by Griff Hosker
I rolled him on his back. It was the headman. Myrddyn felt his neck. “He will live.”
“Pol, go and fetch his wife and son but do it quietly. I do not want the village arousing.” As I stood I noticed a face peering at me from behind one of the huts lower down the stream. “Pelas come with me. Gawan, you take charge here.”
We moved down the bank. As we neared the hut the face appeared again. I waved Pelas to the left and I went to the hut. I saw the figure disappearing into the village. When I reached the end of the hut there was Pelas with the man pinned to the floor. It was one of the poorer villagers. I smiled, “Well done, Pelas. You know how to wrestle but you can let him up now.”
The man looked terrified and stood cowering. Had I become such an ogre that I could terrify a villager of Rheged? He almost sobbed, “Please do not tell Thegn Aedh that you caught me spying. I will be punished.”
I went closer to him, “Thegn Aedh?” Thegn was a Saxon title.
“Yes, Warlord.”
“Who made him Thegn?” He looked even more afraid as he realised he had said what he should not. “I promise you my protection.” He began shaking and seemed incapable of coherent speech. He was terrified. . “Pelas, stay with him and see if you can calm him. Do not let anyone else speak with him. Shout if you are in danger.”
“I will Warlord.”
I went back to my men. Aedh had been revived and his wife and son were with him. His son was a little younger than Pelas while his wife was as well dressed as Gawan’s.
“Which Saxon made you Thegn? Was it Oswiu or Oswald?”
The looks on their faces told me all that I needed to know. It had been a guess, an educated one but a guess nonetheless. I saw Myrddyn and Gawan nod their approval.
“Well, which one?”
The three of them remained mute. I could see that they were frightened but not frightened enough. I pulled Saxon Slayer from its scabbard and held it close to Aedh’s face. “This is the sword that men call Saxon Slayer. If you are not the Saxon’s man then you will swear an oath upon it.” I saw the look on his face; his hand came towards it. “It you do not speak true then the sword will punish you.” His hand recoiled as though he had been burned. I stuck it in the ground; I was well aware that it looked like the cross of the White Christ. It was another test for this Saxon puppet.
I stood and pointed to Myrddyn. Out of all of us he looked the most nondescript, lacking armour and weapons he could have been taken for a clerk. “Do you know who this is?” Aedh seemed to see him for the first time and he warily shook his head. “This is Myrddyn the wizard. Their religion was confirmed when the woman made the sign of the cross. Aedh and his son looked terrified. “You have heard of him then. You can hide nothing from the wizard. You cannot flee the wizard. King Morcant Bulc hid in his mighty fortress behind his whole army and the wizard found him.” I let the silence hang like a dagger in the air and then I barked, “Who paid you?”
Even some of my men jumped at my voice. The man spoke and it was like a dam bursting. “It was Oswald. He was my master and he brought me here and told me that I had to pay a quarter of all that the village produced and send all the young men to fight in his warband.”
That explained why there were only older men in the village, save Aedh’s son. I now had the picture. This had been a freed slave. I could not blame him for his choices. I took the torch held by Lann Aelle and pulled down his tunic. There were the tell tale marks of the yoke on his shoulders. He had been a slave. It explained his treatment of some of the other villagers.
“Bind him, and his wife.” I stood. I would need to know when Oswald or his men were coming back. I had no doubt that someone would tell him of our presence. My plans to appear like a wraith would come to nought if word got out.
Suddenly I heard, “Warlord!”
I turned and saw Aedh’s son with a dagger in his hand, raised to stab me. An arrow head stuck from the front of his head and his body crumpled to the ground. Daffydd said, “I had no choice, Warlord. He moved so quickly.”
“It was wyrd, Daffydd.” The bound woman was weeping. “This is the punishment from the Gods for your treachery.” I shouted, “Pelas bring him here.”
The villager came fearfully, led by my squire.
