by Griff Hosker
When we reached the ridge, which overlooked the Tinea I spied them. The had halted on the far side of the Roman bridge. The Roman fort they used was not far away. Why had they halted? Even as we watched I saw a warrior with a long sword, half as long again as Saxon Slayer, walk to the centre of the bridge. Two men dragged a woman. Even at a mile distance I recognised Freja. It was Lann Aelle’s wife. Before I could race Copper to her aid I knew that I would be too late for I could see what the savage would do. He swung the sword and took her head. He shouted something and another woman was brought over. This was deliberate. He was taunting us and yet he risked us riding through him and his men. We would slay them all.
I was about to urge Copper and my men to wreak revenge on the huge Saxon with the long sword when Geraint and Aedh suddenly broke from the cover of some trees. “Warlord, it is a trap! It…”
Aedh said no more for two arrows were sent into his back and he tumbled from his horse. More of the Saxons suddenly rose from the drainage ditches. They were fifty paces from us. Had not Geraint and Aedh warned us then they would have been upon us before we could do anything. I pulled out a spear and threw it at the half naked Saxon archer whose body was heavily tattooed. It had hidden him in the ditch. We had not expected the ambush but he had not expected me to throw a spear from horseback. With no mail to slow it the spear tore into his chest. Even so he tried to wrest it from his body.
There were well over eighty Saxons and we were hard pressed. Arturus was behind me and I could do nothing to aid or advise him. He was having a lesson in warfare. I hoped that he would survive. I used my second spear like a lance. I galloped down the road towards the bridge. I could see the Saxons there, led by the huge warrior with the long sword, as they drove the remaining captives up the hill towards the Roman fort. They would escape us! I plunged my spear so hard into the chest of the next Saxon that it came out from the middle of his back and when he fell he tore it from my grasp. Drawing Saxon Slayer, I was aware that I had not donned my helmet. The Saxons had archers. They were poor ones but even a poor archer might get lucky.
Luck was with me. As I leaned out and swung back an arrow flew through the air. It passed over my head. Myrddyn had been watching out for me. I swung my sword as I galloped. Timing was all and my sword hacked into the chest of the Saxon whose spear was rammed at my chest. My mail held. His chest did not. My blade broke his breastbone and tore open his chest.
Suddenly the Saxons were gone. Even as I looked I saw them fleeing towards the river. My archers had dismounted. Daffydd ap Miach and his archers would kill many but more than half would escape. They would risk the waters of the Tinea. Up ahead I saw that the road was empty. The leader with the long sword had escaped me. The battle here at the ambush was not over either. Most of the Saxons had fled but my men were searching for others while my squires chased the ones racing across the fields to the river. I saw Kay about to despatch a wounded warrior.
“Hold Kay! I wish to question one of them!”
“Aye lord but you had best be quick. This one has not long for this world.”
I dismounted and sheathed my sword. I had the opportunity to examine him. He wore leather breeches. What I had taken to be a leather belt was actually a ring of iron. His body was tattooed as was his face. It was hard to see flesh that was not blue and it explained why they were so hard to spot. Kay had speared his knee and his life blood was seeping from the wound.
We had fought enough Saxons to know their language. I saw from his amulets that he was not a Christian. Perhaps that was why Oswald had hired them. If he was not Christian then there was hope. I had something to bargain with.
“Where are you from and who is your leader?”
He spat at me. It was bloody phlegm. Kay made to strike him but I held up my hand. “Horseman, kill me for I will not tell you!”
“Suppose after you told me what I need to know we give you a sword and a warrior’s death? Then you can go to the Otherworld and meet your dead brothers.”
His eyes agreed. “I will tell you for it will do you no good! We are the Clan of the Snake. We are cunning and we are killers. Lang Seax is our leader and he eats the hearts of those that he kills. He will kill you.” His eyes were filled with joy.
I nodded and moved closer to the wounded Saxon, “Give him a weapon Kay.”
