The Hoodsman - Killing Kings Page 6

  In the morning, they finished the steep path to the mine in bright daylight. The porters were curious at the strange procession. While Raynar was returning the cloaks, the wife asked for Leola's body to be brought into her house. The women of the house closed the doors on the men while they inspected the body and dressed it, and wrapped it in a shroud.

  By the time they were finished, word of the rape and murder had spread throughout the mine area, and there was a mob of miners and porters demanding blood. Leola was known by all and a favourite of most, and it took the mine bosses to stop them from simply throwing Garrick down an abandoned shaft. The mine bosses agreed with Alan that the local moot was not enough, and a lowland court must try the noble Garrick. They also told them that the court would need to see the body.

  That left only the serious problem of how to get Garrick and the body past the glade. The folk of the glade and the porters who used it would rip Garrick to pieces if they got hold of him. In the end only Raynar stopped at the glade to deliver the dressed sheep, while the others hurried past without speaking.

  After the odd procession was well away, Raynar found his Da and told him the story, and he could never remember his Da looking so old and so frail. He left him with Gwyn and her mother and hurried down the path to catch up to the group.

  At John's house it was a similar situation. John's father and mother stared at Garrick with daggers for eyes, and were all for drowning him in the pig slop. They were also upset for John and Raynar, and upset that John must travel with the body to give evidence. The way to Scafeld was up and out of the valley and over the last of the ridges and moors to the east. John's father agreed to carry a message from Brother Tucker to his head carter in Grindel, which basically said, "keep the lead moving" and nothing more.

  * * * * *

  * * * * *

  THE HOODSMAN - Killing Kings by Skye Smith

  Chapter 6 - Lamb's Revenge, Scafeld, S.Yorkshire in June 1064

  They arrived in Scafeld in the afternoon, and took Garrick to the gaol, and Leola to the crypt of the church. The church verger offered them beds in a pilgrim's shed, which they all took save Alan. Alan mounted the horse and took it back to his lord's manor, where he would sleep. The verger took them to the town hall to make a formal request for a shire-moot. There they were told that because the body was still above ground, the moot would gather in the morning.

  Back at his bed the full force of Raynar's grief attacked his sanity. He was inconsolable, no matter what John and Tucker tried. Finally they left him sobbing on his bed while they went in search of food. They didn't have to search far. The verger's wife had pushed her husband aside and provided a very non-pilgrim meal of wine and meat. "Anyone who can slip a noose around that lordling Garrick's neck will eat well at my table," she said with barely-hidden contempt.

  * * * * *

  The Moot was held in the Hall, and it was filled to capacity. Twelve ealders of the town were presiding and the first rule of business was for all those with a say to register to speak, and for each to swear an oath of truth on their life. Only freemen were allowed to speak and then only if they could vouch the value of their oaths.

  Women and slaves could attend but never speak. When it was his turn, Raynar introduced himself with the words, "I am Raynar Porter, churl of Woden Mine, I swear that I will speak true. Brother Tucker of Repton Abbey will vouch my oath."

  Leola was introduced by Raynar. Garrick introduced himself followed by his father the Lord Sweyn and his elder brother Osgar. So it was also with John, Alan, and Tucker.

  As representative of the plaintive clan, Raynar had to summarize his complaint. Garrick had abducted, beaten, raped and then murdered his sister. He was asked to give the date, time, and place of the crime. Since the body was above ground, the twelve ealders and those registered to speak all adjourned to the church crypt to witness the body.

  Raynar was horrified that she was displayed nude and worse, that she had become ugly and bloated and stinking. He steeled himself and pointed out the marks of strangulation, the bruising on the face and stomach, the rope burns on her hands, the skin under her fingernails, the bruising and dried blood on the thighs, the rope burns on her ankles. And then he broke down in sobs and was led out of the crypt. No one stayed much longer with the gruesome corpse.

  Resuming at the hall, Garrick was asked to defend himself from the charges. He refused to speak. One by one, Raynar and John and Tucker and Alan repeated the story of finding the dogs and finding the girl and finding Garrick. The only comment made by the ealders was to ask the ownership of the dogs. Lord Sweyn acknowledged ownership, only to be told that he therefore owed three sheep to Hugh Farehyrde.

  After their stories were finished, the elders declared that Garrick owed a Weregild of fifty shillings or fifty sheep to Leola's clan and on payment he was free to go.

  Half the hall stood with a roar of disbelief. The clerk's hammer brought silence. Raynar asked permission to address the court and he was so granted. He turned around the hall before speaking to gage the audience. There in front seats beside Lord Sweyn and Osgar were Sonja and Britta. He tried not to stare and continued his full turn, suddenly feeling even more depressed than ever. "I do not understand the sentence. Garrick abducted, bound, beat, and raped my sister, and then murdered her to cover his crimes. He has not denied it. And yet he is to go free."

  An Ealder explained. "If he pays the Weregild, yes he goes free, otherwise he will become your clan's thrall. As your thrall you can do with him as you please. I would remind you that this is an ancient and now, common law designed to stop blood feuds. The life price is half of the normal wife’s price because she had not yet wed. There is nothing owed for the rape, as there is no evidence that it was not a rape for purposes of betrothal. The price owed for the life includes the price of the beating."

