Saxon Dawn (Wolf Brethren) (30 page)

“Don’t always believe what soldiers tell you Adair. Your own eyes are a better judge.”

He looked at me curiously, “Then I will say the same, my lord, for I saw you when we fought the Saxons at the fort. You killed more men with both your bow and your sword than any other.”

I could not argue with that. 
“And what would you be Adair?  Would you be an archer or a swordsman?”

“I would be as you and Lord Raibeart.  I would use both!”

I laughed.  “Then you had better start building up your body for my brother and I began training for the bow when we were younger than you.”

He looked crestfallen.  “I did not know.”

“Many men believe you just have to pick up a weapon and you will become a warrior.  It is not true your body must be strong to enable you to use the weapon and then you must train long hours to become proficient.  The best warriors never stop training.”

He said, very seriously.  “Then I will begin when we return to the fort.”

Aideen rushed to greet me, as though I had been on campaign for the winter.  Garth hid his smile as he led the pony and Blackie off. I had carried the Queen’s and Brother Osric’s gifts with me and after she had tried to crush the life out of me and we were stood by the fire I said, “This is a present from Brother Osric.”

She held the bag to her nose and whooped excitedly.  “What a kind man! This will make your quarters smell better.”

“And this is from the Queen.”

Her jaw dropped, “From the Queen? 
For me.  If is a lovely fur.”

“That is just one of the gifts.  There is something within.  Open it.”

She laid the fur down and carefully untied the knots.  There lay a delicate, gossamer thin, white dress.  It looked highly impractical to me.  It would not keep her warm but she burst into tears. “It is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.”

The Queen had been right.  Aideen had seen more in the dress than I had. “We will be married on the morrow.  Will that suit?”

She kissed me. “At noon.  I will need the morning to get ready.”

Many of the nearby villagers, told no doubt by my garrison, turned up for the ceremony.  Unlike the Christian wedding this needed no-one apart from the couple and a witness. 
We had many witnesses. I spent the morning training with my men; I daresay the Queen would have been appalled. I had decided to marry by the river, Icaunus had always been good to me and Erecura would smile on the union too. I waited with Garth and my men.  He had insisted that I wear my wolf cloak and carry Saxon Slayer.  “It is who you are my lord.  You are telling your bride and the world that Wolf Warrior has taken a bride.”

Although it was still cold and there was snow on the ground, the sun shone and, when Aideen appeared through the gate with the sunlight behind her it looked as though she glowed.
Brother Oswald led her out and, he too looked happy.Aideen’s hair was braided and set in coils on her head.  Interwoven in the chestnut strands were snowdrops, rosemary and mistletoe.  In her hands she carried a garland of holly and ivy, symbols of birth after winter.  She looked beautiful and my heart filled with joy.  I could almost hear my mother’s rapturous tears. She came to me and we faced each other.  I placed my sword and scabbard on the ground.  It could have been any piece of wood or straight object but Garth had said that the sword would have a greater power than any wood. Holding Aideen’s hand we stepped across the sword, I kissed her and then everyone erupted with cheers, throwing flower petals over us. Brother Oswald mumbled some words in Latin and made the sign of the cross.  It did not matter; so long as all the gods protected us then I was happy.

We retired to the hall where we ate the food Aideen had prepared the previous day.  When everyone had gone and I lay
with her in my arms I knew that another phase of my life was beginning.  The first phase had been as a carefree boy in the bosom of his family.  The second had been when I learned to be a warrior and now the third was my life as a husband, a father and the champion of Rheged.

As late winter and early spring passed so my wife grew in size with my child. She had wanted to remain at Castle Perilous, as we
had named it, but I would have none of that.  I would need my guards for the coming campaign and so we escorted her to Civitas Carvetiorum.  Brother Oswald would look after our home. He said he would enjoy the peace and the solitude and he could perfect his cheese making. We reached the citadel just as Aelle, his wife and daughter arrived.  It was a joyous meeting for us all and the Queen looked as proud as any mother.  Having only sons she could enjoy the pleasure of children who would be as her grandchildren and Aelle and I were happy that, no matter what happened on the field of battle our wives and children would be safe. The king was leaving all the older warriors and those who had suffered wounds to guard his home and family. We had had more men come to join the King’s army; success breeds success and we had yet to be bested.