“Bors take these two to their hut and guard them until I decide what to do with them.” When they were gone I turned to the villager, “What is your name?”
“Scanlan, Warlord.”
“I know of this man’s loyalties but now I need answers from you.” He seemed to notice the dead boy and he recoiled. “He tried to kill me. Fear not Scanlan you will not be harmed. Now tell me when will the Saxons be here again?”
He pointed to the skies. “When the new moon comes.”
“Two days.” Kay nodded.
“And why did you and the others not stop Aedh. He treated you badly did he not?
“Any who opposed him had their sons selected to be warriors and taken by the Saxons or their girls were made into slaves.”
Now it made sense. “Thank you Scanlan. We will change the way things are here. You can trust me.”
“Will the Warlord stay this time?”
“The Warlord is here to stay. Go back to your hut.” After he had gone I said, “We need guards on Aed’s confederates. It may be that they were opportunists or perhaps the treachery goes deeper.”
“What do we do, brother?”
“We ambush Oswald’s men and we make sure that this village becomes Rheged once more.”
“And the headman?”
“I do not know.”
Myrddyn said, quietly, “He should die.”
“Many men should die but I will think on this. For the moment we need to guard the village and then tomorrow find out where the Saxons come from.”
Gawan came to me as I lay down in my blanket. “I will ask again, brother, now that no one can overhear. What do you intend?” I remained silent. “I know that your mind is troubled. You do not want to have this man and his wife killed and yet you cannot let them resume their rule and their work for the Saxons.”
“You are becoming like Myrddyn and you see inside my mind.”
“Let us rather say that I know you well. You are much like father was and he would have had the same dilemma. The gods and the spirits work in strange ways. Sleep and let the spirit world come to your aid.”
“But you are the dreamer and not I.”
“Who knows?” He smiled as he left me. What did he know that I did not?
I slept but I did not remember any dreams. I was not visited at all. However I felt better the next day. We gathered the villagers around us and I brought out Aedh and his wife.
“These two have done you all a disservice. They have sold your daughters into slavery and sent your sons to fight for King Edwin.” I pointed an accusing finger at Aedh’s confederates. “Others have aided them. I will pass judgement before we leave but first I intend to stop these Northumbrians. You are all the people of Rheged and I am the Warlord. Had you told me of Aedh and his tyranny, I would have dealt with him. Keep silent no longer. How many Saxons come?” Before they could answer I pointed at one of the well dressed men. “You! How many?”
“Sometimes twenty and sometimes forty.”
The man we had spoken to the night before jabbed an accusing finger at him. “You lie. There are never less than fifty!”
The liar dropped to his knees. “I am sorry, Warlord. I have a son and I do not wish to lose him.”
I lifted him to his feet. “Then be a man and make your son proud of you. We will fight these Saxons even if there were a thousand of them. You all have a choice; you fight or you die! We can end this Northumbrian tyranny. So think and answer freedom or slavery? Which will it be?”
Even those who had been Aedh’s confederates jumped up and shouted, ”We will fight!”
Chapter 6
Aed and his scouts headed east. The villagers had told us where the warband came from. It was the old capital
of Elmet, Loidis. I was fairly certain, after speaking with the villagers, that this was the work Oswald and Oswiu. They were playing a treacherous game with Edwin. They were being their own warlords. This was their land to rob and to rule. I had helped them as had Cadwallon by attacking Edwin in the south. They had built up their strength. It did not need Myrddyn to tell me that I could stand back for they would eventually fight each other. I could not do that. There would be more villages like this one and more people being terrorised. I would stop Oswald and Oswiu. I would stop Edwin. That was my purpose.
We had ample warning of the arrival of the warband. There were sixty of them. They came on foot although their chief rode. From the description of my scouts it was neither Oswald nor Oswiu. That was a pity. I would have liked to rid the world of one of them. They would be coming down the Roman Road. Leaving our horses in the village with a third of my men and the villagers I took the rest to the rock strewn pass through which the Saxons would have to approach. The road ran along one side of the gorge like valley. By hiding in the rocks to the south we would be able to fall upon them with only one exit for them; down the rocky filled valley to the stream below.
