by Griff Hosker
“What is it Aedh?”
“Come and see.”
We slithered over to the rise and looked down at the village. The sentries were on the gate still but there, on two spears just before the gate were the heads of Ciara and Daffydd. Now we knew what the screams had meant.
Back in our dell a mixture of emotions raced through me. We had caused the death of a young girl and I felt guilty. I was also angry at their treatment of her.
“What of Geraint?”
Aedh shook his head, “There is no sign of him.”
“He may be dead and Tuanthal may be waiting in the cove for us. Obviously the drugged water did not work. It may be they have not drunk of it yet. We will have to return to the cove and wait with Geraint. I think the girl will have told them that I am on the island. They will hunt us as soon as it is daylight.”
Nodding, Aedh rose and led the way. Having made the decision there was no time to lose. There was a danger that there could be warriors waiting for us at the beach. My first quest as Warlord looked to be heading for failure. I had failed to build a camp and allowed the mercenaries to kill irreplaceable warriors, I had allowed Morcar to escape and my vanity had caused the death of an innocent girl and a fine young warrior.
When we reached the cove it appeared deserted. Aedh frowned. “Even had they been seen they would have left signs. I can see no evidence of a struggle. Wait here Warlord whilst I search.”
While my captain of scouts searched I peered out to sea. Why was Tuanthal not waiting in the cove? What other disaster had befallen us?
I heard a noise and whipping my sword out turned to face the danger. It was Aedh and he was carrying an injured and soaking Geraint. “I am sorry, Warlord, we failed you and it was my fault.”
I could see that he was upset but I needed him to be calm so that I could gauge the size of the disaster. “Just tell me what happened Geraint.”
“We were watching for the ship when we saw the Northumbrian boat coming around the headland. We went to our hiding places.” He pointed to the cove. “I had a rocky perch and Daffydd hid in the trees. “They fooled us. They had sent four men through the woods. I knew nothing save I heard a noise and then I saw them dragging my friend towards the top of the cove. Seeing that there were just four of them I tried to get to my friend but I slipped on a slippery rock and tumbled down the far side of the cove into the sea. My leg was trapped between some rocks and it took me all night to escape.”
I could see that his leg was badly gashed, “Aedh, see to his leg. It was not your fault Geraint, it was wyrd.”
While Geraint was attended to I returned to watch for the ship. It was not quite the disaster it could have been. They would have questioned Daffydd before killing him and that explained the screams. They would have done the same with the girl. Now that it was daylight they would search for us. We had not hidden our trail from the vantage point. It would take them some time but they would find our tracks and it would not take them long to work out that we would be where they captured Daffydd.
I waited, as patiently as I could until the wound had been bound. “They will follow us here.”
“I know.”
“And we have nowhere to go. So if we are to be here then let us make it hard for them. Geraint, come and watch for Captain Tuanthal. Aedh let us lay some traps for them.”
I knew that warriors give up too easily if there is no hope. The traps would not save us but they would slow down the enemy and buy us a little time. They would also make them wary. I had seen the despondency on Geraint’s face and I knew that Aedh would take the loss of one of his best men hard.
We hurried back to the valley we had used. The lack of tracks meant that they might not be aware of its existence and would be wary. It was narrow and had many natural dangers. We just used them. We made a trip with some hemp line and a pile of rocks. We moved some of the rocks in the water so that they would make an unstable platform. We littered the valley with pitfalls and traps. We worked as long as we dared and then headed back to the cove. Here we had slightly more time. We used caltrops to direct them towards hemp lines to trip them. Aedh cut stakes close to the trips. If they fell on them then they would be hurt. We used the wild blackberries to make impenetrable barriers which forced them towards our traps. Once we had used all of our resources we returned to the cove and Geraint.
“Any sign of the ship?”
He shook his head, “None.”
In the far distance I could hear dogs. Of course they had dogs, we had heard them in the village. They would be upon us sooner rather than later. The dogs would follow our trail they would have the scent of Daffydd’s clothes to guide them. When I heard a howl of pain I knew that the dogs, at least had found one of the traps. I had hoped it would be a warrior.
“They will be here soon. Geraint, can you make it to the beach?”
“Yes Warlord, but I would rather fight here with you.”
“You will be more use down there so that you can direct Tuanthal and his men up here. Besides, your leg would slow you down. Captain Aedh and I can move quicker if we are not worrying about you.”
Geraint reluctantly hobbled down to the cove. Drawing my sword I led Aedh to the bushes which were close to the path and the top of the rise. We waited. I spoke quietly, “I think my time as Warlord will be a little brief.”
“Do not say that yet, Warlord. We do not know what wyrd has waiting for us. When he was younger your father had many close calls such as this one. We deal with one problem at a time.”
We could hear the dogs and the cries of pain drawing closer. Soon all of our traps would be gone and we would have to face Oswald and Oswiu’s men alone.
It was the dogs which reached us first. They were not big dogs but they were fierce. There were four of them. They leapt at us even though we were hidden in the hedges. Although they were slain with ease they had marked our ambush. Ten warriors emerged from the woods. I saw neither of the brothers or Morcar with them.
