Saxon Fall (3 page)

He had a complete look of surprise upon his face. “Get them back?”

I sighed, “As I recall you do not have large armies here in Dál nAraidi.  If you chose your men well and they went hard and fast after the raiders then you should be able to catch them.  Slaves do not move swiftly.”

The warrior who had brought us to the oppidum, Fergus, said, “Let me go after them, Prince.  They have my mother and my sister.”

I saw the doubt upon his face, “But if you fail?”

Fergus stood defiantly, “Then I will have died honourably and be able to face my father in the Otherworld.”

Fergus was still a pagan.  Many of the Irish had become followers of the White Christ.  This man was a warrior who followed the old ways and I suddenly saw a way out of this dilemma as well as providing a solution to my own problem. “Give me twenty of your warriors, and Fergus here to lead them and we will try to get back your captives.”

“You would go with them?” I nodded. Fiachra brightened, “With the Warlord leading them then there might be a chance.”

“Then we must leave now and make haste.” I almost ignored the Prince. “Fergus, gather your men and horses. If you have man sized horses then….”

He shrugged apologetically, “We have four only, but we have many ponies.”

“Four will have to do. Fetch them.” He ran off gathering his men as he went. “Myrddyn, you would only slow us down I suggest you stay here.  You know the reason we came.”

He nodded.  He was a strange bird.  Sometimes he would take offence at the slightest comment and at others he would ignore an obvious insult. “Very well Warlord.  Do take care. We have greater worries than this to think on. I will seek to do what you wish of me.”

Pol and I took two of the horses while Fergus had the third.  I did not know my men and I asked Pol’s advice. “Who would be the best on a horse?”

He pointed to a broad and muscular equite, “Garth son of Daffydd is a reliable warrior.”

Thus mounted we headed south.  The equites on the ponies did not look happy but travelling on four legs rather than two meant we would catch up with them sooner. The Hibernians, in contrast looked to be more than comfortable. They were however very lightly armed compared with my men.  None had a helmet. Most went bare-chested and none had a shield. Their weapons were swords, axes and daggers. My father had always said he could conquer the whole island with just two hundred warriors if he so chose. I could see why.

As we rode south east towards the stronghold of the
Uí Néill
, I quizzed Fergus, “You know where they will take them?”

He pointed to the east. “There is a slave market on the coast.  It is three days hence.”

“They will be half way there then?” He nodded glumly. “Do not worry.  We can travel three times faster than men with slaves. You are worried about your sister?”

“I am. She was due to be married but her husband to be was killed at the village. She has a wicked temper on her and I fear that she may upset her captors and they would hurt her and leave her.”

He had not voiced his true fears but I knew what he meant.  “Then we will have to endeavour to catch them sooner.”

After four hours of riding I held up my hand, “Dismount!”

“Why?  Fergus almost screamed at me.

“We walk for an hour and then ride for four.  We will get more from our mounts and we will still catch them.  Fear not. We are horsemen and we know how to get the best from our beasts.”

The men were exhausted when night fell. The horses were tiring too but they still had life left in them. “Does this track keep going in this direction?”

“It is the main way to the coast.  Why?”

“We keep going in the dark but we walk now and save the horses completely.” I turned to Garth. “Are you tired, Garth son of Daffydd?”

He grinned, “No Warlord.”

“Good then give your horse to Pol here and see if you can find the camp of these slavers.”

Fergus looked at me in surprise. “We will catch them this night?”

They were captured the day before yesterday?” He nodded. They will have walked for eight hours or so and then camped.  They will not wish to sell slaves who look to be dead on their feet. Today they will have done the same.  We marched for twelve hours. They will not be far ahead. Go and find them, Garth.”

He loped off into the dark.

“How can you be so sure of yourself?”

“I study people.  These are not the first slavers I have pursued. They will not wish to arrive at a slave auction with exhausted and weary slaves. They would have expected a pursuit immediately.  Now they will think they have escaped.”

“Those of us with family in the village wished to do so but Fiachra worried we might make ourselves vulnerable to another attack.”

I saw that I would need to speak with the king about his brother.  If he intended to leave his homeland in the hands of another then it should be a strong leader who could be decisive.

I was beginning to worry that perhaps they had pushed the captives harder than I expected when Garth loomed up out of the darkness. I held my hand up and the column halted.

“Warlord, they are three miles up the road.  There is a hill with a small wood at the top and they are there.”

