Hosker, G [Wolf Brethren 01] Saxon Dawn Read online

  “I see you have been busy.”

  “And productive.” Ywain watched as Raibeart peeled back the skin. “This is so that Aelle can have a cloak eh? I can see we will have to call you the brotherhood of the wolf.” We looked at each other and nodded. The name seemed appropriate somehow.

  “And why not? Yes that shall be our name.”

  Gildas looked sadly at the spare skin. “I would like to be in the brotherhood.”

  Raibeart shook his head. “You have to kill your own wolf. This one will be a spare.”

  The cooks came out to see what we were doing. “What will you do with the meat? Feed your dog?”

  “If you lads want it then welcome. Just keep the bones for the dog.”

  Wolf was a particular favourite of the cooks for he caught many of the rats who hung around. “Wolf knows he is always welcome here. Don’t you boy?”

  Ever the one to flatter those who fed him he rolled over on his back to allow them to tickle him.

  We went to the nearby wood and cut two frames to stretch and dry the wolf skins. We were just finishing when the three kings wandered over. King Urien stood admiring the skins. “We heard that the three of you decided that drinking and feasting were not enough. You tracked these two did you?”

  “Yes my lord. We knew there was a pack of them somewhere in the vicinity.”

  The King of Bryneich looked at the three of us in surprise. “Three of you hunted a wolf pack? Warriors indeed! Lann, would you come and hunt the wolves of the sea for me?”

  I knew what he meant but I feigned ignorance, “My lord?”

  King Urien put his arm around my shoulder. “The king has asked to borrow you for a couple of months to teach his warriors how to hunt the Angles who plague his coasts.” There was a look of pleading in his eyes. He valued his two allies and my loan was part of the bargain.

  “You are my lord. If you command I will obey.” My tone left no-one in any doubt that I did this out of a sense of duty and nothing more.

  “Good then Raibeart can command while you are absent; for the king returns home to Din Guardi today. You will be serving the King of Bryneich for a while.”

  Chapter 8

  It did not leave me long to prepare and say my goodbyes. “If you will give me leave then. Brothers.”

  As we hurried to the barracks I could see the worry and fear on their faces. This would be the first time we had been parted. “I like it not.”

  “And neither do I, Raibeart, but I am part of a pact. If I help King Morcant then he will aid our king and the end result will be dead Angles.”

  “I would come with you.”

  “And I.”

  “I need you two here, safe. If I am alone then I will only worry about me and I will return, that I promise. Keep Wolf with you.” We hurried to the stables. It had been some time since I had ridden Blackie but I now had a sheepskin for added comfort. He had been well looked after and his coat had grown and his flanks filled out. He now looked healthy. I had cadged an apple from the cook on the way there. It was old and gnarly but he appreciated it and nuzzled my face. I was wearing my armour for I knew that we could run into bands of the enemy whilst crossing to the east. I had still to have a helmet made and so I took my old Roman one. The four pommels made loading Blackie easy. Once completed, I clasped my brothers’ arms as we said our goodbyes. “Raibeart and Aelle watch over each other. Trust no-one. I believe the king and Ywain are honourable men as is Gildas but, until we have known them all longer be careful and watch out for Bladud. I saw him speaking with King Morcant the other day and I fear he has had a hand in my departure. It may be for some purpose of his own.”

  “We will and watch over yourself brother for now we are the brethren of the wolf and you are our leader.”

  Laughing I mounted Blackie. I managed it somewhat easier now than when first I tried. The king and his retinue were waiting for us. As I rode by Ywain I said quietly so that only he could hear. “Watch over my brothers and I will be in your debt.”

  “I will do it as though they were my own blood kin.”

  Leaving Civitas Carvetiorum was like leaving home. I was also leaving my family and my newly acquired family. This was harder than I thought. I set my face into a mask and waited for the king and his bodyguards to pass me so that I could ride in the rear of the column.

  “Lann, ride next to me I would speak with you while we journey to my home.”

  “Where is your home your majesty?”

  “Din Guardi. It is a mighty fortress on the coast of my kingdom. It is the safest stronghold in Hen Ogledd. The cursed Saxons have threatened it by capturing Metcauld. Tell me how did three of you kill so many of the sea warriors and yet avoid wounds? Is it this magic sword?” He pointed at Saxon Slayer.

  I shook my head. “When we fought the first time we only had our bows. No we killed many by tracking them as we would an animal and by knowing our land. Your men will be more skilled than I at that for they know the land.”

  “Aye

  But they do not know how to be cunning. My warriors are all brave but there is recklessness with their bravery. They like to fight a man face to face.”

  “Then they will lose, for these men from the sea are like lice on a dog. There are always more of them. The only way to defeat them is to make them fear us. We struck in the night and in places they felt they were safe.”

  We spent the next three days, as we travelled east through the rain, sleet and snow discussing ways to defeat the enemy and I found myself enjoying the challenge. I was not sure that we would have the same results as I was fighting with men I did not know but it would be a test of my leadership.

