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Authors: Griff Hosker
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were all mounted and would be able to move swiftly around the field of battle. Their arrows would whittle down the enemy but it would be Dick and my best archers who would win the day.
We reached the mouth of the Aln. Although a wide estuary, it was shallow enough at low tide not to present an obstacle. The scouts we had brought told us that the castle was on the southern side of the river which was narrow and easily fordable. We crossed the estuary and made camp on the northern bank. I had no doubt that we were seen. We were too large a band to be missed. Although most of those in the area might be loyal to King Henry, it had changed hands too many times over the years for that to be certain. I wanted us to be seen. I needed our enemies to come for us.
Once we had guards set I gathered my knights. "Tomorrow we advance upon Berwick!"
I waited as the knights erupted. "Berwick! I thought we came to recapture Alnwick!"
"That is our intention and believe me Sir Raymond we will."
"Baron, we have few enough men to attack Alnwick why would you risk going further north and taking us closer to enemies?"
I stood and drew my sword. I marked some lines in the sand. "Here is Alnwick and here we are at the Aln. As you can see the castle cannot be supplied from the sea. The land to the west is poor and has little growing there at the moment. To the south is the land we now hold and control. If we besiege Alnwick from where will we get our food?"
"Why the land around of course."
"Exactly Sir Hugh and that land belonged to our people. They will either have fled or have been captured. The result is the same, there will be no farms there and no food. Alnwick has to get its food from the north. We will move into that land. We are now in Scotland. From now on every mouthful we take is taken from a Scotsman."
Harold suddenly laughed, "You do not mean to take Berwick."
"Of course not. Do I look a fool? I ride north so that we cut off the supply of food to Alnwick and threaten the north. We will take food from the Scots north of here. Fitzwaller will have to come forth from his castle to eliminate us. He will already have sent a message to his allies further north that we threaten him. When he realises we are heading to Berwick he will send more riders for help and we will stop them. I intended to use some of the archers and scouts to cut the north road. They will ambush any riders. Before dawn tomorrow they will go here." I jabbed my sword into the sand. "Warenford. It is far enough from Alnwick for the riders to think they are safe." I smiled," We will also gain some horses. We isolate Alnwick and take the battle to the enemy rather than wasting men assaulting a castle."
"And how far north do we go?"
"Before I left Durham I spoke with the Dean there and looked at some old maps. There used to be a castle at Bamburgh but it was reduced by the Vikings. King William also laid waste to it. As far as I know it has no castle there now but it is a good site and easy to defend. We draw them there."
"And if they do not come?"
"Then after laying waste to the area and gathering supplies we head south for by that time the garrison will have eaten any supplies they laid in for a siege. If they remain behind their walls because they fear an attack then that fear will grow each day we do not attack. We move slowly and care for our horses. We eat everything we find north of here and we keep together. "
Dick chose just four archers for the ambush. Those and the four foresters would be all that we would need. They were not there to stop an army just single or pairs of riders. Ralph of Wales led them. Dick and I made sure that they understood their task and we told them where we would be. As well as stopping news leaving they would gather news for us and keep us informed.
The land north of the Aln was made up of small farms and farmsteads. Although the people fled they were not able to take their animals.
We reached the mouth of the Aln. Although a wide estuary, it was shallow enough at low tide not to present an obstacle. The scouts we had brought told us that the castle was on the southern side of the river which was narrow and easily fordable. We crossed the estuary and made camp on the northern bank. I had no doubt that we were seen. We were too large a band to be missed. Although most of those in the area might be loyal to King Henry, it had changed hands too many times over the years for that to be certain. I wanted us to be seen. I needed our enemies to come for us.
Once we had guards set I gathered my knights. "Tomorrow we advance upon Berwick!"
I waited as the knights erupted. "Berwick! I thought we came to recapture Alnwick!"
"That is our intention and believe me Sir Raymond we will."
"Baron, we have few enough men to attack Alnwick why would you risk going further north and taking us closer to enemies?"
I stood and drew my sword. I marked some lines in the sand. "Here is Alnwick and here we are at the Aln. As you can see the castle cannot be supplied from the sea. The land to the west is poor and has little growing there at the moment. To the south is the land we now hold and control. If we besiege Alnwick from where will we get our food?"
"Why the land around of course."
"Exactly Sir Hugh and that land belonged to our people. They will either have fled or have been captured. The result is the same, there will be no farms there and no food. Alnwick has to get its food from the north. We will move into that land. We are now in Scotland. From now on every mouthful we take is taken from a Scotsman."
Harold suddenly laughed, "You do not mean to take Berwick."
"Of course not. Do I look a fool? I ride north so that we cut off the supply of food to Alnwick and threaten the north. We will take food from the Scots north of here. Fitzwaller will have to come forth from his castle to eliminate us. He will already have sent a message to his allies further north that we threaten him. When he realises we are heading to Berwick he will send more riders for help and we will stop them. I intended to use some of the archers and scouts to cut the north road. They will ambush any riders. Before dawn tomorrow they will go here." I jabbed my sword into the sand. "Warenford. It is far enough from Alnwick for the riders to think they are safe." I smiled," We will also gain some horses. We isolate Alnwick and take the battle to the enemy rather than wasting men assaulting a castle."
"And how far north do we go?"
"Before I left Durham I spoke with the Dean there and looked at some old maps. There used to be a castle at Bamburgh but it was reduced by the Vikings. King William also laid waste to it. As far as I know it has no castle there now but it is a good site and easy to defend. We draw them there."
"And if they do not come?"
"Then after laying waste to the area and gathering supplies we head south for by that time the garrison will have eaten any supplies they laid in for a siege. If they remain behind their walls because they fear an attack then that fear will grow each day we do not attack. We move slowly and care for our horses. We eat everything we find north of here and we keep together. "
Dick chose just four archers for the ambush. Those and the four foresters would be all that we would need. They were not there to stop an army just single or pairs of riders. Ralph of Wales led them. Dick and I made sure that they understood their task and we told them where we would be. As well as stopping news leaving they would gather news for us and keep us informed.
The land north of the Aln was made up of small farms and farmsteads. Although the people fled they were not able to take their animals.
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