Housecarl (4 page)

My uncle recognised him and
shouted, “Ulf you old dog! I thought you would have been with some
rich widow enjoying telling lies about your prowess!”

“And I thought you would have
been chained to some Byzantine galley.”

As Harold and Aethelward had
done earlier the two men embraced and slapped each other’s backs.
Aethelward looked sharply at Harold, “Wyrd?  An accident? You
bring one of my oldest friends here as though it is not
planned.  My lord I did not think you would have your
brother’s slippery tongue.”

“You do me a disservice old
friend.  Ulf here would have performed the task alone had I
not met you but your participation would ensure that the result was
a happy one.”

“The Earl is right.  I was
to leave on my mission after we had returned to Jorvik.” He looked
at Harold and grinning, shook his head,” This is still the same man
we fought alongside in the Thingmen.”

“I am sorry my lord.  I
have been around my brother in law too much. Perhaps Aelfraed
should…”

“No Aethelward, for I see a role
in this for your nephew, unless you think he is not up to it.”

“As I do not know what it is I
cannot answer. Perhaps if you tell your tale I can decide.”

Harold led us to the empty
blacksmith’s hut where the glow from the fire still remained. “Four
years ago Gruffyd Ap Llewellyn destroyed the garrison at
Glastonbury and he has now united all of the Welsh kingdoms through
conquest.  They are a threat to our safety.”

“With due respect my lord they
are a threat to Wessex.  Here the bigger threat is the
Scots.”

Harold laughed and looked at
me.  “That is what I have always liked about your uncle, his
honesty. Unlike others I could name.  You are right Aethelward
but if we can secure our Western border then it will make it easier
for us to shift troops north and face the Scots.  We cannot
fight both at the same time and if we move our men north then the
Welsh will pour into the heartland of our country.  The Dyke
cannot hold them back.”

My uncle nodded.  “I must
teach you chess young Aelfraed.  Harold here is the best
player I know.  Suppose I agree with you what then?  You
want me to invade the Welsh with a youth?”

Harold laughed again and it made
me smile.  When people ask why so many were willing to die on
the forsaken hill with the erstwhile King of England I tell them it
was his laugh.  He had a ready smile and a laugh that made
everything seem safer somehow. “No I need you to go with Ulf and
young Aelfraed and spy on the Welsh.”

“You do not ask much my
lord.  What makes you think that I could spy for you? A lame
old scarred warrior and an untried youth.”

I have to say that I did not
like being referred to as an untried youth but I knew that my uncle
meant no disrespect.  He was doing as Harold said he did, he
was speaking the truth.

“And that is the perfection of
the plan and why I say it is wyrd.  Who would suspect you
two?”

“Then why send Ulf?  He is
no lame warrior and he is certainly tried.  Would the Welsh
not suspect him?”

“They would and he will remain
in hiding.  It is you two who will go into the settlements.
Ulf is there for your protection.”

“And if you had not discovered
us?”

Ulf spoke for the first time,
his deep languid voice evoking sadness even with cheerful words.
“Then I would have gone alone and I would probably have died
amongst the sheep shaggers and my lord would not have discovered
the intent of this King of the Welsh.”

“You make it hard to say no,
knowing that I owe this man a life.”

“As I owe you a life,
Aethelward, and I will make good my debt.  As for your debt
consider that it is paid with your agreement.”

“And Aelfraed?”

“He need not go.”

“But I want to!” The words burst
out of me. I would not be left behind.  I was no longer afraid
of my brothers but I was afraid of not having the chance to be a
warrior.

“It seems he is going.”

“And Ridley?”

Harold looked nonplussed for the
first time. Later, as we travelled south Ulf and my uncle told me
of the complex mind that was Harold Godwinson.  He liked to
plan to the most minute detail and he had not considered that
anyone would add to his ideas. “Ridley?”

“Aelfraed’s training partner. He
is a sound warrior and would be handy in a fight.  It would
give us two protectors.”

Harold clasped Aethelward’s
arm.  “Then he goes.” He looked seriously at me. “It goes
without saying son of Aethelgifu, that this stays between us
here.”

