by Griff Hosker
“Lann get the weapons, Pol get the horses.” I walked over to the warrior whose leg had almost been severed. I ripped the hem from his tunic and tied it around the knee. It would stop the bleeding but he would lose the leg.
He looked up at me and his hand began to creep towards his dagger. I took it from him and thrust it into my belt. His shoulders sagged in resignation, “You are the Warlord?” I nodded. “Why do you not kill me then? I am one of King Iago’s oathsworn.”
“You are a brave man to try to fight me from the back of a horse. I will let you live.”
“But I will never stand in a shield wall again.”
“No my friend, your days of fighting are over.” The look on his face was as though I had cursed him with my words.
We mounted and headed west. The warriors rode to their wounded companion but I could see that they were not pursuing us. The three horses Pol led looked to be exhausted. Luckily there were no longer carrying a heavy weight and we could now take it more slowly. Lann and I each took one of the horses from Pol and we joined Aedh who had halted some way ahead. Aedh looked happy. “Nine horses! That is better! He looked towards the darkening road and the men of Gwynedd beyond. “Why did they not fight harder Warlord? Were they afraid?”
“No, they were brave men. They were just lacking in confidence, trying to fight on horseback. If they had dismounted they would have fared better. You know yourself Aedh, fighting from horseback is no easy matter. They will get better and we are now forewarned.”
Myrddyn nodded. “And I noticed that they had targets for archers. King Iago has learned his lesson.” We continued to Ruthin and safety.
It seemed like we had been away from Castle Cam for months by the time we returned. Myfanwy and Nanna made their usual fuss and Hogan was desperate to find out what we had learned. After I had greeted my young children I retired to my solar with Brother Oswald, Myrddyn and my son.
“We have been lucky this year. We could have suffered far more than we did but both our enemies are building their forces. That much is obvious. King Iago will bring horsemen and archers the next time we fight. The Saxons have spread their net of terror and they are tightening the noose around Cymri. My main hope is that the Saxons and Iago will clash first. King Iago is hanging on to Deva but he is surrounded. When we travelled in that part of the land there were many burnt out settlements. Mercia may be weak but, here, King Aethelfrith is growing in power.”
“We have made good our losses in warriors, archers and equites. When Miach returns then he can begin to organise them. How is Prince Cadfan and his new army progressing?”
“I do not know Hogan. I would like you to visit him and take him the three horses we got from the raid. The six bigger horses, I assume would suit you eh?”
His face had lit up when he had seen what we brought. “They are perfect. There is one stallion amongst them. We can begin breeding bigger horses now.”
“And the finances, Brother Oswald?”
“Trade is good. People are eager to sell to us for we pay in gold. What happens when that runs out I do not know.”
“By then we should have gold from our allies. They are keen to buy weapons from us. I would have the warriors help Ralph to produce weapons from the captured arms. They can fill their time in the winter and it will build up their strength. I fear that the spring will see an offensive on all fronts.”
We have to hope that King Iago attacks us and not one of our allies.”
I looked at Myrddyn. He had a way of getting to the most important things quickly. He had seen what I knew neither my son nor Brother Oswald had. Our allies would be destroyed if King Iago attacked them. “What we need is to provoke King Iago into attacking us then?”
“To be precise we need him to attack Ruthin. He will see it as a weak and isolated fort. His greatest success was the ambush of Prince Pasgen and that was close to there. We need to make it appear to be unfinished and undermanned.”
“But of course it will be neither.”
Myrddyn smiled, “Of course. I will spend some time with Brother Oswald coming up with a plan to help us deceive the King of Gwynedd.”
Chapter 10
The winter was a cold one, even on Mona which was blessed by constantly warm seas. We had had a good summer and no one starved but the ships which came to trade told us of famine in the Saxons lands, especially in the far north; in the land that had been Rheged. That was good news for it limited the Saxon’s ability to go to war. On the mainland the high passes and the low passes were blocked by unusually heavy falls of snow. Prince Cadfan and his warriors were briefly cut off in their exposed fort at Nefyn. Ruthin avoided such deprivations although Aidan, the new commander of my outpost, had to ration food during the coldest spells when there was no hunting. For Myfanwy and my family it was no hardship to be trapped in our castle where we had warm fires and plenty of food. I still had time to plan and meet with my leaders and yet I could see my son and daughter changing, almost day by day.
I waited until we could see that the snow on Wyddfa had begun to melt and then I sailed with Hogan and Myrddyn to meet with Prince Cadfan. We had a built a small port close to the castle. It was really a wooden dock and a few huts but fisher folk settled there now that peace had descended upon the Llŷn Peninsula. We reached the fort in less than a morning and as I looked at the walls I was impressed by Prince Cadfan’s endeavours. He strode down from the gate to greet us. He had a beaming smile upon his face. He had grown. His beard was fuller and he looked like a confident warrior and not the diffident youth who had fled to me when his life was threatened.
“Warlord,” he waved a proud hand at his walls. “What do you think?”
