Alan frowned in puzzlement, shrugged and walked to the weapons rank, where he replaced the training sword and shield before doffing his helmet, turning his back to Faran and raising his arms for the steward to untie the buckles and leather thongs on the mail hauberk and assist in pulling the forty pounds of metal off over Alan’s head. Wearing his rust-stained and sweat-soaked padded gambeson and a pair of woollen trews he walked into the Hall.
Waiting there was a youth about fourteen years of age. He was small in stature, lean almost to the point of emaciation, dirty and wearing clothes that were little better than rags. But his face looked familiar. Alan stared at him closely, before the lad said, “My name’s Linn, my lord.”
Alan nodded to indicate his recollection and pointed to the door to the left at the end of the Hall. “Go into my office and sit on the bench next to the table,” he instructed. “Faran, get some food and drink for the lad. Some bread, cheese and beer will do for the moment and he can eat with the servants when we have the midday meal shortly.”
A few minutes later Alan was sitting in a chair in his office, with a quart jug of ale in his hand to quench the thirst caused by his morning's exertions, and watched the youth wolf down the simple fare that he had been provided on a wooden platter. “So what did you and the other man, Pierce, find out when fitzWymarc released you last year to act as spies amongst the bandits?” he demanded in an abrupt manner.
The boy spoke through a mouthful of food, “Well, my lord, as you know I sent word that I'd been sent to the south and that Pierce had run as soon as he was freed. I tried to pass on information to the sheriff, but I don't know if it was received nor did I get any response, so I gave up after a while. Sending messages by other people was too damn risky. Now I’ve been sent back with another band, led by a man named Eadwyn. They are eight of them in the forest near Alresford, using the same deserted woodcutter's cottage used by the last band. Two have brought their women and there’s a young lass who they seized in Lexden Hundred who is kept in thrall. She’s about my age. She’s badly used by the men and the other women use her as a servant.”
“How long have they been there?” asked Alan.
“A little less than a week, my lord. They haven’t started waylaying any travellers yet and have restricted themselves to stealing a few pigs from the sties of the local cottars while they get themselves familiar with the area and the boltholes where they can hide. This is the first opportunity I’ve had to slip away, as a leader wants me to steal some wine for him from the tavern.”
Alan spent several minutes questioning the boy about the bandits’ daily routine. “Linn, I’m glad that you remained true to the promise you made when you were released after being caught previously. I’ll lead some men to the woodcutter's cottage and we’ll attack at dawn in two days. Make sure that you and the captive lass stay out of the way when we kick in the door. Now, I’ll get my steward to give you a decent meal, which you look like you could use, and two skins of poor quality wine such as you would expect in a village tavern. I’ll see you at dawn the day after tomorrow.”
It was half an hour before dawn as Alan crouched behind bushes a hundred paces from the abandoned woodcutter’s cottage in a clearing in the forest near Alresford. With him were ten of his own men, including Brand and Edric, and thegn Edward of Alresford with four of his men. It was Edward’s land and Alan had thought it politic to advise him of the situation and invite him to participate in the punitive expedition.
“Remember, there are eight bandits, a lad who’s on our side and three women. One of the women is a captive and she is to be left unharmed. So is the lad, Linn. We don’t know which of the three women is the girl, so don’t hurt any of the women. Several of us saw Linn the other day and we’ll go in first. Myself, Brand, Edric, Aeldrid, Thrydwulf, Redwald and thegn Edward. It’s only a small one room cottage so there’s no space for any more. Four men remain outside the door in case any dash out. You, you, you and you. The others, who are the archers, I want at the edge of the tree-line. These men are bandits and, except for the boy and girl, I don’t care if they survive to see the sun rise. Preferably not, as that would save the trouble of a trial. Right! It’s first light, so let’s kick arse!
The darkness was indeed just relieved by a tinge of grey as Alan stood outside the door of the cottage and nodded to Brand. The huge huscarle raised a booted foot and with one massive kick smashed in the rotten wooden door. The assault party stormed in, all wielding the
A hastily-lit torch was carried in by the last of the assault team and provided the required illumination. The bandits had been taken completely by surprise and had little opportunity to resist. Four men and one woman lay dead. Alan had no quarrel with his men about the fate of the woman, as in the darkness any figure standing had been fair game. In a corner Linn was lying atop a woman, holding her down and talking quietly in her ear. The other four men and one woman were quickly bound and thrown outside, where they lay supine and in shock. Alan stepped over to Linn and gave him a hand to rise, before slapping him on the shoulder. Linn in turn helped the girl up. She was thirteen or fourteen and would have been reasonably comely if not covered in filth, wearing dirty rags, with her hair matted and tangled.
“This is Eab? the lass I told you about,” said Linn, as the girl clung to him like a limpet.
Alan nodded. “The cooking place appears to be outside. Is there anything fit to eat here?” he asked prosaically.
“Not much. There’s a part-joint of swine-flesh over there, but not enough for your men,” replied Linn.
“No matter, we brought some rations. Come outside and have some cold smoked meat, bread and cheese. We have a few skins of ale. We’ll take this filth off to Thorrington for trial and hanging. Which one is Eadwyn?” Linn pointed to a corpse lying in a pool of blood. “Pity,” said Alan. “He might have had some information we could use. Never mind! Perhaps the others know something.”
They were back at Thorrington by midday. The captives, including the remaining woman, were placed manacled and under guard in the Tithe Barn. Alan and thegn Edward wanted justice to be swift and messages were sent out for a trial the next day. The idea was to have a fair trial and the captives hanged as soon as possible. Linn and Eab? were instructed to bathe and were provided with fresh clothes, food, drink and a place to rest.
At mid-morning the next day Leofstan, the thegn of Little and Great Holland and the largest land-holder in the Hundred after Alan, called to order the court sitting in the Old Hall at Thorrington. With him on the bench were Brictmer of Great Bromley and Edwold of Alresford, the latter one of the several thegns who held lands in that village. Alan and Edward of Alresford were not on the bench as they were likely to be called as witnesses. Osmund was acting as clerk, providing a written record of the evidence.
The defendants were arraigned and their names and villages of origin ascertained. Leofstan adjudged them as not being oath-worthy, being caught in brigandage. Being from outside the Hundred they had no
The allegations were first put to the four men and they were given the chance to speak, despite not being allowed to give sworn evidence. None admitted the charges, but nor did they have a convincing reason as to why they had been staying at an abandoned cottage in the middle of a forest many leagues from their own villages.
Linn was called, adjudged oath-worthy despite his young age and not having any local relatives, sworn in and gave evidence as to what he knew of the men and their depredations elsewhere, and their theft of livestock locally. Eab? although again not a local lass, was again adjudged oath-worthy and gave evidence as to her abduction and subsequent abuse. The men were allowed the opportunity of rebuttal, again without any convincing statements.
One of the women, Aedilhild, was called and adjudged oath-worthy. She said that she had joined with one of the men several months before and had not participated either in any brigandage nor abuse of Eab?. Leofstan, although usually a very conscientious judge, was just going through the motions of providing justice as this was an ‘open and shut’ case. As lunchtime neared he called an end to proceedings. He wanted to eat a fine meal at the New Hall and be home by dark.
Leofstan, Brictmer and Edwold, together with the clerk Osmund retired to the Judge’s Chamber at the end of the Hall. They were accompanied, in a breach of proper legal procedure, by Alan and Edward.
In the Judge’s Chamber was a table set with pints of ale, two jugs of good French wine, cups and a large platter of nuts, fresh fruit, candied orange, dried dates and cheeses. Each helped themselves as was their inclination.
