Nozbat

The Cleansing of the North Osberht's wound was healing slowly. It pleased him that he now managed to walk to his high seat most days without much pain. He sat with the Taethle and Brothers to hear of their travels to Anderida. He has interested in what had happened at Aelle's Assembly and had asked them several times to go over the story about things he wanted more details on. It was clear that some part of the story concerned him but he would not talk about it. Now that he was a KingsThane, Osberht told them he needed to make arrangements for the provisioning and defence of the three settlements of Caedering, Caelctun and Glawmaed. They had agreed the twenty warriors sent by Cerdic would go to Glawmaed to protect it from attack. Taethle also agreed she would be Thane of Caelctun and she and her warriors would go there. Osberht would remain in Caedering which would become the centre of an area that would co-operate and support each other. Osberht thought it was a good idea to ask Connal to join them in a ruling council to cooperate in growing crops and raising animals for trade. Cissa Cæster and Pontus Cæster had big populations which demanded constant food and they could all grow wealthy on trading food and raw materials. The Brothers listened to Osbert's plans but pointed out that the major obstacle to this happening would be the British Burgh in the Forest of Moen. They needed to think about how to deal with that. Wulfhere was also keen to visit Bronwyn and discuss a marriage contract with Connal. He wasn't sure if Connal would agree to it but he wanted to ask as soon as possible. He had the fine enamelled cloak broach that he had bought at great expense in Anderida. Osberht gave them permission to go since they were now his Huscarls and he wished Wulfhere luck with his discussions. It was almost harvest time so they felt that they should hurry to get to Glawmaed. No-one has any time to discuss anything while the harvest is being brought in. Uthric suggested to Osberht the need to build more homes in Caedering. He was particularly keen to have a home for Meire and Hrothgar away from his mother. Osberht agreed that the building would go ahead when they returned from Glawmaed. The population of Caedering had increased and it was likely the Caelctun might only become a fortified outpost so that people from there might come to Caedering. The Brothers travelled to Glawmaed and were greeted by Connal. He had heard from some of the merchants how they had dealt with Garm and was pleased that the threat was now over. He still was concerned that Anyon had not been dealt with and no-one was clear what his intentions were. The Brothers were of the same opinion and had discussed it with Cerdic when they had met. Wulfhere said that he had asked that Glawmaed be protected and was keen that any warriors sent north by Cerdic would be stationed here. Connal thanked him. He was certain that Anyon was aware he had sworn allegiance to Cerdic and he was equally sure that Anyon would see him as a traitor. Connal said that he worried about his people who would suffer if Anyon attacked. They discussed various options over a meal and agreed they would press Osberht and Taethle to take action after the harvest. Wulfhere said that he had come on other business too. Uthric and Dunstan had never really seen Wulfhere tongue-tied and they were amused at his reticence to speak. Uthric offered to help but Wulfhere said that as he still had a tongue, he could speak for himself. He told Connal that he would be keen to make a marriage contract with Bronwyn. Connal said that in his opinion this was the worst kept secret in Glawmaed. All of the village appeared to know about his interest but as Connal had not yet discussed it with Bronwyn and she would still need to agree. Connal said he was aware of Wulfhere's qualities and he would be happy to have him as a son-in-law. However, Wulfhere needed to be aware that although Bronwyn was intelligent, good at household management and rather beautiful he often found she had a sharp tongue when things did not go her way. Connal wanted to be sure Wulfhere was aware of her deficits as well as the strengths of his daughter. Wulfhere said he was of the opinion that the benefits far outweighed the disadvantages. Bronwyn was brought in and asked her opinion. She was agreeable to the match and Wulfhere gave her the enamelled Broach he had bought in Anderida. They agreed the marriage contract and would meet again to arrange the dowry with the wedding feast to be held in Spring. The Brothers promised to come back soon to discuss the dowry. Harvest is a difficult time for all the villages and it requires backbreaking work from dawn until dusk. Everyone in the village is involved in bringing in the harvest except those too young to walk or too old to work. Afterwards the village comes together to hold the Harvest feast. The last bit of grain harvested is beaten to kill or chase away the evil spirits and then it is planted where the next years grain will grow to ensure a good harvest. The feast is always a joyful affair and despite all the uncertainty over the last year the harvest was good. The Brothers were asked to tell the tale of their fight with the Bannucmann and their most recent dealings with the Bretwalda Aelle and how they humbled Ealdorman Coelfrith. It was noted that in Dunstan's telling of the tale of the Bannucmann, Offa now played a less prominent part than before. No-one seemed to mind and the Brothers’ reputation in Caedering increased. In the days following the Harvest feast, 0sberht, Taethle and the Brothers discussed the British threat. They were aware that Cerdic was expecting them to attack and they laid plans for the battle now that Caelctun was at peace. Their discussions were interrupted by Drefon the Smith from Glawmaed. He was bloodied and wearied. He told that he had escaped the attack by the British Warband on Glawmaed. Connal had asked him to come to get help from Osberht. When he left the villagers were still defending the wall and he hoped that somehow, they had managed to hold off the attackers. He feared that Glawmaed would be sacked and destroyed. Osberht ordered an immediate gathering of the warriors and the call up of the Fyrd. To get some information he asked the Brothers if they would scout out the situation and meet the army in the woods to the east of Glawmaed where they could plan the attack. They could smell the burning long before they could see anything. They lay in the undergrowth and watched as the victorious British Warband were putting severed heads on top of stakes which they had arranged in a semi-circle facing the path to Caedering. Dunstan thought they were making a ghost fence and he was worried that it might cause some difficulty to their army because they didn't have a leæce to counteract the hagorún. Wulfhere and Uthric said that they thought Dunstan was being over-dramatic and it was only to scare them. However, when they saw the British Drýicge putting the heads on stakes and Wulfhere acknowledged that perhaps Dunstan was right. The Drýicge was tall and dark haired. She wore a long loose robe embroidered with hares and gibbous moons. Even from a distance they could tell she had power in the way she walked and gestured. They met Taethle and Osberht in the forest that shielded them from hostile eyes and told what they had seen. They agreed that they needed to attack and make the best of things in the hope that they could save their friends in Glawmaed. Dunstan and Uthric were pessimistic about Connal’s chance of survival. They expected that he might be among the heads on the stakes. Wulfhere was concerned about Bronwyn. He was worried that if she was still alive she was likely to be caught up in the new fighting if they had to assault the palisade. They moved out of the trees and advanced in two shield walls. Taethle had her seasoned warriors and Osberht took charge of the Fyrd. The Fyrd were nervous but Osberht steadied them with encouraging words. They advanced toward two British Shield walls which had formed up to counter their advance. When Dunstan counted the enemy both Shield Walls had many more men. He thought that this might turn into a difficult fight. The Shield Walls stopped 50 paces apart and two men walked out from the British line, they were followed by the dark-haired Drýicge. Osberht and Taethle went forward and Osberht asked Uthric to come as a translator. The tall man introduced himself as Anyon the War Leader of the Britons. Osberht introduced himself as the KingsThane of Caedering and asked Anyon to withdraw. He told Anyon that Glawmaed was under the protection of Cerdic and Osberht and that he would resist any attempt by the Britons to remain here. Anyon replied that all this land had belonged to his ancestors and therefore he had no intention of leaving. Osberht said that he had hoped to resolve this dispute reasonably but if Anyon would not agree then the matter would be settled by fighting. Osberht said he thought this was a pity because too many more good men would have to die on both sides. However, he felt sure that the Saxons would prevail. Anyon just laughed and said that when they told the tale of his victory, Osberht would be remembered for his sense of humour. Uthric noticed that Anyon's translator was wearing the enamelled cloak broach that Wulfhere had given to Bronwyn on the day of their wedding contract. He worried that something untoward had happened to Bronwyn but decided that now was not the time to tell Wulfhere. Both parties returned to their men and both gave encouragement to prepare their warriors for the upcoming battle. The Drýicge began hoping around on one leg, leaning on her staff for balance, making faces at the Saxon war bands and screaming how the demons of the underworld would feast on their souls. Some of the men of the Fyrd asked Uthric what she said but he refused to translate. After a while she stopped and brought out two young Saxon prisoners. Wulfhere thought they were some of the men that Cerdic had sent to Glawmaed. The Drýicge held a black stone knife and in a quick motion slit one man’s throat along the blood to pool on the ground. She then used a hazel branch to sprinkle the blood on the British warriors. Dunstan did not like this hagorún. Two warriors lifted the body of the young Saxon and tossed it into one of the burning outbuildings and Drýicge danced around the blaze. The other prisoner had been left alone by his guards and although hobbled by ropes that secured his hands and legs, he took the opportunity to try and run to the safety of his own friends. The Drýicge stopped dancing and screamed. A long spout of fire from the bonfire shot upwards into the air and arced towards the escaping prisoner engulfing him in flame. He writhed briefly before lying still, flames still burning him. Osberht could see the terror on the faces of the Fyrd and they began to move backwards. He left the front rank and beseeched them to stand and fight. He had his back to the Britons and did not see the arc of fire that shot towards him, engulfing him in bright flame. The Fyrd turned and ran. For the Fyrd, facing a Shield wall was difficult enough, they were mostly farmers or hunters but facing scinncræft was too much and they fled. The Brothers were with the Fyrd and although terrified ran to Osberht and tried to put out the fires. They wrapped him in a cloak and rolled him on the ground. Taethle made the decision to retreat too. She was now outnumbered at least three to one and although her warriors would probably have fought and died for her, she thought living to fight another day was a better option at this point. She ordered the warriors to retreat slowly to provide cover for the Hrothgarsons as they carried Osberht wrapped in a cloak towards the trees. The British moved forward but Anyon could not convince them to charge and they were content to hurl javelins and abuse at their retreating foes. Fortunately, no further flame engulfed Taethle or her men but the advancing Britons were getting closer. Eventually when she saw the Brothers had made it to the trees, Taethle gave the order to run and the Shield Wall broke. The Britons followed. Some of the Saxons were caught but most escaped into the forest to regroup at Caedering. Taethle knew that she did not have much time before the Britons arrived. She sent scouts into the woods in all directions. She ordered the woman and children to go to the safety of Caelctun and sent a guard of ten men of the Fyrd. The rest she organised to defend Caedering. Osberht still lived but he was badly burnt over his body. She sent him to Caelctun with Eadgyd to look after him. Eadgyd gathered as much butter and animal fat as she could and covered the burns. Meire helped her and gave Osberht a sleeping draught that allowed him some peace. His groans were causing the children to cry. Meire also prepared some water that she had in a crystal phial collected from her pool far in the north and gave it to him as he slept. It was not long before the scouts returned and hard on their heels were the British warriors. The Britons formed up in four Shield walls and Anyon could be seen exhorting them to attack. Taethle had her warriors behind the palisade on the fighting platform and encouraged them to defend their village. The British attacked along the length of the wall hoping that the defenders had not enough warriors to defend it and would be disheartened by the burning of their Thane. Their first attack was easily repulsed with some loss on both sides. The Britons took some time to regroup and Anyon led them in another charge. Taethle had learnt from the first attack and had stiffened the Fyrd with her own warriors where the fighting was fiercest. The Britons suffered severe losses and the Saxons held firm. The Britons regrouped and contented themselves with burning and looting the buildings outside the palisade. Dunstan was annoyed that their new house had been burnt but consoled himself that things could have been worse. Wulfhere noticed that 20-30 Britons left the main group and went through the forest to Caelctun. He told Taethle and they were concerned that although they could hold against the enemy in Caedering, Caelctun only had ten of the Fyrd and all their women and children. Taethle reckoned they were still outnumbered at least three to one, but she admitted it was hard to count through the smoke of burning buildings. She knew that they were trapped. They could hold here for weeks as they had enough food and water but they could not get out. She discussed what needed to be done with the Brothers. Caedering was likely to hold, however Caelctun was weak and could easily be overwhelmed. It was agreed that Wulfhere would lead three men and try to get to Caelctun to help organise the defence. Taethle thought only 20-30 lightly armed troops had gone towards Caelctun and they were likely to be the British Fyrd. The Fyrd were good to make up numbers but could not be relied upon to attack fortified positions. Uthric volunteered to try and get to Cerdic in Portus Caester and get reinforcements. He was the best woodsman in Caedering and thought he could get past the enemy or outrun them if he was seen. Now that Garm was dead he thought he was the fastest runner in the three villages. Wulfhere was worried about getting into Caelctun. His plan was to climb the cliff face that did not have a pallisade and he expected that one or two of them would fall to their deaths but thought the risk was worth it. Dunstan agreed that he would stay in Caedering and help lead the Warriors. With Osberht badly injured it would allow Taethle to provide a steadying influence for the Fyrd and to organise them into defensive groups. Uthric used the second attack as cover to slip over the walls and into the forest. He was seen by some scouts but used his knowledge of the game trails to outdistance them. He went south hoping to get to the old people’s road to the east of the north-south junction. If the road was clear he hoped to run to Pontus Caester and arrive after nightfall. If the road was blocked by British warriors, he could go through the southern forest. It would be safer but longer. When he got to the road he travelled west but near the junction he saw 30-50 British warriors over 1000 paces away. He ran south and disappeared into the forest. They saw him but only made a half-hearted attempt to chase him. Wulfhere used the same attack to slip out through the woods. Fortunately, the scouts didn't chase him but followed Uthric. He and his three companions made their way north going down the rock face near Caedering by an old and twisting path and turning east to follow the cliff face towards Caelctun. There was smoke rising above them when they got to Caelctun but they could not see what was happening above. They cautiously climbed the cliff face. The defenders heard them climbing but recognised them and threw down ropes to help climbing over the more difficult parts. The British outside had not attempted to attack. Taethle had probably been right, they were lightly armed Fyrd. Most lacked a helmet or armour and some had no shield. There were even one or two who had scythes or mattocks instead of spears. They had contented themselves with burning buildings outside the palisade and watching the defenders. Wulfhere decided that he would arm everyone in Caelctun to pretend they had more warriors than they had. He asked the women to put on helmets and to wear men’s clothing. He told them the idea would be to fool the enemy until help came. He hoped that they would not need to defend the walls as he doubted they could resist an attack. Wulfhere found that his situation was more complicated by the fact his mother had gone into labour and was likely to give birth soon. He therefore ordered every woman who was not giving birth unto the walls and the men he organised into a small mobile group to go to wherever there was an attack. He tried to count the enemy but was not sure of the numbers because of the smoke. He had to be content to wait and see what happened. He thought that as a last resort if the walls were breached he should try to get as many as possible to escape down the cliff face. He ordered ropes to be found and attached to allow women and children to escape while he and the warriors made a last stand. Meanwhile in Caedering, Dunstan was discussing if they should try to make a sally if the conditions were right. In three attacks on the wall the defenders had killed or injured over 30 enemy for the loss of three injured on their side. Dunstan and Taethle thought the odds might be more even now. They hoped that if they could keep the majority of the enemy here then Caelctun would be safe. Dunstan worried what would happen if Anyon attacked Caelctun and captured the woman and children. and how that might impact on the husbands and fathers in Caedering. At sundown a tired Uthric approached the guards at Stuf's Hall and demanded urgent admittance. The guards refused him but fortunately Stuf heard the commotion and come out, sword in hand, to find out what was happening. Uthric named himself and said that he had travelled from Caedering in the north for most of the day and had important information to give. Stuf recognised him and told the guards to let him through. Uthric told him of the events in Glawmaed and the retreat to Caedering and Caelctun. Stuf was quick to assess the situation. He agreed that Uthric could take forty warriors north to help at Caedering. He asked about the location of the British Burgh and its defences. He said that he would move against that as it was likely to be denuded of troops if so many were in Glawmaed, Caedering and Caelctun. Uthric tried to explain were the British Burgh was but became confused about distances and locations. In the end Stuf grew impatient and said he would follow the Moen and he was sure that he would eventually come across it. At Caelctun Wulfhere saw that the Britons were massing for an attack. He brought forward the men of the Fyrd and placed them opposite the British forces. The War Leader was marshalling his troops, talking, cajoling and intimidating the men to get them to attack. It looked to Wulfhere that the Britons were reluctant and he thought that a good thing. He knew that the defenders could be easily overwhelmed if the enemy attacked at different points. If they managed to get over the palisade it was likely that all the defenders would die. Fortunately, their general reluctance to fight meant he knew where they would attack and could reinforce that with his Fyrd. After several hours of cajoling the Britons moved forward to attack. It was a rather half-hearted attempt and they were easily repulsed after a few were killed or injured for no loss to the defenders. Wulfhere was heartened by the defence and was of the opinion the War Leader was unlikely to get his men to attack again. Uthric was travelling north and was occupied by the thought of how he might deal with the troops at the road junction. He was concerned that even with his forty Warriors he knew that he was likely to be outnumbered. Therefore, his plan was that they should attack with surprise. Unfortunately, there was no way he could sneak up on the enemy without being seen therefore he thought that he needed to set an ambush in the forest and get the Britons to come to him. He arranged his warriors inside the forest and together with two volunteers went towards the road junction but could find no trace of the enemy. Uthric wondered if they had gone to Hamafunta and he thought it might be a good thing to keep Coelfrith on his toes. He thought briefly about going up the road to Glawmaed but decided that it would be best to go to Caedering to help with the defence. In Caedering, Dunstan found his opportunity to counter-attack. Some of the enemy troops had left and there seemed to be less outside the palisade. He agreed with Taethle that he would take the warriors outside and form a Shield wall. Taethle would use the Fyrd to guard the gate and act as a rear-guard should Dunstan’s troops be forced to retreat or be defeated. The enemy formed an opposing Shield Wall and to stall for time Dunstan left the front rank and offered a challenge of individual combat to anyone who would accept it. He was not disappointed when Anyon stepped out to take up the challenge. Dunstan watched him approach and wondered if he had done the right thing. Anyon seemed confident and capable. He handled his weapons well and wore better armour than Dunstan. He thought if he received a death blow here he would miss out on a lot of things he planned to do. He was somewhat discouraged by his thoughts. No words passed between them as they traded blows. Anyon was quickest and he hit Dunstan twice as often as Dunstan hit him. Dunstan knew he was in trouble. Anyon’s blows came in faster and although Dunstan parried his shield was slowly falling apart. Anyon thrust hard with his spear at Dunstan's head. Anyon had used the same killing stroke hundreds of times but to his astonishment his spear missed. Dunstan had stumbled on a tussock and the stumble had saved his life. Anyon had put all his strength behind the thrust expecting the resistance as the spear entered Dunstan's eye and into the brain but instead he overextended and pulled a muscle in his arm. Dunstan's riposte should have been parried but Anyon was blinded by his helmet and the spear tip cut open his arm to the elbow. Anyon fell and the chin strap of his helmet broke blinding him. Dunstan accepting his luck speared Anyon in the chest. He had barely time to celebrate his victory. Rather than be dismayed the Britons were incensed by Anyon's death and charged forward to protect the body of their fallen leader. Dunstan's comrades pulled him back to the safety of the Shield Wall and the Saxons counter-changed the British. Both Shield-Walls met with a sickening clash. Dunstan thought later that the British had not kept their discipline as they charged. Their shields must not have been overlapping for the Saxons penetrated deeply into the British formation causing twice as many casualties. The British held but were pushed back and the Saxons moved forward. There was a wall of dead and dying men and the ground was slippery with blood which made it treacherous to maintain balance and fight. Almost by mutual consent both walls drew apart. Dunstan took the pause in fighting as an opportunity to move back towards the gate thinking that he had achieved his aim. The British leader was dead and they had made the Britons less confident of victory by pushing their Shield-Wall back. Dunstan noticed the Drýicge was beginning to light a fire and he remembered what had happened to Osberht at Glawmaed. He feared that the battle would be lost through scinncræft. He shouted at Taethle that she should charge the Britons with the Fyrd as he exhorted his own warriors to change formation into the Swine's head. Dunstan said later that he was glad that the warriors had not seen the Drýicge at her work or else they may not have charged. Dunstan’s Swineshead smashed into the British Shield wall seconds before Taethle’s Fyrd hit them in the flank. The Britons disintegrated under the impact and their cohesion feel apart. Most turned and fled while screaming Saxons hunted and killed them as they ran through the forest. When Dunstan had time to look for the Drýicge, she had disappeared. He let his men hunt the scattered Britons through the forest before recalling them with a horn blast. They had been frustrated at hiding behind the palisade and vented their anger on the panicking Britons. Taethle congratulated Dunstan. He had won a famous victory by quick thinking and resolute action. She said she doubted if she could have done better herself. She thought that Dunstan was on his way to be a great War Leader despite being so young. She did think however that he might need to work on encouraging his men to attack the enemy Shield-wall. Dunstan had attempted to give a rousing speech to inspire the men. He admitted that perhaps he had been trying too hard and it had been over the heads of most of the men. Taethle suggested that simple messages are often best as the men can repeat them. She suggested that something like ‘killing the enemy’ or perhaps ‘defending your families’ are generally good. She thought that invoking the need to protect the cows was generally not a moral boosting topic and the average warrior did not care if the withies would be destroyed. But she felt it was important to try these things out and she had no doubt with more practice he would improve. The warriors were tired after their fight and glad to be alive. They were dismayed when another War Band appeared out of the forest. Dunstan rallied the men and pushed them into the Shield-wall to face their new foe. They relaxed when they realised the new Warband were Saxons led by Uthric. Dunstan went to greet his brother, who he thought did not look pleased about something. Uthric said that he thought it would have been polite of Dunstan to wait until he arrived and let him join in the fun of the battle. He complained that he had run all the way to Portus Caester and had come back only to find out he wasn't needed. He had encouraged the warriors to move faster with stories of silver and fame to be won. He now had to tell them the fight was over and he was not sure he could find the right words to be able to help them with their disappointment. Dunstan said that they were unlikely to be disappointed for long because they could soon have another opportunity to fight. He told Uthric of the War band that he believed to be at Caelctun and noted that smoke was now rising ominously from the direction of the village. He said he had a bad feeling about events there which might mar their victory in Caedering. Uthric was concerned that Meire, his son and mother were all in Caelctun and he hoped he would not be too late. He told his men to wait under the trees and went forward alone to see what lay ahead. The scene that met him was one of devastation. Buildings were burning and there was a line of dead men set out in a row. Uthric was relieved to see defenders still on the walls and was surprised to see so many having been told by Dunstan that there were less than ten of the Fyrd defending Caelctun. He estimated that he was facing a Warband of about 50 men but only some were formed up in a line facing Caelctun. Over half were sitting on the grass resting. He suspected that he could bring his own warriors through the forest under the cover of the smoke and charge the enemy, catching them before they had a chance to react. Uthric had the Warband form up in a rough shield wall on the edge of the forest. He knew that in charging over the intervening ground to engage the enemy, they would not hold their shape but he was banking that he could catch the enemy by surprise. He was helped by the fact that the defenders started banging their spears on their shields which distracted the enemy. The enemy had still not seen Uthric's War band but they were beginning to form a Shield wall in reaction to the noise from the palisade and whatever threat the defenders of Caelctun were planning. Uthric drove his warriors forward only screaming their war cries in the final seconds before the War bands crashed together. Uthric had told the men nearest him to target the big man who was organising the enemy War band. He thought that if they could kill the leader the rest would lose heart and flee. The Britons barely reacted to the charging Saxons and those that turned only saw death. Uthric’s men howled as they killed and they cut down the War Leader. The British lines disintegrated and the Saxons killed those that were too slow to run away. Uther and Wulfhere greeted when the battle had finished. Wulfhere told of the defence of Caelctun and how he had been unsure if they would survive. Uthric embraced Meire and their son Hrothgar. He discovered that Hildegard had given him another new brother who she had named Beorthric. Wulfhere thought that Dunstan might have something to say about this situation. Wulfhere appointed Modig War leader and returned with Uthric and his Warband to Caedering. They met with Taethle and she informed them that she was keen that they keep the momentum and press their advantage with an attack on Glawmaed. None of them were sure how many of the British force remained. They thought they could account for over 120 men dead or defeated and they still worried that the Drýicge had not been found. She could yet turn a victory into a horrible defeat. Uthric thought that now they were safe from attack he should tell Wulfhere that he had seen a man wearing the enamelled broach Wulfhere had bought for Bronwyn. Wulfhere was silent and admitted he was worried that Bronwyn may have met her death. He thought that a second such loss of a woman he was betrothed to did not bode well. He wondered if the gods were perhaps trying to tell him something. Uthric said that she was probably well and had just been imprisoned. The Britons did not generally kill women and children. Wulfhere reminded him that Anyon would have been perfectly aware that she was Connal's daughter and he might have made an exception for her. He also pointed out that the Drýicge had no such compunction about killing people. He hoped that Bronwyn's head was not on a stake. Uthric said he hoped that it would be the same for Connal and Lucnot but he had little hope for either of them. Taethle gathered all the warriors and the Fyrd together and told them they had one more battle to defeat the Britons and free Glawmaed. She promised that after that they would have peace for a while and their families would be safe. The warriors cheered and even the Fyrd seemed to be keen to go into battle. Dunstan thought that he could learn for Taethle's speech. Taethle divided the men into three separate groups. Uthric kept the men Stuf had lent him. Dunstan and Wulfhere commanded Taethle's warriors and Taethle commanded the Fyrd. She told the brothers that she would keep the Fyrd as a back-up should either Warband get in trouble and need reinforcements. They approached Glawmaed as quickly as possible. They were concerned that if their approach was too slow it would give time for the Drýicge to use her magic on them. They had remembered how devastating it had been for Osberht and were not at all keen that one of them would be her next target. Taethle had difficulty in getting the Fyrd to advance as they also remembered the Drýicge’s fire magic and they lagged behind the two Warbands of warriors. In the event it did not matter. Although there were over 50 Britons present at Glawmaed they ran as soon as they saw the Saxon Warbands. They liberated the Glawmaed captives who had been held in the Chieftain's Hall. Bronwyn was among the released prisoners and she was glad to see Wulfhere. Her father had been killed by Anyon along with other village leaders. She was not sure where Lucnot was. He had escaped the original assault and she hoped that he was in the forest with some of the other men. After a brief conference, Taethle sent the Brothers and 50 warriors towards the Burgh on the Moen River. She suspected that Stuf may have already attacked it but she thought that he may need help. As was usual for strangers in the forest of Moen, the Warband quickly became lost and after a quarter of a day’s march they found themselves at the strange pool with the wildflowers and butterflies. Dunstan suggested that they all put some hack silver in the pond and be careful not to trample the flowers. He warned the warriors that they should not attempt to take any of the treasure from the pool. He and Uthric stood guard to make sure no-one attempted it. After they gave the silver, the way became easier and they made good time. They began to come across bodies of dead Britons as they got closer to the Burgh. Eventually they ran into some of Stuf’s warriors who took them to him. Stuf was glad to see them and asked for their news. They told him of the battles they had fought, the death of Anyon and the escape of the Drýicge. Stuf told them he had found the Burgh which the Britons had called Llys to be lightly guarded. He was of the opinion that Anyon had too high a view of his own abilities and little tactical or strategic sense. He had risked everything in an all-out attack and had failed. Stuf said that they now had now an opportunity to expand to the north which they would accept with open arms. First though they needed to deal with Dumnonia They all looked across the Moen. Dumnonia was a rich, plump land and they were all keen to re-distribute those riches to the poor Saxons who were not so fortunate. Stuf told them that he would leave warriors at Llys under the command of a Thane called Arnod and that they were to send the warriors he had lent Uthric to Arnod as soon as possible. Wulfhere said that there was still a considerable threat from the Britons and perhaps it would be useful to keep 20 in case of further raids. Stuf agreed. He said that Wulfhere could act as Thane of Glawmaed until Cerdic made a decision. The Brothers should come to see him for Yule feast.

