by Sean Poage
On the ninth day out of Cair Ligualid, they marvelled at great wheeling flocks of seabirds filling the sky as they crossed a wide river and marched into the Kingdom of Rhos. The king, Owain ap Einion, and his brother, Cadwallon of Gwynedd, were friendly towards Alt Clut. Their grandfather had moved his coriios from the land of the Gododdin to expel Scoti invaders, and much like Alt Clut, they were often in conflict with Rheged.
That night they camped near a small but prosperous village that produced salt from mines and springs. The following day, they marched west through fertile fields and arrived at the ancient city of Cair Legion.
It was built in the Roman way, with walls forming a rectangle with rounded corners. The city was in better shape than the others Gawain had seen and more populated, though by no means crowded. They were especially amazed by an immense round building outside the south-east corner of the wall. It was said to have been an arena that could seat ten thousand spectators to watch the barbaric games that the Romans loved. Sections were collapsing now, but the immense size made some suggest the Romans used giants to build such things. Inside, at a shrine within a timber hall, they offered prayers for the souls of a pair of Britons martyred in the arena during the Roman persecution of Christians.
Gawain was quite impressed by the baths, yet another Roman marvel, situated near the south gate. The complex was still operational. Some rooms had chipped, but beautiful mosaic tiled floors and two rooms contained large tiled pools. The caretakers of the building showed them that one was the cold pool, while the other was hot. It and a room nearby were heated by furnaces outside the building that forced hot air beneath the floor or heated the water that flowed through lead pipes into the building.
They decided to spend an extra day of rest in the city to enjoy the wonders. The king was away on other business, but his steward saw to the care of the army. Gawain was happy to stay and spent several hours in the baths, luxuriating in the feel of hot water on his skin.
Regretfully setting out again, they travelled south another two days to arrive at the capital of the Kingdom of Paguis, Cair Guricon. Situated beside the great River Sabrina, the imposing spine of a mountainous ridge loomed to the east. It was the largest city any of them had ever seen, with stout gates and a long palisade surrounding the city atop an earthen embankment behind a defensive ditch. Within the city, they marvelled at two and three-storey timber-framed buildings and a colonnade with bustling market stalls. Their king, Rhyddfedd, was also away, at the court of the Rigotamos.
Three days later, they arrived at Cair Maon, a small but busy market town in the kingdom of Guent, and rested there a day. It straddled the Roman road that ran east to west through the region, with stone walls forming an irregular hexagon.
Marching on, they spent the next night near an old Roman city that had been reduced to piles of rubble. The scouts found some people, who fled, of course, picking through the ruins. The guides said that the city had once been a centre of iron forging, and the people were probably looking for bits of iron and slag.
The next evening, they arrived at the downstream banks of the Sabrina, opposite Cair Gloiu. The city, like others in this region, was a shadow of its past, but still maintained a council and local magistrate in the Roman manner. Their guides said it was possible due to the protective buffers of the surrounding realms, and the efforts of Ambrosius Aurelianus. Crossing the river the next day, they continued south-east. Two days later, they camped outside of Cair Sul.
If what remained of the city was any indication, it must have been the most beautiful city in Britain at one time. Fewer people lived there now, but many stone buildings with ornate arches and pillars remained. Most amazing were the baths, similar to those at Cair Legion, only much larger, with more pools. The largest was in a huge room covered by a high roof like half a barrel. Though some sections had fallen in and the walls looked suspicious, they hinted at past beauty and unimaginable wealth. The hot pool was fed through lead pipes by a spring that rose steaming out of the earth in another part of the complex. Many of the men refused to touch the water, believing it was heated by the fires of Hell.
The next day they turned south-west and followed the Fossa Way. The great road ran nearly straight from Cair Uisc in the south to Cair Lind Colun in the far north-east. They camped that night on a wide plain with vast flocks of sheep within the kingdom of Dumnein. The people they saw here kept their distance but did not hurry away at the army’s approach. Gawain was intrigued that the kingdom in this far southern part of Britannia had a name so similar to that of his own tribe.
