Dark Under the Cover of Night (The Kingdom of the East Angles Book 1) by Jayne Castel Page A
Authors: Jayne Castel
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a deep, exhausted sleep when Eorpwald gently shook her awake. Raedwyn
groaned and swiped at him before turning over and burying herself under a nest
of furs.
Eorpwald
smiled and pulled back the furs.
“Some
things never change dear sister. Come Raedwyn, it’s but a short while before
dawn. You must leave now.”
Raedwyn
sat up and blinked like a sleepy, angry owl.
“It’s
almost dawn already?”
Moving
stiffly, Raedwyn pulled on her still damp boots and cloak and followed Eorpwald
out of the tent. The rain of the day before had completely cleared, leaving a
wide, star dusted sky above. The ground was still spongy from the rain, and the
damp, chill air penetrated through Raedwyn’s clothing. She shivered and
squelched across to where her father stood waiting with her horse. An escort of
warriors was mounted nearby, heavily armored and armed.
Raedwyn
looked into her father’s face, shadowed in the darkness and felt a sudden jolt
of fear for him and Eorpwald.
“May Woden
protect you tomorrow father.” She threw herself into Raedwald’s arms and hugged
him tightly.
“ Wyrd will dictate who lives and dies when the sun rises,” Raedwald replied bluntly,
“although it’s not us that’ll need Woden’s protection. Ceolwulf abducted my
daughter and murdered my son-in-law. May it be Woden’s ravens that peck out
that traitor’s eyes as he lies dead on the field of battle!”
Raedwyn
did not answer her father. Raedwald’s view of the world, like most Anglo-Saxon
warriors, was fatalistic. Death was a way of life. In a world dominated by
blood feuds and wars, death in battle was the best end a man could hope for.
Even Woden, father of all gods, could not protect a man from wyrd –
fate. Raedwald lived by the motto: wyrd bið ful ãræd – fate is all.
Raedwyn
gave Eorpwald a hurried hug. Never a garrulous man at most times, Eorpwald was
silent and reflective as he embraced his sister. Despite her worry for the fate
of her father and brother, Raedwyn was eager to get away from the encampment.
War was
indeed a man’s domain. Raedwyn did not like to see the hardness in her father’s
demeanor. Battle brought out an entirely different side in Raedwald, and it was
a side that she feared. She preferred the laughing, kind man; a loving husband
and father, adored by all who knew him, to this cold, fatalistic warrior, who
was now as bent on retribution as Ceolwulf.
The dun
mare waited patiently as Eorpwald cupped his hands under Raedwyn’s foot and
boosted her up into the saddle. Impulsively, Raedwyn reached down and squeezed
her brother’s hand before he stepped away. Eorpwald gave a quick, hard squeeze
back and a moment of silent understanding passed between them. Then Eorpwald
moved back to stand next to his father. Eni, Annan, Aethelhere and Aethelwold
looked on from behind the king, and Raedwyn waved good-bye to them before her escort
closed in on her. A ring of shields now surrounded Raedwyn, obscuring her from
view.
The knot
of riders trotted out of the encampment and joined the darkness. Raedwyn’s
escort was silent and watchful. From under heavy helms, the warriors’ eyes scanned
the shadowed heath for any sign of ambush.
Raedwyn
settled deep into the saddle as the mare broke into a canter. As she rode,
Raedwyn looked east where the first blush of dawn stained the sky, and tried
not to think of what she had left behind.
Chapter Seven
Ceolwulf’s army rode out onto Uffid Heath a short while before dawn broke
across the land. Under the veil of darkness, horses emerged from the edge of
the woodland and moved across the damp heath to where the battle would take
place. The horses were impatient, sensing their riders’ tension. They snorted
and stamped their feet; their bits jangling and nostrils flaring. Their hooves
sunk into the soft earth, making soft sucking noises as they walked.
Caelin
rode out front, next to his father. He could still feel Ceolwulf’s fury,
radiating
groaned and swiped at him before turning over and burying herself under a nest
of furs.
Eorpwald
smiled and pulled back the furs.
“Some
things never change dear sister. Come Raedwyn, it’s but a short while before
dawn. You must leave now.”
Raedwyn
sat up and blinked like a sleepy, angry owl.
“It’s
almost dawn already?”
Moving
stiffly, Raedwyn pulled on her still damp boots and cloak and followed Eorpwald
out of the tent. The rain of the day before had completely cleared, leaving a
wide, star dusted sky above. The ground was still spongy from the rain, and the
damp, chill air penetrated through Raedwyn’s clothing. She shivered and
squelched across to where her father stood waiting with her horse. An escort of
warriors was mounted nearby, heavily armored and armed.
Raedwyn
looked into her father’s face, shadowed in the darkness and felt a sudden jolt
of fear for him and Eorpwald.
“May Woden
protect you tomorrow father.” She threw herself into Raedwald’s arms and hugged
him tightly.
“ Wyrd will dictate who lives and dies when the sun rises,” Raedwald replied bluntly,
“although it’s not us that’ll need Woden’s protection. Ceolwulf abducted my
daughter and murdered my son-in-law. May it be Woden’s ravens that peck out
that traitor’s eyes as he lies dead on the field of battle!”
Raedwyn
did not answer her father. Raedwald’s view of the world, like most Anglo-Saxon
warriors, was fatalistic. Death was a way of life. In a world dominated by
blood feuds and wars, death in battle was the best end a man could hope for.
Even Woden, father of all gods, could not protect a man from wyrd –
fate. Raedwald lived by the motto: wyrd bið ful ãræd – fate is all.
Raedwyn
gave Eorpwald a hurried hug. Never a garrulous man at most times, Eorpwald was
silent and reflective as he embraced his sister. Despite her worry for the fate
of her father and brother, Raedwyn was eager to get away from the encampment.
War was
indeed a man’s domain. Raedwyn did not like to see the hardness in her father’s
demeanor. Battle brought out an entirely different side in Raedwald, and it was
a side that she feared. She preferred the laughing, kind man; a loving husband
and father, adored by all who knew him, to this cold, fatalistic warrior, who
was now as bent on retribution as Ceolwulf.
The dun
mare waited patiently as Eorpwald cupped his hands under Raedwyn’s foot and
boosted her up into the saddle. Impulsively, Raedwyn reached down and squeezed
her brother’s hand before he stepped away. Eorpwald gave a quick, hard squeeze
back and a moment of silent understanding passed between them. Then Eorpwald
moved back to stand next to his father. Eni, Annan, Aethelhere and Aethelwold
looked on from behind the king, and Raedwyn waved good-bye to them before her escort
closed in on her. A ring of shields now surrounded Raedwyn, obscuring her from
view.
The knot
of riders trotted out of the encampment and joined the darkness. Raedwyn’s
escort was silent and watchful. From under heavy helms, the warriors’ eyes scanned
the shadowed heath for any sign of ambush.
Raedwyn
settled deep into the saddle as the mare broke into a canter. As she rode,
Raedwyn looked east where the first blush of dawn stained the sky, and tried
not to think of what she had left behind.
Chapter Seven
Ceolwulf’s army rode out onto Uffid Heath a short while before dawn broke
across the land. Under the veil of darkness, horses emerged from the edge of
the woodland and moved across the damp heath to where the battle would take
place. The horses were impatient, sensing their riders’ tension. They snorted
and stamped their feet; their bits jangling and nostrils flaring. Their hooves
sunk into the soft earth, making soft sucking noises as they walked.
Caelin
rode out front, next to his father. He could still feel Ceolwulf’s fury,
radiating
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