Читать книгу Arthur, King - William Speir - Страница 25

The messenger from Gododdin arrived at Ambrosius’ fortress of Venta Belgarum on Britain’s southern coast two weeks later. Even though the great walled city was no longer the busy economic center that it had been under Roman rule, its location at the center of Britain’s southern coast and as the westernmost fortress guarding the Saxon frontier was strategic to Ambrosius. It also functioned as one of Ambrosius’ capitals, along with Londinium and Caerleon. Ambrosius housed one of his three armies inside its walls, and it served as his primary military headquarters.

A servant escorted the messenger to Ambrosius’ war council chamber, a large room with a great wooden table in the center, covered in maps. Ambrosius and three of his generals – Gaius, Marcus, and Lucius – stood at the far end of the table, staring at one of the maps. Ambrosius’ standard – the gold dragon on a field of red – hung on the far wall.

“The messenger from Gododdin, my King,” the servant announced.

Ambrosius looked up and smiled. “What news from my friends in the north?”

“I have urgent dispatches from Lord Merlin and General Galerius, Great King,” the messenger said.

Ambrosius’ expression turned serious. The messenger stepped forward and removed the dispatches from his pouch. Ambrosius took them with a nod.

Ambrosius gestured to the servant. “See to it that this messenger is given lodgings and food. I want him to stay for a day or two in case I have messages to send back with him.”

“Yes, my King.”

The messenger bowed and followed the servant out of the chamber.

Ambrosius broke the seal on Merlin’s dispatch first. “What could Merlin have to say that’s so urgent…?”

He read Merlin’s account of the Anglian spies. When he was finished, he handed Merlin’s dispatch to Lucius and read Galerius’ dispatch. Galerius gave an account of the incident involving the Irish settlers slaughtering the Pict army that invaded Strathclyde. He also gave an update on his efforts to train Gododdin’s army to fight like Ambrosius’ southern armies.

“We knew about the Irish settlement from Lord Ceretic,” Gaius commented when the generals had finished reading the two dispatches.

“I know,” Ambrosius agreed. “But we don’t know what they’re planning or why they’ve settled near Strathclyde’s northern border. We should send an emissary to this Dal Raita to see what their intentions are. I don’t like the idea of Irish colonies springing up all along our western shores.”

“Why is Colgrin sending raiding parties to Gododdin?” Marcus asked. “As far as we know, he hasn’t sent raiding parties to Rheged or Bryneich. What’s strategic about Din Eidyn to him?”

“I don’t know,” Lucius replied. “But trouble in the north is the last thing we need. Hengist and Horsa have invited more of their kinsmen to sail for Britain. There are too many people living in the Saxon territory as it is. They’re practically starving, and yet more Saxons are coming. They’ll have no choice but to try expanding their territory soon. If Colgrin moves against the north, we’ll be fighting two wars at the same time.”

“We need to send scouts to keep an eye on Colgrin,” Marcus suggested.

“I agree,” Gaius said. “We must know what’s going on up there.”

Ambrosius looked at his generals, thinking about what they said. “It doesn’t make any sense,” he muttered.

“What doesn’t make sense, my King?” Lucius asked.

“Colgrin sending men against Din Eidyn,” Ambrosius replied. “It doesn’t make any sense. If he knew that Gododdin’s army was away fighting the Picts, attacking the hillfort wouldn’t hurt Gododdin’s army. If he didn’t know that the army was away, then why go after Gododdin’s capital and bypass Bryneich? His men had to go through Bryneich to get to Gododdin. Did he think that it was better to hit Gododdin first and then Bryneich? Wouldn’t it be easier to hit Bryneich first, invade and occupy Lord Nudd-Lludd’s kingdom, and then attack Gododdin? I don’t understand Colgrin’s objective.”

“That’s why we need send men north to watch him,” Marcus said.

“Unless that’s what Colgrin wants us to do,” Lucius said.

“Explain,” Ambrosius demanded.

“If we’re looking north, we might miss what’s happening in the south, right? Colgrin is Hengist’s ally. If Hengist is getting ready to move against us, which we know that he has to do at some point, what better time to do it than when our attention is focused on Colgrin in the north? It’s possible that the attack on Gododdin was just a way to distract us from what’s happening down here in the south.”

“So the attack on Din Eidyn was supposed to fail?” Gaius asked.

