Читать книгу Arthur, King - William Speir - Страница 18

Uther awoke to a hand shaking his shoulder. “Lord Uther? Galerius has requested that you, Nudd-Lludd, and Arthwys join him immediately.”

Uther opened his eyes and recognized Merlin’s oldest son in the low light. “Now?” he muttered groggily.

“Yes, my Lord.”

Uther nodded and sat up. Waving Merlin’s son off, he said, “Tell him I’m coming.”

“Yes, my Lord.”

Uther looked around his tent and saw a tankard of water near the foot of his bedroll. He grabbed it and splashed water in his face before standing. He put on his jerkin, knotted his sword belt, and grabbed his helmet.

The air was filled with the smell of burning wood. Galerius and Arthwys waited by the campfire near the tents of the leaders of the four armies. Uther saw movement all around. The armies were awake and preparing for battle. Messengers came and went at a furious pace. Uther felt a sense of anticipation all around.

Uther greeted Galerius and Arthwys when he reached the campfire. Nudd-Lludd arrived a moment later, looking disheveled.

“Rough night, Nudd-Lludd?” Uther asked.

“Have I told you how much I hate sleeping on the ground?” Nudd-Lludd replied grumpily.

Galerius interrupted them. “My Lords, my men have been scouting around Carn Fadrun all night. Most of the garrison has been evacuated. Vortigern is heading to Dinas Emrys, as we thought. If we move quickly, we may catch him before he reaches the hillfort. Ambrosius and the southern armies will arrive by mid-morning. If we can keep Vortigern occupied until them, he’ll be trapped between our two armies.”

“Are we going to bypass Carn Fadrun altogether?” asked Arthwys.

Galerius shook his head. “King Ceretic and his army will reach the fortress in a few hours, my Lord. They will occupy it until the campaign is concluded.”

Uther was happy to hear that Ceretic had kept his word.

“When do we leave, General?” Nudd-Lludd asked.

“As soon as the men break camp,” Galerius replied.

Uther looked around the campfire. “Let’s get to it, then.”

Vortigern left Carn Fadrun with the last of his soldiers shortly before sunrise. The road south to Dinas Emrys was a good one; it had been well-maintained since the Roman occupation. Dinas Emrys had been key to the Roman defensive strategy for the west coast of Britain, and Vortigern used essentially the same strategy to protect Gwynedd from Irish invaders.

Vortigern looked back at his fortress. I don’t like abandoning my home, but I have no choice. It can’t withstand Ambrosius’ armies. When I’m able to return, I’m going to strengthen its defenses. No one will ever chase me from my home again.

Vortigern looked around at the men marching south around him. My brave soldiers. I wonder how many of you will return here after this business with Ambrosius is finished.

Less than an hour after the northern armies broke camp, a messenger approached Galerius as the leaders of the four armies rode west.

“General, my Lords, Vortigern just left Carn Fadrun! He’s taking the Roman road south to Dinas Emrys with the last of his soldiers. Most of his men are several hours ahead of him.”

Galerius looked at the leaders of the northern armies. “If we hurry, we can catch him away from the hillfort and cut him off from the rest of his soldiers.”

Uther and the others nodded in agreement.

Galerius turned to his cavalry commander. “Ride southwest and take a position between Dinas Emrys and Vortigern. There’s a road ahead that goes in that direction. We’ll follow you and be there as soon as we can.”

“Yes, General!”

Turning to the leaders of the northern armies, Galerius said, “My Lords, let’s go hunting.”

Two hours after sunrise, a messenger rode up to Vortigern.

“My King, there are riders waiting for us up ahead.”

“Whose riders?” Vortigern demanded.

“I couldn’t get close enough to see without being spotted, but it looked like they wore Ambrosius’ badge.”

“How many?”

“Three… maybe four hundred, my King.”

“And how far ahead are they?”

“Less than an hour’s march.”

Ambrosius’ northern armies are behind me, so I can’t go back to Carn Fadrun. Now part of his cavalry is blocking my way to Dinas Emrys. I’ll have to fight my way to the hillfort.

“Ride to the Dinas Emrys, avoiding Ambrosius’ cavalry as best as you can. Inform the garrison to march out and help us.”

“Yes, my King!” The messenger turned and rode south.

Vortigern summoned his two fastest riders.

To the first one, he said, “Ride for Brycheiniog and tell Lord Brychan that we’ll be forced to attack Ambrosius’ forces before we reach Dinas Emrys. Tell him to hurry with his soldiers.”

