by Griff Hosker
“You are right brother but I cannot help worrying.”
Myrddyn’s voice came from behind me, “Worrying does not solve problems; it creates them. The Warlord is right. The dreams we both had may tell us what will happen at some time in the future.”
We stared into the fire. My pictures suddenly made a little more sense. Pol threw another branch onto the fire. “Even if the dreams are true the Saxons on Manau do not have enough ships yet to attack Mona and King Cadwallon is still at the Narrows. We know King Edwin is here, we saw him! I agree with the Warlord.”
“However, we will not stay beyond Yule. I do not want my brother worrying about his family in the short days of winter but we will leave our mark on Northumbria. King Edwin will know that we have visited our vengeance upon him.” I looked at my leaders one by one. “We will take as much of the harvest as we can and feed our people.”
“That means wagons or carts.”
“It does. We begin at Stanwyck and work our way along the Dunum Valley. We will send whatever we gather to the Belisama. Daffydd can carry it home.”
Myrddyn nodded his agreement. “Then you will be sending riders back?”
“I will. We will send two squires to Deva. I will ask Daffydd to be at the estuary by the night of the bone fires.”
We reached Stanwyck before dark. We knew the hill fort well. Leaving our horses in the woods to the north I led half of the men towards the northern gate. Lann Aelle and Gawan led the other half to the southern gate. As I had expected word had spread about the Warlord rampaging through Northumbria. We had watched as many of those in the outlying farms trudged towards the security of Stanwyck’s walls. This suited me for it gathered them in one place and meant we could take their crops and animals more easily after the fall of the fort.
The ditches at Stanwyck are ancient. They were there before the Romans had reached Britannia. My grandfather, after whom I was named, had ordered the erection of the two gates which we would now use. The wooden walls had been put up at the same time. They were older than I was. I doubted that the gates had been well maintained and I knew that they would not have laid traps in the ditches. With our archers covering us I led my forty odd warriors towards the walls. There were sentries but it did not matter if they saw us. Daffydd and his archers would silence them and we knew how to scale walls.
I had left Llewellyn with Myrddyn and the two wounded squires to watch the horses and it was Pelas who watched my back. He had grown much since he had killed his first man. He was not yet experienced enough to stand in a shield wall or to ride as an equite but another summer would see him being considered.
We reached the ditch and waited out of sight behind the mound. We watched the sentries and as soon as they moved we flooded over into the banks of the ditch and lay waiting in the bottom. When they moved again we ran to the wooden walls. It would be the squires who would be hoisted over the walls. They were lighter and quicker. They would not have to deal with armoured warriors and their knives and swords would make short work of them. Bors and I held my shield. Pelas put his foot upon it and rested his arms on our shoulders. When he was set he nodded and Bors and I thrust him upwards. He had just reached the top when we heard the cry of alarm from the other side of the fort. I heard the arrows as they flew towards the sentries and heard their cries as they tumbled from the walls. I looked up and saw that Pelas had disappeared. The other squires soon joined the first ones and we ran to the gates.
Inside I could hear the clash of metal on metal and the shouts of combat. I had two men ready with axes in case we could not gain entry but, as we reached the gate I saw it creak open and Pelas was there with two of the other squires. I saw that he was bleeding. The concern must have shown for he shook his head and said, “It is nothing.”
He was a warrior and we had to bear such things. We burst into the hill fort. This was the biggest fort we had seen. It was even bigger than the Roman ones we frequently used. Only Eboracum and Civitas were bigger. I said to Pelas, “You and the squires wait here. No man leaves alive but do not hinder the women and children.”
“Aye Warlord.”
This was less a battle and more of a hunt. The women and children soon discovered that we were not interested in them. It must have surprised them for when Saxons raided they violated and then enslaved the women and the children. We just let them go. They ran. The men fell as they fought to hold us back. Eventually we had the last four cornered near the hall of the chief. While the squires went from hut to hut gathering anything which might be of value I questioned the four prisoners. Two were wounded and were likely to lose limbs. They would be either sold as slaves or used as slaves on Mona. We could not afford to let men go free. They would breed more Saxons. Had I been a cruel man I would have applied that logic to the women but I could not.
