by H A CULLEY
‘Where was this meeting?’
‘All I know is that it was at a small settlement one day’s ride to the south.’
‘In other words just over the border into Deira?’
‘So it would seem; I can’t see Oswine coming north into Bernicia.’
Dunstan grunted his agreement.
‘Well, if no-one knows where they are meeting, I suppose I’ll have to stay here and await his return.’
The other man shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other.
‘The thing is, Eorl Iuwine left strict instructions that no-one was to be allowed into his hall whilst he was away.’
‘Why am I getting the distinct impression that Iuwine is about to turn traitor?’
At this Sighard looked even more uncomfortable. He was faithful to Oswiu and Bernicia but, as a member of the Eorl’s gesith, he’d taken an oath of loyalty to him. He had a nasty suspicion that Dunstan was correct and Iuwine was about to do something that could cost him his head, but an oath was an oath and he couldn’t break it.
‘Very well,’ Dunstan sighed. ‘We’ll camp outside the settlement whilst we wait, but you can supply us with food and ale just the same.’
Sighard looked relieved.
‘Yes, of course. If I may I’ll come and join you and your men tonight and I’ll bring a few of my warriors with me.’
‘That’s more like it. I was beginning to think that you were acting more like an enemy.’
Sighard gave him a sharp look and prayed silently that Iuwine would come to his senses before irreparable damage was done to his position. He had little doubt that Oswiu would replace Iuwine as eorl, given sufficient excuse, and he was worried where that would leave him and his family.
~~~
Oswine was enjoying Iuwine’s discomfort. He’d quickly come to the conclusion that the eorl wasn’t very clever. He’d asked for the meeting in the hope of persuading Oswine to halt the raids across the border into his territory. The money he’d been paid to turn a blind eye hardly made up for what he was now losing in revenue. Oswine was getting greedy and the plunder he was taking and the crops he had burned recently reduced what Iuwine could collect in taxes.
However, there wasn’t much in the way of an incentive he could offer Oswine. He daren’t even complain to Oswiu. He was well aware that his king would seize on any excuse to replace him and failure to defend his lands might well be just the excuse he needed.
Oswine wasn’t in such a quandary.
‘It’s quite simple, my dear Iuwine. I want your support when King Penda and I invade Bernicia. You, your warband and your fyrd will join us as we sweep north. In return, I’ll stop raiding your border territory and we won’t pillage your lands as our armies move through them.’
Both men knew that Oswine had just made a promise he couldn’t possible keep. An invading army had to forage to feed itself; and it was almost impossible to stop men looting, whether the territory was friendly or not.
Iuwine’s mind worked furiously. He was slow witted but even he could see that allying himself with Penda and Oswine was unlikely to bring him any rewards. On the other hand, rejecting Oswine’s demands was unlikely to solve his problems. Instead he temporised.
‘We both know that, even if you can keep the Deirans in check, the Mercians and Middle Anglians are likely to plunder and rape at will. My fyrd will stay at home to protect their lands but I’ll gladly join you with my gesith and my warband.’
Oswine thought for a moment.
‘That’s acceptable, but I’ll need a hostage to ensure your promise to join us is made in good faith.’
‘Who do you have in mind? My eldest son, Wilfrid, is studying at Cantwareburg at the moment.’
‘You have other children do you not?’
‘Yes, but Rægenhere is only eight and my daughter is a babe in arms.’
‘Rægenhere will suffice. You do as you have sworn and he’ll come to no harm. I’ll send a few of my men back with you to collect him and escort him safely to Eoforwīc.’
Iuwine knew that he’d ben outsmarted. Instead of negotiating a deal whereby Oswine respected his territory he’d been forced into supporting Penda of Mercia; not something that Oswiu would ever forgive if he got to hear of it. Apart from the captain of his gesith, who he trusted implicitly, no-one else knew of his dealings with Oswine. Provided he could kill the ten men being sent with him to take young Rægenhere as a hostage, he could deny ever have made a deal with the Deiran king. The problem was how to kill them without raising suspicions about the reasons for their presence amongst his own people, especially as his gesith only numbered a dozen men.
