Housecarl (8 page)

He drew back his arm and hurled
his spear, which struck the lead warrior in his throat, plucking
him from his saddle and making his mount veer left. The warrior
next to him had no option but to jerk his mount away from us and as
the beast turned I stabbed into its neck. It was unprotected and
the life blood gushed out like a fountain. Its head dropped and the
rider flew over its mane.  I turned to follow the flight,
ready to fight the warrior when he rose.  In the event the
bole of the tree behind me ended the man’s life and I turned to
watch the others.  The seven warriors halted at the crest and
I saw their leader, Cynan Ap Iago, order them to dismount. He
looked around in shock as the man next to him fell from his horse
with an arrow in his back. He stared at us looking for a bow and
then dropped from his saddle as another man was hit by the hidden
Ridley.

“Now we attack!” With a roar my
uncle leapt forward as quickly as his leg would allow.  I
noticed then the other dead warrior, killed by my uncle’s blade. As
we lurched up the bank I saw another of Iago’s men hit by an arrow
and then heard the roar of Ulf as he joined in the attack. It was
too much for Iago who had obviously expected an easy victory and he
and his remaining two men fled on their horses. Even then they did
not escape the attention of Ridley who managed to strike one of the
departing horses on the rump.

Two of the would be attackers
were still alive when we reached them. One of them had an arrow
sticking in his back but it had not penetrated far and he would
live. The other was gurgling blood from his mouth and his pleading
eyes stared at Aethelward. He placed the man’s sword in his hand
and then plunged his sword into the man’s neck, mercifully ending
his suffering. “Go to your god with honour.”

Ulf and Ridley had reached us
and they looked at the last man who lay there expecting to be
despatched himself.

Aethelward broke the arrow off
and lifted the warrior to his feet. Ulf wrapped a crude bandage
around the wound. “Aelfraed, get him a horse.”

I had not time for a question
and I sought an unwounded horse.  When I returned Aethelward
was speaking to the warrior.  “You are a brave man but tell
your leader, this Cynan Ap Iago, that I have let you live and I did
not pursue him as I could have done but the next time I see him or
you then you will die.  Do you understand my words?”

The man’s eyes were angry and
showed his pain but he nodded.

“Very well, we will leave the
bodies here and you can bury them with honour for they died for
their lord, their foolish lord, who thought that because he had a
lame old man and a boy he could make a name for himself.  Tell
him that you gain a name by fighting on a battlefield and not
skulking in an ambush. Now go.”

The warrior struggled on to the
back of his horse and Ulf slapped its hindquarters to speed it on
its way. Two of the men’s horses remained.  The others were
either dead or fled. Aethelward grasped Ridley’s arm.  “That
was well done Ridley, your prowess with your weapon has saved us
this day.” He turned to me. “And you have surprised me, Aelfraed,
for it takes courage to face a charging horse and not to
flinch.  Now let us see what the bodies yield.”

These men were better armed and
armoured than the bandits and I found not only a helmet but a mail
byrnie which fitted. Ridley grasped the axe which lay on the floor
and grinned at me.  “Now we both look like warriors.”

Ulf laughed. “Aye but that does
not mean you are warriors yet.”

“Come let us ride, for this
Cynan Ap Iago may have more fellows who wish to end my life and now
they know our numbers. As we rode away I looked over my shoulder
and saw that the ravens, crows and magpies were already feasting on
the dead and I found myself hoping that the companions of the dead
would return soon to bury them.  I shuddered. It was one thing
to die gloriously on a battlefield but another to fall on some
forgotten road and become carrion for the birds.

Winchester was a disappointment
to me.  It was a huge bustling town with a fine church but,
after the solidly reassuring stone walls of Jorvik it felt like a
new town something which could be blown over in a strong wind or
the rush of Welsh spears. There was a wall but it was not as high
as Jorvik’s and had wooden palisades on top of the stone base. Ulf
and Aethelward, however, visibly relaxed as we rode through the
main gates; the guards acknowledging them as old friends. Ridley
and I rode side by side taking in the bustle of the first real town
we had seen since leaving home many months earlier. I glanced at
Ridley.  He had grown in every way; he was bigger, stronger
but he also had an ease about him he had not had before. 
Certainly the two previous fights had given him confidence and Ulf
had taken him under his wing, replacing the indifferent Oswin as a
father figure. Whilst we had been scouting they had been in the
woods training and I wondered if Ridley would be more skilful than
I when we began to prepare to be warriors. 

