Saxon Dawn (Wolf Brethren) (10 page)

“As I do.”

Tadgh had waited to serve us and he winked as he ladled the soup with plenty of meat into our wooden bowls. “I made sure the providers of the meat should get their share.” His face turned serious.  “Do you hu
nt then?”

I smiled, “We are good hunters, al
l three of us.” It was not a boast, it was the truth and father had always taught us to speak the truth.

The beaming smile and the huge hams on our shoulders confirmed his words, “Then I shall be your best friend and I will
save some for your Saxon friend too.”

We learned over the next months that Tadgh was a good cook and we had not eaten so well since mother had been killed. We were just wiping the last of the juices with our fingers when we heard the clop of hooves and the baa of the sheep.  Although the warriors looked over at the sound, the sheep told them there was no danger. We joined Aelle. 
“Any problems?”

“No but as I headed away I saw a warband scouring the woods.  I fear our hidden home is no more.”

“We are warriors now and we will not need our hidden home again.  Come and we will take you to the food.”

Tadgh was ready with his ladle. He nodded to the sheep.  “They are for the pot?”

I smiled, “They are yours but the skins are ours.”

“I can live with that trade.”  He fished out the bones and threw them to Wolf. “And as the watchdog hound I will look after you too.”

The sheep did not delay us as we headed for the King’s stronghold. This too was a Roman fort and this one had been repaired and strengthened. The towers had guards upon them and there was a drawbridge over a ditch.  It stood out on a hill as we approached.  It was faced with white stone and seemed to gleam.  The towers were manned and there were standards fluttering from their tops. This made a statement to the enemies of Rheged. The Saxons would struggle to overcome this bastion!

The King waited for us as we entered. “I will leave you with my son Ywain.  He is the commander of my forces.”
A tall young man, almost the double of his father walked over. “These are three brave warriors who have killed many Saxons.  They are joining our army.  They are archers and they can handle swords too.”

Like his father he had the most engaging of smiles.  “Archers! Then you are welcome for we have few skilled with that weapon.”

Aelle suddenly looked shamefaced.  “I use a sling my lord.”

The king clapped him about the shoulders, “Aye, but you are the one who can speak the Saxon and as such you are more valuable than ten archers.”

Ywain nodded his agreement and Aelle’s face lit up. Urien had a way of making all men wish to follow him. He was a leader men knew would lead them well and, when we fought under his banner, we were never bested. Ywain led us to a long building.  “This is the barrack block for those not in my father’s guard. As yet it is largely empty but we have the winter to bring more men to our banner.”

I saw the dragon standard flying from the top of the tower. “I have never seen this before.”

“It was the sign of the Roman Sarmatae who rode beneath it.  My family is descended from their leader, Arteros and it brings fear to Saxon hearts.” When we entered we could see wooden slatted beds.  It looked as though half were occupied for they had belongings upon them.  “Choose any that are unoccupied and when you have stowed away your belongings and stabled your mounts then you can meet me in the Principia.” He saw our confusion.  “The big building in the middle.  Today we begin your training.”

We left Wolf in the barracks and approached the imposing stone building in the middle.  There were two guards outside and they crossed their spears when we approached. “We were told to report here,” I added lamely, “we are new.”

They both looked stern and then grinned. “Fresh meat!” The taller one nodded to the door and said, “In you go!”

Once inside we were greeted by an old man who had a shaven head and a brown shapeless tunic.  His fingers were blackened and he held a quill. He did not look up but asked, “Name?”

“Er Lann, son of Hogan.”

He scraped away.
“Yours?”

“Raibeart son of Hogan.”

“Next! Come along now we have not got all day.”

“Aelle, son of,” Aelle’s face filled with confusion.

“Son of Hogan,” I added and Aelle and Raibeart smiled gratefully at me.

The old man looked up for the first time. “Strange that someone does not know their father? Still I can see that you are brothers even if you had not the same mother.” We looked at each other in shock.  Was this a witch who could discern such things? “I am Brother Osric and I keep the records of the king.  As king’s men you will be fed and you will share in any booty you capture. We have a smith should you need your armour repairing.”

“Have you a fletcher?”

He leaned back.  “I see the king has begun to recruit warriors who can think unlike the lumps like Bladud.” Already I liked this old m
an if only for the fact that we shared a dislike of the standard bearer. “No we do not but I assume you can make arrows?” I nodded. “Good then tell me what you need and I will acquire them for you.”

“Goose feather or duck
for the flights, but goose is best.  Straight wood and iron barbs for the arrows.”

He scribbled away.  “I will let you know when I have them. There will be payment for the ones you make.” He saw our excitement, “I should warn you that so far we have yet to gather any booty to share and to pay smiths and fletchers.  But the good lord will find us some I am sure. You are now to go out of the north gate and you will find Lord Ywain there with his warriors.
” His head dropped and we were dismissed.

It was easier getting out of the gate than getting into the Principia.  If I thought Lord Ywain would have a huge army I was in for a disappointment.  There were forty warriors on the grassy plain.  I could see a couple of targets with archers loosing arrows and the rest were using wooden swords and shields. Lord Ywain saw us and said something to one of his men and then strode over to join us.
He was an astute man and none of us were adept at hiding our feelings.  “It is not much of an army I know but it is a start.  Until last month we had just my father’s bodyguards.” He looked at Aelle. “We have some slingers.” He pointed to a knot of boys somewhat younger than Aelle. “I know that the king has plans to use your talents as a Saxon speaker but I would be grateful if you would command them and give them some sort of discipline. My father said you have fought and killed Saxons which gives you more experience than any here, including me!“ I think Aelle was even more surprised than any. Ywain thought the confusion was over command and so he continued. “We use the old Roman system of command.  We have a warrior in command of ten and ten tens are commanded by a captain of a hundred.” He waved a self deprecating hand across himself.  “I am the only captain of a hundred.  There are twelve slingers so you would be leader of ten.”

