Hosker, G [Wolf Brethren 02] Saxon Revenge (7 page)

There was pride in his voice.  Aelle was still being as clever as ever. “It seems the loss of his arm has not inhibited our little brother.”

“No he is as busy as he always was.”

The whole family awaited us as we entered.  Scean had been correct; it was a circuitous and complex route into the fort. With water on three sides Aelle had made the only approach a death trap.  I could see the loopholes and gates which could be used to pour stones and arrows on an enemy who was foolish enough to attack.  Aelle and his family would be safe and I would sleep easier from now on.

Aelle looked to have filled out and his two children had grown somewhat.  Freja looked to be with child again but she was beaming.  Aelle had his men as an honour guard and they roared, “Wolf Warriors!” as we halted.

Raibeart grinned at me as we dismounted. “It seems our little brother is making a fuss!”

As I embrace Aelle I noticed how much he had grown.  “Thank you Aelle.” I embraced Freja.  “It looks like marriage suits you both, sister.”

She held me at arm’s length and looked at me critically.  “And you have been wounded. “Whatever will Aideen think! At least Aelle’s wound kept him from war but I fear you will continue to be a warrior.”

I shrugged.  “And what else would I do!” I bent down to pick up the children.  “And these are getting bigger each time I see them.  What do you feed them on?” They both giggled and squealed with delight.

“Welcome to you both.  Your men can sleep in the warrior hall.  You can sleep in our quarters.”

Raibeart looked at Aelle in surprise.  “You have a warrior hall?  Isn’t that a luxury?” Only Civitas Carvetiorum had one for it was an expense most of us could do without.”

“As you can see I have made my fortress a stronghold.  If the Saxons come then the people can all come inside and the warrior hall is their accommodation.

“We have missed your fertile little mind Aelle. And now lead us to some food.  I am starving!”

Just then there was a barking and Wolf, our sheepdog bounded from the hall. He had been my dog originally and he leapt into my arms and began licking my face. That, too, nearly brought forth a flood of tears for he had been my companion for years.  Now he was old and had outlived other dogs.

Aelle turned to me as Wolf fussed Raibeart. “He is a father now and has many pups.  When they are weaned I will send you one.” Aelle, who had had the toughest upbringing, was the most gentle and thoughtful of the three of us. I was lucky to have such a brother.

The meal was a merry one as we told of our victories and Aelle quizzed me about my wounds.  “It is good that you are both back for King Urien needs his strongest generals.”

There was something in my brother’s tone which suggested danger. “What is wrong with the king?”

“Physically? Nothing but with Prince Ywain away in the north and you two in Elmet he has had much to think about.  Morcant Bulc is being as devious as ever and Bladud, well Bladud is still Bladud.”

Bladud was the champion of Rheged and he hated me and my brothers.  He and Morcant Bulc had deliberately held back at the battle with the Saxons and it had cost Aelle his arm.  The king could see no wrong in Bladud but none of the three of us trusted him. “I should have killed him after the battle but…”

“I know brother.  You were too concerned about me and then the moment passed.  Perhaps it is for the best.  You are now the great general Lann and Bladud will have to walk carefully around you.  When King Gwalliog comes to the kingdom and meets with the king I am sure that Bladud’s sun will be eclipsed.”

“I hope so.” My thoughts belied my words. Bladud was cunning and I still feared his association with Morcant Bulc who was a snake in the grass.

Chapter 4

Before I could return to my home, Castle Perilous, I had to tell King Urien, personally, of the events; I had been Rheged and King Urien had high standards.  Bearing in mind what Aelle had said about the state of affairs in the land I knew that it was vitally important.  Both Aideen and Maiwen were staying with the King and the Queen but I yearned to be safe within my own walls again and master of my own life.  I sent Garth and my warriors back to my castle to prepare it for my homecoming and it was a much smaller retinue which crossed through the magnificent gate and the reassuringly thick stone walls of Civitas Carvetiorum; I had seen how flimsy wooden walls could be.

The guards grinned and waved at us as we rode through the gates.  I recognised both of them and I had fought alongside them at Metcauld.  “Glad you are back safely my lord!” Their faces became more serious as they saw the scar on my face.  It was a warning of what my family would think.

