Flodden, p.3
Flodden, page 3
We left in the middle of the afternoon. James wanted to come but I dismissed his request. It would be hard enough for us without worrying about an untried youth. After his food and with his wound tended John looked to be in better shape and, after giving him a fresh pony, we rode hard for Clifton. We reached the village just after dark. I was just grateful that it had been untouched. It was clear that the raiders were just after my father-in-law’s treasure.
The villagers made us welcome and, as my men made a camp, we gathered in the church where the headman and the priest added news. Robert, the priest, had returned and was happy to see that John had survived. “The Scots demanded the ransom by the end of the month, Captain.” I was relieved as that gave us some time, not much, but enough to rescue Jane’s parents. “Sir Edward does not think that the amount they demanded can be raised in time.”
I knew that the priest was an honest man, “Father Robert, do you think that is true?”
The priest gave me a forthright answer. He shook his head, “The answer came before I mentioned the amount. I know, from talking with Sir Edward’s people, that the knight does not like threats. Why did the Scots ask for ransom if they knew it might not be paid?”
I shook my head but I had my suspicions. This seemed more and more like provocation from the Scots. I knew that Roger kept his treasure in his hall and they must have taken that. They did not need a huge ransom, indeed, having taken the treasure the ransom was immaterial. It would have been much easier for them if they had simply left and not burdened themselves with hostages. They had another purpose. Were they trying to make England the aggressor and invade Scotland to rescue the hostages? I knew Sir Edward and that was unlikely. The innocent victims of this, my in-laws, could be the ones who paid the price for this political posturing. The choice of Roger and Mary was clear to me. Their home was undefended and they were rich. They had no connections with noble families. The only hope would be me, Ralf and my, as yet, untried hobilars.
“I will ride with my men tomorrow to Lancaster. Know you all that I intend to try to rescue Master Roger.” That brought nods of approval from the men who were gathered in the church. “Is there some family who can take John in until we return?”
John shook his head, “Captain, they murdered my father and as my mother died some years ago, I am an orphan. Let me ride with you.”
I hesitated and Ralf said, “If it was one of us, Captain James, then we would wish to do this and we need one to hold our horses.”
“You have a weapon?”
“I can get one.” He added enigmatically.
“And you know that this will be dangerous beyond words.”
He nodded, “Aye, for the Scots if I get to use my steel on them.”
The headman, Richard, said, “And I will come too, Captain, for I have a horse, a billhook and a sword. Master Roger was, is, the kindest of men and this village would not have prospered as it has under the hand of another. I know that you need speed else every man in the village would come but you have too few men to dismiss help.” He looked to the door that John had just closed, “And I was John’s father’s best friend. We fought at Bosworth. This is personal. I will watch over the lad for my friend.”
I nodded, “Very well. We leave at Lauds and I would be at Lancaster not long after dawn.”
We ate and were given good ale. Richard and John sat together. I now had the identity of the captives. The ladies were gentle women whose husbands had died. They were not nobles but Mary de Clifton found their company agreeable and they often spent some days at the hall. They had just been unlucky in the timing of the raid.
It was dark when we rose and yet the villagers had breakfast ready for us. As we saddled our horses, I saw that John had a sword strapped to his baldric. He saw my look and said, “My father’s. He fought at Bosworth and he buried this beneath the floor in our home. He kept it as a reminder of a bloody and dangerous time. I will put it to good use. If I am able I will have vengeance on the killers of my father and my friends.”
We rode north along empty lanes and through villages that still slept. We crossed the Lune and reached the mighty castle at terces. I saw the standard flying from Adrian’s Tower and knew that Sir Edward had not left. That disappointed me. At the very least he should have been trying to raise the ransom and, if I was in command of these marches, I would have men ready to ride to recover the innocent. I had to remind myself that while I had rubbed shoulders with kings, princes, dukes and lords, I was just a captain of billmen and had neither power nor influence. What I would have done and what they would do were a world apart.
I left my men at the water trough and asked Ralf to find food for the next part of our journey. We had ridden twenty miles and before we slept, we would have another twenty to ride.
I was taken to Sir Edward who was busy in his hall. There were clerks and officials hurrying around. He looked up when I entered and stood, “Come, we need to speak.” He led me to a quiet corner where cushions lay on the window seat that looked west to the sea. “I am sorry for what happened.”
I nodded. He had every reason to be sorry, for while I had been watching south of the Ribble, Clifton lay to the north and was therefore his bailiwick. I wondered if my responsibility was seen as greater as I guarded Stanley lands.
He came to the point directly with no preamble, “You should know that the amount they demand is not available. I have sent a man to ask if it can be reduced to five hundred crowns.”
I frowned, “My lord, a thousand crowns might be a huge amount for me but surely the crown, or even yourself, has more than that.”
His face became stiff with indignation and his voice commanding, “What I have is no concern of yours, Captain. The Scots will accede to the request.”
I shook my head, “No, they will not.”