He decided that he would wait until they reached Hexham where he had a lot more men before acting, but he was is for a shock when he got there. As he approached his hall Dunstan and his twenty men rode to intercept him.
Dunstan was puzzled by the number of men accompanying the eorl. They looked similar and at first he assumed that Iuwine had taken some of his warband with him in addition to his gesith until one of the riders swung his shield round from where it was being carried on his back and held it in front of him with his left arm, as he would in battle. It was emblazoned, not with the eorl’s red cross on black, but with the gold cross on blue of Deira. One of the other riders yelled sharply at the man but it was too late.
Dunstan pulled his men to a halt and ordered them to prepare to engage the enemy. It was unexpected and there was a moment’s confusion until Dunstan yelled that they were Deirans surrounding Iuwine. Almost as one the Bernicians swung their shields around and lowered their spears. The other group came to a halt ten yards from Dunstan as Iuwine held up his hand.
‘What are you doing Dunstan? Why are you here?’
‘Why are you being escorted by King Oswine’s men, my lord?’
‘That’s my business,’ he snapped.
‘No, it’s King Oswiu’s business. Now explain yourself.’
‘You haven’t yet told me why you are here in my territory.’
‘It’s the king’s territory, now stop prevaricating and answer my question.’
Iuwine looked unhappy and didn’t answer. Then the senior warrior of his Deiran escort, a man noted for his short temper, decided that he had enough.
‘Come on Iuwine, ignore this oaf. Go to your hall, hand over Rægenhere and then we can be on our way.’
‘What’s this about your son?’ Dunstan asked.
For a moment he was confused but it didn’t take long for him to realise what was happening. If Iuwine was handing Rægenhere over to Oswine as a hostage that could only be as surety for some deal he had done. Whatever it was, he was willing to gamble that it involved the betrayal of Oswiu.
‘My lord, King Oswiu requires your immediate presence at Bebbanburg. He has sent me to escort you there without delay.’
‘He goes nowhere until he’s handed over the boy,’ the Deiran told him, reaching for his sword.
It was a mistake. What the man couldn’t see behind the screen of horsemen in front of him was that six of Dunstan’s men had dismounted and unhooked their bows and quivers from their saddles. Now three ran out to each side of their comrades until they had a clear shot at both the Deirans and Iuwine’s gesith. As soon as the Deiran leader started to pull his sword from its scabbard he was hit in the chest by two arrows. Both failed to kill him, merely penetrating his chainmail byrnie and his leather undercoat. Although the points didn’t pierce his flesh by more than a fraction of an inch and no vital organs were hit, the force of the double blow knocked him backwards. He toppled from his horse and lay on the ground winded.
With a roar the rest of the Deirans charged forward. This time three weren’t so lucky. They only had leather jerkins to protect them and they fell to the arrows before they had closed on Dunstan’s men. The remaining six stood no chance against the fourteen spears of those Bernicians still mounted and they were quickly killed.
Iuwine’s men waited for their eorl to tell them what to
do, but he seemed paralysed and just sat there as Oswine’s men were dispatched. Now Dunstan’s warriors outnumbered his and the six archers were aiming their bows at him. He hung his head in defeat as Dunstan rode forward, gave him a contemptuous look, and thrust his spear into the neck of the Deiran leader.
An hour later the eorl and his son rode off to the east escorted by Dunstan and his men. His gesith didn’t go with him. They were busy burying the Deirans in a nearby wood and hiding all traces of the brief conflict. Iuwine’s wife was left behind to deal with the inevitable enquiry from Oswine; she told his messenger that her husband had never reached his hall at Hexham, which was true in a way.
~~~
Oswiu was sitting at the high table with Queen Eanflæd, Caedda – who he had just appointed as his hereræswa – Romuald, the Custos of Bebbanburg and Redwald, Ceadda’s replacement as captain of the king’s gesith, when Dunstan and Catinus escorted Iuwine into the king’s presence.