We all set off to return to Castle Perilous.  Raibeart and Lord Gildas would meet us there but we had a fine army to seek the Saxons. Once again
King Urien led and Ywain brought up the rear.  My little brother, not so little any more, rode next to me. “I have a good fiefdom Lann.  When the Saxons came they could not get close to my walls.  The lake covers three sides and I devised a moat around the fourth.  It is a temporary structure and I use the lake water.  It means that, in times of danger, we can stay within the watery walls and be safe.  The fort is even large enough to house the local population.  I believe you did the same at your castle?”

“True but had the prince not arrived when he did we would have been destroyed. The Saxons, brother, are well trained warriors.  We fight them with farmers, fishermen and herdsmen.  Our men are brave but lack the skill.  It is the king and his bodyguard who keep the Saxons at bay.  The do not like to face men on horses.”

He looked at me shrewdly. “You could fight on horse you know.”

“I am not so sure but that is irrelevant.  The king cannot defeat the Saxons without a shield wall to hold them up and that is my job.  I am the dam to hold them back wh
ile your men whittle them down and then the king destroys them.”

“Yours is the most dangerous role.”

I shrugged. “I am happy enough.  The shield wall is safer than fighting elsewhere.  I nearly died in the attack when a warrior got behind me.  Tuanthal managed to save my life and now he is one of my warriors.”

The spring had brought another crop of despatch riders who now accompanied us on their ponies and would act as mobile slingers.  The original three had now become warriors and I went to war with fifteen warriors; all armed with a shield, a spear, a mail shirt and a helmet.  The winter battle had been productive. They all had a bow and I had given Aelle five spare quivers, arrows my men had made in the winter.  We had learned from the problems at Din Guardi.

The king and the lords stayed in my hall while the men camped in the meadow by the river.  We ate well and the men enjoyed practising with other warriors. This time was vital to rekindle old friendships and teach the newer warriors how to stand in a shield wall.  Garth carried my standard and stood to my left in battle. The princes and Aelle had their own rallying standards and this campaign would see us more organised than we had before.  It would have been the best of times had t not been for Bladud who seemed to blight the mood whenever he entered a room. He never said anything but I could sense him glowering at me.  Wolf growled each time he approached us and he soon learned to stay on the far side of a room. He was leaner than he had been and I learned that he had been training hard all winter.  Aelle was wise beyond his years. “He will come for you one day brother; mark my words.”

Raibeart and Gildas arrived on the same day.  They had travelled together for security.  Raibeart still only had ten warriors, sound looking archers but Gildas had thirty men.  His fiefdom was
rich and it was safe. We three had not met since the autumn and I went with my brothers to the top of my tower where we could have privacy and a good talk.  Wolf waited below guarding us from interruption.

Raibeart looked at Aelle. Like me he could not believe how much h
e had grown.  “Married life suits you brother.” The he punched my arm, “and I hear that you have a bride and have sired a son.  I can see I will have to look around for one such as you two have found.  If you two ugly buggers can win one then I should have no problem.”

“Seriously Raibeart.
  How is it on the wall?”

“It is bleak and it is cold and there are few people around but I have been luckier than you two.  The despatch riders told me of the attacks.  How desperate was it?”

“Had Ywain not arrived then I do not know if we could have survived but you know I believe that our mother had something to do with it for out of the pain and the death I won a bride and I know that mother would have approved.”

“She would indeed brother. Raibeart, she is beautiful.  Freja is a beautiful woman but she appears dowdy next to Aideen.”

Raibeart glanced down and caught Bladud looking up at us. “I see the ugly bastard still lives.”

“He does and I told Lann that he will come for our brother one day and he had best be ready.”

Raibeart grinned.  “In the heat of battle I could send a shaft into his back and no-one would be any the wiser.”

I snorted, “The finest shot in the army hitting one of
his own men by mistake? I think you delude yourself.  Besides we kill Saxons and not the men of Rheged, no matter how much they deserve it.”