A Violent Death and The Bretwaldamoot There was a silence in Caedering as the villagers waited to see if Osberht would die from his wounds. He was still wracked by a fever and Taethle had sent to Portus Caester for a leæce as she believed that curing Osberht was now beyond Eadgyd’s skills. Taethle sat with the Brothers in the Thanes Hall. They discussed their current problems. To the west lay a British Warband which they had already estimated to be over 100 warriors. They were in agreement that this force would be difficult to defeat with their current strength of. To the east was Caelctun and Thane Garm. They thought it probable that Garm had around 40 warriors if Coelfrith had already sent the promised reinforcements. Caedering had Taethle's 36 seasoned warriors and 46 men of the Fyrd who could fight but might not do well against seasoned warriors. All four considered Garm the biggest threat. They would be unable to deal with the Britons if Garm remained active for fear that he would take advantage of the situation if they left few people to defend Caedering. Cerdic had more or less told them to deal with Garm and then sort out the legal and political issues with Aelle afterwards. Wulfhere thought that Garm's men might not be too interested in fighting for him. Garm had shown himself to be a coward and had not joined in fights with his men, running away and leaving his men to die. Uthric said that it might also be useful to remind his men about the rumours Garm had killed his brother and blamed another Carl. They agreed that they could not leave Caedering undefended but needed to send a big enough force to look like they were serious about attacking Caelctun and force Garm’s hand. Taethle wanted to keep 20 warriors in Caedering which meant they had 61 to try and intimidate Caelctun. Wulfhere hoped they would not have to fight. He was keen to solve the problem of Garm but not create long-term enemies of the people of Caelctun by killing the warriors unnecessarily. They thought that there was no use in delaying things and gathered the warriors to allow Taethle to tell them what was expected. She told them they needed to look intimidating and as be ready to fight if required. She hoped that it would not come to fighting as they needed every man to deal with the Britons. The warriors led by the Brothers arrayed themselves in a Shield wall outside Caelctun and waited for a reaction. Garm’s men did not respond but continued to watch from the fighting platform. The gates remained firmly shut. Wulfhere set fire to a barn and watched it spread to another dwelling outside the walls. Dunstan and Uthric discussed setting a fire in the forest in the hope that it would provoke a response. However, they decided against it as they worried they might not be able to control any resulting blaze and it might be more dangerous to them than Caelctun. Eventually a man came out of the gate holding his shield upside down. Taethle and the Brothers went to meet him and he introduced himself as Modig, a Carl of Caelctun. He asked why they had come armed as for war, why they had burned buildings and were threatening the peace of Caelctun. Wulfhere replied that their mission was peaceful as far as the people of Caelctun were concerned. But it was his opinion that neither Caelctun nor Caedering would have peace if Garm was allowed to continue to prosper. He said that Garm had needlessly provoked an illegal fight with Thane Osberht, gave him a wound that was likely to bring about his death and then tried to kill both him and his brothers on several occasions. Unfortunately for Garm, both Osberht and the Hrothgarsons had proved harder to kill than Garm had imagined and that was why he was now standing before the gates of Caelctun armed and ready for war. But his war was only with Thane Garm and Wulfhere said he would be grateful if Modig would ask the Thane to come and fight him now. Wulfhere said that Modig should consider how badly Garm led his men and on several occasions had left them to fight while he saved his own life. It therefore seemed to him that Garm was only good at two things. Firstly, he seemed good at allowing his own men to be killed and secondly, he appeared to be good at running away. Uthric told Modig that amongst other things he considered himself an expert in running and that up to this point he had met very few men that could outrun him. He said he had been amazed that Garm had been able to outdistance him so easily and wondered if this was a skill that Garm frequently practised. Wulfhere asked Modig why Garm, as a Thane, was not conducting his own negotiations. Modig had not responded to the accusations and Dunstan thought that he might be seeing the truth in Wulfhere’s words. Modig said that Garm was in his Hall with his Huscarls and he said he would only be too happy to tell him the Hrothgarsons had come to discuss resolving their current conflict. Modig left and the gate closed again. Both sets of warriors watched each other and Dunstan felt the tension rise but nothing of importance happened. Just after midday Modig came out of the gate again. He said that Garm had not been seen since going into his Hall and had not given any instructions when he banged on the Hall door. The men had decided that they were no longer willing to fight for Garm. There had been, he said, a few dissenting voices but they had been won over by argument or else they were no longer in a position to help Garm. The Brothers waved their followers forward and entered through the gates behind Modig. Two men lay dead near the gate. The rest of Garm’s men watched sullenly as the Brothers ran to the Thane's Hall. The Hall was barred or locked from the inside and Taethle called for Halig who had a Great Axe. Halig was known for his strength and made short work of the door and the warriors went into the Hall. There was no one visible in the main hall and they thought Garm may be hiding in his private chambers at the back. When they tried to open the door, it was again barred but Halig broke through it with one stroke of his axe. Dunstan belatedly wondered if there was a rear door in the Hall and sent three men racing around the back to prevent or delay any escape. They searched the two bedchambers. In the first was a woman and two young children who they ignored. In the second, the room was empty but they discovered that a hole had been cut through the wall. Torht’s head suddenly appeared through the hole from the outside. He was one of the Caedering farmers and reported that they had found the hole in the back of the hall and had decided they should investigate it. They had so far not located Garm. Uthric advised Torht that in future he should consider where he put his head because he had only just stopped himself from putting a spear in his eye. Torht said that he considered himself lucky because he had seen what Uthric could do with a spear. Dunstan asked the woman where Garm had gone and she replied that she did not care. Dunstan found this reply strange but continued to press her for an answer. She eventually told him she believed Garm and six Huscarls had cut their way out of the Hall but she was unaware where they had gone. Taethle ordered a search of the village and Odel, one of the Carls, found a rope going down the cliff face. Taethle and the Brothers thought Garm would be trying to get to Coelfrith in Hamafunta and they agreed the Brothers would follow Garm while Taethle and 20 warriors would go south on the forest path to Hamafunta. They hoped to trap Garm between them and kill him before he reached safety with Coelfrith. Uthric, Dunstan and Wulfhere went down the rope. They took along another 10 warriors. Uthric found tracks heading north which surprised them but they suspected that Garm was very familiar with the woods and knew some quicker route to Hamafunta. They estimated that Garm had a good head start but all thought they would still catch him, despite his expertise in running. The tracks continued to go north and after a time they came into a glade. They found Garm lying against a tree trunk bleeding from a wound in his side. He was still alive and attempting to grasp the sword that just lay just beyond his reach. Uthric kicked the sword out of the way and all three brothers regarded him. They thought it was likely Garm would die if they left him but equally he might live if they gave him aid. Garm opened his eyes and asked for his sword to hold before he died. Dunstan laughed and Uthric was unmoved. He bent down and looked into Garm’s face and told him he was not worthy to go to Neorxanwang. His place of death would be in Hellewíte with the other damned souls. Uthric worked himself into a rage that Garm could even consider that he should go to Neorxanwang after all his treachery and was determined to make sure he died dishonourably. He attached a rope to Garm and hung him from an ash tree. They all watched in silence until Garm died leaving the body for the crows and wild animals. They sent a runner to Taethle to tell her the news and get her to return to Caelctun. They were worried that if Garm did not come as expected she might go nearer to Hamafunta and come into conflict with Coelfrith’s men. They returned to Caelctun and Uthric announced what had happened as proscribed by the Law and that he had killed Garm. The Caelctun warriors were unhappy and asked Wulfhere what would happen now. Wulfhere said that he would discuss it with Taethle when she returned but that he was certain that they would be left in peace now that Garm was dead. The woman they had found in the bedchamber was Garm's wife, Aethelind. She and her children were unaware of what had happened and were waiting in the Thane’s Hall for news. She was obviously a woman of high birth and she held herself well while she waited only responding to and comforting her children. Wulfhere agreed that he would tell her of Garm's death and all three Brothers went to the Hall. Wulfhere started to tell Aethelind gently but Dunstan grew impatient and told her she was now a widow. For the first time Aethelind looked scared and asked what they intended to do with her children. She said that she was worried that they might take revenge on the children because of Garm’s injuries to Osberht. Wulfhere said that none of the Brothers made war on children and she too would be free to go wherever she wished. She thanked him and said that she would consider the matter and inform him of her decision later. When Taethle returned they appointed Modig as temporary leader in Caelctun until Coelfrith appointed a new Thane. With that all the warriors returned to Caedering. Aethelind came with them. She said that she did not want to spend another day in Caelctun if at all necessary. They agreed that they should hold a feast to celebrate the end of the conflict and decided to also ask the Caelctun warriors to join the feast. They were keen to make amends with the warriors so there would be peace between Caelctun and Caedering and they sent a runner to Modig. Modig was a pragmatic man and saw sense in the proposal and agreed that he would come with as many warriors as wanted to go. The Brothers thought that they should declare Garm’s death to Coelfrith as he was Garm’s Ealdorman but Taethle thought they should seek Cerdic's counsel first. She did not feel that Coelfrith would take Garm's death lightly and that such a venture might be dangerous. And so, two days after the feast they stood before Cerdic at Portus Cæster and explained their actions. Cerdic counselled against seeing Coelfrith, who he said would have them murdered without compunction. He said that men like Coelfrith were small-minded and petty. His advice was to present the case to Aelle at the Kings Assembly at the next full moon. Cerdic said he would support them in whatever way he could but could not acknowledge that they were acting on his advice. The Brothers were unhappy when they returned to Caedering They complained to Taethle that Cerdic had asked them to go to Aelle's Assembly at the next moon to present their case and ask for forgiveness. It was their opinion that the death of Garm was necessary for the safety of both Caedering and Glawmaed and they had acted in a way that preserved lives and kept the peace in all three villages. Taethle sympathised with them but acknowledged the Law must be followed. Aelle would listen and make judgement which was the only way to proceed to end the bloodletting. Besides she had another task for them if they were going to Anderida. They could escort Aethelind and her children as she had expressed a wish to return to her father's home in Aelle's capital. Dunstan worried that they might spend their lives apologising to Lords for things that weren’t their fault and he wondered that they might get a reputation for it. The Brothers spent the next half a moon preparing for the journey. Osberht was slowly recovering and while still weak he could now sit up and eat by himself. Wulfhere spoke with Taethle and Osberht discussing how he should argue the case in front of Aelle. They were of the opinion that the major difficulty was that no-one knew the King other than by reputation so were unsure how to proceed. Dunstan spoke with Aethelind on the journey to Anderida. The brothers had thought that Aethelind would have been angry with them for the death of Garm. However, she seemed almost relieved to be free of him. Dunstan discussed her life with Garm and Wulfhere decided that her insights might be useful in the upcoming case. They had a week of travel and Wulfhere used it well to glean useful information. When they arrived in Anderida they took Aethelind to her father, Aelfnoth’s house. Aelfnoth was one of Aelle's counsellors and an Ealdorman. He was grateful that the Brothers had brought his daughter home. He had told them he had never liked Garm and had only agreed to the marriage because Coelfrith had recommended it. Coelfrith said that Garm would be playing a prominent part in the Saxon expansion into British lands. He offered the Brothers rooms to stay while in Anderida because he was aware that accommodation was scarce. It would also be a way to thank them for their kindness to his daughter. Dunstan was only too happy to accept as he did not have to pay for any accommodation. Anderida is a fortress built by the old people. It was said that it was originally built to prevent Saxon raids but no-one knew for sure. It had an excellent harbour and the air was good despite being surrounded by marshes. The Brothers were amazed by the market. There were traders from all the Saxon kingdoms of Briton and others from Frankonia, Friesland, Jutland with any type of goods available. Both Uthric and Wulfhere bought gifts for Meire and Bronwyn. Wulfhere and Uthric asked Dunstan if he did not have a good opinion of Aethelind because both felt it might be a good match and Aelfnoth seemed well disposed to the Brothers. She was not only beautiful and rich but she was intelligent and had a good temperament. She never once complained about the journey from Caedering to Anderida. Dunstan said that while he found her attractive and interesting company, he was waiting for someone special. The Brothers laughed and said that he might be too fussy and that he could do much worse than Aethelind. During the week of the Assembly, Aelle held lavish feasts. The Brothers thought about attending but did not want to let Coelfrith know they were in Anderida. They remembered Cerdic's words that he was likely to be the real enemy whereas Garm was only the outward face of the conflict. They had already annoyed Coelfrith once at his own Assembly last moon and they knew that no matter what the outcome of the Kings Assembly he was likely to be even more annoyed. The food at Aelfnoth's house was both rich and good and went some way to make up for missing the King’s feasts. They also had an opportunity to explore the town to their great amusement. Aelle's Hall was massive. The Hall was a new construction and unlike many other of the Saxon Lords who lived in British cities, it was built in the traditional Saxon way. Aelle was reputed to be the richest of the Saxon kings and the decoration of the Hall showed it. On the second day of the Assembly after the midday meal, Coelfrith stood up and announced his Lawsuit against Osberht and Caedering. He demanded Osberht’s death and the destruction of Caedering for the death of Thane Garm. Aelle called for Osberht to come forward and defend himself but Cerdic rose and said that Osberht was currently indisposed. Thane Garm had presented him with a spear in his chest and he was too ill to travel. Aelle asked Cerdic if he was defending the case but Cerdic advised that while he was aware there was a dispute between the Thanes he had not been aware of the escalation of violence and death. He said he had therefore no knowledge of events but would of course take responsibility for his Thane's and Carls' actions, as he was their Ealdorman. Aelle said that he was disappointed and had hoped for an interesting story and a good argument. Cerdic said that he might not remain disappointed as he understood the Hrothgarsons were at the Assembly to provide both legal argument and tell an interesting tale. Aelle said he disliked being disappointed and others had often noted that people suffered if he was dissatisfied with things. He sat down to listen and called for his horn of ale to be refilled. He said he would be interested to find out why these events occurred. In his haste to present the case, Coelfrith made two serious errors. His first mistake was to forget to refer to Aelle as Bretwalda, a point which was duly noted by Wulfhere. Secondly, he attempted to paint Osberht as a deranged and maddened man who inexplicably decided to launch an attack on Thane Garm, his neighbour. Most people in the Hall found this incredulous. They knew Osberht as a calm and placid man who only ever got excited about breeding cows and sheep. Coelfrith spoke of Garm as an ideal of a Saxon lord, loyal and trustworthy, fierce in battle and a leader who led his men from the front. He had been set upon by the miscreant Osberht and hounded to death by his equally deranged Carls. He asked that not only should Osberht suffer death but the Hrothgarsons should also be killed because they had caused the death of Garm. Wulfhere stood up to respond to Coelfrith’s accusations. He told of the Feast in Caedering where Garm had provoked Osberht. He spoke of the men who were sent to kill the Hrothgarsons to prevent them from reporting on the strength and location of the British forces who had been raiding Saxon steadings. He insinuated that Garm may have had an understanding with the Britons. He told of the illegal declaration of a Blood feud and the ambush in which Osberht had got a spear in his chest. He then told how they had tried to calm the situation by attending Coelfrith’s Assembly which despite making good arguments and asking for a settlement, Coelfrith had ignored. He spoke of the treacherous attack by Garm’s Carls as they went home. He painted a picture of Caedering faced by two hostile forces, the Britons in the west and Garm in the east. Both he said had been intent on the destruction of Caedering. He asked the Assembly if they too would not want to defend both their Lord and their family. He said that all had agreed that their actions had been just and proportionate. He pointed out that although Caedering had sent a force to attack Caelctun, they had had no intention of fighting the Carls or the Fyrd. Their dispute had been solely with Garm. They had discussed it with his warriors before the walls of Caelctun and the Carls had agreed that Garm was not the sort of Thane that anyone would willingly follow and to prove it they had opened the gates of Caelctun and had stood aside. The Brothers had then sought out Garm but he had again run away with some of his Huscarls leaving his warriors leaderless and at the mercy of a potentially hostile force. He had even left his wife and children behind. They had tracked him into the woods and found him with a knife wound in his belly, presumably caused by his own Huscarls who had abandoned him. Wulfhere said that they had been overcome by youthful exuberance and they had acted without thinking. He said he was aware that this was a shortcoming in the Brothers character and they were working hard to rectify their impetuous behaviours. When Wulfhere finished, the people in the Assembly said he had spoken well. Aelle seemed pleased with the tale but asked if there were any witnesses to either argument. Neither Wulfhere nor Coelfrith had any witnesses which rather disappointed the Assembly as everyone had been enjoying the tale. However, Aelfnoth stood and addressing Aelle told that his daughter, Garm’s widow, could be called as a witness. She had confirmed Wulfhere's version of events and was ashamed that she had been married to such a man. Aelle thanked Aelfnoth for his opinion and said he did not think it necessary for his daughter to attend. Aelle then made his judgment. Aelle is unique in the Saxon lands. It would be normal for the Thanes, Carls and Ealdormen to vote on legal matters by clashing their swords or spears on shields to signal approval to cases. Thus, judgement is given by the people. Aelle, however, would always give his judgement and then expected the Assembly to ratify it. He said that this was because he was the Bretwalda and not a mere king. And of course, the Assembly always ratified his judgment. Aelle admonished Coelfrith. He said that Garm was the instigator of his own downfall. He not only provoked Osberht, he illegally tried to have him killed, a fact Coelfrith ignored in his own Assembly. Garm was a coward and refused to lead his own men, allowing them to die. He fled rather than face combat with a champion of Caedering, leaving his wife and children behind. He therefore deserved a dishonourable death. If Garm had been at this Assembly, Aelle said he would have had him hung without delay. Aelle said that his judgement would be the following. As punishment the village of Caelctun would become part of the Thane of Caedering’s lands and Osberht, if he lived, would now become a Kingsthane. Coelfrith was forbidden to act against Caedering or Osberht or the Hrothgarsons. With that he sat down and called for more ale. Aelle later spoke to the Brothers privately and thanked them for their actions. As befits a Bretwalda he gave them each a costly arm ring and a sword. Cerdic also rewarded the Brothers by giving arm rings. He was pleased that now he was in a position to expand northwards. He told the Hrothgarsons to return to Caedering and prepare for war against the Britons.

