in danger. Leofric arrived with the torch. Edgar took it and said, “You two lads hold tightly. He will thrash around.  I am sorry, my lord.”

I felt John and Leofric grip my shoulders. My right hand was still on the ground. I closed my eyes and nodded.  I felt warmth become heat and then smelled burning hair and flesh before an excruciating pain raced up my arm and through my body.  I gritted my teeth and waited for the agony to subside. I kept my eyes closed and then felt a sudden shock of cold.  I opened my eyes and saw that Edgar had poured one of the goblets of ale on to the wound.  He handed me the other.  I drank it down. I needed wine to numb the pain but the ale helped.

As John stood he said, “My lord, the horsemen! They are fleeing south! The enemy are running.”

It seemed that Puset and Breteuil were fleeing to fight another day.  I lay back down.  We could go home. I must have dozed off for the next thing I knew I was in a tent in the camp. Wulfric stood over me. He smiled when I opened my eyes.  “I have sent the men and the squires to collect the treasure from de Coucy and the men we slew.  The men of Blois and Anjou hung back a little too much for my liking. That was a good fight, my lord.  He was a tough warrior. I knew you would defeat him but…” He nodded towards my arm.  “I am sorry I was too slow to stop that bastard with the axe.  It was a good job that Dick had his wits about him.”

“Did we lose any men?”

He shook his head, “Their best men rode off while the bandits were slaughtered.  The King is in the town now.  He is an angry man.”

“And what of the counts?”

“The Count of Blois is with the King.” He sniffed, “He is like a dog picking up scraps. Sorry my lord, I spoke out of turn.” I waved a hand to show it did not bother me.  “The Count of Anjou is gathering his men.  He intends to follow Hugh lord of Puset.  He seems to think he was insulted.”

“What says the King about that?”

“He does not know. He is still in the town.”

“We shall return to Caen when the King has finished with the burghers of
Thymerais.  I do not think he will be in a conciliatory mood. I have had enough of this land.  I would return to Stockton.”

“Aye my lord and perhaps the pestilential air will have been cleansed from our home by then.”

We did well from the battle.  I would need a new hauberk and surcoat but the armour of de Coucy was well made and Alf would be able to use many parts of it. We had gained no horses but there were many coins and weapons from the dead.  Some of them had been taken in battles with the French. My three squires did particularly well out of the battle.

It was night by the time the King returned and I was rested and dressed. I had left the tent.  I wanted an open sky above me. I saw the smoke from the burning corpses drifting towards the town. I saw that the King’s standard and that of Blois flew from its towers.

King Henry strode over to me.  He had a worried look upon his face.  “Once again I am in your debt, Cleveland.  You were right about treachery and I thank God for your archers. I intend to make a decree that every manor in England must train archers such as yours. Things would have gone badly else.”

“That is a wise move, my liege.  Archers will save England. The town is ours?”

“It is.  I shall stay here for a few days to make it defensible.  I would not wish Louis to take advantage of the blood of Anjou.” He suddenly looked up.  “Where is my son in law?  I saw him not.”

Wulfric said, hesitantly for he was in awe of the King, “His is pursuing Hugh of Puset, your majesty.  He said his honour had been impugned.”

“The fool! Then I shall have to follow him.  I cannot have my daughter widowed a second time.”

“You will return to Caen?” I nodded, “Do not leave before I return.  I will not be long.”

“I had hoped to begin to rebuild my life in the north, my liege.”

“I know but I needs must speak with you about…” he was suddenly aware that others were around, “well you know of what I speak.” He turned to William, “Your father is someone whom you can admire and emulate.  He is a true knight. He is probably the finest English knight in the land. Chivalry and honour course through his noble veins.”

After he had gone I issued my orders, ”Wulfric have the men ready to leave in the morning. I care not how you get them but find as many spare sumpters as you can. I think that, for a while at least, we can use the good offices of my name.”

Wulfric laughed, “Do not worry, my lord, we will have enough horses for all that we have taken.” He looked at my arm which was heavily bandaged. “Shall I have a litter made for you?”

“If you do then you can find another master to ride upon it! I will ride Scout!”

