Housecarl

by Griff Hosker

  I could hear from his slurred words that Edward was drunk and trying to impress both his brothers and the other Housecarls. “Earl Harold! Who is he? He has not defeated the Scots and sent them back over the border, that was the work of Earl Tostig a worthy warrior.”

  The hall fell silent as the other Housecarls saw Earl Harold, Earl Tostig and my uncle walk towards us. Edward and my brothers were so full of themselves that they failed to realise the perilous position in which they found themselves. We all smiled at them as the trio appeared behind them.

  “Oh my brother and his pathetic friends find it funny. You are jesters now are you? Or have you fallen even further and now service warriors with your pretty little arses.”

  I felt Wolf stir beside me and I turned to him. “Forgive my brother, firstly he is drunk and secondly he was always a dick head.”

  Edward’s hand went to his sword but it was grabbed by my uncle. “I apologise Earl Harold for the foul mouth of this toad who, I am afraid is my nephew. He was deprived of my sister’s wise words and dragged up by an apology of a man.”

  Egbert and Edgar dropped their hands to their scabbards but Ulf grinned evilly at them. “Please take out your swords and your bodies will be carrion bait by nightfall.”

  Earl Tostig’s voice boomed out. “The three of you apologise to my brother and these warriors now.”

  Suddenly sobering, the three of them mumbled an apology to Earl Harold and looked to the ground in embarrassment. I could see that Harold was amused more than angered and may, even, have been enjoying himself. He turned to his brother, “Brother I forgot to introduce these four Housecarls. They were valiant warriors in the battle against Gruffyd in which they defeated his Housecarls and against the Earl of Mercia where they defeated his mounted horse.” Tostig’s Housecarls looked at us with new eyes for they had heard of the two battles. “This warrior,” Harold put his arm on my shoulder, “also defeated the Welsh champion Gryffydd of Rhuddlan who had singled him out for combat.”

  Earl Tostig came and clasped my arm. “Let me shake your arm for I knew Gryffydd and he was a fierce warrior.” He turned to my brothers. “Now aren’t you glad that you did not try to spill blood here for if you had I am in no doubt that it would have been yours.” They all looked as though they wished the ground would swallow them. “You have disgraced my Housecarls and embarrassed me in front of my guests. Leave now and return to your home. I may send for you to rejoin my ranks,” he glowered at them darkly, “or I may not! Now leave.”

  The three of them had the shocked faces of men who have seen their world disappear before them. They glanced pleadingly at the Earl who looked away and, as they left, gave me looks of absolute hatred. This was not forgotten.

  Ulf leaned over and said, quietly, “I think you had best move around with your friends for a while. I don’t think your brothers are happy men.”

  Chapter 7

  When we eventually headed south again I was pleased to be leaving Jorvik. After my brothers’ departure it was a happy time and the Housecarls of Earl Tostig could not get enough stories about our battles against the Welsh and the Mercians. It seems that their forays against the Scots had either been badly timed or betrayed for they had yet to bring them to battle. Aethelward had been dismissive of this. “They need to keep men close to the border. Gods the Romans built a wall there. Could they not be base them there?”

  Earl Harold always seemed amused by my uncle’s outbursts. “Not all leaders have advisers such as you who have such a keen insight into strategy. You and your nephew are both exceptions Aethelward.”

  I felt as though I were a giant when I was compared with my uncle for I had seen that he was one of the few men whom every warrior, even Earl Tostig respected. Ulf had snuggled into his bear skin as the north wind whistled around our ears high on the northern moors. “Well I hope the strategy you devised will work old friend.”

  Earl Harold nodded. “Do not worry Ulf it will. My brother and his Housecarls are itching to emulate us. When they invade the north of Wales we will take ship and attack him from the west. Between us we will crack him like a nut at Yuletide.”

  Ridley and I looked at other. We were going to war again. Perhaps our youth made us feel invincible but, along with Wolf, we felt that we could take on any enemy and defeat them, even the mighty, puissant Normans.