- I am your King - How'd you get to be King then? By exploiting the workers! By 'angin' on to outdated imperialist dogma which perpetuates the economic and social differences in our society. - The Lady of the Lake-- her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite, held aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water, signifying by divine providence that I, Arthur, was to carry Excalibur. THAT is why I am your king! - Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government! Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some... farcical aquatic ceremony!

Nice write up... I've just reached 497 in my campaign too, though its from the Saxon side and not Pendragon Look forward to reading more

Taethle bade farewell to the seven men who were travelling to Hamafunta in the early dawn. The Hrothgarson Brothers, the carls Aedweard and Eadmund and finally the two witnesses, Dreng and Eorlstan all stood and listened to her final bits of advice. Eorlstan had asked if Osberht had recovered or if he was likely to die. He said he had been thinking about the jewelled arm ring and that if Osberht was going to die then someone should at least benefit from it. He was sure that everyone would see it this way and he felt that since he was down on his luck at present it might as well be him. Taethle said that Osberht remained ill but she promised, rather ominously, that if he did die, Eorlstan would be one of the first to know and feel the consequences. Eorlstan thanked her for her thoughtfulness. Wulfhere wondered what it would be like to live in the Eorlstan's world and be blithely unaware of how actions and consequences were interlinked. He considered putting a gag on Eorlstan for the journey to Hamafunta for two reasons. Firstly, to protect Eorlstan’s life. He was not sure that Eorlstan might not say or do something that would encourage one of his travelling companions to put a knife in his kidneys and he needed him alive as a witness. Secondly, he did not want to have to listen for a whole day to Eorlstan’s constant inane opinions on everything that happened. The man was an idiot and he was not even aware that his idiocy could be detrimental to his well-being. In fact, as Wulfhere later told his brothers when they complained about Eorlstan, it was a great surprise to him that Eorlstan had actually made it so far in life without someone doing him serious harm. Maybe that Helrýnegu in Cissa Caester had been right. The Brothers were concerned what sort of reception they might receive Hamafunta. They agreed that they would not disclose their business until the day of the Assembly nor would they discuss that they had two witnesses as their lives may be in danger if their existence became known. The case would be considerably weakened if either witness were dead or incapacitated. They could trust all their party except Eorlstan. It would be likely that he would tell someone accidently. Neither Uthric nor Dunstan expressed any concern for what might happen to Eorlstan following the Assembly and only regretted that they would not be the ones to send him to Hellewíte. However, they had given their word that they would release him unharmed and that was an agreement they would keep. When they arrived at Hamafunta late in the afternoon they found the town crowded with people who had come to attend Coelfrith's Assembly and to celebrate the Midsummer festival. It proved impossible to find somewhere to stay within the walls. They felt this suited their purpose and it would not therefore seem so strange to set up a camp outside the walls. Dunstan was charged with the task to make bothies but had to compete with crowds of children and other travellers for wood to make them. The children were collecting wood and bones for the traditional Midsummer Eve bone fires and the young warriors were weaving withies into hollow wheel shapes to roll the embers through the fields to chase off the evil spirits. Dunstan now considered himself an expert in withies and could not help giving his advice on how to improve the old design and by doing so, irritated the locals who preferred the traditional method of making the hollow-wheels. Uthric and Wulfhere had gone into Hamafunta to gather news. They discovered that Coelfrith was to hold a grand feast that night to celebrate Midsummer and to mark the opening of the Assembly. They had been told that the two main items of business were Garm's request for warriors and his proposal for permission for a Blood feud with Osberht. Wulfhere thought it might be useful to attend the feast that night to check out how things stood but did not think it would be a good idea to bring either Dreng or Eorlstan. He also warned Uthric and Dunstan that they should not drink much and be on their guard. They should be especially careful not to react to provocation. The feast was a very lavish affair. Coelfrith liked to boast of his wealth to his Thanes and Carls and there was plenty of food and drink. Uthric however found it was a drab affair. None of the Brothers had ever met Coelfrith before and they watched him closely throughout the feast. At his left, in the place of honour, sat Garm. Wulfhere was sure that Garm had noticed them but gave no sign of acknowledgement. He did whisper something to a tall man, dressed as a skald, who later approached them. The man introduced himself as Swithgar, Garm's War leader, and he told them he had heard that Osberht had died whimpering in his bed after being skewered like a pig. He was keen to find out the Brother's views of their late Thane and thought perhaps they had taken the opportunity to join a real Thane like Garm. Uthric said they were here on other business and had not thought of calling to see Garm. However, he acknowledged that Garm might be in need of good warriors as he was aware that quite a lot had died recently. He also said he had noted that Garm never appeared in battle himself and had wondered if he overly worried about getting scars on his pretty face. The situation might have got dangerous but Wulfhere calmed everyone down. Swithgar spat at them but eventually left when he thought he could not get them to react. The men they shared the bench with were curious why Garm's War leader was trying to provoke them and Wulfhere insinuated that Swithgar was jealous of a woman. That seemed to satisfy the men and they made ribald comments about the size of Swithgar's manhood. The Brothers took this as an omen that they should leave. Garm might not be paying them personal attention but he had plenty of men that might pick a fight with them and they were unwilling to give him further opportunities. When they returned to their bothies, they sat and watched the bone fires and the wheels of fire being dragged through the fields. Uthric thought that they might be better dragging the wheels through Coelfrith’s Feast Hall as it was obvious that all the evil spirits had gathered there. Dunstan said that he had been reflecting on something Dreng had said. It had bothered him at the time and he now thought he might have come to a different conclusion. Dreng had told them that Garm had wanted to make sure that they did not return to the village. They had assumed that Garm had a personal vendetta against them but Dunstan wondered that perhaps they had not thought this through properly. He wondered if it was possible that Garm and Anyon were working together. Garm’s plan to kill the Brothers was therefore not a personal vendetta but to stop information about the British base getting back to Osberht. The others admitted that they had not thought of this but maybe they should check Dreng's opinion. Both Dreng and Eorlstan were asleep. Dunstan woke Dreng and he was not pleased. He reckoned that he had not many days left alive and was keen to experience as much of life between now and his imminent and untimely death. This was now his time to experience as much sleep as possible and the Brothers were now depriving him of it. However, he listened carefully to Dunstan's words but said that he was unsure if he could confirm his theory. He said Garm had merely asked them to kill the Brothers on their return to Caedering. He could not say what Garm's motivation was because he was not the sort of Thane that took Carls into his confidence. Wulfhere thought that it might just be good enough to insinuate that Garm was in an alliance with the Britons and sow enough doubt in the minds of the Assembly. In his opinion, it did not really matter what the Brothers thought, it mattered how the Assembly voted and it was useful to show Garm in a bad light. He asked Dreng if he would be willing to help him insinuate Garm had an alliance with the hostile Britons. Dreng said that he didn't care one way or the other, but if it assisted the Brothers case he had no objection to helping out. The Brothers were pleased and thought now they had three bits of evidence against Garm, all of which would be harmful to his case and reputation. They clapped Dreng on the back and prepared to go to sleep. However, Dreng said they had not allowed him to finish and he would like to continue this discussion. In his opinion it was clear that the new witness statement was not part of the original agreement and that they might want to negotiate an extra cost with him. He said that they might recall, the agreement was that he would bear witness that Garm had planned to incite Osberht to violence at the Feast. He was also to witness that Garm had wanted the Brothers dead out of spite. He was to be granted his freedom for that. Dreng said that he expected that Garm would order his death afterwards so his prospects were really not good for the future. Dreng thought that insinuating Garm was allied to hostile Britons might be worth an extra reward. He said he had thought about this at length and that maybe Wulfhere's silver arm ring would be a suitable payment to ease the pain of his subsequent shortened life. He felt that the arm ring would be sufficient to have more experience in food, ale and woman, which at this moment he was lacking. After re-experiencing such pleasures, he might feel more content to die. Dunstan tried to bargain with him but Dreng was adamant and they eventually agreed the price of the new agreement was to be the arm ring. The Brothers, Dreng and Eorlstan arrived early at the Assembly. The Hall was full of people who wanted the Ealdorman to hear their cases having either been referred by the Thane's Assemblies or wanting to appeal directly to the Ealdorman due to the difficulty of the case. The leæce, Dunric opened the Assembly, chasing away evil spirits and invoking the gods for the proceedings. Various cases were dealt with by the Ealdorman. Wulfhere thought that Coelfrith already looked bored and disinterested. Some cases he barely listened to, talking and laughing with the warriors around him, while people presented their case. He thought there was such a contrast with Osberht who tried to be fair to his people and make a good judgement. Around midday, Garm rose and stated his intention to ask for a Blood feud against Thane Osbert of Caedering. He depicted Osberht as a dangerous and deranged criminal who killed visitors to his hall after giving them guest rights. The Brothers had agreed that Wulfhere would present the evidence of their counter case against Garm and that Dunstan would give the final speech to sum up their case. Wulfhere stood and interrupted Garm and laid out his own claim. For the first time at the Assembly, Coelfrith looked interested and he was seen to smile. The attending Carls also seemed pleased that they could hear some interesting cases. Land boundary issues and stolen cows did not fire their imagination. Wulfhere spoke well. He told of Garm's treachery in coming as a guest to a feast with the purpose of provoking Osberht into an act of violence. He bought forward Dreng who confirmed that Garm had told him of his intentions beforehand and his pleasure in succeeding in making Osberht to attack Garm and kill his Carl. Dreng told that afterwards Garm returned to Caelctun but he left the three remaining Carls to kill the brothers. Wulfhere said that Garm's purpose was to prevent the Brothers reporting to Osberht about their mission. Wulfhere suggested that Garm was allied to the Britons and his motivation in killing the Brothers was to prevent his friends, the Britons, from being discovered and killed. Wulfhere told the Assembly that Garm had illegally invoked a Blood feud by declaring it at his own feast and offered a jewelled arm ring as reward for the person who killed Osberht. The consequence of this illegal action was that Osberht was ambushed by Eorlstan and his men and he brought forward Eorlstan to confirm his statement. Eorlstan for once was tongue-tied and Wulfhere had to lead him through the evidence. Wulfhere closed his submission by telling the Assembly that Garm had attacked Osberht with no legal mandate and his case should therefore be dismissed. Dunstan then summed up their case by saying that Garm had acted without due process and had prosecuted an illegal act by sneaking around, ambushing and attempted murder. He suggested that Garm was not supporting his Ealdorman but was allied for some unknown reason to the Britons. Dunstan thought that in all his actions, Garm had acted outside the law and had caused injury to Osberht and had sent his own warriors to their deaths needlessly. The Carls murmured and Dunstan thought he might have got them on his side. Garm rose to respond and repeated that Osberht was a criminal. He denied provoking Osberht and said that it was hardly his fault that Osberht was drunk at his own feast and chose to misinterpret some innocent riddles. Osberht could not be trusted with drink and maybe could not be trusted sober. He killed Broge, a Carl who had been trying to calm things down. As for Eorlstan, everyone knew that there were cleverer sheep on the hills. Garm said he had idly mentioned that he was going to declare a blood feud at the Ealdorman’s Assembly. It was not his fault that Eorlstan chose to interpret it as legally operative. Garm said that a Thane could not be responsible for impetuous acts of his Carls. He was following legal procedure by asking for Blood feud now. As for making an alliance with the Britons, he had been involved in more fights in recent years with Britons than anyone else in the Hall. The Brothers assertion was therefore false and vindictive. He would therefore also ask for permission for a Blood feud against them too because by their own admission they had killed his Carls and had spread malicious rumours about him. Coelfrith rose and told the Carls that they had heard the evidence from the Thane and from the Hrothgarsons, including some dubious witnesses. He asked the assembled Carls to make a decision on whether Garm could prosecute a Blood feud against Osberht. Eorlstan’s actions were reprehensible but could be seen as actions of a man who has little ability other than with weapons and even then, that was questionable, given the Hrothgarsons had managed to defeat him when he was in full war gear and they were only armed with long knives. The claim that Garm is allied with the Britons is unfounded and evidence would suggest that Garm spends a lot of time fighting Britons. Osberht on the other hand has an understanding with the British village, Glawmaed. And, he continued, an understanding may be viewed as another word for an alliance. He asked for a vote by a clashing of spears on shields and there was a clear majority for Garm to be allowed to prosecute a Blood feud against Thane Osberht. Coelfrith then asked for a vote on Garm’s request for a blood feud against the Hrothgarsons. Most of the warriors in the room refused the request and the vote was not passed. The warriors around the Brothers slapped their backs and congratulated them. Garm rose and thanked Coelfrith. It was clear that Garm was annoyed but did his best to control his anger. Coelfrith also looked irritated but it was hard for those in the room to discern his views as he was always looking annoyed. Garm then asked if he could make a further request. He said he was facing unprecedented hostility from the West and asked if he could be sent further warriors to protect his and the Ealdorman Coelfrith's lands. Coelfrith agreed that he would give another 20 or 30 warriors to protect Caelctun from the hostile forces. Dunstan did not like the phrase hostile forces to the West as it was clear both the Thane and the Ealdorman were referring to Caedering. He whispered to his brothers that Garm was likely to always need men as he was very careless of them and lost at least six recently. This caused some mirth from men around him who overheard him. Dunstan was not as quiet at speaking as he liked to believe he was. The Brothers decided that it was in there best interests to leave because they were in a hostile hall and were heavily outnumbered. They took Dreng and Eorlstan with them. Eorlstan remarked that he thought that things had gone very well at the Assembly. For once the Brothers were lost for words and thought that Coelfrith’s assessment of Eorlstan was maybe been an underestimate and there were likely to be many sheep on the hills that could outwit Eorlstan. They said farewell to both men. Dreng said he was going to try and head east and maybe north in search of new places. Eorlstan was not sure what he would do. They were glad to leave Eorlstan because his inability to think before he spoke or acted was likely to bring bad luck on those around him. They had grown fond of Dreng who was a decent man although he was a bit pessimistic about his prospects. They went back to the bothie to meet with Aedweard and Eadmund and gather their belongings. They thought that they should leave as soon as possible as they could not be sure that Garm would not attack them. They also felt it was important to tell Osberht that there had been a Blood feud declared against him as soon as possible. That was of course if Osberht still lived. They had not gone too far along the old people’s road when they saw six warriors ahead of them. As they got closer they recognised Swithgar, Garm's War leader, and five carls. They had a quick discussion and felt that it was likely that some of them would die in this exchange. Uthric and Dunstan said that they thought that as long as they made a good account of themselves that they could be satisfied with their deaths. The enemy threw four spears at Aelfweard but he easily parried the one that would have hit him. The others missed. Uthric came up against Swithgar. He was faster than Uthric but his swing with the battle-axe was clumsy and Uthric deflected it and Swithgar hit his own leg with considerable force. He fell over having caused a serious wound to his leg. Uthric was laughing so much that his spear thrust was parried easily. Despite his injury and lying on the ground, Swithgar swung his battle-axe two handed which Uthric easily side-stepped. As the swinging axe went by Uthric kicked Swithgar’s arms and the spike on the butt end of the bearded axe went into his eye. Swithgar was silent after this. Dunstan exchanged blows with his opponent before ripping open the man’s thigh with his spear point. Wulfhere's opponent was nervous and barely parried his thrusts without doing any harm in return, Wulfhere’s third attack went through the man's arm and he dropped his axe. Aelfweard was fighting two opponents and he had only time to parry without getting a chance to hit back. Eadmund parried a blow of the axe and put his spear through the man's chest. He could not get it out as it stuck in the man's ribs. Uthric and Dunstan moved to help Aelfweard who had been wounded in the leg but was still able to stand. Dunstan killed one of Aelfweard’s opponents and both Uthric and Aelfweard hit the other man in the arm and back and he collapsed. Wulfhere was the only one left fighting and they stood and watched him dispatch his foe wounding him badly in an arm and in the thigh. Not for the first time the fighting was swift and deadly. Only Aelfweard had a wound and it was not serious. Five out of their opponents were dead or would die shortly. One was wounded in the leg and he would live if they let him. Uthric said that once again Garm's men were over-rated and he would also be needing a new War leader now. Swithgar was obviously lacking in skills to meet that challenge and had paid the cost with his life. While they were discussing what to do and Aelfweard tied a bandage around his leg, they saw a man running away. He had not taken part in the fight but had stayed in the forest watching. They recognised the man as Garm and although he was already far ahead they gave chase. Wulfhere said that Garm was obviously very accomplished at running as he outdistanced both him and Dunstan and had escaped. When they returned Uthric had stripped the dead bodies and was discussing with Aelfweard and Eadmund the best way to humiliate Garm. They had agreed to hang the bodies at the side of the road. Their prisoner they agreed to let go but stripped him of his armour and weapons. Wulfhere said that he would like two different messages relayed. The first one was for Garm. He was to tell his Thane that he had been acting illegally and they would soon be seeking redress for that. They were also to tell him that he would not be able to run forever. The second message was to tell the other warriors about what had happened here. Wulfhere wanted the man to say that Garm did not even join the fight and he was prepared to let his men die while he ran away. He was to say that they were badly led by a cowardly Thane and the only reward for that would be death and dishonour. The man agreed to convey the messages and they watched him hobble off. The rest of the bodies they hung from the trees as a warning for others. They returned to Caedering towards evening and ate a meal with Taethle to tell her the news. Osberht still had a fever and did not often wake and when he did he said nothing that was sensible. In the main he spoke to his dead wife and Eadgyd said that it was an omen for his death. If he was seeing spirits of the dead then he was nearly in the land of dead. Taethle had sent for a leæce to help with Osberht as she felt it was beyond Eadgyd's skills Taethle discussed the need for support for the Blood feud from Cerdic . If Caelctun was being reinforced then there would likely be an attack on Caedering. It was her duty as a Thane to stay here and help in the defence. The Brothers would have to be her messengers to Cerdic. Wulfhere felt happy about that as he wanted to secure support for Connal and Glawmaed from Cerdic also. Dunstan said that he wasn't too worried about reinforcements in Caelctun. He had been counting and they had already killed or wounded 12 warriors. Wulfhere thought that Garm’s phrase' threat from the west' was ambiguous and sinister. It could be seen as a threat from either the Britons or Caedering. If Garm is allied to the Britons then they might have a combined force of 120-150 Warriors which it was unlikely that anyone except Aelle could match. Cerdic had easily that number of men but they were spread out and couldn't be withdrawn from their fortifications without endangering the conquered lands. They all agreed that Garm would need to be dealt with. Uthric thought that if the rumours were true that he had killed his own brother to become Thane, he was capable of anything. He acknowledged that he too thought of killing his brothers occasionally but they should be happy to know that the mood usually passed quickly and he did not expect that he would ever have to act on his thoughts. Taethle was keen to find out Cerdic's views and to get his counsel. After they had all talked themselves out, Wulfhere and Dunstan decided to sleep in the Thane's Hall to avoid Hildegard. Uthric thought it best to go home and brave his mother’s wrath to spend the night with Meire. In the morning after further words with Taethle they went to Portus Caester where Cerdic was spending time planning his upcoming campaigns. After several hours wait they were admitted to Cerdic's presence. Cerdic was a big man with short grey hair which his unusual for a Saxon. His eyes were very bright blue and they made the Brothers nervous. He did not speak at first, letting his nephew, Stuf speak. Stuf was a taller man than Cerdic and had trouble sitting still. He had been recently given more responsibility by his uncle and was the ruler of Portus Caester. He was obviously still adjusting to this role and they had the distinct impression he looked like he would prefer to be killing someone rather than sitting in counsel. The Brothers told Stuf and Cerdic the events as they knew them and that they had come to seek advice, help and wisdom from Cerdic at Taethle’s request. Cerdic smiled when he heard the story. He said that he had not many men to spare at present but could probably release 20 warriors for Taethle. He confirmed her as Thane until Osberht recovered or died. If Osberht died then she would remain Thane. He asked questions about Garm and said that in his opinion his men would not be overly fond of him. He had shown himself to be weak and cowardly and did not fight with them. It may be possible to overawe them and gain a submission or at the very least they might then not fight for Garm. He accepted Connal‘s offer and asked that they convey a message to him to come to Portus Caester to swear loyalty. Cerdic could only give 20 extra warriors at the moment so Taethle would have to decide if they were to protect Glawmaed or Caedering. Cerdic asked about Coelfrith and what his part was in this tale. The Brothers said they were not sure. He had supported Garm and had promised him more warriors but they were sure that this was no more than a good Ealdorman would do. Cerdic said that they should beware of Coelfrith. He is likely to be their true enemy even if the enemy they see is Garm. They asked about what they thought they should do about Garm. Cerdic agreed that this issue needed to be settled. Caedering was in danger and would not be able to deal with the hostile Britons until there was a resolution with Garm and Caelctun. Cerdic said that he knew that Aelle would not be pleased if Coelfrith's Thane was killed as that would lessen Aelle’s direct power in the west. But Cerdic said that with Aelle it was always easier to ask forgiveness afterwards rather than to seek permission first. He said that they must tell Taethle that he would support her and Osberht, if he survives, but he could not go openly against another Ealdorman so she must not put him in that situation. Cerdic thanked them for their help and gave each a heavy silver arm ring before they left.

