by Sam Taw
“Did you forget something?” I asked him, curious as to why he was walking and not riding.
“My horse is lame. He was fine yesterday when I rode him, I can’t understand it.” He looked down at the limping pony and shook his head. I had a shrewd idea what could have happened. Climbing down to the ground, I found my knife wrap and took out a small stout blade.
“What are you going to do?” Tallack panicked, blocking me from approaching his horse.
“Calm down, I’m not going to slaughter him. That’s Eseld’s logic, not mine.” I stroked the beast’s neck, soothing him so that he would let me pull up his hoof for me to see the underside. “Which leg is troubling him?”
Tallack pointed to one at the back. It was exactly as I suspected. A sharp flint was wedged into the softest part of the pony’s hoof. With care, I dug it out but the damage was done. The reddened flesh bled, making the steed fidget and fuss.
“How did that happen, there is nothing but soft earth and grass in the pony pen?” Tallack looked up at his father, and then at me. I took out my water bladder and swilled the foot clean, before instructing my nephew to walk him back to the compound on the wet grass. He looked so disappointed at having to swap horses, but there was no other option. Aebba could have offered the boy his stallion, of course, but one look from the Chief told us both that it was not going to happen.
Tallack wandered back home, while we continued on our way. I kept my knowledge of Paega tampering with the penned horses to myself. There was enough animosity between the sons as it was. Only our gods will see young Paega for his true nature. I hope to the Goddess Cerridwen that he changes his ways before he meets his end. He has too much of his mother’s blood in him to be trustworthy and honourable.
We were almost at the Red Hills before Tallack sped past us on a different horse. His desperation to catch up his brothers pushed the pony to its limits, it frothed at the mouth and salted sweat streaked its flanks.
“He’ll kill that horse if he doesn’t ease up.” I muttered. Aebba nodded, but added nothing more to my observation. Even when we stopped to empty our bladders and take a bite to eat, he was still suspiciously quiet.
“What’s troubling you, Aebba?” We had finished packing up our things and I was about to mount the cart again. He hitched the straps of his black stallion to the back of the wagon and climbed on board. I followed him, sitting at his side.
He took up the reins and urged the cart horse to walk on. “I may have been a bit forceful last night, Aunt, and for that, I apologise.”
That was most unexpected. I had never known our Chieftain to admit he was wrong in his life, let alone say sorry. Dumbstruck, I couldn’t find the words to answer him.
“You could be right.” He continued, when I failed to respond. “I have no doubt that Blydh will be fine on this trip, but I worry about the other two. Paega has been so coddled by his mother he can barely piss straight without Eseld’s help.”
“Tallack’s not like that though. He’s strong and fearless.”
“That’s the trouble. Being fearless is fine if you have the common sense to know your limits. That boy is so conceited, he thinks he’s invincible.” Aebba peered down at the back of the cart horse. He didn’t want to look me in the eye and see my pity. If Tallack was arrogant, he learned it from his father. I didn’t say as much, but the notion lingered between us unspoken.
I changed the subject. “Blydh is a lot like your father.”
To this, Aebba nodded vigorously, warming to the subject. “He will make a fine warrior like him too. By Cernonnus, he frightened me as a child. Do you remember that curved blade he had from across the seas? I lost count of the number of heads he sliced off and attached to his horse. The blood would streak down the sides of the white pony and dry in great crusted globs. He wasn’t called Cador the Cruel for nothing.”
“He was fierce, that’s for sure, but he had his tender side too.”
“Did he? He kept that well hidden from my mother and me.” Aebba snorted. He tied the reins and twisted in his seat to reach a jug of ale.
“He was kind and inquisitive when we were young. Our father took him on a few raids and more hunts than was necessary. When he came back to us, he’d changed into the warrior that you remember. Bloodshed will do that to a boy. He lost a great number of his friends before you came along. It hardens the spirit.” I took the jug from him and supped my fill.
