Read Online Saxon Fall by Griff Hosker - Free Book Online

scouts rode in.  “There is another village.  They did not see us. They are our people.”
    “We will use this village for I would have information. Daffydd, take the archers and go around the far side.  They will flee but I would have them in the village tonight, so be gentle with them.”
    “Aye, Warlord.”
    The road descended through a wood which must have been cut further back in Roman times but had since encroached across the old ditch.  This looked to be a bigger place than we had seen for some time.  I wondered why the Saxons had left it alone. My scouts were rarely wrong about the identification of people and I knew that they would not have made a mistake. I did not try to hide and we rode towards the village.  There was a ditch and there was a wall which was intended to keep out animals only. I heard the sound of consternation as the villagers tried to flee.  There was little point in trying to talk to them. I would wait until they had run into Daffydd.
    “Bors, secure the walls.”
    Gawan and I dismounted and I handed my reins to Pelas.  I smiled as I saw my father’s former squire, Lann Aelle, watching his son. He had done this too.
    Gawan spread his arm around the village. “This looks prosperous and yet it is close to the Northumbrians.”
    “It is still on the west of the divide and the road is little used.  We have seen that for ourselves.”
    “The ones we passed south of the Belisama were even further west of the divide and they had been attacked and pillaged.”
    “You may be right brother.” I waved over one of the equites who had been in Hibernia with me.  He had impressed me.  “Osgar, I want you to take ten equites. Camp, tonight, upstream from the village.  Watch and restrain anyone who tries to leave.”
    “Aye, Warlord.”
    I saw him choosing others who had been in Hibernia too. As we waited for Daffydd to return with the villagers I went into the largest hut I could see. It looked comfortable. I saw fine pots.  They looked to be of the same quality as our own. The village did well. I left when I heard the sound of the villagers returning. They were herded together and Daffydd and his mounted archers kept them penned.
    “Who is your headman?”
    A tall man stepped forward.  “I am Aedh, son of Osric.”
    “I am the Warlord of Rheged.  We would stay close by your water for the night.”
    He nodded. “And why does the Warlord of Rheged visit our peaceful valley?”
    I did not like the man and his attitude. It seemed to me he was telling us we had no right to be there.  I looked around and saw that the people had divided into two distinct groups. There were four or five men with Aedh who looked as though they were warriors.  They had fine brooches on their cloaks as well as good swords. There were another eight men who, by comparison, almost looked like slaves. There was something not right in this village. I did not answer him straight away.  Instead I glanced around the village.  The hut I had looked in was well made and had a good position.  There were four others in the same area and they were all well spaced.  The rest were huddled by the water.  The mud close by told me that they would be hard to keep clean. I decided I would not speak until I had had the chance to seek the advice of Myrddyn and Gawan.  My immediate reaction was to take out my sword and to use the power of my equites to cow him. However Myrddyn’s words from Hibernia still rang in my ears.
    I smiled, “We are passing through on our way to Civitas Carvetiorum.”
    He scoffed, “There are ghosts there and that is all!”
    “Aye, you are right. They are the ghosts of the kings of Rheged, and the brave warriors, who held back the Saxon onslaught for so many years.” I noticed that Aedh and his party did not like those comments. “We will not impose upon you, save to use your water.” He gave me a smug smile. “Pol, we will camp downstream from the village I would not have us polluting