That evening the king had his Seven Stars sat in my hall while he spoke of his plans for the campaign. “I think that we will take the war to the Saxons.” We all became animated.  This was what we had all secretly hoped. “Lann, you and your brothers know the country around the Dunum and the Roman Bridge well.  If we can defeat the Saxons there then we can head south and reclaim the old fortress.  If we have Stanwyck in our hands once more and defend it, as well as the bridge, then we can control the eastern side of the country.  Lord Aelle has shown us how to protect the south. One determined leader and a well defend
ed fort can thwart an enemy.”

Aelle looked proud and I clapped him around the shoulders. Ywain said, “And what of King Morcant
Bulc?”

“He has promised me aid
and if we fight in the east then he is more likely to give it.”

“If he gets off his arse and leaves his castles by the sea.” All of the lords, except the king laughed at my comment. “Sorry
, your majesty, forgive my attempt at humour: I know he is an ally.”

“But you may be right and I do not intend to rely on aid from that quarter.  When we defeat the Saxons it will be by our own efforts.” We all banged the table enthusiastically. “I intend to use our despatch riders as scouts.”

“Isn’t that a little dangerous.  They are young.”

“I know Gildas and yet they have spent a winter putting
themselves in danger and learning to live on their wits.  I think that they may well be of more use than you can imagine. There are over twenty of them and, if they work in pairs then they can cover a large area.” He stood and raised his beaker, we were using my crude wooden, hand carved beakers and I felt a little ashamed of them but the king seemed not to notice. “Here is to the Seven Stars!”

“And King Urien the Good!” we chorused.  The next day, we went to war.

The king was as good as his word and he gathered the scouts about him the next morning before we left.  He gave them an inspirational speech about their role in the coming war and they all rode away
riding a little taller in the saddle. They were to be a line five miles ahead of the main column which lumbered along the Roman Road. As we passed all the forts and the defences, most of them now in ruins I wondered what it would have been like had the Romans remained.  Would they have fought the Saxons as we did for I now believed that it was inevitable for them to come to the land of the Britons?  We were rich and we were prosperous and they were pirates and parasites who preyed on the weak. The Romans had done many good things for us but talking our soldiers away was not one of them.

We camped the first night by the Tyne.  The Roman fort there was on the river and had a bridge.
I learned from King Urien that it was called Chesters, the name coming from the Latin for camp, Castra. Little remained of the stone from the walls but we had passed many stone buildings along the road; the locals had obviously robbed them. The scouts returned that first day with no news.  When we ate that night the king approached me and my brothers. “You and your brothers have skill in tracking have you not?”

I nodded.  It was not arrogant to acknowledge the truth.  “We had to or we would have been killed.”

“Tomorrow I would like you each to take out seven despatch riders and teach them how to scout. Lord Raibeart can take north of the river.  Lord Aelle next to the river and the road and Lord Lann, south of the river. I am not sure that the scouts did not miss tracks.  I find it hard to believe that they found no sign of Saxons.”

We grinned at each other.  We craved action and this would be like the old days when we were boys.
“We would be delighted!”

With the whole army on the road the king had ordered some wagons for spare arrows and supplies. I put my armour in the back of one of them along with my shield. If any o
f us needed armour on the patrol then we had failed, I knew that I had the most difficult patrol but it just added to the excitement.  I only knew Adair from the group of scouts I commanded and he looked as proud as a new father.  I winked at him. “Have you bows?” Four held up bows.  “Slings?” the others held up slings. “There are some instructions you need.  If I hold up my hand you stop.  If I dismount you do not. You watch with weapons ready and you attack any who surprise me.  If you see any sign then signal to me by waving your right arm back and forth. We are looking for sign and that means any sign; a footprint, a hoof print, a broken branch.”

One of the boy
s stared incredulously at me, “A broken branch?”

“Trust me
, it is signs as small as that which will tell us we are close to the enemy and remember to smell.” Even Adair looked confused at that instruction.  “Saxons do not smell as we do. And watch your ponies.  They have good senses and they will hear and smell the Saxons before you do.  Do not ignore a whinny or pricked ears.  It may mean something.”

