With like tactics. The Despensers lost their battle. Even Edward Plantagenet must heed Harcla now. As I do. We wait.
They had to wait until early evening of that day, in fact, before the
looked-for couriers arrived, exhausted, on foundered horses, having had
to ride half as far again as contemplated. This was because Douglas,
Moray and the Steward were now far further north than Cleveland, they
explained. They were retiring steadily towards Scotland. For King
Edward was not to be distracted.
Against Harclas advice, it was said-against even the Despensers advice-he was determined on his invasion of Scotland, the more so in that the rebel Bruce was not there to stop him. He and his main force were marching north with all speed, by the east route, Douglas retiring before him, as commanded.
And Harcla? Bruce demanded.
What of Harcla?
Harcla is sent, with 20,000 men, back to the West, Sire.
Through the dales and the passes, by Wensley and Dee. To ensure that Your Grace does not get back to Scotland.
So-0-0! The King beat a mailed fist on his saddle.
The fool-the purblind fool! he exclaimed.
And myself as great a fool! To have believed that Edward of England would ever act as a man with wits in his head! I have wasted my time and strength on a royal dolt! You-how far north was King Edward when you left Douglas?
Near Darlington, Sire …
Then he is sixty or seventy miles nearer Berwickon-Tweed than am I! With Harcla between us. See you how a misjudgement of one mans temper may endanger an entire kingdom! That was thrown at his companions. But Bruces glance was not on them. It was turned westwards towards the sunset and the sea.
How far ebbed is yonder tide? he demanded, in a different voice.
You mean … you mean…? Ross asked.
I mean, Hugh, that we go now. Go as we came. But faster.
Much faster!
But… the ships, Sire? MacDonalds ships…?
We cannot load 8,000 men and their horses on Anguss galleys, man. And I shall need every man and every horse, in Scotland. I mean to meet Edward Plantagenet when he crosses my march! So we ride. Day and night. Across the sands again. Even if we must swim for it! Sound the trumpets, I say…!
Time may indeed be made to seem to wait for a sufficiently determined man; but the tides will do so for none, even kings-as another had found out before Bruce. The Scots did indeed cross the Border slightly before King Edward did, having avoided Harcla by keeping to the sea, practically in the sea, all the way. But they crossed Solway, whereas Edward crossed Tweed, the one a hard days riding southwest of the other, and some eighty miles apart.
In consequence, although Douglas and the others gallantly sought to delay the English host all through the Merse, they could do little against twenty times their number. It was only some slight delay that they achieved, before the Lammermuir Hills passes, where a comparative few could hold up a legion. This Douglas did, Moray and the Steward hurrying on ahead to try to raise a defensive army at Stirling. But such delay could be only brief, inevitably.
Numbers told, and Douglas had to fall back amongst the round green hills, to burn Lothian before the invaders, buying time for his monarch and friend.
Bruce and his desperately weary host-or most of it-arrived at Stirling two days after Moray and the Steward. Drawn and gaunt with fatigue as he was, the King was by no means exhausted, nevertheless; indeed he seemed able now to draw on some hidden and scarcely believable fund of nervous energy, setting an almost impossible example to his lieutenants. Gulping down food and wine as he questioned Moray and others in Stirling Castle, he was rapping out orders the moment the tactical position began to become clear.
The situation he uncovered was thus: Lothian was ablaze, and much of Edinburgh with it-this at Scots hands. Already the English advance-parties were in the city, with the main body pushing forward in the Haddington-Gladsmuir-Tranent area, a vast horde of over 100,000. A large English fleet had sailed up the Forth, and was now at Leith, the port of Edinburgh. Douglas, who had contested every pass of the Lammermuirs , had now fallen back, via the Moorfoot and Pentland Hills, organising the burning of all grain, food and forage stocks in the low ground as he went, and the fouling of wells. King Edward had travelled far and fast-for so huge a force-and therefore had far outdistanced his heavy baggage-trains.
Food for man and beast was now his great, his only problem.
Scarcely his only problem, Thomas, Bruce said.
He has still to cross Forth. It has stopped better soldiers than
he!
Those ships, Sire. At Leith. The word is that they are transports.
Not food ships. Little food is being landed from them-desperately as it is needed. It seems that they have been sent to ferry the army across the estuary. The English will not be coming up here, to cross Stirling Bridge. Or not all of them. Two prongs, it may be. One on either side of Forth.
Then we must prepare to receive them. In life, and here. How many men have you gathered?
All too few, as yet, Sire. A general muster is ordered-but it will
take time. There are some 5,000 here. Lennox has 2,000 on the way
Sinclair, Bishop of Dunkeld is raising Stratheam. Menteith is marching. MacGregor and the nearer Highland clans are coming.
And no doubt Bishop Lamberton is raising life-since its Earl is not like to!
Aye. Then you will command here, Thomas. Hold Stirling and the bridge. I will take life. You will send on to me the forces as they come in. We do not know where Edward will choose to land, if he crosses Forth. But I cannot think that he will use wide crossings, with so many to transport. Moreover he will wish to take my seat of Dunfermline -that you may be sure. He will not cross east of Aberdour, I think. I will base myself midway between there and Stirling. At the port of Culross -that would be best. From there I could quickly come to your aid, if need be. Or strike east along the life coast Or even cross to the south shore, in small boats, to get in the English rear, should there be opportunity. And it is but a few miles from Dunfermline. Keep your 5,000 here, and have all other sent there.
How long, think you, have we?
Not long-if it was I who commanded. Only days. But with Edward of Carnarvonwho knows? Th English must be desperate for food. Because of the speed of their advance, and the land burned before them. Waiting in Edinburgh will serve them nothing. Unless they have more ships coming north, with provision and fodder. Their strategy is to attack us quickly, while they are strong and we are not. So we must use what forces we have-and thank God for every day He grants us for more aid to come up. I sent commands to Galloway, Annandale and Carrick, to muster, as we came up. Many thousands will come from these-but not within a week.
Walter Stewart has ridden on, Sire. To Dunfermline. To be with the Queen and the Court. To have all ready to flee northwards.
We did not know how long Your Grace would be …
That is well. But we will not have them to flee yet awhile, let us hope. This English army is great in numbers. But I cannot think that it is great in much else! It has been too swiftly put together.
Insufficiently ordered. And I cannot believe it better led than that which failed at Bannockburn -for it has even less able commanders.
Edward and young Despenser are babes in warfare! Had Harcla been in command, I would have been more fearful.
The Despensers do not love Harcla, it is said. And King Edward does not trust him.
For that the good Lord be praised! But-enough of this. I ride for Culross. My lord Chamberlain-I want messengers sent to every life burgh and provost, every village in South and East life.