Even as Kay gave him the sword I saw the movement in his eyes. He was going to kill me. I had been expecting it and the seax I held in my left hand ripped across his throat.
I stood.
“Lang Seax?”
“It means long sword in Saxon. It is the warrior I saw on the bridge. We have a name and now we ride to the stronghold. I fear that it will be in vain for we are too few to take it by storm.”
We had not lost any equites and for that I was grateful. But for our squires it was different some of those had been killed. Our mail only covered the tops of our legs and these Saxons had long swords. I respected the Saxon swordsmiths, they made good weapons. Luckily the Saxon warriors were not as skilled in their use as we were. I saw that Arturus had survived and that he had blood on his spear.
He looked at the spear head as he approached me. “A man is harder to kill than I thought. I have hunted animals but even though my spear struck the Saxon’s arm he almost managed to stab me with his sword.” He pointed to Daffydd ap Miach who, along with his men was collecting undamaged arrows. “Daffydd slew him with an arrow. I owe him a life.”
“You survived your first encounter. The others will not be any easier but at least you will have a better idea of what to expect.”
The other new equites, Agramaine, Pol and Llewellyn had emerged successfully. These were the small victories I would take. When we crossed the Roman bridge, I saw that our archers had reaped a harvest from the fleeing Saxons. Some of their bodies lay against the piers of the bridge. Others were floating downstream. I hoped the Saxon leader, Lang Seax had been paid well for he had lost many men. Even as the thought came into my head I dismissed it. Mercenary leaders could always find men to fight for gold. They could be replaced.
We stopped two hundred paces from the walls of the old Roman fort. The Saxons had repaired it. They had not done a good job but it would stop us. I would need to muster every man in my land to take it and that was not worth the price. I would have to try negotiation. It did not sit well with me but I had little choice. The walls were lined with warriors. Some were Angles from Bernicia. Others had the tattooed faces, chests and arms of the mercenaries.
“I would speak with the one they call Lang Seax.”
One of the Bernicians shouted, “I am Thegn Aethelfrith and I command here. You can speak with me, Warlord.”
“Were you the one who abducted the women and children from Aelletün?”
He shook his head.
“Then you are not the man I need to speak with. I would have my captives back.”
He laughed, “And how will you get them back? I count less than a hundred men here. You have not enough to scale the walls and defeat us. You are horsemen. Go hence. The captives are now our slaves.”
I nodded, “Aye we are horsemen. Have you enough meat and food within these walls? My horsemen can make certain that nothing gets in or out of this Roman fort. My archers will rain death on your walls. They will stop you reaching the river for water. There is grazing for our horses and we can hunt.”
“King Oswald…”
“King Oswald will do nothing. If he could have his revenge then he would have come himself. The fact that he sent mercenaries tells me much.” I paused, “We have magic. Perhaps I should return to Din Guardi. This time I might end the life of King Oswald. How about that?”
I could see that I had him worried. The Angels had been shocked that we had managed to gain entry into their most powerful fortress. They were Christians but they feared our magic. “You are a pagan! Go hence.”
“Not without my captives.”
He disappeared and I waved over Daffydd ap Miach. “Could you
r best archers hit the men on the walls?”
“Probably but once we send arrows then they will take shelter and use shields.”
“I count twelve of those who ambushed us. Kill them. It will send a message.”
“Aye, Warlord.”
He dismounted and whistled over his archers. They dismounted and Daffydd ap Miach explained what he wanted. Once they nocked and drew then the men on the walls would know what they had planned. My Captain of archers was clever. He used the horses to disguise his intentions and his men nocked, drew and released without warning. Eleven of the tattooed men were hit. Not all the wounds would be mortal but we had shown what we could do. The rest took cover.
A short while later the voice of the thegn could be heard, “Warlord, I would speak with you. Do I have your word that I will not receive an arrow for my trouble?”
“You have my word!”
