Ripples of Rebellion by Griff Hosker

Author:Griff Hosker [Hosker, Griff]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sword Books Ltd
Published: 2024-05-30T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Henry Samuel

The nest of vipers

I waited until my three patrols had left before we mounted. I gave James and his men their instructions and then took the road north. Alfred waited until we were a mile north before he asked me, “So, where do we go then, Father?”

“Stanhope. The Bishop of Durham has a castle there and men. The castellan needs to know what we have done. If I can, I will use the men of Weardale to aid us. They can close the back door on the bandits.”

“You are driving them north and west?”

“Did you not hear the accents of the men? The ones in the village and the ones in the forest all had Scottish twangs to their voices. They are incomers and settled here from Scotland; King Henry might welcome genuine settlers but these seem to me to be remnants of warbands from times past.”

“And that is why you plan on burning the village.”

“It is. If they do wish to settle here then they must work for it. The connection with the bandits must be severed. We have just another three weeks or so to make this land safe. I must be draconian or risk failure.”

The road went north until Wolsingham. The town had no castle and existed just to provide food for the Palatinate. We watered our horses in the trough there. I noticed that the accents of the people who spoke to us were north country rather than Scottish. It was a safe place to rest. The road then followed the River Wear up to Stanhope. We reached the small castle before noon. The motte and bailey castle dominated the tiny town. While the donjon was made of locally quarried stone, the walls were still wooden. There were just four men in the castle when we rode in, our hooves clattering on the stone.

I dismounted and a mailed man came from the donjon. He saw my spurs and bowed, “Good day, my lord. I am Alan of Stanhope, the castellan and the Bishop’s law in these parts.”

“And I am Earl Henry Samuel of Stockton.”

At the use of my name, he beamed, “Then we are honoured to have the hero of Otterburn in the Bishop’s castle. Come within and take refreshment. Ketil, take their horses.”

As we followed him I said, “Ketil? That is a Viking name is it not?”

He nodded, “Many Danes and Vikings settled here when they finished raiding. Ketil’s family keeps the same names. He has the blood of the Vikings and wants to be a warrior.”

The hall did not justify the name ‘great’. It was a small one and barely eight people could have used it. It reflected the diminutive size of the castle. Alan shouted, “We have guests. Food and ale.” Alfred and I sat. Alan said, “Can your squires be permitted to sit, my lord?”

“Of course.” They sat.

“Now, before my wife brings us food, what brings an earl here to this remote part of the Palatinate? The Bishop normally warns me when men wish to hunt and you do not seem as though that is your intention.

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