by Griff Hosker
I took his good arm. “Thank you old friend. We will talk later.”
“Go, Warlord, your family waits.”
I ran through the doorway still guarded by two warriors who grinned and nodded as I raced by. I ran up the stairs to our chambers and there, with Nanna and eight of the slaves and servant women was my wife. “There,” she said as I entered, “it is the Warlord and so it will be safe for you to leave my room.”
They giggled as they ran by and two of them surreptitiously touched the hem of my mail shirt. “I reached out to hug her and Nanna gurgled happily. “You are both safe, thank the Allfather!”
She snorted, “I think I would have been happier on the ramparts with a sword in my hand than stuck in here with those simpering fools wailing on about being raped by Irishmen.” She pushed me away and glanced up and down my body. “You are still whole then? Despite fighting the whole Hibernian tribe on your own.”
“I did very little fighting, well less than many.”
“Aye and more than most! I can see the damage to your armour.” She half glanced out of the window, “Hogan, Pol, Lann? They are safe too?”
“They are all safe and the only warrior I have not seen is Ridwyn but he is too awkward to die.”
“Well you have seen us now you can go and see the others. She is due for a feed and a change anyway. Now go!”
Myfanwy was the most practical and organised of women. As much as I had loved Aideen, I loved Myfanwy just as much. Myrddyn and Brother Oswald were busy bringing the interior of the castle back to some sort of order. I could see great armfuls of iron being brought in and I knew that Garth would be organising the funeral pyre for the dead, both Hibernian and Roman. Despite what our enemies thought, we always honoured the dead of both sides. It would not do to meet a warrior in the Otherworld whom you had dishonoured. Pol and Lann led in our mounts. Tuanthal and Hogan would have taken theirs to the stables which were between the castle and the bridge fort. Had the Hibernians been cleverer they could have caused much damage and hurt us for the future but, thankfully they had not. The damage they had done was superficial. We would rebuild the wooden walls but in stone this time.
I wandered around the castle, asking warriors who had been wounded how they were; I was already planning for the future. We had to have a bigger army. With the Imperial alliance we could afford it. I knew, from conversations with Brother Oswald, that in paying us more than the wheat was worth they were, in fact, subsidising us. If that meant we had a bigger army and we survived then so be it. I was also determined to increase the equites. They had almost won this battle on their own. I would give Hogan his own company. First I would send Hogan, Pol and an archer to Constantinople to study with the strategos. It was even more vital now. My son and Pol would learn to become Cataphractoi.
Myrddyn found me, his arm in a sling. “Come Warlord. You must tell me of what went on outside of the walls and I will give you a brief account of our travails.”
When I had told him he frowned. “I like not this alliance Warlord. We can ill afford two enemies at either end of our island.”
“And that is why I ordered the raiders slaughtered. If fifty escaped in their handful of ships I shall be surprised.”
“All dead? You have changed Warlord.”
“I suppose I have. Since speaking with Andronikos I have seen our place in the world. We are the last of the Romans. I had thought we were the last warriors of Rheged but he has shown me a different perspective. I want future generations to remember this as a golden time and not a time of blackness and evil.” He nodded and looked strangely happy. “And you Myrddyn, how did you fare?”
“Gwynfor came during the night and told us that he had seen the Irish ships sneaking up the coast and so I deduced what would happen. I abandoned the bridge fort; seeded the ditches with lillia and brewed up some Greek Fire, not enough as it happens, but it saved us nonetheless. When they attacked we were ready. Brother Oswald armed every man we could. The whole of Caergybi was within our walls and we had more men than we ought to have had. The Greek Fire and the bolts took the heart from them but without your timely intervention they would have won. We need to build towers to allow us to clear the walls from the sides. We will work on it.”
“We must speak with my son and Tuanthal. I know nothing of the fight in the north.”
