by Griff Hosker
The hillside was covered with gorse bushes and rocks. We used both for cover as we slid silently down the slope. When we reached a point a half a mile or so from the first hut, we halted, to get our bearings, and to get a better idea of the layout of the village. I could see that they had a warrior hall. It was in the middle of the huts. Its size clearly marked it out. That would be where Aethelfrith and his oathsworn were. There were two guards outside the front entrance which made me think that the hostages would be inside. There were also four men guarding the Saxon ship which was tied up to the jetty.
I signalled for Aedh and the two brothers to move around to the other side of the village. I needed to know if there was any danger from that quarter.
They had not been gone long when two warriors walked from the warrior hall and seemed to be making directly for us. I slid my dagger out. If they came too close we would have to silence them. None of us moved. So long as we were just shadows we would be safe. They were within ten paces of us when they stopped. They began to urinate and I wondered why they had come so far from the huts to perform this common act. Normally they would have just stepped beyond the last hut and then they talked.
“We left some good men behind today, Rolf.”
“I know but we had to have the hostages. King Edwin has too much power for us to defeat him in the east. Our lord is right; we need to build up those who follow us and use our strength in the west. King Cadfan and his men have made Mercia weak. It is like a chicken ready to be plucked.”
“I had fought with those warriors who died the other day in the shield wall. We could have turned and defeated them. There were but a handful and only two had mail.”
“Aye but one was the Wolf Warrior himself and the other was his standard bearer. I would not like to go against either of them; at least not in shifting sands and on their land.”
“You may be right but will this Warlord hand over the fort for the boy? I would not. A man can easily father another brat but he cannot retake a fort as easily.”
“No, but this Lord Lann believes in family. Had his wife still been on the island we would have taken her when we sought a hostage. Have faith, the gods favoured us and allowed us to take the richest prize we could and we have the prince too. We can use him to get what we want from his father.”
“The gods weren’t with us when that Dane laid about him with his sword. There were six good warriors fell to his blade.”
“Wyrd, Raed , wyrd. Now come let us go back. We have the guard duty soon and I would like to have a little more ale beneath my belt by then.”
The two men turned and returned to the huts. I watched them carefully and saw that they entered the warrior hall. Were they the guards for the hall or for the hostages? We would know when we saw the changing of the guards for I had marked them both. I also felt a shiver down my spine; they had been to Caer Gybi and looked for my family. I would need to be ever more vigilant from now on.
It became quieter and there was less movement. Suddenly Aedh and the brothers appeared behind us. “There are no guards on the other side but the hut behind the warrior hall has two guards there.”
I pointed to the warrior hall. “When they change those guards we will head to the hut you have discovered. That may well be where they hold them.”
The noises from the hall slowly subsided. When the two guards were changed and it was not Raed and Rolf who relieved them then I knew where the boys were. They would not guard an empty hut. We stood without any commands being given and we slowly and silently slipped around the outside of the village. Aedh led the way. I saw that the two guards were Rolf and Raed. I also knew that they had been drinking. I predicted that they would need to relieve themselves sooner rather than later. This time they would not go far but just slip around the side of the hut and that was where we would wait for them. I signalled for Lann Aelle, Tadgh and Drugh to move to one side of the hut. I took Aedh and the two brothers to the other side. Then we waited. I kept my sword in its scabbard for I would need a knife.
I could hear the two guards talking although they never mentioned what they were guarding. They spoke of their dead comrades and then their hopes for a future raiding the lands of the King of Gwynedd. I hoped it would be the hostages who were within the hut but it could be anything. Doubts began to assail my mind. Where would they have put the hostages? I did not think that they would have the hostages in the warrior hall. Aethelfrith would not want to risk a drunken warrior hurting them prematurely. Perhaps this was Aethelfrith’s hut. If that was the case then the gods were definitely smiling upon me. I could rescue my son and kill Aethelfrith.