Lucius shook his head. “Not necessarily. If the attack had succeeded, killing Lord Merlin, General Galerius, Prince Arthur, and the soldiers would have been a blow to our northern defenses. I’m merely suggesting that the attack on Din Eidyn was supposed to be a diversion to force us to direct our attention onto Colgrin and off of Hengist and Horsa.”

“So you don’t think Colgrin is preparing to do anything?” Ambrosius asked.

Lucius shrugged. “If he is, then the northern kingdoms can watch him and stop him. But if I’m right, then we should be strengthening our defenses along the Saxon frontier to prevent Hengist and Horsa from moving forward with whatever it is that they have planned.”

Ambrosius walked over to one of the maps near the center of the table. “Rheged, Bryneich, and Ebrauc have Colgrin penned in to the west and the north, and our forces control the lands south of him to keep him from joining his territory with the Saxon territory. If I have Lords Mor of Ebrauc, Nudd-Lludd of Bryneich, and Gwrast of Rheged deploy men to surround the Anglian territory, then that frees us up to block Hengist and Horsa from any attempts to cross their frontier into our lands.”

“I think that’s the best strategy, my King,” Lucius said.

“What if you’re wrong and Colgrin is planning to invade the north?” Gaius asked.

“Then we’ll have fallen into Hengist’s trap,” Ambrosius replied.

Four and a half weeks after leaving Din Eidyn for Venta Belgarum, the messenger reached the causeway at the base of the Gododdin hillfort, carrying messages for Merlin and Galerius.

Galerius met the messenger just inside the gates. Merlin was in the great house, teaching the young princes to read and write.

“How was your journey?” Galerius asked.

“Tiring, but uneventful, General. King Ambrosius kept me in Venta Belgarum for two days while he prepared dispatches for all of the northern kingdoms. I had company on the way back all the way to Bryneich.”

The messenger dismounted before reaching into his pouch and removing the dispatches. He handed them to Galerius and then took his horse to the stables.

Galerius read the dispatches as he strode to the great house to share them with Merlin.

When he reached the great hall, Merlin was regaling the boys with the story of Queen Boudica, the Celtic leader who had almost succeeded in driving the Romans out of Britain four hundred years earlier.

“I thought that you were teaching the princes to read and write today,” Galerius said as he approached Merlin.

“I was,” Merlin replied. “But I’m also teaching them the history of our island.”

Galerius held up the dispatches. “Replies from Ambrosius.”

Merlin took the dispatches and read them. “He thinks the Anglian attack was a diversion to mask what Hengist and Horsa are doing?”

Galerius nodded. “But he’s having Colgrin watched, just in case.”

“What do you think?” Merlin asked.

“I think he’s probably right. The attack makes no sense on its own, except as a way to shift Ambrosius’ attention off of Hengist. It’s a brilliant move.”

Merlin nodded and kept reading. “He’s also planning to send an emissary to Dal Raita. Do you think there’s any chance of using them as allies against the Picts and Caledonians?”

“Possibly, but it depends on their intentions and on how many other Irish settlements are being planned along the Rheged and Welsh coastline.”

Merlin finished reading the dispatches. “If Colgrin made one attempt, he could make more attempts. We should watch our southern border as diligently as we watch our northern one.”

“I agree. I’ll see to it.” Galerius left the great hall.

“Finish the story, Merlin,” Arthur pleaded.

Merlin smiled. “Very well, my Prince. Where were we?”

“Boudica had just sacked Camulodunum and was heading for Londinium,” Cai answered.

“Ah yes,” Merlin said. “Remember, Queen Boudica’s uprising was all started because a single Centurion took exception to the fact that she was a woman and a barbarian. He flogged her in front of her people and raped her daughters to demonstrate Rome’s power over the Celts. Had this not been done, there would have been no reason for the uprising. Cruelty, the favored weapon of the Romans, is also why so many of their conquered lands rebelled against them. The Saxons and their allies favor cruelty as well. They’re ruthless and heartless in how they deal with their defeated enemies. We fight just as hard as they do, but we’re more compassionate. That sets us apart from the Romans and our enemies. Anyway, back to the story. By this time, Boudica had nearly one hundred thousand Celts with her…”

By the beginning of autumn, the princes were quite proficient with the spear and had started learning archery.

The forests around Din Eidyn were filled with every sort of game, including squirrels, rabbits, boar, and deer. Hunting in the harsh northern winters was difficult at best. Each autumn, the men would hunt and bring home as much meat as possible. The meat was smoked, and that would sustain the people until the spring thaws, when the men could resume their hunting.

