Saxon Fall (20 page)

I turned to Kay and Bors.  “Have the men search for carts that we can use and any horses. Osgar, find any food and load the carts when they are found.”

Llenlleog stood looking pleased with himself.  “Well done, warrior, your action was both clever and courageous.”

“Why not chase after the warriors who fled?”

“It will merely tire the horses.  They will not escape; Daffydd and his archers await them.”

There was not a great deal of food but there were enormous quantities of salt.  It was like white gold. “Osgar, tomorrow I want you and the squires to escort this booty to Aengus’ Ford.  He can distribute it to the other forts when he has the opportunity.  We will head north east.  You will follow us.”

Daffydd returned as night was falling. “There were just twenty Saxon warriors and they all fell to our arrows.  The women, children and the old we let pass.”

The town was ours. We would have sheltered lodgings and we would eat well. That evening, as we ate, Pelas asked, “Why did you not enslave the women and children?”

“A number of reasons: we would have to escort them back to Deva and that would waste warriors.  Slavery is not something I really like for you have enemies in your homes if they are taken from a neighbour but, most importantly, they will flee to other villages and tell them that we are coming.”

Llenlleog’s mouth dropped open, “You want them to know you are coming?”

I nodded for my mouth was full of food.  When I had swallowed I said, “They will go in many directions and they will report a huge army far bigger than the numbers we actually have. It will cause panic and confusion. Many of the villages they flee to will also run and that will muddy the waters for they will all report different numbers. The Northumbrians will hole up in their burghs and send word to Edwin.  He will not know where to go.  Our scouts are the best and we will avoid his large army and swoop on his smaller warbands. Our aim is to spread terror, fear, and confusion in his land.  That way he cannot attack the land of Cymru or our lands. When we do invade, we will do so swiftly and we will use surprise.”

We left Namentwihc a burnt out shell when we had taken all that was of value. We headed north east through unfamiliar country.  Our scouts kept us informed of the movements of the Northumbrians. We kept more east than north for the land was flatter and there were more farms for us to burn. We knew that King Edwin was mobilising his forces.  Aed kept us well informed about what we were likely to encounter.  I also knew that we were putting our head further into the jaws of the Northumbrians. I was counting on the speed of my army to withdraw just as quickly.

After another four days of rapid raids heading east I sent Dai and Felan to the north.  I hoped that King Edwin and his leaders would be anticipating us continuing east. We would change direction. The move took us to the huge forest which seemed to fill the old land of Elmet. It went from the high divide almost to the coast and the marshy swampy land. The Roman Road went through the middle of it and, as we had never travelled in the area we risked the ride along the road through the forest. It proved to be a disastrous deviation. We were just five miles along the road when Dai came galloping back bleeding from his arm. There was no Felan with him, just his horse. “Turn and flee, Warlord. The forest is filled with Northumbrians.  We ran into an ambush!”

I wondered how this had happened for we had moved quickly. They could not have known we were coming.  Something was not right. There was little point in trying to work out why and so we turned and galloped back down the road.  Had we not been on the road then we would have been slaughtered. The Northumbrians had moved swiftly through the trees along the side of the road as well as on it. Their mailed warriors were running down the road.  It suited them for they could fill the road from ditch to ditch. We could be trapped if we tried to attack them. The lightly armed fyrd used the trees.  They were able to run easily. They moved almost as quickly as we did for they had no armour.  They attacked the squires at the rear of our column.  They had caught us quicker than I had anticipated.   I heard their screams as the young warriors fell and were butchered.

. “Pol, take command.  Lead the men from the forest and wait for us.  Bors, turn your men around.  We will charge them.”

My men were the best trained.  They knew that a delay in following orders could be the difference between success and failure.

I whipped Star’s head around and rode back through the squires. “Squires, follow Captain Pol!” I saw five riderless horses showing that the Northumbrians had had success. As soon as the last squire had ridden past us I charged the shield wall which formed on the road. I had a long spear with me.  Rather than using it to punch I threw it when I was just ten paces from the wall.  They were not expecting it and the spear head went into the open mouth of a mailed warrior.  He fell and, as Star went through the gap I swung the mace which had been hanging from my saddle and smashed it into the face of the next Saxon.  They had not expected me to go on the offensive and the shield wall was only three warriors deep. Star trampled the last warrior and I jerked his head around to the right.