  Brother Tucker motioned to John and they both grabbed hold of Raynar. He had seen the berserker look growing in Raynar's eyes and feared the worst. After John had pulled Raynar down to his seat, the good Brother asked to speak and was given permission.

  "I believe that the silence from the defense is hiding the truth of the rape. I would ask some questions of the other witnesses." Lord Sweyn objected, however the good Brother was motioned to continue.

  "A question for Alan O'Dale. Why were you on the peaks at the time of the rape?"

  "I was asked by Lord Sweyn to find Garrick and to fetch him home."

  "Why was Garrick on the peaks?" asked Tucker.

  "He had run away from his lordship." Alan motioned to him meaningfully with his eyes towards the lord.

  "Thank you."

  "A question for Lord Sweyn. Why did Garrick run away?" Tucker asked.

  There was silence until an ealder reminded the lord that he had registered to speak and so he must answer all questions from other speakers or from the court.

  "He was to be whipped," replied Sweyn.

  "Why was he to be whipped?"

  The lord hesitated, but then looked at Britta and Sonja and others from his household and spoke. "He had raped one of our hand maidens. Repeatedly."

  The hall was in an uproar again. It took five minutes of hammering to restore order.

  "How many lashes was he to receive?" asked Tucker.

  "Ten"

  "Thank you, my lord."

  Tucker paced closer to the ealders. They were nodding. "I would ask that beside the Weregild, that Garrick be lashed ten times for the rape of the hand maiden and ten times for the rape of Leola. The rape is a separate issue from the murder, and Garrick must be punished for assaulting our women, otherwise none of the women of this town will be safe." There were murmurs of agreement from the crowd, and a few more earthy comments from some of the women.

  The ealders whispered amongst themselves. This was, after all, a lord's son. At last the chair spoke. "A separate sentence of twenty lashes' punishment for rape to be administered today in the town pillory by a reeve's man."

  "Nooo. I will not b
e lashed," Garrick finally spoke. "She was a slut, a stinking shepherdess, and she refused me, her lord. She fought me and hurt me. See the scratches on my face."

  John leaped towards Garrick but was held back by Raynar and Tucker and a few other men besides. John took some deep breaths and then said slowly and with an icy voice, "She was not a slut. She was a virgin, and I know this well, for I was to wed her. She was born free, and you, you shit, are the lord of no one."

  Garrick pointed at Raynar and hissed, "I'll make you a better deal, porter. A chance for blood vengeance. You get the Weregild, but I get no lashes. Instead of the lashes you get one arrow shot at me while I run for freedom. Whatever the outcome, it is finished."

  "A question for the court," challenged Tucker. He was motioned to ask it. "Is this legal, or would it simply be the start another blood feud or Weregild should Garrick be killed?"

  "I can answer the court, may I speak?" shouted the lord. He was so motioned. "I swear here before witnesses that there will be no blood feud or Weregild claimed by my clan, but one arrow only."

  "I will agree to all of this!" shouted Raynar.

  There was more whispering between ealders. The chair finally said, "It is so ruled. Instead of the lashes in the pillory, Garrick will have the opportunity to run the length of the square. If he makes it over the church fence, he is free. Do all parties agree?"

  They all did.

  "So be it." The hammer slammed down and the Moot was adjourned.

  The hall churned with activity and voices. Those at the front of the hall nearest the bench, were invited to leave through a side door, but even at that doorway there was a crush of people moving shoulder to shoulder.

  Raynar backed himself against the wall and waited for it to clear in front of him. He blinked and found himself looking into green eyes that he had seen before. Sonja was pretending to be crushed against him. He held her by her waist to stop her from being swept away by the crowd. She leaned forward and whispered into his ear, "Kill him Raynar. Kill the vile beast," and then she was gone.

  He walked briskly to the pilgrim shed, to collect his bow and arrows. John caught up with him there and asked him if it would not be better to use the Welsh bow. "No," Raynar replied thoughtfully as he weighed and balanced each of the arrows in his hand, "I have only one shot, so it is aim and power that are needed, not the quickness of reloading."

  They returned to the square. The church end of the square was empty, and Raynar walked along the fence. It was a temporary fence around some construction. It was a man's height and sturdy enough, and made from poles of softwood. There were large building stones randomly pushed against the fence to hold it steady. The easiest way over the fence was to use one of the stones as a step. He paced the distance from the fence to the pillory. About two hundred paces. The growing crowd started fifty paces beyond that and were being held back by the town watch.

  Many of the food stalls from the market had moved to the open end of the square expecting a hanging. Business was always good at hangings. But this, this was even better. This was like sport. Already wagers were being laid. Some reeves men had cleared a space for the official witnesses. One of the reeve's men pulled Raynar’s sleeve and said, "You're a fool. He would have died for sure under twenty of my best lashes."

  John pushed them apart. "Don't believe him. That lordling would have been lashed with a feather touch by these sods. They are all in the lord's purse."

  Raynar's head was spinning from all the yells aimed at him. The women yelling for blood. The men yelling advice. The pie ladies offering him pork or beef. He leaned against a wall and closed his eyes to relax.

