decisions. The warband just spread itself out and became thinner. The lances to my left and right punched holes in the Saxon shields. I saw the warrior who had been spared a spear looking relieved until my sword smashed down and caved in his skull. We just appeared out of the dark night. And then we were through. I wheeled, as did the rest, to the sound of the hooves and I saw, to my great relief, Lann Aelle and Myrddyn leading the squires. I turned north.
Some of the lances had been shattered but it mattered not. We still had more than twenty amongst my men. We kept a steady pace as the three scouts took us towards the large warband. I could imagine their anxiety as they had heard the twin wailing dragons and the thundering hooves coming from the night. I was thankful that the night was as black as Wyddfa’s cave. It added to the eerie feel.
Ahead of me I heard the Saxon horns blowing. Whoever was in command was attempting to gather their forces together. They were too late! We had the advantage that we could just head north. If we met the Saxons then we would fight them and destroy them. The Saxons were racing to the aid of their comrades but the noise in the night made it harder for them to work out where the danger was. The Allfather had helped us by giving a cloudy, moonless night. Dawn was still an hour away. By that time we would either lie dead or be running free.
Although we were moving swiftly we still maintained our lines. All rested on my equites. The squires and the archers would follow us through the hole we punched in the Saxon line. Suddenly I saw movement ahead. It was the Saxons and they were moving obliquely across our front to reach the stricken warbands. They saw us as we saw them. The fact that they were running and we were galloping meant that they had little time to lock shields. The long spears and lances punched through their flimsy wooden wall. Those of us with swords and maces used them to batter through the shields. Our horses’ hooves were deadly weapons. Men fell to the floor, struck by the horses and the hooves of those following crushed skulls and shattered their limbs as they lay prone on the ground. We cut a bloody hole through the heart of the warband. My archers did not use their bows but their swords were as effective in such a confused field. We kept going until I felt the stones of the Roman Road beneath Star’s hooves. I halted. “Felan ride to the south and see if we are pursued. Aed, find us somewhere to camp to the north and west.”
As I turned to view the lathered horses and weary warriors I saw the thin light of early dawn in the east. “Pelas, see how many men we have lost.”
I dismounted, as did all of my equites and squires. The horses had ridden further and faster than was wise. They needed to be cared for. We would walk north for a few hours unless we were pursued. I saw men gulping water from their skins and then pouring some in their hands for their horses. Man and rider were as one. We suffered or succeeded together.
Pelas returned with the count of our losses. “Two archers, three squires and one equite, Aneurin, Warlord.”
It could have been worse but the equites were hard to replace. We had lost three and there were four less squires to replace them. It was unlikely that we would know how many men we had slain. I suspected it was many times the number we had lost. I also knew that many of those who had not been killed would have been crippled and unable to fight in a shield wall again. King Edwin would hunt for us and that meant that he was less likely to attack Mona. If Fergus and Aengus could succeed then we would have bought Aelle the time to build up Mona’s defences.
Dawn had broken when Felan returned leading two of our horses. “I found these wandering after us. Their riders were dead. I found their bodies. The Saxons are not pursuing. I saw them looking to their wounded.” He smiled.
Some of the lances had been shattered but it mattered not. We still had more than twenty amongst my men. We kept a steady pace as the three scouts took us towards the large warband. I could imagine their anxiety as they had heard the twin wailing dragons and the thundering hooves coming from the night. I was thankful that the night was as black as Wyddfa’s cave. It added to the eerie feel.
Ahead of me I heard the Saxon horns blowing. Whoever was in command was attempting to gather their forces together. They were too late! We had the advantage that we could just head north. If we met the Saxons then we would fight them and destroy them. The Saxons were racing to the aid of their comrades but the noise in the night made it harder for them to work out where the danger was. The Allfather had helped us by giving a cloudy, moonless night. Dawn was still an hour away. By that time we would either lie dead or be running free.
Although we were moving swiftly we still maintained our lines. All rested on my equites. The squires and the archers would follow us through the hole we punched in the Saxon line. Suddenly I saw movement ahead. It was the Saxons and they were moving obliquely across our front to reach the stricken warbands. They saw us as we saw them. The fact that they were running and we were galloping meant that they had little time to lock shields. The long spears and lances punched through their flimsy wooden wall. Those of us with swords and maces used them to batter through the shields. Our horses’ hooves were deadly weapons. Men fell to the floor, struck by the horses and the hooves of those following crushed skulls and shattered their limbs as they lay prone on the ground. We cut a bloody hole through the heart of the warband. My archers did not use their bows but their swords were as effective in such a confused field. We kept going until I felt the stones of the Roman Road beneath Star’s hooves. I halted. “Felan ride to the south and see if we are pursued. Aed, find us somewhere to camp to the north and west.”
As I turned to view the lathered horses and weary warriors I saw the thin light of early dawn in the east. “Pelas, see how many men we have lost.”
I dismounted, as did all of my equites and squires. The horses had ridden further and faster than was wise. They needed to be cared for. We would walk north for a few hours unless we were pursued. I saw men gulping water from their skins and then pouring some in their hands for their horses. Man and rider were as one. We suffered or succeeded together.
Pelas returned with the count of our losses. “Two archers, three squires and one equite, Aneurin, Warlord.”
It could have been worse but the equites were hard to replace. We had lost three and there were four less squires to replace them. It was unlikely that we would know how many men we had slain. I suspected it was many times the number we had lost. I also knew that many of those who had not been killed would have been crippled and unable to fight in a shield wall again. King Edwin would hunt for us and that meant that he was less likely to attack Mona. If Fergus and Aengus could succeed then we would have bought Aelle the time to build up Mona’s defences.
Dawn had broken when Felan returned leading two of our horses. “I found these wandering after us. Their riders were dead. I found their bodies. The Saxons are not pursuing. I saw them looking to their wounded.” He smiled.
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