The weary leaders of equites trudged through the gates. I knew both of them would have seen to their horses and to their men before they came to see me. It was not disrespect it was how I had trained them. “I saw the lance and the mace. They were both impressive weapons.”
Hogan looked as he had when he was a child and I had complimented him. He looked proud enough to burst. “Thank you. That means much. And I cannot wait to wear the new helmets; if Ralph ever manages to make one.”
“Do not be unfair to Ralph. He is doing his best and besides I have a better plan.”
He was intrigued, “Tell me more.”
“No son, that can wait until Captain Tuanthal has made his report.”
“When we reached Aelle’s Burgh they were massing outside and trying to burn the walls. We used the archers to break them up and then we charged before they had time to form a shield wall. Once they were broken they withdrew and we entered the burgh. The next day they were gone.”
“Aye it seems the Hibernians are beginning to learn about following orders. It seems that this is a plan of Iago’s and he launched an attack on Pasgen while we were preoccupied. I think his plan was to draw us to Mungo’s Burgh while his allies destroyed this castle and then he expected us to tramp back north to deal with the dead.”
Tuanthal; smiled. “Then he underestimated the Dux Britannica.” He became serious. “So we know not what happened there.”
“No and I intend to ride there this evening to discover what happened.”
They looked at each other. “Then we will bring the equites to protect you. “
“No, I will take Hogan and ten only, the rest will need to join Aedh and scour the island for any Hibernians who escaped the slaughter. There is a band in the east who slew the scouts.”
Myrddyn and Myfanwy agreed that I should go but I could see that they were both happy that my son was my escort. As a horseman he had no peer. We left in late afternoon and we took it steadily for our horses were tired. We wore no armour to save weight. If we saw an enemy then we would run. As I said to Pol and Hogan as we rode east, I was not expecting a disaster. “I left three good leaders there and if they have failed then we will all eventually fail for I trained them.”
The sun was setting behind us as we rode the Roman Road and it cast long shadows before us. It reminded me of the warriors in the past whose long shadows were before us; Julius Agricola and Emperor Hadrian. Both were great leaders and protectors of Britannia. I was now their heir and I took that responsibility to heart. “I have in mind for you two to go to Constantinople and spend the winter learning about that great city and how we can become better warriors. How do you feel about it?”
The two friends roared with delight. Hogan reached over to put his huge arm around me. “That is the best present you could ever give me.”
“You will have to work and to learn but I believe the strategos will be good for you both. You need someone other than me to be your teacher and I need some of the ideas from the east. I will ask Miach to select a young archer to go with you and perhaps one of Brother Oswald’s acolytes. But you Hogan, as the son of Dux Britannica, would have to be responsible for all of you.”
“I will not let you down father.”
The two of them began talking animatedly about what they would do when they were there and what the voyage would be like. I rode next to Lann and saw his downcast face. “Do not be unhappy nephew. This will be the first of many such visits. Be patient. You are now where Hogan was last year and Pol the year before. Watch and learn and be ready when the opportunity comes your way.”
We became alert and focussed as we approached Mungo’s Bu
rgh. We could see, across the water the glow of burning. Had the wily Iago managed to defeat my men and was he waiting now inside my forts to fall upon us? Hogan sent one of his men forwards to the gatehouse. He was challenged and he answered. If this was a trap then we would know when the hordes of warriors fell upon us. He came back smiling. “It is not taken my lord. I know the guard. They are lowering the drawbridge.”
“Nonetheless be ready for a trap. Until I see Mungo I will be sceptical.” We rode forwards with swords drawn. The bridge dropped and then, as the gate opened I saw framed in the light, the unmistakeable figure of Mungo.”It is good to see you old friend.”
I dismounted and walked towards him. He clasped my arm and looked at me in surprise. “You came alone? Where is the rest of the army?”
We continued walking onto the inner yard. “With respect Mungo I need to know what happened here and I need to know now.”