Speed was of the essence. “Destroy the shield wall!”

A shield wall only works with locked shields.  We were inside a disordered shield wall. My mace fell upon helmets and leather skullcaps. It was soon covered in blood, brains and gore.  The warriors who remained fled into the forest and back along the road..

I reined in Star.  We needed to reform.  I saw that three of my equites had either been killed or wounded.  Even as Bors went to the aid of one the lifeless body of the equite fell from the saddle.

I knew that the road would be filled with the lightly armed warriors we had passed through and they would be ready for us. There was just one alternative; we had to use the forest. “Follow me through the forest.”

It was a risk but I guessed that they would gather by the road and expect us to use it for speed.  If we rode individually we could be almost as swift in the forest. I was aware that Lann Aelle was with me along with Pelas.  I hoped that Llenlleog had not fallen; he was a good equite. Star picked his way through the forest.  You needed quick reactions for Northumbrians would leap from behind trees.  I had hung my mace from my saddle and unsheathed Saxon Slayer.  It was a faster weapon.

I saw a spear head as it came from behind a tree. I leaned forward and anticipated where the warrior would be.  As his head came around I swung my sword and felt it bite into flesh. I swerved to avoid a tree root and went to the left.  It saved my life for an axe swung at the empty space I had occupied.  I heard a scream as Lann Aelle ended the life of the warrior.

We had only ventured a few miles into the forest and yet the ride south seemed to take forever.  When I saw the brightening light ahead I knew that we had made it.  We burst from the trees. Daffydd’s men were watching for us and they launched a shower of arrows. I heard the shouts as the pursuing Northumbrians fell. We reined in behind the line of spears of Pol and my equites.

The Northumbrians stayed in the forest.  To have ventured out would have invited slaughter. Pol said, “Head south, Warlord, and we will cover you!”

It was my turn to obey orders and I led my column of equites to the last village we had attacked. We halted there. Pol and the rest arrived a short time later. He dismounted and joined me. “I set Dai and Aed to watch them,” he waved to a warrior who had a bundle on his saddle.  It was Osgar. “We have a prisoner.”

Osgar dropped the unconscious Saxon to the ground. I saw that he was probably a farmer for he had no mail and just a leather skull cap. He was no warrior. I went to him and began to slap his face.  He awoke and stared in fear at me.  I took off my helmet. “You know who I am?”

“You are the Warlord.”

“Then know this, I keep my word.  If you answer my questions truthfully then you shall live.  If not we will open your guts and let the animals of the forest feed on your flesh. Understand?” He nodded.  I could see that he was barely fifteen. “How did you come upon us?”

“Warriors reached Caer Daun and said that you were raiding.  Eorl Eadfrith led us south to catch you.  We were to meet with Eanforth and trap you between us.”

“What were you doing at Caer Daun?  There were a large number of you. Were you seeking us?”

He hesitated and then said, “We were ordered there after the spring sowing. We were told that King Edwin wanted us mustered. We did not know it was the Warlord we faced.” I heard the fear and awe in his voice.

That was ominous and I stored that information but the most important fact was that Eanforth also had warriors. “Where is Eanforth?”

He hesitated, “Life or a slow death- it is your choice.”

“He is in the east.  That is all I know; I swear.”

I nodded, “I believe you now go.” I pointed up the road. He ran as fast as he could.  I had no doubt that Eanfrith and Eadfrith would question him but he could tell them little more than they already knew.  The Warlord and his equites were raiding.

When he had gone I said, “We were unlucky. They were gathering ahead of us. They did not know where we were going it was just
wyrd
. It means that King Edwin is gathering his army. He is heading south to face King Cadwallon.  Once again he has anticipated us.”

Pol said, “What now?”

“We cannot travel either east or north.  There are enemies there that we know of.  Both would be too dangerous for we would be trapped.” I rubbed my chin. “They will expect us to go west.  Therefore we will head south and make our way to Mercia and the lands of King Penda. It will also mean that we can draw them towards the armies that we know are preparing for war.”

