Hosker, G [Wolf Brethren 02] Saxon Revenge (11 page)

“There is no shame in that.”

“I must have fallen asleep but I had a strange dream or perhaps I was awake, I know not. A woman came to me from the water. She was beautiful and said that I would not die and there was a way out. She said to reach for the sun.  And then she said, and this part made me wonder if I had misheard the first thing she had said, for she said that when I escaped I should serve her son in Rheged,” I suddenly felt an icy shiver run down my spine, “her son with the magical sword and the cloak of the Wolf. She told me to seek you, my lord.”

I would not have believed the boy but I could see no reason for a lie and the water and my mother were part of my dreams too. There did not appear to be deception in his eyes. Was it possible that two people could share the same dream and fate? I saw him looking at me. “And you obviously did escape.  How?”

“I was confused which son she meant but I could see light above me and I knew that if I had fallen down then I should be able to get up. I had a coil of rope about me.  We often carried one for sheep were always slipping down the cliffs. I tied the sheep about me and I began to climb. At first it seemed too high but I persevered.  I kept putting one foot in front of the other and just climbed. The words of the water spirit kept running through my mind.  I had heard of Rheged and its powerful king but I knew nothing of a sword and a wolf.” He nodded at me. “I can see it now but while I was climbing I was confused.  I think that helped me to take my mind from my task and I suddenly found myself at the top of the cleft. When I emerged I could see the burning buildings that had been our village. I found a family which had escaped and they told me of the raid.  We buried the dead and I decided that another power, greater than man, had determined my fate. “

There was silence in the solar, as the last rays of the sun dipped into the west. I still had many questions for the young man before me.  “When was this?”

“Over a year ago.”

“Over a year?  It took that long to find me?”

He laughed.  “No, my lord. My mother’s father still lived.  He was a holy man in a different part of the island.  I went to him to tell him of my mother’s death and of my dream. It was he who told me of you and he said that it was
wyrd
.  He said I needed preparing and he taught me some spells and some healing.  He told me that he had waited for such a vision and then he could pass on his knowledge to me.” Myrddyn paused.  “It seemed he was waiting to die but could not until I was trained. I learned many spells and much of his magic. He died in the spring and I journeyed north to find you.”

I did not doubt one word of his story and I could see the hand of
wyrd
and the gods all over this. “I believe you for I will now tell you why I have summoned you. Brother Oswald tells me that you would be wasted as a warrior and would be better employed as a healer.  I agree with him but you joined as a warrior so what are your thoughts?”

He looked suddenly relieved. “I joined to serve you my lord and warriors were what you wanted. I would like to serve as a healer but my training was not complete when my grandfather died.”

“And
wyrd
has delivered you to the land where Brother Oswald will teach you what you need to know.  But you should know that he will try to convert you to the White Christ.”

“That will be an interesting experience,” he paused, “for both of us!”

I laughed.  “Welcome, then, Myrddyn my healer.  Brother Oswald does not know what is about to befall him. For the time being you will continue to train as a warrior; the skills will not come amiss and I will speak with both Garth and Brother Oswald to arrange your future training.” And so Myrddyn entered our lives and nothing was ever the same again.

Chapter 6

I spoke with both Garth and Brother Oswald the next morning and explained my decision.  They both nodded their agreement. I sat back in my chair.  It had been ordered to be made for me by Aideen and it was padded; it was the most indulgent thing I had ever owned.  It was as comfortable as sleeping on a bed. I looked at Brother Oswald.  “You know, of course that he is a pagan and he believes in magic and witchcraft.”

Garth looked in amazement at both of us. Brother Oswald did not seem ill at ease with the idea. “There are many things the pagans believe which do not contradict my beliefs as a Christian and, to be honest, Lord Lann, I relish the meeting with a new mind.  If I can increase my knowledge then that is a good thing and the boy seems Christian in attitude if not religion.”