I deliberately left our horses in the village. This was partly to save them for the hardship which would come eventually but mainly to hide our identity from any of the Saxons who might escape. Daffydd ap Miach and his archers were at the eastern end of the pass. The rest of us were spread out along the southern side. The archers would close the trap and then we would attack. All of my equites had a bow and many of the young squires still had their slings. A sudden onslaught would, hopefully, take the fight from them.
They came as Aed had predicted. The horseman led. I saw his shield had a design like four running legs painted in red. He had a long byrnie and a full faced helmet. In his hand he carried an axe. His oathsworn came behind him. There were ten of those in byrnies: some long and some to the waist. The other fifty had helmets and shields but no armour.
We waited patiently for Daffydd to release his arrows. Once he did so then we would all join in. The arrows soared high. My captain of archers had cleverly waited until they had passed him. The Northumbrians did not see the arrows and none defended themselves. The battle was won in that instant. I sent my arrow high into the air then I dropped my bow, unsheathed my sword and hefted my shield. A second flight had left the bows of my men as we tumbled down the slope to attack the shocked Northumbrians.
I led the equites towards those with the byrnies. My squires and archers could dispose of the rest. Two of the oathsworn were down but the rest locked their shields. Luck was with me that day. I ran down the slope and managed to avoid all the hazards which might have tripped me. As Kay had to move to his left so I adjusted my feet and I leapt on to a large rock. I sprang in the air from the rock and almost flew at the Saxons. Falling I swung my sword. My feet crashed on to one warrior cracking his skull like an egg whilst my sword sliced down, through the mail and into the shoulder of a second. As I tumbled to the ground Kay slashed his sword at the Saxon who tried to stab me in the side. As I stood I saw Lann Aelle slicing upward to kill the leader of the warband. And then it was over. The speed and ferocity of our attack allied to the skill of our archers had won the day for us. We had had the element of surprise and used it well. The wounded were sent to the Otherworld.
Daffydd and his men joined me, “Well done my captain of archers. Did any escape?”
He shook his head, “They all fell.”
“Take their armour, helmets and weapons. Throw the bodies into the valley.”
It had all gone far better than I might have dreamed. We returned to the village. The armour came in handy for the squires who had none yet. The helmets, shields and swords went to the villagers. The spare horse joined our string of remounts.
Myrddyn, who had stayed in the village, came over to me. “You have a decision to make.”
“I know and I have made it.” The men in the village were gathered around me and then the two prisoners brought out. “Tomorrow my men and I will leave this village and head away from here. We will return at some point in the future. You will hold this village for Rheged. You will all share in the bounty of this valley and you will all fight the Northumbrians.” I glared at them all. “How do you say?” They all nodded. I pointed to Myrddyn, “And remember, I have a wizard. You all know of Myrddyn’s power.” I smiled, “Even those who are now Christians.”
I took out my sword and I saw the two prisoners brace themselves. “I am Warlord, and I answer to no man! I have the lives of these two in my hands.” They both closed their eyes and awaited the slice of my sword. “It is not, however, me whom they have betrayed, it is you. I give their lives to you. Do they live or do they die? The decision is yours.” Out of the corner of my eye I saw a smug smile on Myrddyn’s face. I had done what he had hoped.
They looked at each other and then back at me as though this was some sort of trick. I stood patiently waiting. This decision had to be theirs. When they made it I would know that I could trust them. It was Scanlan who spoke. “I say they should live. Even though my children have both been taken from me Aedh, too, has also lost his only child. I say they live.” He paused. “So long as they live with us and not over us.” He turned to the former headman.
“I will. I have learned my lesson and my wife…” he put his arm around his wife who still looked as though she was in shock following the death of her only son.
