by Kevin Ashman
Garyn’s training continued for many weeks until finally the day came when his skills were put into practise. The Blaidd were riding as escorts to a supply column when one of Goddeff’s forward scouts rode back to speak to the leader. Goddeff called the Blaidd in and explained the situation.
‘There is sign that horses passed this way no more than a few hours ago,’ he said. ‘These mountains are famed for brigands in the pay of an English Lord called Ridgeway. Ridgeway lives across the border but allows these brigands license. They are led by a man called Edmund Burke who holds a grudge against Llewellyn and it seems his men make camp not far from here.’
‘How do you know it is him?’ asked Garyn.
‘There have been rumours of his presence for over a month and he was seen less than ten miles away as recently as yesterday morning.’
‘Do you think we have the beating of this man?’
‘One to one there is no contest but his numbers are tenfold and we are far from reinforcements. If, as I suspect, he intends setting a trap, then we have little chance and will have to leave the supply train.’
‘Desert our posts?’ asked Garyn incredulously
‘Llewellyn has no use for chivalrous dead men,’ said Goddeff. ‘Grain he can buy, experienced men at arms are harder to find.’
‘But as mercenaries, surely our role is to defend the supplies?’
‘Not at the cost of our lives.’
‘Then what has all this training been about?’ snapped Garyn, ‘if at the first test we are to run away.’
‘Run away?’ said Goddeff, ‘who said anything about running away?’ He turned to the scout. ‘You know what to do,’ he said, ‘we will meet you at the cleft above the river junction at last light. Garyn, look to your weapons, it is time you earned your keep.’
----
Four hours later, Garyn led his horse along a narrow path that wound its way through a dense forest. The Blaidd had ridden hard and though the evening was cold, the sweat ran in rivulets as they climbed the wooded slopes. Finally the single file halted and Garyn peered through the gloom as Goddeff once more met his scout. The message was passed down to tie the horses to the trees and assemble at the forest edge.
Minutes later Garyn joined Goddeff and along with the rest of the Blaidd, he crawled up the last of the slope to peer into the valley below. Along the banks of a river he could see a band of men setting up camp. Waterproof capes were stretched between trees providing makeshift shelter from the rain and dozens of men crouched at their campfires against the chill evening air.
‘Are they Burke’s men?’ whispered Garyn.
‘They are,’ said Goddeff quietly. He pointed over to a man urinating into the stream,
‘And there’s the man himself.’
Garyn stared in silence. Despite the distance he could see the man was large in stature. His leggings and sleeveless tunic were of black leather and his full black beard was complimented by the black patch over one eye. In his hand he held a pike almost twice his size, tipped with a long slicing blade with a serrated back edge. The point was a four pointed barb and even this far away, Garyn could see it was a monstrous weapon.
When he was done, Burke returned to the makeshift camp and Garyn watched as he snatched a flask from one of his men to drink deeply.
‘A formidable foe,’ said Garyn.
‘Indeed,’ said Goddeff, ‘and he holds no fear. That pike can pierce the hardest armour and the blade has removed more heads than the king’s executioner.’
‘Is he your equal?’
‘Perhaps. His strength is formidable but in his hands he holds the one thing that will bring his downfall.’
‘His pike?’
‘No, the flask. He has a thirst for wine like no other and only when his senses are dulled is he likely to be bettered.’
‘So what’s the plan?’
‘This man has been a thorn in my side for years,’ said Goddeff, ‘and it’s about time he was dealt with. This is what we are going to do.’
For the next few minutes Goddeff outlines his plans. Some men disappeared back down the path with their horses while others retrieved their weapons from the horses’ packs. Garyn listened to his part in the scheme and sat in silence as they waited for darkness to fall.
----
Hours later, Garyn and Goddeff made their way down the steep slope taking care not to slip and alert the men below. All along the hill, other members of the Blaidd took up position in the undergrowth in case their support was needed. Finally the two men reached the forest floor and keeping low, crept toward the nearest tent.