A week before the men in the hillfort were to leave for the annual autumn hunt, Galerius found Merlin standing on the walls above the main gates. Smoke from the chimneys near the base of the causeway swirled in the breeze coming off the river, creating a ghostly pattern in the air above the village. Merlin leaned on his staff; the cold air made his left leg throb.

“My men are eager for the hunt this year,” Galerius said.

Merlin smiled. “I know. The princes were riding through the western forest yesterday and said that the woods are filled with deer. Word spread like wildfire when they returned, and now every spear in the armory is being sharpened.”

Merlin gestured toward the smithy. The clanging of the blacksmith’s hammer echoed in every corner of the hillfort. “Even our blacksmith is working day and night to make sure that the men’s weapons are ready.”

Galerius nodded. “Speaking of the princes…”

“No.” Merlin stopped him.

“They’re ready, Merlin. They’re proficient with the spear, they’re learning the bow… they need to be with the men on the hunt this year.”

“It’s too dangerous.”

“My men will be with them. There’s no danger.”

Merlin faced Galerius. “There’s always danger,” he snapped. “You’ve hunted boar before. You know what they can do!”

“The princes are not going to be hunting boar, Merlin,” Galerius countered. “I know they’re not ready for that. They’ll be hunting small game. Maybe a deer to two. Nothing more.”

Merlin stared at him. Finally, he said, “How many guards will you send with them?”

“I was thinking twenty.”

Merlin nodded. “Very well. But I want them to be your best men. They have to understand that protecting the princes is more important than the hunt. They might not return with a single kill of their own this year. Make sure they know that.”

“I will, Merlin.”

“When do you want to tell the boys?” Merlin asked.

“Tonight,” Galerius replied. “They leave in week, and they’ll have to start getting ready at first light tomorrow.”

Merlin followed Galerius down the stairs and hobbled after him to the great house. It IS time for the boys to join the hunt. I imagine that they’ll be excited when Galerius tells them.

It was still dark when the men of the hillfort set out on the annual autumn hunt. Arthur, Bedwyr, and Cai rode their horses, surrounded by the twenty guards assigned to protect them. Pack horses carrying spears, arrows, swords, and other equipment followed close behind them.

The princes could hardly contain their excitement. They’d spent three months learning to fight with spears before being allowed to shoot a bow for the first time. The three boys were about equal with the spear. Arthur proved to be a natural at archery, but Bedwyr and Cai found it difficult to hit the center of the target.

Shortly after leaving the hillfort, the men separated into three groups. One group turned north to hunt along the river. The second group headed south to hunt along the southern border. The third group, which included the princes, turned west to hunt in the deep forests that spread across central Gododdin.

An hour later, the princes, their guards, and forty men stopped and began setting up their camp. The rest of the men headed further west. The air was crisp, and the constant winds shook the trees, causing the leaves that hadn’t yet fallen to rustle.

During the week prior to the hunt, the princes had learned how to make snares to capture squirrels, rabbits, and birds. By sunrise on the first day of the hunt, the princes were busy setting snares all around the hills and ridges near the camp while their guards watched them from a discreet distance. At first, the presence of so many men seemed to have scared off the animals, but by mid-day, the game had returned.

Arthur was crouched behind a boulder, watching two rabbits hopping toward a cluster of snares that he had placed along a trail that showed signs of rabbit tracks. He held his breath as they got closer. Just before they reached the snares, they stopped and sniffed the ground. Arthur wondered if they could detect his scent.

After a moment, they moved closer to the snares. Arthur tossed a small rock onto a pile of leaves behind the rabbits. They hopped away from the sound and right into the snares.

Arthur jumped up and removed the rabbits, putting them into a large woven sack. He tied the top of the bag with a leather strap and reset the snares. Then he went to check on the other snares he had set that morning.

By late that afternoon, Arthur had snared ten rabbits, a dozen squirrels, and two large birds called grouse. He brought them back to camp and put them into cages. The smaller game would be kept alive until they returned to Gododdin.

For two more days, the princes snared small game. But on the morning of the fourth day, the men told them to get their spears. Today they’d be hunting for deer.

Deer hunting had two methods. One was to lie in wait for the deer to come. The second way was similar to boar hunting: drive the deer toward the waiting hunters.

The men led the princes to a nearby stream and told them to find a place to hide. The men waited for the deer to come drink from the stream.