  When we reached Legacaestir, Ulf left to fetch the Housecarls. The rest of the army would remain for Earl Tostig to command. I wondered about that for Harold was giving his brother the chance for glory and honour while he would play the part of a gatekeeper preventing Gruffyd escaping. I answered myself in the same thought; Harold was not as other men. He was thinking of England and what was good for England. It did not matter to him who had the glory, merely that the result was the same; the Welsh eliminated as a threat and our borders safe. I have no doubt that it he had been in the northern lands then the Scots would not have raided with such impunity. The rest of us headed for Winchester where he would have to find the money for ships. King Edward had disbanded the fleet years earlier but the Earl and my uncle did not think that this would pose too much of a problem. It was drawing close to the end of the year and Harold hoped that the king would be in the mood to pay for the fleet; if not then I had no doubt that Harold would dip into his own coffers and come up with the required finance.

  Winchester felt more like home than Medelai had as we arrived in the city. The warrior hall was almost deserted but it afforded us the opportunity to claim the best position for our beds. The Housecarls who had remained, to train new warriors and to rest injuries, told us of the problems there had been. The Norman knights had caused more trouble; Guy of Evreux, the reckless rider, had killed one of the king’s bodyguards and had been sent home in disgrace. The others had left the king’s presence and returned to London and the Norman Bishop who, to all intents and purposes, ruled that city. In some ways I was pleased for it meant the Norman influence was no longer felt so keenly but I had been itching to try my blade against the arrogant Norman. I was sure that one day I would see which of us was the stronger but that day would be some time off.

  It was the best Yuletide I had ever spent. We had the whole hall to ourselves and the absence of the Normans meant that King Edward and Earl Harold got on far better than they had previously. Even Aethelward seemed happy and reported to us that the king had sanctioned the purchase of the ships we would need. It seems that he had been warned of Mercian and Welsh intentions through his Norman allies and Harold’s actions had neutralised that threat. It was at about this time that Edward named Harold as his heir. Of course that meant little unless the Witenagemot proposed the Earl as a candidate for the crown in the event of Edward’s death but it meant much for Edward was considered a noble king. At the moment that seemed likely as the only possible opposition would come from his half brother Tostig but from what I had seen he would give his support to Harold.

  The world was a happy place and about to become happier. Ralph the Timid had been the Earl of Hereford defeated by Gruffyd and had eked out his last days in Winchester ruing the battle which had cost him his earldom. His children, Harold and Gytha were raised by Earl Harold’s wife Edith. I had never met them before but, at a feast held to celebrate Yuletide they were introduced to us, for they wished to meet the men who had killed their father’s conquerors. Harold was slightly older than his sister Gytha who was a mere fifteen. As soon as I saw her I was struck by her beauty. Poets and singers speak of love at first sight. I do not know about that but I know that the moment I saw her I never wanted another woman. When the other Housecarls had been to whorehouses I had abstained and now, as I beheld the love of my life for the first time, I was glad. I was delighted when Earl Harold singled me out as the warrior who had killed Gryffydd of Rhuddlan for their father had spoken of the mighty warrior who had broken his charge. Gytha looked up at me with hero worship in her eyes and I am ashamed to say that I loved every glance and I found my head raised just that little bit higher
. Harold and his sister plied me with questions about the combat and I repeated answers I had given earlier. My comrades became bored and wandered off, the others, too drifted off although I saw the Earl’s wife, Edith giving us her full attention.

  As we were alone, although in a crowded hall, I led her to a small trunk which served as a bench and we sat down. “You are young to be a Housecarl Aelfraed.”

  “I am older than you.”

  She giggled, “But I am a girl and I am not a Housecarl.” Then she became serious. “I meant no disrespect. I merely thought that one so young had done well to achieve such fame.”

  “Fame? I think you exaggerate.”

  She became earnest again, her red hair framing her perfect face. “Oh no. You were the talk of Winchester even before the battle; the Housecarl who stood up to the Normans and protected the woman and her child; the young warrior who defeated a mighty bandit in the forests of Wales. You have renown Aelfraed, your name precedes you and it is said that you are a confidante of the Earl and his advisers.”