At the river’s edge, many of Burke’s men had congregated around a large fire and were raucously singing the songs of soldiers as they quaffed whatever wine and ale they had managed to steal from the monasteries and taverns in the area. Many were already intoxicated and lay where they had fallen, ignored by their comrades who seemed hell bent on joining them as soon as possible.
‘There are no guards,’ whispered Garyn.
‘Everyone fears Burke,’ said Goddeff, ‘and in his arrogance, he feels he has little use for defences but make no mistake, there will be men on watch.’
As if to prove his point, a shadowy shape approached from the gloom and Goddeff dragged Garyn back into the shadows.
‘That was close,’ whispered Goddeff, ‘we must take more care.’
‘There’s another,’ said Garyn, pointing across the camp to a man standing near a fire.
‘We have to get rid of them,’ said Goddeff.
‘How?’ asked Garyn.
‘You are a better bowman than me, Garyn. Do you think you can make a killing shot from here?’
‘I’m not sure,’ started Garyn.
‘Wrong answer,’ said Goddeff. ‘To succeed, you must have confidence in your own skills or you are as good as dead. Now, I have seen you take a bird from the air with an arrow so surely a target as big as he is but a training shot.’
‘I can drop him but I cannot wager on finding his heart.’
‘His heart is not the target, Garyn, I need you to pierce his throat.’
Garyn nodded and unslung his bow, selected an arrow and carefully notched it into the drawstring. He took a deep breath and turned to Goddeff.
‘I am ready,’ he said.
‘Wait until the other guard returns,’ said Goddeff, ‘and as soon I give the signal, drop the man at the fire. If your aim is true he will not cry out and his fall will be shielded from the eyes of those who celebrate.’
Garyn nodded and watched as the other man circled the camp. Finally the guard approached the hidden men’s position and Garyn saw Goddeff draw his knife.
Slowly the leader of the Blaidd raised his hand and Garyn took aim with his bow.
Suddenly Goddeff’s hand dropped and Garyn drew a deep breath before steadying his arm and loosing his arrow. The muted thud of the released bowstring made the nearest guard turn and for a second, his eyes widened as he saw Garyn standing in the shadows. Instinctively he reached for his sword but before he could call out, Goddeff’s hand clamped over his victim’s mouth as his other hand plunged a knife into his victim’s throat. Goddeff clung on tightly as the man thrashed out his final death throes but finally lowered him to the ground, lifeless.
‘Was your aim true?’ gasped Goddeff.
‘I’m not sure,’ said Garyn, ‘my attention was drawn by your kill.’
Goddeff looked toward the fire where the other guard once stood.
‘There is no sign,’ he said with satisfaction. ‘It must have been a good kill.’
‘What now?’ asked Garyn.
‘Burke isn’t with the rest of them,’ said Goddeff. ‘That’s not like him. I was hoping he would be silhouetted against the fire and an easy target but his absence concerns me.’
‘So what do we do?’
‘We haven’t come this far to fall back now, Garyn, so now we go and find him.’
‘Where?’
‘If I know Burke
, he will probably be in that big tent with one of his whores.’
Garyn looked over and saw the shape of an old tent in the dark.
‘He campaigns with women?’
‘All brigands have camp followers, Garyn. They are as essential as bread and wine to these people and give freely of their charms in return for a share of the spoils. If you should be confronted by one, waste no time in cutting her down for their allegiance is with Burke. They will not hesitate to open your throat given a chance. Now, enough talk, follow me.’
Goddeff crouched down and made his way through the darkness to the tent. Within moments they lay alongside the damp linen walls listening for any sounds within.
‘I don’t hear anything?’ whispered Garyn.
Goddeff slowly moved a few of the rocks pinning down the tent walls and indicated to Garyn to crawl inside. Garyn did as he was told and after looking around one more time, Goddeff followed him in.
The interior wasn’t as dark as Garyn had expected and was lit from the glow of a small fire at the centre. He looked around, checking for danger but the only man within was snoring quietly under a deerskin cover.