The Brothers took their prisoner to Osberht’s hall. He was rather deflated and all they could discover immediately that he was called Dreng Betlieson and was one of Garm's Carls. They thought that he might have been present at Osberht’s feast with Garm, but they weren't sure. Dunstan said that he thought he should be nicknamed Dreng the Sorry as he was sure to be contrite for trying to fight the Hrothgarsons. Uthric thought that he may not be as sorry as his companions, who were lying dead, but how sorry he was would remain to be seen when he was well enough to talk. In the meantime, they discussed matters with Osberht and Taethle. They told Osberht about the Horse soldiers in the forest. Osberht was worried they could be British scouts or worse they could be Dumnonian Cavalry. He said neither would be a cause for celebration and he left momentarily to order double guards on the fighting platforms. Horse soldiers were not good at fighting against walls so he felt there was little danger but thought it was still better to be safe rather than sorry. He also gave orders that the farmers and animal herds should be brought inside the walls. He did not want more avoidable deaths. Wulfhere was keen to remind Osberht of Connal and his willingness to accept Cerdic as Ealdorman and his need for urgent protection. They agreed that either Osberht or Taethle should tell Cerdic of the proposal and the need for more warriors. All thought it likely that if Connal's decision was to become known to Anyon, then Glawmaed would be in danger. Connal would require significant warriors to be stationed at Glawmaed which may not please his people. Saxons occupying their village might lead to resentment or could cause trouble. Wulfhere thought that having a small amount of trouble was worth it to protect the villagers. They also discussed what they had found out about the British settlement, the strong defences and the large Warband gathered there. Dunstan also mentioned the Sacred Pool and his opinion that it could be magical. None of Brothers could say for sure what the pool did or did not do. Taethle thought that it was likely to be just a votive pool despite the butterflies, as there were many of these in Briton. However, all agreed that it would be unwise to annoy the Landvættir unnecessarily. Both Taethle and Osberht thought that they did not have the forces to attack the Britons without more reinforcements form Cerdic. Taethle said that attacking a fortification was always wasteful of men and if it was up to her she would rather face the Britons in the open where they could choose the battleground. She thought that perhaps they could use the British numbers against them hoping that they would be overconfident and make mistakes. She asked specifically about Anyon's character and if he might be thought of as impetuous and hot-headed. All the Brothers agreed that from what they had seen of him, this was likely to be the case. Taethle hoped that this could be used as an advantage. The Brothers asked Osberht his opinion on the prisoner. Osberht said that he had no strong opinion on what they should do. He deserved a dishonourable death by hanging but equally they could make him a thrall. They brought Dreng before them and asked him to explain what had happened. Dreng said that he had been one of the four Carls that had come with Garm to the feast. Afterwards Garm had told them to wait in ambush for the Brothers and to make sure they were dead. The three men had initially tried to track the Brothers but were afraid to enter the forest, as it had an evil reputation. They were also annoyed that Garm had left them alone to complete the task and had gone back to Caelctun. They all felt his actions showed he did not hold them in a high esteem and seemed to care little if they lived or died. Dreng said his comrades had not fought well because they were feeling in low spirits. On another day it was likely that they would have killed the brothers. Wulfhere said it was always easy to boast about great deeds if you were alive. The Brothers left him alone and went off a short distance to discuss Dreng's fate. They purposefully spoke loudly so that Dreng would hear them. Uthric argued that he should die for his actions and in as dishonourable a way as possible. He favoured hanging from a tree and letting the ravens have him. Wulfhere thought that they should be lenient and make him a thrall. He was after all being led by a cowardly Thane. Dunstan had the deciding vote and argued for both cases. It was obvious Dreng was becoming very worried by the discussions. It was not that he minded dying, it was the manner of death that was important. He had a rather pessimistic view of his Wyrd since Garm had left them alone and had suggested to his two dead comrades that they should leave Garm’s service and find a more courageous Lord. He had been overruled and now they were dead and he was going to be hanged. In the end, Dunstan decided that they should make Dreng a thrall. His decision was mostly based on the fact that he thought their mother might be less angry with them if they give her a thrall to do some of the hard labour in her house. He also was concerned that somehow Beorthric and Wilfrith were mixed up in the plot to kill the Brothers and he wanted time to question Dreng more closely on the matter. Dreng was relieved by the decision but it did not improve his mood. He tried to console himself that he was still alive but he recognised that his prospects were not that good. Dunstan asked him about Beorthric and Wilfrith and was surprised that Dreng had no idea about either man. Nonetheless, Dunstan was convinced that both had some part to play in the events and he discussed it with his brothers. They agreed that even if Dreng was not aware of the men, it was likely that Beothric, Wilfrith and Garm were working together. They returned home to tell Hildegard of her new thrall but found that she was still sulking about their decision to kill her husband. They thought her sulking had gone on for an unreasonable amount of time. They asked Uthric if Meire would ask her to stop grumping, as the two seemed to get on well together. Meire refused and said all three might perhaps want to reflect on their own behaviour. It appeared to Uthric that Meire was also somewhat grumpy and he thought that this might not bode well for any hair stroking that night. There was too much tension in the house so they agreed that they should leave and let the women calm down. It seemed that they might be better employed at present in investigating what had happened to the horse soldiers. Dunstan felt that facing a whole squadron of Dumnonian Cavalry was better than facing the two grumpy woman. They went down the path to the place where they had fought the three Carls. Dunstan was still exercised about the sacred pool in the forest. He wondered if they had overpaid the amount that needed to be given. He felt that the more money they got the more other people demanded it. He told the others that he felt that he was overcharged for everything - by armourers, boot makers, cheese sellers, Waystations. All of these people were just trying to relieve the Brothers of their hard-earned silver. He really was unsure how anyone ever managed to get rich when there was always someone wanting their money. The others were tired of Dunstan's constant complaints about silver and the cost of buying things and asked him to be quiet. They went through the forest to the place Uthric had seen the horse soldiers. There was no sign of anyone and they could not find any tracks or horse droppings that suggested there had ever been horses in the area. They both looked at Uthric. He just shrugged and said that to be a good Scout, you had to leave no trace or tracks after you left. In his opinion it was very obvious that the horse soldiers were excellent scouts. They were startled by a sudden flock of birds that had risen from the forest about a league to the South. They were sure something had scared them but could not see what. Uthric was confident it was the horse soldiers but Wulfhere said they were not that excellent scouts if they gave away their position by scaring birds. They agreed that there was no point going to investigate and that the extra guards in the village were sufficient to keep everyone safe. They went back to the village and Dunstan busied himself by teaching Egfryd how to use a spear and shield. Wulfhere dreamed a bit of Bronwyn and Uthric played with Hrothgar trying to improve Meire’s mood. All three stayed out of Hildegard’s way. The next morning, Osberht invited them to help fix some of the withies for the pigpens. In truth, he wanted to be away from Taethle as they were still arguing about his killing of the Carl. He said he was conflicted about what to do and did not want to appear indecisive in front of her. He had come to the decision that they might be best to go to Caelctun to confront Garm. His difficulty, at present, was that he did not see how this could be achieved without leaving Caedering undefended. Uthric said that the Brothers had been discussing why Beorthric and Wilfrith had not returned to Caedering and they thought that, even with Dreng's denial, they were somehow involved with the attempt to kill them. Osberht agreed that it might be possible but that he could not quite yet see the pattern of how it all fitted. Wulfhere spoke more about their trip to Glawmaed and was concerned that Anyon might hear of Connal's decision to swear loyalty to Cerdic. He was keen to get help for Connal as soon as possible. Osberht agreed but he still could not leave Caedering undefended. There were horse soldiers in the area and they were facing hostility from a British Burgh with a large Warband. There was also the uncertainty of Garm and Caelctun. The danger required that a Thane and most of the warriors would have to remain in Caedering to provide defence. In the meantime, Connal and his villagers would need to continue to protect themselves. They were interrupted in their deliberations by one of the village farmers, Taled, who shouted to Osberht that one of his cows, Clufwyrt escaped. Osberht laughed and said that the Clufwyrt had a habit of escaping and excused himself to help Taled. As Osberht walked towards one of the low buildings three armed men came around the corner. One of them shouted something and threw a spear at Osberht. It caught him in the chest and he was thrown backwards by the impact. The Brothers were surprised by the suddenness of events but nevertheless reacted swiftly. They had no weapons other than seaxs but thought they needed to defend their Lord. They ran forward and stood over the body of Osberht. The three men formed a shield wall but seeing the Brothers were armed only with their long knives they grew overconfident and split apart. Uthric saw an opening and stepped inside an extended spear to slash the approaching man in the abdomen, opening a deep cut. The man fell over, using both hands to try to keep his guts from falling out. Dunstan similarly stabbed his foe in the stomach, twisting the seax before withdrawing it upwards. The man had been too slow to parry and dropped both spear and shield to try and staunch the flow of blood. Wulfhere dodged a spear thrust and as the man overextended and fell forward he stabbed the seax into his chest. All three attackers were on the ground. Dunstan went to help Osberht and put strips of cloth over his wound to staunch the flow of blood. Osberht was barely conscious and Dunstan feared he might die. Uthric checked the men who were moaning on the ground. The one he had slashed with the seax had died. Dunstan's foe looked like he might live if someone helped him stop the bleeding but Uthric did not feel in the mood to offer. Wulfhere's opponent was in pain and bleeding but still conscious and was asking for mercy. Wulfhere allowed him to stop the bleeding while keeping a careful watch over him. The man named himself as Eorlstan Addison and he seemed genuinely bemused that he had just lost a fight to a man armed with only a seax when he had his full war gear on. Other people were arriving and they helped take Osberht back to his hall. No-one knew if he would live or die as the wound looked serious and he was pale and unmoving. Some carried the wounded man back the hall and others helped Eorlstan to stand and walk. Eorlstan could be heard telling people that he had been unaware that such great warriors lived in Caedering and if he had known it beforehand, he might have thought twice about coming. Wulfhere had initially thought Eorlstan was trying to save his life by flattery but concluded he was just likely to have over-estimated his own skills. Eadgyd was called and both she and Uthric worked on Osberht. Wulfhere and Dunstan stood over their prisoners and asked them why they had tried to kill Osberht. Eorlstan was the only one able to answer, the other man being barely conscious. Eorlstan said that he had already announced the reason for his attack before he had thrown the spear. If Wulfhere had not heard it, he was more than happy to recap for him. Wulfhere denied hearing either a challenge or a reason and said Eorlstan was not telling the truth in the matter, trying to cover up an evil deed by giving it some legitimacy. Eorlstan said he was happy to tell the whole tale but if he could have a drink of water beforehand it might make his speech easier as he always got thirsty after a fight. Wulfhere agreed to his request but he was beginning to seriously dislike this man. Eorlstan told how Garm had held a feast the previous night and had declared a blood feud against Osberht with a reward of a jewelled arm ring for the person to kill him. Eorlstan had become enamoured by the arm ring which he described as magnificent and the most spectacular arm ring that he had ever seen. He was also keen to get the glory for killing Osberht before anyone else did. He and two friends had waited in some of the outbuildings with the hope that they could strike at Osberht. They thought their luck was good when they saw him talking to three people who were all unarmed. He had shouted as prescribed by law, My Lord Garm declares a blood feud. He claims justice for the wrongs you have done. He threw the javelin and it flew true hitting Osbert in the chest. He did not expect to be a captive afterward and described his position as unfortunate. Wulfhere was taken aback by Eorlstan's frankness. He wondered that along with a rather overinflated view of his own abilities, he also lacked any sense. He appeared to have no realisation of the current threat to his life. Wulfhere’s thoughts were confirmed when Eorlstan asked that if they had finished asking him stupid questions then he would like to go and claim his reward from Garm. Wulfhere wondered what sort of people lived in Caelctun as they seemed to have no firm grasp of reality. He informed Eorlstan that if Osberht lived he would decide his fate and if he died, then he, Wulfhere, would personally hang him from a tree. Eorlstan said he was in a quandary. He desired to live but equally he desired the jewelled arm ring. He had always seen his future as dying in an heroic battle. Last year, he had even paid silver to a Helrýnegu in Cissa Caester to cast runes sticks to discover his wyrd. She had confirmed he would die in battle and he thought that the witch could not have been wrong. Wulfhere said that he might be better asking for his silver back but was unlikely now to get that opportunity. Eorlstan said that he found that unfortunate. Wulfhere checked Eorlstan’s head because he thought he might have a head wound. He found no sign of an injury. Taethle came to stand beside Wulfhere and told him that Osberht was conscious and wishing to speak to him and his brothers. Taethle took all three into Osberht’s private chamber at the back of the hall. On the way in they passed Eadgyd who shook her head and whispered it was unlikely Osberht would live until the morning. They found him propped up in bed and his breath came in wheezes. He spoke with great effort and they did not stay long not wanting to tire him. He signified that Taethle should command the Village. When asked what they should do with their prisoners he told them to hang them. Uthric was keen to carry out Osberht's directions immediately but Taethle thought they should discuss matters first. She was of the opinion that Garm's blood feud was not legal. It had been declared the previous night and not at the Ealdorman’s Assembly which would not happen for four more days. If Garm had waited it was unlikely that Coelfrith would have denied him permission for a blood feud, but he had made a mistake. There might be a chance to argue this at Coelfrith’s Assembly in front of his Carls. At the very least they would embarrass Garm and possibly Coelfrith. The brothers agreed that it might be a good plan. If they could persuade witnesses to testify and invalidate Garm's claims then they thought that they might have a better chance of success. Dreng was a witness to Garm's plan to kill the Brothers and Eorlstan was a witness to an illegal blood feud. Taethle wondered if both men could be convinced to act as a witness against Garm in exchange for their freedom. Otherwise she said both could hang. Wulfhere said he thought that might be possible but his only worry was having to tell Hildegard that her thrall had been freed. She was already angry with him and this was only going to make matters worse. Dunstan said that he did not think it would be such a great deal. Wulfhere was so good at telling bad news that he would make it sound that they were doing Hildegard a favour by taking Dreng off her hands. Taethle said that she had no interest in their domestic squabbles. Uthric said that all this talk was frivolous and that they should at least hang the near dead one as a warning for Garm and his men. The Brothers were concerned that Dreng and Eorlstan would return to Garm and they might have to fight them again but Taethle said that was unlikely. Neither would return to Garm because they would be in fear for their lives. Eorlstan was only too happy to be a witness and told Wulfhere that he had faith in the Helrýnegu’s prophecy and could therefore not be downhearted when things seemed to go wrong. Uthric wondered what the Helrýnegu would make of it if he stuck his seax into Eorlstan's throat. However, he thought better of it for the sake of Osberht. Wulfhere was unsure if he could cope with much more of Eorlstan and worried he might have to kill him before the Assembly to get some peace. Dreng said that he would agree to be a witness for least he would be free even though he did not think he would have long to live afterwards if Garm had his way. And so, it was agreed that the Brothers and two Carls, Aelfweard and Eadmund would travel to Hamafunta to Ealdorman Coelfrith’s Assembly to bring a Law case against Thane Garm. They would take Deng and Eorlstan as witnesses. Taethle would guard Caedering in their absence and they would all hope Osberht would survive. While they were gathering their things to go, Uthric and Wulfhere took the four dead bodies of Garm’s Carls and hung them in the trees close to Caelctun. They hoped they would be found and Garm would see the insult and the threat that they intended. Dunstan had been admonishing his mother for feeding Egfryd too many honey cakes. Egfryd had put on weight since arriving with his new mother and Dunstan was concerned that this would have an impact on his training. Hildegard ignored Dunstan and told him that he was not going to tell her what to do, and how to feed her son. Dunstan was both concerned and happy. He was concerned enough to put Egfryd on a strict training regime while he was away and happy that at least Hildegard was talking to him again.

I watched it...very interesting and worthwhile watching.. half drama...half documentary... I recommend it definitely