Our martial appearance did not
appear to attract undue attention perhaps because of the proximity
of the Welsh but I thought that we looked like seasoned
warriors.  Two combats had not yet made me a Beowulf but I
felt that I was on the way to becoming a warrior and I could not
wait to begin training in earnest. Ulf headed directly for the
quarters of Earl Harold. As the leading warrior in the kingdom he
had his own hall for his retinue. It was close to that of the king
although we could see from the lack of royal guards that he was not
in residence.  Aethelward had told me that he divided his time
between London and Winchester. I had hoped to meet him, if only to
compare him to the Welsh king.  Uncle had intimated that I
would be disappointed with the comparison for Edward was a pious
man and not in the least warlike whilst Gruffyd had been every inch
the warrior.  Aethelward felt ambivalent about the king, he
owed him his loyalty but he could not forgive the disbanding of the
Thingmen; the royal force which ensured the safety of the
land.  As he had said, whilst riding along the roads, the
safety of the land was now in the hands of the Earls and their
armies. Harold was reliable but Aedgar of Mercia and Tostig were
less than dependable, both men having aspirations of their own.
Aedgar was close to the Welsh king and it was said that Tostig had
a close alliance with the King of Scotland. I was glad to be
serving an honourable man.

When we reached the hall, Ulf
and Aethelward were greeted by a greybeard who stood at the door of
the hall sharpening an axe. I later found out his name, it was
Sweyn the leader of Harold’s Housecarls. He was the most important
man in the household and I immediately recognised that from the
deference shown to him by both my uncle and Ulf.

“You old warhorse.  I heard
that you were back in harness.” He laid down the axe reverently on
the bench which lay outside the main doors of the hall. He clasped
my uncle’s arm  and then Ulf’s. Their heads close he asked,
“Did you discover all that the Earl asked?”

Aethelward, “Aye.”

Sweyn held up his hand, “Then
tell the Earl when he returns from the hunt.” He seemed to see
Ridley and me. “Two new warriors Aethelward?”

“They would be.  This is my
nephew Aelfraed, Aethelgifu’s son.” Sweyn and Aethelward exchanged
a quick glance and I noticed my uncle nodding. My mother seemed to
be as famous as my uncle.

“And the young giant lurking
below.”

“That is Ridley, a doughty
warrior, my nephew’s training partner and shield bearer. They would
both be warriors.”

“Aye the Earl said something
about that.  Put your mounts in the stable and your belongings
in the hall and we will talk.”

There was a large barrel of ale
in the corner of the hall and the five of us sat around a long
table drinking while Ulf and Aethelward found out about the
politics of the town.  Ridley and I sat in awe just listening
to the three senior warriors for it was obvious that these three
were very important men and we could learn much.

“The Earl has his work cut out
trying to stop the King giving too much freedom to these Normans.
There are four of them at court and they stride around as though
they own the kingdom”

“Perhaps they are preparing for
when Duke William comes over.” I quickly glanced at Ridley as I
took in the import of the words.

Aethelward looked sharply at
me.  “You two remember my words on the road.” We nodded and I
felt affronted that my fidelity and silence was being
questioned.

“It is the churchmen though who
have the biggest voice and as they control the rich abbeys and
monasteries then they have the money and the power. Your news will
be important to the Earl for it will determine what he does.”

“Any news of the North?”

“The Earl’s brother is up to his
usual tricks and he has raised the taxes again.  The man
doesn’t seem to understand that there is a limit to the money that
can be raised.  Northumbria is rich but not that rich.”

He looked down at me.  “You
two are Northumbrian?”

“Yes sir,” Ridley, tongue tied,
just nodded.

“You could have trained there
why come all the way down here.”