Goddeff looked at Garyn and nodded silently. He had guessed correctly. Not only was their quarry within but he was also fast asleep and would offer no resistance.
Garyn swallowed hard. He knew what they were about to do and he wasn’t sure he could go through with it. Killing an enemy with an arrow at a hundred paces was one thing but cutting a sleeping man’s throat was quite another. Slowly he shook his head and despite the gloom, he could see the anger in Goddeff’s eyes.
The leader of the Blaidd got to his feet and drew his knife before walking slowly across the tent. With one final glance at Garyn, he lowered himself to his knees and after a final pause, grabbed a handful of the deerskin blanket and rammed it onto the sleeping man’s face before plunging his knife into his heart. The wounded man struggled briefly but Goddeff pushed his victim’s head down firmly as he twisted his knife. Within moment’s the man was dead and Goddeff knelt up to gather his breath. He removed the deerskin and stared in confusion at the dead man.
‘Garyn, bring a light,’ he said.
Garyn picked a burning brand from the fire and carried it across the tent. The two men looked down into the victim’s face. The mouth was still open from his muffled attempts at a scream and the dead eyes stared coldly upward to the tent roof.
‘I thought Burke had just one eye,’ said Garyn quietly.
‘He does,’ snapped Goddeff, ‘this is not him. Come on, we have to get out of here.’
Before they could move a noise to one side made both men spin around in fear. For a few seconds Garyn wasn’t sure what he was looking at but soon made out another figure in the darkness. Far from being asleep, this one was wide awake and staring at the men with fear in their eyes. For what seemed an age no one moved and Garyn held his breath, waiting for the shout of alarm that would surely follow.
Seconds passed and still no cry came. Garyn held up the brand and could see the figure was bound and gagged against one of the wall posts.
‘It’s a prisoner,’ he said.
‘Cut his bonds,’ said Goddeff, ‘he can ride with us.’
Garyn ran over but was surprised to see the captive was a woman.
‘Goddeff, it’s a girl,’ he hissed.
‘Shit,’ answered Goddeff, before adding, ‘leave her, Garyn, we can’t carry stragglers.’
‘But won’t they kill her when they find the body?’
‘They have no reason to, she was bound the whole time and played no part. Anyway, she’s probably one of his whores who got a bit disobedient.’
The girl shook her head wildly and tried to say something through her gag. Garyn reached down and untied the knot.
‘No,’ she gasped immediately, ‘please set me free. I will be no burden to you I swear.’
‘We can’t,’ said Goddeff, ‘when Burke finds what we have done here, he will scour this area for days. We have to move fast and you will only slow us down.’
‘Please,’ begged the girl, ‘don’t leave me here with these animals. Just cut my bonds and as soon as we are clear of this place I will take my chances alone in the hills.’
‘I’m sorry,’ said Goddeff, ‘it’s too risky.’
‘Then kill me now,’ begged the girl through quiet sobs, ‘pierce my heart as you did his, I beseech thee.’
‘We will not kill an innocent woman,’ answered Garyn, ‘so banish that thought.’
‘Why not?’ cried the girl, ‘death is by far preferable than the torment they put me through. Just give me a knife and I will do it myself.’
‘Those who take their own lives are sent to hell,’ said Garyn.
‘I am already in hell,’ she whispered and looked up at him with tears streaming down her face.
Goddeff drew his knife and strode over before Garyn realised what he was doing.
‘Goddeff wait,’ he hissed, thinking the girl was about to be killed.
‘Fret not, Blacksmith,’ said Goddeff, ‘I may be a mercenary but I have the remains of a heart.’ With that he cut the girl’s binds and pulled her to her feet. ‘Know this, woman,’ he said, ‘if you don’t keep up, we will not wait. Understood?’
‘Understood,’ she whispered.
Moments later they had left the tent and all three scrambled up the slopes. Halfway up they met one of Goddeff’s men.
‘Did you get him?’ the man asked.
‘No,’ said Goddeff. ‘That man is as elusive as a fox. Withdraw our men and ride from here with all haste. When those bodies are found no doubt there will be hell raised.’