“And that’s what makes you a wise woman.” He snuffled, jogging against me. “Well, I can’t back out now. The whole tribe will have heard about the quest. If they don’t return with at least one auroch, they will lose all the respect of the clans.”
I picked up the reins and hurried the horse along. “If they can survive a half moon together without killing each other, they stand a fair chance of succeeding.” I didn’t believe a word of what I’d said, but it seemed to please him.
We stopped again at Whiddon Down, watered the horses and stretched our legs. There was no sign of the boys. They had pressed on to our meeting spot at Higher Tor. Aebba mounted his horse and rode the last leg of the journey, keeping pace with me in the wagon. The closer we got to the river crossing at the edge of the moors, the more reserved he seemed to be. I suspected he was regretting the entire venture. With no slaves nor warriors to accompany us, we were at the mercy of fate with few chances to send for aid.
The final approach to the tor was tough going. The cart horse struggled with the soggy ground and steep incline. It was a lot to ask of the beast after pulling the waggon for the day through muddy and bogged tracks. The rain had reduced to a thick mist that seeped into my clothes and chilled my spine. I let the horse rest at the river side for a while, sending Aebba on to meet with the boys at the top. It was not difficult to find them since a swirl of black smoke billowed up from their fire.
I gathered some mosses and a few fresh leaves and led the horse closer to the tor on foot. Taking a lengthy, but less steep route, I encouraged the stout pony to pull the cart in a zig zag fashion close to the top. The twins dashed down to meet me half way. Blydh took the reins and coaxed the beast along the final stretch towards the camp fire and unhitched it from the cart. There was no way to get the wagon closer to the tor without shattering the wheels against the boulders.
Tallack gave me a swig from his own water bladder and accompanied me the rest of the way. “We thought that this would be a good spot for you and Father to make camp. We’ve collected a few things for you, there’s not much firewood around, but Blydh did catch a rabbit for your supper.” He pointed to a section of ground below the rocky outcrop where the half-buried stones were fewest. Blydh led the horse to a spot with lush growth underfoot and tethered him on a long length of rope with the others. The twins made several trips to unload the contents of the cart, while Aebba secured the oiled material across tall stones to form a shelter.
Paega sat on a rock, polishing his new sword. He didn’t even look up to greet me. I threw a couple of logs on the fire and sat opposite him, waiting for him to acknowledge my presence. I could have waited all night, and still the sullen child would have ignored me. Old ladies are not worth his time. With the mists rolling in, it was impossible to see down into the moorland valleys beyond. If this weather persisted, the boys would struggle to find the auroch herd, and Aebba and I would have greater difficulties in watching over them.
By nightfall, I had fresh bread cooking on hot stones in the fire and a pot of rabbit stew bubbling away with a handful of chopped beets and grains to thicken the gravy. Blydh led the ponies into a sheltered spot, away from the worst of the weather, while Tallack fetched more water from the River Taw.
From their reluctance to chat, I sensed that the lads were feeling nervous about the hunt. This was a time for male companionship, for words of wisdom and more of caution. I took a bowl of stew and a hunk of bread and told them that I would eat my food in the shelter and rest soon after. It was only a short distance from the fire. I could still hear everything the
y said, but the separation allowed them to talk openly with their father.
Out of my presence they belched and farted and bickered over the scraps from the meal. Aebba chided them for acting like children. The quest was design specifically to prove to the Chieftain that they were warriors, ready to lead clans of much older and experienced men in Aebba’s name. It was a bad start. Suitably chastised, the young men settled down with their furs wrapped around their shoulders to listen to the Metern’s instructions. I could see them by the light of the fire through the gap in the shelter.
Tallack and Blydh absorbed every ounce of guidance. Paega may have done, it was hard to tell. He sat on a rock, testing the sharpness of his blade on a variety of stick wood, or stabbing the ground at his feet.
