our men. I will bring eleven men at arms. The Frisians can defend my castle under John of Craven. There are eighteen archers and I have my two squires. We will bring Aiden and his men with us. Dick you will command the archers and Gilles of Thornaby the squires." Dick cocked an eyebrow, "I wish to see if he is ready to be a knight. Sir Edward thinks he is."
John my steward had been adding them up. "That is a hundred and sixty of you not counting Aiden and his two falconers."
I nodded. "That should be enough. It is good to know that we leave a good half of our men here. Should an enemy come to threaten us then we would have over three hundred warriors true to fight them."
That night, when the gates were closed and the watch set I heard a cry from my north gate. The north meant the Scots and I grabbed my sword and raced to the walls. I was relieved to see that it was not an army but a priest. It was Thomas of Leyburn and I could tell from his distressed appearance that he had bad news to impart.
"Open the gates, let him in. Send for Father Henry" I went down the steps to meet with him. "I can see your news is grave. Speak."
"Geoffrey the Bishop of Durham is dead and the Dean and many of my brothers killed."
Even I was shocked. "They killed the Bishop's Dean?"
"William Cumin's guards said he had murdered the Bishop. He had not."
"I know that. And you?"
When the guards came to find all those priests who were loyal to the Dean I slipped out of the gate you and your men used. Some of my brothers came with me. That was two days ago. I have been hiding from his men as they hunted us."
"Us?"
"There were others. We were separated. They would have caught me too but I can swim and I jumped in the river. I am not sure how many of the others escaped."
"But you think none." He nodded. "Fear not, Father Thomas, their deaths will be avenged." Father Henry had arrived as well as Alice. "Go with Father Henry. He will take care of your hurts and Alice will bring you hot food."
She was shocked, "Of course! You poor man! Who would do such a thing to a man of God?"
Father Thomas gave her a sad look and said, "The man who now calls himself the Bishop of Durham."
Alice's hand went to her mouth and Father Henry crossed himself. "We will talk in the morning but you are safe here, Father. You have my word on that."
After they had gone I summoned Dick and Aiden. "I want you to ride tomorrow morning and look for any sign of the other priests who fled Durham."
"Aye lord."
We found none, alive. Aiden found three dead priests. They were half way between Durham and Stockton. They had been stripped as though bandits had done this. Bandits would never risk the wrath of God by killing priests. This had been done by someone who could offer absolution; a Bishop, albeit a false one. Father Henry and Father Thomas wrote a joint letter to the Archbishop of York and we sent it with an escort of four men at arms. He had to know what had happened and we could not risk the letter being intercepted.
While they were away 'Adela' arrived. She was overdue and I had been worried. Fishermen brought us news that she was negotiating the bends and loops in the Tees. John and I waited for her at my quay. She was low in the water as she tacked up the river. That was a good sign. It meant her hold was laden. Her sides were also filled with new faces. They would be the men sent by Leofric. Harold Three Fingers was the first off the ship. "There are more twists in this river than a lawyer's arguments!"
"Did you have trouble, Harold?"
"Goodness, no lord. It just took more time to gather and store the trade goods and then we had unfavourable winds north. Captain William is well pleased with the voyage."
John my Steward asked, somewhat anxiously, "Are you whole? Can you return soon?"
He laughed, "We could go back right now but the crew would like at least one night ashore! They make fine wine in Anjou but
John my steward had been adding them up. "That is a hundred and sixty of you not counting Aiden and his two falconers."
I nodded. "That should be enough. It is good to know that we leave a good half of our men here. Should an enemy come to threaten us then we would have over three hundred warriors true to fight them."
That night, when the gates were closed and the watch set I heard a cry from my north gate. The north meant the Scots and I grabbed my sword and raced to the walls. I was relieved to see that it was not an army but a priest. It was Thomas of Leyburn and I could tell from his distressed appearance that he had bad news to impart.
"Open the gates, let him in. Send for Father Henry" I went down the steps to meet with him. "I can see your news is grave. Speak."
"Geoffrey the Bishop of Durham is dead and the Dean and many of my brothers killed."
Even I was shocked. "They killed the Bishop's Dean?"
"William Cumin's guards said he had murdered the Bishop. He had not."
"I know that. And you?"
When the guards came to find all those priests who were loyal to the Dean I slipped out of the gate you and your men used. Some of my brothers came with me. That was two days ago. I have been hiding from his men as they hunted us."
"Us?"
"There were others. We were separated. They would have caught me too but I can swim and I jumped in the river. I am not sure how many of the others escaped."
"But you think none." He nodded. "Fear not, Father Thomas, their deaths will be avenged." Father Henry had arrived as well as Alice. "Go with Father Henry. He will take care of your hurts and Alice will bring you hot food."
She was shocked, "Of course! You poor man! Who would do such a thing to a man of God?"
Father Thomas gave her a sad look and said, "The man who now calls himself the Bishop of Durham."
Alice's hand went to her mouth and Father Henry crossed himself. "We will talk in the morning but you are safe here, Father. You have my word on that."
After they had gone I summoned Dick and Aiden. "I want you to ride tomorrow morning and look for any sign of the other priests who fled Durham."
"Aye lord."
We found none, alive. Aiden found three dead priests. They were half way between Durham and Stockton. They had been stripped as though bandits had done this. Bandits would never risk the wrath of God by killing priests. This had been done by someone who could offer absolution; a Bishop, albeit a false one. Father Henry and Father Thomas wrote a joint letter to the Archbishop of York and we sent it with an escort of four men at arms. He had to know what had happened and we could not risk the letter being intercepted.
While they were away 'Adela' arrived. She was overdue and I had been worried. Fishermen brought us news that she was negotiating the bends and loops in the Tees. John and I waited for her at my quay. She was low in the water as she tacked up the river. That was a good sign. It meant her hold was laden. Her sides were also filled with new faces. They would be the men sent by Leofric. Harold Three Fingers was the first off the ship. "There are more twists in this river than a lawyer's arguments!"
"Did you have trouble, Harold?"
"Goodness, no lord. It just took more time to gather and store the trade goods and then we had unfavourable winds north. Captain William is well pleased with the voyage."
John my Steward asked, somewhat anxiously, "Are you whole? Can you return soon?"
He laughed, "We could go back right now but the crew would like at least one night ashore! They make fine wine in Anjou but
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