by Griff Hosker
Later that evening when we had feasted and drunk well the king was a happy man. “I am pleased that we have aided your father in law Raibeart because it means we can plan our assault next year on Aella.”
“He is still a threat then? I though the bloody nose we gave him last time might have made him less aggressive.”
“No, he has a stronghold south of the Dunum and more warriors are coming from across the sea to aid him.”
I threw a look at Bladud who appeared to be hanging on every word. “I would have thought that King Morcant Bulc would have finished off Aella. We left him with few men to deal with. Why did he not reclaim his lands? South of the Dunum is almost half of the kingdom of Bernicia.”
“And the better half at that,” piped in Raibeart.
The king shrugged. “I know and if I were king of that land I would have driven the Saxon and his hordes back to the sea.” He shrugged, “But I am not. It seems we will have to fight him once again and, from what you tell me, he will be desperate to get to you, the killer of his son.”
I saw Aideen and her face had paled. I wished that the king had kept his opinion to himself. I could do without my wife being reminded of the danger I had been in. I changed the subject quickly. “A year without war will help the kingdom to grow.”
“Amen to that,” intoned Brother Osric who was busily filling his face with wild boar. “War is expensive and we need to consolidate what we have before we fight again. I, for one, would have been happier had the King of Bernicia dealt with his own problems rather than waiting for his brother kings to solve his problems for him.”
I swallowed a piece of boar and washed it down with some of the wine the Brother favoured. “And yet Brother Osric, as Raibeart and I discovered, having an army which is small but paid well can be more effective than taking men from the fields where they will be more productive. The Saxons may have outnumbered us at Loidis but our men were better armed and trained. King Gwalliog’s farmers managed to sow their crops and tend to their flocks. The Saxons did not. Even had we not defeated them in battle, the king would have won for come the autumn his people would have starved.”
Bladud snorted. “Your argument backs up King Morcant Bulc and yet you criticise him for not attacking his enemies.”
I fixed Bladud with a steely eye. I had watched what I had been drinking but not so the leader of the king’s bodyguard who was well in his cups and had made an unguarded remark. I noticed the narrowing of King Urien’s eyes. He had heard and it had worried him. “I criticised the king who allows others to fight for his land and does nothing when he has the opportunity to reclaim it. We will be going to war in the spring and it will not be to secure our own land but that of our ally.”
He could see that he had been indiscreet and he waved a hand of apology, stood and then staggered off to his quarters. Queen Niamh shook her head, “I do not know why you invite that man he has neither manners nor wit and he spoils every feast.”
“He is a warrior not a jester and he is a brave man,” the king sounded defensive and unconvincing.
The Queen smiled dangerously, she had the point and she would use it. “Lord Lann and Lord Raibeart, as well as your sons, are warriors, and yet they have manners and wit.”
The king shrugged in defeat and Brother Osric coughed, “You may have something Lord Lann. I have noticed that the revenues from the southern part of the kingdom, the one ruled by your brother, have increased. He does not fight and yet he has warriors should they be needed.” He looked up at me. “As, it seems do you and Lord Raibeart. Perhaps that is the model we should adopt.” He gave a sly sideways look at the king.
“You know that I am for peace but, until the Saxon threat has gone then we will need every warrior we can muster to drive them back across the sea. You would agree with that Lord Lann?”
I was in a difficult position but I found that I agreed with both of them. “I think that we will need every warrior to drive the Saxons away but it will be just one battle, and at a time and place of our choosing. We keep our workers toiling and use our few warriors to watch for trouble.”
Brother Osric nodded. “You have grown Lord Lann. That was as diplomatic an answer as I have heard. You manage to agree with both of us and yet disagree at the same time without offending either of us! Very skilful indeed.”
Everyone laughed and the atmosphere lightened. “Verbal jousting seems easy after fighting off two or three Saxons who are trying to hack lumps off you.”
As soon as the words were out of my mouth I regretted them for Aideen paled again and fled the room; Queen Niamh shook her head. “You might be a diplomat and a warrior but when it comes to being a husband you could take lessons from your brother Aelle. Get after her and make it up to her.”
I gave a hesitant bow and left. As I passed the queen she slapped me hard on the buttocks. She smiled as she said, “But I have no doubt that, given time together you will become the fine husband you ought to be.”
Aideen was lying on the bed sobbing when I entered. This was a world which was strange to me. I had never been gentle as Raibeart and Aelle could testify but I had been caring. My world was a harsh one where the tone of voice you used did not matter to the men who heard it, only the command that was given. I was learning that I had to think before I spoke. Perhaps it was best if I did not speak at all. I sat on the bed next to her and put my hand on her heaving shoulders. I could feel the sobs wracking her body. With my other hand I began to stroke her hair and gradually the sobs subsided. I leaned forwards and the sweet smell of rosemary and rosewater filled my nostrils and I nuzzled her hair and then, gently kissed, first her ear and then, moving the hair away, the nape of her neck. It was as though I had stung her with a whip for she suddenly turned and grabbed me, kissing me hard on the lips. Later as she lay sleeping in my arms I wondered if I had hit upon the right strategy; say little and be gentle.
