Wolfbane (Historical Fiction Action Adventure Book, set in Dark Age post Roman Britain) (8 page)

CHAPTER NINE

Dominic and Murdoc had watched when the war party entered the camp.

Concealed behind a moss-covered boulder, well away from the edge of the clearing, they were now ready to fade deeper into the forest if the sentries got too close.

‘I know that man,’ whispered Murdoc. ‘The fat one who gives the orders.’

Dominic looked at the man, then at Murdoc. He was concerned at the change that had come over him. Intense and bristling, Murdoc now clutched his spear tight, causing his knuckles to protrude from his stretched skin like ivory balls.

Dominic placed a restraining hand on his arm. ‘Hold your rage, Mur; now’s not the right time to act on it. What chance will the children have if we die here?’

Dominic’s words seemed to drift past Murdoc. He continued to glower at Egbert. Moments passed before he responded. ‘I saw that man butcher my wife and take much pleasure in it. The others, too, I recognise. The tall one stood guard over the few things of value in the village whilst the others amused themselves on violating the women … young
and
old.  But the fat one, sweet Jesus, he delights in it.’

‘There’ll be time enough to kill him later,’ said Dominic, ‘and don’t forget we now have advantage over them—
we
know where
they
are. We need to stay here until we know where they’re heading. Then we can move further on this.’

Martha walked into the clearing. ‘See!’ Murdoc pointed to her. ‘That must be the woman Tomas spoke of. She’s still alive, then’—he hitched his breath as Simon appeared—‘and look … they’ve took an old man as well. Another Briton by the look of things.’

Dominic glanced up at the darkening sky. ‘Then we need to get them both out, but not today, we’re running out of light. Tonight we rest and wait.’

At first light next day, they watched the camp. Most of the men had slept around the fire, which still released a hint of curling, grey smoke. Three sentries sat around the perimeter of the clearing, spears between their knees. Occasionally their heads would nod to their chests, then up again, as they fought the urge to sleep.

Dominic and Murdoc observed Egbert struggle to his feet from a position next to the fire. A smaller form lay unmoving and huddled close by. Squinting against the brightness of day, Egbert scratched his crotch and yawned. He walked to another who slept some distance away. He kicked the figure into wakefulness.

Simon struggled to his feet and looked disdainfully at Egbert in the insipid morning light. Egbert knocked him back down to the floor with a heavy back handed slap, then dragged him roughly back up to his feet.

He pointed at a frame of dry meat the men had brought up from the cellar the previous evening. ‘Less of your insolence,’ he rumbled. ‘Get water, now.’ He pointed at the stream and pushed Simon towards it, then turned to his sleeping men and started to rouse them with shouts and kicks.

Simon’s jaw still stung from Egbert’s slap as he began to prepare breakfast for the men. Martha, whose clothes were torn, got to her feet. Simon could see her dirt-smeared skin through the tattered splits in her dress as she stumbled towards him. Having no idea what to say to her, he looked down as she joined him.

Her whole face looked as if it would fall apart such was her despair. She glanced at Egbert as he continued to chivvy the men. She spoke. ‘I’ll not spend another night with that animal. Last night, his strength returned when the other left to sleep in the hut.’ A shudder wracked her. ‘I’d rather burn in hell than endure that again. Today will be my last.’

Simon was at a loss to console her. His words would still not come as he fell to his wretched chores.

After everyone had eaten, Egbert strode to the centre of the clearing. He clapped his hands to attract the attention of the men and began his address to them. ‘I’ve been thinking about it and decided that Woden knew what he was doing when he led us here. We’re back this way next year, so now we’ll stock the cellar with the stuff we need. It’s what Osric wanted us to do, so we split now into two groups. Twenty-eight men led by me will continue along this track, deep into the forest. The remaining eight, under the leadership of Withred, will wait here until we get back. Withred’s rabble will develop the camp and hunt the woods hereabouts. The hunters will prepare a large quantity of dried and salted meat for our raiders next year. That’ll supply us with food as well as spare weapons when we come back.’

A general murmuring ensued as the men absorbed the news. They quietened as Withred spoke. ‘Your plan seems sound enough but I think you’d benefit from my experience, even my companionship along the way.’ He nodded towards Martha, ‘And maybe you’d travel quicker without her.’

Egbert could only laugh. ‘You’re talking shit again, Heron shanks. What? … exchange my nightly comfort for Osric’s spy, I think not. Now no more of this nonsense, the woman comes with me.’ Dismissively, he turned his back on Withred, grabbed Martha by the wrist, then beckoned a subordinate to fetch his pony.

‘Have it
your
way, Egbert,’ said Withred, ‘but I can’t help feeling you’ll be more interested in the woman than the job at hand, so if she goes then I go.’

Egbert stopped in his tracks and turned his scornful attention upon Withred. ‘
More interested in the woman than the job at hand
,’ he mimicked. ‘Never question my priorities, you shit; they’re as Osric would have it, and the woman I consider my nightly reward.’

‘Yet I
will
accompany you if you insist on taking her,’ said Withred evenly. ‘We need this thing done quickly to give Osric plenty of time to prepare. It doesn’t bode well for an early end to your little journey if you spend hours rutting with the woman.’