“We lit the beacons as soon as the attack began. I sent Wolf and Dragon to assist Prince Pasgen. When we received the request for help we could not do so for I did not know if we would be able to hold them. The king attacked with new allies and along the length of the southern wall which, as you know is weaker than the north. Calum sent a signal asking for reinforcements and I sent all but fifty men to aid the defence. That was this morning and I have received no signals since.”
That worried me. I had seen fires burning. “Are the two ships still safe? And the bridge?”
“Aye my lord, it was not touched. The ships were still sailing when night fell and I have ten men guarding the bridge at this end.”
“Then while your men get us some food, for we have not eaten all day, we will tell you how close Iago came to defeating us.”
When Mungo heard all, he hung his head. “I am ashamed to say, Warlord, that, when you did not come, I thought you had abandoned us. Please forgive me I should have trusted my heart and not my head.”
“There is nothing to forgive. I should have sent a clearer message and we need to improve our own communications. If they survive still on the mainland then we need not worry.”
Hogan belched and said, “Sorry. Fine meal Captain Mungo but you need fear not. Prince Pasgen and Calum are both good commanders. When Tuanthal and I were based there I saw that they would not be easily shifted. They will be there on the morrow.”
I did not sleep well, despite my exhaustion and I dreamed…
I was in a den with a she wolf and two cubs. Some hunters were outside and they had lit a fire. The fire was throwing off copious amounts of smoke and I was torn between saving my cubs and fighting off the hunters. I leapt out and there was a ring of Saxons with spears levelled at me. As the she wolf and the cubs came out I leapt at the warrior with the longest spear and I began to tear his throat. Spears plunged into me and I was suddenly thrown into the air and I was falling…. falling….
I awoke, bathed in sweat and with Lann standing in the doorway, dawn’s early light forming a corona around him. “Warlord? Did you call?”
I sat up and smiled. It was Wyddfa and it was a dream. “No Lann. I was just dreaming. Fetch me some water and my armour.”
I could not face food and I lead Hogan and the equites along with Mungo to the bridge. We pulled ourselves across and it took longer than it normally did. That was good for it enabled me to scan the shore and see what was amiss. Our standard still flew at Pasgen’s fort and the wall appeared unbreached. I could see, to the south the masts of two ships which I presumed to be The Wolf and The Dragon. What I could not see was the band of men who should have been there at the bridge.”Take the bridge back and go with them Mungo. Until we know that all is well I will not risk you too. We can swim the horses back if the fort has fallen.”
The man from Strathclyde reluctantly agreed. We mounted and rode towards the southern wall. Our weapons were unsheathed and we were on high alert. “Spread out. Lann and Pol stay behind me.” There was a strange silence broken only by the lapping of the sea on the shore. I knew that we had at least a thousand paces to go to reach the wall but I had expected that we would have seen men ere now.
Suddenly I saw warriors on the southern rampart and they looked to be a mixture of archers and Calum’s warriors. Of course they could have been Iago’s men in dead men’s clothes but I did not think so. I kicked Scout on and we began to trot. As we neared the wall I heard a thin cheer which spread along the whole wall. And I heard the chant of “Warlord! Warlord!” Unless this was a really elaborate ruse then the fort was still ours but it begged the question, where was the garrison?
As I reached the wall Walch, the archer came to greet me. His leg was heavily bandaged and he limped. “Warlord, we wondered why you had not come.”
“I will explain later but where are Prince Pasgen and Captain Calum?”
He pointed to the south. “They left yesterday afternoon to pursue King Iago as he fled. We defeated them at the walls.” I could just see the tops of the masts and he gestured to them. “The two ships broke up their shield wall and then Prince Pasgen charged them when they were still disorganised and we poured arrows on them like water from a fall. They broke and Captain Calum joined the pursuit.”
“Good. You have done well. Has someone looked at your leg?”
“Aye my lord we have healers.”
“Hogan, take the equites and find Prince Pasgen. He may need your assistance.”
