by Griff Hosker
“We will see. Now what is this plan you have concocted. I am intrigued.”
“It is obvious that they will outnumber us.” I turned to Raibeart. “How many Saxon strongholds are there?”
“We found six although none are as stout as Wachanglen.” Raibeart had deduced which way this was going and he pre-empted my next question. “I would think the six hamlets could field eighty men each, at least.”
“If we add them to the force at Wachanglen then we can see that the enemy will be twice our strength.”
“Not if we use our own people when we have sown our crops.”
I shook my head. “I would rather fight now for we will weaken them. Did you see many workers toiling in their fields and meadows brother?”
“No. They were on the watch for us and, had they had horses, they would have chased us.”
“You see, King Gwalliog, our very presence weakens them. Your people are preparing for the summer and autumn and you will have a good harvest. They will not and, in the long run, that will be how we defeat them. We will use nature and the earth to be our allies. Famine and hunger are fierce enemies.”
King Gwalliog looked disappointed. “That does not seem glorious.”
“It isn’t but, when this is over, you will have more people than they do. We will strike at their smaller settlements using archers and horsemen. We are mobile. All of Raibeart’s archers can ride and we can weaken them by constant attacks. We will make them watch for us, not knowing when or where we will strike. Eventually Wach will tire of this and he will come here to attack you. We will lay a trap for him. Our horsemen can watch for them and warn us of their arrival. Then they can stay without the walls while they hurl themselves at your defences. The archers will thin them out and they will not expect us to attack them. When they are weakened enough then the horse and the foot will attack at the same time.”
Raibeart nodded. “They will have seen our dead warriors and as the only forces they see will be a few horsemen and archers they will assume that they have seen off the threat of our men.”
I could see that King Gwalliog was not convinced. “Once they have been drawn here and weakened then you can call up all of your forces and drive them from your land. You can lead your mighty host.” The beaming smile told me that I had used the right argument. He saw himself as another King Urien leading a mighty army and showing his people that it was he who had destroyed the Saxons. That was the difference between the two kings; one saw the end result while the other wanted their name enshrined in men’s memory. I was pleased that I had chosen to follow the former. “While we harry them you can improve the defences of this stronghold to make them bleed upon its walls.”
I defied the King and the priests by walking the following day. I knew that I would not be able to stand in a shield wall but I also knew that we had no intention of fighting the Saxon way. We would fight my way. The people of Elmet reared horses and we were able to procure thirty extra horses for our archers. They would not be fighting on horseback but we needed speed to achieve our ends. We would dismount them when the archers fought and then use them to evade any pursuit. Raibeart tried to dissuade me from participating in the raids. “Raibeart, I allow that you are the finest archer in Rheged but we both know that I am a close second. In addition I want my Wolf banner and my helmet to draw Wach to attack us. We need him to know who we are.”
“Garth could carry the banner and wear your helmet.”
I glared at him. “Do you know so little of me that you think I would let someone else risk his life for me. I command this force and I make those decisions.”
He looked at me with fear on his face. “I only mean to protect you, Lann.”
I relented, “I know and I am sorry that I spoke to you as I did but you must understand that I know my body better than a priest and I need to be on the raids so that I can gauge their success… or failure.”
As we mounted our fifty warriors I could see that the boy slingers were unhappy at being left behind. I rode over to them. “I have a task for you warriors.” I saw them puff with pride. “I want you to train as many Elmet boys as you can to be slingers. Show them how to make the missiles and hit as well as you do.” I glanced up at the king who nodded his approval. “We have seven days to prepare. Do not let me down.” I knew that they would not but I merely wanted them to be occupied. They were, after all, still boys and mischief would follow if I did not make them work.