The courtyard was empty as we dismounted.  The slingers took our horses to the stables and we headed for Brother Osric’s quarters. He glanced up and then went back to his map making. “As you are back so swiftly then I can assume that you were victorious but from your leg and your face I can see that you are not returned unscathed!”

I was amazed, he had barely looked at me and yet he had assessed me in an instant. “The Saxons are defeated.  It was one of Aella’s sons, Wach, and Garth killed him.  Elmet is safe.”

“And was the expense of the weapons and men worth it?”

Raibeart laughed.  “Ever the book keeper.  What you really mean, you tight fisted old scoundrel is did we come back with treasure?”

He looked up, a wry smile playing about his lips, “And did you?”

“Of course.  There are two wagons in the courtyard with arms, armour and treasure.”

“You have, of course, taken your share?”

“Of course; you taught me well old man.”

He suddenly seemed to notice how long the scar actually was.  “Whoever stitched that face of yours did a fine job.  Who did it for you?  One of the Elmet women; I heard they are good .”

“No it was another of your White Christ priests. Brother Patrick.” I turned and rolled up the breeks to show him my calf.  “He did it to make up for burning the wound on my leg.”

“Only because you would not let it heal.” Raibeart admonished me.

Brother Osric sniffed, “Then he was a fool for I would have cauterized it at once.  It ensures no putrefaction and decay.”

“Where is the king?”

“He is on patrol but the Queen and your wives are in the main hall.  You can leave the wagons and treasure to me.” He paused and actually smiled, “Well done and I am pleased that you are back safe and sound.  The kingdom needs you, both of you.”

As we left Raibeart said, “Things must be bad. That was almost gushing from Osric.”

“Aye.  Perhaps our wives might know more.”

The guard on the Queen’s quarters smiled, apologetically, as he knocked and peered around the door. We heard him say, “Lord Lann and Lord Raibeart are returned.”

There was a chorus of squeals and then the guard was bowled over as Aideen, Maiwen and my son Hogan rushed to throw themselves about us.  I saw the Queen smiling at the scene.  She had lost one of her own sons in the last year and she could appreciate the feelings of our wives. I have to confess that I felt a little tearful.  I had only been away for a few months but Hogan seemed to have grown a whole hand and his hair had changed colour! My fighting was stopping me from watching my family grow and I now understood why my father had not taken the warrior route. He was obviously a better father and husband than I was.

When Aideen saw my scar her mouth opened and she almost screamed.  “What happened?”

Queen Niamh said, “Sit down my lords and tell us of your travails for I can see that serving Rheged and Elmet comes at a cost.”

We spent the next hour giving an account of the small war.  We cleaned up the horror but there was no escaping the description of the wounds I had suffered. I tried to make light of it but my brother told them the truth.  I would have been annoyed with him but I knew that he cared deeply for me and had been worried that I might die.

“Well at least I have you now, at home.” Aideen turned to the Queen, pleading with her words and her eyes.  “Tell the king that Lord Lann needs to rest.  It is not fair that he is the one who is always fighting.”

“Aideen!”

“No, she is right, my lord, others should shoulder their share but, as the borders are peaceful, I think that we will be able to have a peaceful summer and autumn. It will do the king good to see you two again.” She rose, a little stiffly, for she was old.  “And now I will leave you to be reacquainted.  I have a feast to organise although I suspect the Osric will already have begun the preparations.”

Once alone I bounced Hogan on my knee.  He put a tentative finger up to poke my scar.  Aideen went to stop him.  “Leave him.  It does not hurt and he is only curious.”

“I meant what I said to the Queen.  I do not want to lose you so soon after finding you.”

I put my arm around her.  “You will not lose me.” She drew back and gave me a sceptical look. “Neither of these wounds was life threatening.  The leg is a little stiff but that will pass and, when I have regrown my beard the scar will vanish.”

“But you could have died.”

I said simply, “But I didn’t so do not upset yourself with something which did not happen.”

“I want to go home.”

“As I do and when the King returns then we can leave and we will make Castle Perilous as fine a home as this.”