‘Ah, I’m glad you could spare the time to answer my summons at last, Iuwine. Why did it take three invitations and a personal escort for you to come?’
Iowine didn’t say anything; just scowled.
‘Dunstan tells me that you were on the point of handing Rægenhere over to Oswine when he found you. Now why would you do that?’
He turned to his wife.
‘How is the boy, by the way?’
‘Bewildered and unhappy. He’s been told that his father wanted to surrender him as a hostage and now he hates him.’
The queen gave Iuwine a hard stare and the man had the grace to blush and look at the floor.
‘I gather his father didn’t pay him any attention before and so it’s not a surprise that the boy says he never wants to see him again.’
Oswiu nodded. ‘Well, you had better add him to your household then. He’ll be a playmate for Elhfrith.’
‘But he’s my son!’ Iuwine protested. ‘He’ll be my heir now that Wilfrid has become a monk.’
‘Heir to what?’
Oswiu seemed amused and both Ceadda and Redwald smirked.
‘Why to the Eorldom of Hexham, of course.’
‘That will rather depend on the outcome of your trial, won’t it?’
‘Trial, Cyning? What trial?’
‘Why for treason, of course. You’ve been plotting with Oswine of Deira behind my back.’
‘You can’t prove that. I deny it.’
‘Deny it all you want, I have enough witnesses to hang you.’
‘Hang me! You can’t do that! I’m one of your senior nobles. The Witan would never agree.’
‘You think you have friends in the Witan, do you? Well, I hate to disillusion you but I can’t think of one eorl, bishop or abbot who would support you. They had a low enough opinion of you before but your secret meeting with Oswine and your agreement to back Penda’s invasion of Bernicia will have them howling for your blood.’
Iuwine hung his head, realising that somehow his king knew all about his secret pact with Oswine. It was obviously useless denying it any further.
‘What will you do with me, Cyning?’
‘I should kill you, but that might upset the other eorls. I’m going to banish you.’
‘Where to?’
‘You’ll become a monk on Iona. Your wife may be innocent but I can’t take that risk. She will take the veil and join my sister’s priory at Coldingham.’
‘I see. And if I decline?’
‘Then you’ll both hang.’
‘Very well, you give me little choice. I accept. Who will replace me as eorl?’
‘That’s no concern of yours. Your possessions will be sold off and the proceeds distributed by Aidan amongst the poor.’
‘I see. And what will become of my son?’
‘Rægenhere? He’ll stay here until he’s old enough to go to Lindisfarne to be educated then presumably he’ll either become a monk or a warrior. Now get out of my sight before I decide I’ve been too soft on you.’
When the former eorl had been hustled out of the hall and locked up until he could be put aboard a ship bound for Iona, the meal continued and no more was said about Iuwine until Eanflæd had finished her meal and retired to leave the men to their drinking. Then they turned to the king and Ceadda asked the question that was on all their minds.
‘What are you going to do about Oswine?’
Oswiu didn’t say anything for a moment. He took a long swig of ale from his drinking horn and put it down for a boy to refill it. The lad had returned to stand behind his chair holding the half-full pitcher but Oswiu told him to go and top it up and not to come back until he beckoned him. He didn’t want inquisitive ears spreading what he was about to tell them.
‘I can’t wait for Penda and Peada to join with Oswine and invade. I need to act first. My instinct is to deal with Oswine first and become either king or overlord over Deira. A united Northumbria might dissuade Penda from taking the offensive.’
‘So you are planning to invade Deira?’ Redwald asks.
‘No, my quarrel is with Oswine, not his people. After all, I don’t want to alienate the nobles who I expect to elect me as their next king. I need to be more subtle. I want to undermine him as king so that he gradually loses support and the Deirans look to me for salvation.’
‘How are you going to do that, especially with Penda intent on invasion?’
Oswiu turned to Ceadda, who had asked the question.