----
By dawn the Blaidd had returned to the supply column and arranged a different route. Though the attempt on Burke’s life had faltered, they now knew the whereabouts of his men and could avoid the riskier paths. Goddeff spent the morning talking to the woman and left her with the supply wagon to get some rest and food. Garyn was sitting against a tree when the leader walked over to stand above him.
‘I couldn’t do it,’ said Garyn without looking up.
‘Couldn’t do what?’
‘I couldn’t murder the -man in the tent.’
‘Murder?’
‘Isn’t that what it was, cold blooded murder?’
‘Why was that so different to dropping that guard with your arrow?’
‘I don’t know, it just was. The guard was armed and had a role to play. If I had been seen, it could have been me with an arrow in my throat but the man in the tent was sleeping and had no chance. It just feels different.’
‘It is the way it is, Garyn. Sometimes you have to do things that go against you innermost beliefs. If that man had been Burke then his death would have avenged many others and stopped the suffering of more in the future.’
‘But it wasn’t him. It was an innocent man.’
‘None of Burke’s men are innocent, Garyn and the fact there are three less to breathe God’s air is a blessing to all.’
Garyn looked up as the drivers of the wagon teams urged the horses into action and the supply train creaked into motion.
‘So what now?’ he asked.
‘Now we will continue as normal and escort these supplies to Llewellyn’s army. Our route will take us well wide of Burke and I foresee few problems.’
‘Then let’s get to it,’ said Garyn standing up.
‘No,’ said Goddeff, ‘not you, Garyn, your path lies elsewhere.’
Garyn stared at the man in confusion until realisation dawned.
‘Oh, I see,’ he said eventually. ‘I have failed to live up to your murderous expectations so you discard me like a rotten apple core.’
‘No, Garyn,’ said Goddeff, ‘that’s not the case. I took you under my wing as you were the son of a friend. In the ranks of Llewellyn you would have been just one more head of cattle waiting to be sacrificed on the battlefield. I could not let that happen. These past few months I have taught you what I
can and though the time has been brief, you have all the skills to survive in these challenging times. What I can’t teach you is cynicism and brutality. Only life has those skills. From here on in you have to find your own way. Choose your own path whether it’s that of the Welsh Prince or even the English crown. Obviously I would prefer the former but it is your life and the decision is yours. What I will say is this, be your own man and do not enlist into the ranks of any man’s army, that way only lies pointless death.’
‘Where would I go?’
‘Just follow your instincts, Garyn. I will furnish you with a heavy purse and supplies for one month but from here you must control your own destiny.’
‘I will not accept your money, Goddeff.’
‘It is not a gift but a payment.’
‘For what?’
‘I want you to do one task for me. I want you to take the girl to Conwy in the north. It turns out her father is the sheriff of Conwy and is a favoured man of Llewellyn. The girl was kidnapped a few weeks ago and subject to Burke’s whim. I expect the Sheriff will pay a pretty purse for her safe return.’
‘Why can’t you do it?’ asked Garyn.
‘Llewellyn needs these supplies. Word has it his brother has turned against him and a battle looms between the two factions. He needs these wagons intact and with Burke on the rampage, I cannot risk leaving them unguarded. Our path lies eastward while Conwy is on the north coast. I will have one of the men show you a little used route that will take you safely through the mountains and you can be there in days. Take the girl to safety and claim what reward you can.’
Garyn nodded silently and caught the leather purse that Goddeff tossed toward him.
‘You are a good man, Garyn,’ continued Goddeff, ‘and can match any man with most weapons. Avoid conflict where you can but where it is inevitable, don’t stand with ceremony or noble intent. Deal your blows with one aim only, a quick kill for it is what you can expect from any opponent, worthy or otherwise.’
‘So it ends here?’ said Garyn, staring at his friend.
‘Oh no, Garyn ap Thomas,’ said Goddeff, grasping the young man’s forearm, ‘for you, this is just the beginning. Take this opportunity to choose your own path and if it leads you back to us, then so be it.’