The king did not look any older as he rode through the gates but there was sadness in his eyes which disappeared when he spied Raibeart and me standing next to Osric. “My warriors return!” The queen smiled at me and nodded; she could see a change in her husband already. He almost picked me up he was hugging so hard and he did the same to Raibeart.  Out of the corner of my eye I could see the black looks Bladud was throwing my way but I just smiled back at him. He stepped back.  “Your early return tells me that you have succeeded quicker than we had hoped.  Come, from that fearful scar on your cheek I can see you have much to tell me.”

Later that evening when we had feasted and drunk well the king was a happy man. “I am pleased that we have aided your father in law Raibeart because it means we can plan our assault next year on Aella.”

“He is still a threat then?  I though the bloody nose we gave him last time might have made him less aggressive.”

“No, he has a stronghold south of the Dunum and more warriors are coming from across the sea to aid him.”

I threw a look at Bladud who appeared to be hanging on every word. “I would have thought that King Morcant Bulc would have finished off Aella.  We left him with few men to deal with.  Why did he not reclaim his lands? South of the Dunum is almost half of the kingdom of Bernicia.”

“And the better half at that,” piped in Raibeart.

The king shrugged.  “I know and if I were king of that land I would have driven the Saxon and his hordes back to the sea.” He shrugged, “But I am not.  It seems we will have to fight him once again and, from what you tell me, he will be desperate to get to you, the killer of his son.”

I saw Aideen and her face had paled.  I wished that the king had kept his opinion to himself.  I could do without my wife being reminded of the danger I had been in.  I changed the subject quickly. “A year without war will help the kingdom to grow.”

“Amen to that,” intoned Brother Osric who was busily filling his face with wild boar. “War is expensive and we need to consolidate what we have before we fight again.  I, for one, would have been happier had the King of Bernicia dealt with his own problems rather than waiting for his brother kings to solve his problems for him.”

I swallowed a piece of boar and washed it down with some of the wine the Brother favoured. “And yet Brother Osric, as Raibeart and I discovered, having an army which is small but paid well can be more effective than taking men from the fields where they will be more productive.  The Saxons may have outnumbered us at Loidis but our men were better armed and trained.  King Gwalliog’s farmers managed to sow their crops and tend to their flocks.  The Saxons did not.  Even had we not defeated them in battle, the king would have won for come the autumn his people would have starved.”

Bladud snorted.  “Your argument backs up King Morcant Bulc and yet you criticise him for not attacking his enemies.”

I fixed Bladud with a steely eye.  I had watched what I had been drinking but not so the leader of the king’s bodyguard who was well in his cups and had made an unguarded remark.  I noticed the narrowing of King Urien’s eyes. He had heard and it had worried him. “I criticised the king who allows others to fight for his land and does nothing when he has the opportunity to reclaim it. We will be going to war in the spring and it will not be to secure our own land but that of our ally.”

He could see that he had been indiscreet and he waved a hand of apology, stood and then staggered off to his quarters. Queen Niamh shook her head, “I do not know why you invite that man he has neither manners nor wit and he spoils every feast.”

“He is a warrior not a jester and he is a brave man,” the king sounded defensive and unconvincing.

The Queen smiled dangerously, she had the point and she would use it. “Lord Lann and Lord Raibeart, as well as your sons, are warriors, and yet they have manners and wit.”

The king shrugged in defeat and Brother Osric coughed, “You may have something Lord Lann.  I have noticed that the revenues from the southern part of the kingdom, the one ruled by your brother, have increased.  He does not fight and yet he has warriors should they be needed.” He looked up at me. “As, it seems do you and Lord Raibeart.  Perhaps that is the model we should adopt.” He gave a sly sideways look at the king.

“You know that I am for peace but, until the Saxon threat has gone then we will need every warrior we can muster to drive them back across the sea.  You would agree with that Lord Lann?”

I was in a difficult position but I found that I agreed with both of them. “I think that we will need every warrior to drive the Saxons away but it will be just one battle, and at a time and place of our choosing. We keep our workers toiling and use our few warriors to watch for trouble.”

Brother Osric nodded.  “You have grown Lord Lann.  That was as diplomatic an answer as I have heard.  You manage to agree with both of us and yet disagree at the same time without offending either of us! Very skilful indeed.”