“Who is your master?”
The four remained obstinately silent. “This place you have taken is where my grandfather and grandmother died and where my father was brought up. I have no reason to be kind to you. You, or your fathers, killed my grandparents. If I chose I could have you blinded, castrated or merely maimed. I have allowed you to live and to live whole. My healer will be here soon to see to your injuries so do not try my patience!” I roared out the last word and they all recoiled.
“Prince Oswiu is our lord and master. We serve him and he serves King Edwin.”
“That was not so hard. I see you have gathered in many of your crops and your young animals. It has been a good year?”
My voice was calmer and almost conversational. “Yes we have done well.”
“And when do you extract tribute from Rheged?”
“As soon as…”
He got no further as the man next to him hit him in the ribs with his elbow. “Finish what you were going to say.” Once again there was silence. I nodded, “I think that you were going to say as soon as Prince Oswiu arrives which means he is due.” I nodded. “Bind them and mark them.”
Kay went to the fire and thrust two daggers in it. The men began to plead for mercy. They knew what was coming. They were to be branded. If they escaped then my people would know that they had been enslaved.
By the time dawn had broken we had collected the bounty of Stanwyck. We had done well. There were many sheep; my father and Lann Aelle’s had herded them on these very fells. There were three cows and the villagers had gathered in much grain as well. It was mainly oats and barley but they had some wheat. We also found two carts. Most of the grain went in the carts.
“Kay. Take four equites, four squires and four archers. Use two of the horses for one of the carts and the four slaves can pull the other. Head for Belisama and await Daffydd. Take most of the sheep and the cows too.”
“Aye Warlord. When should we leave?”
“Now. With the animals it will take some time. Go back through the valley we used. Give four of the sheep and one of the cows to the villagers. It will help them to remain loyal.”
Pol asked, “And what do we do, Warlord?”
“Today we rest but I want this place burning in the early hours of tomorrow. By the time the sun breaks I want a cloud of black smoke to tell Oswiu that we have burned Stanwyck.”
Pol grinned as he nodded his approval, “And he will race here with his warband ready to pursue us.”
“Except that we will not have gone we will be waiting for him.”
The men tore down whole sections of the palisade and piled the wood onto the huts. We found pig fat and oils and we doused the rest of the walls with that. We needed flames at night. When dawn came we would add material which would make it smoke; the bodies of the dead Saxons.
My three scouts and six of the squires were spread out five miles away from Stanwyck. There were many woods and copses in which they could hide. The warband would be on foot and I knew that if they came we would know of it. Bors was not certain that they would come.
“Why should they care if this fort burns?”
“Because there is nothin
g else which compares with this one.” I pointed to the north, “There is the fort at Morbium and Eboracum. They are the only forts which defend from the west. You saw the riches of this fort. He will have lost much food for the winter if he loses this. We have hurt Edwin, we have hurt Oswald and now we hit Oswiu. When we have finished here we go to Morbium and the Dunum Valley. From now on we pull further west and draw the Saxons away from safety.”
“But why?”
“Because, Bors, I want them to think we are pulling them into a trap. They will not believe we are so few. By the time they catch up with us we will have less than fifty warriors. Next year, when we repeat this they will come on recklessly but by then we shall have King Cadwallon and his army to help us.”
“You think that far ahead, Warlord?”
Pol laughed, “You must visit Constantinopolis. There they plan even further ahead than that.”
The fire burned so brightly that it made it seem like daylight. By the time dawn broke it had taken hold and the bodies were hurled in to the hall. Myrddyn ordered that leaves and fresh branches be put on the burning ramparts and soon there was a black cloud rising high into the sky.