“Good man.  How many are there?”

“It is difficult to say.  There are ten sentries watching the road and the captives and I would guess that there were another forty at least.”

“Good. The track, it carries on beyond the hill?”

“It does.”

“And the sentries are all around the hill and the camp?”

“No, Warlord. They have placed them in a half circle facing in this direction.”

“Have they built a wall of brush?”

“No, Warlord.”

“Perfect. Gather your men around too, Fergus.” They all leaned in and I spoke quietly.  I knew how sound travelled at night. “Pol, you will mount our men and take them on a sweep around the far side of the hill.  I will go with Fergus and his men. We will attack as soon as we arrive.  Their attention will already be upon us so that when you hear the noise then you attack from the other side.”

“Yes, Warlord.” Pol showed no surprise at my orders and I knew he would be there.  We would be going on foot and would arrive after Pol and his men were in position. I didn’t want any of the raiders fleeing with captives.  This would only work if we captured them all. If any escaped then we would be caught by the rest of the warband. I needed to be with the Hibernians for they would be attacking twice their number. “Go, and may the Allfather be with you.”

They disappeared in the dark.  All of them were excellent horsemen and more than capable of riding without making too much noise. “Fergus, leave two men here to watch the horses.” As he detailed them off I turned to the others, “We attack silently and without any war cries. We must eliminate the sentries and then begin to kill the sleeping warriors.”

One of the younger warriors said, “There is no honour in that!”

I pointed to the horses, “Go and change places with him for I do not want you with me.” He looked as though he would argue. “Obey me or the first blood I spill here will be yours!”

Fergus said, “Calum, do it!” When he had stormed off Fergus asked me, “Would you have killed him?”

I looked at the Hibernian and said, coldly “Without a second thought. Now we are wasting time.  Draw your weapons now so that there is no sound when we get closer to the camp.”

As we neared the wooded hill I could smell the wood smoke from their fires.  They were not making a sound.  This was a careful warband. There were twenty of us and ten sentries.  The odds were in our favour but it takes a different kind of courage to stick a blade into a man’s back or his throat. I hoped that these men had it in them. I waved my sword to the left and right and the men spread out.  I was the only one with a shield.  I would not necessarily need it but I felt more comfortable with one on my arm. Although my helmet was a full face helmet I had large enough eye holes so that my vision was not impaired.

The sentries were looking in the distance and not at the ground close up.  As I crouched my way up I saw the first sentry who would die.  He was looking to the north and staring intently.  That was a mistake.  A good sentry moves his head slowly and watches for movement. I was just two paces away when he glanced down.  I saw disbelief on his face which allowed me to take one step forward and thrust Saxon Slayer into the man’s throat.  I caught him on my shield and lowered him to the ground. I moved to my right and there I saw one of the Hibernians sneaking up to the next sentry.  A broken branch gave him away. As he shouted and swung his sword at the Hibernian. I slashed sideways and felt his backbone crack as my sword sliced through to his vitals. The game was up and it now depended upon Pol and my equites. The enemy knew we were there.

I leapt towards the sleeping forms. A warrior tried to rise to his feet.  I buried my sword into his neck and he gurgled his life blood away. I heard Irish voices exhorting the warriors to fight us off. I glanced to my left and right and saw at least ten of the warriors I had brought up the hill.  It would have to be enough.  Fergus appeared at my side.

“We attack on my command!” I raised my sword and bellowed, “Saxon Slayer! Charge!” I wanted the slavers to believe that we were a large force and we were all to their fore.

A rough line of warriors approached me. Most were shieldless. I took an axe on my shield whilst stabbing the next warrior with my blade.  I twisted my shield and the axe man overbalanced.  I chopped down and almost severed his head from his body. Then I heard a roar as Pol brought the equites up and into the rear of the line. I have never seen the fight go out of men as quickly. They threw their weapons to the ground and shouted, “Mercy!”

I saw Fergus’ men raise their weapons. “Hold! We take them prisoner!”

I looked first to my equites.  All appeared to be unharmed.  They had had the easier of the skirmish. Fergus looked to have lost four men; a small price for the recapture of the hostages.  “Bind them.”

As the prisoners had their hands bound behind their backs one of the freed slaves suddenly sprang at one of the prisoners and tried to gouge out his eyes. Fergus put his arms around her and picked her up. “Let me go I will kill him!”