“I swear.” I put my hands on my
testicles to show that I meant it.

Harold looked wryly at my
uncle.  “I will take your word that there is something there
to swear on.” The three men laughed at my blushes. “I am only
teasing Aelfraed. You are your father’s son and you will not let me
down.”

I wondered at the look which
Aethelward flashed at the Earl but thought no more about it. 
I was going to be a warrior. “We will leave when your party has
left tomorrow.”

Harold nodded.  It will
take some months to find this out.  When you have discovered
his plans then you will come to the King’s court.  Secrecy
will no longer be needed at that point.” He drew me close to him
and I saw, for the first time, how tall he was. He leaned close to
me. “When you return we will see what we can do for you. You would
be a warrior?”

I nodded vigorously. “It is all
that I wish.”

“You will continue to train with
Ulf and your Uncle when you are on the road and then I will make
you part of my plans for I can see that you are sharp as well as
courageous.” He looked over to my uncle. “If that is what you wish
old friend?”

“Aye it is.” Aethelward looked
almost relieved. “Had this not come along then I would have had to
take him to the Irish to get some experience.”

“I thank God that you did not
have to go down that route for the Irish are as unpredictable as
the weather.”

And so the next day as my
brothers left with Earl Tostig, their superior looks telling all
the world of their honour and my disgrace I smiled to myself. 
Uncle had been right it was not what the world knew that was
important it was what a man carried in his heart that counted.
Ridley was delighted to be included with us and his father, the
Steward, somewhat relieved to have his son taken away by Aethelward
for a trip to the capital. My father was the most relieved man for
in one fell swoop he was rid of the son he hated and the brother in
law who flouted his rule with every breath he took.  He gladly
gave the three of us horses, no doubt anticipating a profit from
his other sons who would be the highly paid Housecarls of the
voracious and greedy Tostig. It was said that he could get taxes
from the very stones he walked upon.

As we rode down the old Roman
road which led south I suddenly realised that I had spent my whole
life on the farm, never leaving the valley and now I was going to a
different country. I thanked God again for the message my Nanna had
sent to my uncle.  I hated to think what my life would have
been like had he not returned.

Ulf had a spare horse with him
for his armour and he rode, as we did, in just a leather
byrnie.  Ridley looked ridiculously large on his horse and his
feet almost touched the ground.  That, in itself, suited
Ridley who was not the most confident of riders.  I too
preferred the ground beneath my feet but we all knew that we had to
make all possible speed to accomplish our task. I was just excited
to be part of something bigger than the life on a busy farm. I had
no idea what we would see or what we would have to do but I trusted
in my uncle.  I did not know Ulf yet but the dour man seemed
dependable and, most importantly, my uncle trusted him. 

Ridley and I followed the two
men who discussed their plans ahead of us.  I was desperate to
be a part of the discussion but Aethelward’s words, ‘untried youth’
kept ringing in my ears and I remained stubbornly silent. I could
feel Ridley’s glances towards me as we rode and knew that he was
desperate to speak.  Eventually, as we left Ripon and began
climbing the road across the back of the country, I regretted my
silence, which was in any case unnatural and turned to speak to my
companion. “Well Ridley how does it feel to be away from our
valley?”

The relief of speech caused his
words to pour out in a torrent.  “Well master I am excited but
nervous too.  This place we are going to , Wales.  I have
heard that they have dragons there.”

I had heard of Welsh dragons but
assumed that it was just a story.  I scoffed at Ridley’s
naivety. “I don’t think there are dragons in Wales Ridley. 
That sounds like a story to me.”

My uncle turned.  “Do not
mock what you do not know nephew.  There are stories that the
dragons were imprisoned in the mountains through which we will be
travelling and the flag of the Welsh king, Gruffyd, is a red
dragon.”

Ridley’s face beamed with a
smile.  “See master.  I was right.” The smile left his
face as the import of the words sank in. “Are they still
buried?”

