Free Enemy at the Gate by Griff Hosker Page A

castle and his lands."
    "We outnumber you!"
    I was close enough to see the walls and for them to hear me. "Dick! A demonstration!"
    An arrow flew and struck the squire next to the Earl in the hand. The shocked squires looked in disbelief at the shaft in his palm. "Enough! You call this honourable?"
    "He lives, does he not? Had the position been reversed then I am not so sure."
    "Very well. I agree to your terms, reluctantly.  I do so to save my men's  lives." He turned his horse's head. 
    "No horse is to leave the field.  You can walk back to your home. You have one month to send the ransoms, that is all!"
    The four remaining horsemen dismounted and the Scottish army trudged west.  They had to endure the jeers and shouts from the walls of Barnard Castle and it was not a quick departure.  The narrow bridge gate slowed them down. The humiliation would last all the way west.
    It would have been impossible not to lose men in our attack against such odds and we had lost men at arms who were impossible to replace. Others had wounds. Our horses had been hurt.  We had to stitch Badger and a number of other animals. However we had achieved our aims.  The Scots had been thwarted.  I was, however, worried that King David was not with them.  This meant that this was not the main Scottish army.  This was a test to see our reaction. Had they captured the castle then it would have allowed them to take the whole of the north.  The war was not over and the enemy were still sniffing around our borders, our walls and even our very gates.
    We took the prisoners into the castle.  There they would be closely guarded. Sir Edward organised the sharing out of the spoils of war and they were better than we might have expected.  It showed that they had been confident they would win.   We had seven warhorses, one of each conroi.  There were suits of armour as well as many weapons.  The baggage train was abandoned and we found gold and coins. Gospatric had escaped us once more.  He was always too canny to be caught.  He had been the first to flee with his bodyguard.  He would live to fight another day.
    We feasted that night.  It was always the way of warriors.  We had come close to death and yet, by banding together, we had survived.  None of my men had died but we knew those who had and we spoke of their deeds.  We recounted past battles where they had gained honour and we toasted their souls to heaven. None of us doubted that we would meet again in the Otherworld, heaven.
    The next morning I sent Sir Richard, Sir Tristan and Sir Harold home with their booty.  I wanted their homes protecting. We could not risk spending long periods away. Sir Edward and I would wait until the ransoms and damages had been paid. Sir Hugh was delighted.  His castle had held and he had seen ways to improve his castle. 
    "I believe, Earl, that we could last five, six, even seven days without aid. I intend to build a double ditch before my  gate.  If a ram is the best that they have then they will never defeat these walls."
    "Then make sure you have a cellar with plenty of food.  Your well and the river give you water but a determined enemy can lay siege for months."
    "I will lord but, thanks to your wisdom I am much richer now.  I can hire more men and employ William the Mason to make my castle stronger."
    By the time that the ransom and damages had come I was satisfied that Barnard Castle would be a rock upon which the Scots would break. The next time they would come a different way. As we rode back I discussed it with Wulfric, Dick, Aiden and Sir Edward. Aiden knew the land better than any.
    "I was worried, lord, when they reached Bowes for, from there, they could either cross the river or head south. I gambled."
    "We all gambled, Aiden and it paid off. But you are right.  What do we do if they come south of the river?  They could head for Gainford, Piercebridge or Yarm.  None of those castles are as strong as Barnard. King David can muster