by Griff Hosker
“I know and I want you to continue to watch them and keep us and my son informed. You have your instructions and your riders are the key to our victory. We will be within the walls and I need to know the best time to strike.”
The open gates of Ruthin looked more welcoming than a fire on a winter’s night. We were weary but we had evaded the Saxons and reached our lands without losing men. That was vital. The Saxons had closed to within three hundred paces of us by the time we reached the gates. When they saw the open gates they thought they had caught us. Daffydd and his archers rained their arrows on them and made them take shelter. Unfortunately for the Saxons the shelter they took was a bramble filled jungle and a trap filled open space. We had learned our lessons when we had ambushed the men of Gwynedd and we were now better prepared. By the time the gates slammed shut the Saxons had barely made the ditches. It was then the killing began. The bolt throwers did what they did best and cleared lines of Saxons. The javelins and stones hurled from the walls thinned out the mailed warriors and the pila of the warriors saw off any who made it across the death filled ditches. They wisely withdrew and surrounded our fort.
Aidan was pleased to see me. “I am in awe of the plan Warlord. I never thought that it would work as well as it did.”
“Myrddyn is a clever man.”
“And the Warlord is afraid of nothing so we make a good team. And now commander those of us who did without a night’s sleep last night will make up for it now.”
I must have looked more tired than I felt but Myrddyn was right and I fell asleep in a corner of the warrior hall. I was awoken by Lann. “The Saxon king himself is here my lord and we are surrounded.” I began to dress and Lann helped me with my armour. “Are you sure that this will work my lord? There seem to be many of the enemy and they have circled the fort.”
“Doubt nephew?” He could not see the plan that Myrddyn and me had concocted. We had gone over every detail working out exactly what the Saxons might do. So far they had done all that we had expected. “I am relying on the Saxons surrounding the fort. It will help us to defeat them.”
I knew that the defences they had encountered thus far would not have thinned out their numbers. They had halted at the tree line once one or two of their men had fallen into the traps. I could see them now, in the first light of dawn, looking at the ground for obvious signs of traps. When the first frosts and snows came then the pits would be more obvious but it had rained recently and there was no sign where the traps were. They might have looked at the white stones dotted, apparently haphazardly around the trail but they would have had no idea that they were, in fact, distance markers for the archers and bolt throwers.
Aidan had every warrior and archer on the walls. As I peered out I could see few archers amongst the enemy ranks. Our men packed the walls but they had the protection of the wooden wall and the angled tops devised by Brother Oswald. It meant we could loose arrows and our men were protected from enemy missiles. This would, however, be the first time we had tried them.
I turned to Lann Aelle. “I think it is time we told them who we are. Unfurl the banner!” He was ready with it and he raised it. We had built a socket for it and he placed it there in the centre of the gatehouse.
The men saw it and began to rhythmically bang their shields chanting, “Wolf Warrior!” over and over. The two events seemed to inflame the enemy for they began to march forwards resolutely. They soon found the first traps and began to edge towards the trails leading to the fort. It was the signal for the bolt throwers and they carved a line of death through the serried ranks of warriors. They found that their shields were no match for the weapons which went through them as though they were parchment. Still they came on. Daffydd gave his signal and the arrows began to rain down upon the enemy. They were caught between the need to protect their front from the flat trajectory of the bolts and to protect their heads and upper bodies from the arrows. They ended doing neither. Finally the stones from the slingers crashed and cracked down on shields and armour. Each time a warrior fell another took his place but I could see the dents in the armour and the blood running from wounds. The Saxons were bleeding.
Once they reached the ditches they began to die as the traps in the bottom broke legs and ripped into unprotected groins. The warriors on my walls who had hitherto watched now joined in hurling their pila at those who managed to survive the traps and reach the last ditch. They tried for over an hour but each time they were repulsed. Finally we saw them withdraw and a gaggle of chiefs gathered around King Aethelfrith.
“Feed the men Aidan and give them water. This may not be over. Is there any word from the scouts?”
“No, Warlord, but it is early yet.” He hesitated and then looked at the dead littering the four sides of the fort. “They are brave but this is pointless death. We are too well protected.”
“They do not see a fort as well built and protected as Deva. They expected difficulty taking that Roman built fort but we look small and insignificant. They cannot believe that we are as strong as we are.”
They attacked twice more and each time they were heavily repulsed. I think they tried as hard as they did because their king was watching. As the afternoon sun began to dip behind Wyddfa a warrior without sword or shield walked forwards with his hands held out.
“Should I kill him Warlord?”
“No Daffydd, he comes in peace let us hear his words.”