He stood and exposed his head and chest. I might be an enemy but my word was trusted. “If we give you the captives then do we have your word that you will leave?”
“You do but I do not say that I will forgive this attack. I will leave but one day I will return and this Lang Seax will see how a sword should be used. I do not use mine to butcher women!”
The warrior called Lang Seax appeared. He was a good head taller than the thegn. “I will fight you anywhere and any place, old man! You were a warrior with a good reputation but that is long gone. I have heard that you have lost your wizard! I do not forgive either. This excuse for a warrior might return your captives, it matters not to me for I will be paid anyway, but there is blood between us now. Your archers slew my brother. I will have weregeld for him.”
Just then the gates opened and fifteen women and children ran out towards us. I shouted, “Lang Seax, thank the thegn for he has just saved your life. I gave my word.” Without turning my head, I said, “Daffydd ap Miach, as close to him as you can manage.”
In one movement my master archer sent arrow to smack into the parapet just below the Saxon leader. A chip of stone flew up and scored a wound along his cheek. He put his hand to the wound and wiped away the blood. He grinned as he tasted it. I could see that he had filed his teeth. I had heard of barbarians who did this.
I pointed Saxon Slayer at him, “Saxon Slayer cares not if it kills kings, princes or bandit chiefs. It drinks the blood of Saxons and it shall drink yours.”
“We will meet again, horseman.”
The captives had reached me. One, I vaguely recognised as the wife of one of Lann Aelle’s oathsworn, grabbed my hand and kissed it. “Warlord, you have saved us! They were terrible men.”
I patted her hand, “You are safe now. Is this all?”
“It is all that is left. Those who were slow on the journey back they slew. Long Water has many bodies within it. The Lady Freja defied them to the end. She said that you would come for us and she was right.”
I waved over the squires. “Each of you take a captive and have them ride double.” As they did so I shouted, “Daffydd ap Miach watch our rear. I trust not these blue skinned savages.”
On the long journey back to Civitas Carvetiorum we learned more of the attack on Aelletün. The sentries who watched the walls had had their throats cut and the barbarians had been within the settlement before Lann Aelle and his men knew. His stronghold had little stone. It was mainly made of wood. That was ever our weakness. When we went to war, our equites had mail and could withstand the blows of any enemy. Even though Lann Aelle had less than twenty such equites had they been mailed then the Saxons would have been defeated. They were attacked individually. Lann Aelle had fought bravely but without armour he could not survive. Before he fell he ordered all to flee. Some escaped. That alone gave me hope. When we returned to Aelletün we might find some survivors hiding in the hills.
The captives were exhausted and we were forced to stop and make camp for the night at Banna. I sent half of my archers back to Civitas Carvetiorum to tell Gawan and his family that we were safe. I ordered Gawan to take the equites who remained to search for survivors. We kept a good watch on the walls of the old Roman fort.
I sat with my equites and Arturus. If he was to succeed me then he needed to know how his uncle spoke to the equites who were close to him. Llenlleog said, “Warlord do not berate yourself. You could have done no more. I confess I thought we had lost the captives. Your words saved them.”
I shrugged, “It was a bluff but the thegn did not know that. Lang Seax did. Had he been in command we would have been given the bodies of the captives. He is a ruthless enemy.”
Kay was a thoughtful man, “Warlord, these men of Bernicia say they are Christian and yet they conspire with witches and hire those who are savages and do not believe in their White Christ.”
“Oswald is a king for whom his religion is but a veneer.” I turned to Arturus. “You wear the cross, Arturus, how do you explain this Christian king?”
“They are practical. My mother was closely protected in Constantinopolis. I was privy to much that went on at court for the Emperor was fond of me. They are pragmatic men. If they can use what they call a barbarian then they will do so. The Emperor has many mercenaries who serve him. Often, they are the most barbaric of men and when they serve the Emperor then they are ruthless. This Oswald seems to be the same.”
There was hope for Arturus. Perhaps the baptism had not changed him too much. “I can see that we will have to revert to our system of long patrols.”
