Spring 1193 - Nottinghamshire
Sir Guy of Gisburne looked down contemptuously at the serf who was desperately trying to free himself from the grip of his men. As with every time they caught one of this rabble, he was very glad not to have to lay a hand on him himself, for even for a Saxon, this one was a miserable specimen, emaciated, dirty, stinking, and wrapped in rags. So, the man should consider it a mercy that he didn't have to suffer much longer, for he had just been caught poaching by the gamekeeper red-handed. Anywhere else in the royal forest of Sherwood this would result in him going to gaol to be sentenced at the next forestry court, but here, on the lands of St. Mary's Abbey, it was a different story. The abbot had very precise ideas about what to do with poachers and he even had the law on his side, the old law that the church was still allowed to apply. For this reason, he had given the knight clear instructions on how to deal with poachers.
"String him up", he ordered his men, whereupon the Saxon burst into tears and began to plead for his life, which the knight had been expecting as a matter of course, but which he ignored just as naturally. He felt no pity at all for these people who dared to break the king's laws. And it was their own decision, no one forced them to go into the forest and hunt, so - in his opinion - they fully deserved their fate. Moreover, this man was only a Saxon, and if there was one less of this pack, that could only be a good thing. And if he had kept to what was right for his kind, if he had worked and paid his taxes, then nothing would have happened to him. But he hadn't. The way he appeared, he was probably afraid of work. It wasn't a pity about such a one.
One of his men had tied the captive's hands behind his back and another had thrown a noose of rope over a thick branch. Now they dragged the poacher under the tree, put the noose around his neck and pulled it tight. The man had not given up, but was still desperately fighting back, although it must have been obvious to him that this was no longer of any use. He didn't stand a chance, and Gisburne didn't even have to try hard to finish the task. As soon as he had seen that the noose had been tightened, he had grabbed the free end of the rope and fastened it to his saddle pommel.
Slowly, he eased his horse away from the tree. As soon as the rope got taut, the poacher was pulled up so far that his feet no longer touched the ground. Still the man desperately tried to avert his death. Quite obviously he had not understood that he was actually already dead. In the meantime, Sir Guy had his stallion stop and watched unaffected as the Saxon slowly but surely suffocated. It didn't bother him in the least that he had to wait here for quite some time until he was sure the man was no longer alive. In fact, he loved these periods of rest when he could admire the results of his work at his leisure. There was something decidedly satisfying about that. He only wished he were that successful every day.
But if he caught someone poaching outside the church lands, he was forced to take them to Nottingham. He didn't like that at all, but the law was the law and his father had taught him from an early age to always uphold the law. He had also taught him to be loyal to the king, as he was himself. Sir Guy had no problem with the former, for if there was no law, or if people did not abide by it, then chaos would erupt and the God-given order would be overthrown. And if he would not believe in the law, then he would certainly not work for the abbot. He had not yet formed a final opinion on the latter, but he was more inclined not to give away his loyalty just like that; after all, neither had his father. If someone wanted Guy's loyalty, then there had to be something in it for him. However, he was not yet in a position to actually enforce this, and so he currently had to pretend to be loyal to his master. This was not always easy for him, since the Earl of Gloucester had simply shunted him off to Nottinghamshire, which he did not like at all. How was he supposed to achieve fame and glory here, and how was he supposed to accomplish anything here that would advance him among the ranks of the Norman nobles. But he had promised his father to wait and see how this would develop, and the baron was not someone who would let you get away with not keeping your promises. He was not interested if the person in question was his own son. Besides, the young knight had realized that he found it quite stimulating to hunt down the people who did not obey the laws in the royal forest.
When he was sure that the man was no longer among the living, he untied the rope and lowered the dead man. He did not fall far before he hit the ground, for the knight had pulled him up just enough so that he could no longer reach the floor of the forest with his feet. People's despair was much greater and especially much more apparent when rescue seemed so close. This was an experience he had made again and again, and not for the first time here in the service of the abbot.
One of his men had unfastened the rope from the corpse and coiled it again, whereupon they all made their way back to the abbey all together, Gisburne on horseback, the others on foot. The knight looked around sullenly, not expecting another poacher to cross their path today. Although there were enough of this pack, the forest was very large and he could already count himself lucky if he caught one a week. He sighed, because he was already aware that he could not have everything. Unfortunately, that was not how life worked.
"When you have the opportunity, you should take your time finishing off your opponents", Bertrand explained to him. "The problem with that, though, is recognizing when you're putting yourself at risk by doing so, Boy, and avoiding those situations."