“Is that safe?”

I shrugged, “I know not but it appears to be the only chance we have. I just hope that the two kings have prepared their armies.  I said I would be back by Midsummer’s day and it is past that now. Send for Aed, we will ride and put distance between us. Send riders to warn the two kings of the invasion.”

The land to the south had been the land of the Angles.  It had been settled for a long time. Here there were more cleared areas and fewer trees. After hours of hard riding we passed through a smaller wood and my scouts found a small Northumbrian burgh.  A river ran around one side of it. There were many farms whose smoke we could see as we approached. Our wounded warriors needed somewhere to rest so that we could heal them and our horses just needed time to recover from their exertions.  We had ridden further on their backs in mail than was good for them. Only Llenlleog’s horse looked fresh. It was a risk but we needed to capture this burgh and hold it.  Hopefully Penda and Cadwallon would reach us sooner rather than later. I knew that the Northumbrians would take some time to catch up with us. Dai reported that the gates were closed and that there were sentries upon the wall. That was unusual for it was still daylight.

“We will attack this evening. Daffydd, take your men to the south and prevent reinforcement from that direction. Kay we will use your equites and squires to attack.”

Lann Aelle asked, “Who will lead the attack?”

“I will.”

“No cousin.  You are always putting yourself in harm’s way. You are not invincible and we should share the load.  There is your brother, Pol and myself.  Do you have no faith in us? Do we merely follow?”

I could see from the looks on their faces that they had discussed this and were unhappy. “I cannot help my nature. I trust you all but I would put myself at the fore rather than you.”

Gawan said, “Brother, when you had no family and you had the death wish,  we understood your reckless bravery.” I looked up, startled.  My brother had known of the darkness within me.  “Now you have a wife and a child.  Hopefully your next child will be a boy.”

“My next child?”

Gawan smiled, “We are dreamers.” He nodded, “And so let one of us lead.  It is a small burgh. There will be little danger.”

“Then why should I not lead?”

“Because your body is tired.  You fought hard the other day and we did not.”

He was right.  My shoulders slumped, “Very well Lann Aelle, you lead.”

Leaving Bors and his men to guard the road to the north we swam the river upstream and headed to the burgh keeping out of sight. We found a wood just half a mile or so from the walls. Lann Aelle led the ten archers and twenty equites who would assault the walls.  We would wait until the gates were taken and then enter the burgh. It is harder to wait than to do.  Time seemed to drag.  We watched the black shadows as they flitted forward.  My men were well trained in using cover and moving so that their motion would not be detected. When they reached the ditch I found myself holding my breath. Gawan said, quietly, “Trust Lann Aelle brother.  If you were there would you fear the guards and the walls?”

I shook my head, “The guards will have little armour and they are not as well trained as my men.”

“Then breathe.”

I laughed.  He was becoming more like Myrddyn each day. I heard a cry from the burgh.  “Ready your weapons.” When I heard the clash of steel I shouted, “We ride.”

I counted on the fact that my men would capture the gate.  When we were half way to the gate I saw a light as it was opened.  Pol pointedly led my warriors through the gate and past the dead sentries. The rear gate had opened and I could see many of the inhabitants fleeing. I left Saxon Slayer in my scabbard.  It would not be needed.

“Aed, send for Daffydd and Bors.  We have secured the burgh.” It was not quite true for there were pockets of fighting going on.  The Northumbrians were fighting harder than they normally did and I wondered why.

Lann Aelle strode towards me, his blade bloody and his face grinning. “There cousin, we have captured the burgh and we had just four equites wounded.”

“Well done.  You were right to chastise me.”

“Call it counselling! I sound less like a wife then.”

Daffydd and Bors returned with the same news.  The handful of women, children and a few men had fled north. “We could have chased them, Warlord but I was aware that our horses needed rest.”

“You did right Bors.  We will hold up here for a day or so.  I would have us recover our strength.”

We went to the warrior hall.  It had been recently built as had the walls.  This was King Edwin consolidating his lands. There was a pot of food on the fire and we ate. Osgar came in and interrupted us, “I am sorry, Warlord, for the interruption, but we have made a great discovery.”

