CHAPTER SEVEN
‡
Go Forth and Conquer
“He has taken Kristoph and headed north,” Gaetan said. “My lord, you know that I cannot let him go. I must retrieve him.”
It was nearing noon on the day after the battle north of Hastings that saw Harold Godwinson killed. Unlike the previous day, which had been wrought with inclement weather as the battle was fought, this day was clearing up and the sun was shining, warming that land. But that also meant the bodies of the dead were heating up. The stench at midday was nearly unbearable as scores of Normans hurried to clear up their dead while, to the north, Saxon dead continued to lay spread out over the ground. Rumor had it that Beddingham Priory had sent most of their priests and servants over to clear the Saxon dead, but from the Norman encampment, there seemed to be very little movement.
Yet, it was of no consequence, at least to Gaetan. He stood in the spacious tent of the Duke of Normandy, alone because he’d asked for privacy, and was even now addressing the man. After explaining what had happened to Kristoph and the subsequent attempt to rescue him, Gaetan was now further explaining to the duke that he and his men intended to follow Alary of Mercia to regain their lost man. Unfortunately for Gaetan, or the duke, or both, the duke didn’t seem to be apt to readily agree.
A potential problem was looming.
“Alary of Mercia,” William of Normandy rolled the name over his tongue thoughtfully. “I know of him. I’ve not had direct dealing with him, of course, but I know of him. His reputation is rather unsavory.”
Gaetan nodded. “According to the man’s sister, unsavory is a kind way of putting it, my lord,” he said. “Surely you can understand my need to remove Kristoph from his custody as soon as possible.”
“And this sister has been the only one to bring you news of Kristoph’s disappearance?”
“Aye, my lord.”
“Is she telling the truth?”
Gaetan sighed heavily. “I have wondered the very same thing. But in the absence of any other eyewitness to Kristoph’s disappearance, I have no choice but to trust her,” he said. “However, when Jathan accompanied her to the Saxon encampment, he heard her men speak of the Norman knight that Alary held prisoner. That seems to prove that she was telling the truth.”
William lifted his eyebrows in reluctant agreement. A large, muscular man with bushy auburn hair and dark eyes, he was a larger-than-life commander with a temperament to match. He was an exacting master and a skilled one, and he lavished praise and rewards upon his favorites. But he was also very selfish. He wanted his subordinates’ attention on him and his needs.
To hear that his great Warwolfe was focused on retrieving a lost man had him somewhat unhappy at the moment. He understood very well that the Anges de Guerre were a close-knit group and the loss of one of them was disturbing for all, but he was very reluctant to allow Gaetan to leave him now when he needed him the most.
There was the conquest of a country at stake.
“Then it would seem she has been truthful thus far,” he replied belatedly. “But there is no guarantee that she is not leading you into a trap, Gate.”
“That is very true, but Kristoph is clearly with her brother. We have no choice but to follow him.”
“But why risk all of your men? I do not believe you are thinking clearly.”
Gaetan knew that William was reluctant to let him go and he knew why; the duke was inherently selfish. He didn’t like that Gaetan wanted to do something other than contribute to the glory of the conquest. Warwolfe, as far as William was concerned, belonged to him and so did his wants and ambitions. Anything that went against what William wanted was met with resistance. Therefore, Gaetan was very careful in his reply.
“I am thinking clearly enough, my lord,” he said steadily. “The longer we discuss it, the further away Alary of Mercia travels and the longer it will take me to retrieve Kristoph. You must look at it this way – when I catch up to Alary, he will be the first man to fall under my sword. For abducting Kristoph, make no mistake – I will kill the man. With this brother gone, Edwin and Morcar and the others will be, mayhap, more willing to negotiate with you or even support you rather than resist because they realize their lives will be at stake. Alary’s death will send a definitive message to those nobles who choose to resist. So, in a sense, I will be sending a message of Norman dominance to the entire country.”
It was a manipulative statement but the duke seemed to agree, reluctant as that agreement was. “That is true,” he admitted. “Sending my Anges de Guerre to blaze the trail before me will, indeed, send a message.”
“Aye, it will, my lord.”
“But I do not want all of you to go.”
Gaetan cocked an eyebrow. His patience was growing thin. “You know that we travel as a unit,” he said. “We work as a unit. If I must choose to leave some behind, you will have extremely unhappy men on your hands. Besides… you have plenty of knights and more than enough support for a further incursion into the country. You do not need me and my men at the moment. We must bring back one of our own, my lord. Surely you understand that.”
William eyed him a moment before going to the pewter pitcher of wine and pouring two cups. He brought one over to Gaetan, all the while pondering the situation and what needed to be done. Truth be told, he knew he couldn’t deny Gaetan’s wish to save Kristoph de Lohr from Alary of Mercia’s clutches. Gaetan and Kristoph were like brothers and to deny Gaetan would only incite rage in the man. He didn’t need his Warwolfe directing hatred against him. Therefore, he had to be clever about this so they could both get what they wanted out of the situation. He had to make this work for them both.
“You know I do not want you to leave me, not now,” he said, grasping at the last vestiges of resistance. “I have great need of you, Gate. But I understand that you must rescue Kristoph. I understand that all too well, for Kristoph is a great knight and a loyal friend. I have tremendous respect for him. What if I wish for you to leave du Reims and de Russe here?”
“They will want to go.”
“But I have great need of them. If I cannot have you, then at least leave them with me.”
“I must respectfully refuse, my lord.”
William frowned. “Then let us say I deny your request to go at all. What would you do then?”