We headed north east towards the first Saxon settlement. No-one had been near it for a few days and I hoped that, if Raibeart and his scouts had been seen, they had been dismissed as a nuisance rather than a danger. Raibeart and I had worked out our plans for all the attacks. We would ride into the heart of their village if the gates were open and kill as many warriors as we could. If the gates were closed then we would kill as many sentries as we could. The important factor was that we could afford no casualties but even four or five dead Saxons would serve our purpose.
The Saxons were a little less diligent than we were when it came to defending their settlements and they had only cleared forty or fifty paces of trees. That suited us for it allowed us to approach quite close before we were seen. We could see that the gates were open and there were just two men watching the track way. They would be the targets for Raibeart and me. Garth led my mounted men and as he charged them towards the gate we loosed our arrows and the two guards fell dead before they could even raise the alarm. We quickly followed our mounted men with our archers and we thundered through the gates. Garth and the equites were butchering the men who raced to fight the invaders. We dismounted and one in four of the archers held the horses. We aimed at those warriors who were further away or standing on the walls. It was a slaughter. We were mailed and prepared while they had been going about their normal business. It was not glorious but it was necessary. I heard the screams of the women, the children and the old as they raced out through the southern gate. I had made it clear that we could not burden ourselves with prisoners and they were allowed to leave. Soon all who could flee had fled and all that remained were the dead and the dying. “Burn it!”
My men quickly started fires in the Great Hall, the houses and the walls. Others took weapons and anything else of value from the dead Saxons. “Now back to Loidis.” As I mounted my horse I was also aware of blood seeping down my leg and into my boot; the pain had become worse as the day had gone on and I felt a little light headed and weak. Although I had only stepped on to the ground briefly the movements of the horse had aggravated the wound while we were riding. I was determined that none would know and I led the column of jubilant warriors home keeping a smile I did not feel upon my face.
Wachanglen was but ten miles south and I knew that they would not only see the pall of smoke but would be receiving the first of the refugees. We had to return as swiftly as we could to the safety of Loidis’ walls. “If they are all as easy as that my lord then this will be a swift campaign.”
“I do not think, Garth, that it will be as easy the second time. They will be prepared. I expect them to keep their gates closed and to have more guards. Our next attack will be different.”
“And when will that be my lord?”
“Tomorrow. Unless you are too tired from today’s endeavours?”
Garth laughed, “I did not even break out into a sweat this morning.”
“We must have killed fifty or six of them.”
“There were seventy five my lord, I counted them.”I nodded my satisfaction. That would shake Wach up and make him take notice. It had been a good start but I had meant what I had said to Garth; the next attack would not be as easy.
King Gwalliog was delighted with the results of the raid. The arms we brought back would be valuable additions when his farmers fought against the Saxons. The young priest, Brother Patrick, who had tended my wound when I had returned from the first raid watched me as I dismounted and hurried after me to my quarters.
“My lord you have burst your wound. Li
e down!” I was unused to taking orders but I knew from Brother Osric and Brother Oswald that the White Christ priests were a law unto themselves. He almost pushed me to my bed and then he pulled the boot off and a pool of blood flooded to the floor. He tut tutted his annoyance. “You should not have ridden to war. All my good work is undone.”
“Then stitch it again!”
“Am I a seamstress?” Despite his words he took the needle and held it in the flame. Suddenly an evil smile crossed his young face as he watched the blue and golden flame flicker. “If you are determined to go to war then there is but one solution.” He went to the door and said to the two guards who stood there. “You two, carry Lord Lann to the blacksmith’s!”
As I said priests are a law unto themselves and my men obeyed but they, and I, wondered why we were going to the blacksmith’s. King Gwalliog and Raibeart saw me being carried and they followed, equally curious. Brother Patrick did not seem concerned by the exalted audience. The blacksmith’s jaw dropped as the priest marched into his place of work. The fire was burning fiercely and we could feel the heat as soon as we walked in. “Put the lord face down and give me his sword.” I had no opportunity to argue as Raibeart removed Saxon Slayer from its scabbard and my men place me face down on the dirt. It was undignified and I was about to argue when the piping voice of the priest sounded, “Hold down his shoulders.”