We moved out of the burning hill fort and headed east. Oswiu would expect us to have fled further west once we had destroyed his fortress. He would neither be wary nor worried about ambush until he reached it. We would strike before he did so. We knew that he would be on his way west from what his villagers had told us but we had no idea how close he might be.
Dai was the scout who found them. “Warlord, they are four miles away coming from the east. There are a hundred of them, at least, and they have five nobles on horses.”
There were less than seventy of us remaining with deaths and the messengers we had sent. We were made up largely with archers and equites. The Northumbrians would be using the sunken lane which meandered its way towards the hill fort. It was an ancient track way. The Romans had never built a road here. There were trees and bushes which lined it.
“Daffydd, Take your archers and line the track way.”
“Aye Warlord,” he hesitated, “we are getting low on arrows; should we conserve them?”
“No, if you use all of them then you and the archers can ride to the Belisama and replenish. It is why we brought them with us.”
After they headed down the track way to their ambush site I spread the equites out. “Osgar, take charge of the equites. Myrddyn will be close by. Your task will be to fill in any gaps which appear in our lines and to stop them outflanking us.” I saw the disappointment on his face. He would have preferred to be with the other equites fighting by my side. “This is important Osgar. The men you lead will be equites soon. This is your chance to be a captain.”
“Aye, Warlord. I shall not let you down.”
As we waited I realised that Oswiu had not been far away. I had stopped his tribute raid. The lands of Rheged would keep their harvests and their children for this year at least. They would be stronger. I knew that if I had had more men I could have stayed over here and denied the Northumbrians the freedom of movement they enjoyed. Our mobility was our secret weapon. Even though we had been outnumbered by Edwin there was no way he could have caught us. This was the land of the horse. Back in Cymru he could have blocked passes and we would now be dead. It was a lesson I needed to learn from.
We had chosen a place where we had the high ground. The sunken lane turned between some oak, birch and yew trees and then climbed to begin the ascent to the hill fort. We waited there so that when they turned the bend they would see us. As soon as we charged them then my archers would rain death upon them. I was with the last ten lancers. All the other longer weapons had broken. The rest used spears but they were no longer than the spears the Saxons would use. Our advantage was our horses.
Oswiu’s banner was a white one with a red boar upon it. I saw it above the hedges as they made their way towards us. I raised my sword; it was the signal to be ready. When I lowered it then we would charge. As soon as I saw the horsemen appear I lowered my sword and we galloped towards them. A sudden gust of wind sent the pall of smoke from behind us so that, when the dragon standard began to wail, the smoke from the fire joined us and wreathed us in black and grey clouds. It masked our numbers and made us even more terrifying. I roared, “Saxon Slayer, and Rheged!”
We thundered down the slope towards them. The horsemen had turned and fled. Saxons rarely used horses and they certainly never fought from their backs. The narrow track way made it almost impossible for the warriors to prepare lines to meet us and avoid their fleeing leaders. When the arrows fell we hit them. The track was wide enough for four horses and I rode with three lances next to me. We scythed through them. I raised my sword and brought it down on the helmet of a Northumbrian who was trying to spear the equite next to me. It was pandemonium as the Northumbrians turned to flee. That was our undoing. We could not get beyond the bodies of the dead and the dying. Although forty Northumbrians perished, their leaders and fifty odd others fled. We simply could not reach them for the wall of dead and dying. It would have tired the horses to no good purpose.
I sent my archers back to the Belisama. They needed to replenish their supplies of arrows. If they passed the captured animals and slaves they could escort them. “Wait on the Belisama. I will send word to you if I need you.” The archers rode off and we headed north. It had been another victory but it tasted bitter. I had had Oswiu within my grasp and the slippery eel had escaped. His death would have to wait for another day.
