Saxon Fall (5 page)

“If you need to send a message to me, then send it to Caer Gybi on Mona.  My uncle rules there in my stead.  Farewell Fiachra.”

As we approached the small band I smiled to myself for Aileen now had a short sword in her hand. She saw my look and said, proudly, “Needs must I will defend myself Warlord, should anyone try to take me against my will.” She threw a black look in the direction of Aengus who rolled his eyes to the heavens.

I nodded, “That would be a brave man indeed.” I turned to her brother. “If you will follow me, your ships are here and your supplies.”

Pelas and I walked our horses, the better to speak with Aengus and Fergus. I asked them about the volunteers and how they were getting on as a war band.

Fergus answered.  “We found we have much in common. It is
wyrd
.”

“And can you work together without one leader?”

Aengus answered, “We have one; it is you, Warlord. But we would know precisely what you wish of us.”

“That is a fair question.  Your gold is on the ships.  I will pay you before you do as I command. It is yours to keep.  The ships are yours to use until you have either succeeded or given up.”

Fergus looked at me quizzically, “Given up?”

“I would not have you throw your lives, or those of your families away.  If you can succeed then I will be happy but if not then live long and prosper.”

“What is it you wish?”

“I wish you to try to take Manau from the Saxons.” They both nodded.  I had not surprised them yet. “I know not how many men they have but we destroyed three boat loads and only five escaped.  You will be outnumbered but I believe you can strike at the smaller places.  There will be slaves, weapons and food.  Prince Fiachra is more than happy for you to return there between raids.”

“That is what you are suggesting is it not, Warlord?  That we do not try to take the island all at once.”

“I am.  Even I would not try that with my whole army but you can learn to be better warriors and you will be able to attract others who will fight alongside you.  Take what you can from the Saxons.  The more food you take for the winter the less there will be for them.  You stop the Saxons from raiding my home.”

They asked me many more questions before we reached my ship.  Once there they were like children as my men distributed helmets, spears and other weapons.  I gave the gold to the two chiefs knowing that they would distribute it fairly.
Myrddyn trudged along the beach having collected his herbs and greenery.  I noticed Aileen watching him.  As he laid them out, to dry, she wandered over and began to talk to him. It was the first time I had not seen her scowling. Pelas and I used the time to load our horses back aboard ‘
Gwynfor
’.  Once they were settled I felt happier.

We camped and ate on the beach that night. Sailing at night time was never a good idea.  The precocious gods could play cruel tricks on mortals.  Myrddyn pointed over to Aileen. “She is a bright young thing.  She has a keen interest in magic and some knowledge too.”

I shook my head, “Remember Morgause, Myrddyn?  You were taken in by her.” Morgause and Morcar had poisoned both Myrddyn and my father before Morcar slew him.

“This one is not a spæwīfe.  She is more like your stepmother, Myfanwy.  She has an interest in herbs.”

“I am just being careful wizard! Gawan is not here should she poison you.”

He laughed, “You are a little young to be my mother, Hogan Lann.  I will be careful.”

Fergus and Aengus joined me when Myrddyn climbed aboard the boat to sleep. “One last piece of advice; curb your natural Hibernian nature.  Do not rush into things wildly.  I beg you to use your heads. If you can conquer Manau then so much the better but even if you just make them look inward you will have earned your gold.”

Fergus nodded, seriously, “Our King conquered a whole land because he took your father’s advice.  We will do the same, Warlord.”

“And if you need us to come and fight for you on the mainland we will do.” Aengus held up his new helmet and mail aventail. “My warriors feel like heroes already.”

We left them the next day.  They were already planning on scouting out the island and choosing a good target.  I was happier already.

We sailed east.  There were two rivers which we had selected: one was the Lune and the other the Belisama. We would visit the Belisama.  If it was unguarded we would await our men there. If there were enemies then we would head north.  The first part of this assault had to be performed in secret.  We wanted to appear like wraiths in the heart of Northumbria.  I wanted the Northumbrians looking over their shoulder and wondering where we would strike next. I had once done this, albeit on a smaller scale, for my father.  I knew how to succeed. The last time we had run out of supplies.  That would not happen this time. I had had time to think and to prepare.

The estuary was quiet when we approached it.  The land to the north and the south was gentle and undulating.  It was not the high peaks of the land of the lakes or around the Narrows. We knew that there were two old Roman watchtowers.  They were both deserted or they appeared to be.  With just a crew of sailors and the three of us we were in no position to fight any defenders. Daffydd took us in under the smallest canvas he could. We wanted stealth.  We sailed further up the river. I wanted to be hidden by the banks. In the bow was a man with a lead tipped with wax. He would warn the captain of rocks.  Suddenly Myrddyn shouted.  “Captain, stop here.”

Daffydd took in his sail and dropped an anchor.  The ship swung around to face the sea and we were in the middle of the river. It was not wide at this point but we had been able to turn.