  "Hrumpf" the Lord cleared his throat. "I am Lord Sweyn, and this is my eldest son Osgar, and his wife Britta, and her sister, the Widow Sonja. On behalf of us all, I wish to express my horror and regrets at was has happened to your sister. With my heir as witness, I wish to say that if you should kill my son Garrick then I will treat it as God's work and not as yours. I will not hate you for it. I will just mourn for my son as you are mourning for your sister."

  He grabbed Raynar's shoulder and he squeezed it. Raynar did not respond. "I am not here to plead for my son. Let your shot be guided by God, but do I have your promise that if he does make it into the churchyard, that he will live. That your clan will not ambush him tomorrow or next week or next year, or ambush any others of my family."

  Raynar turned slowly on his heel and looked each of them in the eyes and to each he said, "I so promise". His eyes had difficulty breaking from Britta's. Her eyes had recent happier memories for him. When he looked into Sonja's eyes he felt drawn to her by an invisible force. Her lips moved ever so slightly to form the words, "Kill him".

  They moved away, only to be replaced with Brother Tucker. He made the sign of the cross. "You are not a killer, Raynar. You spared him on the peak. Now spare him again. No one will think the worse of you for a near miss at this range."

  Alan came up from the other side like he was hiding from the sight of his sworn lord, which he was. "Don't look at me, just listen," he whispered. "His family is a nest of liars and cheats, but my family's livelihood is at their whim. Expect trickery. He will be zig zagging when he runs. Only we two know the range that you hit those dogs. I have told no one else. Your best chance will be to make him think he is out of range, and then shoot when he stops to climb the fence to his freedom." Alan disappeared into the crowd.

  There was a hissing in the crowd, and Raynar turned to see Garrick being marched to the pillory. The hissing was because he was wearing a shirt of mail. Trickery. John yelled a protest but Raynar pulled his sleeve to quieten him. The betting became heavy, and new odds were being yelled across the crowd. He walked forward to the pillory. The ealder spokesman ordered some reeve's men to drag a bench down the square forty paces. "Raynar, you may not shoot until Garrick is past that bench. Do you both understand?" They did.

  "May I take a ranging shot?" asked Raynar. After being given permission, he strung his strange looking shepherds-staff-bow to the first knot in the bowstring. Until then the crowd had not understood that the shepherd crook was the bow. The murmur turned into a roar. Betting was already heavy, but now the cries of the gamblers became intense as men changed bets and laid bets off on this new information.

  Raynar chose a long but light arrow and locked the staff on the ground and stepped into his bow. He loosed and the arrow dropped to earth short of the fence and bounced harmlessly along the flagstones. The betting chatter again became a roar.

  Now, slowly he turned so his back was to the crowd and he readjusted the string to the last knot. He chose another long arrow, a heavy one this time. It had dried dog's blood on it. He indicated to the ealder that he was ready. Garrick nodded his readiness as well.

  The ealder motioned for the crowd to be quiet. The ealder told them in a voice aimed at the crowd that he would count to three and then Garrick was to run. Raynar was not to loose until Garrick was beyond the bench. Garrick was not safe from the shot until he was over the fence. Once he was over the fence, or once the arrow was loosed, then it was finished.

  He raised his voice to the witnesses, the reeve's men, and the crowd. No one was allowed to interfere so long as Garrick was on this side of the fence and so long as Raynar held his arrow. Anyone doing so would be gaoled for a month. The ealder motioned for quiet again and then called out.

  "One", "Two", "Three!"

  Garrick leaped forward in a straight line as far as the bench and then immediately ducked low and ran in a random pattern towards the fence. When he was almost to the wall, Raynar stepped into his bow. It took the full strength of his porter's back to draw the arrow fully.

  Garrick turned and saw that the arrow was still in the bow, and whooped for joy. Then he faced the fence, put both hands on top of it, stepped onto one of the random building stones, and pulled himself up. Only then did he hear the hiss of the arrow that took him in the back of the neck, and feel the agony of the point ripping through his throa
t.

  The crowd was silent. Why didn't Garrick fall to the ground. Wouldn't it be just a flesh wound at that range? Why didn't the man pull himself over the fence? Some of the lord's men ran forward, but Raynar yelled at the ealder, and the ealder yelled at the men and ordered the reeve's men to intercept them.

  Raynar handed his bow to John and motioned to the lord and the ealder to walk forward with him. Raynar knew what to expect but when the ealder and the lord reached Garrick, they dropped to their knees in prayer. The arrow had gone completely through the man's neck and buried itself so deeply into the soft wood of the fence, that Garrick had been hung by the arrow.

  The crowd went wild and ran forward to look. A few gamblers cheered but most jeered. Raynar ignored the crowd and continued around the fence and into the church. Brother Tucker was waiting for him. He took him in his arms and let him sob.

  * * * * *

  The three men sat in the pilgrim's shed waiting for the crowd to break up. They had just remade the beds and checked under them when there was a knock at the door and in walked Osgar, Garrick's elder brother and the husband to Britta. Or rather in limped Osgar as he limped badly from some past injury.