Egbert looked firstly at Martha and then at Withred. A dawning smile, suggestive of an emerging great truth, came to his shaggy face. ‘Oh,
now
I see it, heron,’ he said, jabbing his finger at Withred, ‘you want me to leave the woman here.
You
want her. Now I see what you’re trying to do.’

Withred looked pityingly at Egbert. ‘Do not ever judge me by your standards, you toad. I’ll not argue the matter further; I prepare to leave with you now.’

Emphasising his intent, he strode purposefully to his mount. He was aware Egbert had violated the woman during the night and would continue to do so until she was worn haggard, at which point he would slay her. He had done his best to protect her from Egbert but last night’s weariness, coupled with the comfort of the bed, had caused him to sleep deeply. Egbert had taken advantage of his absence and raped the woman.

Increasingly sickened by the wanton savagery he was witnessing, Withred had decided to protect the woman and the old man as best he could. To this end, he was prepared to kill Egbert, even though such an act would mean his own expulsion from Osric’s group and a hefty payment of wergild to Egbert’s family.

Egbert knew this, so was eager to leave him behind. Now he became exasperated as Withred made to mount his pony. He shouted at him. ‘No—no—keep your long legs on the ground! I’ll leave the woman for now!’ He threw Martha to the floor, then fixed Withred with a sneer. ‘Weeks looking at your ugly face would soften my dick anyway. I’ll take the old one, though. At least then we’ll get some decent food at the end of the day.’

Sighing his impatience, Withred gave an incredulous shake of his head. ‘Your boar’s brain must have hit the ale house floor once too often. Listen to me … we need the old man to see to the game we’ll collect while you’re gone. I’ve spoken to him and he tells me he knows how to preserve foodstuff. If there’s only eight to remain here, we’ll need to hunt every day. We can’t spare a hunter to smoke and salt the produce … every man must be used to hunt.’

Egbert exploded with rage. ‘So you keep the whore, you keep the cook, and I ride off into the unknown without any comforts!’ Blustering now, he pointed at Withred. ‘I’ll—I’ll pick the best men, though; I can assure you of that!’

Withred smiled inwardly, knowing he had won the day. He allowed Egbert a last face-saving concession. ‘As you wish. Pick them then, and get on your way before the morning’s wasted.’

Murdoc and Dominic watched as Egbert and his men loaded the ponies with provisions before leaving the camp.

‘This complicates matters,’ said Dominic. ‘I thought they all might have left the outpost. Now we must camp away from here.’

Murdoc shrugged. ‘Then why not stay at the tree house until the others follow them?’

Dominic mulled it over. ‘We’ve no option for now, but we need to act before the main party gets back. When they do, we need to be ready for them. We have to stop them going back to Camulodunum.’

Murdoc’s tone was matter of fact. ‘In that case there’s no point just sitting and waiting. We may as well start with the business of slaying the others.’

Dominic sat on his haunches and continued to watch the camp. ‘Yes, but we must do it my way. I’ve hunted the woods for ten years now, though never for men; but stealth and caution’s kept me fed, so it should be enough to finish these.’

Murdoc glanced into the forest behind him. ‘First we must make sure the children are safe. The longer we’re away, the more chance something could happen. Time to go back and check, I think.’

After leaving their surveillance position, they ran at a crouch until a good distance from the camp. Then Dominic led the way, running light footed towards tree house.

CHAPTER TEN

The bear had lost its cub to a wolf pack and now wondered the forest alone. Ravenous, it picked up the deer scent and followed it to a sunlight bower. Such was the strength of musk in the clearing that the bear stood high, snuffling loudly, as its twitching snout judged the location of the doe.

Aware that any movement would alert the bear to the fawn that lay curled against its stomach, the deer was stock still as it watched the bear. Mother and fawn blended perfectly into the mottled light of the hollow; the doe hardly daring to blink its black, shiny eyes lest it catch the bear’s attention.

The breeze shifted causing the predator to lose the deer’s scent. Back on all fours, it lowered its head and began to scan the hollow, but the deer’s gift from nature—its mottled coat—served to defeat the poor bear’s poor eyesight.

It was about to leave the clearing when a movement caught its eye. The fawn, hungry for milk, stood to harry its mother for a feed. The bear noticed the movement immediately and bounded across the clearing. The doe fled into the safety of the trees.

The fawn, though, had not of its mother’s guile or speed, and before it could move its spindly legs, the bear pounced upon it.

Five days later, the bear again craved for meat—its diet of roots and grubs having failed to satiate it. It stopped, cautious now, as it entered a section of beech forest. A familiar but rarely heard noise had alerted it. During its long life, its foraging had occasionally taken it to the edge of the wilderness where, from distance it had observed men. Not knowing what to expect from these seldom-glimpsed forms, it had always retreated and avoided contact with them. The bear had never regarded them as food, preferring instead to hunt predictable prey such as deer or salmon.