He stood below the gate. He was a warrior who bore his battle scars and battle rings proudly. He had fought in the shield wall before. “I am Aella son of Aethelgirth and I am here to speak with Lord Lann, the Warlord of Rheged.”
I removed my helmet so that he might see my face. “I am he. Speak.”
He nodded. “I would like to have met you in battle for I have heard you are a fine warrior. Shall we try now?”
“If that was the reason you came here then I will have my archers end your life now. Speak the words your king gave you and then return to him.”
I could see that I had annoyed him. “My king would speak with you. Do you give him safe passage?”
“I do. You have my word. He can bring one other but no more.”
“Can he come armed?”
I laughed and tapped the bolt thrower next to me. “Of course!”
The king returned with Aella and they both had their swords strapped to their belts. “Lord Lann, you have fought me over the years and I admire you as an adversary. This bloodshed is pointless. Become my ally and rule this land for me. I promise that you will never be attacked by my men again.”
I nodded and stroked my beard. “Your words are reasonable and deserve consideration.” I looked towards the south and then smiled. “I have considered them. I would sooner ally with a snake for you know when he will strike by his hiss. You are a treacherous snake and I will not rest until you and every Saxon on this island is dead or fled back to their homeland. You do not know what truth is and I do not trust you. You have come like a thief in the night and stolen our land and now you say you will let us live? You are a fool. How many times have you bested me?”
He looked angry. “You fled Rheged!”
“And there is my answer. I fled my home but, even though outnumbered and encumbered with women and children you could neither catch me nor beat me. I even returned to rescue my brothers. In what life do you think you will ever defeat us?”
He became really angry. “In this life! I promise you there will be no quarter. I will slaughter every man in this fort and then do the same in all your others. Your family on Mona will become my slaves and I will make a footstool of that wizard Myrddyn’s head.”
Myrddyn looked down at him. “Brave words from a man with a handful of warriors.”
The king gestured behind him. “There are two thousand men there ready to rip you and your wooden walls apart.”
I laughed. “You were camped outside Deva for long enough so I am not afraid and it is nearer fifteen hundred not two thousand. You count about as well a
s you fight and now I think it is time to end this. Lann sound the buccina!”
Lann blew three blasts on the Roman horn. The two Saxons looked around fearfully. “What trickery is this? You promised us safe passage!”
“And you will not be harmed but your warriors are another matter and it is they who are now surrounded.”
There was a roar from the east and the south as the armies of Cadfan and his allies attacked the rear of the Saxon line. Even as Aethelgirth faced that way there was the clash of steel from the north as Hogan led my warriors to fall upon the rest. “Go beyond the Dee and build forts King Aethelgirth because I am coming for you and you have my word on that!”
He shook his fist at me and Aella hurled an axe at my head. I ducked and when I looked up he had been pinned by a bolt and six arrows. The king ran as fast as he could.
I turned to Aidan, “Now captain, let your wolves loose!”
The garrison erupted out of the gates to fall upon a Saxon enemy attacked on all sides. They did as their king did, they ran. His advantage was that he was on a horse as were his bodyguard. The rest of his men were not so lucky. You could see their route home by the corpses and the feasting carrion. I do not know how many escaped but hundreds died. When we finally got around to burning the bodies the sky south of the Dee was black with smoke. The weapons we took ensured that the alliance had the best arms and armour and were secure for many years. The victory was all the sweeter for the fact that we barely lost a warrior and our frontier was safe for many years to come.
Epilogue
All of the armies gathered at the fort at the Narrows. The three kings and all of my leaders were present. My brothers and their families joined mine in a journey from Mona that was both joyful and a relief. We could not all fit inside the warrior hall; we gathered in the area between the halls and the gates. Prince Pasgen had two wagons tied together to make a platform as I addressed the assembled multitude.
“We have achieved a great victory and defeated the Saxons, a tyrant and the Hibernians. We have forged an alliance of kings to withstand the Saxon hordes. I, along with my warriors, am the guardian of that alliance. We will never fight amongst ourselves and I will lead our armies to reconquer the lands taken from us by the Saxon. Aethelgirth has scurried back to the north but Cearl will need to watch his borders, for Mercia has stolen much land from our people.” There was a huge cheer. I took out Saxon Slayer. “We are here to show that our alliance is forged in steel and here, beneath Wyddfa I swear on this ancient sword, Saxon Slayer that I will accept the title given to me by the three kings, Warlord of Cymri and Britannia. I am Dux Britannica still!”
There was a great outpouring of cheers and celebration. Much food and ale was consumed. Raibeart and Aelle both sat with me and our sons as we watched the nations of Cymri joined together, for the first time, as allies.
