Saxon Fall (23 page)

“Pelas, go to the other walls and report on how they are doing.”

I hoped they were doing as well as we were for their main thrust would be towards me.  I could see King Edwin and the brothers, less than two hundred paces away staring intently at the gate. Eadfrith was already readying a second warband of two hundred men to exploit any weaknesses. I heard the axes as they smashed against the wooden walls.  It was ironical that they were destroying their own burgh.  Although not well made, it was new and the wood resisted the blows better than an older fort. The slingers were now causing the most damage as their lead balls struck at very close range.  Warriors were dying. Even as I watched a shot struck the arm of an unarmoured warrior and I heard the sharp crack as the bone broke. Had Myrddyn been with us then I am sure he would have had some device to cause more casualties but we were without his assistance.

While some hacked at the walls others were being raised on shields. I saw Llenlleog fighting a grizzled veteran who wielded an axe as though he had been born with it. He whirled it over his head and I watched Llenlleog time his thrust.  It took great courage as well as skill to duck beneath the axe head and stab forward.  The warrior was mailed and had a full face helmet.  The gap was small but the tip tore into the throat and, as he twisted it free, the men supporting him were covered in his spraying blood.  His body crashed into the new warriors coming to their aid.

We were slowing them but I heard a cry from below.  “They are almost through!”

“Llenlleog, take half of the equites from the walls and attack whoever comes through the gate.”

The walls looked half empty as the huge, mailed warriors descended.  I was left, largely with archers and slingers. Pelas raced back. “They are holding them back, Warlord, but my father has spied another Saxon warband marching from the south!”

I wondered if our luck had run out.  It mattered not.  We would fight on until we were all dead.  We knew that there would be no quarter given but we would damage the Northumbrians with our sacrifice.

Eadfrith and his warband were close to the ditch now. I loosed my last arrow.  Perhaps my father’s hand guided it for it flew unerringly straight and went through the eye piece of the warrior protecting Eadfrith’s sword side.  The Northumbrian looked up in surprise as his oathsworn fell. I put down my bow and took out Saxon Slayer.  Pulling my shield around I prepared to sell my life dearly. A hand appeared over the top of the rampart and I swung down hard severing it half way across the palm. I sensed, rather than saw, the warrior who stepped behind me. Holding my shield up, I swung my sword in a wide arc. It went beneath his shield and I felt it strike his mail shirt and bite into it.  The force of the blow made him over balance and he fell, bleeding to his death inside the burgh below.

Pelas was suddenly felled by a mighty blow to his shield.  As he fell to the floor I roared a challenge and leapt at the warrior. The fighting platform was not wide and, as he turned to face me I dropped to one knee and stabbed upwards.  My sword went beneath his mail shirt and ripped into his abdomen. I twisted and pulled out a mass of white and pink worms. He, too, fell to the floor. I held out my hand for Pelas.  “Come squire, your work is not yet done.

Just then I heard the sound of a horn from the south and a cheer from Lann Aelle’s men.  As I looked over the ramparts I saw the fyrd fleeing.  Then there was a horn from King Edwin and his men and the mailed warbands fell back, too. Llenlleog shouted up. “It is King Penda, he has come!”

The Allfather and the spirits watched over us still.  We had held.

Despite the timely arrival of the Mercians we had lost too many men and boys.  I was happy to pay the silver coins to the brave survivors. I saw equites and archers, whom I had fought alongside, lying dead.  It did not help the fact that we had killed many more of the Northumbrians. As my squires went into the ditches to ease the suffering of the dead and to get their byrnies, I made my way, gingerly, to the southern gate. Although I had not opened the wound I was in some pain. On the positive side, I knew that I could fight, once more.  My body was recovering.

“We had better put the horses beyond the walls; I dare say King Penda may want to stay in this burgh. Have the equites and squires set up a camp to the south of the burgh by the river.”

“Aye Warlord.” Pol grinned, “I think the horses are also getting sick of the smell.”

“Llewellyn and Llenlleog, keep watch on the Northumbrians and tell me what they are doing.”

I went to the southern gate to meet with Penda.  He clasped my arm in the warrior’s grip.  “Well done, Warlord.  Edwin has, indeed, brought all of his army.  He intended to defeat us once and for all.  It is good that you found him.”

“Come to the hall, there are supplies for all of your men.”

He lowered his voice and spoke to me urgently, “You and I must talk alone.”

There were three squires in the hall.  “Go and help Pol move the horses to the pasture.”

“Aye, Warlord.”

As they were leaving Penda asked, “Is there any ale?  I have a thirst on me.”

I found him a horn of ale and I poured myself one too.  “Thank you for your timely arrival.”

He quaffed his in one. “It is King Cadwallon.  He has become Christian.” I was stunned.  He had served with father and with me. He had been to the dream cave.  Why would he become Christian? “There is more.” He put his hand on my arm.  “Your sister has died.”

“How?”