I just blurted out, “I preferred
Earl Harold.”

The three warriors burst out
laughing and Sweyn said, “You will have to watch that tongue of
yours but it is good to hear a man who believes so
passionately.”

I beamed; I had been called a
man. I suppose that if I had had a mirror and seen myself I would
have seen what they meant for I had a beard and I was as tall as
the warriors I sat amongst.  My body had filled out but I
thought there was still some growing in me which surprised me for
my brothers and my father were all shorter men than I was.  I
put it down to my mother for Aethelward was also a tall man.

Ridley leaned forwards and said
something quietly in Ulf’s ear.  Ulf smiled. “Sweyn, is there
a smithy near by.”

“Aye just at the back of the
hall. Why?”

“Young Ridley has some mail but
he needs to repair some links and Aelfraed there would forge a
spear head.”

Rather than laughing at us Sweyn
showed his respect by nodding.  “Would that other young
warriors felt that way about their weapons. Too many of them want
any sword that they can get their hands on.  They do not know
that a good weapon has a soul. You do well Aelfraed to forge your
own for that way you know you can rely on the blade. Come it will
pass the time until the Earl returns.”

I gathered my ash staff and the
blade I would be melting.  Ridley carried his mail shirt and I
noticed the ease with which he did so. He was a strong warrior and
I thought back to my uncle’s words, shield bearer.  Perhaps
Ridley would not be content to carry my shield, perhaps he would be
in the forefront of the shield wall.

The blacksmith was almost dwarf
like in his height but his shoulders were so broad that I wondered
how he managed to get through most doors. “Gurt we would use your
fire for a while. Go and have a wet in the hall.” The gap toothed
blacksmith grinned and happily left.

Sweyn picked up the discarded
apron and threw it to me. “I hope you have some skill in smithing
Aelfraed?”

I too hoped I had.  I had
watched and helped the smith at Medelai who had been one of the few
men who had shown me kindness and I knew the basics. “Ridley, pump
the fire.”

Ridley worked the bellows
happily and soon the flames were the correct colour. I put the
metal into the cauldron and watched as it began to melt, slowly at
first and then suddenly it was liquid. It suddenly occurred to me
that I had not seen a mould for the head. Aethelward clipped me
sharply on the back of the head as he handed me the clay mould.
“Think and plan young Aelfraed.  Not just in combat but in all
things.”

I checked to see that the metal
was the correct consistency and was about to reach for the tongs
when Sweyn stopped me. “This blade will be part of you Aelfraed and
so you must become part of it.”

I looked in confusion at the
others and Aethelward said quietly. “It needs your blood to make it
stronger and to make you brothers.”

I suddenly understood and I took
my dagger, already sharpened and drew it across my palm. The flesh
opened like a piece of ripe fruit and I watched as the blood
dropped hissing into the metal. I took the tongs and poured the
metal into the mould.

“That was well done and now it
is time for you to work for your comrade. I took off the apron and
handed it to Ridley.  It was only when I began to pump the
bellows that I understood Ridley’s strength for my arms ached
within moments of starting but I knew that I had to keep going as
he had done. Fortunately it was a simple task to make the mail
rings and then to hammer them into place. Ridley stood back to
admire his handiwork and Ulf picked up another handful of the
precious rings.

“You are strong and you can
carry more weight.  I would add some more about your shoulders
and your neck.”

Although I mentally cursed the
additional labour it would require, Ridley happily continued until
he had a mail shirt with a double row of links on the shoulders and
the neck.

“The fire is still hot, go fetch
your shields.”

Ridley and I happily ran for our
shields.  They had had the least work and the least attention
but I remembered the fight with the bandit and now knew that it was
as much a weapon as a sword. They were both simple round shields
and neither had any metal work.

Sweyn shook his head. “These
would last but two blows in a shield wall.  You need metal
around the rim and on the front.”

“Will that not make them
heavy?”

Ulf laughed.  “You think
that you are strong enough yet Aelfraed to be a warrior? 
There is still a long way to go.  The two of you will need to
be much stronger before you can stand and fight in a shield wall. A
heavy shield will give you much protection.”