Housecarl (16 page)

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.”

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.”