I laughed, “As pragmatic as ever. Garth, he will continue to train under Tuanthal but tell him that he has my permission to spend as much time with the Brother as he needs; without, of course, drawing attention to himself.”

“And what of the spy?”

Garth was suddenly aware that he had spoken in front of the priest and his face went white.  I held up my hand.  “You can always speak freely before the Brother.  He has my complete trust.” I saw the holy man swell with pride and I wondered what penance he would have to do for such a sin. “Garth and I suspect that there is a spy or traitor within these walls.” I explained how we had gleaned our information.

“Your logic is good my lord. Like you I cannot believe that men who have fought and bled with you would betray you but there are others within these walls who are not warriors; slaves, smiths, cooks, maids.  Any of them could have connections with the Saxons.”

I slapped my leg.  “This is why this man is so invaluable to me. We need to keep watch for any one who leave the fort after dark.”

Garth looked puzzled. “Why after dark my lord?”

“We have patrols out during the day but not the night. “ I looked at the priest. “Can you arrange a shift system which rotates my officers?  I want one of us on duty at night.”

“That would be Garth, Tuathal and Miach.”

“No, Brother Oswald, you are forgetting that I am an officer.  I will share this burden.” I could see from their faces that they were not happy about this but I would share this burden with my men. I had to feel what they felt and experience what they did otherwise, like great kings, I would lose touch. I remembered my beginnings which were humble. I had been lucky to achieve what I had but I would not throw it away for the lack of a little sleep. ”And we need to find other officers to work below us. We can pay them more. I think we need another three for the warriors and another one for the slingers and the archers.  That will be a start. And I want older warriors to be recruited to be the garrison.  When we war next year I want to leave a garrison here to protect my wife, my family and Brother Oswald and his bees!” Their laughter told me I had the gauge of my men.

Aideen became not only broody about the castle and the family but about the warriors. One evening as she lay in my arms and we listened to the heartbeat of our unborn child she said. “It would look better if all your men looked as you do.”

I looked at her. “What do you mean?”

“I mean if they all looked the same… colour.  You are the Wolf Warrior and you wear a wolf cloak.”

“Yes but we…”

She waved an impatient hand at me. Women are far quicker than men sometimes. “I know, you cannot give a hundred men a wolf cloak but you could give them a black cloak which would look the same and, if it were made of leather or hide then it would protect them as your cloak does.”

I looked at her in amazement.  Was she becoming a strategist? “That is a clever idea.” I looked at her sceptically.  “Where did it come from?”

She put on her innocent look, “I reasoned that if your men were more fearsome and better protected then you would live longer!”

“And I am all in favour of that.  Could we get the leather and could we dye it?”

She waved another imperious hand. “The leather needs acid to bleach it.  Your men are all full of piss so that will not be a problem and there is a stand of maple trees close to the river and the bark makes a fine black dye.  By the spring they will all look the same.  They will all truly be Wolf Warriors.”

I was so glad that I had returned to Castle Perilous.  Since my return from Elmet my life had been much better and I began to see a future beyond the Saxons.  That was a mistake. 
Wyrd
is a cruel bitch and likes to play tricks with men and their minds.  I will say that that year was the most contented of my life.

By the time the days grew slightly shorter the new defensive wall which ran to the river was completed.  It still needed steps building inside to enable warriors to reach the platform and the gatehouse needed a better gate but the barrier was in place.  If the Saxons came we could hold them and prevent them engulfing the land.  The despatch riders had brought us word that Aella had sent for more of his people from the sea threatened land of the Angles, Frisians and Saxons.  There were reports from Bernicia of fleets of ships sailing down the coast.  Had they had a fleet they might have engaged them but the Saxons sailed down the coast with impunity. There was a mighty army coming to our land again and our preparations were none too soon.  Aideen was heavy with child and Oswald predicted that the babe would be born after the harvest.

Aideen was not a Christian and she had snorted her derision.  “What do a man and a priest know of a woman and her babies? You keep to building your walls and counting my husband’s money and leave babies to those who know best, The Mother and we women who worship her!”