“She and their son Cadfan had the sleeping sickness.  Cadwallon sent for Myrddyn but before he could reach Wrecsam a priest of the White Christ arrived. Cadwallon asked him to intercede but his wife, you sister, died.  The priest made the king promise that if his son was saved then the king and his kingdom would become Christian.”

I nodded.  I began to see it.  “And Cadfan was saved.” He nodded as he poured himself another horn of ale. “Tell me, did this priest have a name?”

“I believe he was called Paulinus of Eboracum.”

That confirmed it.  “He was the priest with King Edwin.  I see a Northumbrian plot here. The sooner the king arrives, the better.”

“If the Cymri do not fight alongside us we cannot defeat Edwin.”

“I will persuade him.”

I took Lann Aelle, Pol and Gawan across the battlefield, ostensibly to look for the Northumbrian leaders who might have fallen, but actually to talk about King Cadwallon away from the warriors.

When I told them Gawan nodded, “I had strange dreams last week and I saw our mother dying again but now I see that was our sister.”

I nodded.  “I see a plot here. It cannot be a coincidence that this priest was at the wedding of King Edwin and then turns up at the court of Cadwallon when there is sickness.”

Lann Aelle suddenly started, “You mean the priest caused the sickness?”

“I would not put it past them. I am the ultimate pagan and Nanna was my sister. It makes sense that they would punish me through her and inveigle their way into the heart of the king by saving his son.”

“But how would they do that?”

Gawan said, “There are ways.  Myrddyn would know them.”

“Does this mean that the men of Cymru will not fight?”

“I think, Pol, that the intention of the priests and Edwin was for that to happen but the fact that they are on their way gives me a kind of hope.  I cannot believe that his warriors will have embraced the White Christ.” I looked to the south, “This is where we need Myrddyn. He has the power to reverse such things.”

Gawan shook his head, “I am sorry, brother. I am a pale imitation.”

“No, for we all walk in the footsteps of giants. I try to be our father and you try to be Myrddyn.  I doubt that we will ever achieve what they did but that does not mean we give up.  I will speak with Cadwallon.  Gawan, you can deal with the priest.”

He nodded, “And tonight I will dream.” I looked at him.  “There are some herbs and potions which we can use to help us enter the dream world when we are not in the cave of Wyddfa.  I will try to send a message to Myrddyn.”

Lann Aelle said, “Perhaps he knows already.”

“That would be my thought too but we plan as though he will not be here. Speak not of this to our men. To them we must have a common front.  Dissension only helps Edwin and our foes.”

We were all in good cheer that night as we celebrated. The Northumbrian fires still lined the forest and we were still outnumbered but so long as we held the burgh then Edwin could not attack. The next day we discovered that the bodies which lay before the burgh had been collected and buried during the night; we had not needed a truce.

I felt better when I woke and I mounted the equites for a show of force. We rode towards the Northumbrian camp.  I needed to ascertain their numbers and to show them that we had no intention of leaving. We rode along the length of their camp just out of bow range. We rode with our left side towards the Northumbrian camp. If they did loose arrows then our shields were there to protect us. I noticed, as we rode, that there were men of Dál Riata there too.  Edwin had allied with the men who had also chosen the White Christ. It made me even more suspicious of this Paulinus.

When we were approaching the burgh riders were at the gate.  “King Cadwallon comes!”

Pelas led my horse away and I went to speak with King Penda. “They have Hibernians with them and they outnumber us still.”

“Then the arrival of King Cadwallon may swing the numbers in our favour.”

I told the king of my suspicions about the priest and he concurred. “What do we do, Warlord?  You know him better than any.”

“I thought I did.  He was like a brother to me but I will try.  Gawan dreamed last night.  I hope that Myrddyn can come.”

King Penda smiled, “Perhaps he can fly here as he did when he killed Morcant Bulc.”

“Perhaps.  But however he gets here I would it were soon.” I paused, “Suppose this Paulinus has already poisoned the mind of our friend.  We would be trapped between two armies.”

I could see that the thought had not occurred to the Mercian.  “Surely he will not have fallen that far so soon.”

“The priests of the White Christ hate us.  They would do anything to eliminate us and make the world worship their White Christ.”

We watched the army of the Cymri as they wound their way north. I saw the priest riding next to the King with Cadfan between them. Neither Penda nor I bowed as King Cadwallon dismounted and, for the first time since I had known him, he looked unhappy about the lack of deference.  I saw the cross hanging around his neck. I ignored the priest.

“It is good to see you, brother.” As he dismounted I embraced him.  He did not respond.  “I am sorry for your loss but my sister is in the Otherworld with my father.”

He almost recoiled. He held the cross before him.  “I follow the cross now, Warlord, as do my warriors. We are Christians.”

I looked beyond him.  His leaders, with whom I had fought, did not look happy and I saw no crosses. I nodded, “There are many supplies within.  Come and we will talk,” I looked pointedly at the priest, “the three of us.”

