Sworn Sword (Conquest #1)

‘Come with me.’


I glanced at the others, wondering what this was about, then I got to my feet, buckling on my sword-belt. Robert turned away from the fire and the tents, towards the horses, and I followed him. His lips were set and he did not speak, nor did I press him. He saddled up his destrier, and I did the same, and then we rode out. The last light had faded and the camp was quiet now, save for the whinnying of horses in the distance and the occasional bout of laughter from around the fires. News of the impending attack could not have reached them yet.

Eventually we left the camp behind us altogether, striking out across the furrowed fields to the north and east, to where a clump of trees stood atop a small rise. All else was still. My breath misted before me. Though the days had been growing warmer, the night was yet cold.

We reached the top of the rise, where we dismounted. The branches formed a roof over our heads, blocking out the stars and the newly risen crescent moon. I looked back the way we had come, at the dots of firelight arrayed across the hillside. Not all had men by them; to fool any enemy scouts more had been lit on the fringes of the camp, to disguise our true numbers and make the army appear larger than it was.

‘Why have you brought me here, lord?’ I asked at last.

‘Look,’ he replied, pointing out into the distance. Beyond the trees the land fell away to a wide plain, beyond which, some miles away, wound a line of deepest black. It was a river – the Use, for it could be no other – and huddled on its shores was a town, ringed with walls and a palisade, in the midst of which rose a tall mound, with a castle tower set atop it, all in shadow.

‘Eoferwic,’ Robert said. ‘That is where my father is. Where in only a few hours we will be too.’

‘Yes, lord,’ I replied, not knowing what he expected me to say. He couldn’t have brought me all this way just to show me the city, surely?

‘I have something I wish to ask of you, Tancred.’

His tone and his words brought me back to the morning I was summoned to see Malet at the castle, when he had first mentioned the task he had in mind for me. I glanced at Robert, and saw the same heavy eyebrows, the same pronounced nose and angular chin. Without a doubt he was his father’s son.

‘What is it?’ I asked.

Robert’s eyes were fixed on the city in the distance. ‘Our scouts came back a few hours ago with further news of the enemy. It seems that while many of them are within the city, the rest have made their camp just outside the northern gates. In a few hours King Guillaume plans to send a thousand men to ride upriver to the next crossing. They will descend upon Eoferwic from the north and attack that camp before first light, hoping to draw the rest of the enemy out from the city. At the same time the rest of us, led by the king himself, are to attack from this side and capture the western quarter of the town, before crossing the bridge and taking the enemy in the rear.’

‘And how does the king plan to get inside Eoferwic?’ I asked. We had no siege weapons with us, so far as I had seen, and though we might try to break through the gates without them, it would mean the loss of many men, and I didn’t think we had such numbers to spare.

‘That’s why I’ve brought you here,’ Robert said. He took a deep breath. ‘Before we can get inside, someone must first open the gates for us. Since it is my father we are fighting this campaign for, it has fallen upon me to find the men to do it.’

He looked at me then, his eyebrow raised, and I saw what he meant.

‘You want me to do this,’ I said.

‘You and the rest of your companions. The king has asked for a small band of men, no more than half a dozen, to approach the city by river later this night, make its way through the streets unseen and to secure the gates.’

It would be dangerous, of that I had no doubt. All it took was for one person to see us, to raise the cry, and we would be dead men, for once we were inside it would be hard to get out again. And the only reason that Robert was asking us was because he didn’t want to risk any of his own knights.

A sudden anger filled me. He was not my lord; I didn’t have to do his bidding. While I was prepared to ride into battle with him, help him in what way I could, as I had promised Beatrice, I wasn’t about to risk my life on some fool’s errand for him, whom I barely knew.

I turned away, back to my horse. ‘Find someone else, lord.’

‘You know the city,’ he called after me. ‘My own men do not. I would not ask this otherwise.’

I ignored him as I swung up into the saddle and gripped the reins.

‘I will see that you are well rewarded,’ he said. ‘I can give you silver, gold, horses, whatever you wish.’