I led with Adair and the others were
split into three pairs.  I was pleased that they were scanning the ground as we rode south towards Stanwyck; it showed they had listened to me.  I was going home again although it had been Saxon for some years now.  We passed wood containing the hidden house and I paid particular attention to the boggy ground which led to it but there were only the signs of deer and wild boar.  I headed up the ridge towards the settlement.  I held up my hand and they stopped.  I could smell wood smoke. I slid from Blackie’s back and notched an arrow. Holding the reins in my left hand I made my way to the ridge top.  There were trees and bushes and I tied my horse to the trunk of an elderberry tree.  Blackie would nibble at the fruit and not wander. Adair had copied my every move while the other boys waited with slings and bows ready and eager eyes scanning the horizon.

I crept through the tees and shrubs watching my footing as I went.  The wolf cloak was a good disguise as it broke up my silhouette. I saw the stockaded settlement before me.  It was Saxon and there were guards on the gate. I slid back down and mounted Blackie.  I signalled the others to join me and we rode down to the boggy dell near to the hidden house. “There is a Saxon settlement ahead and we have seen no signs of movement west.  We will skirt the village and head north for a little way and then we will head for the Roman Road.  There we must be careful for the Romans cut back the vegetation f
rom the side of the road and we could be easily seen. They nodded seriously and I took them in a single line towards the road. We were less than half a mile from the road when I saw the churned up mud.  I stopped and leapt from Blackie’s back.  The footprints were quite clear.  I waved the boys forwards. “See the footprints. They are heading north.  We will find more on the other side of the road.  This is a large Saxon army and they are in three columns.”

Adair was brave enough to ask me a question. “How do you know they are in three columns my lord?”

“Good question. I do not know for certain but if it was one column they would have used the road alone for it is less muddy and if it was two columns then the other column would have been on the right for that is the Saxon side. I may be wrong but at least we now know what to look for.” By the time we had covered four hundred paces we could see that I was correct. There were, clearly, three columns and from the ground it was a large army.

Adair said, “Lord Lann, they have horses, there are droppings.”

“Well done Adair and now we have the tricky task of trailing them. We will return to the west and follow that column.  If they spot us we have an easy ride back to the king but remember, if we are surprised you have to get back to the king to tell him.  You return for no-one, not even me.” They looked shocked but they nodded. We re-crossed their tracks and I led them north.  This time I did not need to tell them to be ready to loose; they were alert.

The Roman Road headed straight and true
towards the bridge but I knew that there was a parallel, older trail which ran to the west. I led them up there and we made good time.  The trail came out on the bluff overlooking the bridge.  There we saw the Saxons.  There had to be almost two thousand men and I saw that they had come prepared.  There were ten horses, obviously for scouts, and a small contingent of archers.  They had learned their lesson. They were camping in the old Roman fort and I hoped that they would not dig up the boxes that I still viewed as my unclaimed treasure. 

“We have seen enough.  Now we tell the king.”

We had to ride across country for a while until me met the road we had left some hours before. The column had made another fifteen miles and we met them as they were building a camp. Aelle was there already reporting to the king and Ywain.  Raibeart arrived as I strode over to give my report.

“They are camped at the Roman fort.”

“That confirms what Aelle told me.  He came across their scouts not far from the bridge. What we need to know are their numbers.”

“Two thousand with some horse and some archers.”

“Then we are outnumbered.”

“We defeated them before when we were outnumbered your majesty.”

“Then they had neither horses nor archers.”

“But there are few of them.”

He seemed distracted.  “We will need King Morcant Bulc and his men.” I did not think we did but it was not my place to say.  “I will send a rider to speak with him and ask for his help.  It cannot be a despatch rider he would not know them.  It must be someone he trusts.” He looked at me.

I shook my head, “Your majesty, i
f we meet the Saxons you will need all your leaders.”

Prince Ywain said, “He is right father. It should be some else.”

King Urien pondered and then said, “One of my bodyguard, Bladud!”

Raibeart looked as unhappy at that as I was but at least it took his unpleasant and hateful face away f
rom us for a while. While the king went to tell Bladud, the four of us stood around the fire warming ourselves. “They will leave men at the bridge to protect their retreat and deny us a crossing.”

“I know.  How can we get across without a battle?”

“We use a night attack.  If we send warriors across the river then they can attack from the northern side while the army waits at the south.”

“If my archers waited on the southern bank they could support your attack.”

Ywain seemed relieved that someone, at least, had a plan.  “How many men would you need?”

