by Griff Hosker
“True Raibeart, but the horses are exhausted and need rest. We will need the equites ere long. We rely on arrows and the shield wall. I know it is a small shield wall but the gap they defend is narrow. When we defeat this band,” I saw the looks of doubt on their faces, “oh we will defeat these but the others, I am not so sure. When we defeat this band we will fire the ships and get away in the confusion. The western band will have to cross the river and that will give us time to reach Tuanthal and the families. The Saxons are as tired as we are and they will need to rest. On the morrow our equites will be in a position to charge again. In a perfect world we would travel down the other bank of the river as that is the most direct route but there are Saxons there. We will have to try to cross further south and hope that the Allfather is with us.” I paused and they looked at me.
Then they banged their shields with their swords and shouted, “Wolf Warrior!” They were still confident and that could win a battle for you.
I smiled and gave a slight bow. “Myrddyn, Tuanthal, go! Aelle take charge of the boats. Your slingers can use them, as can Miach’s archers. Fire them when you deem it right.”
There was a sudden scrambling as the slingers and archers clambered aboard the ships. Miach had the remaining scouts lead his horses further south; away from the fighting. I looked at the shield wall we were making. With Pol, Raibeart and myself there were forty of us. It was a pathetic number but I wanted to induce the Saxons into attacking. The archers and the slingers were our secret weapon. Just then Aedh’s rider galloped in. “My lord! The other warband is just two miles away!”
“Then we have less than an hour to defeat this band! Aedh follow the wagons and aid Tuanthal.”
We locked shields. Pol was behind me and Raibeart to my right. It was like old times. The Saxons had decided to attack and their wedge, three hundred strong, came lurching towards us. We were aided by the uneven ground which stopped them being as tightly packed as we were and Aelle and Miach took advantage of it. Their shot and their arrows rained down finding the gaps in the Saxon lines. As soon as a man fell an arrow or stone would take the one behind. This created bigger gaps than their leader would have liked. I could see the wedge shrinking and loosing unity as it neared us.
“Lock shields and ready yourselves!” We only had two ranks but the rear rank was pressed against the last Saxon ship. They would not push us back!
I was already swinging Saxon Slayer before they struck our line. My height and reach meant that I could strike an enemy before he reached me. The edge of the blade sliced across and through the cheek of the first man. It ripped through the bottom half of his jaw, tearing open his throat. Raibeart’s sword hacked down and through the skull of the chief next to him who tried to spear me. Pol punched through from the second rank to strike another of their warriors and then we were face to face and none of us could swing our weapons. My left had held my dagger and I stabbed upwards into the stomach of the surprised warrior who looked down to see his guts spilling out. There were so many men pressing that his body stayed there. The slingers and the archers behind us had a clear field and were choosing their targets. The warriors pressing to get to the front were the ones to fall. The pressure began to ease and the body before me slipped to the ground.
Suddenly Pol shouted, “Equites!” and pointed to the hillside.
He was right. Had Tuanthal disobeyed me? It was too late to do anything about it now for the line of equites suddenly charged down the hill towards the Saxons who had no idea of their fate. My shield wall was not moving and the archers were still killing. When the horses, spears and equites struck the rear of the line it sounded like the crack of thunder! And then it was over. The Saxons fell like a field of wheat. It was not combat, it was slaughter. As we rushed forwards to despatch the wounded I prepared the tongue lashing for Tuanthal. Despite the success he had disobeyed my orders and we would have won anyway. It might have taken a little longer but we would have prevailed.
The first of the equites pushed forwards and I saw the nearest one raise his helmet. “Well met Lord Lann. I thought I had served the Warlord of Rheged for the last time!”
“Prince Pasgen! By all that is… You are a sight for sore eyes.” I looked down his men. There were only sixty of them. He had commanded five hundred when I had left.
Aelle’s voice came from above me. “Lann. The other band is coming. I am firing the ships.”