“I think you have done well. This is now a castle that will withstand attacks.” I looked at the men who were busily beavering away. “How many men do you have now?”
“Many joined us over the winter months.” He smiled, “We had food and that attracted many. We now have two hundred men. Not all are warriors. Some work in my smithy others work with the boats but they are loyal to me. The horses you sent have been a godsend. They are hardy and we patrolled the coastal ways and the low mountain passes for most of the winter. It was good training. Now that the snow is going we shall try the high passes.”
I nodded. “It would be prudent to communicate with your neighbours. We are all allies. We have seen your father’s army and you should know that he now has archers and horses. Individually you cannot stand against him but together you can defeat him.”
“I know. I am not the innocent I once was. I have learned that being a leader is more than waving a sword and acting bravely.”
“Then you are well on the way to becoming a good king.” I leaned in and lowered my voice. “Remember last year when the Saxons planted spies amongst my men. You need to be certain of the loyalty of your new recruits.”
He smiled, “I learned that lesson when I served with you Warlord.”
“I will go to Ruthin but you need to make sure that you control and watch your passes over the mountains. Your father is cunning and we know he has no blood loyalty to you.” I pointed to the dock. “Your boats will be beyond his reach. If you are in danger then send to me or Pasgen.”
“I will Warlord.”
Prince Pasgen had now recovered from his wounds. Myrddyn insisted upon examining the leg to make sure his good work had not been undone. “How is Prince Cadfan? I rarely saw him over the winter.”
“I think he was establishing his authority. Not a bad thing in one so young.” When he was dressed again we walked down to the beach where I could see Mona and we could talk without being overheard. “Garth and Hogan have successfully built up our numbers again and we will be ready to go to war in summer.” I paused. “If we need to. I do not seek war but I feel that King Iago will. The preparations he was making last autumn left me in no doubt that he is intending a war. It may be with the Saxons but I feel it will be with us. Ruthin will be the bait. We need to have the towers and
beacons extended from here all the way to the monastery. They should be manned constantly. I need not tell you to rotate your men or they will become bored and disaffected. We need early warning or Aidan and his men will be sacrificed in vain.”
“We will do so my lord.” Pasgen did not look as happy as he had.
“What is the matter Prince Pasgen? You seem ill at ease with yourself.”
“I still feel foolish about falling into that trap last year and I have begun to doubt myself.”
“All of us make mistakes.”
“It is more than that. I feel… there is something missing.”
Myrddyn looked towards Wyddfa and closed his eyes. “It is some years since your family died. I think that perhaps you need a wife.” We both looked in some surprise at the wizard. He shrugged. “The Warlord suffered in the same way and then he met Myfanwy. Tell me Warlord, is your life better for having met Myfanwy?”
I grinned foolishly, “He is right.”
“Did it mean you loved Aideen and your dead daughter any less?”
“Of course not.”
“There were many women who were left without husbands and fathers after the Saxon raids last year. Find a single one.”
I could see what was bothering him. “She will not be the daughter of a king or even a noble. She will be something better, a wife. Choose wisely as I did.”
There was a pause and Myrddyn chuckled, “As Myfanwy did.”
Prince Pasgen laughed with him and it was the old Prince Pasgen. “True. She is a strong minded woman and she is perfect for me.”
As we rode towards Ruthin I began to think about Hogan. “Hogan should be wed.”
“Why? Do you wish for grandchildren?”
“He needs it for himself. I will speak with him.”
“Then pray use different words to those I used on Pasgen for Hogan is different. He has yet to lose a love.”
Ruthin was like the outpost of our small Empire. It felt like Castle Perilous had and I envied Aidan. I had enjoyed the isolation and the power that went with it. Aidan was one of Mungo’s men who had come from Strathclyde following the Saxon invasions. He was a doughty warrior but he was also clever. He was not inclined to panic and he was popular with the men. He was a perfect choice for our furthest outpost.
We stabled the horses and, leaving Lann to look after them, the three of us walked the fort both inside and out. “Myrddyn’s stream works although it freezes over in winter. We have cut back the trees still further; the timber is yonder.” I spied the pile of trees which had been felled. The stone walls are half the height of a man and then the ramparts rise twice as high as a man. There is a step along the ramparts and we have holes in the walls through which we can use bows.”
We climbed to the tower at the gatehouse. There was just one tower and it served both as a beacon and a place from which to watch. Myrddyn looked around and then said. “Clad the outside of the walls with the trees and cut down some more. Any enemy attacking will not know that there is stone at the base and the upper level is double thickness. You can get you men to dig river sand or get sand from the beach and pour it between the walls. It will make it more fire resistant and add to its strength. The smaller branches can be used to make shelters along the top of the wall. If Iago has archers then they can rain arrows down upon you. You need to cut down the forest all the way to the highest point of the skyline. That is your killing ground. “
I nodded my approval. Myrddyn had thought things out well. “Have you begun work on the bolt throwers? You will need one for each wall.”