The next day, the thirty-first since leaving Alt Clut, they marched for half the day down the Fossa through grassy lowlands until it was crossed by an ancient trackway. This they followed south-east towards a line of hills in the distance. As the sun descended in the west, it broke free of the clouds, gleaming on the white walls of a great hilltop fortress known in those parts as Cadubrega.
Chapter Six
The hill crowned by Cadubrega was awe-inspiring. Not in the manner of the mouldering Roman cities they had visited, but in the scope of power it projected. The hill jutted hundreds of feet above the plain to the flat summit. Its sides were cut into four steep terraces, massive ramparts with a ditch behind each. The summit was vaguely pear-shaped, with the top of the pear pointing to the north-east. The uppermost rampart was topped by a thick wall of well-dressed stone supporting a sturdy wooden parapet and wide walkway.
Three steep roads cut through the earthworks leading to stout tower gatehouses. One stood on the east side of the northern tip of the pear, one was near the centre of the eastern wall, and the third guarded the south end or bottom of the pear. Soldiers stood watch in the towers or paced the walls. It was through the north gate that the army marched.
The interior of the stronghold was extensive, well over a thousand feet from the northern gate to the southern, and nearly as wide. Timber houses clustered around the roads between the gates, with ample space for animals to graze beyond. A small wooden church with high walls and carved wooden crosses at the gable ends stood in the centre, across from a marketplace of stalls. The place bustled with activity and industry of various artisans, and labourers, the sound of stone, wood and iron being worked, and the scent of leather, dyes and baking bread. Soldiers went about their business from large barracks and stables like those Gawain saw in Cair Ligualid, though of timber, wattle and daub with thatched roofs.
Most impressive was the king’s hall. It stood on the other side of a field from the church, near where the road followed a steep drop to the green near the south gate. It was immense. At least thirty feet wide and seventy feet long, with decoratively carved, whitewashed timber walls and a lofty thatched roof, it dwarfed every king’s hall Gawain had ever seen. A kitchen hut lay close to a door at the rear north-west side. A vast amount of wealth had been expended on the buildings and fortifications of this castle within recent years.
The men were directed to the north-west portion of the castle to pitch their tents in a muddy and trampled field, recently vacated by another large force. The tired animals were allowed to roam and graze nearby. As the soldiers set up camp, the officers were invited to an audience at the great hall.
The community seemed happy and well fed, with children and friendly dogs darting about and polite greetings offered as they passed. The structures were well-made and maintained, no rubbish was to be seen, and the main road was of tightly packed gravel.
In front of the entrance stood a pair of posts for holding torches. The great door in the middle of the long wall was ornately carved with a cross surrounded by images of biblical stories. A pair of soldiers wearing swords, gleaming helmets and mail, stood to either side. One stepped forward, verified who they were, and opened the door, announcing their arrival to those within.
Private rooms were partitioned off to the left, while the greater four-fifths was a large, airy hall, well lit by oil lamps. The wall
s were hung with painted shields, hunting trophies and tall, embroidered tapestries depicting scenes from the Bible, hunting or of battle. The supporting wooden pillars that ran down either side left plenty of room for many tables and benches. Some of the tables were oddly short, able to seat two people at best. Several servants were cleaning or attending to other chores. A few knots of men sat scattered about the sides of the room drinking and murmuring. They studied Gawain’s group curiously.
At the far end of the hall was a stout wooden throne, high-backed and carved in designs that could not be made out from a distance. Unlike most such chairs, it was not raised on a dais. To the right of the throne, on a smaller and plainer cushioned chair, sat a young woman. She was as beautiful as any Gawain had ever seen, with pale blonde hair, blue eyes and a gentle, though noble, demeanour. She was speaking with a tall man, red-haired, with blue eyes and a sour, arrogant aspect, dressed in expensive clothes and sword. As Cunbelin, Garmonion and Presuda led the contingent forward, he turned and stood a step behind her. The woman smiled and greeted them.