Gaetan took a drink of the sweet red wine. “If you were in my position, what would you do, my lord?”
William’s frown turned into a sly grin, knowing that Gaetan had him cornered. “I would disobey.”
“So would I.”
William laughed softly. “That would not do for either of us,” he said. “I am far too fond of you to punish you if that were to happen, so I suppose that it is best that I do not deny you. Are you sure I cannot change your mind?”
“Alas, my lord, you cannot.”
“Then I will, therefore, give you permission to go, but you will do something for me when you do.”
“Anything, my lord.”
William’s dark eyes glittered. The man was a grand opportunist. Since he couldn’t hold Gaetan back, he knew he had to make the best of it. If Gaetan wanted something from him, then he wanted something from Gaetan.
“Take a quarter of my army with you and subdue Mercia and the Midlands when you go,” he said. “After you find Kristoph, you will begin the conquest of the heart of England. I intend to remain to the south to claim what I can before moving on London, but you… you will go into the heart of England and you will subdue it. With my army claiming the south, including Winchester where the royal treasury is situated, and you in the heart of England to bring it under Norman control, we can bring the Saxons to their knees. Think on it, Gate – we shall have this entire country subdued within the year.”
It was an enormous responsibility and an enormous honor William was asking of Gaetan. It was a task that only a commander of Gaetan’s caliber would be capable of and Gaetan didn’t take the responsibility lightly. He knew this was the kind of directive that would have a man leaving a great mark on his legacy – beyond his Warwolfe persona, beyond his great reputation as a knight, lay a man who hoped to leave a legacy for his children one day that didn’t involve memories or reputations one couldn’t use to buy food or clothe men. His children, when they came, would need something tangible for that.
This was the opportunity to get it.
“I am grateful for your trust, my lord,” Gaetan finally said. “When I do this thing, what shall be my reward?”
William snorted at his ever-shrewd Warwolfe; they thought very much alike, indeed. “As great a reward as I can give you,” he said. “There are great riches to the north, you know. I have studied this country and I know her well. There is an area north towards Chester called the Black Country, as it is rich with coal and other elements that can make a man extremely wealthy. The largest town is called Hamtun where there is a large abbey, I am told. The town deals in coal and sheep. Do what I ask of you and I shall make you the Earl of Hamtun and all of the riches that belong to her. I want my Warwolfe to be happy.”
Gaetan liked the sound of that. In fact, it was extremely generous. “No man will know it is my town unless we call it Wolfeshamtun,” he said, unable to let go of his pride, not even for a moment. “If I am going to rule, then let all men know who rules.”
William nodded, seeing the gleam of satisfaction in Gaetan’s eye. “Agreed,” he said. “Call it Wolfeshamtun or Wolverhamtun, or whatever you wish. It shall be your domain, Warwolfe. Go north and conquer.”
Gaetan was feeling increasingly eager to get on with what needed to be done, now fueled by a substantial reward from the man who would be king. Sensing that their conversation was coming to a close or, at the very least, wanting it to come to a close, he bowed his head respectfully to William before turning for the tent opening.
“I will need to depart today, as quickly as possible, my lord,” he said. “If you are agreeable, I will have du Reims and de Reyne select men from the army to accompany us. I have been so involved in Kristoph’s disappearance that I am ashamed to say that I do not even know the strength of our remaining army other than my own men.”
William watched him as he walked away, a very busy man, indeed. “And how many of your men survived?”
Gaetan paused by the tent opening. “I brought two thousand men with me,” he said. “I have lost nearly two hundred with nearly the same number wounded.”
William nodded as he absorbed those statistics. “You fared better than some,” he said. “Select no more than one thousand men to fill in your ranks. That will give you a sizable army with which to infiltrate the heart of England.”
“I am taking archers.”
“You already have a goodly amount of archers, Gate.”
“I need more.”
William sighed at his stubborn commander. “Then, God’s Blood, take them,” he said, annoyed. But the annoyance quickly cleared away. “And this sister of Mercia – where is she?”
“In my tent, my lord. She is awaiting my return.”
“As your captive?”
Gaetan wriggled his dark eyebrows, a somewhat ironic gesture. “As my guide,” he said. “She does not know it yet, but it is she who will take me to Alary. If she thinks to lead me into a trap, then she will be the first one to step into it. Every step we take northward, she will be in the lead.”
William simply nodded. “Send me a message to keep me abreast of your progress,” he said. “I have a suspicion this will be a long and perilous journey.”
“So do I,” Gaetan admitted.
“Gate?”
“Aye, my lord?”
“Et pro Gloria dei.”
The words that the Anges de Guerre used to send each other into battle were now murmured from the duke’s lips. There wasn’t much more to stay at that point because he knew that his Warwolfe would take all precautions necessary to ensure a successful mission which, in William’s estimation, was turning out to be a blessing in disguise. Now, de Wolfe had a reason to head into the heart of England and it had nothing to do with the lands and title he was promised, but everything to do with a missing comrade… and that was most powerful motivator of all.
Nay, William wasn’t genuinely upset about de Wolfe’s intention to head after Alary of Mercia but he wanted the man to be cautious and thoughtful. The last thing he wanted to do was lose one or more of Gaetan’s men but, ultimately, this undertaking would work to everyone’s advantage.
At least, that was the hope. But God help the lords of Mercia if something happened to Kristoph de Lohr. William knew, as he lived and breathed, that the beast would be unleashed if that happened, and that beast would tear apart Mercia and the Midlands like nothing anyone had ever seen before.
God help them all.