Saxon Dawn (Wolf Brethren) (16 page)

I plunged towards them.  Their leader had not been one of the first two warriors.  I knew he was the leader from the magnificent helmet which had a mask on it
and the torc he wore around his neck.  He carried a war axe and I roared up to him.  He quickly organised his wedge and fifteen warriors who remained came straight for me. I deflected the axe blow with my shield and slashed across his shins with my sword. He screamed in pain.  I punched him with my shield and then stabbed the man to his left through the throat.  He gurgled his life away at my feet. I saw Riderch and his men to my right but my half of the band were hanging back.  Suddenly I was surrounded! The chief was still stunned and so I smashed my shield into him and, as he stumbled stabbed him in his thigh, a death wound. I felt something sharp in my back followed by a hard blow as though struck by a hammer and I spun around, smashing the edge of my shield, which was lined with nails, into his face.  I saw another warrior looming up at me and I had no time to swing my sword and so I punched with the sword guard. I heard his nose break and as he recoiled I brought the blade down; he must have had a poorly made helmet for my blade went through the helmet and split his skull open. Then Riderch was next to me and the Saxons lost heart with the death of their chief.  They ran. 

“After them or they may escape!”

“Run! Do as the wolf warrior says!” I dropped to my knees.  I felt weak. Riderch’s face filled with concern.  “What is it?”

“I think I was stabbed from behind.”

He put his hand underneath my armour and it came away bloody.  “Quick, take off your armour.”

“No let us get to the boats. I am not dying
.  I will follow.”Pausing only to take the chief’s fine helmet and his torc I limped to the beach.  The cut had not hurt me but the blow had. I wondered what weapon had caused it.

The Saxons fleeing to the beach had put up a good fight and, as we approached, the last of them was slain but there were the bodies of Riderch’s men to show the battle they had given to stay alive. To see the way Riderch’s men carried on you would have thought they had killed a whole Saxon army and not a mere handful of raiders.

Riderch was angry with his men and I knew why. The ones with me had held back and nearly cost me my life. “You five, go to the forest and bring the bodies, the raiders and ours.” He looked at the others and said, “You four, strip the bodies of armour, swords and anything else of value.  Put them in the bottom of the boat.” Then he turned to me.  “Now will you let me look at you?” He sounded like a mother scolding a naughty child and I smiled and nodded.

He pulled the armour off and gave it for me to view. I had been struck by an axe and it had given me the smack. The tip of the blade had penetrated and cut my skin but it was not a deep wound. I was certain that I had some broken ribs but my armour and the padding had saved me. “That armour saved your life.  If it had struck my mail then I would be dead.”

The men returned with the bodies and the booty. They had obviously raided a farming family for they had slaughtered a cow and a pig.  It made me even angrier than I was before because those people had had no protection from these fat overfed warriors who were so reluctant to fight. “Who were the warriors who were supposed to follow me?” Three men looked shamefaced and one of them pointed to four of the bodies. “They did not deserve to live.” I whipped out my sword and held it to the neck of the nearest one. “I should kill you all now! But you have no honour and do not know what you have done.  You are not warriors, you are fat overpaid and lazy guards! You are excrement on my shoe!”

They recoiled and
the man I had threatened fell to the floor sobbing. “My lord forgive us we were afraid.”

I turned and said to Riderch
, “Next time leave these women at home because they cannot be trusted.”

As we rowed back to the stronghold the warriors were more subdued.
Riderch spent the journey back asking me questions.  “Where did you get the armour and the sword? “ That and a thousand others poured from his lips.  Although tired I felt I owed him the answers for he had been the only one of the leaders to volunteer to come with me.

“I can see that there is an aura about you.  Perhaps
wyrd
brought you here.”

“You are not of the White Christ then?”

“No I keep the old ways.” He leaned in to me to speak confidentially, “I think our king keeps a foot in both camps if you know what I mean.”

The king was delighted with our success and promoted Riderch immediately.  Some of the other leaders questioned the losses. I was about to open my mouth and mention the civilian casualties but I refrained from doing so.  This was not my land and soon I would be
safely back home.  The king showed his regal qualities and he firmly put those gainsayers in their place. “We have destroyed a whole band of Saxons.  We have gained their boat and their arms and we have lost what?  A handful of men and, from what Lord Riderch tells me,“ I saw him puff up at the first use of his title, “those four were cowards who deserved to die.” He looked at his new deputy.  “Tell me Riderch could you lead such a raid again without Lord Lann?” I didn’t like to tell; him I was not a lord.  I just kept a stony, impassive face.

“I could your majesty.” His face broke into a smile, “Although I would prefer him to be with me for he is a fearsome fighter. He took an axe blow to the
back which would have felled an oak and still killed four warriors who had surrounded him.”

Even the gainsayers were impressed by that.  “
And that is the reason why I would like to husband his skills and learn more of his ways.  He is to be with us for a short time and we need to make the most of his knowledge which,” he gave me a measured look, “has exceeded my expectations I must confess.”

After we had eaten he took me to one side and poured me a beaker of the local drink made with honey. “Lann, you did well today and I can see that you impressed my men.  Why do you not
stay and serve me as my deputy.  Together we could conquer all that the Saxons took from us.”

I was shocked.  Riderch had risked his life and yet the king would give me his position without a second thought and he wanted me to betray my king. “I swore an oath to King Urien.”

“On a holy relic?”

“No I gave him my word.”

He seemed relieved. “Urien is a Christian; an oath to him is not binding unless sworn on either a relic or one of the White Christ holy books.”

“That matters not your majesty.  I gave my word and
it is binding to me. I am Urien’s man until death.”

He looked amazed that I would not betray two men. “If you reconsider then let me know.
“he then dismissed the idea s though I would eventually come around to his way of thinking. “Now the raid on the island; I want you to lead it but not put yourself in harm’s way.  You are too valuable.”

