English Knight (9 page)

His answer was to strike with his bent sword at Scout’s head. It infuriated me and I jerked Scout’s head away from danger whilst swinging my sword horizontally.  His head flew from his shoulders and bounced away through the woods. I looked up and saw that the other five men were too far away for me to catch. I grabbed the reins of the soldier’s horse and led him back to the others.

My father and Ralph were attending to Garth’s wound while Harold, William and Aiden stood with drawn weapons watching the mason’s wife and the children.

“They have fled.”

Ralph looked up and shook his head.  “That was brave, master Alfraed, but exceptionally foolish.  Had they turned on you then you would now be dead and we might be in danger.”

He was right but I needed no instruction from an old man.  I ignored his comment. “They were from the castle.”

My father looked up, “How do you know?”

“The last man I killed was one of the surly guards from the gate.”

I saw him frown. “Aiden tie the horses to the trees and then you and Harold go and collect the armour, helmets and weapons from the dead.” As they went off he smiled at me. “Despite Ralph’s harsh words, my son, I am proud of you.  Aelfraed would have done the same.”

“How is Garth?”

Garth looked up and grinned, “Garth is feeling foolish. It will not happen again, young master.” He nodded at me, “By God but you have quick hands.  They are like quicksilver.”

I smiled.  All young men liked praise and I knew that this was genuine praise. Garth knew sword play; he had practised it every day in Constantinople.

When Aiden and Harold returned my father looked at the haul. “Well we have made a fair trade. One wound for five horses, two sets of mail, four swords and five bows.” He looked at the collection. “Where are the helmets?”

Harold flushed, “I am sorry my lord we forgot them.”

“Go and get them while we mount.” As Harold turned my father said, “My son, the one you said you recognised, where is he?”

“His head is yonder.”

“Fetch his head, too, Harold.  We may have to return to the castle and have words with the Seneschal.”

While they went off to complete the grisly deed I examined the mail and the weapons.  They were neither of the finest quality but they were better than nothing and Harold had shown that he needed protection. “Father, there were no shields; I wonder why not?”

Ralph snorted, “They would have identified them as the men from the castle. Someone does not wish your father to rule Norton.”

When Harold returned with the three helmets he had found he also brought the head of the dead man.  The journey from the body to the ground had caused the head to smash into rocks and roots. It could have been the eyeless skull of any man. The identity of the man could not be identified for certain now.

“You are sure that he was the guard?”

“Aye father.”

“Well we cannot prove it and so we shall have to bide our time but we will be on our guard and keep a careful watch.”

The attack had delayed us and the sun was just setting as we neared our castle.  After Durham it looked small and vulnerable but it was home and we would defend it.

Faren, although a slave, was like a mother hen and she fussed over both the children and Judith when she saw their pitiful condition.

My father addressed his new mason. “For tonight, William, we will house your family in the hall but tomorrow I will have my men build a hut for you inside the walls.”

“Thank you, my lord. I am your man.” He paused, “I see no stone here.”

“No, we need to go to Persebrig to buy some.”

“I will accompany the buyers for some of these stone merchants will take the coins from a dead man’s eyes.”

That evening after we had eaten and the family had gone to claim a corner of the hall for themselves I sat with my father, his oathsworn and Branton.  It was a council of war.

We had told the others what had happened. Wulfstan rubbed his beard.  “I wonder why they did not send knights.”

Ralph laughed, “I think they saw three old men and two boys.  They probably thought that ten men at arms could do the job. They did not know the ferocity of young Alfraed here.” He shook his head at the memory of my reckless charge. “Wulfstan he was fearless.”

Wulfstan jokingly wagged his finger at me.  “Make sure you are not so reckless when you face the Norman knights.”

I laughed, “We saw off those in Normandy easily enough.”

“We were lucky that time for they were careless and thought that we could not defend ourselves.  When those men at arms return to the Seneschal they will know your mettle and they may try to use your recklessness to their advantage.”