“Ready, Aedh?”
He grinned, “I was born ready, Warlord.”
Just then we heard Geraint’s voice, “The ship! It is here!”
We had a chance but we could not just run down to the beach. We would be cut down before we had gone eight paces. To my horror I saw another ten warriors emerge just two hundred paces from the first ten.
There was nothing for it; we had to attack, even though outnumbered! I had a seax in my left hand and, roaring, “Rheged!” I charged the first knot of warriors. I took them by surprise. I sliced down over the top of a shield and my sword, made in Byzantium of the finest metal there was, split open the helmet and head of the first surprised warrior to die. As blood and brains splashed across the face to the second warrior I ripped the seax across his throat. My momentum carried me forward and I was able to get inside the shield of the next warrior and I ripped my sword into his middle. I pushed his body hard and it rolled into the path of a fourth warrior who stumbled; it was a fatal fall for I brought the sword down on to the back of his neck and decapitated him. The other two warriors facing me fell back in fear.
Suddenly I heard, “Warlord!” I turned and saw two dead Northumbrians but Aedh was clutching his side as he fought off the other two. Blood was pouring from the deep wound.
I roared a challenge and hurled myself at them. One half turned and I stabbed him in the chest. As the other raised his sword to finish off Aedh I swung my sword and cut him almost to his backbone. I did not hesitate. I picked Aedh up over my shoulder and ran towards the slope. The two who had fled from me were now joined by the other ten. Perhaps the spirits or my father gave me strength but I pounded down the slope towards the welcome sight of my ship edging into the cove. How I did not fall I do not know but I managed. Geraint was urging them on and I saw Aed with his fishing boat, also filled with warriors. A spear was suddenly hurled at me and flew over my shoulder. The mistake would have been to turn around and I kept on running grateful that I was now on the flat beach for I was ti
ring quickly.
Tuanthal must have had archers with him for I saw a shower of arrows fly over my head. I heard cries and thuds. The arrows had struck home. I fell to my knees and Aedh rolled on to his back. Geraint ran up.
“Get some bandages.”
“No, Warlord, there is no point. It is a fatal wound.” Aedh lifted his tunic and I could see him cut deeply. Even if we stitched him he would not survive. “It has been an honour to serve you and your father. I go now to tell him that Rheged is in good hands.”
He winced as he turned to face Geraint. “Watch over my scouts and my family, my friend.”
Geraint nodded, “I will Captain. It has been an honour.”
I took his hands in mine and place my sword between them. “Go to the Allfather and the Otherworld. You are a true hero of Rheged.” He was smiling but he said nothing for he was already dead.
Tuanthal raced up to us and dropped to his knees in the sand. “No, not Aedh too?” I nodded. “Then I am the last and I have lived too long.” He stroked the hair away from his friend’s face.
“There will be time for that later. Now we have a sword to find. It is what Aedh would have wished. We will take his body with us and bury it close to my father. They should journey together.” I turned and saw the eight Northumbrian survivors scrambling to safety. “It will take them some time to get to the fort. We will sail there by ship.”
Tuanthal said, “We will attack?”
“Aedh and I had planned it that way but now we go by ship but we must be swift.”
We clambered aboard and Daffydd a Gwynfor quickly got us under way. I put every warrior on the oars as we laid on every uncia of sail we had. We needed to get back before the brothers found out that we were coming for them. Riding a ship was not like riding a horse. You could not take a short cut and you suffered the whims of the sea, tide and the wind. I knew that Daffydd ap Gwynfor was doing his best but it seemed to take forever to round the headland despite the men rowing as though their lives depended upon it. There were out to avenge deaths as we all were.
Chapter 22
As the men rowed, now with even more urgency, I asked Tuanthal about his voyage. “How many men do you have?”
“Using the fishing boat and this ship we have forty warriors with us.”
I looked him in the eye. “And the delay?”
He looked distraught, “The captain could do nothing about it. It was a combination of tides and the wind. We seemed to be pushed back by the gods.”
“Do not distress yourself. This was meant as a test for me. We will find out if we have passed when we reach the village.”
As we rounded the headland I saw that someone must have reached the settlement already for one of the Saxon ships was preparing to leave. “I want every archer aiming at that ship. Kill as many as you can.”
We slowed down as the archers left their benches to loose their arrows. I saw men fall into the water but whoever commanded them used shields to protect them.
“Head for the other ship.” I saw the last of the warriors we had fought. They were racing to get to the gates before they closed. As soon as we bumped next to the ship I said to Daffydd. “Keep ten warriors on board and follow the Saxon ship. I want to know where it goes. Do not allow them to damage you.”
“I will do so Warlord. And what of you?”
“We will use the other ship.”
Most of the men had crossed the Saxon ship and were now preparing a shield wall. “Captain Geraint. Keep two men and hold this ship.”
“I will Warlord.” Then my words sank in. “Captain Geraint?”
“Captain Aedh promoted you with his dying breath; who am I to gainsay such a warrior.”
I joined Tuanthal. We now had less than thirty men. “Are we too late for the sword, Warlord?”