I turned to Raibeart. “Take the men south. Pol, watch the western band. Prince Pasgen, will you join with us?”
His face suddenly looked ten years older. “I might as well. I have failed to retake Rheged and this is all that remains?”
“Your families.”
“Slaughtered!”
I could think of no words and I merely grasped his arm. Behind me the flames started to lick around the hulls of the Saxon ships and palls of thick black smoke erupted from them. “Then let us head for the rest of the remnants and refugees of Rheged.”
Pol had our horses and we rode with Prince Pasgen as the rearguard of our forces. I could see that the warriors or Rheged had stripped the Saxon bodies already, taking anything of value and the better mail shirts and helmets would help us in the days to come.
“What happened my prince?”
He snorted, “Prince of what? My brother gave the kingdom away and my people are in thrall. It was he who sanctioned the attack on my town and the slaughter of the innocents. I wish that it had been me who had slain the treacherous snake.”
“No, Prince Pasgen. Your parents would not have wished you to soil your hands.” I turned to look at the few who were still equites of Rheged. “We wondered what had become of you.”
“Aye well, we found high places to hide and we raided them when they ventured on the roads but they learned to hide behind walls and we no longer had the archers you have.” He shrugged it made the difference. “With the harsh winters our horses died and we had none to replace them. We had no Myrddyn to heal our sick and wounded. More died after battle than during.”
I nodded. I knew the worth of a healer, especially one as good as Myrddyn. “You will come with us then?”
He looked at me curiously. “I am surprised to see you here. Did your journey to Wales fail?”
“No. We have a secure island and we are beholden to no man. I rule the land as Lord Lann, Warlord of Rheged.”
“Then why are you here?”
“The Saxons raided me and I found out, from a prisoner, that my brothers were besieged. I brought my archers and horsemen to help them.”
His jaw dropped open. “You came north with just two hundred men?”
“No I came north with one hundred men. Ridwyn and Garth guard my son with my army until I return.”
“Riderch?”
“No, he died in battle. We still have the men from Strathclyde although they are fewer in number but we are as safe as anywhere. We taught the Irish a lesson or two and they do not bother us. We have an arrangement with the Welsh and they leave us alone.”
He laughed, “This is well done then. We just need to trot on down to Wales eh?”
“Slightly more than a trot. There are many Saxon settlements between here and Mona but this was the highest hurdle.” I hesitated. “How did your brother die?”
He laughed, “It was not a glorious death. It was not a death that people will talk of and write songs about. He had a feast and all of the Saxon nobles and lords were invited. One of them became drunk and began to mock Ywain as the king who let a shepherd do his fighting for him. Ywain became outraged and insulted the Saxon. The Saxon stabbed him. Of course King Aethelfrith feigned horror and shock. The Saxon lord was executed but many believed he was put up to it. It ensured the Kingdom of Rheged became Saxon, finally and completely. It was about that time he spread the rumour that I had been captured but I had not. We lived in the fly and midge ridden forests where other men could not live and even we just existed. We survived on the scree side where even mountain goats struggled to liv
e. We ate lichen and insects. We did all that we could so that one day we would tell our story or perhaps conquer Rheged again.” He looked wistfully to the north.
“You know that can never be.”
“Aye, I know it now but we can build another Civitas perhaps on Mona and learn the lessons of Rheged. Then we will have a story that they will tell for years to come.”
I clapped him about the shoulders. “Together we will write that story! It will be a story of glory and men fighting as brothers in arms to defend the poor and defeat the invaders.”
He nodded and then shook his head as though to clear a memory. “Gildas is dead too. Ywain captured the youth and had him tortured to death. He lured him to the castle with promise of peace and then he tortured him to find out my whereabouts. I wished I had killed him for just that one act of cruelty. Gildas worshipped his cousin.”
That too saddened me. We had all three fought together for Ywain’s father, Urien and had been as close as brothers. I too wanted revenge upon Ywain but now I would have to wait until I faced him in the afterlife.