“How do you mean?”

“They will feign retreat and when you follow they will turn and destroy you.”

“It is how William the Bastard won when he defeated Harold. His knights ran and the fyrd followed.  Only the Housecarls stood firm and they were surrounded and slaughtered.  You need to use your head, Alfraed, as well as your sword.”

Of all of my father’s men Ralph was the wisest.  He understood war and his advice would be heeded.

My father nodded his agreement and said, “Alfraed, I would have you and Harold go to Persebrig and buy the stone for the castle.”

I was both pleased and surprised, “That is a great responsibility, father.  Can I be trusted?”

He laughed, “It takes a long time to finish a decent castle and it will be you who reaps the benefits not I. Besides it will teach you how to negotiate.  I am sure William will be a good adviser.” His face became serious. We now know that we need to be careful here.  This is a land filled with our enemies. Until we have built up our strength we will need to tread carefully.”

I was excited to be given such a task.

We now had surplus horses and we took one for William as well as a spare. I began to head to the west but William said, “My lord we can save time if we head to the river. We will need a boat anyway.  Carts are expensive and you have to hire drivers.”

It was my first decision.  I could not fault the argument my mason had used but it was hard to take advice from someone who was not a warrior. “Very well.”

We took the track towards the Tees.  It was south of us.  I knew that Persebrig was to the west and I hoped we were not making an unnecessary journey. The track went over undulating ground and had not been built by the Romans. In winter it would become a muddy morass.

“Tell me William, how do you make a living?  I know that you are a mason and build churches and cathedrals but do you not have a home of your own?”

“All my children but William, my eldest, were born in Durham.  We lived there for the best part of four years. I hoped for another three or four years of work. By then William would have been able to assist me and we could have taken on bigger jobs.  I like not working for others such as Robert of Durham.  I have my own ideas of how buildings should be created.”

“And how long will it take to finish the church and the tower?”

“The church will not take long; it just needs a stone floor but the tower will take longer.  It depends on how large you wish it to be.”

“So you will be living with us for some time?”

“I hope so, sir.  You father seems like a fair master.”

“He is the fairest man I have ever met and I know that he will treat you and your family well.  He came from humble origins.”

Harold looked up.  “My father told me that the master had an estate at Coxold.”

“He did but that was a reward for services to the king. He began his life as a humble soldier and then became a Housecarl. He has never forgotten his roots and the way he was brought up.”

Suddenly the river was ahead of us.  I had never seen it this far east and it was wide. There were a few huts there; all of them made from wattle and daub. What struck me was the small mound which was adjacent to the river.  I realised it would make the perfect site for a castle.  I reined in and the other two looked at me in surprise.

“My lord?”

“I am just looking, Harold, at the hill. William, would this make a good place to site a castle?”

The mason dismounted and picked up a handful of earth.  He handed his reins to Harold and walked to the river’s edge and then paced back to us. “It would, my lord. The ground is firmer than in Norton.  We would be able to build in stone here.”

“Good, then when we return we will broach the subject with my father. And now let us introduce ourselves to our people.”

I suddenly realised I had no markings on my shield.  It was plainly covered with a blue dye on the leather covering.  We had been remiss and I needed a sign sooner rather than later. I needed people to know who we were.  It seemed to me that there were many dishonourable men in these parts.  I needed them to know that I was not one of them.

There were too few of us to worry the small village and the people came out to see us.  I noticed that there was a smith here.  That was good news.  I saw, too, the sheaf of barley which marked the home of an ale wife. Wulfstan had told me that he dreamed of finding some decent beer when we reached England. He would have his wish here. In the river there were three small boats.  Two of them looked like large fishing ships but the third looked to be capable of carrying cargo.

I did not dismount but I spoke in English. I was lucky that my father had spoken to me in that language since the day I was born.  It sounded like a foreign language to me but I could speak it fluently.

“What is the name of this place?”

“It is Stockton.”