“No, my lord. None of my men have the skills.”
I pointed to Myrddyn. “He has. Give him twenty men and he will build them.”
“I will need to get the metal parts from Ralph.”
“Then send a rider now. Do it and I will continue to talk with our captain here.”
After Myrddyn had left I led Aidan down to his quarters. They were quite basic. “This needs improving. I will have some more comfortable chairs and a better bed sent to you. You need to be able to be happy here.”
“It suits me.”
“Nevertheless we will improve it. Now, how many men do you have in the warrior hall?”
“We have forty warriors, six scouts and ten archers.”
“Any slingers?”
“No Warlord.”
“Then I will ask for some volunteers. It is good to have young boys who can later be trained into warriors. How many of your warriors are mailed?”
“Myself and five others but all my men have helmets, shields and a spear. Most have a sword.”
“Then we must hope that Iago sends some well dressed warriors and then we can improve your defences.” I saw the look on his face; he was not sure if I had made a joke or not. “I will now be honest with you Aidan. I want Iago to attack you and I want him to bleed on your walls. If he attacks here then he will not be attacking Cadfan or the other kings. I intend to have Tuanthal and my son with their equites close by. You will need to signal that you are under attack and then we can catch them between you and the equites. That is why we need the trees clearing. We want open ground for the horsemen. You need to keep supplies of food and water n the fort.” I pointed to the snow on nearby Wyddfa. “The snows will be melting soon. You can use the stream to fill barrels with water or perhaps build a pond inside the walls. I have attacked forts before and know that fire is their biggest enemy. With Myrddyn’s improvements that will be lessened but we need it eliminating. Have your men make Roman pila. With the advantage of high walls you can rain death on the enemy.”
I leaned back in my chair. I had given him much to think about. “If you need to make any other improvements then just do it. You are the captain here and I trust your judgement.”
His face brightened. “Thank you Warlord.” He hesitated. “Some of the men have found women. They are the refugees who settled close to the monastery. They would like to take wives…”
“That is good. If they stayed here then you would need a separate hall but it would make your men fight all the harder. It seems a good idea to me.”
Once I had accepted his first idea then others poured out and I knew that I had made a wise choice for the captain of this fort. By the time I reached Caer Gybi I was feeling almost happy. All of our plans were coming to fruition. However King Iago and wyrd intervened to thwart the plan Myrddyn and I had intended.
The new month brought news that showed me I had no right to be complacent. A fishing boat reached me from Nefyn. Dai, Prince Cadfan’s squire was on board. “Warlord the prince has sent me with dire news. An army from Gwynedd has crossed the Mawddach and is heading for King Arthlwys.”
“How many?”
“It is a large army and King Iago himself is with them. They have horses and archers as well as warriors.”
“Return to your prince. I will send orders for Prince Pasgen. Prince Cadfan will need to protect the Llŷn.”
His back stiffened, “We will do so my lord.”
“Good. I will go to my ally’s aid.”
I wrote orders for Prince Pasgen to begin south with thirty equites and twenty warriors. I did not wish to strip his fort of all his men. I summoned Garth and Hogan. As I watched the fishing boat leave with my message I began to plan. “Hogan, send your equites to the monastery. I promised Aidan we would be close by in case he needed help. You and Garth will come with me. We will take Miach, his archers and twenty warriors. We will sail to the king’s aid. We should be able to reach him before Iago if we sail tonight.”
Hogan looked surprised. “Tonight? What about horses and equites?”
“We will not be fighting on horse we will be defending the king’s walls until Prince Pasgen can reach him. We will not need scouts just stout hearts.”
I summoned the captain of ‘The Wolf’, Daffydd ap Gwynfor. “We will need both ‘The Dragon’ and ‘The Wolf’ to transport the men. I will also need you and your ships to help provide some defence for the king’s se
ttlement. The bolt throwers can keep the flanks of the fort clear.”
“Yes my lord but it is the season of spring storms…”
“I know you will do your best. Now, when can we sail?”
He grinned, “When can you get aboard Warlord?”
We left after dark. Daffydd and his cousin, the captain of ‘The Dragon’, knew the waters well. The pharos we had built at various key headlands and rocky shores were invaluable to our sailors and enabled us to sail swiftly along our waters. We reached Ceredigion as dawn was breaking. King Arthlwys’ fort was close to the shore on a high and rocky promontory. While Hogan oversaw the disembarkation of our men, Myrddyn and I hurried up to see the king.
The king looked pleased to see us but one look at our faces told him that we were the bearers of ill tidings. “Tell me Warlord, what is the danger?”
“The danger is King Iago who is hurrying towards us even as we speak.”
“How do you now this?”
“Prince Cadfan’s scouts saw them south of the Mawddach.”
“And Tomas and the mines?”
I shrugged. “I do not know. It may well be that he has captured those too but we have not heard.”
“If he has hurt my father’s friend then I will rip his black heart out myself.” He saw Hogan leading the men from the shore. “I see you have brought help?”
