Housecarl (24 page)

Behind us a huge cheer erupted
and I heard one cheeky voice say, “Now can we charge?”

Laughing I turned.  “No,
good fellow, for that is our first battle over and we won!” I
quickly checked the front rank of my men.  Two of them had
suffered slight wounds but I could see that they were minor enough
to become marks of glory in the future which would be revealed in
years to come when the battle became far bigger than it had been
and far more heroic. Apart from the three killed in the middle two
more of the mailed warriors had died and three of those in the
rear. There were seven wounded men who lay in terror on the ground.
I knew what they feared, that they would be slaughtered where they
lay. As Branton and his archers appeared and began to collect the
spent arrows I turned to Osbert. “Take the men at arms, Branton and
his archers.  Make sure they have gone.” I looked at the
wounded.  “You have a choice.  You can surrender now and
live or we can kill you where you lay.”

It did not take them long to
discard their weapons. I turned to the fyrd.  “Those who have
animal husbandry skills see to these wounded men and do not harm
them, “I paused, “unless they show signs of flight.”

Ridley and I took a couple of
the fyrd to strip the bodies of armour and to search for any
wealth. We piled the arms and armour at one side. “Get wood and
kindling.  We will send these souls to their heaven.” We had
just piled the bodies when Osbert and his men returned.  He
wandered off to the side and when he appeared again I saw that he
had the head of the man I had slain. “Wouldn’t want him to meet his
God with half of him missing.”

The men were in good spirits and
laughed at the dark humour.  The wounds having been dressed I
spoke to the prisoners.  “You seven have a choice. You can
join us, either as one of Thegn Ridley’s men or one of mine. 
Or you can leave and follow your master back to Jorvik.”

One of them stood.  “That
is it?  You will allow us to leave? You will not have your
archers shoot us in the back?”

“You can leave and you will not
be harmed.  You will leave all weapons and armour here but you
can follow my brother if you wish.”

Suddenly the man’s look
changed.  “That was your brother?  Then you must be
Aelfraed who fought Gryffydd of Rhuddlan.”

I was too modest to reply but
Ridley beamed from ear to ear.  “That he is! And I was there
to witness that combat!”

“Then we are lucky to be alive
and I for one will gladly serve such a warrior.”

By the time we headed back to
our homes all seven had joined us. The spokesman was a fine warrior
called Aedgart and I came to rely on him almost as much as Osbert.
When we reached the citadel, the relieved folk of my estate all
went home and we celebrated with ale and a deer Branton had shot on
the way back. I looked around at my army.  From small
beginnings we had grown and I now had ten armed and armoured men at
arms and five competent archers.  I felt like a lord but I
wondered what Earl Tostig would do to the two lords who had dared
to question his authority. At the time I did not know that others
had joined in the putative rebellion against the unfair taxation as
far as I knew he would come north with a larger army and vengeance
on his mind. I turned to Osbert, “I think tomorrow we build a tower
and improve the gates for the next time we may well have to defend
our demesne.”

Osbert nodded.  “I would
not worry for when the word gets out about today we will have
others choosing to fight for you.”

“But could I afford them?”

In answer he held up a
purse.  “It seems your brother ran rather swiftly from the
field and dropped this.  I suspect it is someone else’s taxes
but we can use them eh?”

I opened the purse and saw that
it was not just silver and copper, there were gold pieces. I
wondered when he would miss it.

In the end he did not come but
Earl Harold did. We heard that Earl Tostig had been driven from his
capital by the inhabitants of that city and he had fled to
Scotland. Ridley and I took our men to Jorvik to meet with Harold
and the new Earl of Northumbria. When we reached Jorvik it was as
though a feast was being thrown for the whole country.  There
were many armed men but every street had people laughing, joking
and drinking to celebrate the defeat of Earl Tostig.  We found
Ulf and the Housecarls at the warrior hall.  Leaving Osbert to
find a field for our men we entered. It was more than flattering to
be greeted so warmly. Wolf and Osgar were effusive but they had
seen our men behind us as we had arrived.