Chapter 9
We managed to capture one wounded prisoner who could talk. He boasted that the two brothers were coming for me and that they had plans to burn my halls on Mona. After we gave him a warrior’s death I spoke of this with the others. “This sounds to me like the two brothers boasting to their men. I cannot see them risking their own warriors to best me.”
“The Warlord is right. Their aim is to gain the throne of Northumbria and then defeat the alliance of the west.” Myrddyn’s words confirmed my own thoughts.
We had bought ourselves valuable time. We had bested both Edwin and Oswiu. Oswald had been hurt. I sent Daffydd to Belisama to collect more arrows and led my small, but highly mobile force of equites north to Morbium.
We passed no inhabited farms on the way north but we burned every building and hut we found. We could not take the animals with us and so we ate well and scattered what we could not eat. The land between Eboracum and the Dunum would be laid waste. As I watched the halls and fields burning I had to keep reminding myself that I was doing this for Rheged. We needed to starve the beast that was Northumbria.
When we reached Morbium we found it empty. There was nothing to destroy. We had a roof over us as we slept beneath the first autumn storm. Myrddyn explored the fort. This was where my father had discovered the nails for the caligae. Such a small find and yet one which had such a profound effect on his life and the way that we fought. Myrddyn made an equally dramatic discovery. He found an empty ship moored by the bridge. When he examined it he found, within it, a few remnants of a cargo of iron ore.
“We have taken their food, Warlord, why not take their iron?” I must have looked puzzled for he continued, “East of here there are iron mines and they smelt and forge their weapons. If we could destroy their forges and steal their iron then they would have fewer weapons.”
“How far away are they from here?”
“Less than half a day. We could go on the morrow and sleep here tomorrow night.” He stroked his beard. “And as the forges are on the northern shore we could do so with impunity. He pointed to the empty boat. “They must use this as a distribution point for the north and the south.”
“Then tomorrow we will ride east!”
I was not expecting much opposition at the small port on the northern bank of the Dunum but the workers there proved to be made of as strong a metal as the one they worked. We galloped through the open gates and the Saxons within grabbed hammers, axes, shovels, indeed anythin
g which might be used. It was brave but it was futile. They were not warriors, they were craftsmen and they died. Their deaths were as important as any warrior we had killed for they were harder to replace. We burned the settlement and threw the pig iron into the river. There were some sword blanks which we took and carried them back on the horses which we found. We had not planned the raid and yet, in the long run, it proved to be crucial. The Saxons took a year to begin to produce weapons again. Of course, at the time, we did not know that. We just returned in high spirits to Morbium to enjoy the food we had taken and the barrel of beer which had been discovered. And the following day we began our journey west and to the River Belisama.
We crossed the bridge and used the southern side of the Dunum. We would pick up the Roman Road which led from Cataractonium just a few miles down the river. We did not look like the glorious mailed warriors who had landed just a few weeks earlier. Our horses looked thinner and our mail was flecked with rust. There had been flaws in my plans; I saw that now. We needed a base from which we could launch our attacks on Edwin. We needed spare horses. I remembered that my father had kept three horses. I now saw why. There had been a time when I had kept two and now I was down to one. We needed more horses. I knew that there were fine animals in Frankia. Time was we would have sailed there and bought them. Now we could not afford to be away from our island home for the eight weeks the voyage would take.
We only burned four farms on the first day of the ride west. The farmers fled when they saw us coming. Once we reached the crest of the hills which divided Rheged from Northumbria we turned south west and left the road to follow the ancient tracks. Autumn had arrived with a vengeance. The winds, thankfully, were from the east and pushed us along but the wind and the rain permeated our clothes. We were grateful to find abandoned houses in which to sleep. The next day we pushed on. We reached the Roman Road which ran down the western side of the country. If we pushed the horses hard we could reach the Belisama in two days. I would take three. There was no hurry. There were no Northumbrians on the west of the divide. My men I had sent west earlier would be at the Belisama now. Daffydd would have fortified the old fort on the river. We were not being pursued and there were no enemies to worry about.