To the second one, he said, “Ride to Powys and tell Lord Cadell the same thing.

“Yes, my King!” the riders responded.

Both riders left immediately and rode south.

Vortigern turned to his captains. “Prepare for battle!”

The messenger riding for Dinas Emrys made his way south as fast as his horse could carry him.

When he left the forests and rode into the plains north of Dinas Emrys, he saw mounted soldiers to the southeast. He turned his horse to the west, hoping that the soldiers hadn’t seen him and praying that they wouldn’t want to waste their time on a single rider.

The commander of Galerius’ cavalry saw a lone rider in the distance. The rider was well-west of the cavalry’s position, riding south.

He turned to one of his squad leaders. “Intercept that rider and bring him here,” he ordered.

“Yes, sir!”

The squad took off to intercept the rider.

The cavalry commander watched the rider change direction to avoid the squad, but the squad soon had the rider surrounded. The squad returned, bringing the rider with them.

The cavalry commander addressed the captive. “Where are you bound for?”

“”I don’t answer to Ambrosius’ men on King Vortigern’s lands,” spat the messenger bound for Dinas Emrys.

The cavalry commander smiled. “That tells me everything that I need to know.”

Looking at the squad leader, he said, “Good work! We’ll keep this man as a prisoner. Bind him and put him under guard.”

“Yes, sir!” the squad leader responded.

Vortigern knows we’re here, or this rider wouldn’t have been so far off the Roman road. He must have been calling for help from his soldiers at Dinas Emrys.

“Prepare to deploy the men,” he ordered his squad leaders.

Vortigern’s forces marched out of the forests of northern Gwynedd into the open plains. Galerius’ cavalry waited for them. Vortigern had almost twice the men that the cavalry did, but he had few mounted soldiers with him.

Is this all that he sends against me? Where are the rest of Ambrosius’ forces? Does he already have Dinas Emrys surrounded? Was he waiting there for my soldiers to arrive?

Vortigern shrugged, confused and troubled by Ambrosius’ strategy. “Captains, deploy your men!”

As Vortigern led his men toward Galerius’ cavalry, one of his captains pointed south. “King Vortigern, look!”

Vortigern looked where the captain pointed. In the distance, he saw a large force of men approaching from the rear of Galerius’ cavalry. “Can you see whose army that is?”

The captain peered intently for a moment. “It’s from Powys, my King!” he said excitedly.

“Are you sure?” Vortigern demanded.

“Yes, my King. I recognize Lord Cadell’s banner. There’s another banner next to it, but I can’t tell whose it is.”

“It’s Lord Brychan of Brycheiniog,” Vortigern stated confidently. “His men are with Cadell’s men.”

Now we outnumber Ambrosius’ cavalry by more than twenty-to-one. They won’t be able to stop us from reaching Dinas Emrys.

Galerius’ cavalry commander was well-aware of the armies from Brycheiniog and Powys approaching his position from the south. His scouts had been watching them for the last hour. He ordered his men to ignore Brychan and Cadell’s armies and concentrate of Vortigern and his men to the north.

Let them think that we’re all alone here. Their overconfidence will blind them to what they’re really facing.

Galerius, Uther, Nudd-Lludd, and Arthwys sat on their horses just inside the forest to the east of where the cavalry was deployed. Their combined armies were behind them, waiting for the forces of Vortigern and his allies to move closer.

“Brychan and Cadell aren’t even bringing their archers forward,” Nudd-Lludd said, sounding surprised.

“Why should they?” Galerius asked. “They have the superior numbers. They know that my cavalry can’t fight them, so they won’t waste arrows on a foe who they believe is already defeated.”

“When do we attack?” Arthwys asked anxiously.

“As soon as my cavalry rides off to the west,” Galerius replied. “They’ll ride around and attack Vortigern from the north while we hit Brychan and Cadell’s armies from the east. With luck, Ambrosius will be here within the hour, and we’ll crush Vortigern and his allies right here.”

“Does anyone know where Rheged’s soldiers are?” Uther asked.

Galerius shook his head. “No one has seen them.”

“Maybe Gwrast wants to wait and see what happens before arriving at the last minute and throwing his support behind whoever is winning,” Nudd-Lludd suggested.

“It wouldn’t be the first time that he’s done that,” Uther commented wryly.

“Are you serious?” Arthwys asked.

