Housecarl (36 page)

Authors: Griff Hosker

Tags: #battles, #vikings, #hastings, #battles and war, #stamford bridge

BOOK: Housecarl

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“I am, Branton.” I could not confide in
Branton that it would mean nothing if the Normans decided to take
it from me on a whim of the new King of England, William the
Bastard. It might be a barrier to the Scots who raided the vale but
not the Normans; I knew that from my uncle. “Tell me Branton will
your arrows pierce the mail of the Norman armour?”

“A good question my lord.” He looked
off to the south and then took a goose tipped arrow from his
quiver. “You see my lord that the arrows we use are intended
to cause wounds.” I could see what he meant for the arrow’ tip was
sharp and then broadened. “This works well on flesh.
Sometimes it will pierce mail rings but not if they are well made.
My men are trained to aim for the horses or the flesh of the
warrior. But,“ he suddenly looked at me eagerly as though he has
had an idea, “if Ralph could make the arrows so that they were
narrower, all the way down then they would piece the rings. The
wounds would not be as big but they would penetrate the mail; there
be nothing to stop them.”

I saw the merit in the idea. Mail
was, essentially, small metal rings held together; one by one they
were weak but joined together they became almost impenetrable.“Well
done Branton. When you return tell Ralph to make some and we will
try them out.”

He looked at me curiously, “On Normans,
my lord?”

“Not at the moment but there may come a
time…” our ride and our ruminations were cut short when a rider
from the castle suddenly galloped up. “My lord, a messenger
has come from the Queen. She is at Jorvik.”

Reining our mounts around, we galloped
back to Topcliffe. Our brief interlude in the backwater of the
north had ended and politics was returned once more. Aethelward and
the messenger were deep in conversation when we arrived back.
Branton helped me down; mounting was easier than the dismount but
my men understood my dilemma.

“Is she safe then uncle?”

He flashed me look which told me to ask
questions when we were alone. I might be lord of two manors
but to my uncle I was still the small boy he had sworn to protect.
“Thank you. Tell the Queen that we will follow you as soon as
possible.” As the messenger remounted and galloped south,
Aethelward turned to Branton. “Send a messenger to Lord
Ridley and ask him to join us.”

“Sorry uncle. I forget myself
sometimes and speak when I shouldn’t.”

He put his arm around me and led me
inside. “These are dangerous times Aelfraed. I know you
trust your people, as I do, but we are not playing for small
stakes. This is a kingdom for which we chance.”

Once inside he shut the doors so that
the room was only lit by the fire which seemed very attractive at
that moment. “Do we know…?”

“Nephew, you have still to learn to
listen more and speak less. I will tell you all that I know.”
Aethelward had that look which parents have with young children and
I suddenly felt like a child again. “The Queen has brought
the twins north for she has nothing left for her in London and
Winchester.” I opened my mouth to speak. “William has
confiscated all the land of Harold and his brothers. Her brothers
and the Aetheling are heading south even as we speak. The
Queen thinks that they intend to submit to Duke William.”

He stared into the fire and I could see
the signs of anger; the fierce flaming eyes and the clenched
jaw. I was still young enough to have more questions and
there was information I needed. “Will he be crowned King?” He was
King, for he had killed Harold but, until he was anointed, then
this was not a rebellion but a war against an invader.

“Now that is a good question. The
answer is, probably. The Witenagemot is now purged of those who
would oppose him and ruled by our old friend the Archbishop of
Canterbury.” We had had a run in with the wily and belligerent
churchman in Winchester. Both of us believed that he was
involved in an assassination attempt on King Edward’s life. “I
would expect him crowned by Christmas time.”

“But that is less than three weeks
away!”

“I know.”

“Is there no good news?”

“Not really. The Queen fears that
Edith will try to have her sons killed to enhance the likelihood of
the Aetheling being crowned. Unlikely in my view but…” I
suddenly realised that Gytha and my unborn child were in danger for
I had recently discovered that I was the eldest child of Harold
Godwinson and the King’s consort for many years, Edith, the mother
of the Aetheling, knew this. “I think, for the moment you and your
family are safe although if the Duke discovers that information
then things may change.” He saw my downcast face. “Things are not
all black Aelfraed. There are signs that there is trouble for
William in Hereford and Exeter and you are fortunate in that you
have one of the strongest retinues. Osbert and your men at
arms can protect you and your family.”

I had much to think on. I had
thought I was a marginal player in this game but as I reflected on
Aethelward’s words I could see that I was not. Most of the northern
support of Harold had died at Stamford Bridge and all of the Wessex
support had perished at Senlac Hill. Morcar and Edwin, the
Earls of Northumbria and Mercia as well as being Gytha’s brothers
had become very much self serving and poor Edgar the Aetheling was
still a child. “I will leave Osbert to protect Gytha, she cannot
travel and I will take Branton and his archers.”

“Good. I also think we need to
make plans for the future.”

I looked puzzled. “I thought that
was what we are doing. “

“The immediate future, yes, but what
about a future with William as King?”

“Then we would fight him.”

“With your forty men.”

“And Ridley’s.”