“They will not have left a large force and with Aelle’s archers and Raibeart’s men supporting across the bridge I would need twenty.”

Raibeart’s face fell.  “Why you brother?”

I grinned, “It was
my idea and I am the elder brother.”

By the time the king returned we had sorted out the fine detail.  “Bladud will have to swim the river and then cross the road in the night.  I asked the king to meet us at
the Roman fort by the river where we camped, Chesters. It is on the Tyne some thirty miles north of here. If we could get ahead of the Saxons we could hold them there; if not then they could use the Roman Road and destroy Rheged. We would need to hold them there until King Morcant Bulc could reach us. The problem is how to get by the Saxons who control the road and the bridge.”

“Lord Lann has an idea.”

The king waved a hand for me to continue. “If I could slip across the river and surprise the guards he has left then we can get the army across the bridge by midmorning.  If we split the army and send the two cavalry forces north they could hold the fort and then we could bring the bulk of the army by a forced march.”

Ywain looked dubious. 
“Forced march?”

“The Saxons will make camp at night. Tomorrow night we do not.  We carry on marching north.  You and the king will hold the fort.  We will rest when we get there and hope that King Morcant Bulc has joined us.”

Although we debated for another hour there was no other plan.  It seemed ridiculous to split the army but we had no choice; if we did not get ahead of the Saxons then we would have to chase them all the way back to our own lightly held capital and Chesters was the only place we had that we could defend.  The king reluctantly agreed and I went to choose my men.

I led my twenty men before dawn and we hurried along the road to reach it by dawn.  Raibeart and Aelle had their chosen slingers and archers while Gildas and the two princes brought the rest of the army and the wagons. Eight hundred paces from the bridge we halted and we descended to the river.  It was but thirty paces wide for the snow had yet to melt.  We found enough driftwood and dead logs to help us to float over the middle channel.  In the end it was but six places where we had to rely on the wood. We scrambled ashore, chilled to the bone.  I took out my secret weapon.  I had brought a small skin filled with Rhydderch’s
Fire and I gave each man a mouthful.  For those who had never had it then the experience appeared to be magic.  For Garth and my own warriors it was a reminder of home and all the more welcome for that. We moved cautiously as we watched the black sky turn grey as dawn approached.  I halted the men as I heard the noise of the Saxons leaving the camp. I found a place close to the bank from which we could see both the bridge and the fort.  The rest was welcome and I could feel the blood rushing back into my ice cold legs. When the thin sun finally rose I saw the guards walk down to the bridge. We moved towards the fort using the cover of the trees. The army had gone and they would just be watching the road south. The gates of the fort, as with mine at Castle Perilous, had been destroyed and the Saxons had just placed guards there.  There were four gates and I sent Garth and three men around to the east gate.  I took the north for that was the one from which they would send warning to their army that they had been found.  The other four I left by the west gate. I would launch the attack and that would be the signal for the others. My brothers would take care of the bridge, of that I was quite certain.

I took out my bow and peered at the three guards who lounged at the north gate.  A fourth was asleep.  I pulled back my bow and as the arrow soared took out a second.  My men raced forwards the moment I had loosed and they reached the sleeping man and the survivor before the two men hit by my arrows had bled to death. We had no idea how many men were within the fort and we raced along the main road in the fort looking for Saxons.  When I met with my brothers and my own men in the middle I knew that we had succeeded.

“Strip the bodies of arms and throw the bodies in the river.  If the Saxons return I do not want them to know what became of their men.” Garth and my men scurried off to do my bidding. I grinned at my brothers, “Come wolf brethren let me see if I can magic some treasure.” I led them to the places I had found the buried boxes.  I picked up a discarded Saxon sword and began digging.  Soon the first wooden box appeared and I ripped off the top to reveal arrows and bows. “If you dig, here, here and here you will find more.”

Soon their archers and slingers had uncovered six boxes. Some contained armour, badly rusted but serviceable, some
strange metal devices with wickedly sharp points and some spears. While Garth, now returned from the disposal of the bodies, distributed it Raibeart asked, “How did you know?”

“When I used to go off hunting I was
not really hunting. I was here finding this treasure.  It is where I got the daggers, swords and nails and now we have it all.”