Uther nodded. “He pulled that tactic when we fought the Irish a few years back. Oh, he had a perfectly reasonable excuse for why he arrived so late. I might have believed it, except that one of my scouts saw his men hiding just inside a nearby forest for half of the day. I never called him out for it, though. He’s an ally, and we won the day. But if the Irish had won, I would have killed Gwrast with my own hands as soon as I caught up to him.”

“I hear he openly trades with the Irish,” Nudd-Lludd said.

“He does,” Uther confirmed. “Ever since one of his sons sailed to Ireland and stole a flock of Bishop Patrick’s sheep in retaliation for an Irish raid a month earlier. The lad didn’t know whose sheep he stole, and the penance was steep. Gwrast has been trading with the Christian Irish ever since. Bishop Patrick will only let him fight the pagan Irish raiders, so all Irish raiders claim to be Christian when they invade. Just another reason why the church should stay out of politics.”

“Don’t let Bishop Germanus hear you say that!” Galerius said.

Uther smiled. “I’m a Christian, too, General. But Germanus, like Patrick, represents the church of the Roman Empire, and I don’t answer to Rome. When it comes to the safety of Britain, I answer to the people of Gododdin, the Council of Kings, and God almighty.

Galerius was about to say something when he saw his cavalry start riding west. “That’s the signal, my Lords.”

Uther raised his spear. “For Britain and High King Ambrosius!” he shouted.

The northern armies moved forward to attack.

Vortigern watched the cavalry ride off to the west.

I guess they realized that opposing us is futile.

The armies from Powys and Brycheiniog were a mile ahead of him.

My allies will escort us to Dinas Emrys. Then let Ambrosius come and try to dislodge me!

Vortigern was deep in thought when he finally realized that his captains were shouting.

He glanced around and saw them pointing. He looked to the east. Where a moment earlier there had just been a forest, now there was a massive army marching toward him.

Ambrosius’ northern armies! I recognize Uther’s and Nudd-Lludd’s banners in the center. Where are my men from Dinas Emrys? The messenger should have reached there an hour ago.

One of his captains pointed to the two armies marching from the south. “My King, we have to reach the safety of the armies from Powys and Brycheiniog before Ambrosius’ army attacks, or we won’t survive this day!”

Vortigern nodded. “Forward, men of Gwynedd!” he shouted. “Forward for your lives and your King!”

Vortigern’s men surged forward, but a moment later, shouts arose from his right flank. Turning, he saw Galerius’ cavalry attacking.

They rode around me while my attention was on the northern armies to the east. What else can go wrong?

Vortigern’s guards formed a circle around their King, preparing to defend him to the death.

“Ride, my King,” one of his captains shouted. “We’ll deal with the cavalry.”

Vortigern nodded, and he and his guards galloped across the field to join the armies of Brychan and Cadell. He glanced back once, and not a single one of the soldiers who had been with him were still standing.

They sacrificed themselves for me. I’ll see to it that their sacrifice is remembered.

As the armies of Powys and Brycheiniog redeployed to face the new threat approaching from the east, Vortigern reached Brychan and Cadell. “Your timing is perfect, my Lords.”

“We answered your call, my King,” Cadell said. “We remember our loyalties. Let’s get you to Dinas Emrys.”

“Too late!” Brychan shouted.

Vortigern looked to his left just as the vanguard of Ambrosius’ northern armies slammed into Cadell and Brychan’s right flank.

Uther had ordered his cavalry to ride south and cut off Vortigern’s escape, in case he decided to abandon his allies and run for the safety of Dinas Emrys.

Uther, Nudd-Lludd, Arthwys, and Galerius were behind the vanguard, surrounded by guards. Galerius had made it clear that he didn’t want the prince and the two kings to lead the attack against Vortigern’s allies. Uther agreed, but he still wanted to be the one to reach Vortigern first.

The armies of Vortigern’s allies were never able to deploy into lines of battle. Wave after wave of soldiers from the four armies poured into them, and soon the battle had disintegrated into clusters of fighting over a wide area. The ground grew slick with blood.

Galerius’ cavalry slammed into the left flank of Vortigern’s allies, forcing Vortigern to flee for his life. Vortigern and his guards made their way south through the fighting. His standard-bearer rolled up his dragon banner, so the soldiers wouldn’t know that it was Vortigern riding past them.

Uther watched as Vortigern reached the center of the field. Looking southwest, he saw another army approaching.

“Is that Ambrosius’ southern armies, General?” he asked Galerius.

