Saxon Dawn (Wolf Brethren) (14 page)

Bladud and I had not seen each other since the bout.  For my part, I had not avoided him but we just moved in different circles.  I was bus
y with Ywain and the training of the army whilst Bladud and the king were frequently away showing the people of Rheged that they still had a king. Now that the days were shorter we spent less time training but Ywain and I used one of the empty barracks to practise our sword skills. Although I was much stronger than he was, he had more subtlety which I knew I would need. I also discovered deficiencies in my armour and helmet because the blow which had felled Bladud had been successful because he had no nasal and my armour, effective though it was, did not extend below my thighs.  I knew that I would need more protection.  The one aspect I was happy with was my shield.  Despite Ywain’s attempts to get me to use an oval one I persisted with the one my father and I had made.

Eventually I took him outside.  “Go and set your shield and mine over there by that wall
and then return here.” While he set them up I went for my bow. I paced out a hundred paces and loosed an arrow at my shield and then one at his.  I marched us forwards fifty paces and repeated it. When we reached the two shields and turned them around Ywain let out an audible gasp. The arrows had both penetrated his shield, one by three fingers but the other by a hand span and a half.  “That would have pierced me.”

“Or at least hit your mail.” I showed him my shield
; neither arrow had penetrated the shield and the first one had penetrated so little that I pulled it out easily. “It is the construction of the shield which gives it its strength.  There are two layers with the grain going in different directions and the leather cover helps but the most important part is the large number of nails I have used.  The arrow has more chance of striking metal than anything.” I shrugged.  “I agree with you that the shape of yours is better but mine gives me what I need, protection.”

We carried the shields back to our rooms. “We have visitors next week
Lann, important ones.  King Morcant Bulc and King Rhydderch the Generous are visiting for the Christmas celebrations.” I gave him a blank look. He could have been speaking Greek for all that I understood him. “They are the two kings, one from north of here and the other from the north east.  They are allies of my father and they come to plan the spring offensive.”

Ah, but what is this Christmas?  Is it another White Christ thing?”

He sighed with exasperation.  Despite the best efforts of the king, Brother Osric and Ywain himself my brothers and I were immune from the attraction of Christianity. “It is the celebration of the birth of Christ.”

“Ah yes, like our Yule festival.”

“No nothing like that.”

“So you do not drink and eat well.”

“We do that, yes.”

“You do not spend it with friends and family.”

“Well of course we do but there is nothing similar otherwise.” He reddened and I knew I had angered him.  I enjoyed the game of baiting him about his religion. Brother Osric had explained well but I could see no advantage.  I did not deny the existence of this White Christ but he did not appear to be any stronger than my gods.  In fact this turning of the cheek to enemies seemed like a real disadvantage to a warrior.

Rhydderch
the Generous arrived first and I really liked him from the moment I met him.  He was a huge red headed bear of a man; he was already an old man but still hale and hearty.  His lands bordered ours to the north but he was a staunch ally of King Urien.  He marched down from his lands with his twenty bodyguards.  All of them carried either a mighty war hammer or a double headed axe.  They were fierce looking warriors but, as I pointed out to Ywain, they could not defend themselves against arrows or a swordsman who was agile and swift.  I did agree however that facing them might be a little frightening.

King
Morcant Bulc was more of an enigma.  He was younger than the other two kings and I judged him to be but little older than us. His kingdom was the most under threat from the Angles and the Saxons.  His coast was constantly raided and I had heard that one of his island strongholds, Metcauld, had been taken.  Now that the Saxons controlled the Dunum it was only a matter of time before they swallowed him up too.  My problem was that I wondered why he had not aided us when had fought in the autumn. Even though we had beaten the enemy it had been a close run thing.  That apart, he was like Rhydderch, a very affable and approachable man.  I was introduced to them as one of the senior officers and they both expressed much interest in the story of the sword and the prowess my brothers and I had shown with bows.  Neither king had a weapon which could match it.

At the feast we held to welcome them Rhydderch said, “My lads like to see a man’s face before they smash his skull in.” He looked admiringly at his bodyguards who were busily gorging themselves on venison, “aye they are fierce fighters.”

Morcant Bulc was more amenable to the idea of bows. “I would use them if I had them.  Perhaps King Urien you could loan me the brothers to train up men such as your archers?”

“Aye well we will have to wait until my men
are fully trained and ready for war and when we have finally defeated these Saxon bastards.”

I then listened with interest to their ideas.  Rhydderch seemed happy to go along with the other two king’s ideas but
Urien and Morcant appeared to have slightly differing views.  Morcant was all for a spring offensive against Metcauld but King Urien, wisely in my view, wanted to eliminate the enemies who lay before the island; those who had taken the centre of the land. “I would hate to be trapped against the sea with enemies in my rear for then we would have no escape.”