“I would be honoured.”

“Good then you can take command.” He leaned over to say confidentially, “I know you have killed in battle.  These have slain squirrels and wild cats.  Be firm with them.” As he walked over I wished I could be there to help him and then I saw that that would do him little good.  If he was their leader then he had to command.  “And let us see what kind of archers you two are. Although, to be honest, we have so few that anyone who has a bow is welcome.” He looked at mine.  “Yours is longer than the ones we use and the one your brother has.”

“My father was a fine archer and he taught me from an early age.  You need greater strength to pull a long
er bow such as this.”

We had reached the others and they stood in silence watching us. “These are two new archers, Lann and his brother Raibeart.”He pointed to a young man about my age
, the one he had spoken to before meeting us. “That is my cousin Gildas.  He commands ten swordsmen and we are the only two commanders as yet.  The field is yours.”

I walked up to the targets and removed the arrows
from two of them, placing the spent arrows on the ground.  Then I paced out a hundred and fifty paces and turned.  I knew I could hit the target from a greater distance but Raibaert’s bow was not as powerful and I did not want to make my younger brother look foolish. I winked at him as he joined me. A crowd gathered behind me and Ywain said quietly, “That is much further away than they were standing.”

I smiled, “Do not worry my lord.  When I aim and loose I hit
the target.”

I looked at Raibeart who nodded confidently and said, “We both do.”

We both took aim and loosed an arrow each at exactly the same time.  Both struck the targets in the centre thudding in unison. I heard the collective whistle of approval from the archers behind us. I decided to show off; father would not have approved I know but I wanted to show this young prince what we could do. I stuck five arrows in the ground.  Raibeart grinned and did the same.  “Sometimes, the enemy attacks so quickly that you have to loose quickly, like this…”

The two of us notched and loosed five times in quick succession.  I knew that it looked impressive having watched my brother complete the same action himself. All ten arrows were embedded in the targets although not all in the centre. Ywain and Gildas rushed over to clap us on the back. “I think we have our two leaders of ten.” He looked at me curiously, “Your bow has a longer range.  How far away could you hit the target?”

“Raibeart, remove our arrows.” I paced out another one hundred paces. Raibeart ran up to me and handed me my five arrows.  He said quietly, “You can hit further than this brother.”

“I know but we want these men to achieve this some time so let us give them an achievable target.” I chose my straightest arrow and I licked my fingers to smooth out the flights. I held up the wetted finger to ascertain the wind and then I notched it.  I kept my breathing smooth as I pulled the bow back, almost to its maximum and then I loosed.  The arc of the arrow was true and it flew up into the air and then plunged down to strike the target dead centre.

“I think, master archer, that we will have your longer bows made for all of our warriors.”

I shook my head.  “It would be a waste of time until they are stronger
in the arms and chest my lord.  My brother will be ready for one by midwinter for he has been training but the rest will take until spring.  Do not worry.  They will all improve.”

The twenty men we had to teach were all attentive and desperate to learn how to be as accurate as we were. For the first afternoon we concentrated on improving their technique.  The strength training would come later.
As we trudged back to the barracks we were tired but I felt a real sense of achievement.  I was giving commands to men older than me but it did not feel strange; it was as though I had been born to do it. 

Ywain and Gildas had kept glancing over as they trained the swordsmen and when we headed back they joined us.  “You were sent by God to help us Lann and you Raibeart.  I always had a feeling that we could defeat the Saxons but, having seen your skill, now I know we shall.”

“Have you fought the Saxons my lord?”

I was aware that he was the same age as me but I suspected that he had not. “His red face confirmed it. “No Lann I have not, why?”

“I have fought three times and been lucky enough to kill the enemy but it is not as easy as hitting a target.  You think you are going to piss or shit yourself when they charge at you and, until you have felt a man’s blood spurt over you and watch his life ebb from his eyes then you cannot know how you will fare in a battle.  Those archers we trained today will hit their targets but will they hit their enemies?  Only our first battle will tell us that and the battlefield is a hard place to learn that lesson.”

“Wise words from one so young and I will heed them Lann the archer. Perhaps you can try out your sword tomorrow.”

“I was going to suggest that the archers be trained with swords my lord.  If you run out of arrows on a battlefield then there is little for an archer to do but run, unless he has his sword at his side.”

We did not get the chance to try our swords the next day for word came to us of a raid
by some Saxons who were in the east and north of the Dunum.  They were using the Roman road to come west.  The war of King Urien and the Saxons would not now begin in the spring; it began when the skies were filled with clouds and the rain threatened to turn the roads into a morass. What was even worse was that the king had no idea of the size of the enemy warband. Two reports had reached him and the size of the Saxons varied from over two hundred to almost five hundred.

Ou
r small army left the fortress taking all but twenty men left to guard the deserted fort.  The three of us commanded forty archers and slingers while Ywain and Gildas had a further fifty armed with swords and spears.  King Urien had his fifty horsemen and they led us along the road that the Romans had called the Stanegate, and we came to term it, the road to hell!

The three of us led our men immediately behind the horsemen. If we were ambushed then our task was to form a protective screen around the swordsmen and spearmen, thin the enemy out and then retreat behind their protective shields.  Of course the three of us marched with our own shields slung across our backs. The archers marched proudly behind Raibeart and me and I knew that they were envious of the wolf skins which marked us not only as warriors but hunters too. Aelle had quickly cowed the slingers with his skill and they were desperate to impress this warrior who was the only slinger they knew to have killed someone in battle. He had not had time to cast more of the round metal stones he had used against the Angles but it was one of the tasks he had set himself when we returned to the fort.