Housecarl

by Griff Hosker

  The next day, despite my red eyes and tired head we shouldered our weapons and headed in land towards the heart of Gruffyd’s lands. Aethelward and the Earl had had information that he was in the centre of his country where the mountains were high. We knew that the Earl of Northumbria was leading the bulk of the army south and we hoped to catch him between us; like a piece of metal between the hammer and the anvil. We saw ourselves as the hammer for we knew that we were the finest three hundred warriors in England. We had never been defeated and that bred confidence.

  Within a day of leaving the estuary we found our first stronghold. It was a small hill fort called Maen Llwyd. There was a small garrison but they appeared to us to be poorly armed. Sweyn lined us up in three lines rather than two. As usual we were to the right of the second line. There was a small ditch and a palisade which ran around the mound. It was not steep and I suspect they had chosen the site as it was close to the river and could watch rather than protect. Sweyn walked up to the gate and called upon them to surrender. I am not sure that they understood him for his reply was a volley of arrows. It was a warning to us for they all struck his shield. Holding it above his head he retreated.

  “Well my lord it looks like we will have to take this little pimple.”

  We knew that he was right. We could not leave it as it could stop us leaving at some future time. We prepared to attack. If they only had arrows then we would make short work of them. Aethelward and the Earl held conference and my uncle cam over to us. “I want you thirty warriors to attack the right side of the fort.” The warriors he identified were the thirty of us on the right. I saw him go to the left flank and do the same there. It meant that the front of the fort would be assaulted by over two hundred warriors and they would face the main attack but our presence on the flanks would mean that the Welsh could not place all of their men on one wall. Once again I saw the strategos that was my uncle.

  As we edged around the side, making sure that we were well out of arrow range I wondered who would lead us. Sweyn stood before the main band while my uncle and the Earl waited behind. Soon it became obvious that we would lead ourselves. That was the first time I realised the status of a Housecarl. He was more than a mindless warrior obeying orders; he was part of a machine and each part was capable of acting independently. In that moment I felt as proud and as honoured as I had ever felt.

  Sweyn roared, “Forward!” and, holding our shields before us so that only our eyes peered over the top, we marched towards the stronghold. As we marched we banged our spears on the backs of our shields. It helped us keep time and it made a terrifying sound. The arrows began to thud onto our shields as soon as we were in range. Some stuck in the wood but many others pinged off the metal. When the arrows struck a helmet it was alarming for the warrior as it made a sound like a small bell although none of the arrows penetrated, we all wore the best helmets we could afford. When the front rank reached the ditch we, in the second rank, halted to allow them to cross safely. The Welsh had sown the bottom with wooden, sharpened stakes and I saw three warriors fall backwards, their feet damaged by the pointed sticks. The other seven climbed to the top and then hurried to the wall where they stood with their shields above their heads to protect them from the missiles and stones thrown upon them. We were quicker across the ditch having seen the obstacles and we avoided the traps. Once we had attained the wall half of us protected the seven warriors with our shields while the other half jabbed upwards with our spears. The Welsh had not built the wall high enough and we were all tall warriors. Our spears pushed them back from the edge and the flurry of stones ceased. The seven warriors hacked at the walls with their axes their sharp blades making short work of the wooden structure. With the third rank behind us we were able to prepare to assault. While the third rank watched and cleared the ramparts we fell into a small wedge formation. Gurt was in the front and Ridley and I were second; with Wolf and Osgar on the left and right flanks we felt secure. As soon as Gurt saw daylight through the wooden walls he shouted, “Push!” and we rushed the gap. His shield struck the hole and then the force of nine more warriors cracked it open like an egg. We were through!