“But all the time we delay they are growing stronger.”

Rhydderch burped, “Aye laddie but we canna fight in the winter.  It is no done. When the snows have gone then we can go.”

Morcant was not convinced but he could see that he had been outnumbered. “I will have to harass them on my own then until your armies arrive.”

“Don’t waste your men uselessly.” King Urien gestured towards me, “do as Lann and his brothers did.  They ambushed the Saxons who took their land and they killed many of them before they had to flee.  If three warriors could do that then perhaps twenty or thirty of your more determined men might do as well.”

Although he did not say anything then I could see his mind working.  He fixed me with a stare,
when I saw, it he turned it to a smile and I wondered what was in his head. I was even more disturbed when I saw Bladud sidle up and speak privately with him. It did not bode well for me.

Although the feasting went on for my days my brothers and I soon tired of it.  The bodyguards of the three kings seemed to enjoy trying to best each other in drinking contests. Ywain and Gildas were also weary of it but their relationship to the king meant that they could not escape their duties whereas we three could and we did. Winter has few animals to hunt but hunting is easier as you can see their tracks when there is snow on the ground. Using our wolf skins we left the fort just before dawn with only the sentries to witness our departure.  We had heard the wolves howling in the night and knew that there was
a pack seeking food.  Aelle often looked longingly at our cloaks and Raibeart and I wanted to hunt a wolf for him.  We were close as brothers and, although it was a fancy, we all wished to dress alike. I had even begun to think about painting a wolf on my shield complete with red eyes. I wanted warriors who fought me to know who I was.

We tested the wind and travelled south with the wind in
our faces.  The hills to the south were filled with lakes and forests which were perfect for wolves but had few people and animals.  The packs were forced to forage close to the houses and homes of our people and therein lay our opportunity. We had taken Wolf with us and he relished the opportunity to do something active once again. He had a fine life in the fort for he was well fed and given fuss by the archers but he was a working dog and he needed to do something.  He quickly picked up the scent of the pack and, as the ground began to rise we found the tracks. We strung our bows and each notched an arrow.  Wolf’s ears went down and he lay supine on the floor.  The pack was close. I gestured for him to stay.  A pack of wolves would tear him to pieces. Raibeart went to my right and Aelle to my left. It soon became obvious to me that they had retreated to their den which looked to me to be in a small dell hidden by a jumble of bushes and rocks. The smell of the pack drifted into our nostrils; it was a pungent mix and made us even warier. We needed to make them run; I mimed loosing into the air and into their den.  They both understood and nodded.  We aimed high and three arrows plunged into the den.  Even as we heard a yelp we had notched another arrow and waited for the pack to erupt. While most of the pack fled south two huge male wolves, teeth bared raced towards us. My arrow struck the second wolf in the shoulder while my brothers’ arrows took out the first.  My wounded beast still hurtled towards me and I dropped my bow and took out my dagger. I had my bracer on my left arm and I held that before me.  The wolf’s teeth sank into the leather, penetrating through to the skin but my dagger slashed across its throat and its life blood gushed over me.

My brother’s were concerned about me and raced over to pull the dead wolf from me.  Raibeart looked at my left arm. “You were lucky brother.  The teeth almost penetrated the bracer.”

I took the leather bracer off and saw the teeth marks on my arm. Another few moments and he would have drawn blood. “You are right but it has given me a thought. Suppose we had bracers on both arms with pieces of metal sewn in.”

Raibeart’s brow wrinkled. “How would that help our archery?”

“It wouldn’t but it would give us protection from sword and dagger blows. And it would not impede our arrows.”

“If you had the same things for your right hand brother then it would protect it during combat.”

“It would indeed Aelle.  I will try to get some soft leather which can be lined with iron.  And now let us get these beasts back.”

We gutted them there and
we gave some of the offal to Wolf who voraciously consumed it. While he ate we sacrificed their hearts to Vindonnus and said a prayer of thanks to the god of hunting. Raibeart and I hefted the carcasses on our backs while Aelle, after retrieving the two arrows he could find, carried our bows and we made our way back to the fort. The sentries shook their heads as we entered. “You brothers, you are mad as fish. Who else would track a wolf pack on foot and then kill them.  Mad!”

I detected the admiration beneath the jokes. “Well my little brother could not be the only one without a wolf skin could he?” Their laughter was still ringing in our ears when we headed for the workshop close to the kitchens. There was a gully which ran under the walls and it was the area used for butchery of animals.  We could swill the wolf blood away after they had been skinned. I let my brothers skin
the dead wolves for the last time it had been father and I who had done so.  It was a skilful task, especially if you wanted the head intact as I had. It took some time and Ywain and Gildas wandered over their eyes and faces red and puffy from a night’s carousing and wassailing.

“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 wol
f 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.”