The next day nothing was spoken of the upset I had caused and she was all smiles. I think the journey home was filling her mind and the thought that she knew she would have me alone and without war filling the horizon. As she and her slaves packed the wagons I went to say farewell to the king and Brother Osric. The Queen had a wry and knowing look upon her face. “You are learning Lord Lann!”
I suddenly turned. How did she know? The king smiled. “Welcome to the brotherhood of husbands who are kept in the dark!
“Buffoon!” was all she said and then she left the room.
“She is right though Lann. You need to enjoy the rest of the year for your words last night were wise. When the other kings come at Yule then we will plan our final assault. Until then you need to recover your strength.”
“Aye your majesty but I also need to recruit more warriors. The war in Elmet might not have been a long one but it was costly in terms of the valuable men I lost.”
Brother Osric chortled, “I would not worry Lord Lann for word has spread and young men will be coming from all over just to learn from the Wolf Warrior. Your fame has, indeed, spread beyond our borders. You cannot hide away any longer.”
When I returned to the courtyard Maiwen and Aideen were saying their farewells and arranging to visit the other’s home. That pleased me for it meant I would see Raibeart and it would be good to see him when we were not fighting for our lives. We could even go hunting and that thought put a grin on my face.
“Farewell brother I think I will try to make my home as strong as Castle Perilous. Our wars in Elmet have shown me the dangers of complacency.”
“I too will be improving my own defences. I do not think that you can be too strong and our little brother has shown us the way.”
Most of my warriors were with Garth and there were just ten men to accompany us. Some of those still rode in the wagon as they were recovering from their wounds but it was a joyous ride for me as I saw the land I ruled filled with growth and life. There were gambolling lambs and young calves friskily bouncing around the fields. The farmers and workers we passed seemed t
o be happier and healthier than I remembered. Perhaps I was comparing them to the fearful folk of Elmet. Hogan and Aideen also seemed caught up in the joy and we sang and told tales all the way back to Castle Perilous.
I felt strangely comforted when I saw the stout Roman gatehouse loom into view. Its position above the river and its clear views down the valley made it a vital fort to hold in the defence of Rheged. Each time I saw it I thanked the gods for giving me such a domain. As I had expected, Garth had sentries posted to watch for our arrival and, as we crossed the bridge, the Wolf Banner fluttered from the gatehouse. Brother Oswald which performed the same function for me as Brother Osric did for the king was there with the doughty Garth to greet us.
“Welcome home my lord and hopefully you will stay a little longer this time.”
“Hopefully Brother Oswald.”
“The money has been given to the families of those who died my lord and I gave the rest to the Brother here.”
“And a tidy sum it was. Have you plans for any of it my lord?”
I looked at Aideen. “That depends upon my lady here.”
Her face lightened and she smiled, “I can think of many improvements and we will make our house a home, at last.”
We dismounted and crossed the drawbridge. It was a solid affair but I never like to overburden it. I could see that work had been done and the wood had been renewed above the gate and I could see fresh mortar. The priest saw my look and shrugged. “It seemed prudent my lord and we do live in parlous times. I also took the liberty of having a couple of extra rooms built next to your quarters.” He looked a little embarrassed, “Privacy my lord.”
Aideen compounded his embarrassment by hugging him. “You are a mind reader and I know not what I would do without you.”
“When Garth and I first arrived we slept in a leaky gatehouse with no roof.” I sniffed.
“Well thank goodness you now have a wife and a man who thinks of things other than fighting.”
She hurried away with Brother Oswald and Hogan, keen to see the new quarters. “I want a warrior hall building, Garth. Just like my brother’s. We have space over there.”
“That is where we have the stables my lord.”
I had been planning this all the way home. “We demolish the stables and rebuild in stone with a warrior hall on the top. The heat from the animals will keep us warm in winter and we can fortify it as a stronghold should the other walls fall.”
Garth looked impressed. “You have been thinking my lord.”
“It was at Loidis. I know that we are stronger anyway but when the ram breached the gate I knew we had nowhere left to run. We were lucky. There may come a time when we are outnumbered and need to reach a place of safety.”
“Good. We can start tomorrow. It is summer and the horses can graze by the river.”
“One more thing. Just use our warriors at first for I want a tunnel from the stables and an escape route for my family in case…”
Garth looked shocked. It was obvious the thought had never entered his head. “This castle could laugh away any attack the Saxons might make.”
“True but one day they will learn to make machines of war such as the Romans used and then we would need such an escape. We can use the villagers to build the walls and the hall but the tunnel must be an oathsworn secret.”
Oswald had done a good job and the rooms were well made. He was still trying to make the Roman hypocaust and baths to work. “The Romans were clever men. I should like to go to Constantinople one day and see their marvels of engineering first hand. I have read about them but to see them would be wonderful.”
“If I can help in any way then I will do so but, for the present, thank you for your efforts. The people are well and prosperous?”
“Aye. The war seems a long time ago and they have short memories. There were many children born in the wake of the fighting and it is good to hear the sound of laughing bairns again.”