Galerius nodded, smiling broadly.

A shout went up across the field of battle. Cadell and Brychan saw the southern armies approaching.

“We can’t face so many,” Cadell shouted to Brychan. “We have to withdraw.”

Brychan nodded.

The two kings shouted for their men to abandon the field and return home.

Vortigern saw Ambrosius’ southern armies approaching. As he continued riding south through the fighting, he heard his allies giving orders to withdraw.

They’re abandoning me! I must reach Dinas Emrys.

He urged his horse to go faster, but the withdrawing soldiers from Powys and Brycheiniog blocked his path. When he finally made it through his retreating allies, he saw Uther’s cavalry ahead, waiting for him in a long line.

“Ride on, my King,” the captain of his guard shouted. “We’ll clear the way for you.”

The guards rode forward in a wedge and lowered their lances at the waiting cavalry. The cavalry was deployed to intercept a much larger force, and Vortigern’s guards took full advantage of this. Ten guards attacked the center of line of Gododdin horsemen and opened a hole large enough for Vortigern to ride through with his standard-bearer.

Vortigern’s guards were dead by the time Vortigern was past the cavalry and racing toward Dinas Emrys. His guards had done their duty, and each had killed several Gododdin horsemen, including all three of Merlin’s sons.

When Vortigern reached Dinas Emrys, he rode up the causeway, shouting to his men inside the hillfort. Recognizing their King, they opened the gate and let him enter.

“Where were you?!” Vortigern shouted at his captains when they gathered around him. “I sent for you, and you never came. Ambrosius’ armies attacked, and they scattered the combined armies of Powys and Brycheiniog. I barely escaped with my life!”

“We received no message, my King,” his chief captain replied. “If we had, we’d have come at once!”

“Well it doesn’t matter now. Ambrosius is coming with his armies. Make ready!”

“Yes, my King,” his captains responded.

Vortigern rode to the hillfort’s great house. Rowenna was there with their son. “Welcome, my King.”

Vortigern kissed his wife and walked past her into the great house. “Bring me wine!”

“I take it things didn’t go well this morning,” she said after Vortigern had drained one goblet and was working on his second one.

“That’s an understatement, Rowenna. Rheged and Strathclyde abandoned me, Powys and Brycheiniog ran away when Ambrosius’ southern armies appeared while we fought against his northern armies, and Hengist and Colgrin are nowhere to be seen. Ambrosius will be here shortly, and we’re trapped inside this hillfort. How could things be worse?”

“You could be dead, my King.” Rowena lowered her eyes so her husband wouldn’t see the thin smile on her lips.

Vortigern glared at her. “The day is young, Rowenna. Now leave me. I need to drink.”

Ambrosius rode at the head of the southern armies, and Galerius, Uther, Nudd-Lludd, and Arthwys rode out to meet him.

“Greetings, my Lords!” Ambrosius smiled as they approached.

“Greetings, King Ambrosius,” they responded.

“How goes the battle?” Ambrosius asked.

Galerius responded. “We attacked the armies from Powys and Brycheiniog, but they scattered when they saw you approaching. Vortigern’s men were cut down, but it looks like he escaped in the confusion. I assume he’s reached Dinas Emrys by now.”

“The men from Strathclyde should have occupied Carn Fadrun already,” Uther added. “But we don’t know about Rheged.”

“I’ve been in contact with Lord Gwrast,” Ambrosius said. “He’s deploying his army to prevent Colgrin, Hengist, and Horsa from coming to Vortigern’s aid. He still doesn’t like me, but fortunately he hates Saxons and Anglians more.”

Ambrosius looked over the field. “How were your losses?”

“Light, my King,” Galerius replied. “We’re still counting the dead and wounded, but we inflicted much worse than we received.”

Ambrosius nodded. “Then we should head for Dinas Emrys and finish what we started.”

Word was sent out to the northern armies to move south as soon as they were able. Uther, Nudd-Lludd, Arthwys, and Galerius rode to Dinas Emrys with Ambrosius and the southern armies.

They reached the hillfort an hour later. The gates were shut, and Vortigern’s men lined the walls. Vortigern’s red dragon standard fluttered in the breeze over the hillfort’s walls.

“He’s not going to come out, is he?” Ambrosius asked.

“No, my King,” Galerius replied.

“Then surround the hill and start building catapults and scaling ladders,” Ambrosius ordered. “If he won’t come out, then we’ll have to go in and get him.”