He laughed. “Heroic, noble and doomed
to failure. You need more men and an escape route. If you fight
William then you will have to find somewhere for your wife and
child where they can be safe. Remember that the best of Harold’s
warriors fell at Stamford and Senlac. You and Ridley are the
last of the Housecarls. And what of the monies and coin you have
accrued? What of them?”

I knew that Aethelward had money and he
had been careful to hoard it over the years. “What do you suggest
uncle?”

“When we go to Jorvik we will seek out
the Jews. We will arrange for them to watch your money.”

I was shocked. “Christ
killers?”

He laughed. “No, the money
lenders. Since when did you become so Christian? You can have
money anywhere if they watch over it for you and you do not have to
carry it around. You need to plan and plan carefully.”

When I told Gytha that the Queen was in
Jorvik, she wanted to visit immediately. “No my love, for I
want you and our unborn child safe here. I will be gone but a day
and I will try to get her to visit us.” When she protested I
explained to her most of what Aethelward had said. She too
had only recently known of my real father and the thought that our
child might be hurt made her see sense. “I will tell Osbert and
Thomas to keep a close watch.”

By the time Ridley arrived we were
ready and I had told Osbert of the danger to my lady and impressed
upon him the need to increase our warriors. He seemed quite happy
about the whole thing. Looking back I suppose it was because
that was his world, the world of war.

Compared with a few weeks ago, Jorvik
was like a ghost town. The military presence of the Earl was
no longer there and many families had lost brothers, husbands, sons
and fathers in the two battles fought within a few miles of the
city walls. There were few guards but they smiled as we
passed as the three of us were famous, not only in Jorvik but the
whole of the north. The Queen had taken over the chambers of the
Earl and I was pleased that she had retained some twenty warriors
as her guards. It seemed a pitiful number when compared with
the armies the King, her husband, had commanded and it showed me
the difference between victory and defeat.

She greeted Aethelward first and tears
flowed freely from her eyes for Aethelward had been Harold’s truest
friend. My uncle had shed his tears in private but his face
showed the emotion he felt. She whispered words in his ear and,
pulling away, he nodded. She seemed to see me for the first
time. Her face lit up when she did so and I remembered that
we had always been close. Now I knew the reason; her husband
must have told her I was his son and that made her see me
differently. “Ah Aelfraed. Your father was so proud of you
and yet he never had the chance to tell you.” She grabbed me and
began sobbing. “What must you think of me? Blubbering
and carrying on, I am the Queen and I should behave accordingly.”
She stepped back. “Not that I look like one.”

I dropped to my knee and held her
hand. “You will always be a Queen to me.”

“Rise faithful Aelfraed of Topcliffe
and thank you. And now we must talk.” She looked at Ridley
who stood, embarrassed behind us.

Aethelward closed the door and said,
“We can trust Ridley but I fear that the only ones we can trust are
in this room.”

The Queen had more personality than any
woman I have ever known, including Gytha and she glided across the
floor to touch Ridley’s arm. “Of course I can trust you
Ridley and how could I forget you after you were so kind to me on
my journey from Wales.” Ridley blushed his thanks and she gestured
for us to sit at the table in the middle of the sparsely furnished
room. “We are all in danger; Edith Duck-legs,” Ridley and I
smiled for she always referred to Harold’s previous consort, Edith
Swanneck in such disparaging terms and we no longer bothered to
correct her, “is trying to do all she can to protect her son
and increase his chances of becoming King. She has told
William that Harold had a bastard.” She looked at me. It was
the first time I had realised that was what I was. “Do not take
offence Aelfraed for William is a bastard himself. She hates me and
wished ill to come to my children.”

Despite my uncle’s previous admonition
I could not help myself, “But your majesty, your brothers what of
them?”

“I fear my brothers are too busy
watching their own backs and seeing what they can get out of Duke
William. And you Aethelward, you have many enemies at the new
court for all your friends died at Senlac and Stamford.”

He shrugged, “Having enemies does not
worry me. What does worry me is your precarious state for you have
few guards should anyone attempt harm on your babies.”

There was a silence as we all wrestled
with the problem. When Ridley spoke, and came up with the solution
we all stared at him. He was the quiet one, the warrior but
that day he showed us his innate wisdom. “Your majesty should
go to Topcliffe. It is safer than here and there you will be
amongst trusted friends.”

For Ridley this was his proudest moment
for Aethelward clapped him on his broad back. “I have
underestimated you Ridley and I thank you for the best
solution.”

The Queen did not look convinced.
“Topcliffe?”

“My castle, majesty. A little
rough around the edges but secure and we could defend against a
large army. It would give us breathing space to decide what
to do.”

“And this is not a safe haven.
Your brothers will both have spies here and Edith knows it
well.”

“Mentioning that witch’s name has
decided me. We will leave for your home tomorrow.” She leaned
over and touched my arm. “And I will get to see your lovely
wife again. Now I am hungry, let us eat.” She went to the
door and asked her guard to tell the cook to serve the
food.

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Book 5 Revolt of the Red Witch

Book 6 Druid’s Gold

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Book 8 The Last Frontier