But today was different; today it was hungry and needed to feed; now its hunger gnawed at its innards. Padding silently through the beech wood, it stopped fifty yards from a wide girthed tree, under which sat two small figures. Mad with hunger, it bounded up towards them.

The second morning after Dominic and Murdoc had left them, Tomas and Ceola had spent the day around the base of the tree. Tomas had told Ceola all about his village and his friends, all of who were dead, but had made her giggle when telling her of his past mischief making and escapades.

Ceola, in her turn, had told Tomas all about life in her village. How she had loved to accompany her father into the fields on warm, sunny days. Throughout their chatter, they mentioned neither the invaders nor the loss of the people dear to them. They had no desire to revisit these times. They had managed to push the images away.

Ceola was the one who saw the bear watching them from distance. She had been listening to Tomas’ tale, tittering uncontrollably as he recounted an amusing tale from his youth. Now she held up her hand to silence him. ‘Shh! Look over there, Tom. We’re being watched.’

Tomas saw the bear and jumped to his feet. Aware of the danger, he pulled Ceola from the ground. ‘Quick! climb the tree!’ He lifted her onto the rustic ladder and looked towards the bear. It was bounding towards them.

He had just climbed from reach when it arrived with a rush of unbridled power. Leaving the ladder in place and pushing Ceola ahead, he made sure they both completed the climb up to the lofty platform.

Ceola screamed as the bear leapt high. Its claws raked into the bark, allowing it to cling limpet-like to the bole of the tree. It hugged the trunk with its limbs and began to shuffle up, its hide rippling as the powerful, underlying muscles flexed and contracted.

Tomas gasped and Ceola screamed again as the animal’s head and shoulders appeared above the edge of the platform. Tomas knew one more jump would see the animal amongst them. He remembered the bow and arrows left by Dominic. Grabbing the bow, he shakily nocked an arrow and pulled the hide string back as far as his nose. He released the arrow just as the bear tensed, readying itself for its final push. The arrow hit home, knocking it from the tree.

Ceola and Tomas looked down at the stunned, but still very dangerous brown bear. Tomas’ action had saved them for now, but the arrow in its shoulder was a mere pinprick to the animal. Again, it looked up at the startled children and readied itself to climb the tree.

Tomas still gripped the bow. He nocked another arrow as the bear rocked on its haunches, preparing to leap. A shout came from the forest, prompting Ceola to scramble to the edge of the platform. ‘It’s da and Dominic,’ she screamed. ‘They’ve come to fight the bear!’

Murdoc and Dominic had entered the clearing just as the bear had fallen. Fearing the worst, Murdoc ran shouting towards it with his spear at his shoulder. ‘HEY! HEY!’ He slowed to a trot twenty paces away. The bear studied him, then flinched as another arrow—this time sent by Dominic— slapped through its dense chest fur.

Dominic joined Murdoc who was readying himself for a suicidal rush. Knowing the noisy approach was the wrong way to go about scaring a bear, he placed a restraining hand on Murdoc’s arm. ‘Hold your ground and crouch low so as not to be a threat,’ he said, ‘… and
don’t
look it in the eyes.’ He looked to the ground and silently slipped another arrow into his bow. The bear stood still and continued to study them.

Deftly and quickly, Dominic again loosed an arrow. Again, the projectile found the bear’s chest. The bear reared high, standing tall as it swiped at the shafts. It managed to break them and dropped back down to its forepaws. Its head swung threateningly as it scrutinised Murdoc and Dominic through detached eyes.

Their senses prickled as the bear observed them. ‘Make slowly for the tree,’ said Dominic. ‘It’s readying itself to charge.’

As they moved, the bear quivered as if ready to attack. Dominic had nocke
d
another arrow. He let it fly at the bear. Again, the animal recoiled as the arrow entered its shoulder. The strike served to make the bear turn and amble from the tree. Its walk became a trot, then a run, as it left the grove and entered the forest.

Dominic sidled to the spot where the bear had left the clearing. After satisfying himself they would not be troubled for a while, he walked back to Murdoc who had beckoned Tomas and Ceola to join them on the ground.

Once they were down, Murdoc picked up and hugged Ceola. ‘Thank God I heard you scream,’ he said as he kissed her. ‘It made sure we got here on time.’

Dominic ruffled Tomas’ hair. ‘Good lad,’ he said, ‘I see that you stuck an arrow into our shaggy friend. It’s not my first meeting with it, and I fear it won’t be my last.’

Tomas swelled with pride at Dominic’s endorsement. Ceola heaped more praise upon him. ‘Yes Dom, he was very brave; he would have killed the bear if you hadn’t got here in time.’

Tomas blushed at the attention. ‘I don’t know about that, Ceola. It was all I could do to hit it, I was shaking so badly.’

Murdoc, hugged Tomas, suddenly flooded with love for him. ‘But hit it you did, lad’ he enthused, ‘and so saved the day.’ He turned to Dominic with his arm around the boy’s shoulder. ‘What chance have the savages now, eh, Dom? They must dodge the arrows of shaking Tomas!’

The trill of Ceola’s laughter filled the woods with its purity, lifting their hearts, and bringing forth memories of simpler, happier times.