The other men then nodded, in turn. I sheathed my sword. “Good. Then this afternoon we deepen your ditch and raise your walls. The next time the Saxons come you will show them that the men of Rheged still have fight in them. If you submit then you will be slaves once more. Fight and you will earn your freedom.”
We left the village early the next morning and headed along the Roman Road. Already the bodies of the dead Saxons had been ravaged by the beasts and the birds. Nature always won in the battles between men.
Gawan rode next to me. “Loidis then, brother?”
“Not at first. I intend to sweep to the east of the fortress and raid about the old Roman settlement of Eboracum. It is rich farmland. I would make the Saxons starve this winter. Loidis is also easier to defend than some of the places we will attack.”
“You know them well?”
“I know them. I campaigned with father. Uncle Raibeart was married to the daughter of the last King of Elmet and Rheged joined the last alliance against the Saxons. We failed.”
“That is why you fight as you do.”
“I will make alliances and use them but I will not rely on them in battle. This band of warriors, brother, can defeat anything which is thrown at us, so long as we choose the field and we choose the time.”
We saw isolated farmsteads as we passed along the road. I dare say there would have been Saxons we could have raided but, in my head, I had a plan and I wanted to stay with it. We had three months before the autumn weather would make movement difficult. Until then I wanted to fly from one end of the land to the other. When we struck it would be in the heart of Northumbria.
My scouts reported that there were Saxons at Stanwyck and they had refortified it. We gave it a wide berth. It would be visited, but not yet. Once we had passed the hill fort we made much faster time. This was horse country and the flat vale was crossed in half a day. We may have been seen but it was a risk we had to take. It was important that we disappeared. We climbed the hills which protected the northern side of the old capital of Northern Britannia, Eboracum. There we found shallow valleys and high moors both afforded us protection from prying eyes.
Aed and Dai returned to our camp by the fast flowing river which bubbled through a valley which was steeper than the others. I hoped we could use it for a couple of days. They had been to the settlement to the south while Felan was away to the east.
“Warlord, there is a Saxon hall and village to the south.”
“Do we know its name?”
Myrddyn, whom we had thought to be asleep sai
d, “It is called Elmeslac.”
“Are there any warriors?”
“Not that we saw and there is no wall either.”
“Lann Aelle, take twenty equites and twenty archers. Burn their hall, kill their men and drive the women and children hence. Take what you can to feed us and destroy the rest.”
He hesitated before nodding and saying, “Aye, Warlord.”
“Pol I want all but ten squires to be ready to ride as soon as Felan returns. The ten can stay here to watch the camp and Myrddyn.”
“I need no watching.”
“I know wizard but the remounts do.”
Felan rode in a short time later. “There are many farms between here and the sea. They have a fort at the end of the valley by the coast. They have warriors there.”
“Mount up and we will ride.”
As we rode Gawan and Pol placed themselves close to me. Gawan was my brother and he could tell me what others could not. “This destruction of Saxon farms does not sit well with the men. They do not mind fighting warriors but not making war on women and children.”
I bit back the retort which sprang into my head. They were questioning me for the right reasons. “The Saxon is like a bear in a cave. We need to make him come from the cave so that we can destroy him. He is big and he is slow but once he gathers himself he will come after us. We are goading him and making him weak at the same time. I intend to capture this fort and the warriors. We will then return to our camp and then destroy the farms on the way back. In two days time we will be north of here. The Saxons will begin to gather their forces. I know that my men are honourable and do not like to make war on women and children but there is no other way to make the bear angry.”
I had explained it to them so that they would be able to answer my warriors’ doubts. I need not have. They were oathsworn and I was Warlord but my father had taught me well. What I did not say was that this pressure would make their families back in our land, safer. It would make the people of Rheged to the west safer. Edwin had many warriors but he depended upon the food that he grew to feed them. Therein lay his weakness.