  I had to force myself to stay calm. I knew what my comrades thought of warriors who thought too highly of themselves and I did not want to lose the trust of my comrades. “I was lucky. I fight in a shield wall with many brave men. I could not have fought the Welsh champion had I not been protected by my friends.”

  She looked at me curiously. “What is it like to fight, to know you could die in an instant?”

  “You do not have time to think. You fight to survive and you do what you must to live. I am glad that you will never have to fight.”

  I reached over to take her hand. She did not take it away but smiled up at me. “I am honoured that a warrior takes the time to talk to a young girl such as I. Promise me that when you are in Winchester you will visit with me and tell me of your deeds.”

  My heart was about to burst and I croaked, “Indeed I will I…”

  Edith Swanneck, the Earl’s wife, took Gytha’s hand from mine, “Well I think Gytha, that it is time for you to retire.” She gave me a knowing look. “I am sure the young warrior Aelfraed will need to tell his tale to others tonight.”

  The message was quite clear and I had no wish to annoy and alienate the wife of the Earl. “No my lady and I apologise if I have commandeered too much of Gytha’s time.”

  Gytha’s eyes bored into mine. “Oh no Aelfraed. I can never have too much time with you.”

  In answer Edith , Harold’s consort, swept the girl away to her quarters leaving me to be the butt of my friends’ banter and cruel humour. “Making eyes at the Earl’s ward!”

  “Ah love at first bite!”

  “He spears his first boar and fancies himself with the prettiest girl in the hall.”

  “Enough! Are we finished? Then lead me to the ale butt.” I did not mind their laughter for I would have done the same in their position and I cared not for I now had something other than the life of a warrior to occupy my mind.

  I did not see Gytha again for some as King Edward returned to London with Edith and their charges. We prepared for war and the second part of the assault on Wales. There were now many more recruits to the Housecarls of Earl Harold Godwinson. His victories had brought him greater riches and I knew, from my uncle, that we needed to have a solid force of Housecarls; I had seen the fyrd in action and although keen they were hopelessly undisciplined and unpredictable. We spent the next few months training new recruits and watched them suffer the same mistakes and indignities as we. The success we had had meant that the four of us had been promoted to the third rank of the wedge. Sweyn recognised that we worked well as a team and that was more important than the fact that three of us were relatively young. We had served in two battles and been successful. To be fair our comrades did not disagree for our victory over Gryffydd of Rhuddlan had been the stuff of legend and they all basked in the reflected glory.

  As well as training Wolf and Ridley improved their arms and armour. Ridley had a fine new helmet made with the nasal so favoured by the Normans. He had seen many older warriors who had no nose and, as he told us, as the best looking Housecarl he would keep his good looks. Wolf bought a magnificent axe. His own had been functional but its blade was not as long as ours and his new one was a thing of beauty. Ridley and I had given our two friends our spare horses and we were able to go hunting in the nearby forests as we waited for the orders which would take us to Wales.

  We were privy to the information that we would be going by sea but we had to keep that knowledge to ourselves. It was amusing to watch our comrades watching the weather and commenting upon the state of the roads. We knew that when we went we would be sailing. That in itself was quite exciting for none of us, Osgar included, had ever been to sea before. The superstitious pair, Ridley and Wolf, was quite worried by the prospect whilst I was excited and Osgar viewed it as a chance to see his land from a different perspective.

  “What if we sailed off the edge of the world?”

  “Wolf, we know that Ireland lies to the west and the Danes have sailed further west to a land made of ice and of snow.”

  “How do you know that Osgar?”

  “Because my young friend, unlike you I listen more than I talk and I have lived longer. I was told so.”

  Wolf was still not convinced and I could see the worry in his face. I liked my earnest young friend and sought to reassure him. “We will not be sailing out of sight of land and we will not travel far.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Aye I have looked at a map and we will sail from the Severn around the coast. It will not be a long journey.”

  “A map?” Anything which involved reading seemed like magic to Ridley and I resolved to teach him how to read when we had the opportunity.