  The land we cross was a land devoid of people. It was a land of high moors and thick forests. There were few settlements and those we saw were palisaded and protected. The king visited each one, much as Urien had done to show the people that he was still king. Finally we reached the far side of the island of Britannia and I saw the mighty and impregnable stronghold from some distance. It stood on top of a rugged rock and was surrounded on three sides by the sea. I could see what the king had meant. I could not see how it could be taken. The land before the castle which was not surrounded by water was marshy and swampy. There was a causeway which the king negotiated skilfully but I knew I would have struggled to find the correct path. The entrance to the castle twisted up and around a narrow path. The gatehouse at the top had a draw bridge, much as the one at Civitas Carvetiorum. There were many armed guards and sentries on the walls for the king had only brought his bodyguards and, as I discovered later, the rest of his army stayed within the walls of Din Guardi. The men at the gates were, however a surly bunch and I was not made to feel welcome. Already I was wishing myself back in the west with my brothers.

  The king wasted no time in putting his ideas into action. He gathered his leaders in his hall. This was the only stone part of the castle and the roaring fire made it a welcoming place unlike the faces of his lieutenants who seemed less than enamoured about being told what to do by someone who appeared to be little more than an overgrown youth. I could not see this working and that thought brightened my mood. If they would not do as I asked then I would have to return home again. The king, however, was in no mood for dissension. “Whoever succeeds in this task will be given command of my bodyguard.”

  I could see that the obvious bribe worked. As commander of the bodyguard the successful leader would be second only to the king and, as he had no children at the moment, it would put them in a powerful position. I saw the black look the present commander of the bodyguards gave to his king and I hoped that the king knew what he was doing. One of the younger leaders, Riderch, asked, “What does the warrior from the west plan?”

  The king looked at me and nodded. “There are two plans. The first requires good weather. We will take a boat across to Metcauld at night and kill their guards.”

  There was silence and then an older warrior asked, “What will that achieve?”

  I
looked at the greybeard. “When you sleep in this castle do you feel safe and secure?”

  “Of course I do. What a stupid question.”

  “And if the sea warriors scaled the walls and slit the sentries’ throats? Would you then feel safe?”

  They understood my idea and the greybeard grudgingly nodded. Riderch asked, “And the other plan?”

  “It is winter and there is a garrison on the island. They will need food. I would expect them to send foraging parties ashore. We find where they come ashore and we ambush them.”

  They were now intrigued although the ploy seemed obvious to me. “And how would we know where they had come ashore?”

  I knew not if I was clever or they were stupid. “If they come from the sea then they are subject to the vagaries of the tide and they must cross the beach. We search the beaches after high tide and follow the footprints. If nothing else we can destroy their boats.”

  Riderch grinned. I later found him to be an impulsive warrior, “Or steal their boats. This is a good plan I will go with the man with the wolf skin.”

  I was given quarters in the castle which showed me that the king, at least, valued my services. I was less convinced about his men and I began to see why he and his men had not aided King Urien. They did not want to take on the Saxons. Having seen their castle I could understand that they would believe that they could hold out and be safe from attack. That policy would not help the people of Bryneich, who would be treated as Monca and her family were, and they would become little more than slaves and thralls of the Saxons.

  I dressed as for war. The armour might be heavy but I had trained and eaten well. It would do me no harm to have to move long distances dressed as I was. I also took my bow. None of Riderch’s fifteen men had bows and they looked at me in disgust for carrying what they thought was a dishonourable weapon; I now understood the king’s words about the value his men placed on face to face combat. It did not worry me what they thought of me. My task was to kill Saxons and that I would do.

  The first high tide was just after a late dawn and we left at first light to move down the beach seeking tracks. My unvoiced worry was that they would have left guards with the boat who would alert the others. We needed secrecy and surprise. I saw that the dunes extended down the coast.

  “Riderch, let us walk among the dunes it will give us cover and we will still see the footprints.”

  One of his men grumbled. “Let us walk where they cannot see us and then there will be no chance of combat.”

  I glared at the man. He was not worth my spit and I could gut him as soon as speak but Riderch restrained me. “It is just words. They do not know you.”

  Again I wondered at the leadership of these people, even Aelle would have had more control over his unruly boys than Riderch did. I could not see any discipline here and it did not bode well for combat. Once in the dunes we were able to walk without being marked on the skyline. One of the sharp eyes of the men at the front saw the boat. Some of the men looked around with a look of grudging admiration that I had suggested this plan which might actually be working.

  We worked our way down the dunes keeping out of sight until we reached the spot the men had come ashore. We could see the jumble of sandy footprints. Riderch was all for heading for the men but I said, “No. Remember you said we need the boat. Let us take it first.”

  “How? They will see us as we approach and row out to sea.”

  I shook my head and held my bow. “Bring your men with me. I might just convert some of them to like the bow.” We reached the edge of the dunes and Riderch and I bellied up to the top. There were two men and they were seated at the prow of the boat. The range was a hundred and odd paces. I held up my finger to test the wind. “Now I will kill the men guarding the boats but your men will need to run as soon as I loose to stop the boat drifting off.

  The grumbling warrior said, “How do you know you will hit them?”