We had reached the camp. Myrddyn had built a barricade of the wagons and trees. There were fires going and he had men on watch. He did not seem surprised to see Prince Pasgen. “Good to see you again.”
I threw him a questioning look. “You knew?”
He shrugged, “I dreamed he was not dead. That is all.” I wished that, sometimes, Myrddyn would share more of his information with me!
Raibeart and Aelle were surprised to see Prince Pasgen. “We had heard rumours that you were in the cells of Civitas Carvetiorum?”
The prince, who had aged considerably since the last time we had seen him, shook his head, “No they tried with traps and ruses but your brother taught me well and I did not trust Ywain.”
“You knew him better than any. What made him change?”
“He thought he was invincible and when he was wounded it cast doubt into his mind and then he relied on the likes of Bladud too much. He forgot the basic rule that a warrior must be true to himself first.” I saw, for the first time, the armour and weapons of Pasgen and his men. It showed the lack of maintenance. “Aelle, do you have a blacksmith?”
“There is Alan. He is good with metal.”
“Have him take a look at the armour and weapons of Prince Pasgen. We will all need better protection if we are to traverse this next part of Saxon England.” Pasgen looked to be embarrassed by their state. I went to him and spoke quietly. “It will take time, my friend, but soon you will command the finest equites in the land again. We have many fine horses on my island and we have begun to breed excellent mounts.”
Pasgen knelt and offered me the hilt of his sword. “As always, Lord Lann, I serve the Warlord of Rheged. Command me as you will.”
I raised him up. “Let us get to Mona first and then work out our allegiances.”
As my captains went to see to their own men Myrddyn put his arm around my shoulder. “And before you collapse Warlord; get some sleep. You have made many good decisions today but if you do not sleep then you may make foolish ones in the morning. I can watch for you and besides,“ he waved his hand at the rest,“ if you do not sleep then your men will not either.”
“Very well, Myrddyn, but wake me at the first sign of trouble!”
I dreamed again that night, perhaps it was Pasgen who stirred the old memories or the reuniting with my brothers but she came to me again, the lady in white, the incarnation of my mother.
‘The dragon must be fought and its child nurtured. Use your brothers wisely and your son will be a great leader.’ She seemed to walk across water and reach her hand out to me and then, just as suddenly, she was gone.
I awoke and saw that it was Myrddyn. “Aedh’s scouts are in. There are Saxons heading down the river. Miach and his archers are in position.” I opened my mouth and he said, “We will talk of the dream later, when we have more time.”
I shook my head. It was hard living with a man who knew your very thoughts. “Raibeart and Aelle?”
“They are rousing the men.”
I watched as the four leaders walked over to me. “Tuanthal and Prince Pasgen, take the horsemen and secure a camp close to the place we used when travelling north. Raibeart and Aelle get your people moving. Aedh, get one of your scouts to lead them you will need to go around the estuary and then follow the coast. The equites should have built a camp by then. It is not a short journey, brothers but we need to put distance between us and then we can try to work out how to get across the Ribble, unseen.”
Raibeart asked, ”And you brother?”
“I will be with my archers slowing down the Saxons.” I flicked a glance at Myrddyn. “And my wizard will be with me.”
The people moved urgently when the word spread that the Saxons were close. The women and children had had the comfort of the boats the previous day but now the lucky ones were riding the crudely constructed wagons while most walked, and looked fearfully over their shoulders. Pol and I joined Miach and his eighty archers. We had mounted Raibeart’s men too, on the spare horses. The rearguard had to be mobile.
“They are coming down the western bank of the river.” Aedh’s report was the worst news. The Saxon leader knew that we had to cross soon. Had we ported the Saxon boats over the rocks then we could have sailed all the way back to Mona but the shallows three miles back and the proximity of the Saxons had meant that we had to do it the hard way.
“Then let us wait for them on the western bank. Mount your men and we will ride south, catch up with the column and then cross over. We will ambush them instead of waiting for them to strike.”