The princes found a hiding place halfway up a nearby ridge where they could watch the hunters from above. They wanted to see how it was done before trying it themselves. They didn’t speak as they waited for the deer to come. The winds gusted and moaned through the rocks and trees. Brown, orange, and yellow leaves fell to the ground and swirled into piles.

It was a long wait. But late in the afternoon, a group of deer approached the stream. Arthur, Bedwyr, and Cai watched the deer begin to drink. Then the first arrow flew, and one of the deer fell. The hunters fired at the rest of the deer. Several fell, but three bolted and ran off into the woods. The hunters ran after them.

“Why are they chasing the deer?” Cai whispered.

“Because they’re wounded,” Bedwyr answered. “They won’t get far.”

Arthur looked around and saw the guards at the base of the ridge. He was about to suggest that they go down and get a closer look at the deer that were killed, when he heard something above him at the top or the ridge.

“What’s that?” Bedwyr asked.

“Shhhhh!” Arthur hissed.

A moment later, a bear cub appeared. It looked at the three princes and stopped.

Arthur had never seen a live bear before. He and the cub stared at each other.

“What do we do?” Cai whispered.

“Run!” Bedwyr answered. “That cub’s mother is close by, and she’ll attack if she thinks her cub is in danger.”

At that moment, the mother bear appeared next to the cub. It looked down at the three princes for a moment and then growled loudly.

One of the guards saw the bear and shouted, “My lords! Get away from there!”

The princes jumped to their feet and grabbed their spears just as the mother bear bounded down the ridge toward them. Bedwyr and Cai raced for the guards. Arthur tried to follow, but his foot caught the edge of a rock, and he fell.

He heard the bear charging at him. He glanced back and knew that he’d never outrun it. The guards below headed up the ridge toward him, but the bear was going to reach Arthur first.

Not knowing what else to do, Arthur grabbed his spear and stood up. He braced the butt end of the spear against the base of a large rock and pointed the other end toward the bear. Then he crouched down, holding the spear with both hands. The spear was eight feet long, and Arthur hoped that it was long enough to keep the bear away.

As the bear got closer, it raised up on its hind legs. Arthur was stunned at how big it was. The bear raised its front paws in the air and moved quickly toward the frightened prince.

Arrows began flying. The hunters, seeing what was happening above them, tried to shoot the bear. But it moved too fast.

Arthur was frozen with fear. He couldn’t run even if he had enough time to escape from the bear. He gripped the spear tighter and waited for the attack that he knew was coming.

The hunters continued shooting arrows at the bear. One of the arrows whizzed past its ear, and in that moment, it got distracted. It ran straight into Arthur’s spear. The bear roared in pain as it impaled itself. Arthur felt the spear shake, but it didn’t snap, and the rock held it in place. The bear pawed desperately at him and the spear, but its arms seemed to have no strength. Blood gushed from the wound, and the bear’s roars became whimpers. Arthur released the spear. The bear teetered, and then it fell over. Arthur heard it gasp, and then the bear lay still.

Arthur looked up the ridge, but the bear cub had run away. A moment later, the guards arrived and pulled Arthur to his feet.

“Are you all right, my Prince?” one of the guards asked breathlessly. “Are you hurt?”

Arthur shook his head, still staring at the bear. “I’m fine.”

Several of the hunters arrived a moment later.

“You killed a full-grown bear, my Prince,” one of the hunters said with admiration. “I’d never attempt that.”

“I didn’t have a choice,” Arthur said. “I tripped on a rock trying to get away. I couldn’t outrun it, so I did what Galerius taught me to do when being attacked by cavalry. I stuck the butt of the spear in the ground and held the point toward the bear. It ran into the spear all on its own.”

One of the hunters reached for the bear and put his finger in the blood around the spear. Then he smeared the blood on Arthur’s forehead and cheeks.

“Your first kill, my Prince. You are the Bear Hunter, and you will be our Bear King when you come of age.”

The hunters and the guards knelt in honor of Arthur’s achievement. As more of the hunters arrived to see what was going on, the hunter who bloodied Arthur shouted, “All Hail Prince Arthur, the Bear of the North!”

The men cheered.

Arthur looked at Bedwyr and Cai, who eyed at him with expressions of relief and wonder. They cheered along with the men.

Arthur looked down at the bear. He reached for his spear, and, pulling with all of his might, he drew it out and held it up over his head. The men cheered again and started chanting.

“All Hail the Bear of the North!”