Northern Knight (7 page)

"What about Edward?"

"We will keep him with us until daylight.  He can pick up the surcoats and we will stay by the Empress until the funeral."

I was going to argue but Sir Guy said, "It makes sense.  The more they see you the more chance there is of a confrontation and the Empress' life would be in even more danger.  Let them think they have cowed you.  Do not let a stiff neck bring disaster."

I nodded my acceptance.  They were right.

We spent the rest of that night packing jewels and coins into bags placed in the saddles of our horses. We would spread them out.  I expected to lose some but the Empress had nothing else to show for her time as Empress; we would take her treasure home for her.

We kept out of the town for the next day.  We had nothing we could do there for everyone was busy with the funeral arrangements and I did not wish to aggravate the situation.  We stayed at the estate. The horses had all been well rested and, more importantly, well fed. Sir Guy had sent a rider back to his uncle informing him of the death of the Emperor. I hoped we could still rely on him but, if we could not then we would find another route to take the Empress to safety. There was a grindstone at the hall and all of our edged weapons were sharpened. I had the surcoats for the three women all ready for them.  The hard part would be to get them to safety. I had, with the help of Sir Guy and Edward, conjured a plan which we hoped would allow us to escape.  If it failed, then it would be a bloodbath.

We set off for the town before first light. I took only my men at arms.  They looked resplendent in their surcoats with matching shields.  My archers and Aiden had other work ahead of them. Sir Guy and his men at arms entered Worms by a separate gate. I hoped that our enemies would not notice such small numbers. We were admitted for the whole of Worms was filled with mourners there for the funeral of Henry, Holy Roman Emperor. We dismounted and formed a line on the road leading to the cathedral.  As a mark of respect we took off our helmets.  When the body passed us we bowed our heads.  Empress Matilda followed, dressed in black and with head bowed leading a jet black war horse on which the Emperor's sword and helmet hung.  Judith and Margaret were with her and Rolf followed with his knights and men at arms.

The service took an interminable length of time. I was keenly aware of the passage of time. Many of the people outside drifted off leaving just soldiers standing. That in itself was ominous for we saw the surcoats of Stuttgart, Aachen and Supplinburg. It made our numbers appear even smaller. The soldiers of the three counts outnumbered us by over eight to one. We could not predict when the funeral rites would end but we had to time our departure well or else we might all die. Although I did not think anyone would begin trouble before the Emperor was buried I just did not know.

The Empress Matilda left the cathedral and she passed amongst the thinned crowd, with her ladies, distributing coins to the needy.  When she passed us she glanced up and gave a half smile. The imperial nobles and the Archbishop followed next and I saw them give us stares. They were not friendly looks. We were now the enemy and, with the Emperor's death, fair game. So far it was all going to plan but it could still go awry. Once the last of the mourners had passed we followed but instead of heading to the palace we went towards the western gate and headed down the road leading to the west and Normandy.  I knew every eye was upon us.  I also knew that our enemies had spies who would be ensuring that we left their city. We rode leisurely down the road.  After five miles we stopped, ostensibly to check our girths but in reality to waste time.

I had planned everything but I hated this part of the plan.  Sir Guy and the Swabian knights would be escorting the Empress from the palace to her estate. All eyes would be upon them. They had to leave quickly before night fell.  The people of Worms would understand that the Empress needed to be on her own to grieve, away from the sad memories of the palace. If it was after dark I had no doubt that Lothair would try to capture her.  He could not do so with her people waving and watching.

We waited until Aiden arrived.  He appeared without warning from the trees to the north.  "There are thirty men at arms, lord and they are to the south of you between you and the estate of the Empress. They are keeping pace with you."

"It is as we thought.  And the Empress?"

"Another fifty men follow her."

"Do they wear a livery?"

"No, Baron, they are the sweepings of the gutter."

That made sense.  When the Empress and her guards were killed then it would be put down to bandits.  It would also explain the theft of the imperial regalia which the counts would have assumed she had with them.

"Good, ride to Dick and warn him."

He hesitated, "Do you not need me, Baron?"

"I do but the Empress and the others need you more."