  “A piece of parchment which shows what the land and the sea look like from above.”

  Osgar laughed at the confused look on Ridley’s face. “It was not drawn by a bird. The seamen who sail draw the lines to help them to navigate. I can see that the voyage will be an interesting one.”

  Just then the steely voice of Aethelward interrupted us. “You are like four old gammers who jabber about nothing except that you are gossiping about the Earl’s plans which should remain secret.”

  I felt ashamed that we had been talking so loudly. “Sorry uncle but we are excited. None of us have sailed before.”

  He relaxed a little. “It is not necessarily a pleasant experience but we will not be on the ships for long however we will not be able to take horses which means that you will all have to travel as lightly as possible. What you cannot carry you cannot take.”

  We were now a much larger band of warriors and the warrior hall was overcrowded. We looked forward to the time when we would board the ships. Aethelward gave us warning the night before we left allowing us to be slightly better prepared than the others and we set off across the western part of Wessex. This time we just had the Housecarls and were a mighty horde of armed and armoured men. When we reached the southern bank of the Severn estuary we saw, to our relief the fat bellied ships waiting to transport us. They looked far too small to accommodate such a large number of men but Osgar was philosophical. “I am assuming that your uncle and the Earl have actually counted the men they need to take and I am certain that Sweyn will have done so.”

  He was right and, even though we were overcrowded, we managed to fit aboard. Unfortunately we were shepherded below decks and it was only the Earl, Sweyn and my uncle who were allowed to stay above decks. We had no idea where we were for there were no apertures through which we could see. We knew when we were out in the rougher waters for the boat wallowed, dipped and rolled in the breakers. We had eaten sparingly but some of our comrades had had a hearty night and consumed much ale; soon the deck was slippery with vomit and the smell made many others bring back the contents of their stomachs. We found out later that the winds were favourable and gave us a speedy journey; even so it took the better part of a day to reach our destination. As we tumbled from the boats we were all gr
ateful that there were no enemies to greet us for we were in no condition to walk, let alone fight. Once ashore those of us who were able to were formed into a skirmish line and we formed a wall of steel as the equipment was offloaded onto the beach. Despite my experience on the ship I was pleased that they remained at anchor for we had a way out; the beach was surrounded by high and threatening peaks. As soon as I could, I spoke with Aethelward and found that we had landed in an unpronounceable place in the middle of Wales. We were as far from England as it was possible to be and were three hundred men who were alone. The ships were, literally, our lifeline.

  The first night was the hardest for those of us who were fit as we had to shoulder the sentry duties. I had never had to perform such a duty and I found it challenging to stare out into the dark seeking unseen enemies; it was like the forest and the bandits all over again. I could see neither Ridley nor Wolf and I just hoped that they were close by. Every noise I heard made me start and jump. When Sweyn came around on his patrol I was relieved. His white teeth gleamed in the dark. “How is your first duty young boar killer?”

  “I would prefer to face a boar or stand in the shield wall. I like it not lord.”

  I heard his laugh. “You will get used to it for this campaign will be more arduous than the one last year.” He leaned in and I could finally see his features. “You have done well, Aelfraed, and we all think well of you but learn to walk before you try to run. Remember when you ran in the wedge for the first time. I thought then that it was a valuable lesson not just for combat but for life.”

  Enigmatically he left and I wondered to what did he refer? It was only later, for I had a long watch to keep, that I came to the conclusion that my intentions as regards the Earl’s ward, Gytha, had been noted. Perhaps my confused parentage had created an issue. I had deduced that I was not the son of Edwin of Medelai. That in itself was not a problem. I did not have any filial allegiance to him and his sons but I wondered about my mother. In addition it made me illegitimate. That was not necessarily a bad thing, for Earl Harold and Edith were not married and had children but Gytha was related to King Edward and that meant that any suitor would have to be vetted. I laughed to myself. I had had one conversation with her and already I wanted her for a bride. I had met one girl and she was the one. My friends were right to mock me, I was a fool.