Conquest

Two days later, a similar fate befell a large group of King Malcolm’s Scots. They had meandered into the Vale of Pickering in search of plunder and were set upon in their camp at dawn. Most of them were killed and their severed heads were added to the morbid collection of English skulls littering York’s thoroughfares. When, a few days later, the Normans granted permission, the monks and nuns of York collected more than 1,000 heads for burial. Fortunately, Waltheof, Siward Bjorn and the other Saxon earls from the South had accompanied Edgar the Atheling and the remaining Scots on a more direct route northwards and had made it to Durham safely.

‘Stupid! Utterly stupid!’ Hereward paced up and down in rage and disbelief when news reached him of the shambles of the withdrawal from York. ‘I told them to melt away! It’s a disaster — a stupid, reckless disaster. No man will ever cross me again; no man will ever countermand my order, or ignore my instructions. No one!’

A decision was made to break the forward camp at Skipton and return to Clitheroe. Einar was commanded to send some men up Pen Hill. Hereward’s instructions were clear: ‘Make sure they have good eyes and are not afraid of whatever spirits you say live up there. Tell them that they must return immediately if there are any signs of Norman movement. If the danger is imminent, they must light a beacon.’

During the days that followed, Hereward called another meeting of his senior warriors. A messenger had arrived from York with news that the city was calm. Malet, Ghent and Fitzsbern remained, but the Duke had returned to Winchester for his Easter crown-wearing.

Hereward opened the meeting with a bold change of plan. ‘Gentlemen, William’s audacity has surprised us once again. This, combined with the ill-discipline of our forces, leads me to conclude that a different strategy is required. We will stay here for the time being and begin an exhaustive training regime. If we are to be let down by our comrades again, we must have an elite force here. Contrary to what was agreed at the Council, we are going to split our attacks. The squabbles between us in York made it clear that, for the time being, acting as one army is going to be well-nigh impossible.

‘I think we can rely on Eadric the Wild, and we can certainly depend on Waltheof and Siward Bjorn and the other Saxon earls, so the Atheling must stay with them. Send word to Waltheof of our plans and be adamant that, when he next comes south, he must insist that the Scots stay at home — unless he can rely on them totally. The rendezvous in the Forest of Arden is cancelled. Our new strategy is to wait for news of the Danes. When they are sighted, Waltheof, Siward and the others are to come south to York with the Atheling. We will go south to meet Eadric at Chester. At the same time, we will encourage Harold’s sons to launch another challenge in the South West. We will then be in effective control of the North, with William being harassed in the South West. If Edgar then joins forces with the Danes and declares himself King at York, that will entice William to attack. Edgar and the Danes will be ready for him and, with Eadric’s help, we will move quickly across Mercia to block the Duke’s retreat south. Your comments, gentlemen.’

Everyone agreed that, under the circumstances, it was a clever plan, typical of Hereward’s burgeoning leadership.

‘Edwin, you must make another trip to King Svein’s court in Denmark. Take some of Martin’s messengers with you, so that I know every move the Danes make. They must do two things. Firstly, their fleet must appear in the South, near the Thames Estuary, or in Kent. It must look like they are trying to find a place to launch an invasion, and they must send out raiding parties to harass the local Normans. That will persuade William to despatch men eastwards and southwards, and fewer men will be available for his northern expedition. The second task for the Danes is to destroy the Norman fleet. In every port from the Isle of Wight to Shoeburyness, they must burn and sink all Norman vessels they find. This will cut the Normans off from their homeland, which is vital if we’re to have any success in moving on the South.’

Everyone looked at Hereward in admiration. He had formulated an audacious new strategy that, if all went well and everyone played their part, could have William on the run and unable to escape to Normandy.

If the English then rose en masse, William would be finished.

Einar spoke for all of them. ‘It is daring and it is cunning. Congratulations, Hereward.’

‘Thank you, Einar. Call the men together. Alphonso, the training becomes your responsibility. We start tomorrow; make us suffer, make us think and make us ruthless.’