As he rode away I donned my helmet.  My men followed suit.  We rode west on the same course we had started.  This time we rode faster. I almost smiled as I imagined the problems the men who were following us would have.  We were travelling on a wide Roman Road and we rode three abreast.  They had to ride in the forest and would be lucky to ride in single file.  Our earlier speed would have lulled them into a false sense of security. After two miles I raised my spear and the whole line turned.  We plunged into the forest and headed south east. Our move was so sudden that the first man at arms I killed thought that I was one of his own men.  He turned to greet me as I punched my lance into his chest. We were attacking them on the side away from their shields and it was too easy.  Our lances punched, stabbed and slaughtered the ragged line of men at arms.  They were led by one knight and Harold killed him.  He jabbed with his lance and took the knight in the throat.  The lance broke and the knight died. Aiden's sharp eyes and skills had saved us and ensured that our would be attackers died to a man.

We could afford no witnesses and my men at arms slit the throat of every man we had downed.  We took what they had and hobbled most of the horses.  The others we led as we headed towards the estate of the Empress.

When Matilda had left Worms she had had four knights and a handful of men at arms to guard her.  The fifty bandits would already be counting their money. They knew that they outnumbered those within the estate.  It would not be a battle it would be a sneaky assault in the dead of night. They were attacking under cover of darkness and against a force which was better suited to an open battlefield rather than the confined spaces of a hall and a forest. They reckoned without Dick and his archers of Sherwood. We came across the first of the dead bandits a mile from the estate.  As we neared the hall we saw more of them. Whoever led them had realised his problem and the survivors formed a shield wall close to the hall.  There were still many of them.

I lowered my lance and we charged.  It was not a solid line which charged them; the trees stopped that but these were not knights, nor were they men at arms. I jabbed my lance at an axe wielding giant who tried to take Scout's head. My lance shattered as it smashed into his head.  I drew my sword and swung at the warrior with the spear who braced it against a tree as he tried to defend himself from me. I smote the haft and it broke in two.  I halted Scout and brought my blade across his throat. A handful of these hired killers ran from the woods towards the hall.  Sir Guy and his men at arms flooded from the hall and their lives were ended quickly.

As Rolf and his Swabians came out I heard the screams and shouts in the forest as the last of the raiders were slaughtered.  When Dick and Aiden reached me with broad grins upon their faces then I knew that we had won.  We had no time to lose. "Quickly, let us leave while we may."

The Empress and her two ladies came out dressed in helmets and surcoats.  At close range they would not pass for warriors; they were too thin and waif like but, in a column of real warriors, they might pass unnoticed. We now had more than enough horses and we would be able to ride hard and fast, changing horses when we needed to.  By dawn I intended to be at least forty miles away from the estate of the Empress. I knew we would be followed but a chase would tire our pursuers. If we could reach Bar then we had a chance; a slim one but a chance nonetheless. The three ladies were placed in a circle of my best men at arms. The three were almost invisible amongst the giants who protected them.

With Dick and his archers well ahead and the Swabians, Edward and Edgar guarding the Empress, Sir Guy and I were the rearguard.  Aiden was off in the woods, disguising our trail and watching for pursuit. The work Dick and Aiden had done paid off and, as afternoon drew on, the next day, we found ourselves forty miles away from Worms.  We had bought ourselves some time.  However, even with spare horses, our mounts could go no further and we camped just off the trail.  We had a fifth of our men on guard at any one time.  The only ones who slept well were the three ladies. For the rest of us it was two hours sentry duty and snatched sleep.

I was on watch with some of my men at arms when I sensed someone approaching.  I drew my sword and then breathed a sigh of relief when I realised that it was the Empress. She had the sense to come close to me and speak quietly.  She was the daughter of King Henry; she knew that sound travels far at night. "Thank you, Baron. You have given us a chance to escape."

I smiled and pointed to the trees, "We are not out of the woods yet."

She giggled and was suddenly a young girl again. "It seems like years since I laughed."

"We have hope, at least.  We will be pursued and we will have to fight but the odds are more in our favour than they were."

She gripped my arm, "Will men die?" I nodded, "Because of me?"

"We all die, my lady.  It is how we die that is important." She wrapped her cloak around herself even more rightly. "Why do Lothair and the others care what happens to you?  You are leaving Germany.  What harm can you do them?"