Out of the corner of my eye I saw him plunge my sword into the fire which burned almost white and I knew what he was going to do. This would hurt. “Lord Raibeart, hold your brother’s leg. Lord Lann is a brave man and he will not move the leg himself but I have seen limbs move of their own accord, even after a man is dead.” I felt my brother’s hands gripping my leg and it, somehow made, what was to follow, easier to bear. I felt the heat from the blade before it even touched my leg. When it did strike the flesh I felt such a pain as I have never borne before. It seemed to lance through my whole body but I dug my nails into my palms and did not utter a sound. The smell of burning hair and flesh almost made me gag and then suddenly I heard the priest’s voice. “Well my lord that was bravely done but your leg will not bleed again. Your wife may find the scar uglier than the stitches I would have preferred to use but it was your choice.”
I rolled over and sat up. I held my hand out to Brother Patrick and a brief look of fear erupted across his face; he thought I was going to strike him. “Thank you, priest; I am a poor patient but I will buy you a cross for your church as a token of my thanks.” He beamed with pleasure; for some reason priests like to remember that their White Christ was crucified on a cross. I could never understand it myself.
Raibeart helped me up and King Gwalliog said. “We will need some ale tonight my lord to celebrate our victory and to ease your pain.”
Later that night as we feasted and ate I knew that it was not a great victory. We had surprised them and we were lucky. Wach was a cunning leader as his trap at Wachanglen had shown. It would not do to under estimate him. “Your majesty when we next attack it will not be quite so easy.”
“And when will that be Lord Lann.”
“Tomorrow.” I ignored the look my brother flashed at me. We had to use the time available to stir up this hornet’s nest. “When we leave I would keep a vigilant watch from your walls and keep your gates closed. Have your mounted men patrolling the settlements.”
“Why? What do you fear?”
“I fear that Wach may strike immediately. He is half a day away as we know and we do not know his mind.” I could see the king sobering up. Perhaps he thought that we had won already. We had only just begun this war and there would be much bloodshed before it was over.
I was like a bear with a sore head the following day. Despite the ale my leg had kept me awake for most of the night. My brother and Garth recognised the signs and they made sure that no-one upset me. We had chosen a village to the south of Wachanglen. It was like the game with three cups and a pea. Wach and his men would be guessing where we would strike next. If I had been Wach I would have had men watching Loidis but our scouts found no evidence of scouts and we set off before dawn.
The gates on the walled village were closed, as I had expected for the Saxons were not stupid and we halted in the tree line. The archers tied their horses to the trees while the equites kept watch. “Well brother. What do we do this time?”
I pointed at the heads of the guards we could see. “Two things, first we light a fire and then we eliminate the sentries.”
“Light a fire?”
“Remember Metcauld?” He grinned. We had used fire arrows against the Saxons there and we could do so again. A burning village would be as big a victory as one with a corpse covered field. He quickly found some kindling and some pine cones. “Garth, light the fire and we will take out the sentries.” There were eight sentries we could see and I chose ten of Raibeart’s best archers. Raibeart and I told them their targets and, as one, we loosed. All eight disappeared from sight. “Any head which appears then hit it.”
The fire was going well and Raibeart had his men attaching pine cones to their arrows. Their flight would not be as accurate but they only had to hit a wall fifty paces away. We could afford some misses. I turned as a warrior screamed and fell from the wall. The beleaguered Saxons decided that discretion was the better part of valour and no heads risked the instant death which awaited an unwary head. As soon as the fire arrows began to strike the walls I knew that we had won for the wood was dry and flames leapt up from the ramparts. “Now aim into the village.” We were firing blind but if we could light some of the huts or even the hall then we would force the Saxons to meet us.
Soon we could see flames rising from inside the village and the gates opened and the warband appeared. They formed a shield wall and began to head towards us. Raibeart’s voice boomed out. “Shift targets!”