“Truly you are lords with your
own retinue! I can remember the days when you could not keep your
feet in a shield wall.”

We all laughed heartily at
that.  When we told them of Edward and our battle they nodded
sagely. “Aye well your brothers and your father have joined with
the Earl in Scotland and I can now understand why they did not
fight if your brothers are a measure of his men. No offence
Aelfraed.”

“And none taken Ulf, I agree
with you.” My uncle, the normal fount of all knowledge was with
Harold and I was desperate for news. “Who is the new Earl of
Northumbria then?”

Ulf had the good grace to be
shamefaced as he stammered his reply, “Er Morcar.”

I was stunned.  Ridley
looked at me with a confused expression upon his face. “Who is
Morcar?”

“ The brother of the man he
appointed as Earl of Mercia, Edwin and the brother of Ealdgyth his
wife.”

Even Ridley could see nepotism
at work and he gave a quiet, “Oh!”

“Your uncle is here,” ventured
Wolf and then he added cheekily,” and one of the ladies of the
court, Gytha.”

I ignored his attempt to make me
feel foolish.  “Gytha is here?  Is she married yet?”

The four of them fell about
laughing.  When Osgar had dried his eyes he said, “You are one
of the brightest minds I have ever met Aelfraed and yet where this
girl is concerned you are like a moon calf, all doughy eyed and
tongue tied.”

“Wait until it happens to you
Osgar.”

Wolf laughed.  “He is
married to his axe, have you not see the small hole at the end of
the handle?  Just the right size for him!”

It was good to banter again and
be with comrades who had shared the line of death. I liked Osbert
and the others but I could not let my guard down as I could here
amongst my fellow Housecarls.

We were summoned to the church
for the swearing of the oath.  The Bishop looked less than
happy about the situation but he had to suffer in silence.  I
knew, from my tame priest, that he was as corrupt a churchman as it
was possible to be, perhaps Morcar would be able to control him but
he was younger even than Ridley and I hoped that his brother Edwin,
Earl of Mercia, would be around to give him the support he
needed.

When we emerged Harold sought
out the two of us.  “I hear you two have been routing the
lords of the north.”

I smiled.  “It was a
skirmish, nothing more.”

“No Aelfraed, I am proud of you
because that was the stone which started the mountain to
fall.  Others took heart from your stand and your
victory.  I am indebted to you once more.”

“In that case my lord may I ask
a boon of you?” I saw the irritated look flash across my uncle’s
face but I ignored it.

“And what boon would that
be?”

“I would like to court the Lady
Gytha.”

“I thought you had grown out of
that fancy but as she is not promised to anyone I will give you
permission to speak with her but, young Aelfraed who has less land
than most, unless she is of the same mind then I will seek a more
powerful suitor for her.”

Ealdgyth arrived at that moment.
“Who are you marrying off now husband?”

She was still as beautiful as
ever.  I had heard that she had lost her baby but I could see
that she was with child once more. Earl Harold disappointed
me.  He saw Gytha as an object, a pawn in a game of chess for
him to play or to lose at a whim.

“Aelfraed here would woo
Gytha.”

In answer Ealdgyth threw her
arms about me and kissed me.  She had always been fond of me.
“But of course he shall woo her and they shall marry. Oh this is
wonderful.” I was delighted to see the look of disappointment on
Earl Harold’s face.  He was rarely thwarted and I was glad
that his wife had his measure. “I will arrange the meeting
myself.  Come in the morning to our residence and she will be
there awaiting you.” She kissed first me and then the Earl and
left.

The Housecarls looked
bemused.  It was as though a tornado had crashed through the
town and then left.

Aethelward put his arm around my
shoulder and Ridley’s.  “Come you two for we have much to talk
of.”

When we were some distance from
the Earl he suddenly became serious.  “It does not do to upset
the Earl.”

“But he said he had no plans for
her.”

“Not at the moment but he is
always planning for the future. And now, how are your lands? I
heard about your brother, well done.”

“Our lands are better now.”

“We have men at arms,” blurted
out Ridley.

“I know and it is good for we
will need them soon.”