“And how do you know?”
“I have spent some time in the borders. Admittedly the eastern side but I think that I know the Scottish mind. When they took Roger de Clifton and his wife, they took the treasure of Clifton yet they still asked for a greater ransom than could be expected. They will hold out for the full amount. This is provocation and they wish you to make war on them.” His eyes widened in surprise at my astute comments. “And you know that.”
“You are clever. My brother recognised that fact and I know that both Cardinal Wolsey and the king know of you. Yes, it is provocation and I dare not, while the king prepares for this French war, to risk taking men north. Anything short of a major victory would be a disaster.” He lowered his voice, “I know that you are clever and I will impart some intelligence that recently came into my possession. King James thinks that he is a great king but he is a king who has yet to win a battle. He is tempting England to make war and he has a full army while we have local levies. He has weaponsmiths making huge bombards to batter our castle walls. The civil war that rent this country apart has left us weaker than we might have been. I have seen the weaknesses in Yorkshire and Westmoreland. Men like Sir William of Wilton and Sir Marmaduke Constable are great captains but they have not the men to take on a Scottish army that has not had to fight a major war in living memory.”
“Thank you for that information. I intend to rescue my in-laws.”
His mouth gaped, briefly, like a fish’s, “You? With how many men?”
“I have twenty-four but perhaps you have some or the constable at Carlisle…”
He seemed to ignore my request and shook his head, “That is a tiny number and doomed to failure.”
I smiled, “Yet you like the idea, my lord, as it is a gesture that might assuage those in the Ribble Valley who feel that they were let down by the men to whom they pay taxes.”
He nodded but his look told me he was not happy with my tone, “You are clever. The men here in Lancaster are not the men you need. Sir Richard, the constable of Carlisle, however, has local men he could loan you. If you are determined to do this, I will put quill to parchment and ask for his help.”
“It is family, my lord, and I am determined.”
“Very well, then there are some things you need to know. Threave Castle is not only a royal castle, it has also withstood sieges. It has a position in a loop of the Dee with just a causeway or a ferry as the only way to reach it. The man who has taken your family is Sir John Maxwell although I do not believe that he will be at Threave. He seeks power at the court of King James and this act will ensure he is given more power if the plan succeeds. You cannot assault the castle, you must use stealth and cunning.” He smiled, “From what my brother told me, you possess those character traits in abundance. I know not how you will do this but if anyone can succeed it will be you. Sir Richard can give you better information about the castle than can I.” He stood and waved over a servant, “Take Captain James and feed him and his men. Find them six spare horses.” It was a crumb he was throwing at us but I would gratefully take the six horses. We would need them and more for the hostages when we rescued them. In my mind I had decided that, come what may, I would bring home Roger and Mary safely. I knew not how I would do it but we would succeed, no matter what the cost.
I went with the servant to the hall they used for dining and he organised the food. My men were fetched. Ralf said as we ate the bread, cheese and ham, “Well, do we get help?”
“We have six spare horses and the promise of men from Carlisle but Sir Edward will not lift a finger himself. I think that this has been a warning for him and he prepares for a war which will come but he will not allow this insult to be the start of it. We are on our own.”
The rest helped and we headed the twenty miles to Kendal. There was no castle there but there was a small monastery and I used some of my own coins to pay for food and beds. The roads around Kendal were the worst I had ever known as the land was boggy and the roads ill-made. When we left the monks advised us to use high ground until we reached Ambleside, from there the road was better. They were proved right although it was intimidating to ride through the narrow steep-sided valleys and I was just glad that the Scots did not hold this part of England. It was a barrier through which men could not pass easily and it explained why they had used the sea and also why Scottish raids were largely confined to the central part of England to the north and the east. All that Sir Edward needed to do was to send men to block the road close by Helvellyn and no army could pass south.
We reached Carlisle after dark and had we not had the letter from Sir Edward we would not have been admitted. Carlisle Castle was a bastion. The men of the garrison were wary of strangers. The Scots had used many cunning ploys over the years to gain access to the fortress. It had been a castle since the time of the Romans and I knew that it had, in the reign of the second King Henry, changed hands a number of times. Thankfully, since then, the English Royal family had realised the importance of the defence and it had not fallen. Even William Wallace and Sir Andrew Murray had not managed to wrest it from English hands.
Sir Richard Willoughby was a wily old campaigner. He and his wife and sons were from Westmoreland and they knew the land well. Lady Anne was appalled when she heard of the kidnap. Sir Edward had failed to warn the constable of the danger.
“One of his men rode through here yesterday but he did not say whence he was going. He was the messenger?”
“I am guessing so.”
“So, Captain James, you wish to try to rescue the hostages from Threave Castle. How many are there?”
“We know that there are Sir Roger and his wife and four or five ladies. I could not discover the exact number as those serving in the hall were slain. The kitchen staff fled when they heard the commotion. There could be as many as eight people to rescue.”