I suddenly heard one of the guards, I think it was Raed, say, “I need a leak.”
Our daggers were already out and we waited to see if he came around our side of the hut. He did not. When we heard the soft sigh, such as someone makes in their sleep, we slipped around the front. Raed would be in the Otherworld already. Rolf was already peering around the far side to see what the noise was. Aedh was on him in a flash and his throat was slit before he could utter a sound. The two brothers caught the warrior and his weapons before he crashed to the ground. In the quiet hours such a sudden sound would have alerted the other guards at the warrior hall and on the jetty. I stood where he had been. Lann Aelle joined me and we stood there while the bodies were removed.
Tadgh and Drugh picked up the dead Saxon’s weapons and stood at the entrance to the hut. I couldn’t hear any sounds from inside but that meant nothing. I nodded to Aedh who pulled the door open and I burst in. There was a dying fire in the middle of the hut. Before me I saw a sleeping Saxon warrior. He must have felt the draught from the door for his eyes widened as he awoke. I fell on him and stabbed him in the throat. He too died silently. I looked up, anxiously, and there, on the far side of the fire were the two boys tied back to back. Prince Cadwallon’s eyes were wide with terror. I took off my helmet and his face broke into a smile. I held my finger to my lips.
I cut their bonds. Lann Aelle helped Cadwallon to his feet and I turned Gawan over. His hand was covered in a dirty bloody bandage. His eyes filled with tears when he saw me. I clutched him to my chest and held him tightly. I whispered in his ear, “I am here to take you home.”
He whispered back. “We knew you would come.”
Lann Aelle gave the two boys the daggers from the dead men; we were few enough as it was and we needed all the weapons we could muster. “What now, Warlord?”
It was a vexed question. I had not expected it to be as easy as it had been but what were we to do now? If we left we risked the guards being missed. “How long until dawn?”
“It is not yet the false dawn. I would guess a couple of hours.”
Men tended to get up in the early hours of the morning to relieve themselves. We had to stay for at least another hour and we risked discovery by each passing moment.
“Aedh get the fire arrow ready. If we are discovered then give the signal immediately.” I turned to the boys. “We have a ship coming into the harbour at dawn. We will have to go past the warrior hall and that cannot be helped. We will need a great deal of fortune and silence to do so undetected. You will go with Wem and Garth and you will do all that they say. Is that clear?”
They both nodded relief and terror showing in equal measure on their faces. I smiled. Looking down I saw a jug of ale. I poured a beaker and swallowed it down then handed to Lann Aelle. He passed it to the others. It tasted rough but at that moment my throat was so dry I would have drunk horse’s piss.
Wem’s voice suddenly came from the outside. “Two men just staggered out of the hall.”
“Better get ready. If they get too close then we make a break for the harbour.” I unsheathed Saxon Slayer and Aedh prepared his arrows.
Lann Aelle put his arm around Gawan’s shoulder. “Do not worry, cousin. We will soon be back at home and you will be safe. Just follow the brothers and leave these Saxons to us.”
It made me smile that just a few short years ago
Lann Aelle had been the same age as my son and yet now he was so confident and assured. I glanced at the disfigured bandaged hand and knew that it was unlikely that Gawan would achieve the same level of skill as his cousin. Aethelfrith would pay.
Tadgh peered out of the door. “They are coming over.”
“Lann Aelle, you speak Saxon, pretend you are the warrior we killed in the hall, take off your helmet and go outside. They will speak and neither Wem nor Garth can speak Saxon.” My plan was beginning to unravel. “Aedh, ready the arrows.”
I heard one of the Saxons shout, “Hey Ida, you haven’t been touching the little boys have you? “
They were both drunk. Lann Aelle played the part well. He spat and said, “Come a little closer, and I will show you a real warrior and not a blowhard.”
I heard his voice and it was suspicious, “You’re not Ida.”