Agramaine, Pol and Llewellyn were among the equites who, like Arturus, had been too young to have experienced the equites’ quests, as we had called them. I saw the question in their eyes. They would not ask amongst the equites such as Bors, Kay and Llenlleog. They would not wish to appear foolish.
“In my father’s day and when we had Ynys Môn each equite and his squire, along with a couple of archers would ride abroad for half a moon. They would seek signs of enemies and strangers in the land. Then we had wars and the plague. We ceased our patrols. We lost land and retreated behind our walls. We stopped building in stone and we have paid the price. Even if we rebuilt Aelletün in stone it would take too long to offer protection and the other settlements are the same. It is just those like the one in which we sleep tonight, Pen Rhudd and the like which are solid enough to be protected. For the rest we ride abroad. We have thirty-six equites who remain, me included. Six will ride a quest each moon. That will allow us to still retain thirty should war come.”
Arturus looked at me and shook his head, “That is not enough men. The Emperor has two thousand mailed men to watch his palace! There is a Bandon of five thousand men camped just outside the walls of his city.”
Llenlleog smiled, “And that is the Empire. We are but a shadow of the Empire. Until the sons of the equites become old enough to train I fear that this small band will have to do it alone.”
Arturus was like a dog with a bone. He would not let it go. “But how can four men stop a warband like the one we saw?”
I answered for Llenlleog, “Put simply they cannot but they can watch. They can hunt enemy scouts. They can warn settlements. Our folk have one thing in their favour. All are trained as warriors. They might farm or fish. They might work in wood or metal but if a foe comes and they are ready then they can fight. That is all that the equites’ quest can do, it can give warning. If Lang Seax and his men had been seen when they were on the Roman Road then we might have met them at Pen Rhudd or here at Banna.” I smiled at Arturus, “Perhaps you should have taken up the Emperor’s offer. Your life would have been more comfortable.”
He shook his head, “I would have had little sleep for I am sure that Myrddyn would have haunted my dreams until I did as I was bid!”
Chapter 2
For four moons we sent out our equites to watch our eastern borders. Gawan was the one equite we did not ask to ride abroad. He was angry with himself as he had not seen the danger to our cousin. He and I were now the last of our line. The three brothers who had forged our people had had s
ons. Gawan and I were the last two. He was the wizard and he strove to be as powerful as he could be even though that would only be a shadow of the power that had been Myrddyn. Myrddyn had used his mind to seek out foes as they approached our land. Gawan could not see as far.
I rode on the fifth such quest. Arturus and I had Judicael and Dai with us as our archers. Both were young. Llenlleog was not happy about the arrangement. He was now my first equite. Along with Gawan he would command in my absence. “Warlord, both Judicael and Dai are young. Arturus has the least experience of any. Why do you take the risk? Have Daffydd ap Miach with you.”
I shook my head, “I will be fine. The young have to learn and these white hairs in my beard tell me that I might have something to teach.”
“Warlord this land cannot afford to lose another Warlord.”
“And we will not.”
I had told Gawan of Myrddyn’s words but neither of us thought that there would be any benefit in telling the others that I was doomed to die. Myrddyn had been as enigmatic as always. As Gawan had said there was no time given for my death and Gawan had not yet dreamed it. However, in light of what he perceived as his failure to detect the Saxons he was lacking all confidence in his skill. He told me we needed a real mage and not a half one.
We had more to carry and so I took Star. Star was a bigger horse and Copper was getting old. Dai led a pony with our supplies. We had to survive for fourteen nights. At least two of those would be in one of our settlements but most would be in the wild land of our borders. Each of the six equites would ride to our borders and back. So far, the equites we had sent out had seen little evidence of Saxons. Agramaine had caught and killed a couple of bandits but that was all. They had been travelling abroad in the snow. Now the new grass was here and that was another reason for Llenlleog’s unease. The new grass was when we might find signs of an enemy.