Guy didn't like it at all when someone called him 'boy'. It was already enough for him when he had to endure that from his father, but he was aware that he shouldn't antagonize this mercenary either, as there was no way he could compete with him. Besides, he quite liked the fact that the man had apparently decided to impart some of his experience to him. For this reason, the squire did nothing more than frown and stick out his lower lip. He was not aware, however, that the other had only been waiting for this, for he found this expression very stimulating.
"Of course, it's easiest with captives, since they can no longer be a threat to you." De Nivelle placed a hand on the younger man's thigh and was pleased to note that the other did not even flinch. Many of the young squires the mercenary came in contact with here were rather squeamish in this regard, but young Gisburne was obviously an exception. "The next time I have to deal with a captive and you're around, I'll let you know so you can learn something."
At his words, the younger man's face brightened. The mercenary's suggestion smacked of interest, and he hoped he would actually get the opportunity to observe de Nivelle working with a captive, for he would like to learn something. His father had never wanted him to be involved in anything like that.
"But enough of that, Guy. Come along, I have something to drink in my tent. You're free tonight, aren't you?" He hadn't taken his hand off the boy's thigh, but he didn't seem to mind in the least.
"How lucky my brother is to have such a prolific gamekeeper as you to call his own, Gisburne!" the sheriff remarked with a sour face after the knight informed him he had brought two more poachers to be put in the castle dungeons. "But why must you always take them to Nottingham. I have enough work with this scum as it is."
"It's the law, my Lord Sheriff", Sir Guy replied. He did not understand why someone like the sheriff, who had been appointed by the king to uphold the law, was so reluctant to obey it.
"The law! Ha!", de Rainault did not exactly make himself appear to be convinced. However, he always did tend to appear that way when Gisburne informed him of something. The young knight tried to ignore that, but so far, he had been unable to do so. There was something about the sheriff that got under his skin.
"I can only take care of those on church land myself, my Lord", the knight therefore tried his hand at another explanation, as if they hadn't had this conversation a few times already. The sheriff complained about the extra work every time he brought in one of the Saxon poachers. In contrast, he never said anything when he brought in someone who had money. This was something that Gisburne understood perfectly well - he wouldn't string up a rich merchant's son in the forest, after all - but it annoyed him that the sheriff believed he had to keep explaining this to him. Did he perhaps consider him stupid?
De Rainault simply turned and left Gisburne standing there, who stared after him for a moment, but then shrugged his shoulders and moved away as well. He had to go back to the abbey, for the abbot wanted him to accompany him when he came to Nottingham the next day. Therefore, he had no choice but to ride to St. Mary's now if he did not want to anger Hugo de Rainault. And he certainly did not intend to do so, for his father had inculcated in him not to antagonize the brothers. Nottinghamshire would be only one step on his way, but he must not stumble in the process.
"What am I to do in Nottinghamshire, my Lord? There's nothing there but trees!", Guy pouted, for he had hoped the Earl of Gloucester would find him a more interesting post than serving as gamekeeper to an unimportant abbot in a county where trees were apparently all that abounded.
"You are only twenty-one, Guy. Did you think you could go straight to being sheriff?" his father laughed scornfully. "Get a hold of yourself and try thinking, Boy. Before the earl can recommend you for an important post, you'll have to prove yourself. That's the reason for Nottinghamshire. There's always plenty for a gamekeeper to do in a royal forest. Besides, you've forgotten that the abbot has promised to use you as a steward as well. You should not waste the opportunity to learn something in that field. You're not a child anymore, so get it through your head that life isn't all fun and games." The older man punctuated his words by smacking his son on the head. It had always been his opinion the boy needed such encouragement and so he had never held back in that regard.
"It doesn't seem very exciting to me", the young knight complained, as if he hadn't been listening to his father at all, which earned him another smack on the head. But Guy had been used to this all his life, so he hardly reacted.
"You should be happy if it doesn't get too exciting. But you'll have to get a few years older to realize that. It would just be nice if you don't screw it up before then."
The abbot surprised Gisburne by for once being willing to leave the abbey at an early hour. Normally, he was never in a hurry when he visited his brother, but this morning things were completely different. It probably had something to do with the fact that the infamous Baron Simon de Belleme was going to grace Nottingham with his presence, and the de Rainault brothers were not going to keep this man waiting. Not only did he possess an evil reputation, but he was also considered so powerful that even the two of them did not want to anger him.
The knight had not yet met the man in person, but what he had heard of him he found odd. A sorcerer and summoner of demons, who nevertheless lived unmolested in his castle, as if the church had never condemned sorcery. This already indicated that he was very powerful, although of course it was also possible that he simply knew a lot about the men who held the strings of power in this county. But then that would also make him a man not to be underestimated.