  To our left we could see men still on the walls holding off Sweyn and our comrades. Gurt turned us and we ran at the warriors who were attempting to barricade the gate. Even had we not been reinforced by our comrades from the breach I am sure that the ten of us could have seen off the pathetically poorly armed men who turned in horror to see our spears and shields bearing down upon them. It was child’s play. I stabbed forwards and saw Boar Splitter rip into the throat of the startled and surprised Welsh warrior before me. I did not penetrate far and, turning the blade, retrieved it to stab into the unprotected side of a man who had been too slow to turn and face us. By now men were coming from the walls to fight off this threat to the gate. Gurt shouted. “Wolf, Osgar get the gate open!” Ridley and I turned to protect the backs of our friends as they began to lift off the bars which held the gates in place. Four warriors, armed with shields and swords angrily raced towards us. I was to Ridley’s right and exposed but I had Boar Splitter and the joy of battle was upon me. I stabbed forwards over the shield of the man in the middle and felt my spear slice into flesh. He fell back and I was able to deflect the sword of his companion on my shield and then I used the edge of Boar Splitter to slice across his unprotected head. Its sharpened blade sliced across his eyes and he fell screaming to the floor. Ignoring him I faced the man I had cut first and I saw fear in his face. He was terrified facing a mailed warrior a head taller than he with a spear which outranged his short sword. Bravely he came at me but without enthusiasm and with a flick of my shield I knocked his sword aside and as he raised his shield to protect his head I slid Boar Splitter hard into his midriff. He was not a big warrior and the blade emerged from the back. I dropped the spear for it would have been difficult to remove it and unslung Death Bringer whilst sliding my shield to my back. Someone must have been watching over me for as I did so I felt the thud of a spear thrown from the walls which thudded into my shield and banged sharply against my back.

  I shouted, “Ridley” and, his opponents having been killed, he took out the spear and, in one easy motion threw it back at the man who had thrown it at me. His shocked eyes stared at us both as he tumbled from the walls. Osgar and Wolf had the gates open and our men poured through. The garrison immediately surrendered. We had won again.

  As we consolidated our gains I looked around and could see few warriors who had fallen. Unusually Earl Harold had not had the prisoners killed as was our normal practice, instead the ten survivors were being herded by a group of Housecarls led by my uncle. One of the newer Housecarls was punching the air in joy although I noticed his spear was clean, he had not drawn blood. “This is easy. If the rest of the Welsh are like this we will be home in a week.”

  Ulf loomed up behind him. “Boy! These were not warriors, they were the men of the land, the fyrd, here to defend their country. When you meet real Welsh warriors then you can judge. Until then clean up the bodies.”

  I smiled at Wolf. “Were we ever like that?”

  Osgar sniffed as he cleaned his axe. “What do you mean were?”

  Osgar always had a way of bringing you down to earth. I retrieved Boar Splitter and cleaned my weapons. I searched the fort and found the well. Drawing a bucket I drank heavily. Battle always made my mouth dry. Ridley and the others joined us. “Those stakes were nasty. The lads who were wounded have to go back to the ships; they cannot walk.”

  “Let us hope that we do not have too many forts to assault then.”

  I was intrigued by the prisoners and wandered over. My uncle was using one of the Housecarls who spoke and understood a little Welsh. To my ears its sounded like someone clearing their throat and spitting but apparently it made sense to the warrior. “Hobble them and tie their hands. They will be sent back to the ships with the wounded.”

  I felt sorry then for the captives. Their lives had been saved but not their free
dom, they would become thralls, slaves probably working in the tin mines of Cornwall. Better to die fighting than live as a slave. I was close enough to my uncle and the Earl to hear their conversation.

  “I believe that the king is close to Rhuddlan, on the border. There is a valley which runs north eastwards and emerges close to Rhuddlan.”

  “That is close to St Asaph and the dragon mountain is it not?”

  “Aye. If he retreats from your brother he could go three ways, west to his court but we have men there, south and that would bring him to us or towards the mountain stronghold.”

  The Earl looked northwards although there were many mountains between the dragon mountain and us. “Then I hope he comes towards us for it would take a year to winkle him out of that mountain.” My uncle nodded his agreement and I prayed that Gruffyd would retreat from Tostig and come towards us. In those days I believed I was invincible and the thought of fighting the whole of the Welsh army with but three hundred men did not worry me.