Osgar would not have disturbed us for nothing and we all followed him.  What I had taken for houses turned out to be four small halls.  Osgar opened one of the doors and I was lost for words. It was jammed full of supplies. There were barrels and amphorae from floor to ceiling. “I know, Warlord and the other three have the same within them.”

Gawan nodded, “These are for an army, brother. That explains this new burgh and why there were just warriors guarding it. The prisoner told us of a muster.  They must be heading south. This clever Saxon is making sure that this men are well fed and supplied.”

“But the prisoner did not mention King Edwin’s name.”

I suddenly saw it all clearly. “He did not Lann Aelle because he is still to arrive.  It is the fyrd and the men of this area who have reached here first.  He has further to travel with his main army.  They will have needed to sow their crops and gather their new born animals.  We have stumbled upon an invasion.”

I turned to my cousin.  “Lann Aelle, take five squires and ride to King Penda and King Cadwallon.  Tell them that the Northumbrians are heading south and that we have found their supplies.” I had had no word from the first riders I had sent and I feared the worst.

“What will you do, cousin?”

I laughed, “Irritate them and slow them down. They will try to get to their supplies and we will stop them.”

Lann Aelle took off his armour. It was speed he would need and not armour. After they had left I issued my orders. “We make this more defensible. The squires, slingers and half of the archers will guard its walls. Tonight we rest but tomorrow we begin.  We will ride north again but this time we know where the Northumbrians will be.  They will not ambush us again.”

As I lay in the hall I could not sleep.  This was
wyrd
. The Northumbrians would have caught both kings unprepared had we not ventured north and yet the forest would cause them problems too.  I knew that they had a large burgh at Caer Daun.  I needed to scout that out. I needed to find Edwin.  It would take many days for the two armies to reach us.  Lann Aelle would reach them by tomorrow and they had begun the muster but the Mercians were, like the Northumbrians, foot warriors. It would take at least three days to reach us.  The decision made, I slept.

“Llenlleog and Pelas, find Aed.  You will not need your armour today.” I could see that they were intrigued but they left to do as I had bid.

Gawan saw me talking to them.  “What are you up to brother?  Where is your mail?”

“I will not need my mail today.  I am going to take the scouts north and find Caer Daun.  You and Pol command in my absence.”

“Others can do this brother.”

“I know but only I can decide the best strategy to defeat Edwin.  I need to know his defences and anticipate what he will do.” I could see that he was not convinced.  “We have a great opportunity here.  King Edwin thinks that we are the only force between him and Mercia. This is like the attack last year. He does not know that King Penda and King Cadwallon have mustered their armies. We have surprise on our side. I am not going to fight.  I am going to watch.  I wear no armour for I will be swift.”

When my men were ready I mounted Star.  There were just eight of us.  We were all armed with bows. “I may be away for two or three days.  Your task is to keep the equites at the edge of the forest and harass the Northumbrians if they come. Do not enter the forest.”

Pol shook his head, “This is madness.  You will be entering the forest.”

“We will be nowhere near the road. Caer Daun is not in the forest.  It is to the north of it.  We will move swiftly.”

We rode out of the north gate and I headed north west.  The forest was not like the ones in the Land of the Lakes where the trees were close together.  Here they were oak, birch, elm and ash. There was little undergrowth and there was light.

I kept the scouts with me and we rode in single file.  Aed was the most experienced and he led.  I used Llenlleog at the rear for he had a calm head and made wise decisions. We stopped at noon when we found a clearing with a small stream. We saw no signs that anyone had visited it recently.  There were only animal tracks.  When we set off again I headed slightly east for the land began to fall away slightly and I knew that Caer Daun lay on a bend in the river. It was a short while later that the forest began to thin.  We stopped when we saw the stumps of felled trees. The Saxons had been here.

Aed and Dai dismounted and examined the land around the stumps. “The stumps are weathered.  This is not recent.” He pointed to the north east.  “There is a track way there and I think they took the trees that way.” I could see the furrows cut in the soil.

“From now on we use hand signals.  Keep your bows ready and silence any Northumbrian that we see.”

The forest ended suddenly.  Once again there was evidence of tree felling and we looked down on the river valley. “Dismount and keep hidden. Aed check the ground for footprints.”