“At first light, you will take your weapons and your flints, and go in search of the herd. Stay downwind of them, they have keen senses and spook easily. Work together as a group, this is not a time for hollow victories at another brother’s expense. When you find them, observe their ways, how they move, what noises and sights alert them, which of them are weaker or easily separated from the herd. Above all else, take your time. Set up camp nearby and wait for favourable weather conditions. You might even want to leave your ponies and creep behind the mossy banks on foot to watch them.” Aebba took a long drink of ale, rubbing his eyes with weariness.
“And then what, Father?” Tallack asked, snapping a honey cake into half and passing a piece to Blydh.
“And then you make a plan of attack. Discuss the best way to approach them. Where did you get honey cakes from?”
Tallack swallowed his mouthful. “Brea gave them to me. Were you not given a bundle?”
The chieftain shook his head. “Eat your fill now, men. You’ll be fending for yourselves come morning.”
For a long time, no one spoke. Their pink faces roasted by the fire while their backs took a beating from the cold damp mists. Every one of them wore a strained frown. I was almost asleep in my warm furs when Tallack broke the silence.
“Do you think one of us will be gored like Branok?” He looked up to meet his father’s gaze. What could Aebba say? It was more than a distinct possibility. They were not strong, not the best horsemen nor proven in battle. Being able to catch and skin a rabbit would not stack up against the skills required to bring down an auroch bull.
Aebba erred on the side of reassurance. “Branok and Lorden did no preparation. They did not plan their campaign in terms of strategic moves. The only way you will triumph over such dangerous beasts is by using your wits. Branok’s death was sad but avoidable.”
Paega stood up and walked away from the fireside. At first, I thought it was to empty his bladder, but he did not return. Aebba and the twins stayed close and quiet, banking up the logs and supping more ale to stoke their courage. Within a few moments, I heard a scrambling noise and the clang of metal against rock. Paega must have made his own shelter higher up in the rocks above me.
With Paega gone, the twins relaxed in their father’s company, sharing the honey cakes that Brea had slipped to Tallack in the compound. In a desperate attempt to occupy their thoughts, Blydh took out a small dagger and began cutting feathers to fletch more arrows, while Tallack glued and bound the bronze spikes with boiled sap and leather. Aebba looked on them both and I recognised the proud father swelling within. These were his sons by his beloved Ruvane. There was little either of them could do to rile him.
At length, the Chieftain told them to rest or they’d be fit for nothing by dawn. He wandered out of view to piss off the edge of the tor boulders, and then joined me in my shelter.
“Room for me, Fur Benyn?” Aebba chuckled, stinking of wet furs and spilled ale. I shuffled over to give the great bear of a man enough room to lay down, and turned my back to him.
With a few grunts and groans, he shifted and shuffled until he was comfortable on the rushes. It had been some time since I had to share bed rushes with anyone. I’d forgotten how much it disrupts your sleep. Whether it was his wheezing lungs or the occasional splutter as a loud snore awoke him, I could not rest.
I sat up and edged closer to the doorway. The fire had burned down to a few embers. Wide awake, I decided to add more fuel and fan the flames back into life. Bare foot and unsteady, I hobbled over the rocks and bent low for the wood. As I balanced the second log in the embers, an eerie howl echoed across the valley to the tor rocks behind my head. A moment later, another call responded from the opposite side. A wolf pack drew near.
CHAPTER FOUR
Unable to sleep, I stayed awake until dawn, venturing out from the shelter every little while to keep the fire banked up. The wolves were unlikely to come close to a sizeable fire at the top of a moorland ridge. It did complicate the hunt for Aebba’s sons, particularly since the mist made it impossible to see further than a short distance beyond my hand. I knew that they had all heard the wolves, but none of them made comment about it when I called to them and offered porridge.
Aebba turned his nose up at my cooked grains. I don’t blame him. It’s just not the same made with river water rather than fresh goat milk. It was warm and filled my belly, and that was all that mattered. Tallack and Blydh thanked me for their food, shovelling it down their throats and rushing to prepare their horses.