King Cadwallon said, “Brother Paulinus can offer sage advice, Warlord.”

“Unless he has stood in a shield wall he cannot.” I stared at the king, “I am Warlord still, King Cadwallon.”

The priest said, “And he is king!”

I turned on the white clad servant of the White Christ and put my face close to his. “The last I heard you were at the wedding of King Edwin and now you are here. If I were you priest I would stay beyond the reach of my sword.”

He paled and clutched his own cross.  “You would threaten a man of the church?”

I laughed, “Of course I would! It is not my church.  My church is the world and we need no white clad priests to instruct us.” I turned to the king, “Come Cadwallon, it is too hot to debate in the sun. Come to the hall with Penda and me.  We have things to say to you. Pelas, watch over Prince Cadfan.”

I had them bemused.  The priest was not happy but he could do little about it and the king had been listening to me for his whole life and so he followed me. Pol and Lann Aelle would speak with the leaders of Cadwallon’s army and find out their intent.  Penda and I needed to undo the work of the poisoned tongue of the priest. Gawan watched the priest.

Once in the hall I sent the warriors to join the others outside. King Cadwallon looked unhappy, “That was not well done, Hogan Lann.”

“What was not well done, my friend, was changing your religion because of
wyrd
. My sister died; these things happen.  My wife, child and step mother died.”  I let the words hang in the air.

“Brother Paulinus says that there is no such thing.  It is God’s will which determines our lives.”

Penda spat into the fire, “Then Brother Paulinus is talking out of his arse! We all know that
wyrd
makes the impossible possible.  How does your priest explain that?”

“Enough! We are not here to debate religion we are here to plan how to defeat Edwin.”

“Brother Paulinus says that it is a sin to make war on a fellow Christian!”

I could see Penda’s anger and I held up my hand. “Did you know that your priest was at the wedding of King Edwin and saved his life when the men from Wessex tried to kill him?”

I could see that he did not but he tried to bluster, “It matters not.  The message is the same. King Edwin is a Christian king.”

“A Christian king who was set to invade your lands!” I waved my arm in the direction of the other halls.  “He had enough supplies here to feed his army all summer.”

“Brother Paulinus said that Edwin was just coming to punish the Mercians for their pagan ways.”

I laughed for I saw the flaw in the priest’s argument. “And when Edwin set out did he not believe that you were a pagan too? You were the target.”

“But I am Christian now.”

He was blind and could not see that he had been duped. Penda caught my eye and shook his head. I changed my tack.  “Cadwallon, my father was your friend and he helped you to gain your throne. I have fought for you. Have I ever lied to you or told you an untruth?” He shook his head.  “Have I ever advised you badly?” Again he shook his head. “My whole life has been fighting for you and for Rheged; will you not trust me again?  Let us drive Edwin back to his own lands.  Let us inflict such a defeat upon him that he never dares head south again.”

I could see him wavering, “But I have been baptised!”

I laughed, “And I have fallen in the water before now too. Will your men fight?” He looked up sharply.  His men wanted to fight. His shoulders slumped and he nodded. “Then let us take our armies to the field.”

“You would fight now?”

“We will not have to fight now.  I wondered why King Edwin waited here and now I know. The serpent in priest’s clothes was meant to subvert you so that we would be defeated and he would have a free rein in Mercia and Cymru. As soon as he sees our banners arrayed he will melt into the forest.” I was guessing now but it all made sense inside my head and my father had always taught me to trust my inner feelings. “What have you to lose?  If he melts away then I am right and if not then, perhaps, your priest was speaking the truth.” He nodded and I put my arms around them both.  “I will speak with them as I am Warlord still.”

When we emerged from the hall all of my leaders, Penda’s and King Cadwallon’s were waiting and I could see the questions on their faces. I noted that the priest was there and was being closely watched by Gawan.

“We go to show the Northumbrians that the Great Alliance is still alive and we are still brothers in arms!” The cheer from all of them was so loud that I felt King Cadwallon recoil beneath my arm.  Even if he wished to his men would not back away from the fight.  I saw the priest try to speak but he was silenced by Gawan.

“Let us array our men before the burgh and see if this Edwin wishes to fight or to flee.”

The gates at both sides of the burgh were opened.  Pelas brought Cadfan and my horse.  There was much confusion as leaders sent orders to their men.  If we were to fight today it would be without order but I felt that there would be no fight. As I mounted I looked around and felt pride that the leaders of the warriors still chose to fight for me.  Any doubts I may have had about being Warlord disappeared. Suddenly a figure on a horse galloped past, almost knocking Cadfan to the ground.  I saw the white robes and knew that it was the priest.

“Stop him!”

There were just a few slingers on the walls and they tried their best.  I saw one lead ball strike the priest on the shoulder but he kept his saddle and headed north to the waiting Northumbrians. King Cadwallon ran and picked up his son.  I pointed to the fleeing priest, “If you wanted confirmation of what I said, King Cadwallon, then look at Edwin’s man racing to his master!”