I nodded, trying to affect the same pose as I thought my father might. “I am Alfraed of Norton and my father, Ridley of Norton has been granted that manor by King Henry.”

I was disappointed that they did not seem enthusiastic. They began to drift back into their places of work. I began to redden.  I had not dismissed them. “My father will be coming here in a week or so and we will decide upon the taxes that you will have to pay.”

The blacksmith, obvious by his apron and huge arms, laughed. “The last lord of the manor took our taxes and the Scots took them when they killed him.  Perhaps we should pay them directly to the Scots, sir and save time.”

“Insolent wretch! We are here to stay and you will give us respect as well as taxes.”

He did not seem at all put out by my tone. “We will see, young Alfraed of Norton.  If you are still here this time next year then I might change my opinion. And now, good sir, we must get back to our labours so that we can pay the taxes you desire.”

“What is your name?”

“I am Alf the smith and yonder is my place of work should you wish more conference with me.”

I frowned.  This had not been a good start. As we headed towards the river bank and the ships which stood there I began to imagine a castle here.  Then Alf the Smith would have to take heed of my words or he would be punished. The thought brought a smile back to my face. I knew that the captains of the ships would need coin to take us upstream.  I had plenty in my purse but I was keen to show how I could negotiate.

As we dismounted William said, “My lord would you mind if I spoke with the captain first?”

I frowned; was he trying to cheat me in some way. “Why?”

“If he is heading to sea or he has cargo already then he may not be suitable.  It is better to discover such things first.  Equally we may be able to journey further upstream with the smaller fishing boats and save our horses.  It would be best to discover what we can do first.”

That seemed reasonable. “Very well go and ask.”

As he wandered off I turned to Harold.  I knew I could trust my squire. “What did you make of the blacksmith?”

He smiled, “He upset you, my lord?”

“He was insolent!”

“I think I can understand him. Many men live as outlaws because they do not wish to pay taxes and work for someone else.  Those like the Smith who work to produce metal are content to pay taxes so long as they are protected. The former Baron did not protect them.”

“But he died along with his knights.”

“And that is the lot of the knight.  He fights and he dies.  Even I know that but the smiths and sailors go on with their daily lives. Once your father has shown them that he is here to stay and, more importantly strong enough to stop raiders and predators then you will gain respect.”

I knew that he was telling me the truth but it was hard to hear such truths.  I did not expect to have to earn respect.  We were the lords of the manor; it was our due.

William wandered over.  “The captain is willing to take us to Persebrig and the quarries but he tells me there are no workers there.  They were taken as slaves by the Scots.”

“Then what is the point of going there if there is no stone?”

“There is stone, we just need to collect it.  The captain and his crew are willing to act as workers, for a payment.”

I felt cheated, William had negotiated for me. “Very well but I will settle the price.” I paused and lowered my voice.  “How much would you recommend?”

“A silver piece for the captain and two copper coins for each of the men should suffice.”

Surprisingly they seemed happy to agree. “Harold, stay here and look after the horses. If we are not back by dark, then return to Norton.”

“Aye my lord.”

The river was wide but it twisted and turned through thick woods.  Willows draped down to the water. It looked to be teeming with game. I saw many birds and animals which could be hunted; I would have to get a hawk.

The captain’s name was Olaf.  It seemed he came from a long line of seafarers.  I saw Viking blood in him and he had a hard face but he was a pleasant man.  He lived with his wife in Stockton. She turned out to be Alf’s sister. Most of his trade was in carrying iron ore from the hills on the southern side of the river. He was almost like a ferry.  I asked him why he did not bring goods which the villagers could use.

“They have little money.  Norton is a poor manor, meaning no disrespect. The land is marshy and the farms are small. The nearest wheat farm is south of the river. It might not be so bad a living but the Scots raid and pillage every couple of years and the people have little hope of prosperity.”

“Why does the Bishop not stop them?”