Walch laughed, “I think the mood those two are in they will take on the world.”
I finally smiled. We were safe and we had beaten our two closest enemies. I was Dux Britannica still.
Part 4
Saxon Blood
Chapter 17
It was harder than I thought it would be, saying goodbye to Pol and Hogan. It had taken a month to arrange the voyage; any longer and it would have risked the autumn storms. We sent five scholars in the end. Miach sent his son, Daffydd ap Miach, Brother Oswald sent Brother John and Bishop Stephen requested that we send Brother Matthew from the monastery. I did not mind for Andronikos had not specified a number and the more who went the more knowledge we would have. They would be away until the spring. The captain of their transport told us of the time it would take and I was sad. Myfanwy also shed tears. She was very fond not only of Hogan but Pol both of whom were like sons to her.
As we watched the ship from the cliffs slowly disappear south, it seemed a final act to what had been an eventful year. King Iago had escaped Prince Pasgen despite his best efforts but his army had been hacked to a shadow of its former self. The king would do well to hang on to what he had and would pose no threat to us. The Hibernians had sent a peace envoy who swore loyalty to us and begged to be our ally. My message back was that we would think about it and finally we began to get droves of volunteers who wished to serve the Dux Britannica. Some came from as far afield as Gaul and Italia while others came from Northumbria, Strathclyde and even the Saxon kingdoms. The men we had lost would soon be made up in numbers if not quality. Garth, Tuanthal and Miach spent every waking hour training them to their usual high standards. We had received the first of the payments for the wheat and they came in the form of a set of armour and helmets for twenty equites. It was a small number but it was a start. We now had stone walls around our settlements and not wooden walls. Our near disaster of the autumn had been a lesson well learned. We would improve our defences to keep our families safe. The New Year promised much, especially as Myfanwy was with child again and my family would become larger but no less precious.
Before that we had a Yule celebration and, with Hogan missing, I made sure that Raibeart and Aelle brought their whole families to cement the bonds of blood.
The trade with the Empire had resulted in some luxury goods being available. Andronikos had sent Myfanwy a present of some exotic spices and the food that Yule was particularly exciting. Gareth had also traded for some amphorae of wine which enriched and enlivened the celebrations. Aelle’s and Raibeart’s children were now grown and they enjoyed playing and spoiling their n
ew cousin. Lann Aelle also looked more confident as he showed his cousins and siblings around the castle he now called home. He knew every nook and cranny. He even took his father and uncle on a tour of the military side of the castle and they were impressed with the improvements we had made since the attack.
Myrddyn and Brother Oswald had built towers which protruded from the wall to allow archers to pick off men trying to climb the walls. As with the forts at the Narrows the ditches were made steep on one side, ankle breakers Myrddyn called them, and gentle on the other. We could not divert a stream here but we would use jagged pieces of rock to be permanent traps which would not need replacing after every attack. The watch towers, not only at the castle, but also across the island were improved and increased. We only needed them to be made from wood which meant that we could build them quicker and taller.
After the feast while the younger people danced and sang I retired with my brothers, Garth, Tuanthal, Miach, Ridwyn and Myrddyn to my solar. It was dark and there was no view but it was a place that Myrddyn and I used when we wanted to mull something over. It was natural that the men should gather there with our beakers of unwatered wine and reflect on the year that had gone and the year that was to come.
“Your new towers should aid us brother.”
“They will Raibeart but the Hibernians showed us how vulnerable we are to coastal attacks. I intend to use the two ships to patrol our waters, in opposite directions. They can be out at sea and give us early warning of any attacker. I know that their captains will need to trade but they can alternate. Gwynfor’s shipwrights are already building two smaller boats with just two bolt throwers on board to help them.”
“And what of the new men? I hear there are many.”
I chuckled. “I did not think that my new title would attract so many but it has. How many men have we now Myrddyn? I saw you and Brother Oswald with the lists the other day.”