We rode at a leisurely pace for our animals had worked hard and we had no spares.  Even so it only took us a day longer to reach Caen than the outward journey had taken. The first treasure we had captured was there with Sir Richard’s men.  The news of our new victory had not reached Caen.  It did not take long for the news to spread. The castellan insisted that we stay in the keep.  It suited me.  My men would be in the warrior hall but it would be more peaceful in the half empty keep.  I intended to sleep and rest as much as I could.  Despite my words to Wulfric the combination of the blows to my arm and the wound from the axe made me worry about my left arm. This was where I missed the surgeons from Constantinople who knew how to deal with such injuries.  The healers in the castle were often relying on guesswork.

I had just reached my chambers and my squires were about to help me take off my mail when there was a knock at the door.  It was Judith, the Empress’ lady in waiting.  “Sorry to disturb you my lord but the Empress would like to invite you to dine with her in the Great Hall this evening.  She has been lonely since her father left. Rolf and the Swabians will be there.  She asks if your sergeant at arms might join her too.”

“We would be honoured.”

After she had left and my squires took off my mail and helped me to bathe I pondered her words, ‘
since her father left’
.  Not her husband but her father.  What was the significance of that? Leofric promised to pass the invitation on to Wulfric.  He would come but he would be less than happy. He hated having to watch his manners. He was always happiest in the company of men.  He would never marry for that reason.  Still I knew that there were many Wulfrics spread across England, Scotland, Wales and Normandy.  He might shun their polite company but Wulfric liked women and they liked him in return!

I still had some fine clothes which I had brought with me from my last visit to Constantinople.  Leofric trimmed my beard and hair.  He anointed my face with the sweet smelling lotion we had brought from the east and when he was satisfied he left. Edgar had told Leofric to make sure I wore a sling for my arm. Leofric insisted that I obeyed orders.  Later that night I was pleased that he had for it ached the whole time.  Had I not had the sling then the pain would have been unbearable.

I was the first one to reach the Great Hall.  The Steward had obviously had his orders from the Empress. He waved a servant over to me with a goblet of the heavy red wine she knew I liked.  I sat by the fire and stared into the flames. I had learned the habit from my father who swore that he could see battles and great deeds in the flickering firelight. I found my mind drifting.  I had told the King I wanted to return home as soon as possible but was that really true? Perhaps I had been deluding myself.  I wanted to be here in Caen.  Stockton was now a place of haunted memories for me.  Every room and corridor would remind me of my wife and my child.  My empty bed would make me feel lonely.  The meals with just my son for company would reinforce the fact that I lived in a home without women.  I had grown up in such a house and I knew how it had eaten away at my father. It was another reason he had left the villa to come to England.

My melancholic reverie was ended by a clap on the back and a roar from my Swabian brothers.  “If it is not the hero of Thymerais.  We would have been here sooner but we spent some time with Wulfric, Dick and your squires. Do you have to win every battle single handedly?”

“I just follow orders.”

“Do not lie to your blood brothers Alfraed.  You went into battle with this giant thinking you would die.  That is why you asked the King to take your son as a ward.”

“I was thinking of my son it is true but I did not want to die. That would be a sin.”

“You are not speaking the truth again; you know that your men would have raised your son as Athelstan raised you.  Speak the truth and shame the devil!”

He was right of course.  I had thought that I would die and now be with Adela. It seemed that I was incapable of fighting badly. I changed the subject. “The Count has taken himself off after Hugh of Puset.  He thought he had been insulted by him.  The King is not best pleased about that. He is a brave enough youth but he lacks both manners and judgement.”

“And there you are being kind for we have not seen any behaviour like that in Anjou.”

I did not like to be seen to be belittling the Count, “We have, at least, recovered the lands which Blois lost.”

“I am surprised that Stephen is not here.  I hear he is in England still.”

Rolf was a clever man and he kept a close eye on the Blois brothers.  Like me he knew of their attempt to abduct the Empress. The four of us, along with Edward were the only ones who really knew of the perfidy of the King’s nephew. The sixth member of the Knights of the Empress, Sir Guy de la Cheppe lived in France.  We had not seen him for some time but I knew that he too would have his suspicions about the Blois brothers.

Wulfric joined us.  I hid my smile for it was obvious that he had made a valiant attempt to tame his mane and his beard.  He had failed. This was not his natural environment.  He could never make the change from man at arms to knight as Edward had done but I would not exchange him for any ten knights. Gottfried was also fond of him.  They enjoyed the same activities and they greeted each other like two he bears. Wulfric’s entrance stopped us talking politics and, instead, he embarrassed me by telling the Swabians, in even more detail the battles I had had in Wales and in Scotland.