Ulf laughed, “They are lad and
that is good although it would be good to be a Beowulf and fight
one. Then men would tell the tale of Ulf and the Red Dragon around
their fires.”

Everyone knew the tale of
Beowulf and Grendel but this was the first time I had even thought
that we might meet one. “And we pass through the burial place of
the dragons?”

“Aye.  Dinas Emrys is the
mountain which covers them and we are heading for a pilgrimage site
which is hard by.”

“Pilgrimage?”

“Yes we are heading for the
monastery of St Asaph.  It is a holy place and will explain
why we are travelling.  When we next pass a stand of ash trees
we will cut a stave each to add to the illusion.”

Ulf nodded.  “We can then
travel south east through Wales and people will think that we are
heading home rather than spying on our enemies.”

“Is this not a lie uncle. 
For you said that warriors do not lie.”

“True nephew.  Warriors do
not lie to warriors and we will visit the holy place and we will
not be lying. When we leave we will be heading home for our new
home will be with Earl Godwin.”

“You mean we are not going back
to Medelai?”

“No Ridley.  We may visit
again but Master Aelfraed is to be a warrior and will be part of
the Earl’s army. The two of you will have to train to be part of
the shield wall.”

Ridley and I exchanged the
excited look of young men who have dreamt of such training. 
We were almost men in terms of our bodies but our minds were still
innocent and like that of a child.  At that time we believed
that the shield wall was noble and showed the honour of
warriors.  We had to learn that to stand in that killing
ground had little honour and even less nobility.  It was a
savage place where only the fittest and most ruthless would
survive, but that was in the future.  As we climbed the high
road we just talked of standing shoulder to shoulder with other
warriors defending the honour of our liege lord.

The road we took was a lonely
and empty one; built by the Romans it was in need of repair but it
was the swiftest way to cross the high country. Although we had
plenty of dried meat and there was enough streams for water we all
pined for the eggs and fresh foods of the farm.  Ridley
enjoyed his food and he longed to go hunting to catch a rabbit or
two.  Aethelward shook his head as Ridley begged for the
opportunity to hunt. “This is not a game Ridley.  This is what
a warrior does.  Not for him the life at court with fine food
and ale.  He goes without. Ulf and I have stood in a shield
wall for the better part of a day before now with neither food nor
drink.”

“Aye I remember that day. Those
Danes were hard men but they left before we did.”

“You are right Ulf.  We
showed that we were the better warriors. Remember this nephew we
are different from the Danes because we fight for our lord and our
country.  The Danes fight for a leader and for plunder. 
When you fight the Danes you kill the leader and then they
flee.”

“And the Welsh?”

“Ah now they are
different.  They are cunning.  Their land is rocky and
does not suit the shield wall.  They like to use arrows and
let you waste your strength in useless attacks.  This is why
Earl Harold needs to know their plans and their strength so that we
can attack them at places which suit us.”

Ulf snorted.  “The whole
country is one big rock. I doubt that there is anywhere which suits
us.”

My uncle shrugged.  “That
is why we have been sent. To discover that which we do not yet
know.”

Ulf inclined his head towards
Aethelward.  “And that is why the Earl sent your uncle for he
is the cleverest warrior I ever knew.  You would do well to
copy him.”

My uncle laughed.  “You
need not worry about Aelfraed, Ulf, for he is already capable of
out thinking me.”

Ridley looked at me in awe as I
blushed with the compliment.  I did not know that I was held
in such regard.  I now understood why my uncle had taught me
chess and played each night. I had thought it was a pastime, now I
knew that he was both training and assessing me and my skills.

The walled town of Frodsham was
the last safe place we travelled through. It seemed solid and safe
and the town watch looked to be alert and wary.  It was a
frontier town and enemy land lay ahead of us. When we finally
crossed the Maeresea we could see, in the misty distance, the
mountains rising high into the sky.  We would not seer the
tops for they were wreathed in threatening clouds. Ridley leaned
over to me.  “That looks like dragon fire to me.”

I did not want to appear as
gullible as Ridley and I shook my head.  “No that looks like
cloud to me.”