In Caedering, there was a strange quietness the morning after the Feast and Assembly. The quietness was not replicated in the Brothers’ heads. Each felt that Thunor was banging the inside of their skulls with his hammer. They were due to meet Osberht at midday to discuss their mission and to agree what was to be done. Dunstan, in particular, wanted to remain under his cloak complaining that the light hurt his eyes. When they reached the Thane's Hall there was a very tense atmosphere between Osberht and Taethle who seemed to having an argument. Both stopped as the Brothers approached the High Table, but all could feel that the situation had been very heated. Osberht welcomed them and offered them cold remnants of last night’s feast with newly baked bread. Dunstan was never one to forgo food was happy to ask for more, having quickly finished his first helping. Wulfhere wondered about the cause of the disagreement between Osbert and Taethle. He suspected that they were still arguing over Osbert's killing of the Carl who had been given guest rights. Wulfhere was of the opinion that it had been Garm's fault because of his goading and insults which had been designed to provoke Osberht. He would support his Thane if it came to violence. The Brothers had discussed the situation earlier and all had the same opinion. They conceded that they were not experts in the Law and it might not go well with Osberht because Garm was clever and likely to deny that any insult had been intended. When they had finished their food, Osbert told them that he and Taethle agreed that they needed good information to carry out Cerdic's request. They had discussed the position of Glawmaed and its Thane, Connal. Both he and Taethle wanted to know what Connal's position was on the ongoing conflicts and his likely future actions. If he was hostile, then Glawmaed would need to be attacked and likely destroyed. The Brothers would need to show guile, intelligence and diplomacy in dealing with Connal and Osberht felt the Brothers had the right skills to complete the task. Uthric noticed that Taethle’s face looked neutral on this point and she was perhaps trying not to say anything. The second part of their mission would be to scout out where the Briton's base lay. They had discussed this at length and were of the opinion that the Britons were operating from east of the Itchen but had no knowledge of the exact location. Taethle wanted to know how many warriors there were, if there were defences and how they could be overcome. She was impatient to get the task completed and Dunstan wondered if she was not overly keen to prove to Cerdic that she merited her recent elevation to Thane. The Brothers left the two Thanes and discussed if they should disguise themselves as Britons but decided against it as none of them could speak Brythonic to any degree. They agreed that they should first see how things lay in Glawmaed and then to go to the small Steading at Seaxnahine near Win Caester Hill, the ruined Burgh on the hill. They thought that it would be useful to observe Glawmaed for a while, for if it was the source of the raids, then they did not want to walk unprepared into danger. Uthric said that now he was a father he would be quite keen to see his son learn to walk and wouldn’t be pleased if they got into trouble without knowing about it first. They approached Glawmaed from the South by walking through the forest and finding a comfortable place to watch the village. After several hours of watching they made up their minds that everything was as it should be in Glawmaed. The farmers and thralls worked in the fields tending crops and animals. The Brothers then convinced themselves that this was rather odd. They felt there should have been more scouts or guards in the area. They could only see two spearmen at the gate to the Village and they weren't being particularly observant. Dunstan thought that perhaps trouble had not come to Glawmaed yet. Uthric thought that maybe they didn't need to be on guard became this was the source of the raids. So, they waited another hour before they decided that nothing was out of place and retraced their steps through the forest, to join the road several leagues below Glawmaed. Wulfhere said that it would be best to approach the village along the road rather than arouse suspicion by appearing out of the forest. Uthric, who spoke some Brythonic, asked the gate guards if they could speak to the Thane. Either Uthric misspoke or the guards were hard of hearing for they remained unmoving and shrugged their shoulders. Uthric tried again and this time they were taken to the large dwelling in the centre of the village. Wulfhere said that perhaps Uthric needed more practice in speaking Brythonic but Uthric said he thought both guards came from another part of Briton and probably just did not understand his accent. As they approached the central building, they saw a short dark-haired man arguing with a tall red-haired man. The taller man was obviously a warrior and the shorter man looked like a farmer. The tall man spat at the short man’s feet and began to walk off but paused momentarily when he saw the Brothers approach. He walked on again after pausing, staring hard at them and then pointedly ignoring them. Much to their surprise, the smaller man, who they had taken for the farmer, introduced himself as Connal, the Chieftain of the Village. He invited them in and gave them some beer before asking for their news. His Saxon was not great but between Uthric and Connal they managed to have a conversation. Wulfhere told him of the British raids on Caedering and the death of Osberht’s wife Mildgyth. Connal asked the brothers to convey condolences to Osberht. He said that they only met infrequently to discuss trade and make sure the peace was kept. They were not that close but Connal knew Osberht to be a decent, fair man. Wulfhere asked if Connal had any knowledge of where the raiders came from. Connal said he was reluctant to say as it might cost him and his village dearly, particularly if it became known that he had given information to Saxons. Connal said that his only motivation at present was to protect his people from harm and that he did not want to be caught between two quarrelling Warlords. In his experience, the people that suffered most in such conflicts were the farmers and the people of villages. Warriors always seemed to benefit from war. Connal asked them more about Osberht’s intentions and about the Ealdorman Cerdic and Coelfrith, who he had appeared to have some knowledge of. Wulfhere let Dunstan and Uthric discuss these matters with Connal as he was more than a little distracted by Connal's daughter, Bronwyn. He had difficultly in trying to attract her attention as neither could communicate in the others language. Despite this Wulfhere thought she was a fine woman and she in turn showed every courtesy to the Wulfhere as a guest. It was perhaps fortunate for Dunstan and Uthric that the proceedings were interrupted by shouting form outside. They had been at a loss about what to say about the intentions of Coelfrith or Cerdic and Connal's shrewd questioning had them telling him more information than they wished. Connal excused himself as the shouting grew louder and the Brothers thought it a good idea to see what was happening too and followed Connal outside. They could see the tall red-haired man arguing with several villagers. Uthric could not catch all that they said but he caught phrases that many Britons have used on battlefields before attacking Saxon Shield walls. There was shoving and pushing between some villagers and supporters of the red-haired man. Connal interupted the man and from his gestures the Brothers understood that Connal was asking him to leave. There was a further sharp exchange of words and the man turned to leave but paused and turned to the Brothers. He said something loudly in Brythonic that Uthric later translated for his brothers to be that the foreigners had come to steal the land of their ancestors but would only get to keep whatever it took to bury them. Wulfhere said afterwards that it was well that the Brothers had a good opinion of themselves because it seemed that every Thane in the area was intent on insulting them. If they were to accept what Thanes said, then they would end up believing they were people of little worth. Dunstan and Uthric agreed and wondered if maybe Connal was right. All the local Thanes seemed to be more interested in causing trouble rather than keeping the peace and looking after their people’s welfare. They asked Connal who the ill-tempered red-haired man was and why he was so angry. Connal told them he was named Anyon of the Regneses. The Regneses were a sub-tribe of the Cantii and had been displaced some years ago by their King Aelle. Anyon is particularly unpleasant and angry said Connal being descended from the last kings of the Regneses. He considers himself to be better than most. Connal admitted to not having any proof that he was involved in raids but he was good at stirring up hatred and inciting hotheads to leave the village. Uthric agreed that this is what most kings seem to do and lamented about the quality of kings in these times. He said that in the stories the skalds the Kings always acted in more noble ways. The others nodded thoughtfully in agreement. Connal was quiet after the altercation as he watched Anyon and his followers leave the village and head west into the forest. The Brothers asked if they could help him in some way. Connal said that he knew his position was precarious and his only interest was to protect his people as his fathers and grandfathers had done. He asked the Brothers to convey to Osberht what terms would there be for Glawmaed if he submitted to Saxon rule. Wulfhere did not think they had the authority to make any agreement but he said that they would be happy to deliver such sentiments to Osberht and no doubt Connal would have a favourable answer. The Brothers made their farewells to Connal and Wulfhere paid special attention to Bronwyn, which made her friends who were watching the proceedings, giggle. However, he said nothing of his thoughts to Uthric or Dunstan which could have had serious consequences later had he not been quick with his kicking foot. Uthric had a childhood friend from Glawmaed called Lucnot, a son of Connal, who he had not seen for many years. They had met by accident when they were boys and had played in the forest building shelters, fishing and hunting together. Uthric sought out Lucnot and asked to meet with him, thinking perhaps Lucnot would be more open with information. Lucnot was pleased to see Uthric but thought it better to meet in the forest rather than to be seen talking openly to Saxons. It was a different matter for Connal as Chieftain to meet Saxon envoys but Lucnot thought some might think ill of him if he was too friendly. Lucnot met Uthric at the agreed time and the two renewed their acquaintance. They talked about olden times and of adventures they had had. Uthric wanted to know if Anyon was the leader of the Warbands that were attacking Caedering but Lucnot could not say. He knew that they lived somewhere to the West in the Forest of Moen but had never seen the place. Anyon was of a different tribe of Britons and he did not have a good opinion of anyone but himself. Lucnot advised against inciting Anyon as he was known for his vicious temper. The two parted in friendship and thought that they might renew their acquaintance if the tension in the land eased. The Forest of Moen had an evil repetition in Saxon lore. It was known to be full of hostile British landvættir and they did think well of Saxons, who they saw as invaders. There were stories about people going into the forest and never returning. The Brothers discussed what to do next. They were of the opinion that their next steps were dangerous and that going into the forest might lead to their deaths. They were concerned that Osberht needed to know the information about Connal’s offer for Glawmaed. They thought that Taethle might want an easy victory and attack Glawmaed and that Osberht might agree because he was compromised by the breaking of the guest rights. They agreed that Glawmaed should be protected first and then they would risk their lives by trying to complete the rest of their mission. And so, they went back to Caedering. Osberht was surprised at their appearance. He thought his speech about them taking time to travel to places had stung them to complete their mission quickly. His initial disappointment was tempered by their news that Connal was considering swearing loyalty to the Saxon Lords. Dunstan began to say that the agreement could be sealed if Osberht considered marrying Connal's daughter, Bronwyn, but was interupted by Wulfhere who kicked him on the shins halfway through the sentence. Fortunately, Osberht was too distracted to notice but Taethle gave them both a strange look. The Brothers left and went to see their mother intending to stay the night before going north and then west through the Forest of Moen. Their mother was still angry with them about Beorthric and had not much to say to them other than to place their evening meals on the table a little too forcibly. Dunstan wanted to know why Wulfhere had kicked him when they had been talking with Osberht. He believed that his idea of Bronwyn’s marriage to Osberht to be one of his better ideas. Osberht needed a new wife to calm him down and make him happy and Connal would he reassured that the agreement would stand having Osberht as a son-in-law. Wulfhere acknowledged that Dunstan's thinking had a sound base but he told them he had been thinking about Bronwyn himself. Uthric and Dunstan laughed at the news for Wulfhere had not shown interest in women for some time. Fortunately for Wulfhere it was dark and they did not see him blush. Connal's information suggested the British base lay in the west and probably within the Forest of Moen, however the Brothers thought it prudent to make sure that there was no activity in the north. There was a small Saxon hamlet, Seaxnahine, on the lower slopes of the ruined fortification at Win Caester Hill. The Thane was called Osbeorn, known for his ill-temper and being not easy to get on with. Aelle had made him a Thane but he refused to co-operate with anyone, made a nuisance of himself and took his family north founding Seaxnahine in an out of the way place. Most were glad to see him go. The Brothers reckoned that if Osbeorn had been left in peace, it was likely that no British raiders had been in the area. On the journey north, much to Wulfhere's discomfort, they discussed his sudden interest in Bronwyn. Dunstan wondered how they would communicate if they couldn't speak each other’s language and what Uthric and he could do to possibly aid communication. Uthric offered to translate for Wulfhere and thought perhaps he could lie in bed between them to ensure clear lines of communication. Dunstan thought that Uthric would be better clearing this with Meire first. She might not agree to such an arrangement. She might even insist on joining Uthric in the bed too and he worried that it could collapse under the combined weight of four people. He thought that the constant cost of replacing beds might outweigh the benefits of marriage altogether. He continued to reflect that not being able to communicate might however be an advantage in marriage. He conceded that he had never been married so he might not know just how important it was in a relationship. But he wondered if talking was not over-rated. He had heard that British women were much more independent that Saxon women and they had sharper tongues. He brought up the example of the farmer, Snell, who had a British wife and it was definitely her that made the decisions. Uthric thought this maybe would not be a bad thing. It was well known that while Wulfhere was excellent at telling people bad news, his decision making had not really been tested yet. Wulfhere said he thought Dunstan should take his own advice and stop talking. Their discussion was interrupted when they saw Win Caester Hill and they tried to approach Seaxnahine by staying out of sight. They could see smoke from cooking fires rising and, as they lay in a hollow and watched, an old man with a double-handed axe over his shoulder advanced towards them. He stopped twenty paces away and stared silently. Wulfhere rose and gave him a greeting and explained why they were hiding in the grass. The older man named himself as Osbeorn, the Thane, and impolitely asked them to leave. He was suspicious of foreigners he said whether they were Saxon or British and he took the opinion that if they disregarded his requests that they were signalling hostility and they ultimately would then end up as food for the ravens. Wulfhere thanked him for his honesty in stating his intentions plainly and without ambiguity and wished him luck. The Brother’s thought that Osbeorn’s reputation had been deserved. He was a thoroughly unpleasant man with no sense of hospitality. The Brothers agreed that they would go back down the Old People's Road and enter the Forest of Moen from the north and travel in a south-west direction until they met the ltichen River. The forest is old, dense and mostly of large oak trees, criss-crossed with streams and pools. Despite all being accomplished at woodcraft, the Brothers soon became hopelessly lost. They decided to follow a game trail which judging by the sun led south and after five hours found themselves in a glade with a forest pool. The pool was surrounded by forest woodland flowers and butterflies floated lazily in the still air. The bottom of the pool was littered with coins and other treasure and Dunstan thought that this was some kind of shrine and wondered if they should also make an offering. They debated what might be appropriate but could gain no agreement. Wulfhere thought that perhaps they should have brought Meire with them to be able to communicate with the pool and then they would be sure to know what was right. Uthric admitted that Meire had many talents but he was not sure that communicating with pools was one of them. Leastways he said she had never yet shown any desire or interest in talking with pools when he was with her but he accepted that she did used to live beside one and might have done so in the past and without his knowledge. There was a hazy, dreamy quality about the pool and they began to worry that time would pass more slowly here than in the world outside. Wulfhere said as far as he knew most people never met one such pool in a whole lifetime and they would have to be very unlucky to meet two such pools. The thought of delayed time made them make a quick decision and Dunstan threw three pieces of hacksilver into the pool. The butterflies rose up and fluttered around them which made them even more uneasy and they hurried along a path that as far as they could tell went straight west. Dunstan thought that if they were with a Warband coming through the forest then it would probably be safe to loot the pool. He was sure there must be a great treasure there. His new cloak snagged on a thorn bush and he took that as a sign that maybe looting wasn't a good idea no matter how big a Warband was with him. By late afternoon they had made their way along the westerly path and they had begun to smell wood smoke. They crawled cautiously through the undergrowth until they came to the edge of the forest. Set in the eaves lay a large settlement with the land behind it sloping gently down to the river. The settlement was one of the old people's dwellings. It was surrounded by a wall made out of the strange square clay stones of the old people and was over the height of a tall man. They could not see the gate from where they lay but there were guards walking on a fighting platform inside the wall. They could see a taller building made of stone on the inside and a lot of thatched round houses. From their position they could not see how many people lived there but it looked like a lot. They were definitely not keen for a closer look. Uthric was of the opinion that they had completed their mission and thought they should leave in case they were discovered. Wulfhere reminded them of the questions Taethle had asked at the feast and he had a feeling she might want much more information than they had been able to get from lying on their bellies in the undergrowth. Uthric said that to be truthful he had not much memory of that night and Dunstan agreed. He said, that as they might recall, he had had difficulty standing upright, so they should realise that listening had been completely out of the question. However, the Brothers agreed that having come so far that it was probably better to try and find out more about the place and how many warriors there were but to do it in such a way so as not to increase the risk of being discovered. They crawled through the undergrowth to where they could see both the angle of the wall and also the side facing the River. There was much coming and going in and out of a guarded gate. They watched as three warriors got out of a small boat and made their way up from the river carrying their belongings. It looked as though the Burgh had got three new warriors. Wulfhere suggested that one of them climb a tree to see over the walls and into the Burgh. That way he thought they could count warriors. There was a silence in which no-one volunteered and each looked at the other. Uthric was the first to give in and offered to climb one of the trees as long as the others caught him if he fell. He did not think he would have much luck in surviving in this forest if he broke his leg. Wulfhere reassured him that today was a lucky day and he was certain Uthric would not suffer any injury. As it turned out, Uthric did not have to climb that high as he could see over the walls from some of the lower, larger branches. He estimated that there were dwellings for about 500 people. He could see woman and children inside the Burgh so he reckoned there might be 100 or so warriors. As he was coming down one of the guards on the wall seemed to take an interest in the tree he was in, pointing with his spear in his direction. He jumped the last bit and told his brothers that perhaps it would now be good to see if they could outrun some Britons who had possibly seen them. They set off through the trees heading in an easterly direction. They could now hear sounds of pursuit from behind and the barking of dogs. They ran as fast as they could, sometimes running along streams to try and put the pursuit, and particularly the dogs, off the scent. They had quickly become lost but at least they did not hear anyone following. They thought they might be travelling south but after a few hours they ended up back at the treasure pool. They approached cautiously but did not see anyone around the pool. Dunstan was relieved for he had been beginning to worry that maybe every pool in the centre of forests had a red-hatted and iron-booted Bannucmann. They were tired and thought perhaps they should rest as it would soon be too dark to travel safely and this seemed a better place to stay rather than face hostile landvættir at night. The sound of barking dogs and men shouting in British changed their minds and they took a path from the pool that looked like it went east. The sound of pursuit came closer but they were able to outdistance it and eventually they came to the eaves of the forest near Glawmaed. They found a place that they could easily defend and spent the night crouched down and on high alert as they waited for the first light of the false dawn. They passed by Glawmaed which was coming to life for the new day. Wulfhere thought he saw Bronwyn and waved. He was sure she waved back which cheered him up after a miserable night in the forest. Caedering is built on a ridge in the forest. It can be approached from two ways. First, there is a steep path that cuts through rocks of a cliff face and is the quickest way to get to the old people's road running north to Glawmaed or south to Portus Cæster or Hamafunta. The second way is a circuitous route that joins the old people's road north of Hamafunta before approaching Caedering from the east through the forest and latterly through the cleared land where the villagers grow crops. The Brothers were walking towards the steep path when Dunstan noticed the glint of spears amongst the rocks. He pointed this out to his brothers and they stopped to decide that it might be better to take the longer route home to avoid trouble. They were unsure what the hidden spears meant but none of them were that keen to find out. They began to move south but stopped again when Uthric saw horse-soldiers attempting to hide in the eaves of the wood. He pointed out that they would have walked straight into them if he wasn't so eagle-eyed. They felt their safer option was to take their chance with the hidden spearmen at the cliff face. While they stood for a moment in indecision, the spearmen came towards them. They were relieved that they were Saxon warriors and although they didn't recognise them they were likely to be Taethle's men. Six warriors could defend themselves against horse soldiers. But the three warriors took up aggressive positions and advanced towards them. When it became obvious that they were going to be attacked they felt they had no option but to carry the fight to these men. The fight was brief and bloody. Uthric was first to attack. He feinted low with his spear and when his opponent moved his shield to parry the thrust, Uthric moved the point high and lodged the spear in his throat. The man looked surprised and fell to the ground. Dunstan also thrust at his opponent’s head. The man was too slow to respond and the spear caught him in the cheek and on into the brain. It was likely he was dead before he hit the ground. Two were down almost immediately. The third man was hesitant having seen his comrades killed swiftly and efficiently. Wulfhere thrust his spear round the shield and into the man's side. He grunted but did not fall. Instead of trying to hit back he threw his spear down and asked for mercy. The fight was quick and violent and over almost before it had begun. Wulfhere bundled the man forward to the rocky path while Dunstan checked the other two warriors. Uthric guarded against attack from horsemen to the rear. Both men were dying or dead and Dunstan left them, keen to get to the safety of the steep path and trees in case they were attacked by horse soldiers This mystery of this attack could be solved. They had a prisoner and Wulfhere thought that with some gentle, or perhaps not so gentle, persuasion, the man would provide some answers.