I crouched behind the stump of an oak.  It must have been a mighty tree for the bole was as wide as I was tall. I saw that there were many men camped by the river.  The burgh itself was busy with warriors coming and going.  Here was Edwin’s army.  The ground before us was hidden by a depression in the ground but it mattered not for we were well above the river.  There was a bridge and more and more warriors were marching from the north. I felt we had seen enough. I was about to order my men to mount when two dozen warriors leapt up towards us.  They had advanced unseen from the depression. 

Pelas and Llenlleog had their bows in their hands and two arrows were loosed to strike two warriors. My bow was hanging from Star’s saddle and I pulled my sword and ran towards the advancing Northumbrians. I felt naked for I had no helmet, no shield and no armour. I did have my gauntlets and I grabbed the spear head and brought Saxon Slayer down to bite into the neck of one warrior. I felt a blow to my side which made me gasp in pain and I punched with the hilt of my sword.  I heard a grunt. As another spear jabbed towards me I spun and, still retaining the spear head, swung the haft to smash into the side of the warrior’s head.  He fell stunned and I plunged my sword into his throat.

“Come, Warlord, we are mounted and I have Star.” I turned and ran towards the sound of Pelas’ voice.  Two arrows flew dangerously close to my head and I heard screams behind me as my pursuers were struck. As I mounted I saw that two of the scouts lay dead but the Saxons had lost eight warriors.  Even as I turned Star to wheel away another Saxon fell to Llenlleog’s arrow. Aidan and Dai had saved the two horses from their dead scouts and we saw the eaves of the forest looming up.  The horses had rested and we began to increase our lead.  We did not stop for half an hour and then we halted to rest and to see if we were being pursued.

It was only when I stopped to adjust the girth that Pelas shouted, “Warlord, you are bleeding!”

I looked down. The blow I had felt had been a sword and it had sliced along my side.  I was bleeding freely. Llenlleog took charge.  “Aidan and Dai, watch the trail for pursuit.  Aed, find the trail home.  He lifted my tunic.  “Pelas, there is a flask in my saddlebags and some bandages bring them.” He examined the wound.  “This is deep, Warlord.  You have lost much blood.  Do you feel unsteady?”

“A little tired, that is all.”

“Then sit.”

I did as I was told. Pelas brought the flask and bandages.  “This will sting, Warlord.” He poured some of the liquid on my wound. It burned.  I knew what it was.  It was the spirit his people made from apples. “Pelas, hold the two edges of the wound together.” As he did so, Llenlleog poured a little of the spirit into my mouth. It too burned but I felt warmth inside of me.  He took out a bone needle from the pouch he had on his waist and some cat gut. This will not be pretty Warlord, but it will slow down the bleeding.” He threaded the bone needle and began to sew.  It did not hurt as much as I had thought for the spirit had numbed it somewhat. I did, however, begin to feel faint.  This is what came of fighting without the protection of armour. Llenlleog worked quickly. “Pelas, the bandage.” He wrapped the bandage so tightly that I felt it hard to breathe.

By the time I had my tunic on once more Aidan and Dai had returned. “They are following but they are more than a mile behind.” Aiden grinned, “We hit two more with arrows.  They will be more cautious now.”

“Find Aed, I sent him ahead. Pelas, let us help the Warlord on to Star.”

Once I was mounted Llenlleog used a piece of rope to tie me to the saddle. “I am not a piece of meat!”

“Until we get you back to Gawan and have the wound seen to properly, you are.  Pelas, lead the Warlord’s mount.”

We set off and I was placed, like a piece of baggage, in the middle.  Pelas kept giving me anxious looks as we made our way south. I had no doubt that the Northumbrians would have heard my men call me Warlord. They would pursue and I became increasingly tired.  I felt my wound begin to stiffen as the spirit wore off.  The dull pain became a throbbing pain.  It served to keep me awake.  It began to draw on to late afternoon. I found that I was thirsty but I would not ask my men to stop.  It was too dangerous.  I hoped that Aed and Llenlleog could find the way back to the captured burgh.  A night in the woods which would soon be crawling with Edwin’s men did not appeal.