Brother Oswald was used to the derisory tone employed by my wife and the other followers of the cult of Mother Earth. He was not at all put out by her attitude. “I have read books by Greek writers and from the position of the baby and your health I am making a prediction.”

“Aha! You are not the logical Christian after all.  You use prediction and prophesy.” She went off laughing to play with Hogan, leaving Brother Oswald shaking his head.

“Do not worry Brother Oswald.  As you are unlikely to take a wife you will never have to understand the strange ways and thoughts they have. Every husband will tell you he never wins an argument with his wife.”

“True my lord, and I am ever grateful that I am not encumbered by females.  No offence intended.”

“And none taken.  Now to much more important matters.  How goes Myrddyn’s training?”

“He has great knowledge, much more than I, about herbs and plants. He has shown me how to brew a potion which eases the pain of wounds.  It will be invaluable on the battlefield when we have to deal with deep wounds. He has also told me of a way to stop an infected wound from killing; you put maggots on the dead flesh and they eat it.”

I shook my head.  Brother Oswald was always seeking knowledge.  “Excellent so your training is going well.  What about Myrddyn’s?”

“What I am trying to say, my lord, is that he could be your healer on the battlefield now for he is more skilled than I am. And it pains me to say that for he is not a Christian.”

“Good.  Pride aside then, you are happy with his progress?”

“Yes my lord.”

“Then he will be our healer.  Adjust his pay to that of Miach and the others.” He looked sharply at me. “He may not want it but I will have fairness in all things.”

I led the small patrol out along the road. We had halted them for the time it took to cut the stone and build the wall but now that we just finishing off, it was time to begin them again. So far we had seen no recent signs of any clandestine meetings and I was considering halting the patrols, or, at least varying the route.  Garth and I had told the men we were combining the patrol with hunting expeditions and we had managed to bag ourselves some game but I felt that the ruse was wearing thin.

The three men I had with me were all experienced warriors; we tried to use those men we could totally trust rather than the recruits.  The wall building and stone cutting had been a boon as it had kept the men busy doing other tasks. As we headed off the road Targh suddenly pointed to the ground. “My lord, men were here recently.  And they were on horses.”

I dismounted with Aiden while the other two kept a wary watch in case this was an ambush. It soon became obvious that two men had ridden this way. I handed my reins to Targh and back tracked the prints to the road.  They had come from the north and merely crossed the road.  That, in itself, was suspicious in nature.  Any Rheged warrior would use the road.  Only an enemy would wish to remain unseen. We mounted again and, with weapons drawn, headed in the direction of the tracks. I knew which way they headed but I could not let my men know that and we arrived at the dell.  Targh jumped down.  “They lit a fire here and it still has some warmth.” He looked at me.  “There were unknown riders here last night my lord.”

“Tie your horses to the tree and search for tracks, see which way they went.” I took a breath, “And see if anyone else was here.”

I took the westerly direction.  If anyone from my castle had come here then I would find their tracks in that area. Annoyingly there was a path of sorts and it was covered in pebbles and small rocks. It made tracking almost impossible but I persevered and headed further west.  The pebbles stopped and I began to sweep from north to south and I was rewarded by one footprint.  Whoever had left the castle was very careful and had stepped on wood or stone to avoid leaving tracks.  I put my foot next to the one faint print.  It was about my size which meant it was a big man.  That was useful as some of the smaller men, Myrddyn and the other horsemen, could be ruled out.  We were left with just nine men who were suspect although as Brother Oswald had said it could be a slave but, again, it had to be a big slave; the women and children were ruled out.  We were making progress.

I made my way back to the clearing and met the others there. “They rode off to the east my lord. Do you think they were Saxons?”

“Could be; let us find out.  Mount up and we will follow their tracks.”

The tracks headed east and then joined the road.  We followed them for half a mile and then sharp eyed Targh spotted them again.  “My lord.  They have turned off the road and are heading north west!”