***** WARNING SPOILERS - some of this part of the Chronicle contains elements of Mythras' Logres. If you intend to play it as a Player it's probably best not to read it because your enjoyment will be seriously diminished **** The Brothers left Dunasted a moon after the Feast of Sol-monath. Uthric and Meire’s child was now two moons old and both felt he would be able to travel safely. Uthric had named the child Hrothgar after his father which all the Brother’s felt was a good omen. Not only had they found their father Hrothgar but they were bringing home his grandson, also named Hrothgar. They travelled through Grim’s Dyke Burgh and on to Lundenwic. Uthric was worried that people might be afraid of Meire and he asked Offa for a hooded cloak so that people could not see the green tinge in her hair or skin. At Lundenwic they rested for a while and asked at the local market if anyone had heard of Beorthric or Wilfred but no one could tell them any news about either man. That night in the Waystation, Uthric told the story of Offa and the and people who listened to the tale said that he spoke well. The Brothers were not short of ale that night but things then turned for the worse. One of their new friends insisted on trying to show that he also could throw an anvil. He felt that in reality it was not such a great feat of strength but he could not gainsay it as an excellent stratagem and he would prove it at that particular moment. Perhaps the man had drunk too much and perhaps he had an over-inflated view of his own strength but he dropped the anvil on another man's arm. As a fight broke out the Brothers thought it prudent to leave. Uthric had to be dragged out by Wulfhere as he was insisting on trying to get the man to understand that Offa had required his help both to lift and steady himself for the throw. So, in future, if the man was of the opinion to throw an anvil it was necessary to have an equally strong person to assist him in the task. Uthric grew grumpy with his brothers as he felt that he was only offering the man some advice that might be useful in the future. Dunstan wondered if he hadn't been spending too much time with Offa and grumpiness might be as contagious as the plague. The man, on the other hand, was not paying attention to Uthric and missed his sage advice due to being beaten unconscious by the crushed-arm-man’s friends. In the morning they bought food for the journey and left Lundenwic arriving at Cissa Cæster without incident five days later. They stayed at the Waystation by the Eastgate as they had on their outward journey. Uthric again told the story of Offa's Anvil to acclaim and disbelief by his listeners. As before in Lundenwic, the Brothers asked for news of Beorthric or Wilfrith but no-one knew who they were. People did remember their father, Hrothgar, and they were treated with respect because of him. In the morning they decided to replace their worn shoes with new boots to create a good impression when they returned home. Dunstan bargained with the merchants and got a good deal. It took another day to travel to Caedering and when they arrived after the first stars had come out. They presented themselves to the two Housecarls who were guarding the Thane's Hall but were told Osberht had gone to Portus Caester and would be back either tomorrow or the day after. They were confused by the Housecarls’ demeanour and thought something important had occurred but neither Housecarl would give them the news, saying that Osberht would no doubt tell them in good time. They thought the situation was strange but decided against further discussion until they were aware of the facts. As Osberht was not there they agreed that they should give their greetings to Hildegard, their mother. It was obvious something of importance had happened as Hildegard was heavily pregnant. Dunstan said that in his experience there was always a man involved in making children and perhaps she had some interesting news that might be important for them to hear. Hildegard said that this could wait until they had eaten and told their story of their journey and deeds. She told them she was glad to see them and greeted them warmly as she had been of the opinion that they must have been dead because they had been gone for so long. The Brothers told the story of Hrothgar, his travels and his death. They told of their own travels, how they found out the truth of what had happened, of the betrayal of Beorthric and Wilfrith and finally their desperate fight and final revenge on the Bannucmann. At appropriate times they introduced their new companions, Hildegard’s new son Egfryd, her daughter-in-law Meire and her grandchild, Hrothgar. Hildegard took all these new events calmly but the Brothers were worried that Hildegard had barely reacted to all this good news and they wondered if she was ill. A tear rolled down her face and she thanked her sons for what they had done for Hrothgar, their father. She told them, at first after they had left, she and the two children had been well. The harvest had not been as good as they had hoped last year and the family was short of food. They did not have the Brothers to provide food from the hunt and Hildegard was too proud to ask her neighbours for help, knowing they also had little extra to give. Every day that passed she thought her three sons would return but each day she was disappointed in her hope and their plight became desperate. Hildegard told how Beorthric and Wilfrith had returned to Caedering shortly after the brothers had left and it was Beorthric that had noticed her situation and had been kind to her, bringing food. He had asked her to marry him as he had a desire to support her and he thought a marriage might be a good arrangement, but she had refused. Winter is a hard time for everyone she told them and no-one has much to spare but Beorthric always brought food and as time went on she had relied more on him, just to be able to survive. When he asked again if she would marry him, this time she agreed to protect her two remaining children. She had been of the opinion that none of eldest sons would ever now return and she needed to protect and feed Hrothgar’s remaining two younger children. For once the Brothers were unsure how to proceed. It had all seemed very simple on their return journey. Tell Osberht what had happened, agree a blood feud and kill the two cowards. Now one of the men they wished to kill was married to their mother and he had saved her life and that of their younger siblings. There was an awkward silence as the Brother’s tried to digest the news. For something to do, Hildegard ruffled Egfryd's hair and took him to get some honey cakes. Egfryd was relieved. He had been close to tears when the story was being told and was unsure if his new mother would accept him as her son. Hildegard also welcomed Meire and nursed Hrothgar who seemed to be aware of the tension and had begun to cry. Hildegard made pleasant chat with Meire, politely ignoring the greenish tinges. She was after all descended from Thunor and her ancestors had probably found such small oddities as green tinged skin rather common place, so she too, decided to ignore it. The Brothers left Egfryd happily eating honey cakes and Meire and Hildegard talking about babies and went out to discuss how things stood. Dunstan said he was shocked at how fickle Hildegard was, his father had just been laid to rest and she had already forgotten him and then married the man that had caused his death. Uthric, who was using the time to sharpen his axe, thought that at least they would not have to travel far to find Beorthric, all they would have to do was wait until he came home and then kill him. Wulfhere urged caution. He was unsure what they should do and thought it best to ask advice from Osberht when he returned. It was obvious that if they killed Beorthric they risked upsetting their mother. He felt that in the case of Beorthric they could perhaps be magnanimous and for the sake of their mother they would only ask for a wergild and outlawry. Wilfrith, on the other hand, they had already agreed that they wanted his death. Dunstan said that Beorthric was known previously for his meanness and if they asked for a wergild he would probably want to offset it against the food he had provided. Uthric laughed and said it was likely that Beorthric must have had a premonition and that he had therefore been paying the wergild in small instalments of food. They were all in better form after their discussion and told their mother they would seek Osberht’s advice and judgement before taking any action. This sufficed for now as Hildegard thought that Osberht would talk sense into her sons. Osberht returned towards evening of the next day. He had a company of 36 warriors with him who were all strangers to the Brothers. They were shocked by Osbert's appearance. He was gaunt and hollow- eyed and fidgeted with a strip of embroidered cloth. He delivered short curt orders and lost his temper when the servants were slow in bringing ale. Yet he was pleasant to the Brothers and asked them the tale of their journey and if they had been able to give Hrothgar’s unrestful spirit peace. Uthric again told the story of their journey into the north. He did not embellish it but spoke plainly. Osberht listened and then asked questions while looking at Meire. He asked her directly if she was an Ælfar and if so did she bring luck or evil to the village. Meire smiled and said she was not an Ælfar but merely Uthric's wife and Hrothgar's mother. Osberht stared for a time at her but said nothing further. The Brothers asked Osberht for his news as they said that they could see from his demeanour and bearing that some momentous events had occurred in their absence. Osberht told of increased tensions between the Saxon peoples and the British. Ealdorman Coelfrith had been attacking the British to the West and Ealdorman Cerdic had been raiding by sea along the coasts of Dumnonia. The British had struck back and Caedering, being the farthest western settlement, bore the brunt of the attacks. Osberht reminded them that he was to many Mildgyth last Midsummer, which they had celebrated with great joy, despite the Brothers absence. Three days ago, the British struck and Mildgyth was outside the palisade arranging the new pens for the sheep shearing and lambing. She didn't see the raiders until it was too late to seek shelter or safety. She was killed by a chance spear. Osberht had buried her and told the Brothers that his anger had grown. He did not blame the British, for they just did what our people do, raid and defend their homes. Osberht laid the blame on Ealdorman Coelfrith who he had asked many times for aid and support. Coelfrith had always denied help, making up plausible excuses as to why he could not lend warriors and Osberht said that he was left with the view that in Coelfrith’s opinion, Caedering was expendable. Therefore, two days ago, Osberht went to Cerdic and told him of about his problem. Cerdic had immediately offered warriors for the defence of Caedering. Osberht acknowledged that the price had been high because he had to repudiate Coelfrith as lord and to swear allegiance to Cerdic. Also, Caedering would now have to combine forces with Cerdic to eliminate the growing threat of British raids. The Brothers offered their condolences to Osberht and recalled fond memories of Mildgyth and thought she would have been a good influence on the village had she lived. Osberht thanked them for their words and said there would be a feast held for their return at which everyone would hear their tale of victory which would, without doubt, cheer and enhearten the men after so much sorrow. He also felt it would serve two further purposes that he had in mind. It would be a formal welcome to Cerdic's warriors and their Thane, the Shieldmaiden Taethle. Secondly, it would be an opportunity for the warriors to hear how Caedering will prosecute this war against the British. The Brothers brought up their concerns about their legal issues and the unforeseen complication now that Beorthric was their new step-father . Osberht said that he was now in no mood for mercy and he would support their call for a blood feud against Beorthric and Wilfrid. He would call an Assembly to ensure its legality and allow them to seek vengeance. The Brothers thanked Osberht and asked what they could do in return for this favour. Osberht said that he would no doubt think of something that would suit their skills by tonight and he could probably be able to announce it at the feast so they would not have to wait too long to repay him. Wulfhere was not sure they might be pleased with Osberht’s plan as he seemed to have suddenly become over reckless and had lost his ability to take a slow and steady route through problems. The Brothers knew that they had a difficulty about how to tell their news to Hildegard. Both Dunstan and Uthric thought that Wulfhere should tell her as he was the eldest and they felt that he had gained wisdom beyond his years when it came to telling other people bad news. Wulfhere did not concur with his brothers and complained that they often volunteered to tell others good news but somehow, he was always chosen to bring evil tidings. He worried that he might get a name for it. It was not hard to predict that Hildegard was upset by the news and even when Wulfhere offered to mitigate Beorthric's judgement to outlawry if he would lay down his spear, she was not pleased and took to her bed. Wulfhere left her alone as he said to his brothers afterwards that he could not change what had now been decided and no words would make it easier for her. Uthric observed that it was likely that Hildegard would become a widow again for the second time in two years and some people would consider this unfortunate. Dunstan thought that perhaps next time Hildegard should consider all the facts before she agreed to marry her next husband. He also hoped that she would choose wisely as to have a third husband die would probably ruin her chances of getting a forth. Neither Beorthric and Wilfrid had returned with Osberht. They had stayed behind to consult a leæce on Wilfrid’s indigestion. Wulfhere said that it was a pity Wilfrid had not asked him. as he had always found his spear point usually sorted out all sorts of pains to make them of negligible importance in the future. The Brothers left Hildegard’s house as they did not want another confrontation with their mother so as to be in a good cheer for the feast later. That night the brothers sat at the Thane's table opposite Osberht. In the place of honour, at Osbert's left, sat Thane Taethle and on his right sat Garm, Thane of Cælctun who had arrived unannounced earlier that evening. Osberht did not like Garm, who he thought was arrogant and too fond of himself. It had not helped that Garm had previously accused one of Osberht’s Carls of murdering Garm's older brother. Osberht found such a story unlikely having known the Carl well. Garm had done well out of his brother’s death and had been elected Thane in his brother's place. While Garm was an unwelcome guest, the others were not and for a while Osberht forgot his troubles. After everyone had had enough to eat, Uthric was called to tell the tale of their travels, the dramatic ending of the Bannucmann and Offa's heroic feat of strength. The gathered warriors applauded the story, stamping the ground and banging their benches and all agreed Uthric had told it well. Osberht stood and called an Assembly to decide the fate of Beorthric and Wilfrith. Wulfhere, as eldest brother, stood forward and called for a blood feud to be agreed by acclamation of the Assembly. He acknowledged that while these men had not actually caused the death of Hrothgar they had not aided him to defeat the Bannucmann. Their own experience of fighting the Bannucmann was that pinning him down was a sure way to stop him killing others and ultimately led to his own timely death. Wulfhere contended that if Beorthric and Wilfrith had aided Hrothgar when Hrothgar had him pinned, then it was likely that Hrothgar would be standing at the feast telling of his exploits in killing the Bannucmann. The-assembled warriors cheered their acclaim and the blood feud was agreed. Any dissenting voices were ignored. Garm suggested that if only Hrothgar had had an anvil, things would have been different, but only Dunstan heard his remark because of the clamour in the Hall. Dunstan gave the Thane a hard look which Garm ignored. More ale was brought in and the warriors made the best use they could of it by drinking it quickly. The Brothers met old acquaintances and heard their news from their friends. Much mirth was had with Sunngyth one of the Caedering Shieldmaidens who said she saw two ghosts in the shape of mice talking about 0sberht's death. As usual the other warriors made fun of her. She was well known for seeing omens everywhere and everyone was of the view that none of the portents came true. But the general consideration was that if she kept seeing signs, the odds of one coming true would reduce and one day to everyone’s amazement she would be right. Despite the constant fun made of Sunngyth’s predictions, most of the warriors showed concern for Osberht. He had become bitter and angry since Mildgyth’s death and they thought he should take a new wife. Some even suggested Thane Taethle as a match but others considered it unlikely. Wulfhere and Dunstan were asked about Uthric’s new wife and if she was actually an Ælfar. They were keen to know if she would bring luck to Caedering or would she curse the village. They all thought her beautiful but uncanny in skin tone. Osberht called for attention and the rowdiness died down. He invited the Brothers back to the top table and told the Assembly that now they had shown some ability in walking places, he was going to ask them to walk a bit more. Maybe he said they could get the task done a bit quicker this time as he was not going to get them to walk the length of Briton. Cerdic had asked that Osberht secure the area of hostile Britons but as yet no-one knew where they had their base. He was going to send the Brothers to find this out as they had proved their ability to do difficult things by putting their father's spirit to rest. The Hall erupted in cheers and shouts. Osberht again quietened the crowd and brought presents for the Brothers, a silver-chased knife for Wulfhere, a jewelled broach for Uthric and a new cloak for Dunstan. When the crowd stopped cheering, Thane Garm rose and asked the Brothers some questions. He wondered how they would succeed in finding the British base if they had to go around asking for help from this Offa, who was a mere Angle, and it was he that they had to get to kill the Bannucmann. Wulfhere said that perhaps the Thane had misheard Uthric but they all had a hand in killing the Bannucmann. Dunstan said quietly to Uthric that surely it wasn't anyone’s fault that Garm was deaf, but it was definitely tedious if after every speech, Garm was going to ask stupid questions in clarification. Garm laughed at Wulfhere's explanation and suggested that far from being experienced travellers that they had merely walked a lot following the Old People's roads. Even cows can walk that far if they have a farmer to lead them, so perhaps they should engage one of the local farmers to aid them this time. Taethle stood and interrupted Garm. It was clear that Garm was trying to goad the Brothers and she asked some slightly more pointed questions. She wondered if the Brothers could tell her of Wiglaf’s troops, their quality and number. Uthric knew he was being tested and was able to tell her a description of what she had asked for, although he admitted later he had guessed. She seemed satisfied with the account and asked Wulfhere about the troops in Lundenwic. Wulfhere truthfully had only noticed the Angles wore their hair braided to one side and so he admitted that he had not counted the warriors as they were spread out over a wide area and the Brothers had mostly stayed in a Waystation with merchants. Taethle did not seem so satisfied with this answer and was noted to scowl slightly in response. Finally, she asked Dunstan how the Angles had fought in a shield wall and if the used different tactics to the South Saxons. Dunstan who at this point could barely stand managed to only say no before being helped onto his bench by a supporting warrior. Taethle would have likely made another comment but Garm said that he had not finished asking questions and he was annoyed that Taethle had interrupted him. Some had noticed his annoyance and remarked on it afterwards in the light of events to come. Garm moved over to Wulfhere and in a loud voice challenged him to a riddling contest. Wulfhere knew that the Thane was trying to mock him and looked for support from Osberht. Unfortunately, at that particular moment Osberht was not available to support anyone. He was staring into his cups and those around him had left him to his thoughts. The Warriors in the Hall took up the shout encouraging Wulfhere to show Garm that Caedering Carls could out-riddle anyone. They had possibly not thought the contest through as Wulfhere was only thought of as competent in riddle making. Garm’s first riddle was not particularly difficult but most understood it to be a thinly veiled reference to Osbert's desire to find peaceful means of living rather than the glory of fighting. After some thought Wulfhere gave an answer, which while not the answer that Garm wanted was adjudged by the assembled warriors to be equally correct. Wulfhere then asked a standard riddle in return which Garm easily answered to loud boos from the back of the Hall. Garm moved closer to Wulfhere and the Thane delivered his second riddle in Wulfhere’s face. About three years ago, Wulfhere had been betrothed to marry a local woman, Daira, but she had died from the plague and Wulfhere had not shown much interest in getting married since then. He knew that Garm’s riddle was referring to his betrothal and his subsequent lack of a woman in his life since. He answered correctly but refused to be goaded by Garm's unpleasant manner. Wulfhere could not think of a difficult riddle and Garm easily answered his next question. Garm's third riddle was a thinly disguised reference to Osberht’s deceased wife and his inability to protect her. The Hall fell silent and Osberht, whose head had been in his cups, looked up. His face charged and a black rage descended on him. Osberht leapt up and taking a spear from a wall, advanced on Garm. Afterwards men said they had never seen Osberht so angry, not even when he buried Mildgyth. He would have struck at Garm had not one of his Carls interceded, taking up a battle-axe and threatening Osberht. Without so much as blinking Osbert struck the man in the throat and he fell face first on the reed floor, his life blood flowing and staining the ground. The Hall was silent and everyone stood still. All except Garm. The Thane rapidly made his way to the door of the Hall, paused before he went out and shouted with a loud voice how Osberht had broken the guest rights by killing a visitor in his own Hall after offering food and protection. With that Garm left and no-one tried to stop him. Osberht stood still and men remarked that while a black rage had only recently been visible on his face, it was now looked as drained of blood and as pale as the dead man on the floor.

Isn't that an oxymoron?

I’m worrying about Tamerian’s dodgy 70’s moustache and slippers!!!! Otherwise unlike Bill I enjoyed the Zorak Zoran Moomintroll ... I also failed my SAN roll but rolled over my INT x5

That would really worry me... and even to be culturally polite... I think I'd invent an allergy to or religious proscription to any fermented products

Offa was both grumpy and pleased. His Carls were used to the grumpiness and in fact his being grumpy was expected. They were unsure how to cope when he was pleased. But Offa was genuinely pleased to see the Brothers again. He told himself it was just because they praised his ale but he enjoyed their company and they had got on well in Mershford. He was even spotted by his more observant men to be smiling. To be sure, Offa hadn't put it like that. He had thought the brothers dead and now they had returned with another brother and a woman and this had caused him to smile. He did admit that the woman was somewhat unsettling in appearance, but she was trusted by them and that sufficed for now. Offa had known the brothers had left Mershford after Midsummer. He did not know what had happened in Danasted, other than death had stalked the Sted and had then placed all the dead in one building. He was unsure if the brothers had been among the dead, the bodies having decayed virtually beyond recognition by the time it was discovered. He had made enquiries at Grim's Dyke Burgh and they had not made it there. So, after thinking them dead, he found it surprisingly pleasant that they were standing before him. When they had first arrived, the Gate Guards had poked them with spears in case they were ghosts, a fact that the Brothers found to be initially unnecessary but conceded after a discussion that it was a practical measure to ensure the safety of all involved. The compromise with the Guards was that they would use their spear butts rather than spear points to poke the visitors. After a further but brief conference, the guards had decided that it was unusual for ghosts to be solid and try as they might, the spear butts would not go through the Brothers. One of the Guards took the visitors to the Thane’s Hall where they were presented to Offa. To amuse themselves further, the debate continued between the remaining guards long into the night when one of them recounted tales of unquiet and of very solid dead that had recently made a nuisance of themselves in the Fenlands. As had been noted previously, Offa was also grumpy. He now had five extra mouths to feed over the winter season. In particular, he had begun to worry if there would be enough Yule sausage for everyone. When he expressed his thoughts to the brothers, they replied that while they were used to having a whole Yule sausage each, they could make exceptions if Offa was short of sausages and would be willing to share a sausage with others. This seemed to put Offa's mind at rest and he then offered them some ale which they were only too glad to accept. The Brothers said that although without doubt sausages would be important in the coming days, they did presently have more important things on their minds. Offa realised that he was not being a good host and when they got washed and fed he asked them for their news. Equally, the brothers were keen to learn Offa's news. They were concerned they went into the forest in Midsummer to come out after a day and found themselves at Midwinter. Offa suggested that there might be wiććecræft involved and the Carls who had come into the Thane's hall to hear the account of the brothers, all looked meaningfully at Meire. They agreed that she was the most beautiful woman they had ever seen, but she surely was not of Miðgarðr and likely to be one of the Ælfar. Offa merely paid Meire courtesy and ignored both his men's discussions and the obvious greenish tinge of her hair and skin. He was concerned by Egfryd’s description of the small red-hatted, iron booted man with the large spear, who had successfully killed at least 30 warriors in a fortified Sted. He questioned Egfryd for as many details as he could remember. He made Egfryd repeat the story three times, each time seeking more information. He also asked Meire for her views on her Tormentor and Hrothgar's final battle with the small man. His men grew quiet during the tales and murmured together afterwards, frequently looking at Meire and making a sign against evil. The Brothers were keen to hear Offa's views about Hrothgar's death. It was their opinion that although the actual cause of Hrothgar's death was the small man, the fact that Beorthric and Wilfrith had left Hrothgar to fight alone, had caused Hrothgar's death. Offa agreed. He felt the two Carls were guilty of cowardice and that they should have to pay a blood price. He did acknowledge that he was not a Lawspeaker and also not the Brother’s Thane and it might be best to check with one rather than take matters into their own hands. The brothers thanked him for his advice and his fine ale and told him that they could think of no better way to spend Yule than with him, even if there was likely to be a shortage of Yule sausage. This reminded Offa that it was time to stop smiling and be grumpy again. Over the coming days, the Brothers sat with Offa and recounted their visions to try and understand them more. Some they felt they could interpret, other bits remained obscure. Offa could offer no real advice. He grumbled that he had never been good at interpreting dreams, even when he was a boy and had a more agile mind for new things. He thought that they would probably need a leæce. Dunstan and Uthric took turns in teaching their new brother, Egfryd, how to use a spear, axe and shield. Since he was now their brother, they felt that he shouldn't embarrass them should he need to be involved in a fight. Besides, if Wulfhere insisted that they seek the iron- booted man, it might be up to Egfryd to avenge them, if they were unable to overcome and received their death by the small man. All four brothers could however agree that both Beorthric and Wilfrith needed to die. So, this was how things stood with several days to go before Yule. Offa had doubled the gate guards and had made sure there were patrols on the fighting platform of the palisade. Early in the morning two days before Yule, the Sted was awoken but a loud thumping noise. The tremors could be felt through the ground and buildings. Running towards the sound of the noise, Dunstan wondered if the world wasn't ending. Wulfhere remarked that it was unlikely to be so. He had been told by some wise people that it was necessary for there to be a Fimbulvetr prior to the end of the world, and while it was cold and there was snow on the ground, it really wasn’t that Fimbulvetr cold as he had still his autumn cloak on and felt warm enough. Dunstan said that there might be other options for the world to end as Wulfhere had certainly not met many wise men, as far as he was aware, and there were bound to be others that held different views. They decided this was not the best time to discuss such events and a more pressing matter was why the palisade wall was making such a noise. Approaching the west side of the Sted, they could see Meire perched high on a large corner post of the palisade. She seemed to be directing whatever was happening just out of sight. As the brothers approached the palisade they saw two warriors jabbing their spears at something as yet unseen on the outside of the Sted. Something hit the palisade which the Brothers thought likely to be the cause of the end-of-the-world noise and cracked some of the stakes. Almost simultaneously one of the warriors fell over the palisade, screaming loudly. Climbing up the Brothers could see a small man bending over the stricken warrior. They watched him dip something in the gore of what used to be the man's neck and cackle with obvious mirth. All three brothers shifted their spears to throw hoping to make an end of the small man quickly. They paused momentarily to watch horrified as the man replaced a blood-soaked hat on his head, blood dripping down his face. The man looked up at Meire and shouted that he was Coming. Dunstan and Wulfhere threw the spears but they appeared to have little impact despite hitting the small man in the chest and arm. Uthric paused, waiting until the small man climbed the mound to the palisade, in the hope he could try and knock the hat off the man. The spear grazed the man's head and taking the hat off and transfixing it on the javelin as it continued on its flight. This was the first time that the Brothers had seen the small iron-booted man without his hat and it was a surprise that he was bald. Dunstan remarked loudly on his baldness and the small man growled in disapproval. The brothers felt that maybe they had overly annoyed him by showing up his previously hidden baldness and perhaps knocking off his hat was maybe not the best idea that Uthric had had recently. The small man however paused to retrieve his hat and to put it on again but just as he did, Uthric knocked it off again with another well-thrown Javelin. He was, Uthric remarked, after all known as Eagle-eye but perhaps in spear throwing contests he would also be henceforth known as Sure-shot. Wulfhere’s throw with his own javelin failed to hit the mark. He suggested Uthric was maybe being a little premature in his choice of occasion to boast about of his deeds. The proper and appropriate time for modestly retelling exploits was after the battle and after one had a surfeit of Yule sausage and Offa's special Yule-ale. It was important he felt that even in the moments of the heat of battle to always offer advice and guidance to younger brothers. Dunstan did not feel the need for any advice or guidance from either brother. He had thought he might jump off the palisade to fight the small man hand-to-hand but decided against it, instead joining the band of warriors that was running to the South gate. Safety in numbers, his mother had always said but he was unsure if she’d actually been referring to a Shield Wall rather than a flock of sheep she’d been observing at the time. Uthric and Wulfhere threw their last spears at the small man but their altercation about boasting seemed to have spoiled their aim as neither hit the mark. Both went in search of more weapons. Meire remained motionless, hands covering her eyes from the horror of the apparent slaughter. By the time Wulfhere and Uthric returned, the warriors who had gone outside had formed a shield wall, with Dunstan in their midst, and were advancing hoping to hem the small man against the palisade where they could kill him. The small man watched the advancing Shield wall with a large degree of indifference, jumping from one foot to another in a strange dance or jig. Before anyone could move, he stopped dancing, lunged forward and hit a man squarely on the shield with his broad bladed spear. The spear split the shield and slit open the man’s belly. The little man cackled in response and didn't seem to heed the spears that were thrust at him, scoring his skin. A further moment of capering and he kicked one of the shields, breaking it in two and shattering a man’s leg. The Shield wall closed up and again advanced. Dunstan remembered his father’s strategy and dropped his spear but kept the shield to protect his from the vicious spear or iron-boots. Again, the small man danced a jig and then lunged forward suddenly with the spear, catching Dustan's shield partner in the throat. He again ignored numerous hits on his body from spears and kicked another man and shield to the ground. Dunstan took the opportunity to try and grapple the small man but the small man elbowed him in the face and Dunstan failed to keep hold of him, falling back into the line of friendly shields. Again, the small man thrust and kicked and two more warriors fell and again Dunstan tried and failed to grab him, while spears failed to make any marks on him. Meanwhile, Uthric had returned to the fighting platform with an axe and two more spears. He launched one at the small man and although it hit him squarely in the middle of the shoulders, it did little damage. Wulfhere had also returned with a spear and some rope. The rope he threw at the small man, hoping it might entangle him. Wulfhere just did not have any luck today, and the rope landed harmlessly on the snow-covered ground. It was perhaps unfortunate that the small man did not have the foresight to think that any of these puny men could lift an anvil. Nor indeed, did he foresee that having lifted an anvil, that the man would have the strength to throw it. When people hear the story they have often discussed the question that if the small man had been aware of the anvil and known it’s potential, then could he have done anything to prevent his wyrd? For most the question is moot and most will come to the view that the Norns follow the path laid out at the birth of the world. At this moment, the small man was dancing a jig and cackling with laughter as the reduced and demoralised shield wall backed away, worried about more carnage. Offa also chose this moment to appear on the fighting platform with one of the Blacksmith's anvils. Uthric, seeing him struggle with the weight, helped him lift it above his head, supported him while he balanced it and then watched in awe as with an almighty heave, Offa threw it at the small man. The flying anvil caught the small man in the leg with a sickening crack. He howled in pain which was just as well for Offa, who unable to keep his balance after the throw, followed the anvil over the parapet and landed relatively unhurt close to the small man. Uthric later gave advice to Offa that he would recommend Offa gain further experience in balancing, if he was ever to try throwing anvils again. Wulfhere said afterwards that it would be totally unexpected for someone to be hit by a flying anvil for there not to be negative consequences. The small man's consequences were immediately apparent in that to move he had to hop and although all the warriors agreed that he had shown great skill at hopping, they knew that this was not likely to enhance survival in a fight. The small man, possibly recognising this too, was retreating slowly, hopping backwards towards the forest. Wulfhere and Uthric scrambled down the outside of the palisade, having thought it safer to lower themselves over the edge rather than use Offa’s method. Wulfhere was first to react, called Uthric and Dunstan to lock shields and advance on the small man. The small man had regained his feet after the surprise of a flying anvil, but he was obviously hurt. Being hurt, however, did not reduce his dangerousness but it did mean that he found it difficult to kick the Brothers with his iron boots with only one functioning leg. The brothers traded unequal blows with the small man, doing little damage. Wulfhere received a bang on the head in trying to parry a spear thrust, his shield was knocked back with such force, it made him momentarily dizzy. Uthric and Dunstan moved forward to cover for their brother while he regained his senses. Instead of re-joining the fight, Wulfhere calling to one of the Angle warriors, Paega, to take the other end of his previously thrown rope. They outpaced the Man small man. Wulfhere acknowledged later that it had been an unfair race and thought if the small man had had the use of two legs, Wulfhere and his companion might not have won. They held the rope taught and used it to trip the small man from behind as he continued backing up. While Wulfhere was collecting his wits, the rope and a companion, Uthric and Dunstan were bearing the brunt of the small man’s savagery. They had failed to significantly hurt the small man again but the small man had stabbed Uthric in the leg and chest and Dunstan had a wound in his abdomen. Both were suffering greatly from the small man’s skill with a spear. However, when Wulfhere tripped him, Uthric took advantage to throw away his shield and strike with his axe two handed, severing the small man’s leg below the knee. Uthric said that he had been worried for his brother's safety as he had witnessed the small man use his iron boots to good effect. By cutting off his leg, he prevented the small man from kicking out and hurting his brothers. Offa, who had carelessly left his weapons on the fighting parapet, had been collecting discarded ones, shouted for the Brothers to take advantage of their prone adversary. He pinned one shoulder while Uthric pinned the other and Dunstan tried unsuccessfully to hold a leg. Other warriors came forward and stabbed at the small prone man. A warrior named Garheard thrust his spear into the little man's throat and he ceased struggling. The warriors stood around the hacked and bloody body unsure if the small man was indeed dead. They were hardened veterans of many skirmishes and small fights but they were all shocked by the death, blood and most of all by the small man. Offa said later that it was no shame that some had voided their stomachs afterwards. He himself had been close but the fact that he was the Thane had stopped him. They discussed what they needed to do next. Offa sent some of the man to tend the wounded but such were the small man's blows no-one usually survived, and only one man, had lived after experiencing the small man’s iron boots. The man had a shattered leg however and even if he survived the inevitable resetting and fever, he would never walk again properly. Dunstan considered himself lucky, he had faced the small man in the Shield Wall when he was at the height of his powers and he had taken a blow to his abdomen that had only slightly bled. Wulfhere too had taken a blow and would have a scar on his left cheek to remind him in his old age. Uthric ignored his wounds, though in truth they caused him pain and he had been close to his death. He contented himself with telling anyone who would listen how his javelin shots had removed the small man’s hat which he believed to be the source of his power. He reminded everyone how the small man had dipped his hat in his victims’ blood and did not Meire say that his power increased when he killed. Meire hugged Uthric and told him he had acted like his father in wrestling her Tormentor to the ground and holding him there until other less brave men had come up and stabbed him to death. But everyone praised Offa. No one had ever thought before that a blacksmith’s anvil might make such a good weapon to kill small men. It could always be said of Offa that he was excellent at grumbling but what was less frequently said but equally evident was that he was a strong leader. But for now, Offa wanted to make sure the small man stayed dead. They were unsure if he was left alone he might not gather his parts and leave to come back another day. Offa called for a two-handed axe to cut off the small man’s head and they brought some of their precious dry wood to burn the body. Their companions they buried as they had no further wood to spare until the snows stopped. That night they had a feast. Offa’s men called for him to throw the anvil again, but he declined saying that his back was sore, his nose had been broken and he had too much ale to be able to stand. It was likely he thought that balancing after throwing the anvil would he even harder on level ground at present. He felt that it was better at present just to grumble a bit. Dunstan, who was ever practical, remarked that now the company had been significantly reduced, everyone left would have enough Yule sausages.