He shook his head, “You have set yourself a task fit for Hercules, my friend, but I understand your urgency. It is your wife’s family that has driven you to this.”
“Husband, we must do all that we can. We cannot allow English women to be prisoners of these barbarians.”
Sir Richard sighed. Only Ralf and I were dining with the knight and his family and the cosy atmosphere invited intimacy. He nodded, “I can let you have ten men. They are local men and know the paths well. They can get you to Threave Castle but then…” he spread his arms, “I know not how you will manage their rescue.”
“The castle, my lord, could you describe it?”
“The curtain wall was destroyed when one of the former owners rebelled against the king. It was not repaired but as the keep remains that is a moot point.”
“Then there are other buildings that still remain?”
“Of course, there are stables, a warrior hall, a chapel, and bread ovens.”
“So while the hostages would be in the keep and a watch kept from the top, there are no towers or walls to keep us out.”
I saw the glimmer of a smile on the knight’s face, “I can see that you have a sharp mind. You would still have the problem of getting into the keep itself.”
“The castle has a good aspect? Sir Edward said it was in a piece of water.”
He shook his head, “It stands proud of the land and is surrounded, not by a lake but the river. The river is not deep. There are woods nearby and, of course, it is close to the estuary and the sea. Kirkcudbright is just eight miles away.”
His eldest son, also called Richard and a squire, said, “There is a beach closer, just six miles away.”
“Thank you.” I picked up a duck bone to pick the meat from it. It was a way of thinking.
Sir Richard said, “You have a plan?”
“I do, Sir Richard, but it needs the help of the people of Carlisle.” I used the bone I had just picked clean. “Here is Threave Castle.” I put my napkin on the table, “And here is the firth. We watch the keep from the trees and I will take a handful of my men to the keep and gain entry.”
Richard the squire said, “How?”
“There are always ways and means. They will feel secure at Threave Castle and while they might fear an army, they will not think that a handful of fools would try to enter for as they are many miles north of the border then those fools, slowed by hostages, would be doomed to be caught.”
Sir Richard said, “But the chief fool has a way to avoid that?”
“This beach your son speaks of could be our salvation. If a ship was moored there then the hostages could be taken off and brought here.”
“But not the rescuers and their horses.”
“No, my lord, the rescuers would be leading the men of Threave west to chase them. It would be your men that would escort the hostages to safety. My men and I would make such a noise that they would follow us. We can ride hard but hostages cannot.”
Sir Richard raised his goblet, “A fine plan; it may not succeed but it seems to me the only one that might. Tomorrow I will have the men brought to you and they can offer their insight. Leave the ship to me.” He laughed, “This will give Maxwell a bloody nose.”
“You know the knight, my lord?”
“He is arrogant and cunning. On the odd times that I have met him all that he can speak of is the Battle of Stirling Bridge or Bannockburn. All the defeats of the Scots are never mentioned. He is a deluded man if he thinks the Scots are superior to the English on the battlefield. You and your men rest this night for you have a mighty task ahead of you.” He leaned forward, “And a word of advice, steer well clear of Caerlaverock Castle. It is a mighty bastion surrounded by water and with a good view of the land around. Sir John has a large garrison and they are mounted on good horses.”
Chapter 3
Carlisle Castle 1512
The leader of the hobilars provided by Sir Richard showed my own men their shortcomings. These men had been hobilars for years and their skills were well honed. They were real border horsemen and their array of weapons was formidable. There was less uniformity than amongst my men and their horses were sturdier. Their leader, Arkham, was a north countryman who had served the castle since he had been a boy of fourteen. I liked him as soon as I met him for he was a warrior and understood how to make war on this northern frontier. He knew border raids and he knew the Scots. I explained what I needed and he nodded, “My men and I can get you there unseen and we can get your hostages safely to the firth but what I cannot do is get you inside the keep and it seems to me, Captain James, that such an act is impossible.”
I smiled. I could never tell him how I had managed to infiltrate the rebels who sought to usurp King Henry IVth. Instead, I said, “And I do not yet. So long as we can stay hidden and examine the castle then I can find a weakness. Every castle has a weakness. It is just a case of finding it.” He shrugged, patently not believing me. I was curious, “How can you guarantee to get the hostages to safety?”
“You have brought six spare horses and we will take more so that the ladies can ride double if needs be. They may not be riders and we do not want a horse to falter because of the extra weight. If your plan works then you will draw off any pursuit and we should have an easy time getting back to Carlisle.”
“You will not board the ship?”
“I will judge that when we reach the sea. It might take too long for we have horses. Do not worry. We know the land and we can avoid the places where the Scots might look for us. It is you who will have the problem. There will be a hue and cry and they will follow you. If they think you have their hostages then they will hunt you down relentlessly.” He was clearly a horseman and knew the strengths and weaknesses of animals. “It is forty-odd miles to Threave. If we leave now, we can reach the woods after dark and that will give you the morrow to spy this weakness of which you speak. I will go to my men.”