That was as far as he got. I leapt out of the door in time to see the two brothers spearing one while Lann Aelle was wiping the blood from his blade. We stood in the silence. To us it had sounded loud but it must have been quiet enough not to wake anyone. “Now Aedh. Wem and Garth, take the boys. The rest of you, shields.”
As the arrow soared into the night sky we hurried through the village. I kept glancing to the warrior hall but there was no movement. We had had a stroke of luck. The two guards from the hall had been the ones who decided to come and tease the dead Ida. We had a little more time than I had hoped. We had to buy as much distance between us and the warrior hall as we could. Daffydd and the ship could be anywhere. The wind and the tide were not under our control.
“Warlord, there are four guards at the jetty. They are sitting by the fire.”
The four guards had not seen us but it was merely a matter of time before they did so. I said quietly, “We will need to kill them quickly and quietly. Aedh, can you see the ship?”
My scout had the best eyes but he said, “Not yet my lord. I know he will come.”
The first job we had was to kill the guards as efficiently as possible. “Aedh, use your sling. The rest of you, get out your bows.”
We stopped and took out our weapons. The guards had neither seen nor heard us. They were all staring at the fire and that spoiled your night vision; experienced sentries sat their watches with their backs to the fire. These men were lazy and it would cost them their lives. The light from the fire also illuminated them and made them better targets. Aedh’s sling was accurate and one guard fell a moment before four arrows plunged into the others. They had been less than fifty paces away and we did not miss at that range. There was a groan from one as he died but I was sure that no one would have heard it. We raced to the wooden jetty and stared out to sea. The black sky and the sea merged into one save for a thin line of whitening sky to the east. I knew we had to be patient. They would have been sailing along the coast but the wind was a fickle and precocious thing. We would have to wait. We stood so that the fire of the guards protected one flank and the sea the other. When they came they would have no chance to outflank us. We would only have five men to face them but it would have to be enough. Two of us wore mail and that would give us the edge.
Prince Cadwallon asked, as we waited, “What became of Einar? We saw what they did to him.”
“He lived long enough to give us the message and he died with a sword in his hand.”
“I am pleased. I will honour his memory for the rest of my life.” The prince was as good as his word and the brave Dane was never far from the prince’s thoughts when he went to war.
Suddenly there was a shout from the far side of the village. Our escape had been discovered. “You boys, stand behind us.”
“I can use a bow, Warlord.” I think the prince did not relish the thought of incarceration a second time.
“Here Prince Cadwallon, take mine. Gawan, watch for the ship.”
He turned and ran. Was he afraid? “Gawan, where are you going?”
“I can help. Trust me.” He ran to the Saxon ship at the end of the jetty and disappeared on board.
“Lock your shields and pray that Daffydd comes soon or this will just be a tale told around camp fires about the Warlord and his heroes who died fighting a war band.” Every time I fought the Saxons I believed that I would win but I knew that one day I would lose and this could be that day.
The Saxons were forming up. I could see that they had hurriedly donned helmets and held shields and swords but they had not had time to put on mail. That was not a quick process. I estimated that there were about thirty of them. Aethelfrith led them as they came resolutely towards us. He had managed to put on mail. I suppose they thought that they had us. The lightening sky behind us showed how few we were and the cunning king was not about to rush into a sudden attack. They outnumbered us and we would die. He could afford to be patient.
I smelled smoke and turned my head. Gawan was scrambling back from the Saxon ship. He grinned, “I might only have one hand but I can light a fire.” There were flames licking around the base of the mast.
“Well done. Prince, Wem, cut the ship free. Perhaps they will try to save their last ship.”
It was a thin thread that had been thrown to us but we would grasp it. If it distracted the approaching Saxons then we might have a chance. The line of shields was just a hundred paces away. Aethelfrith lowered his shield a little so that he could taunt me. “So you came yourself. That is good. I will kill you and then the fort will easily fall, for without you Rheged is nothing. You should have stayed away and saved your life.”