That's only because they had a whole lot of unemployed acrobats that needed something to jump over... And they were a bull totem cult in Knossos

That could also have been a ritual meal before execution

No zinc means a serious impact on Gloranthan physical health.. humans need a recommended 8-11mg intake a day (not sure what the Gloranthan World Health Organisation recommends for Elder Races) which helps with Immune Response, preventing and overcoming diarrhoea, helps with neuronal development in learning and memory, helps with wound healing among other things.. So are we actually taking into account that the Gloranthan human population spend excessive time on their toilets, become increasingly forgetful, take longer to learn new skills and tasks and get sick a lot and have slow healing of wounds (particularly nappy rash or areas where the armour chaffs a lot)? A bad bout of diarrhoea could incapacitate entire nations and economies

Travelling with a Warband was easier than travelling alone and after four days they all safely arrived at Mershford. They greeted Offa and told him their news. Offa was annoyed with his orders from Wiglaf and while he did not intend to disobey the Ealdorman, he delayed setting off by spending time with the Brothers, who he found to be agreeable company. Wulfhere was keen to know if Offa remembered Hrothgar and pressed him about what had happened in Mershford two years ago. Offa recalled that Hrothgar and Wiglaf spent a lot of time discussing matters. He also remembered both were over fond of his ale. Uthric remarked that as Offa was probably the best brewer of ale in the district and it was perfectly understandable why someone could get over fond of his ale. Indeed, both he and Dunstan thought that they might require a few more horns to come to the same judgment as their father. Offa took the hint and called for more ale. Thus several days went by while Dunstan and Uthric tried to decide if this was indeed the best ale they had tasted. Offa was content to host his guests, even if his ale hoard was dwindling fast. In truth, the Brothers were at a loss about what to do. They knew Hrothgar had left and gone south. They discussed the likelihood of Hrothgar taking another route home and found it unlikely. The only crossing of the Tamyse River was at Lundenwic so he must have crossed at the bridge. Wulfhere questioned Offa for many hours about other possible routes, but the Thane did not know if there were other fords or bridges upriver, that part of Mierce still being partly controlled by the Wealsc. Wulfhere had the impression that his head might fall off if he thought anymore and asked his younger brothers to refrain from their deliberations about Offa’s ale and help him plan what to do next. This was the first of many arguments. Offa did not help by providing more ale until Wulfhere reminded him of his duty to his Ealdorman which only made Offa grumble more than usual. The Brothers decided that they might find some inspiration if they travelled to Dunasted and asked further questions of the Thane, Duna. Equally, Offa had decided that it was now safe to go in search of the escaped slaves, knowing they would by now be beyond his reach. He, like all of Wiglaf’s Thanes, disliked the power Ydwina had over Wiglaf which, they felt, sapped his energy. The Brothers travelled warily, having been warned about possible Wealsc raiders. Approaching Dunasted at dusk, they found a body on the road with cuts to his head and a death wound in his chest. Uthric examined the body to try and determine what kind of weapon was used to kill the dead Angle warrior. He was unsure what had caused the head wounds, other than supposing it might have been a cutting weapon but felt confident that a broad bladed spear had caused the death wound. Wulfhere remarked that this did not help their plight, but the wounds were similar to ones suffered by Hrothgar in their vision. This discussion set their nerves on edge and they argued about what to do next. Initially, they agreed Dunstan would proceed alone to the open gate, while the others waited to see if anything of importance would occur. But Uthric pointed out that this was maybe not such a clever plan, for how would they face their mother if Dunstan were to suffer a death wound. So Uthric then agreed to go, but as he prepared himself, Wulfhere felt that if his younger brother, Uthric, was going to face uncertain danger and possible dismemberment, then it was also his duty to be there to offer him some guidance and direction. Dunstan objected to the plan. Whatever had killed the Angle was likely to be waiting for them to separate and he felt it was unfair to leave him alone on the road with a dead warrior in case he was needed to help his brothers. Despite being the youngest, he said that he was generally much more agile in a fight, if it actually came to that. After a further heated discussion, they agreed all three would go to the Sted and that out of respect for the dead warrior, he should come along too, so as not to feel left out. They rigged his cloak between two spears and dragged the body with them. Uthric went ahead moving silently through the gloom. For the first time they noticed there were no smoke from cooking fires and the gate was slightly ajar which they found unusual. Leaving the body at the bottom of the raised earthwork they moved up to the palisade and tried to see through a chink in the wood but to no avail. Moving quietly around the palisade to the Northgate, they attempted to see if there was anyone moving inside. It was then they noticed the smell of blood and death. Entering the gate all they found were bodies that were cut and dismembered. Some even looked as if they might have been tortured. There was no movement either of friend or enemy. They went carefully through the Sted to the Southgate which had been forced open and the wooden locking bar had been broken by an excessive force. The bodies of the two Gate Guards lay sprawled on the ground. Uthric examined their weapons and neither seemed to have any blood on them. It may have been possible they were surprised but that would not explain the broken gate as it would create a certain level of noise that even a sleeping guard might notice. They closed the gate and wedged it shut in the hope it would stop someone coming through. It was dark and they debated if they should light torches to search the compound thoroughly. A compromise was reached and they lit and used torches to complete a quick search but found nothing of merit and no living person. Even the dogs had been killed. They moved all the bodies they could find into one of the outbuildings until they could decide what to do with them in the morning. Next, they went to the Thane’s hall and agreed that if they lit the fire pit then they could heat food and have light to fight if they were attacked. They searched the Thane's sleeping quarters discovering that he was either very poor or someone had taken his strongbox. This caused further perplexment. They discussed what could possibly have happened. Uthric, who had some knowledge of British habits, did not believe that this was the kind of behaviour the Britons indulged themselves in. He did concede that he was basing his opinion on the British of Dumnonia, and after all, here in the north, they were called Wealsc and may be of different habits regarding killing people. But from what he had seen of them, he thought there was a similarity in looks with their more southern cousins. He could not however speak for their temperament without closer observation. Wulfhere wondered more realistically if Duna had enemies among the other Angle thanes and the deaths could be part of some blood feud but they had heard nothing of this kind of news in their travels. There were no solutions to their questions and they agreed that it would be futile to speculate more so they should turn to more practical issues and set watches. They would see what the morning brought. The night was quiet but the morning and light produced no immediate answers, just more questions. With the aid of the morning sun, they noticed strange, angular footprints both at the Southgate and throughout the Sted. They could not think what manner of shoe would make such tracks but Dunstan thought that it might be a giant. Wulfhere, although he admitted that he was not familiar with giants, thought it more likely a giant would step over the palisade instead of kicking the gate down. They did make a new discovery. Hiding underneath a threshing mat they found a young boy, Egfryd, who was frightened and scared and initially would not talk. He was eventually able to tell them that his father had hid him and told him to stay there until he came back to get him. Egfryd wanted to know where his father was. Wulfhere felt it was only right to show him and took him to the outhouse. The boy tried not to cry when he looked at his father’s mangled body. He was silent again and sat in the corner of the Thane's hut where everyone had repaired to try and think this through. Uthric asked him about his family but the boy just shook his head. With a bit of encouragement and gentleness, Uthric got him talking again. The boy's mother had died some years ago and he had come with his father to Dunasted in the hope they could get a farm, after they had defeated the Wealsc. Now his father was dead, he was alone in the world. Uthric was not known for being a particularly practical person but sometimes, by chance, he said the right things. He suggested that the boy should come home with the Brothers and Hildegard would be his new mother. The boy cheered up immensely. He did not remember his own mother and he felt this was a lucky day. He would have a new mother and asked Uthric questions about Hildegard. He also asked if this meant Uthric, Dunstan and Wulfhere would be his brothers. When Uthric confirmed that it would, Egfryd danced with joy. He had never had brothers before and it felt good to have a mother again. He also gave more information about the man who came to the Sted and killed everyone. Far from being a giant, in Egfryd’s opinion, the man was rather small, but had large feet and wore iron boots. He had laughed as he killed people with a big flashing spear. Uthric's face paled when he heard this and he knew that in some way this was connected to his father's death. He took Egfryd to meet his new brothers and tell them the news. Wulfhere and Dunstan were arguing about what they should do next, but quietened while Uthric introduced their new brother. Wulfhere was not best pleased. This new situation complicated matters. Wulfhere now had three younger brothers to look after. He was beginning to feel the weight of responsibility. Dunstan wanted to look at the gates again that the man had broken down to see if he could understand what had happened. Uthric noted the tracks left by the man with iron boots had come from and returned to the forest to the west. This started another argument that was to continue for some time. Uthric and Dunstan both felt that the iron-booted man was somehow responsible for their father's death and their priority was to their father and putting his ghost to rest. If this was true, the Brothers should definitely seek revenge against the iron-booted man. Wulfhere did not deny this. However, he felt the more urgent need was get help, deal with the bodies in the outhouse and explain to a Thane what had happened at Dunasted. He was not overly convinced that the Angles would believe that the Brothers were not somehow responsible for the deaths. They were, after all, strangers in this land. He believed the options were to either retrace their steps to Offa at Mershford or to go on to Grim's Dyke Burgh. They of course could not be sure that the iron-booted man had not attacked and destroyed either Burgh. Wulfhere's preference was to go back north to Offa as they knew him better and he had more warriors. He suggested that they could also send Egfryd at a run to Grim's Dyke to warn them. Uthric was angry at the suggestion and felt that Wulfhere was not looking after the best interests of their new brother. Dunstan, who was becoming confused about all the different proposals retorted that he was not the one who had adopted Egfryd and would not be responsible for him or his death. The boy looked crestfallen and began to cry. All three Brothers felt guilty and spent time reassuring the boy that he was now their brother and Hildegard would be delighted to have a new son who she could fuss over and make sweet cakes for him. They also told him that he would be a useful witness when it came to telling a Thane about events in Dunasted. Reassuring Egfryd had not resolved the matter at hand and when he was pacified and smiling again at the thought of honey coated cake, the central argument then continued. Wulfhere stated that their father had been dead for 2 years and a few more days would not matter. The priority was to their hosts, the Angles, who had shown them kindness and hospitality and this should be repaid with respect and honour, particularly in the funeral rites of the dead men in the outhouse. Dunstan and Uthric countered by reiterating that their goal was to put their father to rest, give their mother peace from her illness which, if it were to continue for much longer, was likely to bring her death and importantly, they should revenge their father if possible. Wulfhere thought Dunstan and Uthric were unfair in bringing their mother into the argument. She was only suffering nightmares and the worst that could happen was being grumpy from lack of sleep. The argument went on for several hours and was only ended by Egfryd who made the point that if his second mother died of her nightmares, he would never have the opportunity to taste her excellent honey cakes. As he had now set his heart on tasting these wonderful cakes, he felt that all the brothers should now take a vote on their future actions. Wulfhere lost the vote three to one and did a passable impression of Offa at his most grumpy. Uthric decided that he would follow the track of the iron-booted man into the forest and attempt to find out more about events. He was by far the best at tracking and moving stealthily through forests as he was quick to point out. Besides he said that they had now been arguing for hours with no-one giving any ground. At least if they had more information they might be able to make a better decision. Wulfhere pointed out that if he did not come back then at least he had found a new son for their mother to replace him and she wouldn't feel so bad about her loss. Dunstan thought Wulfhere had now surpassed Offa in grumpiness. Uthric followed the iron-boot tracks along a game trail until it led out into a clearing with a pool beside which sat a beautiful woman. Uthric, possibly for the first time in his life, felt unable to speak or move. It was the woman who broke the silence and asked him if he would not sit down and share his news with her. She told him that she did not get many visitors, or at least visitors that she liked and he was of pleasant appearance. Uthric was wary. He had been in many forests in his life but was yet to meet a beautiful woman alone and had not yet come to some kind of harm. He noted the faint greenish tinge in her blonde hair and overly long nails. He thought she might be a spirit of the forest or perhaps of the pool. He thought if she was going to kill him it was better to approach death fearlessly. Besides, it was unlikely that he would be able to escape now that he was so close to her. He wished that he had asked Wulfhere for Osberht’s gift before he had left. But it was too late now, this must be his Wyrd and if he were to die at her hand, it really was a beautiful hand. He might as well tell her why he was here and hope that she could help. When he told her that his name was Uthric Hrothgarson, she squealed in delight. She informed him that she had been friends with Hrothgar and he had been her friend, he had been kind and had offered to help her with her Tormentor. Uthric was lost for words for the second time in as many minutes. He had obviously not really known his father well if he had counted among his friends a Spirit of the Forest. This was news that perhaps his mother best not hear. The Forest Spirt told him she was known by many names but the one she liked best was the one his father used for her and that was Meire. Uthric told the Meire all about his vision and how he had travelled from the far south to find out what happened to his father and if possible to put him to rest. Meire said that she was more than willing to help and she could reveal where his father was and if he wanted he was welcome to talk to him. She motioned to two stone pillars at the far end of the pool which had a third pillar as a capstone. In the upright pillars there were niches in which were placed polished skulls. Uthric looked at the skulls, and in the topmost one something moved behind one of the eye sockets. A small snake crawled slowly around the inside of the skull. Meire informed Uthric that the snake was his father’s spirit and it was even possible to talk to him. She had valued his friendship and had done him a great honour by making him an Oracular Hero. Uthric asked a question and the snake moved in a rhythmic motion, gliding in and out of the eye sockets and mouth. He asked another question and the snake moved in another pattern. Meire told him that snakes were unable to speak lacking physical means to do so but that his father was answering Uthric’s questions. Uthric said he was unaware how to interpret the speech of moving snakes having had little opportunity to practice the skill. Meire conceded that she too had difficulty but was an expert in feeding the snake honey which it licked from her fingers. They sat in silence for a while. Uthric felt it best to explain the burial rites of the south Saxons which as far as he could remember did not include being an Oracular Hero and this was possibly the reason his father’s ghost was unhappy. Meire began to cry and said that she only thought she was being helpful to his father and wished now only to remedy the situation if that was within her power. Uthric found himself comforting Meire in her distress, putting her arm around her shoulder and stroking her hair. She asked that if she was able to help him, might it be possible that he could stay with her and keep her company. She conceded that she got very lonely on her own. Uthric felt that he might be able to live with that deal. Meire cheered up, she said hair stroking always had this effect on her and that he had been clever to know what she liked so early in their acquaintance. She also told him that she had his father’s war gear and the rest of his bones that she had polished when she had missed him over much. Uthric wondered if Meire was aware what had happened to his father and how he had come by his death and ended up as an Oracular Hero. Meire said that she would be delighted to tell him for though it still filled her with sadness that he had not succeeded it was also a source of pride that he had attempted it for her sake. Meire explained that she had a Tormentor, who, when he is bored comes to this place and washes his feet, sullying the purity of her pool. He also calls her names and tells her of all the people he killed, making her stop her ears and cry. He just laughs at her distress. Hrothgar was outraged by the Tormentor and offered to end his cruelty. He and his men hunted the Tormentor but the Tormentor is clever and also hunted his men. He struck unseen, killing five of them before they could strike back and escaping into the trees. He laughed and sang as he killed the men, stomping about in his heavy boots. Hrothgar was undeterred and eventually caught up with the Tormentor in a place where he could not turn and run. Hrothgar’s men formed a shield wall and advanced on the Tormentor. Two more men were killed and they found that their weapons were not hurting the Tormentor much. Hrothgar was undeterred and leapt on the Tormentor, pinning him down. He called on his two remaining men to help him give the Tormentor his death but instead of coming forward to help they ran off. I could not watch as Hrothgar was gradually overwhelmed by the Tormentor’s strength. No living man could have continued as long as Hrothgar did but at last he was overcome. I came back later and took Hrothgar’s body and brought it here. Uthric felt proud of his father. He said that he had one more question for Meire and asked what manner of creature she was. Meire looked surprised before saying that she was obviously a woman. Uthric found himself stroking her hair again. Some hours later he told Meire that he must go to his brothers and tell them the news but he would be back shortly. Uthric found all three of his brothers sitting discussing how long they should wait before assuming Uthric had met his death in the forest. Uthric said that obviously the Norns were having a day off and therefore contrary to his brothers’ pessimistic expectations he had returned and to improve on that news, he had also found his father. The three Brothers were impressed by Uthric’s news but still could not agree on what to do. Dunstan was worried about Uthric’s promise to stay with this woman, Meire, and suggested that maybe their newest brother, Egfryd, might improve his chances of living for a while longer if he were to stay with Meire, rather than Uthric. It was his opinion that they had yet to face more dangers and he felt it was important to protect their youngest brother from harm. The others were less convinced by his argument and said they were content to see what happened. Wulfhere reminded them that no one can escape their Wyrd. Eventually they persuaded Wulfhere that they should put their father to rest before, seeking help from Offa or at Grim’s Dyke Burgh. They gathered items from the Sted that they could put on their father’s pyre for his use in the afterlife. Uthric had told them that Meire had his war gear still so they only gathered food, clothes and some personal items they thought their father would like and would have good use for. Uthric retraced his steps to Meire’s pool without mishap and were greeted by the Forest Spirit warmly as all sons of the hero Hrothgar. Meire was particularly affectionate with Uthric and commented that she was glad to see him again, even if had only been a short space of time. Wulfhere thought Meire was very beautiful, even if she did have overly long nails and a faint greenish tinge to her skin. He felt that most men could overlook such faults. The Brothers constructed a pyre for their father’s bones and put the grave goods on it arranging them so that when he went to the afterlife he could reach them easily. Finally, Meire placed a golden torc and several armrings on Hrothgar so that he would not be embarrassed by his poverty in the Afterlife. The Brothers were impressed at her generosity of such a fine gift and commented that they were sure no warrior had gone to the afterlife with such riches. They watched solemnly long into the night as their father was consumed by the flames and finally went to Neorxanwang. In the morning they all scattered the ashes of the pyre and sat down to discuss what should happen next. Wulfhere explained to Meire that they had not yet decided on how to deal with Beorthric and Wilfrith and for that they needed to have their brother, Uthric present. He therefore would be unable to stay with her as he had a duty to perform. There was also, he continued, the Tormentor and the Brothers had yet to decide if they needed to seek revenge on him for their father’s death. Meire said that she was not surprised by Wulfhere’s comments. Men often made promises to woman for momentary gain and then broke them when it was convenient to do so. However, she said, she could forgive them in this instance for the matter of their father had, for the Brothers, outweighed other considerations. She had a compromise, however, which she felt could accommodate all views in this discussion. She would travel with the Brothers and leave her forest and pool behind. She may not be able to use a spear and might not be able to stand in a shield wall, but she had other skills that they may find useful from time to time. And so, it was agreed, by Uthric joyfully and Wulfhere reluctantly, that Meire would accompany them. Wulfhere was in a hurry to return to Dunasted for they had many other tasks to complete and time was passing. On reaching the edge of the forest, they noticed a number of things that were disconcerting. Firstly, there was snow on the ground which they thought was odd as it was just past Midsummer. Secondly, their hair and beards had grown longer and finally Egfryd’s clothes seemed to have shrunk. They could not make sense of this and suspected wiććecræft. They looked at Meire for answers but she merely said that she had often found that time passes and rather than suspecting wiććecræft, it was a normal thing for time to do. Wulfhere was not best pleased by her views. As they approached Dunasted they saw that the Sted was occupied and there were clearly cooking fires burning and armed men at the gates. They suspected that they were heading for trouble.