Myrddyn pointed to the northern bank.  There were walls which looked Roman.  Myrddyn was the keeper of Osric and Oswald’s maps.  They were not with us for he had embedded them in his mind. “That is the place. We have secure Roman walls. We wait now for those sluggards to make their way here.”

I shook my head.  I knew that Pol and Lann Aelle would be heading north just as fast as they could. They would, however, be careful and avoid any Saxons. “Captain, take us closer to the shore. Pelas and I will investigate this fort.”

“Aye, Warlord.  Do you want some of my men as guards?”

“No Daffydd.  I think we can manage, eh Pelas?”

“Of course.  Should we take armour?”

“No, just our swords and our bows.” I smiled, “Perhaps we may find some food to hunt.”

We jumped into the water and sank a little in the river mud. Then we made our way up the gentle slope. As I had expected, the old Roman fort had had a ditch at one time but it had gradually been filled by the passage of time. Leaves had fallen in the bottom and rotted.  Soil had dropped in from ramparts which were no longer maintained. The gates had long gone and some of the stones had been taken.  The Saxons were not great builders in stone and had concentrated on stealing the wood. The fort looked like every Roman fort we had found.  It had two long sides and two shorter ones. There was a parade ground and a Praetorium.  That was the building we sought. Some of the roof tiles had gone but it was still reasonably sound and dry.  That would be important.  We could use it for shelter. There were signs that animals and birds had used it but men had stolen everything of value and then left it alone.  The Saxons feared the ghosts of the Romans. They did not understand building in stone. That suited us for it meant that they would be unlikely to return. We scouted the whole of the outside of the old fort.  We found no evidence that men had been there for some time. The tracks were made by animals and it was their spoor we saw and not that of man. We returned to the ship.

When he heard our news Daffydd had his sailors build a fire so that we could cook some of the fish his men had caught. We would sleep on the boat, for safety, but we would eat a hot meal and that was always welcome.

The scouts from the column appeared the next morning.  Aed waved and turned around to ride south to the rest of the column.  The other two forded the river and joined us. “Did you have any problems, Dai son of Llewellyn?”

“No, Warlord, we saw no sign of the Northumbrians and only met our people.” He shook his head sadly. “There are not many of them and they told us that small bands of Saxons come raiding them, especially around harvest time.”

I pointed to the east. “Scout to the east and find what there is within ten miles of this estuary.” They rode off. Myrddyn wandered over. “It seems we have chosen a good time to make war on the Northumbrians. They will be coming in the next month to steal from our people.  We are here before them.”

“It was meant to be, Warlord. You have spent enough time grieving over your father and berating yourself for things which were out of your control.” He saw me start and laughed, “Your father could never come to terms with my skill at reading men’s thoughts.  Get used to it!”

I laughed, “Captain Daffydd we will bring the cargo up and my men will be able to move it.”

He gave his orders and then turned to me. “When should I return?”

“Every two moons come here and wait two days.  You need not leave your ship if there is danger close by.  If we are here then we will find you.  Each time you come bring fodder, food and arrows; unless, of course there are problems on Mona and then they have the priority. Have the other captains keep an eye on Manau.  I would know what our neighbours are doing.”

“We do not trade with Byzantium?”

“Until we have dealt with Manau, Northumbria and Edwin we keep our entire surplus for us.  Besides the last message we had was that the Emperor was being beset by the Arabs.  I suspect they will be preoccupied at the moment.”

Pelas and I mounted our horses as the fodder and weapons were brought ashore. “Come we will see if there is a better crossing for the column further along.”

We did not have far to travel before we found a usable ford with gentle banks. “Ride across, Pelas, and find the column.  Bring them here and I will wait.”

He splashed across the river and I rode along the bank and towards a distant clearing. I saw the remains of a house. It was a house of Rheged, or had been before it had been destroyed. The burnt timbers and stone foundations were blackened by fire. The ditch still remained but it was full of water and leaves. Star whinnied as we crossed the ditch. I could see the burnt decomposing bodies within.  The roof had fallen in and covered them but there were the marks and signs of animals having disturbed the dead. This was the work of the Northumbrians. I suspected this had happened in the spring.  The fields round about looked to have been tended and were not totally full of weeds and tares.  The farmer had been industrious.  All had been taken by the voracious Northumbrians. This had been the reason my father had begun his fight all those years ago and it was my duty to continue it. It was a sombre reminder of why I did what I did.

The column was just crossing the river by the time I returned.  I rode back to the ship with Pol, Gawan and Lann Aelle. I told them of Fergus and Aengus. Lann Aelle counselled caution, “I am still worried, Warlord. We have brought the wolf into our home.  Who is to say it will not bite us?”

I patted the shield hanging from my saddle.  “Have you not noticed, Lann Aelle, that I now bear the wolf shield of my father?  It is we who are the wolves.”

Pol pointed behind at Geraint, “And we still retain the dragon standard of Rheged. The beasts that men fear are the warriors of Rheged, us!”