I decided to keep him talking. Any delay aided us. “I came to punish you, Aethelfrith, for hurting my son and killing a brave warrior. I have come to show all Saxons that my retribution is swift and deadly. You should have stayed on this island. It would have been a kingdom big enough for someone as small as you. When I have rescued my son I will return and we will burn your hovels to the ground; as we have burned your ship.”
Perhaps he had concentrated so hard on me that he had not noticed his burning ship. I saw a flash of anger in his eyes and he shouted, “Aethelread, secure the ship.”
Ten men detached themselves from the shield wall. We loosed arrows at them to slow them down and two fell to the missiles. There were fewer men now to face us but still they came and still they outnumbered us.
“The ship!” Gawan’s voice told me all that I needed to know. Daffydd was approaching. I did not know how far away he was but there were reinforcements on that boat and we now had a chance.
Without turning and without shouting I said, “Wem, Garth, get them on board as soon as the ship touches the jetty.”
The sight of my ship heading in was too much for the Saxons and the shield wall raced at us. I noticed that Aethelfrith hung back and was not in the first rank. The coward was allowing his men to be killed by me so that he could fight a weakened and, possibly, wounded warrior.
We held our swords above our shields. A blade in your face has a way of making a man more cautious. All of us, except for Tadgh were big men and were taller than most Saxons. It was a slight advantage. The other four were to my left and right and I was slightly ahead. We were the tiniest wedge it was possible to use. The Saxons would come for me. Each one would dream of the glory of killing the Wolf Warrior and owning the mystical sword, Saxon Slayer.
The Saxons tried to run at us for the last few paces. It was a cardinal error. They had not locked shields and two of them stumbled at our feet. Tadgh and Drugh despatched them with ease. The warrior facing me made the mistake of flicking his eyes to the side to see what had happened to his fallen comrades and Saxon Slayer slid into his forehead. He slumped dead before I had withdrawn my sword. Lann Aelle stabbed forwards too and then slashed sideways with his blade. The Saxons had pressed too many men forwards and they were so tightly packed that they could not use their weapons properly. Their weight, however, was pushing us inexorably back towards the water. If we fell into the sea then we would all die. We would either be drowned or dragged from the wat
er to be executed. Neither was an attractive prospect.
Suddenly two things happened at once, Cadwallon began to use his bow from behind us and Gawan hurled burning brands from the fire into the air towards the back of the press of warriors. When they fell amongst the Saxons they made them recoil. The pressure decreased slightly, giving us a little breathing space and I yelled, “Push forwards!”
It was a well practised move and we punched with our shields as we slashed with our swords. We were all able to do it in time. The effect was dramatic. Four warriors fell immediately and others slipped to the ground. I heard Aethelfrith giving his orders. I looked beyond the press of warriors and saw a depressing sight. His oathsworn had donned armour and there were eight of them coming towards us. The odds were now in their favour. These would lock shields and they would know how to fight. The odds swung dramatically in their favour. Only Lann Aelle and I had mail and Tuanthal’s men and Aedh would not last long against such experienced warriors.
Aethelfrith ordered the warriors who had been pushed back to withdraw. Three were too slow and they fell to our blades. The oathsworn formed up with locked shields. Aethelfrith positioned himself behind the lead warrior and they began to march forwards. This was not an ill disciplined charge, this was a measured approach. Gawan’s torches had run out and would not harm the mailed men. Cadwallon’s arrows now struck shields. We had had a small breathing space and we tightened our grip on our shields. It would soon be a fight to the death as the five of us fought the nine mailed men who were advancing towards us.
The warrior at the head of the small wedge had an open helmet and a long scar running down his cheek. It gave him a strange grin. His sword was held before him and he looked as though he knew what he was doing.
I wanted them to do something stupid and I taunted them. “Still hiding behind your men I see, Aethelfrith.”
“They all want to kill you. I am a generous leader.” Aethelfrith did not rise to the bait. He knew they would win. It was inevitable.