Rolf took me to one side.  “I envy you my friend. We are bodyguards only. We do not go to war.  If we did not practise each day then I fear we would forget what a sword is for.”

“You could ask to be relieved of your duty.  The Empress must be safe now for she has a husband.”

Rolf shook his head, “There have been two attempts on her life already.  One was a poison.  We caught the woman but she managed to take her own life with a draught of the same poison.  The other was an attack in the forest.  Karl’s quick reactions saved her that day.  We would have caught and tortured the assassin but he tripped and broke his neck whilst fleeing from us.  Someone wants her dead.  There are many who wish the throne of England for themselves.”

“I did not know but having seen Juliana and her husband I am not surprised. The only child of the King who supports the Empress is Robert Earl of Gloucester and he is in England.”

“And I hope he stays there for he must secure the throne for the Empress when the King dies. I do not think her husband can win it for her.”

Our conversation was interrupted by the arrival of the Empress.  She swept in and looked every inch an Empress and the daughter of a king.  She was stunning.  The three of them, the Empress and her ladies had obviously gone to great lengths to impress us with their appearance. Matilda, however, stood out. I could not take my eyes from her.  Perhaps the heavy red wine had gone to my head but I felt intoxicated just looking at her. When she coyly smiled at me I felt my heart race.  I am ashamed to say that all my thoughts of Adela left my head.  I was a shallow creature who could be swayed by a smile and the hint of perfume.

“Come, Alfraed, the wounded hero shall sit next to me.  I would hear from your own lips of your great deeds.  My ladies shall sit between the other warriors for you are all dear to me.” She came over to Wulfric and gave him a medallion made of gold.  In the centre it had her image cast into it.  It was a smaller version of the ones she had given the Knights of the Empress.  “And you Wulfric of Stockton, this is for you.  I have heard how you saved the life of my champion.  You may not have the title of a knight but you have the heart of one and I would be honoured if you would champion me as the others do.”

Wulfric blushed and clumsily dropped to one knee, “Empress it would be an honour!”

She took his hand and lifting him to his feet kissed him on both cheeks. I was at the side and I saw his face.  He was enchanted, quite literally, by her presence.  From that moment on he was as fervent a follower as we were.  The ladies sat down and we followed suit. All thoughts of treachery and plots disappeared.  We only had eyes for the three visions of loveliness. The five of us were warriors who were used to war and wounds, battles and blood but that night we were just men entranced by the beauty and conversation of three ladies.

Despite my enjoyment with the company, the food and the conversation, my arm began to ache. It had been hard enough eating one handed as it was but when my whole left side began to throb I became distracted. The Empress was not only an astute woman she seemed to know what troubled me. “What ails you, Earl?  I see pain upon your face.”

“It is just the wound.” I laughed, “I have been fortunate thus far and avoided wounds.  Perhaps it is a sign that I am getting old.”

She leaned over my body to my left arm and sniffed the wound. I was intoxicated by her perfume and briefly forgot the pain. “There is no smell of putrefaction.”

“It will pass.”

Wulfric, who was normally silent, voiced his own concerns. “My lady, he has not been right since he took many blows on his shield at the attack on Coucy’s castle.  When he fought the single combat he dropped his shield.  There is something wrong with the arm. He thought to hide it from us but we knew that there was something amiss.”

She frowned, “Then I will have my physician look at it in the morning and Margaret will bring a potion this night to aid your sleep.”

I laughed, “I think the wine alone will make me sleep.”

I resolved to smile for the rest of the evening and avoid scrutiny of my arm.  Wulfric was correct.  I had not been able to use my left arm as I should have been able to since that first attack.  I feared I had some wound which was deep within and would never heal.

As the evening went on Wulfric showed a side I had never seen before.  He began to relax and to drink more.  He could hold his ale and his wine and he did not become unpleasant.  However he did begin to sing, at Judith’s request, some songs and he had a fine voice.  The songs became more and more ribald.  I feared he had offended the Empress and tried to quieten him.

Matilda put her hand on my right hand and said, “I am not offended.  It is good that we laugh so.  I have not laughed so much in years. Your sergeant at arms has a gift from God; he has a fine voice.  Let him use it.”