He paused and look hesitantly beyond the walls. “Go on man, out with it. You should know me well enough to know I will not bite your head off.”
“I took the liberty of building a small chapel by the river. The Christians amongst your people asked me to have somewhere close to water to baptise them.”
“Baptise?”
“Yes, it is like a rebirth.”
I enjoyed teasing the White Christ priests. “That seems a little pagan to me? Does your Christ approve?”
I saw him visibly relax at my reaction. “He was baptised himself.” He hesitated. “You are not angry?”
“So long as my warriors fight for me and do not try to turn the other cheek as your White Christ suggests then I do not mind what they follow, so long as they follow me unquestioningly.”
“They will do that because of who you are my lord.” He became more business like now that the difficult matter had been dealt with. “We now have hives and can produce honey and some of the slaves you sent are busy making cheeses. I used the sheep we captured to begin a herd and one of the farmers loaned us a ram so we should have lambs soon.”
I nodded my approval. “You have been busy.”
“I was taught by Brother Osric, my lord. I think you will find that the land is now richer than it was and, if we can avoid war for a while then we will be even richer next year.”
I put my arm around him. “I am pleased with your efforts and hopefully we will have a year of peace. We paid for it with our men’s lives.”
“Garth told me what you did for the families of the dead. It cannot make up for the loss but it can ease their burden. It was a very Christian thing to do.”
I wagged an admonishing finger at him. “Then you do not know the old gods for they advocate that too. It seems there are many similarities in our religions Brother Oswald.”
“And for that I am grateful, my lord.”
The next few weeks were blissful. My wounds healed and the land flourished. Aideen was soon with child and I found Castle Perilous to be more precious than I had ever dreamed possible. Brother Osric had been correct in his predictions and young men flocked to join the Wolf Brethren. Some had come from Bernicia and remembered me from Metcauld. A few came from Elmet; while others were Rheged men.
Garth and I interviewed them when they arrived to find out how they left their lords. The last thing any of us wanted was an irate lord or king complaining that we had stolen their young warriors but all appeared to tell the truth and said that they had left with their lord’s blessing. We divided them into three groups; horsemen, archers and warriors. The bigger men were put into either the warriors or the archers. We decided which the best option was when we had seen them work. With the training of the new men and the building of the warrior hall we were kept busy.
Brother Oswald proved his value when he advised us on the construction of the stables and escape tunnel. His wide reading had given him an insight into how it was done in the past and we were soon finishing off the stables and beginning the construction of the hall. The priest wanted an internal stairway but Garth and I dismissed that idea. Brother Oswald looked perplexed. “But it will mean you can move from the stables to the hall in winter and stay dry and warm!”
“Aye and if we are attacked then it allows our enemies into our building. With an external staircase one man can hold off an army.” He had shaken his head, he understood the logic but it merely demonstrated the futility of war; he was a practical man and would have put comfort ahead of defence.
I had managed to avoid letting Aideen see my leg. Its appearance had not improved since the burning; the red, angry line snaked down my calf and the muscles had been ripped giving it a bumpy and uneven look. However we had one of those rare nights in Rheged when the night is hotter than the day and we both slept naked on the bed, allowing whatever breeze there was to wash over us. I must have been sleeping on my front when she awoke and as she stood in the first light of dawn she saw the savage scar which snaked from my knee to my ankle. Her gasp awoke me.
; “When were you going to show me that?”
I rolled over on to my back. “I didn’t want to upset you and you could do nothing about it anyway.”
“That is not the point. We can have no secrets from each other.” She ran a long finger down its length. “Does it hurt?”
“No but it aches in the wet weather.”
She laughed, “Then we live in the wrong place, husband, for Rheged is wet almost every day.”
“I know,” I said ruefully.
The best parts of the day were those spent with my warriors. The recruits were each placed under the care of one of my more experienced warriors. This was where I missed Raibeart for he was the greatest teacher of the bow. I could also teach the bow but, as Garth pointed out, I needed to have a wider view. He tried to do all those tasks which he felt was beneath the Wolf Warrior. Tadgh had grown bigger over the summer; in fact he had grown almost a hand span and broadened out considerably, to join the ranks of the warrior. I knew that he had a good eye and, although he was disappointed I put him under the tutelage of my senior archer, Miach. Miach had shown himself to be calm under pressure and Raibeart had spoken highly of him.
Tuathal had become a good horseman and he trained my new horsemen. They were the smaller warriors as we did not have enough horses of a larger stature. I had seen the effectiveness of horse against Saxons who deigned to use the hoofed beasts. I only had ten such warriors but they were all well armed and mailed. Tuathal also trained up my slingers to ride ponies and act as scouts. I had worked with slingers the previous year and seen their potential. We showed them how to find sign and read the land for clues.
Garth, of course, trained the warriors. He was a hard task master. He made them work from sun up to sun down and he made them use their armour to strengthen their bodies. Once he felt they were fit enough and had the right skills he drilled them remorselessly in the formations we would use. Although I was not looking forward to our next battle I was eager to see how my men would perform in war but at the same time I wanted a time of peace and prosperity for my people and my family.