  “The same way I know that the only thing you have between your legs is some scraggly hair.”

  It took him a moment to realise I had insulted him but by the time he had leapt at me my dagger was pricking a tendril of blood from his throat. “Go on, I have been itching to gut one of you.”

  “Back off!” The warrior backed off and Riderch grinned, saying, “You are not a man to cross I can see that.” He turned to his men. “You heard the wolf warrior, as soon as the second arrow flies capture the boat and, of course, the first ones there get their weapons.” The Saxons were known for fine weapons and that was incentive enough.

  I stood so that the top of my head was above the dunes. To the men I would have appeared as a rock for I had removed my helmet. I chose my best two arrows. I notched one and aimed, even is it sped aloft I notched the second and loosed that. I picked out a third and aimed but I saw the two men plunge over the side into the water and the boat began to ebb with the tide. The men had covered more than half the way they needed to and were able to beach the boat more solidly.

  “That was incredible. You can do that every time?”

  “Every time. I would have two of your men dress as the Saxons and wait here in case any evade us.”

  “Good idea.”When his exuberant men returned he turned to the grumbling man and a younger version of him. “You two don the Saxon gear and wait by the boat. Kill any Saxons who come near.” The grumbling man flashed me an angry glance and then put his finger to his throat where the blood still trickled and he thought better of making more of it. “Now what?”

  “We back track them to the forest yonder. If they are any good they will have marked their trail to find the boat quickly. That is where we ambush them.” Their trail was clear and easy to spot. The sand extended into the forest and I could see their footprints. I led the fourteen warriors into the trees until we were far enough in to be on pine needles. I examined the trees and saw the marks they had made to enable them to find their way back. I showed them to Riderch.

  “Impressive. How did you know that?”

  “I have used the same trick myself. Had they not used it then they would not be good warriors but we would have struggled to find them. You take half your men on that side, and I will keep half here. I will step out and kill the warrior at the front and a second if I am able. Then we attack from both sides at the same time. The trees are narrow here and it will give us an advantage.”

  I looked at the men Riderch had given me. None of them inspired confidence. Some of them were the same age as me but they had pot bellies and the look of men who talk war more than they fight it. My archers were lean and hard fighters. These were not. I was beginning to appreciate just what I had on the west. I took out some dried venison to eat while I waited. Ambushes required patience and I could tell that these men had none and they were restless. “Keep quiet or we will not hear them. When I attack then you follow me.” They were not happy but they obeyed me. Suddenly I heard something and I held my hand up. Thirty paces away Riderch’s white face looked at me and I nodded. I notched an arrow and held a second in my teeth. I was ten paces ahead of my men and when the lead warrior was twenty paces away I stepped out and sent an arrow to bury itself in his throat. As he dropped I sent my second to kill the warrior following. I dropped my bow and drew my sword and shield I raced to attack the nearest warrior. “Attack!”

  I plunged towards them. Their leader had not been one of the first two warriors. I knew he was the leader from the magnificent helmet which had a mask on it and the torc he wore around his neck. He carried a war axe and I roared up to him. He quickly organised his wedge and fifteen warriors who remained came straight for me. I deflected the axe blow with my shield and slashed across his shins with my sword. He screamed in pain. I punched him with my shield and then stabbed the man to his left through the throat. He gurgled his life away at my feet. I saw Riderch and his men to my right but my half of the band were hanging back. Suddenly I was surrounded! The chief was still stunned and so I smashed my shield into him and, as he stumbled stabbed
him in his thigh, a death wound. I felt something sharp in my back followed by a hard blow as though struck by a hammer and I spun around, smashing the edge of my shield, which was lined with nails, into his face. I saw another warrior looming up at me and I had no time to swing my sword and so I punched with the sword guard. I heard his nose break and as he recoiled I brought the blade down; he must have had a poorly made helmet for my blade went through the helmet and split his skull open. Then Riderch was next to me and the Saxons lost heart with the death of their chief. They ran.

  “After them or they may escape!”

  “Run! Do as the wolf warrior says!” I dropped to my knees. I felt weak. Riderch’s face filled with concern. “What is it?”

  “I think I was stabbed from behind.”

  He put his hand underneath my armour and it came away bloody. “Quick, take off your armour.”

  “No let us get to the boats. I am not dying. I will follow.”Pausing only to take the chief’s fine helmet and his torc I limped to the beach. The cut had not hurt me but the blow had. I wondered what weapon had caused it.

  The Saxons fleeing to the beach had put up a good fight and, as we approached, the last of them was slain but there were the bodies of Riderch’s men to show the battle they had given to stay alive. To see the way Riderch’s men carried on you would have thought they had killed a whole Saxon army and not a mere handful of raiders.

  Riderch was angry with his men and I knew why. The ones with me had held back and nearly cost me my life. “You five, go to the forest and bring the bodies, the raiders and ours.” He looked at the others and said, “You four, strip the bodies of armour, swords and anything else of value. Put them in the bottom of the boat.” Then he turned to me. “Now will you let me look at you?” He sounded like a mother scolding a naughty child and I smiled and nodded.