“Welcome to Cadubrega and Arthur’s hall. I am Gwenhwyfar, Arthur’s queen, and this,” she gestured towards the man near her, “is Cei, Arthur’s seneschal and most trusted man.” All bowed, and she continued.
“My husband has not yet returned from his travels in the north but is expected soon. You have travelled far, so please take your rest and refreshment. Cei will see to it that you are provided with houses and will manage the care and employment of your men. You may find food and drink here, and the fires will be maintained, but there will be no music or merriment in this hall until its lord returns.”
The leaders expressed their appreciation, and she took her leave. Joined by a maiden seated to the side, she flowed past the men and through a door at the front of the hall that led to the private chambers. Cei asked the leaders to join him at a nearby table and directed the other men to find seats as they would. Servants entered with food and ale, and the men set on it with enthusiasm. After a short discussion, Cei stood and left the hall, and Cunbelin waved over the rest of the men.
“A servant will show us to our lodging, but there isn’t enough barracks’ space for the remainder of the army, so they must stay in their tents,” Cunbelin said. “Food will be provided for them to prepare, as well as ale and water. We may rest tomorrow but will be expected to join the soldiers of Cadubrega in daily duties, watches and patrols on the second day. In three days, we begin training with the soldiers and leaders here, so that we’ll be able to fight as an army.”
There was no more information to be had, so as all soldiers do, they accepted the news with the usual grumbling and returned to their food and drink. Gawain volunteered to take the report to the camp and see that everything there was in order.
Gawain drained his cup, stuffed some food into his pouch and left the hall. The sun had set, the clear sky a deepening blue, brightening to gold as the horizon fell below the battlements. He walked along the road, thinking of his wife and family, feeling somewhat homesick for the first time. Having reached their only clear goal, he was without something to occupy his mind and became more introspective. To combat that, and to assuage his guilt for the occasional privileged conditions he had enjoyed, he decided to stay in the camp rather than the houses with the other officers.
The tents were arranged in good order, with the men cooking their evening meals. He gathered and briefed the senior soldiers, then found Peredur and the other cavalrymen of his coriios and set up his bed in their tent. It was comforting to be amongst his folk.
The next day was relaxing, giving the men much needed time to see to the cleaning and mending of their travel-worn clothes and kit and to visit the market. Very few could do anything more than gaze in wonder at the great variety of goods, far more than they ever saw at home. Dates, raisins, figs and amphorae of wine and olive oil and other luxuries from the warm lands around the Roman Sea. Glassware, pottery and bronze, copper and wooden utensils. Clothes, tools, leather goods, furs and skins, woollen and linen textiles. Salt, spices, grains, poultry and a variety of prepared foods and barrels of ale and mead. There were saddles, shields, a few helmets, spearheads, knives and axes for sale, but no swords.
Gawain tasked Eudaf and Peredur with getting a list of any necessities the men of their coriios lacked. When the list was complete, Gawain gave them a few small coins and sent them to the market to see what they could find. He also had them purchase mead for the coriios to celebrate that night, earning songs of praise from his men around their evening fires. Along with the fact that he shared the tents with them, it went far to cement their loyalty.
That evening as Gawain and his fellows sat around the fire, they were hailed from the darkness beyond their circle. A man staggered out of the shadows lugging a large amphora by a strap over his shoulder. He was unusual to their eyes, having dusky skin, large, dark eyes and a long, narrow face and nose. His balding hair and short beard were curly, dark and streaked with grey. His clothes were colourful, expensive, and rather draped on him similar to the Roman styles some in these parts adopted. He dropped the amphora to the ground with a thud and a gasp, arching to stretch his back.
“A fine evening, my good men!” he grinned, arms spread, looking about the group. He had a strange accent. Looking around he saw Peredur and Eudaf and bowed.
“Ah, you are the two I had hoped to find,” he said. “And your lord, whose errand brought you to my humble shop.”
“Who are you?” Mabon growled. Drink turned him somewhat surly.