“I know not but I have the Saxon ship under watch and we can go after them soon enough.” I pointed to the two forlorn looking heads on the spears. “Besides we have two people to avenge.”
The wall was lined with warriors but I knew that they would not prove an obstacle. My men were ready for revenge. The sight of Daffydd’s head on the spear would make them fight through fire to get at those who had done this. I spied some timber which they were obviously using to repair their ship.
“Grab that spar!” I picked up one end and eight others helped me. “Keep the men from the walls.” I turned to the men with me. “This is for Aedh, my father and poor Daffydd there. Rheged!”
We set off, not slowly, but at full tilt. I felt an arrow as it almost parted my hair and then I heard a scream of pain from the walls as the archer was slain. They had had no time to lift the bridge from over the shallow ditch and we hurled ourselves and the spar at the gate. The weight of my warriors and our speed crashed through the wood which was shattered asunder. As soon as we were through we dropped the spar and went into a defensive circle while we waited for reinforcements.
Tuanthal joined me. I turned to him, “Finish this Captain Tuanthal. Teach them a lesson!”
“Aye!” Roaring their war cry my men charged the defenders who were falling back to the western gate. I turned and went to Morcar’s hut. I did not know what to expect but I had to know if the sword was there. I pushed my sword through the entrance and leapt in. What I spied when I entered was a shock. There lay Morgause. She was obviously dead and had been laid on a bed and flowers placed around her head. Of Morcar there was no sign. I walked up to the body and sniffed, for there appeared to be no sign of a wound. I could the white foam on her body which showed that the belladonna had worked. She had been poisoned but where was Morcar? And who had laid her out?
The answer was clear. Morcar had not drunk the water but she had. He had laid out his love. The questions now remained; where had he gone? Had he fled with Oswald or remained here on the island?”
I left the hut and ran to where my men were fighting. “We have killed most of the Northumbrians.” He pointed to the open gate to the west. “Some escaped.”
I nodded. “There are some of our people who are slaves. Free them and enslave the others. Have those heads taken down.” I pointed to the hut with the witch’s body.” I want that and all within it burned to the ground!”
“Where are Morcar and Morgause?”
“Morgause is within the hut; she is dead and as for Morcar? He is either fled on the ship or with the survivors. We will search the island first. Give me ten men.”
“Warlord, you have done enough. Let…”
“Give me ten men and let me finish this!” I softened my voice. “I have to do this. He is my cousin, my blood.”
He nodded and gave a slight bow, “As you wish, Warlord.”
I stuck the seax I had picked up in my belt and put my sword in the scabbard. I checked that the fine dagger my father had given me at Yule was still tucked into my boot and I set off. At least not wearing armour would make the climb I was about to make a little easier.
The ten warriors lined up behind me. “We are going up there. Any Northumbrian you find, kill, but if you see Morcar then he is mine!” Their grim eyes showed their resolution and they all nodded.
We left through the gate at a trot. As we began to ascend the whale like hill we began to find discarded objects and wounded men. The wounded were slain out of hand. Perhaps there had been more warriors within the fort than we had counted for, unless the ship had been crewed by a handful of men, we still had quite a few warriors to kill.
One of the warriors shouted. “There Warlord! To the east!”
I looked and saw five warriors breaking away to head back to the sea. “Go after them!” I think they intended to make it to the second ship.
Five of my men ran down to cut them off. As we climbed higher we began to gain on the remainder of the warriors. I counted seven of them but none of them appeared to be Morcar. Perhaps he had escaped. We would kill these seven and then continue our pursuit.
These seven looked to me to like the mercenaries who had attacked our camp. I
think their leader was with them. For there was a warrior with a long scar running down his cheek and he used a long Danish axe with two handles. His arms were ringed with battle amulets. The first of Tuanthal’s men who raced eagerly forward found that the axe had a longer reach than he had thought. The axe took his head in one blow and it rolled down the hillside.
“You men take the others. I will deal with Scarface.”
It looked as though he recognised me. “So you are the one they call The Warlord. You do not look like much to me and your body will afford few pickings.”
“If you would wait awhile I shall sail back to Rheged for my armour.” I shook my head. “No, that would give an even greater advantage than the one I have now.”
He looked puzzled, “And what advantage is that?”
“I am a warrior and you are a piece of mercenary scum. I will have to wash my sword for a month to get the taint of you from it!”
I had annoyed him enough. That had always been my intention. I wanted him to be impulsive. He swung the axe at my head. He anticipated me moving backwards but instead I ducked and stepped closer to him. The axe flew over my head. I stabbed forward with my sword. He was a wily customer and he spun. Even so my blade scored a long cut down his side.
He stepped backwards and held the axe across his chest so that he could use both ends if he needed to. This warrior was experienced. I held up the sword. “See, it is tainted already.”
He tried to catch me unawares by punching with the haft of the axe. I countered with the seax held in my left hand. The sharp edge cut across his fingers. I saw the ends of two of them fall to the floor.
“I will take you piece by piece if I have to. But you will die!”
“And when I kill you then you too will cry as your scout did when we gelded him.”