Fergus turned her away from the Hibernian and she saw me. I became the subject of her vitriol. “Who are you to say these men should be spared?  Kill them all! You know not what they have done!”

“I can imagine what they have done and yet they will still be taken back with us.  I have spoken.  I am the Warlord!”

“You are not Warlord here!”

“Hush Aileen! It is because of the Warlord that you are saved.” He lowered her to the ground.  “I am sorry, Warlord, this is my sister.  I said that she might be upset.”

“I can see that.  We have no time for petulance.  We must hurry back. When these men do not return with the slaves then the
Uí Néill
will come with revenge in their hearts.  I want to be within the walls of Fiachra’s oppidum by then. Put the old and infirm on horses.”

The prisoners were encouraged to run by my men with blades held close to them. I allowed a one hour stop at noon the next day.  We drank from a nearby stream.  I took the opportunity of speaking with the fifteen prisoners we had captured. The leader of the ones who remained was obvious. He wore many warrior bands upon his wrist and the scars to his front had been gained in combat.

“What is your name?” He gave me a sullen look.  “You are defeated and I could have you killed out of hand.  Just tell me your name.  At the very least it will be recorded after your death if you continue to annoy me.”

“You are the Warlord?  The one who wields the sword, Saxon Slayer?”

“I am.”

“Then why do you not bear the wolf shield?”

“That was the sign of my father.  I am the son of that warrior.”

“Then you should bear his shield or are you ashamed of him?”

I began to become angry and I put my hand on my sword. Even as I did so I knew that he was right.  Except that the shame was for me.  I had not stopped his death. “You may be right.  Now you know my name and my origins. What is your name?”

“Aengus Finn mac Fergus Dubdétach.”

“And you serve the
Uí Néill
?”

He laughed, “I serve no man! We were hired to attack the village and bring back slaves.”

“You are swords for hire, you are gallóglaigh.” I now knew who they were.  They were mercenaries.
Wyrd
.

“We are now.  We had a dispute with our own king and were banished from our lands far to the west.  The pay from the
Uí Néill
would have bought better weapons so that I could have gone home and regained the throne of my people.”

“Would you fight for me?”

For the first time I had surprised him.  “You?  Does the Warlord need slaves?  Would you have me go on a
Táin Bó
?”

I laughed, “No, I need neither slaves nor cattle. But I can pay more than the
Uí Néill
.  And you would not be hurting Hibernians.” I rose to my feet, “Think on it Aengus Finn mac Fergus Dubdétach and I will ask again when we reach the fort.”

“And if I refuse your offer, will you have me killed?”

I shook my head, “If you refuse I will hand you over to Fiachra. I am doing this as a favour to him.”

He nodded, “You are not what I expected, Warlord.  I will think on your words.”

As we ran again Fergus came over to me.  “Why were you speaking to the slaver?” I had taken my helmet off and carried it so that Fergus was able to see my face clearly. I said not a word but I knew he he was frightened by my look.  “I meant no offence, Warlord, I am curious for he looked less belligerent when you had finished.”

“I offered to pay him and his men to fight for me.”

Realisation dawned, “That is why you are here.”

I laughed, “You thought I came here to rescue your people.”

He nodded, “I thought that Myrddyn the wizard had seen it and brought you across the seas to our aid.”

He looked slightly disappointed. “No, I came here to pay warriors to fight for me and to conquer their own lands.”

He went quiet as we continued to head north and safety. When he did speak I could see that he had been considering my words. “I know warriors who would fight for you, Warlord; I for one.”

“And how would Fiachra view that?”

“The Prince only wishes to protect his brother’s land.  He is loyal.”

“As he should be.  Does that mean that you are disloyal?”

“No, Warlord but a man must look to his own family first and our land is a poor land.” He pointed at my armour.  “That is why you fight in armour and we do not even own a helmet. That is why we are the prey of every warrior who wishes to take from us.  If I fight for you I will have the coin to buy weapons and defend my family.”

“We will speak more when we reach your fort.”

It was late in the night when we reached the oppidum.  Some of us had run for a whole day and a night.  Many of Fergus’ men looked ready to collapse but we made the safety of the fort.

When Fiachra saw the freed slaves and the prisoners he was delighted. “We will hang these men on the morrow.”

“No, Prince Fiachra, you will not for they are my prisoners and I will decide what is done with them.”

He looked at me in surprise. “This is my land!”