We all began to loose our arrows at the wall of shields which walked resolutely towards us. Few of their shields were as good as ours and I could see splinters appearing in the wood. They hurried forwards to meet us and to wreak revenge on their tormentors. That would not happen. “Archers mount and retreat!”
The archers sped into the trees to gather their ponies and escape before the warriors could attack them. Garth and the horsemen rode hard at the rear of the warband and began thrusting their spears and swords at unprotected backs. A second warband emerged from the village. It was time to leave. “Garth! Disengage and retreat!” As we fled through the woods I heard the cheers and jeers from the Saxons who thought they had won a victory. The dead bodies of their warriors and the blackened timbers of their walls was testimony to the fact that they had lost. We had not escaped unscathed and two of the horsemen had wounds as had three horses although none were mortal.
Raibeart was disappointed that we had no booty this time. “Raibeart, we have hurt them. Two of their villages have been destroyed. Wach cannot afford to allow us to continue this war. Tomorrow we begin a different attack.”
He looked at me with that familiar quizzical expression on his face. “We do not hit the next village?”
“No. We leave the archers at Loidis and we will visit their farms and farmsteads. I want Wach to become angry and to attack us. If we enslave their women and children then they will have no option but to attack King Gwalliog.”
“Aelle would not like that Lann.”
“And you think I do? These are desperate times. We have to rid this land of the Saxons so that King Urien and the other kings can reclaim the rest of Britain. Would you have us surrender to the Saxons?”
He shook his head. “But there is no honour in capturing women and children.”
“There is no honour in any of this.” I swept my hand behind us at the smouldering, smoke filled sky. “But we are fighting for survival and we will do whatever it takes to preserve our way of life.”
“You have changed brother.”
“I know but then we have all changed a little, brother, even you.”
King Gwalliog seemed alm
ost disappointed when we returned. “Your fears were groundless Lord Lann; the Saxons did not appear.”
I dismounted stiffly. My leg had ached all the way to the raid and back but at least it had not bled. “If we can launch a surprise attack, then so can the Saxons. They will come. I am leaving my archers here tomorrow and we go slaving.”
“Slaving? And how will that defeat the Saxons?”
“There are only a handful of large villages but there are many hundreds of farms and farmsteads dotted all over the land. They are the warriors who will be fighting you. Besides which it will anger Wach and, when he comes, he will fight with his heart and not his head. I want him and his men desperate to rip out my heart. That way they will make mistakes.”
“You will deliberately put yourself in danger?”
I shrugged. “I am a warrior and besides so long as I wield Saxon Slayer I fear no man.”
“You were wounded in the leg during your last fight.”
“And that taught me a lesson. I need to work with my oathsworn more. As soon as my leg is healed I will leave the horse behind and fight on foot. I am no equite. While we are away then deepen your ditches and prepare stones and rocks for when they do come.”
There were just twenty five of us who rode away the next morning. I had commanded Raibeart to remain at the stronghold. I needed someone to command my men in my absence and I did not feel that there would be any danger that day. We rode east for a long time. By noon we had covered many miles and I rested the horses. “Now we can begin to hurt the enemy Garth. They will feel safe this far from our forces and we can attack with impunity. We will not take prisoners this far from home but, when we come closer to Loidis I want as many women and children taking prisoner as we can. Wach needs to bleed and this is all that we have.”
We spotted the smoke from the two roundhouses and rode swiftly in. The two men who tried to defend it were quickly killed. I watched as the woman and her three children fled east. We burned the house and slaughtered the animals. We tied the corpses of the dead chickens and geese to our saddles and threw the bodies of the other beasts into the burning home. Starvation was a serious weapon and I would use any weapon I could. We headed west and destroyed another five farms. I could tell from my men’s faces that they did not enjoy this butchery for the farmers who fought us were just defending their lands. We too had done as they had and our people had suffered. It was a harsh world.