“How did you know that the armies had surrounded the Saxons?”
“The towers; the Saxons were so pleased to have captured them that they failed to destroy them. Aedh and his scouts killed the warriors who were guarding them. They signalled to me when all was in place. The attacks they had planned on Rhuddlan were halted when my five ships defeated their fleet. They had no answer to the bolt throwers. It meant that Hogan and his men could get to Ruthin even earlier than we had planned.”
“But it was dangerous to draw him on after you. He could have caught you at any time.”
“No, Raibeart, the men we trained all those years ago have just got better and better. These are now the new Roman Army. These are the legionaries and auxiliaries who conquered Britannia for Rome. This is the army which will reconquer the land for Britannia.” I patted Saxon Slayer which lay across my lap, “This sword was part of that conquest and it continues that work.”
Hogan knelt as did my brothers, “And we swear that we will fight for you, Warlord, and your powerful sword, Saxon Slayer, the sword which will save Britannia!”
The End
Maps
Glossary
Characters in italics are fictional
Name
Explanation
Aedh
Despatch rider and scout
Aelfere
Northallerton
Aelfraed
Saxon volunteer
Aelle
Monca’s son and Lann’s step brother
Aethelfrith
King of Bernicia and Aethelric’s overlord
Aethelric
King of Deira (The land to the south of the Tees)
Aidan
Priest from Metcauld
Alavna
Maryport
Artorius
King Arthur
Banna
Birdoswald
Belatu-Cadros
God of war
Belerion
Land’s End (Cornwall)
Beli ap Rhun
King of Gwynedd until 599
Bellatrix
Gallic Warrior
Bishop Stephen
Bishop of St Asaph
Caedwalestate
Cadishead near Salford
Caergybi
Holyhead
Civitas Carvetiorum
Carlisle
Constantinopolis
Constantinople (modern Istanbul)
Cymri
Wales
Cynfarch Oer
Descendant of Coel Hen (King Cole)
Daffydd ap Gwynfor
Lann’s chief captain
Daffydd ap Miach
Miach’s son
Dai ap Gruffyd
Prince Cadfan’s squire
Delbchaem Lann
Lann’s daughter
Din Guardi
Bamburgh Castle
Dunum
River Tees
Dux Britannica
The Roman British leader after the Romans left (King Arthur)
Erecura
Goddess of the earth
Fanum Cocidii
Bewcastle
Felan
Irish pirate
Freja
Saxon captive and Aelle’s wife
Gareth
Harbour master Caergybi
Garth
Lann’s lieutenant
Gawan Lann
Lann’s son
Gawan Lann
Son of Lann
Gildas
Urien’s nephew
Glanibanta
Ambleside
Gwynfor
Headman at Caergybi
Gwyr
The land close to Swansea
Halvelyn
Helvellyn
Haordine
Hawarden Cheshire
Hen Ogledd
Northern England and Southern Scotland
Hogan
Father of Lann and Raibeart
Hogan Lann
Lann’s son
Iago ap Beli
King of Gwynedd 599-613
Icaunus
River god
King Ywain Rheged
Eldest son of King Urien
Lann
[1] Warlord of Rheged and Dux Britannica
Loge
God of trickery
Loidis
Leeds
Maeresea
River Mersey
Maiwen
The daughter of the King of Elmet
Mare Nostrum
Mediterranean Sea
Metcauld
Lindisfarne
Miach
Leader of Lann’s archers
Monca
An escaped Briton and mother of Aelle
Morcant Bulc
King of Bryneich (Northumberland)
Mungo
Leader of the men of Strathclyde
Myfanwy
Lann’s wife
Myrddyn
Welsh wizard fighting for Rheged
Nanna Lann
Lann’s daughter
Niamh
Queen of Rheged
Nithing
A man without honour
Nodens
God of hunting
Osric
Irish priest
Oswald
Priest at Castle Perilous
Penrhyn Llŷn
Llŷn Peninsula
pharos
lighthouse
Phocas
Byzantine Emperor 602-610
Pol
Equite and Lann’s standard bearer
Prestune
Preston Lancashire
Prince Cadfan Ap Iago
Heir to the Gwynedd throne
Prince Pasgen
Youngest son of Urien
Radha
Mother of Lann and Raibeart
Raibeart
Lann’s brother
Ridwyn
Bernician warrior fighting for Rheged
Roman Bridge
Piercebridge (Durham)
Scillonia Insula
Scilly Isles
Solar
West facing room in a castle
Sucellos
God of love and time
Tatenhale
Tattenhall near Chester
The Narrows
The Menaii Straits