Myrddyn was in the fort when we reached him.  He had had the sailors lift the stone which marked the legionaries’ repository for valuables.  It lay beneath the floor of the Praetorium.  We would use it for the arrows and weapons we would store.  It took us an hour to transfer our precious weaponry. Once it was inside and safe then Myrddyn replaced the stone and disguised the entrance with dirt and broken stone.  The fodder we placed in the granary.  We could not hide this but it was only of use to men on horses.  The Saxons went afoot.

We bade farewell to Daffydd who sailed south and awaited our two scouts. Their news was not unexpected.  “We found just one small settlement tucked in a small valley off the main one.  They hid when we approached.”

“Myrddyn, you have the map in your head, which way should we journey?”

“If we head up the valley your scouts found there is a narrow, little used pass over the hills. There is a Roman Road over the top but, in places, it is in need of repair.” I looked at him in amazement. “It was Brother Oswald’s doing not mine.  There is no magic here.  He merely updated the maps each time someone returned from the area. He was not idle.” He shook his head, “I miss the old priest.”

We all did.

“And where does it bring us out?”

He smiled, “The home of the Wolf Warrior, Stanwyck.”

“
Wyrd
.”

“
Wyrd
, indeed.”

We set off, even though there were just four or five hours of good daylight left.  We would use each moment the Allfather gave us. It was truly
wyrd
, for we would come out in the heart of Edwin’s land.  We could go north, south or east.  I would choose the route when we reached my father’s old home. I needed no map to tell me that we would reach there by the following day.  It was another reason for leaving promptly.  But it was like all journeys, it was best started quickly.

We passed through the small village. The smoke told us that there were people there but they hid. It was nestling in a small valley just a short distance from the Belisama.  Once through we found the Roman Road and made better time. We pushed on until dark began to fall.  Our scouts rode in.  “There is another village.  They did not see us. They are our people.”

“We will use this village for I would have information. Daffydd, take the archers and go around the far side.  They will flee but I would have them in the village tonight, so be gentle with them.”

“Aye, Warlord.”

The road descended through a wood which must have been cut further back in Roman times but had since encroached across the old ditch.  This looked to be a bigger place than we had seen for some time.  I wondered why the Saxons had left it alone. My scouts were rarely wrong about the identification of people and I knew that they would not have made a mistake. I did not try to hide and we rode towards the village.  There was a ditch and there was a wall which was intended to keep out animals only. I heard the sound of consternation as the villagers tried to flee.  There was little point in trying to talk to them. I would wait until they had run into Daffydd.

“Bors, secure the walls.”

Gawan and I dismounted and I handed my reins to Pelas.  I smiled as I saw my father’s former squire, Lann Aelle, watching his son. He had done this too.

Gawan spread his arm around the village. “This looks prosperous and yet it is close to the Northumbrians.”

“It is still on the west of the divide and the road is little used.  We have seen that for ourselves.”

“The ones we passed south of the Belisama were even further west of the divide and they had been attacked and pillaged.”

“You may be right brother.” I waved over one of the equites who had been in Hibernia with me.  He had impressed me.  “Osgar, I want you to take ten equites. Camp, tonight, upstream from the village.  Watch and restrain anyone who tries to leave.”

“Aye, Warlord.”

I saw him choosing others who had been in Hibernia too. As we waited for Daffydd to return with the villagers I went into the largest hut I could see. It looked comfortable. I saw fine pots.  They looked to be of the same quality as our own. The village did well. I left when I heard the sound of the villagers returning. They were herded together and Daffydd and his mounted archers kept them penned.

“Who is your headman?”

A tall man stepped forward.  “I am Aedh, son of Osric.”

“I am the Warlord of Rheged.  We would stay close by your water for the night.”

He nodded. “And why does the Warlord of Rheged visit our peaceful valley?”

I did not like the man and his attitude. It seemed to me he was telling us we had no right to be there.  I looked around and saw that the people had divided into two distinct groups. There were four or five men with Aedh who looked as though they were warriors.  They had fine brooches on their cloaks as well as good swords. There were another eight men who, by comparison, almost looked like slaves. There was something not right in this village. I did not answer him straight away.  Instead I glanced around the village.  The hut I had looked in was well made and had a good position.  There were four others in the same area and they were all well spaced.  The rest were huddled by the water.  The mud close by told me that they would be hard to keep clean. I decided I would not speak until I had had the chance to seek the advice of Myrddyn and Gawan.  My immediate reaction was to take out my sword and to use the power of my equites to cow him. However Myrddyn’s words from Hibernia still rang in my ears.

I smiled, “We are passing through on our way to Civitas Carvetiorum.”

He scoffed, “There are ghosts there and that is all!”

“Aye, you are right. They are the ghosts of the kings of Rheged, and the brave warriors, who held back the Saxon onslaught for so many years.” I noticed that Aedh and his party did not like those comments. “We will not impose upon you, save to use your water.” He gave me a smug smile. “Pol, we will camp downstream from the village I would not have us polluting their water.”

I led Star and followed Pol. I noticed the looks the small group exchanged with each other. I needed to speak with my brother and my wizard. There was something going on here and I needed those who could read men’s bodies and faces.