The sheriff was not at all pleased to have to receive his brother so early in the morning, especially since the abbot started arguing with him directly about a bloody fishpond. Gisburne suppressed a sigh, for he was convinced Robert de Rainault would certainly not provide the abbey with additional men after this prelude. But if the knight was honest, he had not expected the sheriff to give in to his brother willingly either, for neither of the de Rainault brothers would let the other have anything unless it brought him something in return. He could even understand this without any problems, after all he would not do it differently himself. Nevertheless, he found it annoying, for with more men he could also string up more poachers.
Not particularly interested in the banter between the abbot and the sheriff - after all, it didn't concern him personally - Gisburne went to the side of the hall to drink his wine at his leisure. If the abbot wanted something from him, he would make himself known. He never had a problem with that, nor did his brother. But he assumed that the two would leave him alone until the baron arrived. They were busy with each other, after all.
He was to be proved right. This reassurance, however, did not make him stop worrying, for he had had to learn not to allow himself to be too careless in the presence of the brothers. He had made this mistake at the beginning of his service with Hugo de Rainault. He had - so to speak - let his shield down, which had led to not paying enough attention to the two. By now he knew that it was always a mistake not to pay attention when dealing with the sheriff or the abbot. And even if he was sure that the Earl of Gloucester had used his influence to bring him here to Nottinghamshire, this could not protect him from trouble and he could well do without it.
When the Baron de Belleme, with his Saracen slave at his side, finally entered the hall, all the attention of the de Rainault brothers was focused on the presumed dark mage. Gisburne was not sure whether to believe all the rumors about the man, but he could not deny that he was an uncanny apparition and for that he admired him. Immediately he decided to keep a close eye on the baron, for he hoped he could learn from him, though he was also aware he would have to work very hard before he could pull off such an act himself.
It did not take him long, however, to realize that whatever he might learn here, he could not dare to use it in the presence of Robert de Rainault. As much as the sheriff feared the sorcerer - and he did, even though he made every effort not to let that be apparent - he would never tolerate such behavior from his brother's steward. But there were other people to whom he could certainly act in such a way. This thought almost made him grin, but he was just able to suppress it, not intending to explain to the abbot what was so amusing about the conversation the sheriff and he were having. Although the mere face of this friar, who served de Rainault as chaplain, would be quite enough to make him laugh out loud.
And Hugo de Rainault was in no way second to Friar Tuck, for he seemed just as outraged and just as indignant as the monk, though Gisburne was quite sure that there were entirely different reasons behind it. He was convinced that Tuck did indeed care about the salvation of the young lady - perhaps even more than her salvation - who was being bargained for here - and this dispute between these three powerful men was not about anything else - but the young knight was equally convinced that the abbot was only afraid of losing access to the estates of which Marion of Leaford was the heiress.
However, the knight could not understand why the baron wanted to marry this girl so badly. Her property was not particularly large and therefore should not be of much interest to a noble who was rumored to have brought countless treasures from the Holy Land. Moreover, Gisburne did not think that her appearance made her desirable either. Personally, he did not like her pale beauty, and the red hair, which apparently made her so irresistible to many men, was for him only a sign of her unruly and stubborn nature. Since he was firmly convinced that she would bring nothing but trouble, he had not made the slightest attempt to approach her. For the same reason, however, he would not have minded if the baron took her away and thus removed her from Nottingham.
But the girl then put a spoke in de Belleme's wheel - which did not surprise Gisburne - and in a way that could only please the abbot. But even that didn't matter to the knight, because this solution would also remove her from his vicinity. However, he could easily tell from the sheriff's face that this decision meant trouble, and he didn't like that. He had already had to learn that a disgruntled Robert de Rainault also meant problems for his brother's steward and he could very well do without that. Unfortunately, at this moment he had no idea how to escape this, although it could become very nasty. Briefly, the thought occurred to him - not for the first time - of leaving Hugo de Rainault's service, but this was no more than wishful thinking, for he was quite aware that neither his father nor the Earl of Gloucester would be enthusiastic about it. This could then lead to his next post proving to be even more intolerable. Therefore, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and hold out for a while longer. At least until his father believed he had learned and distinguished himself sufficiently. However unpleasant the service with the abbot might be.
"You must take me for an idiot if you believe I'd go along with this, Robert. What am I supposed to do with this inexperienced wretch of a knight? He's destined to fail as a gamekeeper, and then I'm supposed to allow him to try his hand as my steward? Never! By God, where did you get that idea, Brother?" Hugo de Rainault glared angrily at his elder brother, the Sheriff of Nottingham, giving the impression that he was about to smash the heavy gold cross he wore around his neck over his head.