  Now that the Welsh king had fewer options Harold sent two ships back with the wounded and the thralls and the rest to meet us off the northern coast of Wales. It seemed likely that we would have to fight him close to the heart of his dragon kingdom but we were in good spirits. Victory gives men that confidence and a confident army can defy any odds, well as we were to find out a couple of years later, almost any odds. In deference to his leg Aethelward rode a horse as did Harold. We did not mind for we were Housecarls and marched proudly with an axe o’er one shoulder and a spear on the other. We marched in mail now for we were in enemy territory. As we marched I told my companions of the Spartans who had numbered three hundred, as we had and they had defied and held up the largest and greatest army the world had ever seen, the Persians and they had done so for ten days.

  Ridley believed everything I said but Wolf was sceptical. “Three hundred held off tens of thousands for ten days? I cannot believe it.”

  “Ah but you see their king Leonidas was clever. He placed his three hundred in a narrow valley such as this.” I waved my arm around the steep sides of the valley. They were so high that you thought they would fall in upon you, “he had his back protected by a thousand others.”

  “Ah a thousand now this is more than the three hundred.”

  I shook my head. “The one thousand were like the fyrd and they did not fight; when the Spartans were surrounded they were sent away and the three hundred died to a man.”

  Osgar asked me quietly. “How do you know this?”

  “Uncle told me. He heard the story when he was in Constantinople and it is famous in the Greek world.”

  My uncle’s involvement in the story increased its credibility. “Did they have bows?”

  “No, they had spears, large round shields and short swords.”

  “So they were Housecarls?”

  I thought about it. “I suppose they were for they were the bodyguard to the king but they only had helmets, leather body armour and greaves.”

  Even Osgar was impressed. “Brave men then. And they all died?”

  “To a man but through their sacrifice they won the war for the Greeks and defeated the Persians who had the largest army in the world at that time.” We could all empathise with this for we would also sacrifice our lives for our leader and our country.

  When we reached the long lake we were at the narrowest part of the valley and Earl Harold made us camp at the northern end where we filled the entrance to the valley like a cork in a jug. Behind us the land rose to the col which led to the lake. We could see a long way to the north west but as it was coming on to dark we could not make out many details. We were all excited about the prospect of action. Ulf came to fetch myself and Ridley and took us to the Earl. Wolf and Osgar looked curiously on.

  Earl Harold led us to one side. “You two are accomplished horsemen Aethelward tells me. “

  I suppressed a smile at the memory of Ridley’s first attempts. But he had improved. “Thank you my lord.”

  “Get out of those mail shirts and just take your spears and swords. I want the two of you to take these horses and scout out the land ahead. Find the Welsh but do not let them find you.”

  I felt honoured that we had been chosen and noticed that we were given no choice in this matter. “We will not let you down my lord.”

  Harold look surprised and then said, “I never thought for one moment that you would.”

  He left us with my uncle who helped us to disrobe. “Now be cautious Aelfraed. You are not going to fight you are going to look. Better return with a negative report than become embroiled in a fight.” He looked at Ridley. “I asked for you because you are the sensible one. Look after this headstrong nephew of mine.”

  I did not know whether to be insulted or angry or pleased but Ridley beamed like the cat which has found an upturned jug of cream. Not withstanding my reaction to the words I was pleased with the mission and we headed down the other side of the pass. As we rode down I noticed that it was only wide enough for ten men at most. Any army ascending would have difficulty maintaining cohesion but then again any force fighting them would struggle to maintain their ranks. The valley sides were still steep and covered in woods. Any Welsh army would have to keep to the flat land at the bottom. The stream to our right bubbled and burbled noisily but I knew that it would be no obstacle to warriors for although rocky it was shallow. This part of the valley would suit the Welsh. Darkness fell further and it was difficult to see as the last rays of the sun dipped below the mountains to the west. The horses were sure footed and we relied on that to keep us safe. Suddenly my mount snorted and stopped. Up ahead I heard a whinny. I quickly dismounted and held my hand over my horse’s nose. I did not want him to answer for the noise we had heard meant there were riders ahead.