“Where is Paega?” I asked Tallack. His horse was missing and there was no sign of any other shelter barring that of the twin’s. I glared at Blydh for an answer. He shrugged and went to pack away his belongings. Aebba muttered a last few words of wisdom to the boys as they mounted their ponies, and told them to give an offering to the Morrighan so that she would extend her protection over their quest.
They picked their way through the slope of fallen boulders and disappeared into the mists. Aebba waited to see if they would turn one last time and wave. Neither of the young men looked back.
“May all the gods protect them.” Aebba whispered. I don’t think he intended me to hear his prayer but I did and I joined him in wishing them well.
With Aebba awake and on guard, I took the opportunity to return to the shelter for a little sleep. All my fretting did nothing but exhaust me. They are in the hands of fate now, and as Aebba said, only their wits and careful thinking would keep them alive.
At midday, I returned to the fireside with my length of woollen fabric and my best bone needle. It would be a long wait until the mists cleared enough for us to see across the valley. I hoped to the gods that my healing skills would not be required, allowing me to while away my time, stitching warm undergarments and collecting whatever beneficial plants the moors afforded me.
Aebba was restless. He paced backwards and forwards along the top of the ridge, hoping to catch a glimpse of his sons. It was useless telling him to sit down and do something constructive and creative. The Metern lacked patience from a child, he was unlikely to change now.
“If you want something to do, you could catch more rabbits, or fetch more water for later…” I didn’t for one moment expect him to agree.
Aebba grunted. He hadn’t heard a word I’d said.
“Cryda saw some water sprites at the mouth of the River Exe.”
“What? When?”
That got the old goat. I smirked and carried on with my stitching. He tutted at my ruse and started his pacing again. It was late afternoon when the wind picked up and took the mist along with it. In the low golden sunlight, the view was breath-taking. Much of the tufted grasses and mosses had taken their fill of rains, shimmering with more hues of green than I ever thought possible. From our high vantage point, we scanned the horizon looking for signs of the young warriors. Tallack’s pony was white with pale dappled spots across its hind quarters. Blydh and Paega rode dark brown horses, which blended into the natural colours of scree and muddy patches around them.
“They could be anywhere by now.” Aebba growled. “If they have tracked the herd too far south, we ought to follow them, don’t you think?”
I took a long breath and slowly exhaled. “I
f we stay put, they will know how to find us if there is a problem. If we go scurrying down there after them, we might head in the wrong direction and then we’d all be lost and no use to anyone.”
“I suppose you’re right, Aunt. I just can’t bear the thought of them being injured and unable to reach us in time.”
I peered up at him without moving my head. It was a look which said, then you should have thought about that before setting this ridiculous challenge. I had no need to say it out loud. He understood my inference with a simple glare.
“Which way do you think they went?” He asked me. I don’t know about his patience, but mine wore perilously thin.
“Aurochs like lush grass. That side of the River Taw is mainly rock and scrubland, whereas down in the valley over there…” I pointed with my elbow, refusing to drop my sewing. “Is all green and flatter.”
“Why didn’t I think of that?” He scrambled up the granite rocks to the highest point and shielded his eyes from the glare of the sum with a hand.
I nodded away to my woollen material, muttering beneath my breath. “Because you’re half addled from too much ale last night.” He didn’t hear me, thankfully. He stood on the rocks for a long time. I packed my sewing away and began cooking our supper expecting him to descend eventually, and then moan about my choice of meal. The lower the sun fell, the more the silhouettes stood out across the moors.
Rocky escarpments threw long shadows on the rolling hills below them. Birds of prey hovered over fissures and streams and then dived at unsuspecting creatures, ripping them from their burrows with massive claws. As bleak and inhospitable as the area seemed, it had its own stark beauty. It was as though the gods had sculpted the land as their playground, heaving giant rocks in stacks and weaving the rivers and streams between them.