But the sheriff, smaller and slimmer than his brother, did not appear to be afraid of the abbot. Neither of him personally nor of him as a man of God. He had had to live with the other's tantrums for years, for even as a small child he had not behaved differently when things did not go as he fancied. But Robert de Rainault had determined early on that the best way to confront Hugo would be to never give in to him openly. Unless, of course, he could take advantage of the situation himself. In this matter, however, that was not the case. He could only try to make the whole mess a little more tolerable; after all, he would have to put up with his brother for a long time to come.
"The young wretch, as you quite rightly called him, is a protégé of the Earl of Gloucester. So, what do you think I should have done?" If he had seen any way of not granting the earl's request, he would have taken it. But not to comply with this seemingly innocuous request from the man who was the father-in-law of the Count of Mortain would not have done the career of one Robert des Rainault any good at all.
"You could have taken him into your service, Robert", came the Abbot's indignant reply.
The sheriff sighed. "But that would not have been in accordance with the earl's wishes. He specifically insisted that the young knight first be assigned as gamekeeper and steward to the abbey. There was talk of his having to learn to be more patient."
Now it was the abbot's turn to sigh. "That doesn't really sound promising, does it? Now may I take that to mean that he is not only inexperienced, but hotheaded? I predict he'll be nothing but trouble for us." He looked down at his brother, who had meanwhile again made himself comfortable in his chair. But obviously Hugo had understood that Robert had indeed not been able to refuse the earl's request. Which did not mean, however, that he would not hold it against him again and again in the future. "Tell me more about him!" he finally demanded.
"Sir Guy of Gisburne spent two years fighting as a squire alongside his knight in Normandy. The earl raved to me of his courage and skill in battle. Oh, and of his skill with horses, so I guess you won't have to worry about him falling off his mount while he's working. Moreover, he is the younger son of Baron Edmund of Gisburne and is said to be very like his father in character."
These words caused the abbot to sigh once again - and much louder. "A hothead who draws his sword at the first sign of trouble? And doesn't even have sense enough to retreat, should that be opportune? Robert, does the Earl of Gloucester really have so much influence that we have to undergo this?"
"Not only do we have to undergo this, but we have to make sure that nothing happens to this paragon of chivalry. At the same time, he should also gain experience and sow his wild oats. But you can believe me, I will be duly rewarded." The abbot was still too busy feeling sorry for himself, and so he had missed the fact that his brother had not spoken of "we," for he nodded at him in agreement.
Not even in his worst nightmares could Sir Guy have imagined what would result from bringing two of these filthy Saxons into the dungeons of Nottingham Castle. Nothing that had happened to him so far in his life could have prepared him for this. During his time in Normandy he had had to expect to fall in battle any day, but that had not frightened him. Nor had the thought of being taken prisoner, for as a nobleman not much could happen to him in such a case. Even in enemy hands he was entitled to a certain standard of accommodation and treatment, and he would then only have had to hold out until his ransom was paid. But both of these were just the kind of things that could happen to you when you were at war, and if you were afraid of that, then you wouldn't be able to fight. And if you couldn't fight, you were a coward and no one had ever been able to accuse him of that.
However, no one had prepared him for the possibility of being overpowered by a bunch of Saxon serfs. This scum, who should not even have dared to look at him, let alone lay a hand on him, had then not even killed him, but sent him back to Nottingham, robbed and humiliated. Never had this pack dared to fight back, even if he would not have minded a little resistance on their part, for this would have made the whole affair a little more interesting for him. But what had happened to him went far beyond a little resistance.
The soldiers whom the sheriff had placed at his disposal to escort Lady Marion to the convent - and to make some inquiries on the way regarding several poachers who had escaped from the dungeons - were killed, unless they had fled in cowardice. But their fate was not what was of interest to him now. He had already forgotten the dead, and he would deal with the others later, for he knew exactly who had accompanied him. The fact that he had lost Lady Marion interested him only from the point of view that he could get into trouble with the abbot for it, although he was not really convinced of that. After all, it had not escaped him that only Leaford Grange was important to Hugo de Rainault and not his ward herself.
Therefore, Gisburne would now take the opportunity to deal with the pack that had shown him no respect. He was firmly convinced they would only be able to overpower him once, after all he was a knight and they were just scum. After he had calmed down he even felt anticipation at the idea of being able to go out and hunt them down, for the poachers he caught only ever got truly interesting for him at the moment when they realized they were going to die. This here promised to be a lot more entertaining than anything he had come across in this county so far. And even better was that the sheriff and the abbot would assume this was something personal to him and for that reason they would let him get away with a lot more than usual. And he could forget about the damn law this time.