"When my father was ill I was sent to rule the parts of Italy where there was dissension." She shrugged, "I enjoyed the work and the people appeared to like me.  They were sad when I was summoned back to my husband's side. You saw yourself that those in Worms liked me. I think they fear me because I am popular."

"But Sallic law means that you cannot rule."

"I know but their fear is that someone will marry me and become Emperor because of my popularity. That will be my fate.  Someone will be chosen by my father and I will have to marry them."

I felt sorry for the Empress. She had had no choice in her husband and now was like a prize animal to be auctioned to the highest bidder.  I saw too clearly why they wanted her.  It was not to do her harm but to force her into a marriage. I would make sure she reached Caen safely then her life was in her own hands.

"You had better get back to your bed, my lady.  We have long days ahead and you will need your rest."

She turned to go back to the fire.  She looked over her shoulder, "What of you and your men?  Do you not need rest?"

"We are hardened to the rigours of the road.  Do not worry about our men.  They are all sworn to protect you. The only way anyone will get to you is if we all lie dead around you."

"I pray that will never happen, Alfraed."

I nodded, "As do we."

While we broke camp the next day I sought out Edgar.  "I want three of our best men at arms assigned to protect the three ladies. From what I have learned the aim is not to harm the Empress but to capture her."

"It leaves us short, my lord, if I have three good men out of a battle."

"Nonetheless that is my order. Impress upon them that they keep them safe even if it means deserting us."

"Aye my lord."

As we rode west I smiled at the efforts of the three ladies not to show their discomfort. My men and I were used to the hard saddles we used.  We had all ridden for eight hours a day for many years. The ladies could ride but our saddles were not easy on the posterior. I watched as they surreptitiously stood in the saddle to ease the pain for a few moments and then saw them wince as they regained their seats.

Aiden and my archers were spread out both ahead and behind us. Already we were beyond the trails that they had discovered and we were riding the main road to the south and west.  One danger was that it would bring us perilously close to France and King Louis. He would not seek the Empress' hand but he might use her to buy the support of a potential suitor. This was a dangerous game we were playing.  We had to negotiate a maze and the obstacles could be deadly. I turned as I heard hooves thundering up the road.  Aiden galloped up to me, "My lord, there are horsemen behind us."

"How far away?"

"A mile or two."

"How many?"

"At least fifty."

"Find Dick and the archers, bring them to me." As he galloped off I shouted to the others, "There is pursuit.  We ride hard until my archers return." I turned to Guy. "If they catch us then we turn with our men at arms and charge them.  They will not expect it and it will buy us time." He nodded.

I spurred Scout to reach the horses with the lances. They were strapped in bundles of ten.  I unstrapped a bundle.  I grabbed one and the rest fell to the floor.  My men at arms stopped, grabbed one and continued to ride hard. We did not have the luxury of being able to stop and choose the best weapon.  I kept glancing over my shoulder to see where the pursuit was. When this road had been built the Romans had cleared both sides of trees.  Over the last six hundred years the forest had grown back and what had been a place safe from ambush was now a potential death trap as bushes had grown in ditches which had not been maintained and trees had spread their branches across the road.

Roger of Lincoln was the last man for he had picked up the last lance. "Baron! They are less than half a mile behind."

I nodded, "Harold, tell Sir Edward to keep going.  We will try to delay them.  Have Dick and the archers make an ambush."

"Aye my lord."

As he rode off I slowed down Scout. "Rearguard, about turn." The turn took time and I saw the enemy horsemen.  They were coming in a column. Their speed meant that there were gaps. "A line of five men!"

I was in the fore with Sir Guy and his squire.  Roger of Lincoln and Peter of Totnes were the other two.  We lowered our lances.  "Charge!"

The enemy had no lances.  It is hard to ride with a lance.  They had been pursuing us and hoped to take us with their swords. They saw what we intended and drew their weapons whilst pulling around their shields. What they did not manage to do was to form ranks. We did not have much speed but we were knee to knee. The leader was before me and I saw his banner behind him.  He was one of the Count of Aachen's men. I pulled back my lance and punched hard.  I had no lance coming towards me and my shield was protecting me from his sword. The spear drove through his mail and into his stomach.  He rolled from his horse taking the broken end of the lance with him. I used the stump to knock his squire to the ground where his falling banner managed to force another rider into the woods.