Conquest

Then, he stirred from his musing. ‘I mustn’t tarry any longer with idle thoughts. I have stayed long enough here in the land of the Normans. I have done my worst. I wish it were otherwise, but the deed is done.’ He turned to Hereward and Torfida with a new resolve. ‘England beckons, my friends. I must speak with the King about all that has happened here. Hereward, if I seek your release from the Duke, will you return to England with me? I will gladly have you in my service as a captain in my housecarls. Torfida, you can bring your wisdom and fill our heads with knowledge and ideas.’

‘My Lord, Hereward is banished from England. There are many who would not welcome his presence.’

‘It is ten years since he was made an outlaw. I will recommend him to the King as part of my retinue. His banishment will be revoked; you have my word on that.’

Hereward answered for both of them. ‘My Lord, we will be honoured to serve you and return to England. We pledge ourselves to you and to the people of England with all our hearts.’

It took only a day for word to reach Hereward that Harold had secured his release from Duke William. In two days’ time they would ride north to Fecamp, where Harold’s ship was at anchor, to embark for England.

Before their departure, Hereward was summoned by William for an audience.

‘You have obviously made a good impression on the Earl of Wessex. He was most insistent that you accompany him to England.’

‘The Earl has told me that my banishment will be revoked. It is a very important opportunity for me, and I thank you for releasing me from your service.’

‘Is Normandy not to your liking? I thought I had found a warrior who would be in my service for many years to come.’

‘My Lord Duke, I hope I have served you well, but I never imagined that one day I might have the chance to return to my home.’ Hereward found himself employing a subtle feint, knowing full well that William was weighing his position and manoeuvring himself to his best advantage. ‘But I am not entirely lost to you, your Grace. If I now go into the service of the Earl of Wessex, then, in accordance with the oath you have both sworn, I will soon be returned to you. When you are made King of England, the Earl of Wessex will be your Earl Marshal. He will answer to you, as I will to him, and we will both do your bidding.’

‘I wonder about you, Hereward of Bourne. Are you far shrewder than your muscle-bound frame might suggest, or are you just well rehearsed by that clever wife of yours? You have served me well enough, but there is a reticence about you that makes me think you are not truly loyal.’

‘Your Grace, I hope that I have been diligent in my service to you. My desire to serve the Earl of Wessex is not meant to be disrespectful to you in any way, quite the opposite. I have learned much about Norman ways that will be of great benefit to the English army.’

Hereward was becoming adept at the diplomatic language of dukes and kings and hoped that William did not notice the irony of his answer.

‘Train them well; I will need a strong army to protect my northern borders against the Scandinavians. Fair winds to England; I will see you there in due course. You will be at my coronation in Westminster.’

‘Thank you, your Grace.’

As Hereward turned and reached the door of the Great Hall for the last time, he congratulated himself on the successful outcome of his verbal sparring with William. He thought he had done well in responding to William’s doubts about his sudden desire to throw in his lot with the Earl of Wessex.

However, just as he was about to step through the doorway, he was suddenly robbed of his moment of satisfaction.

‘Hereward, remember, when we meet again, I will be your King and you will be my subject. You would be wise to remember that.’

With eleven extra bodies in the Earl of Wessex’s flagship, conditions were cramped for the crossing to England.

For the children, it was their first experience under sail and a daunting one as, mid-Channel, the ship began to heave in a heavy sea. Torfida told them some of her exotic stories and Martin sang their favourite lullabies; as he sang, the entire ship’s company listened in silence. The only other sounds were the cracking of the great sail and the creaking of the vessel’s timbers as they were tossed and twisted by the waves.

For Hereward and Torfida it was a poignant moment. They had been away for a long time and were returning to a land they thought they would never see again.

For Harold, with every league they travelled, he was getting closer to a kingdom, the fate of which would soon be his to determine.

They made landfall close to the mouth of the river Rother in Sussex and, within an hour, were tying up at the small settlement of Rye in the manor of Rameslie. Men were despatched to find horses for their long journey along the Downs to Winchester, which, as it was mid-November and the wind from the west was likely to be raw, would be a demanding ride.