Edward Marston - The Hawks of Delamere

The sentries were too frightened to relax. They knew the penalty for being slack in their duties. Throughout the hours of darkness, they would remain alert and watchful.

Accompanied by six of his men, Earl Hugh left the castle by the postern gate to confirm that the city walls were being patrolled with equal diligence. Mounting the steps in a blaze of light, he marched along the battlements until he came to the main gate.

It was well guarded. The stout timbers were proof against any but the most concerted attack and he resolved that no enemy would ever get close enough to batter a way in.

He was still high on the city wall when he heard the thunder of hoofbeats. A dozen or more horses were conjured out of the gloom.

Sentries drew their weapons and additional men came running up the steps. As the horses were brought to a halt outside the gate, the captain of the guard challenged the newcomers.

‘Who is below?’

‘Messengers from Rhuddlan,’ called a voice.

‘Why are there so many of you?’

‘To ensure safety on a dangerous road.’

‘This is Hugh of Chester who speaks,’ said the earl, taking charge of the situation. ‘Stand forth that I may see you more clearly and identify you.’

He leaned over the wall as the spokesman nudged his horse forward into the pool of light cast by the torches. Hugh could see from his armour and bearing that the man was no impostor.

‘Did you meet with trouble on the way?’ he asked.

‘Yes, my lord, but we outran the pursuit.’

‘What have you brought from Rhuddlan?’

‘An urgent message to be delivered into your hands.’

‘Did my own messenger arrive before you left?’

‘No, my lord.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘Quite sure,’ said the spokesman. He gave a command and one of his companions towed a horse forward into the light. Across its back was the body of the messenger whom Hugh had dispatched from Chester at dawn.

The spokesman indicated the corpse with a forlorn gesture.

‘We found him by the wayside, my lord,’ he explained. ‘Stabbed in the back. He never got anywhere near Rhuddlan.’

Morning found the castle in complete turmoil. Sentries were being increased in number and weapons sharpened, extra supplies of food were being brought in, men were herding sheep into a pen and drawing water from the well to fill barrels all around the bailey, and soldiers rushed to and fro in a frenzy of activity. It was almost as if they were preparing for a long siege. Earl Hugh was in the midst of it all, barking orders, pointing an imperious finger and cursing anyone he felt was slow to respond to his curt commands.

The castle gate was shut and barred. Nobody was allowed in without good reason and nobody was allowed to leave without express permission. Ralph Delchard was the first to protest.

With Gervase Bret at his side, he accosted their host in the middle of the courtyard.

‘We have just been turned back at the gate, my lord!’

‘On my instruction, Ralph.’

‘But why? We have business in the shire hall.’

‘Not today.’

‘Claimants have been summoned, witnesses called.’

‘Your deliberations have been cancelled until further notice,’

said Hugh peremptorily. ‘The town reeve has been given notice of this and will turn away anyone who comes to the shire hall in search of you.’

‘We had no warning of this.’

‘You are receiving it now.’

‘Why were we not consulted?’ demanded Ralph angrily. ‘We are the King’s agents. Our business has royal authority. It cannot be arbitrarily suspended on a whim of yours.’

‘What Ralph means,’ said Gervase, seeing the rancour in Hugh’s eye and adopting a more reasonable tone, ‘is that this interruption is highly inconvenient.’

‘It was forced upon me, Gervase.’

‘By whom?’

‘The Welsh archer who tried to kill me in the forest. The warriors who came out yesterday to assess the defences of Rhuddlan Castle. The murderer who stabbed my messenger in the back on the road to Rhuddlan. The villains who tried to intercept the couriers whom my nephew, Robert, sent to me. The army that is gathering on the other side of the border.’ He glared at Ralph.

‘Do I need more justification than that?’

‘No, my lord,’ said the other, assimilating the news. ‘I had no knowledge of these other worrying incidents.’

Hugh was bitter. ‘Well, now you do. So perhaps you will stop telling me that Raoul Lambert was struck down on purpose and that my fears of a Welsh rebellion are groundless. Talk to the men who came last night from Rhuddlan. They will soon convince you that the danger is real.’

‘We both accept that, my lord,’ said Gervase.

‘Yes,’ added Ralph, cowed into a murmur.

‘My first task,’ said Hugh with a sweep of his arm, ‘is to protect this city from attack. Precautions have to be taken and restrictions imposed. We all suffer inconvenience but there is no other way. Until we see what the Welsh intend to do, Chester must lock itself indoors.’

‘Can we be of any assistance, my lord?’ offered Ralph.

‘Only by keeping out of my way.’

Hugh let out a bellow of rage at two soldiers who accidentally dropped the basket of stones they were carrying up the steps to the battlements. He charged off to berate the men. The commissioners took the opportunity to drift away in order to confer in a quiet corner.

‘What do you make of this?’ asked Ralph.

‘Earl Hugh seems to expect a full invasion.’

‘When he holds the Prince of Gwynedd in his dungeon? He boasted to me that Chester was safe from attack as long as Gruffydd ap Cynan was in captivity.’

‘That view will have to be revised.’

‘So it seems.’

‘Canon Hubert and Brother Simon will be greatly alarmed by this turn of events,’ said Gervase. ‘Should we send word for them to come here?’

‘They would refuse to do so. I believe that they would rather endure an attack from Wales than turn to Hugh for protection.

They think him a species of devil.’ He watched the irate earl, howling at some sentries. ‘When I see him like this, I am inclined to agree with them.’

‘Where does this leave our notions about Raoul Lambert?’

‘In tatters, Gervase.’

‘I wonder.’

‘We were wrong and Hugh was right.’

‘That is how it may appear at the moment.’

‘That is how it is , I fear.’ Ralph thought of his wife. ‘Golde will be alarmed by all this activity. I had better go back and explain what is happening.’

‘She came to Chester at a bad time.’

‘Is there ever a good time to visit this accursed city?’

Ralph departed on that note of cynicism and Gervase was able to take a closer look at what was happening all around him. Earl Hugh was a most effective general. The speed and thoroughness of his preparations were impressive. Gervase was still admiring the sense of controlled urgency when he became aware of a man at his elbow. The sentry was in his hauberk, eyes set apart by the thick iron nasal of his helm.

‘Master Bret?’ he asked.

‘Yes?’

‘You have a visitor.’

‘Who is it?’

‘You will have to come to the gate to find out,’ said the man.

‘We have orders to admit nobody to the castle. And you must not go far outside it yourself. But the visitor implores you to come.’

‘Is it Canon Hubert? Or Brother Simon?’

‘Neither.’

‘Then who?’

‘A young woman.’

Gervase was surprised. He knew no young women in Chester.

Mind racing, he followed the sentry back to the gate. When he was allowed to leave by the postern, a familiar face was waiting to greet him with a weary smile.