“Because he lives in London and the other lords, well let us just say it serves them to keep this river and its people frightened and wary.  The Normans have long memories and it was the Eorls from around here who rebelled against William the Bastard. All of them were slaughtered but they are still suspicious of those who live hard by the river. My wife and her family hid close by the river to escape slaughter.  She was but a child then.” He shook his head. “I know that you are not Normans but it will take some time to win them around.  Be patient, my lord, they are good people.”

I had much to think on as we sailed west.  It was slow going for the wind was not in our favour but the captain seemed quite happy to tack back and forth.  I could see why he had such a small boat.  Anything larger would have struggled to negotiate some of the bends.

“She is a knarr.  They do not make them now but my ancestors sailed them to Miklagård and back.  They are a sturdy ship. They can handle the ocean but they ply the river well.” He pointed to the north. “There, that is where the quarries are.  Persebrig is a couple of miles to the west but we can quarry and load from here.”

He pulled his small ship close to the shore.  There was no tide and he had his small crew tie us fore and aft to a couple of trees. William had brought his tools with him but he was confident that we could just pick up the stones that we would need.

We had a short climb up the bank and along a track.  It was less than a hundred paces, all told, but the last part was quite a steep climb. We emerged through a hedgerow and I saw the quarry before me.  It was not what I was expecting.  The ones I had seen in the east were deep holes.  This was more like the side of a cliff which had crumbled in a storm.

“There my lord; this is perfectly good stone for the church and the tower.”

I only knew marble and granite and this was neither. It was yellow sandstone.  I was not so certain. “Why is no one here? Who owns this quarry? The Bishop of Durham could use this stone for his cathedral.”

“No, my lord.  This is good stone but it does not carve well.  Your father wants stone to walk upon and to keep him safe.  This is perfect for that.” He grinned at Olaf, “Well captain, time for your men to earn their money. The sooner it is loaded the sooner we can get you back to your wife!”

I sat on one of the larger rocks and watched as they picked the stones selected by William and began to transport them down the slope to the ship.  I was surprised at the speed with which they did so. Most of the stones were slightly bigger than my helmet and could be carried by one man but William had them carry some which were thinner and the size of my shield.  “These will make our task in the church much easier. I will have less work to do on them.” I saw the wisdom of using a man with such skills.  I would have randomly collected all the stones.  William chose what he needed.

And then we were loaded.  I was alarmed at how much the knarr had sunk lower into the river. There appeared to be perilously little freeboard left. Olaf laughed at my concern. “Do not worry my lord. It will help us to sail better and this time both the river and the wind will be with us.  We will fly back.”

And he was correct. There was still light in the sky by the time we reached Harold and the horses at Stockton. He tied up to the bank and I saw that the tide was going out. “We will unload in the morning, my lord when the tide is higher and it will save my men wasting their energies.” He held out his hand.

I was loath to pay him but I had little choice.  I counted out the coins and he knuckled his head and said, “Next time my men and I will fetch the stone for you if you like.  It will just cost one more silver coin than the payment this time. Now that we know what kind of stone your mason wants we will be able to work quicker.”

I looked at William. “It is a good idea my lord.  We can always use the stone.”

“Very well.  I will return with my father and some carts to transport it.”

As we rode back through the dusk Harold told me what he had learned. He had been to the ale wife and she knew all. Raiders tended to come at harvest time.  The local farmers had nowhere to hide and protect themselves.  Most of them just fled into the empty part of the land to avoid the voracious predators.  It explained why there were so few farms.  It must have been soul destroying to raise crops and animals and have them taken away before they could be used. He also told us about the different crafts who worked in Stockton. There the people used Olaf’s boat to flee across the river when the raiders appeared.  It seemed that the Scots had stopped attacking the settlement. It was not worth the effort. I saw that the manor of Norton was not what it seemed. It was an island surrounded by a sea of enemies.

“You have done well, Alfraed.  From what you have told us I can tell that you wish a castle at Stockton.”