Enemy at the Gate by Griff Hosker

confuse the two.  You are a good man.  Not all priests are as noble as you." I saw him reflect on those words as he left.
    We held our sessions and collected our taxes. I had no one to answer to now and that made both tasks hard.  We needed taxes to pay for the men at arms who would defend my valley but I did not want my people to suffer. I taxed them the lowest amount I could. The Sessions were even harder for I had no one to whom I could refer those cases which I found difficult. It was where I missed Adela the most. She had a kind heart and a sharp mind. I found the taxes and the trials drained me more than a battle. I no longer kept to the usual dates for taxes and sessions.  I was Warlord and made my own rules.
    I went to Ayeton and Guisborough myself to collect taxes. I made them as fair as I could.  When I was there I told the burghers of both places that I would happily offer employment to any who wished to fight for me.  Surprisingly I had many who wished to take me up on the offer.  It was known that I paid well. Seven young men came back with me.  Wulfric and Dick would assess their skills and decide how best we might use them.
    I sent my ship back to my manor in Anjou with letters for the Empress, the Earl, my castellan and my son.  I had waited to write them as I wanted a considered reply to them all. I asked Captain William to see if he could hire any men when he was in Anjou.  Gilles had told me that my name still commanded respect. Sir John thought I should use that to my advantage.  It was not my way but I conceded.
    By the end of May we had added thirty men to our garrison. The Scots had not attacked again and the allies of the Earl of Gloucester were succeeding in their Kentish rebellion. It was June when we heard of movements in the west.  Sir Hugh's scouts had grown bold and using the fine weather had travelled as far as Carlisle to spy upon the Scots.  There they saw the royal banner and an army gathering.  Sir Hugh knew that it did not bode well and he sent a messenger to me.
    I sent for Sir Edward and we sat with Wulfric and Dick to discuss the problem. John, my Steward was also present. I began. "We do not need to hasten to Barnard Castle this time for Sir Hugh has made it stronger but we still need to prepare for a campaign."
    "The problem, lord is that it is summer.  Farmers are in their fields and all else are working from sunrise to sunset."
    Sir Edward shook his head, "We will not take the fyrd.  We will leave them at home! We pay men at arms and archers to fight."
    "But lord, if you take the men then we have to man the walls of our castles with those who live in the borough. They cannot do both and we need them as sentries.  With the Earl's men away we are vulnerable."
    I saw the dilemma. "You are saying that the twelve men of my garrison are not enough." John, nodded.  "I daresay that Sir Edward, Sir Tristan and Sir Harold will be even worse off for many of their men at arms had farms too."
    Sir Edward looked glum. "The book keeper is right, lord.  I had forgotten."
    I smiled, "Do not berate yourself. I have a plan. If I take the knights from your three castles, your squires and half of your men at arms and archers I will have enough men to slow an enemy up and ascertain the danger."
    John looked flustered, "But lord what about Stockton?"
    "I am coming to Stockton. I will take Sir John but leave eight men at arms and Philip of Selby's archers.  That is enough to defend the White Tower!" He looked relieved, "What say you Wulfric?  Will that work?"
    "Aye lord although if it is the whole Scottish army we may be outmatched."
    "Gilles, go to my chamber and fetch me the parchment with the map upon it."
    He quickly returned with the calfskin vellum.  John, my Steward, had a fine hand. He had copied the map from an ancient one we had see in York.  He had not copied all of the detail for we had not had time but it had sufficient for my purposes. At the time I had been welcome in