  Ridley skipped from his horse and we tied them to a tree. We moved quickly and silently towards the origin of the whinny. We moved away from the stream for its noise meant that we could not hear as well and our hearing was now more useful than our sight. The sharp nosed Ridley held up his hand and I stopped. We peered into the dark. Ridley had either heard or smelled something, he later told me it was a smell, and after a few moments our eyes adjusted to the dark and we saw the white faces of the sentries. They too had tethered their horses to a tree. We could see two but suddenly a Welsh voice shouted from our left and we knew there were more. I gestured to the right and we returned to the stream. I stepped into it, its icy shock almost making me start, and began to walk slowly along the valley. I assumed that guards would not be looking in the stream for potential enemies and I remembered my first watch. Once we had moved a few dozen paces I calculated that we were within their picket lines and we headed for dry land. As soon as we left the water I felt the blood rush to my feet and the warmth was almost painful.

  Ahead of us, through the trees, we could see the camp of the Welsh. It was difficult to estimate numbers but I counted forty camp fires. It was a sizeable army. We suddenly froze as two men approached. We cowered in the bushes hardly daring to breath. I cursed their arrival and feared that we would be discovered. They dropped their breeks and then turning their backs on the water they squatted. The foul smell which arose told me their purpose. When they had finished they used some grass and then returned whence they had come. I led Ridley back to the stream, avoiding the place the warriors had used and then walked back up the valley. When we neared where I judged the picket line to be I glanced to the right but, seeing no one continued up a little further. It seemed an age until we found our horses. I was dreading returning to the Earl to tell him we had lost his horses but we eventually found them and trotted back up the valley. It was late when we reached the camp but Ulf and my uncle were waiting for us. They took us immediately to the Earl.

  “Well?”

  “The Welsh army is three miles away beyond the woods. There were at least forty fires and they have horses.”

  Harold seemed almost relieved. “Good! And you escaped attention?”

 
“No one saw us.”

  “Good. I am in your debt. I thank God for the day I came to Medelai and found you men and Aethelward.” He turned to my uncle. “Once again you have chosen the field well. We fight them here, tomorrow.”

  Chapter 8

  Wales 1063

  I stood in the second rank. Boar Splitter rested behind my shoulder and I wielded Death Bringer. With my shield on my back I stood awaiting the assault which we knew was coming. Those in the third rank waited with their shields ready to protect those of us in the front two ranks. So far it had been archers who had cost us the largest casualties and it was those in the rear rank who would stop the missiles. Earl Harold was counting on the fact they would use their archers first and then charge with their warriors. We knew that he had few Housecarls remaining for we had killed many of them in our first campaign and those that he did have would not face up to the whirling blades of one hundred fierce warriors. Some of us may have doubted that but not the strategy of Earl Harold and Aethelward of Medelai. No matter how many men we lost we could survive and more than that we would win.

  The dismay of the approaching Welsh army was obvious as they trudged along the valley. When they saw us perched atop the col spread out across their escape route we could almost hear their collective cry of despair. Gruffyd was no coward, despite his flight the first time we had fought, and he sent forwards his spearman supported by his archers. It was his archers we feared and as they drew back we all braced. It was hard to stand there without a shield and rely on the men behind for protection. Luckily the shields we bore were large and few men were hit by the missiles as they rained down. The shields and the armour meant that the wounds we suffered were light. The spear men, who greatly outnumbered us advanced but we were confident. Standing above them our axes flayed a path at head height. The axes first sheared the spear heads and then the warrior heads. Those in the front rank did not even see the enemies they killed; they were in the killing zone and brave warrior after brave warrior died without coming close to the shield wall.