“I am your servant, Hasdi,” the man answered, bowing again. “I wished to bring this gift of fine wine from Gallaecia, in appreciation of the commerce that we shared today.”
That raised eyebrows, not to mention geniality towards the old man. Mabon nodded towards Gawain, who was sitting on the ground with his back against a basket of horse feed, eying the man curiously.
“Then that’s the man you want, Gawain ap Gwyar,” he said, standing to relieve Hasdi of his expensive burden.
“For the purchase of the cloaks and blankets from my shop today,” Hasdi turned to Gawain, “please accept this gift as a token of gratitude.”
“And to encourage future business, I’d imagine,” Gawain grinned.
“It never hurts to nurture a new business relationship.” Hasdi smiled sheepishly and shrugged. “Especially when local competition is stiff for a humble foreign merchant.”
“It was a fair price for good quality,” Gawain responded, waving his hand for Hasdi to join their group around the fire. “Unfortunately, it won’t be a long-term relationship. But thank you for the gift, and will you join us to enjoy it?”
“That’s very kind, thank you,” Hasdi answered, taking a seat on a sheepskin near Gawain. Peredur picked up the amphora and began filling cups around the circle. “That’s unfortunate. Are you returning to your country soon? Your accent is quite different from the people of this neighbourhood.”
“Actually–” Peredur started to speak up before Gawain laughed and interrupted him.
“We have an accent?” he grinned, handing a cup to Hasdi. “I hope you’ll pardon me if I point out the irony of that statement. Where do you come from, if I may ask?”
“Of course,” he laughed, taking the cup. “My home, though it’s been many years since I’ve seen it, is Arados, a tiny island on the coast of Syria.”
“Syria? Is this a kingdom?” Gareth asked.
“No, not for a very long time,” Hasdi shook his head. “It lies on the eastern end of the Roman Sea. It was once a mighty empire but has since fallen under the heel of many other empires. Emperor Leo currently holds sway over our lands.”
“Who is Emperor Leo?” Mabon interjected. “What realm does he rule?”
“Why, Rome, of course!” Hasdi responded. “But the eastern half.”
“Eastern half?” Teilo spoke up. “Of Rome?”
&
nbsp; “Not the city,” Gawain answered. “There has been an emperor in the west and one in the east for over a century.”
“I thought the emperor’s name was Valentinian,” Eudaf said. Keir and Peredur looked on, baffled. Hasdi looked back and forth, somewhat flustered, then held up his hands.
“Please,” he said. “Let me explain. I forget, sometimes, that news does not travel as it once did, and it’s often a duty of travelling merchants such as myself.
“It’s true that the Empire has two emperors who control either the east or the west. Leo is the Emperor ruling from Constantinople. The fool, Valentinian, who ruled the west, was assassinated some years ago, in vengeance for his murder of Aetius.”
“The general who defeated the Huns?” Eudaf exclaimed, shocked.
“The same,” Hasdi nodded. “There have been several emperors in Rome since, but Anthemius currently holds that title, unless he too has fallen to assassins recently.”
Hasdi went on to describe the ongoing intrigues and wars of the Romans and his travels throughout the world. The men were fascinated by his descriptions of the great cities of Constantinople, fading Rome and especially of Jerusalem and how he had walked where the Christ had. They were captivated by his stories of pirates, storms at sea, strange lands, animals, man-made mountains and salty lakes you could not sink in. They went long into the night drinking, talking and laughing and when they were too tired to stay up longer, parted with promises to resume the discussion soon.
The next day Cei gave Cunbelin a list of duties to assign the men. Most involved sentry duty, repairs to the buildings, ramparts and walls, and obtaining wood and water. As any commander knows, idle soldiers will only find trouble to occupy themselves. The cavalrymen were tasked with patrols or courier duties with local soldiers to exercise their horses and their skills. It sometimes required nights spent away from the fort, but they were not assigned to the wood and water duties, so it was an arrangement Gawain appreciated.