And it did make all of us smile. I think I was not the only one who was sad when the ladies retired for the night. Before she left the Empress came to me and, putting her hands on mine said, “Thank you for the evening Alfraed and I will send Margaret with the potion and the salve.  The Empress needs her knights.  Who knows when danger may strike?”

After they had gone Wulfric engaged in good humoured banter with Gottfried.  Karl fell asleep and Rolf joined me by the fire. He pointed to my left arm.  “Did the feeling go from your arm from here to here?” He moved his hand from my shoulder to my fingers.

“Aye.”

“And you found it hard to grip and to move.”

“Aye.”

“I have seen this before.  Despite the Empress’ words I am not certain that her physician will be able to cure it. I knew of an older knight, when I was a young squire, who suffered in the same way.  In his case it was the result of a hammer on his shield.  He lived to a ripe old age but sometimes, in the middle of battle and for no reason, his left arm would not function. After a while feeling would return.”

“How was he able to fight?”

“He had well trained horses and his shield was tightly strapped to his left arm so that when the feeling left him he was still protected.” I nodded, “You could do worse than copy de Coucy and have a plate over your left shoulder. That is where you are vulnerable, even with a tight shield.”

“Thank you my friend. We never know when we will suddenly become old do we?”

He laughed, “You are not old.  You are younger than I and I do not feel old.  This is caused by the death of your wife.  It may seem harsh but you must forget her or put her deep within the back of your mind.  She would want you to become stronger following her death and not weaker. Would she want you cloistered in a monastery?”

I laughed, “No, not Adela.  She loved life.” I nodded, “You are right and I have William to look to. Until he becomes a man I must be mother, father, lord and mentor to my son. He does not need an old man yet.”

Wulfric and Gottfried picked up Karl and carried him to bed.

Rolf stood and clasped my arm.  “This has been the most enjoyable night I have had for some time.  Thank you for your company.”

“And thank you for your company and your advice. I know it comes from the heart.”

Once in my room I took off my sling. I regretted that my squires were in the warrior hall.  How would I undress?  Almost before the thought had disappeared into my head the door opened and Margaret came in with her jar of salve and the leather bottle. She took one look at me and shook her head.  She put the jar and bottle on the table and said, “Come, my lord, I will help to undress you.”

I was embarrassed, “No, Margaret, it is not seemly.”

She laughed, “You think you will be the first man I had seen naked.  You have nothing I have not seen before.  Come, my lady commands me to tend to you.”

I surrendered. She was very gentle as she took my clothes from me. She was careful not to cause me any more pain.  I do not think I had ever seen such a gentle woman.

As she laid my clothes on the table she said, “Lie on the bed so that I may tend to your arm.”

She brought over the salve and removed my bandage. In the candlelight the wound looked red and angry.  I saw bruising running all the way up the arm. She sniffed the bandage.  “You will need this no longer.  The wound is healed or it is healing enough to need God’s air upon it.” She gently began to dab the salve around the wound.  It smelled very pleasant with a hint of rosemary and there was something in it which had heat.  Seemingly satisfied she rubbed more of the aromatic salve on the rest of the arm.  She had a touch like the professional masseurs in the baths of Constantinople. “There, now I will give you a draught of this potion.  There are herbs within this too. It will help you sleep and it has powers to heal from within.” She looked deep into my eyes, “In the body, the head and the heart.”

“Are you a witch, Margaret?” I asked the question for she seemed to read my mind.

She laughed, “My mother healed in my village and some said she was a witch.” She shrugged, “I know how to heal and I know how people think.  If that makes me a witch then I am a witch.” She poured me a small goblet of wine and added a few drops of the potion.

“What is this?”

“Nothing to fear.  Now drink it.” I did as she commanded.  “If you shout out in the night then I will come to you.  Our rooms are just across the corridor.” She leaned over and kissed me on the forehead like a mother with a sick child.  “Now sleep, my lord, and you will be a new man when you wake in the morning. I promise you that.”

She covered me with a quilt and after blowing out the candle left.  I smiled as I rolled over to sleep.  I felt like a child again. I fell asleep quickly and dreamed.  The dreams were little flashes and pictures which made no sense.  I saw Adela nursing Hilda then an axe came through a door and I saw a grinning and bleeding de Coucy above me. I saw the King leading a charge of warriors and I saw my castle burning. I woke and found myself sweating. I suddenly realised that I was not alone.  I could smell Margaret.