I saw an alehouse and we went
in.  “Why uncle what do you know?”

Ridley went to get ale while my
uncle explained. “The King is not well and I do not think he will
last more than a year or two.  Duke William is spreading the
story that the Earl swore fealty to him.”

“Is it true?”

Aethelward shrugged. “I am not
sure.  Oaths do not seem important to the Earl unless someone
swears one to him.”

“I hear my father and brothers
are fled with Tostig?”

“Aye and I should apologise to
you. When we were last in Jorvik you warned me of your father but I
could not believe that my sister’s husband was a traitor.”

I shrugged.  “I could have
been wrong. I was younger then.”

“No Aelfraed I should have
trusted your instincts.  It seems he was in a plot with the
Normans and the Scots to rid the country of Edward.  It would
have allowed Malcolm to claim Northumbria and the Duke the rest of
the country.  War is coming.  I am pleased that you are
here for Morcar is young and will need wiser heads to aid him.”

I looked shocked. “I am not
wise.  I am of an age with Morcar.”

“Yes nephew but you have seen
and done more than he has and more importantly you have the brain
of a strategos. I am getting old and I have no son but if I had one
I would he were like you.  You make me proud as you would have
made my sister proud had she lived.”

I never cried as a grown man, I
had not cried since Nanna died but that day in the alehouse with
Ridley and my uncle I was close to tears. “I will not let you down
uncle.”

He then gave me the smile that
Nanna always gave to me and which my father never had. “You will
never let me down.”

We three sat in a comfortable
silence and then I made the whole scene embarrassing. These two
were the two closest people to me in the world and I felt I could
say anything. “Who is my father? It is not Edwin.”

Ridley stared intently at his
ale as though trying to read the runes of the froth. “No it is not
Edwin.”

“Then who is it?”

“That I cannot tell you for
unlike some men I have an oath which I took.”

“Did my mother love my, my real
father?”

Aethelward smiled, “Oh that she
did Aelfraed.  It was wyrd.”

“And Edwin, did he know
that…”

“That his wife had been
unfaithful? Aye and it cost her, her life.”

Once, when we were campaigning
in Wales I stood atop a high crag and the world below me seemed to
spin.  Had Ridley not pulled me back I think I would have
plunged over to my death.  As I sat in the alehouse I had that
same feeling of falling into a deep dark hole. Even Ridley had
finished studying his ale and he sat open mouthed looking at me. My
uncle put his hand on my harm. “Now that he is declared traitor I
can tell you so that you feel not the shame of his name.”

“He killed her?”

There was a silence as
Aethelward sipped his ale. “Aye he killed her.  I did not find
out until I returned at Nanna’s request and I would have killed him
then but your grandmother forbade it for your sake.”

Suddenly many events surrounding
my uncle’s return made sense as did many of the stories Nanna had
told me which I had not understood but now did.  She had been
preparing me for the news which she knew would shatter me. I said
no more on that momentous night for my men at arms found us and we
spent the rest of the night carousing and listening to Aethelward’s
stories of the Varangian guard. But in my mind I swore an oath that
Edwin of Medelai would die at my hand and my mother would be
avenged.  I think my heart became a little harder that
night.  I still did not know who my real father was but that
could wait until my blade sank into that evil man’s heart.

Ridley was worried about me and,
next day, as we walked to the Earl’s house he spoke quietly to
me.  “Are you all right Aelfraed? I have never seen the black
anger upon you as I did last night.”

“Thank you, my most faithful and
oldest friend. Yes, I am not losing my mind as I thought I was last
night but I am resolved to kill that black hearted murderer.”

He nodded his agreement as
though that was inevitable.  “Of course you know that you will
also have to kill your brothers.”

Ridley did not think of himself
as clever but where people were concerned he was a genius.  Of
course I would have to kill my brothers for they would avenge their
father. “I know.”

“And I will be there beside you
as your friend.” Wise men say that you are stuck with your family
but you choose your friends.  I was glad that, all those years
ago when Aethelward had first arrived that I had chosen Ridley for
I could not have chosen better.