“There are three hundred of them.”
“We will fight from a distance and make them pay for every piece of Rheged that they tread.”
When we reached the rearguard, with Raibeart in command, there was a little panic from some of the warriors; they had not had the success against the Saxons that Miach and my warriors had. “Are they close behind you?”
“No Raibeart but they plan to attack you when you cross and are vulnerable. We will wait in that wood, yonder and ambush them. Keep your men in a line across the river and wait for them there.”I pointed to a wide section of the river.
“Will they manage?”
“Let us see.” I plunged in and the water came up to the horse’s hocks. “It you put a rope up then they can hold that if they are fearful.” Miach had crossed the river higher up and he waved to me as he led his men over the small field next to the river and climbed to the small wooded area. “We will hold them Raibeart, but you and Aelle must push them hard. I have done this and know that there will be complaints. Harden your heart. It will save lives in the long run.”
“I will and stay safe brother.”
The woods were not much higher than the river but when the Saxons came they would be forced closer to the water. Once we were behind the trees and the small rise we dismounted and tied our horses to the branches. The ground to the north was hidden from us and, equally, the Saxons would not know where we crossed. They would be counting on the women slowing us down. I peered anxiously through the trees as the column slowly crossed the river. There were fifty men in a thin line across the river with Raibeart in the middle. They would slow down any Saxon charge but they could not hold them.
We had one scout on the low ridge to the east and he suddenly galloped down. “They are just over the rise, my lord.”
“Well done. Ride down and tell Lord Raibeart and then return here.” I turned to the archers. “We have to wait until they are level with us before we loose and that means we release our arrows quickly. We loose five and then Captain Miach and my archers will retreat two hundred yards along the ridge. Lord Raibeart’s archers will stay with me and loose another five before we join them.” I could see pride mixed with apprehension amongst Raibeart’s men but Miach would ensure that his men covered us when we retreated. I saw Raibeart wave and the column moved quicker when the word was spread.
The scout returned to me. “He said to say thank you my lord.”
“Good. Now you stay with me and Pol. We may need you.”
His eyes widened. “Yes, my lord!”
Suddenly the line of Saxons erupted over the ridgeline. Their attention was gripped by the column, the tail end of which was just entering the water. They must have thought that, with so few warriors guarding the river, they had the column cold for they spent time forming a wedge and then they began to lumber down the rock littered slope. I could see a chief at the front and the warriors were banging their shields as they descended. It was intended to intimidate the men in the river but they stood calmly as the last few women and children crossed. Raibeart took his men and formed a shield wall two men deep. The Saxon chief would have been hoping that his enemy would do that. He would destroy the warriors and then capture the column at his leisure.
The Saxons were coming obliquely down the slope and they were treading carefully. Their leader did not want to risk his men losing cohesion. He did not need to run hard, the slope and the sheer weight of numbers would ensure his success. He outnumbered Raibeart by almost seven to one. It was impossible for him to lose.
When the wedge was before us, just a hundred paces away, I shouted, “Loose!” The archers needed no more orders. Their five flights flew effortlessly into the air and into the wedge. The Saxons were confused and looked for the source of the death which rained upon them. Even as they saw our hiding place and began to turn Miach and my men mounted their horses and galloped from cover. Raibeart’s men still loosed their next five flights. In that time the wedge half turned and tried to lumber towards us. It could not complete the manoeuvre quickly. “Right lads. Well done and to horse! Let us get out of here!”
We mounted and set off after Miach. The Saxon chief urged his men towards us. One of them hurled his throwing axe and it struck the scout’s horse a lucky blow on the hind leg. It suddenly bucked and then slipped, throwing the unfortunate youth to the ground. “Pol, grab him.” As Pol reached down to help him up I notched another arrow and aimed it at the warrior who was but thirty paces from me. The arrow went through his helmet and out of the back of his skull. I wheeled my mount around and followed the others as the cheers of Raibeart’s men and the archers rang in my ears.