“May I speak honestly your majesty?”

His eyes belied his answer, “Of course.”

“In my experience a leader who does not fight alongside his men is not a leader and his men will soon realise that. I will
lead the raid but, believe me I will return.  I am not destined to die here.  I will die far from here.”

I had silenced him with my conviction. “You are a most interesting man and I look forward to getting to know you a little better.”

When I was in my quarters I examined the damage I had suffered.  My body would heal and the scar would be a small one.  My ribs hurt, especially when I breathed hard, but they would repair.  My wolf cloak had helped to save my life but I would need a new one.  The armour was in urgent need of repair and that would be my task before I risked my life for King Morcant again. I spent the rest of the evening repairing my scales.

The tides and the weather were not right for a week which gave me time to heal and repair my armour and cloak.  I also spent time with Riderch and the men who would be coming on the raid
with us.  We had supplemented our original band with another fifteen volunteers.  I was interested to see that the keenest ones were the three who had failed me the first time. Riderch and I would take two boats; the Saxon one we had acquired and a similar one owned by the king. I would only take command once we were ashore for I was no seaman. Riderch told me that there was a causeway to the island which was heavily guarded.  It was only usable at low tide but it meant we knew where the guards would be.  We could see the stronghold on a clear day and they had built a formidable wooden fort on another crag similar to the one King Morcant used. Riderch knew the area well and we planned to use the side away from our castle for the approach. I knew that my bow would be crucial to silence sentries. We were taking flint and kindling for I planned to burn their boats.  They could build new ones but it would take time and they would need to come to the mainland for wood and then King Morcant could bring them to battle. The one thing which worried me was how many men they had. No-one had bothered to count them.  There might only be fifty or there could be a thousand.  That was part of our task.

We set off after dark after a very short day. The men were all good seamen and they rowed us directly out to sea and then turned north.  I could not tell where we were but Riderch and the helmsman seemed to be confident about our position. I saw the dark shape of the island on our left and we slowly made our way north.  We were the lead boat and Riderch slowed down the strokes so that we were barely making way. I was peering into the dark for the tell tale pinprick of light that would show where there was a fire. Eventually Riderch seemed satisfied and we headed into the part of the island where it joined the causeway. He did not beach the boat but left three men with it and we slipped over the side into the bone chilling
ly cold water.  The second boat ghosted up alongside us and the other warriors joined us.  I notched an arrow and followed Riderch across the swampy area filled with the Saxon’s cattle. They barely made a sound as we moved through them and, in fact, they aided our subterfuge. Any guards watching from the ramparts would just see cows moving.  I was now confident that the indolence of Morcant and his men had made them complacent and they only kept a desultory watch on the causeway.

We reached the rock and I was pleased to see that they had
been too lazy to dig a ditch.  We headed east towards the beached Saxon ships.  Riderch and ten men were assigned to firing the ships while I had the rest in case we were attacked.  Riderch and his men had been gone for moments when I saw something white on the ramparts. It was a guard. I could not see another but I knew that he could not help but see Riderch. I said quietly, “Prepare yourselves, we are about to be seen.” I sent the arrow to plunge into his neck and I head a thump as he fell from the ramparts. It would now be a matter of time before they found his body and knew they were under attack. “Spread out in a semi circle with me in the centre.  The guards from the causeway may come first.”

As I glanced to my right I saw the three warriors I had berated.  I smiled.  They were trying to atone. Suddenly I saw torches and light
s moving along the ramparts.  I hoped that Riderch had managed to fire the boats or we would be in trouble and very soon. As soon as I saw a face I loosed an arrow and there was a scream and then silence.  It was then I needed all my archers for a forest of faces appeared at the top of the rampart.  I loosed four arrows in quick succession although only three found their mark but at least it kept their heads down and made them cautious.

Suddenly the sea behind us was illuminated by the eight boats set ablaze and pushed into the sea.  Riderch raced towards us his face filled with excitement.

I could see that he was elated but I needed him to concentrate. “No time for congratulations they are awake; back to the boats!” I did not want Riderch to get carried away with his victory.  He nodded and raced past me.  I walked steadily backwards watching for the Saxons who would flood after us soon enough. A sudden lightening of the walls showed me where the gate was and I killed two of the first four men who ran out.  They seemed more intent with salvaging the boats and I kept retreating. I loosed two more arrows at warriors who had thrown caution to the wind and then I heard a shout behind me.  “My lord, they are upon us!”

My three companions had stayed with me.  I slipped my shield around
to my front and put my bow over my back.  Drawing my sword I said.  “Two of you, stand on either side of me and one behind me.  Keep your shields held tight together. “ I kept walking backwards as they joined me.  Over my shoulder I said to the warrior behind me.  “Turn around and guide us.  Prevent them surrounding us.” I glanced at the two warriors who looked a little fearful as fifteen Saxons raced towards us.  I gave them what I hoped was a reassuring smile, a smile I didn’t feel. “Just keep together and we will beat them.”

One of the Saxons saw the helmet I wore, the one I had taken from the dead chief.  “So you are the dog who killed my
cousin.  Did you ambush him and stab him in the back?”

“No Saxon, I faced him and his men tried to stab me in the back but Saxon Slayer will drink more Saxon blood this night.”

The taunt worked and he threw himself at me.  He had not bothered to don armour and it cost him his life.  He smashed his axe at my shield and, as the blade bit, I stabbed him in the stomach twisting the sword as I withdrew it.  His entrails spilled on the ground. The warrior on my left took the opportunity of smashing his sword on the unprotected head of a second Saxon whose skull was split open like a ripe plum. They were more wary now, even though they outnumbered us.  “How far?”