‘I need to draw Penda in so that he besieges Bebbanburg. He’ll fail to take it, of course, and all the time we’ll attack his forage parties and his supply trains. That’ll weaken him and reduce his men’s morale. Then I’ll persuade Wessex to throw off the Mercian yoke so Penda has something else to worry about instead of me.’
‘It all sounds very complicated to me,’ Romuald told him.
Oswiu laughed. ‘That’s why you’re the Custos of Bebbanburg and I’m the king.’
CHAPTER TEN – TWO INVASIONS
649/650 AD
The Eorl of Elmet read the letter that Catinus had brought him and scowled. Arthius had succeeded his father, Rand, as eorl the previous year. His father had been strongly opposed to Oswiu but his son had a more pragmatic approach to life. Nevertheless he put the interests of Elmet first and Deira second; Northumbria as a united kingdom came a long way down his list of priorities.
‘Why should I believe this?’
‘You don’t have to my lord. Wait until King Oswine summons you to join him to attack Bernicia, then you’ll know that he has allied himself with Penda.’
‘Why has he done that?’ the eorl asked, suspecting that Oswiu was telling the truth in his missive.
‘Because your king fears both Penda and Oswiu, but he sees the latter as the greater threat. He’s convinced that Oswiu is after his throne.’
‘And is he?’
‘What do you think, my lord? Oswiu has never made a secret of the fact that he believes that only a united Northumbria can defeat Penda and maintain its independence.’
‘I’m beginning to think we’ve elected a fool to rule us,’ he muttered to himself, then waved a dismissal at Catinus.
‘What reply should I take back to my king?’ Catinus asked, standing his ground.
‘None. I need to think. Now get out.’
Catinus bowed and did so. So far he’d visited three other eorls; two had responded the same way as Arthius, but the third, whose earldom lay on the Mercians line of march through Deira, had told him that he was Oswine’s man and he’d do what his king told him. Catinus had left immediately, certain that he’d either be detained or killed once the eorl had time to think.
A month later Penda invaded but by then Oswiu’s campaign to oust Oswine was well under way. Coincidentally the agents of the Deiran king’s downfall were all originally Mercians – Catinus was a member of his gesith whose job was to sow dissention amongst the nobles whilst two monks - his chaplain Conomultus and his friend Wigmund - preached against Oswine to the common people. Oswiu
had chosen them because they weren’t Bernicians, and therefore had more credibility, but there was a certain pleasurable irony in using two Mercians as part of his scheme to spread rebellion.
When the warbands and the fyrd were called out most men were well aware by then that they would be expected to support Penda. Consequently, many of the thegns, the freemen who made up the fyrd and several of the eorls refused to comply with the muster. However, some of those through whose lands Penda would march decided that they had better obey or see their property destroyed. Their thinking was flawed. The Mercians and the Middle Anglians needed to forage and they raped and burned a swathe through the centre of Deira in addition to stealing the recently harvested grain and the livestock.
Oswine found himself accused of betrayal by many of his subjects and only the fact that he was travelling with Penda saved him from assassination. To make matters worse, Penda derided him for failing to bring the promised army to support him; in fact fewer than a hundred men had answered the muster and, even with the sixty members of his gesith and permanent warband, it still amounted to less than the numbers that many of Penda’s eorls had brought.
All told, an army of nearly four thousand began to besiege Bebbanburg as autumn began. Oswiu had kept a mere hundred men inside the fortress, half of them archers, but he was so confident of the place’s impregnability that he was sure he could have held it with half that number. He had prepared well and the storage huts were full of grain and dried meat. Furthermore, he had more ships than Penda and so resupply by sea wasn’t too much of a problem either. Meanwhile the rest of his warriors roamed the countryside in small groups, attacking the Mercian forage parties and supply columns.
‘Father, we can’t just sit here, especially with the approach of winter,’ his son Wulfhere told him one evening. ‘The men are starving and morale is sinking lower and lower. Disease is starting to take its toll – dysentery is rife and typhoid is now spreading. Unsurprisingly, desertions are also becoming a growing problem.’