Housecarl by Griff Hosker Page B

that rose in your throat and hurried across the street. 
You deliberately provoked the knight.”
    I became angry. “So we are to
bow down and kiss their arses are we?”
    In answer Aethelward slapped me
backhanded across the face. “Do not speak to me like that ever or
you shall be sent back to Medelai in disgrace.”
    I stammered my reply, “You
cannot do that I am one of Earl Harold’s Housecarls.”
    “You are a housecarl because I
say so. Now you will not leave the hall again until we leave for
the borderlands.”
    I thought about arguing but
behind his back I saw Ulf and Ridley their pleading faces willing
me to accept my punishment. I nodded. Ridley came over to me. He
could always hold his ale better than I could and he put his arm
around me. “Come along master let’s get you to bed.”
    Ulf’s voice came from behind
me.  “Give him some well water to drink.”
    As I swallowed the icy cold
water Ridley began to undress me. “You made your uncle angry. 
He was going to send you home until Ulf intervened and said that
you should be given another chance.”
    As I began to sober up I
realised that I had almost lost my place in the shield wall; all
because of an arrogant Norman.  Uncle was right I could have
avoided the conflict but I wanted him to charge me so that I could
show him I was a better warrior.  It had been foolish and I
would apologise the next time I saw Aethelward.
    Perhaps my foolish action
precipitated our early departure or perhaps it had always been
decided that we leave during the first week of January but whatever
the reason I was glad to be away from the confines of the hall. The
archers and mounted men arrived the day after St Stephen’s Day led
by Magnus of Wallingford the horseman and Edwin the Archer. 
Both had enough scars about them to suggest that they were no
strangers to the battlefield. Ridley and I were lucky that we had
our own horses for our gear.  Most of the men had to throw
their arms and armour in the back of a wagon. I had hoped that, as
we had a number of horses, we would be allowed to ride but Ulf had
put his foot down.  “We are the Housecarls and we all suffer
the same privations as well as the same glory.  We walk.”
Ridley threw me a look which told me that he thought I had been
foolish to bring it up and perhaps he was right. I had allowed my
combats and the training to make me feel more important than I was
and I still bridled at the arrogant Norman.  Perhaps walking
would be good for my humility.
    As we left, in the early hours I
saw the Normans watching us; it irked me that they did so but it
made me march a little straighter and with a little more pride.
Soon, however, I realised that this would not be a glorious march.
We used the remains of the Roman roads whenever we could and for
the most part made good time but sometimes we came across stretches
where the locals had decided to use the cobbles for their buildings
and then we squidged through mud which sucked at our feet. We were
heading north westwards, towards the frontier town of
Worcester.  Hereford would have been closer to the Welsh but
it was still garrisoned by Aedgar’s Mercians. Most nights we were
able to sleep in a walled town for which we were grateful.  At
other times we froze on the ground. I was glad that I had brought
my wolf skin for it kept me dry and protected me from the cold. I
felt guilty that I had not told Ridley to buy one and I tried to
make it up to him by sharing on the really cold nights.
    “No master.  It is not
right for you are noble and I am not.”
    “But Ridley we are brothers in
arms.  We fight and die together.”
    “Aye and that is a good thing
but it is my own fault that I did not use my pay wisely as you
did.  Fear not master I am tough and I will survive.”
    As we passed through many of the
Roman settlements I was amazed that they had built in stone all
those years ago and yet now, hundreds of years later we still built
in wood.  They had indeed