All Mostali are perversions. They need to grow up and embrace the fact that the world changes.. Their insistence on serial monotony is an abomination ... we need change and movement

The Brothers were discouraged. They looked around at the busy, bustling fortified village. Warriors were talking, drinking and gambling. Where are we asked Wulfhere and where is Grim's Dyke? The man grinned and motioned them to look to the northwest. See that dyke stretching into the distance? That’s Grim's Dyke. Built by giants long ago. There was a great earthwork that stretched to the northwest into the dusk. This is Grim’s Dyke Burgh. The Brothers were beginning to find Angle humour hard to take and if they had not been so tired, they might have started an argument. Uthric asked if Ealdorman Wiglaf was here and if so would he see three travellers? I think he might, replied the man, but not at present. This turned out to be another bit of Angle humour and when they complained that they came from a place where people talked plainly and not with riddles or sarcasm the man grew grumpy and told them that if they insisted on asking stupid questions, they would get stupid answers. Southerners have no sense of humour. The Thane in Grim's Dyke Burgh was Wictred and he was more approachable than the guard at the gate. He was interested that the Brothers had seen five Wealsc, as the Angles called the Britons. Wealsc means foreigners, which is a bit ingenious thought Wulfhere as the Britons lived here before either Angles or Saxons came to this land. Still it serves a purpose and gets us fired up against the Britons. Wictred praised Uthric and suggested he might be known as Eagle-eye. Often Wealsc scouts move through the countryside unseen. The first thing that a person knows that there are Wealsc around is when a spear suddenly sprouts from your chest. Wictred laughed at his own joke and added that it is also usually the last thing you notice too. When he had calmed down somewhat, Wictred gave the brothers more ale and asked them for their news. Wulfhere, as eldest, explained they had travelled from Portus Caester to talk with Wiglaf. Wictred commented that he wasn't sure where Portus Caester was, but he considered that the Brothers must have important business with Wiglaf to come into Mierce. But that discussion would have to wait a while longer, for unfortunately, Wiglaf had left and gone to Mershford before last Midsummer. He was using Mershford as a base to attack the Wealsc. Mershford was only two days travel on the Old Road, however he did not expect the brothers would meet Wiglaf there as it was summer and he would have taken his Warband north in search of plunder. The next day the brothers travelled to Danasted. They met a Warband on the way in a temporary encampment. The Warband had come off worst in a fight with the Wealsc and were recovering before moving on. Towards evening they arrived at Danasted which was a fortified camp and were given lodging and food after they had chopped wood and carried water to the communal kitchens. They left early in the morning eager to get to Mershford. On the way, Eagle-eyed Uthric again saw some men watching them. This time they were Angles, who waved at them from a distance, after reaching the conclusion the Brothers were not enemy troops. At Mershford, they learnt from Thane Offa that Wiglaf had returned to Mershford a moon ago but had returned to a city in the north called Ratae. Wiglaf had stormed the city last harvest time and was fortifying it. Offa counselled against going. The Wealsc are thick around here and if it is not urgent business with Wiglaf they should stay. The Brothers disagreed saying that the business could not wait for Wiglaf to return. Offa gave them hospitality but remarked that the Wealsc were likely to kill them and their business would be unfulfilled. Dunstan thanked him and said that he, for one, had other plans than to die at the hands of the Wealsc. The Brothers thought Offa a gloomy man and wondered how a gloomy man could brew such good ale. Ratae was five days travel north and they got directions when they bid farewell to Offa. The days travel took them to Tondbertsburgh, a fortified village that straddled the road and even had market stalls. Some of the buildings had been built by the old people. Particularly impressive was a temple and a place where you could have a bath. The Thane, Tondbert, would not see them and eventually they left his hall to find food and shelter. Tondbertsburgh was a meeting point where the Old people’s road met with another road that seemed to be made from white stone. It shone faintly in the moonlight. A man who had watched them look at it told them had been made by Thunor driving his goat driven cart to get to the Western sea. Uthric did not think it was impressive as the old people's stone roads even if it glowed in the moon and suggested Thunor might be better employed killing giants. The man laughed and asked if all Saxons held similar views about the gods? Wulfhere said that the Brothers thought for themselves and did not listen to wet nurses’ stories. During the next day’s travel, they saw a large Warband moving across their path in the distance going westwards. The Warband had mounted scouts or perhaps even some of the feared British Horse warriors. The horsemen rode closer but did not interfere. Uthric said they were Britons and what was odd is that woman and children were in the warband. They discussed the fact that the Angles might have killed so many British warriors that they now had to use children to fight. If this was indeed the case said Dunstan, Briton would soon belong to the Saxons and Angles. Even the Jutes could have some more land if children were involved in warfare said Wulfhere. The Brothers watched as the Warband moved on. They arrived at Pendaburgh shortly after dark and were only admitted when they had been closely questioned. Pendaburgh was an impressive fortification which had both ramparts and ditches. There were ruins of old people's homes outside the fortification and one of their burial grounds on a hill opposite. It looked as if someone had dug up the graves, no doubt looking for gold. They thought the old people had been clever builders but they obviously did not understand military defence as they had built so many of their homes outside the walls of the Burgh. No wonder that their houses were now burnt and they were no longer here. They gave news to the Thane Penda and asked for directions to Ratae which they were told was two days at a fast pace. Travelling the next day was hard. They met a Thane called Aelfryth and ten of his Carls coming from Ratae. The Thane told them to be careful as there were lots of Wealsc in the area. The Brothers said they had made it this far and as their luck was excellent they expected to reach Ratae without much problem but to be on the safe side they asked Aelfryth for his advice. Aelfryth told them the directions and when they got to the crossroads they should leave this road and travel east. They should reach Ratae by tomorrow night if all went well. That evening they reached the place where two of the old people's roads crossed. It was marked by a building that had a roof but no walls. On the roof was an orb and a cross. Dunstan wondered if the old people didn't feel the cold or perhaps their water heaters kept them warm. The other two had no opinion on the matter and were more concerned about having somewhere safe to sleep. The next day they took the new road that went to the northeast and at sunset reached the city of Rate. They were directed to Wiglaf's fort known as Caer Leonis. The old people's city, though still grand, was mostly deserted. but Wiglaf's halls were bustling with warriors. The fortifications were still being repaired and there were pieces of wood seemingly abandoned by the woodworkers everywhere. Wiglaf invited them into his hall to hear the news and their business. He welcomed them warmly when they told him they were Hrothgar's sons and cleared some of his Carls from the top benches to give them a place of honour. Wiglaf was saddened by their mother's dream. He had been fond of Hrothgar and had invited him to stay and make his home here. But Hrothgar had wanted to go back to Hildegard. Your mother must be very special for Hrothgar to leave me for her he laughed. Dunstan was told by a man sitting beside him that it was the first time the Ealdorman had laughed in days and that the Brothers should come more often. There had been a slave revolt a few days ago and all had escaped with a Wealsc princess called Ydwina. The warriors were glad she had gone as she caused strife among them and Wiglaf had lost interest in doing anything except being with her. The opinion of the warriors was that Ydwina was a sceadugenga and it was well she had gone. Wulfhere and Uthric, on hearing the story, told Wiglaf of the Wealsc warband they had seen and they had commented on the woman and children in the group. Wiglaf became excited and pressed the Brothers for information, particularly if there was a blonde-haired woman amongst the Warband. Wulfhere said he could not say for certain if there had been as his attention had been more focused on the Horse warriors that had ridden close. Uthric told Wiglaf he was known as Eagle-eye and was certain he had seen a woman of outstanding beauty with golden hair leading the woman and children. Wiglaf got more excited and knocked over his horn of ale calling for one of his Thanes and spent time in private conversation with him. The warriors seated near to Uthric gave him hard stares but he ignored them and told an amusing story of hunting rabbits When Wiglaf returned he apologised for being a poor host. He asked the Brothers their intentions and how he could be of help. Wulfhere asked about the message that Hrothgar delivered and could that have been the cause of treachery. Wiglaf said he would not think that was important. Aelle had wanted to know if Wiglaf would join him in an expedition. Wiglaf had replied by asking the King for his terms in the deal which he said meant no as he did not want to form an alliance with a Saxon king. Uthric then asked what had been his opinion of Beorthric and Wilfrith but Wiglaf said he had no opinion on either as he recalled neither of them. He did ask his Carls if anyone had anything to add and one said that Wilfrith had a gambling debt still outstanding to him. To much laughter, he asked if when the brothers met Wilfrith could they remind him of his debt before they killed him. Wulfhere promised this would be the case. Wiglaf took the brothers aside and heard the details of the vision. He was as perplexed as the Brothers and could not read what they meant. He did offer to let them talk to Isen, a laece, who was in Ratae at present. He also offered gifts for the brothers in recompense for their father’s death. He upbraided them for travelling north without any helmets. He thought that being so young they had not thought of the danger and they were perhaps of the opinion if they get hit on the head that it would cause no ill effects as they had perhaps not developed brains yet? However, whatever their opinion on helmets, he would remedy that they had none and, in his opinion, needed them. He also gave them fine silver arm rings. He asked them if they wanted to stay and fight but they declined saying that although he was a generous Lord, they must find out what happened to their father before they thought about their own futures. In the morning they met Isen. They were much the worse for wear having tried stupidly to match Wiglaf cup for cup of ale. Isen was blind. It was said that he had plucked out his eye to gain knowledge like Woden and then had lost the other eye to disease. He also had a servant who constantly whispered in his ear and made the Brothers uneasy. However, Isen’s blindness did not seem to trouble him, he moved with the surety of a sighted man. Isen laughed when the brothers told him of the vision and declined to help. He disparaged Wiglaf for telling them he would help and for being a fool in general. The Brothers were disappointed with the outcome as they were no further on in finding out what happened to Hrothgar. One bit of information that they did find was that Wiglaf had met Hrothgar at Mershford. He had never come so far north as Ratae. He had left Mershford and travelled South. Wiglaf was sending one of his Thanes and 20 men to Offa at Mershford to go after the escaping slaves and the Brothers gratefully accepted the offer to travel with the men.

Sadly...I just haven’t had time.. but I will Alex...I promise.. and post my comments Too much reading about other things ..and writing AS campaign.. reading stuff to try and look vaguely competent in RQG.. oh and I also work sometimes

The Brothers made their way home from Portus Caester. They were both excited but yet despondent. They could not interpret their visions put persisted in trying to fit it into what little facts they knew. They were beginning to think treachery was involved, a fact reinforced by the discovery that both Beorthric and Wilfrith had left Caedering during the night. Osberht had no knowledge on the subject. Carls, in general, were free to stay or leave as they please but generally they would have stated their reasons for going. Caedering was awash with rumours. No-one other than Osberht was aware of the Brother's business, so the rumours tended to be wild and the Brothers discounted them focused as they were on treachery. They discussed their visit to Stithwulf with Osberht in private. l am glad I do not have to deal with the spirit world remarked Osberht, the world we can see is hard enough. He grumbled about increasing British raids and his annoyance that Ealdorman Coelfrith, who had again refused him any support. He was unsure now he could keep his people safe and the loss of two more Housecarls may be critical. He suggested that the Housecarls disappearance was maybe not as sinister as the Brothers thought, but was more about wanting silver with another, more warlike, Thane. However, he did admit the timing was suspicious but none other than him knew of the reason for the Brothers trip to Pontus Caester. The Brothers discounted Osberht's views as they were more than convinced the two Housecarls had been involved in their father’s death. Indeed, between themselves, they were now using the word murder, or possibly secret murder, a more heinous and unacceptable crime. Osberht asked the brothers what they thought they should do and how he could help. Wulfhere believed treachery was involved and that the Housecarls were either actively complicit, or passively involved, and thus guilty of some misdemeanour. Wulfhere wondered if the betrayal was to do with the message that Hrothgar had taken to Wiglaf and asked Osberht if he knew its contents. Osberht said that although he was considered wise amongst the Thanes, it was not the custom of Aelle, or his sons, to seek advice from him and he would therefore be unable to help them with this. However, he did know was that Aelle's son, Wlencig, was friendly with Wiglaf. Wiglaf is an Angle Ealdorman who is in Mierce. Hrothgar had fought with Aelle's other son, Cissa, and had been prominent in the battle when Cissa took Cissa Caester from the British about five midsummers ago. Osberht was also aware that Hrothgar had wanted to take the message to Wiglaf saying he had wanted to see the wider world. Wulfhere proposed that the Brothers should travel to Aelle's Court and ask him for news and the content of the message. Osbert counselled against the idea. Aelle is a king he replied. He is not like a Thane where you can approach him in his Hall and it would be likely that the Brothers would be frustrated in this venture. Uthric thought it might be useful to talk to Wiglaf but wondered if he was not also part of the treachery because he was an Angle. Osbert was unsure. He felt that the answer lay in the North but could say nothing beyond that. The brothers agreed that they needed to travel north and discuss the situation more fully with Wiglaf however no-one knew how to get there. I have not travelled so far since I was a young boy said Osberht and even then, I did not travel to Mierce. I think there is an old people’s road that goes north from Cissa Caester. My advice therefore would be to travel to Cissa Caester and ask merchants how to travel to Lundenwic. At Lundenwic there are likely to be people who know Wiglaf, Ealdorman. Osbert was embarrassed by his poverty but he gave the Brothers all the advice he could and small gifts, new travelling cloaks, a spear each, an arm ring and some hack silver and finally some way bread and hard cheese. The brothers thanked him for his generosity and went to bid farewell to their mother. Dunstan thought it might be useful to ask Eadgyd about her views of the vision. Eadgyd was appalled by his words and offered two bits of advice. The brothers could take her sovereign remedy against nightmares and that they should leave spirits to laeces who were generally competent in these matters. She did not have a high impression of Stithwulf for exposing the Brothers to such danger. Dunstan found this advice both disappointing and unhelpful and told Eadgyd as much. The unintended consequence of Dunstan's talk with Eadgyd was that soon all of Caedering knew the Brothers were travelling north to seek their father. As a result, a large crowd had gathered to watch the Brothers leave. As a final parting gift, Osberht gave Wulfhere his amulet of Thunor's hammer. He explained it had always brought him luck and kept him safe from harm. He had a feeling the Brothers might need luck on their travels north. The Brothers set off for Cissa Caester arriving safely before nightfall. The town was bigger than Portus Caester, having been built by the old people. Many of the old buildings were still being used. Others bore scars of the war and were patched by inferior work. Dunstan was able to negotiate a room in a Merchants way station for the night. Unfortunately, at least 20 other people and their animals also slept in the room. Wulfhere thought that they may have been over-charged for the room, being taken as simple peasants but he let it go and did not blame Dunstan for his lack of aptitude in bargaining. In the morning, they asked the merchants if they anyone knew Wiglaf, an Angle Ealdorman. No-one did. Some knew Wiglaf who was a ship’s captain and others said they knew a farmer called Wiglaf but none knew any Angles in the vicinity, this being south Saxon lands. The Brothers bought some more food for the journey being unsure how long they needed to travel. A merchant took pity on them and told them not to mind those others. The best thing they could do is to travel to Lundenwic and ask there for Wiglaf. It is likely if he was an Ealdorman, then his own people would know where to find him. The Brothers thought this was good advice. The best way to get to Lundenwic continued the Merchant was to follow Stanstret, a road built by the old people that goes all the way to Lundenwic. If they kept up a good pace every day there was somewhere they could sleep each night. The Brothers thanked him for his opinion and remarked that they had been lucky to meet such a wise and far travelled merchant. It was likely, they thought, that the luck was from Osberht’s gift. Before they left Cissa Caster, Wulfhere visited an armourer. He had been concerned for some time that they may face danger on their journey and thought they should at least have a helmet each. Dunstan tried to negotiate with one of the sellers but realised that it would use up most of the money they had, without much in return. Wulfhere spent the first five hours of the journey cursing armorers and how they preyed upon poor villagers with their city ways and high costs. That night they camped in one of the wayhouses the merchant had told them about. It was already occupied by another group of merchants who at first eyed them warily but eventually admitted them to their company, sharing the fire and some ale. The merchants told them the name of the place was Hardhama, but no-one now lived here. Dunstan explored the building and discovered two pools of water in the back rooms of building. He crawled along a small opening into another room that had a rusty iron barrel. He had an idea that the barrel heated water and wanted to try it out. Uthric and Wulfhere asked him not to light any fires and rest instead. After bidding goodbye to the Merchants, they continued along the road reaching a fortification in the evening that they were told was Alfodan. They got a meal and were allowed to sleep in the outhouses providing they chopped some wood, which they gladly did. The next day was again uneventful with few travellers on the road. The next wayhouse was abandoned and had only one serviceable room with a roof, but was damp and cold, despite the fire. Their meal of unleavened bread and cheese did little to cheer them. Unsure where they actually were, they set watches but no-one disturbed their sleep. The next day it rained and, in the evening, they came to another wrecked and burnt wayhouse. Uthric pointed out to Dunstan that this is what happened when someone tried to heat water in the Old people's houses. Fire is dangerous, Dunstan, said Uthric solemnly. Dunstan said nothing in reply. Such was the problem of being the youngest brother. In late afternoon of the next day they saw smoke rising on the horizon and thought perhaps there was a War Band abroad and travelled more warily. But soon they began to meet other travellers with packs of goods on their backs, or pushing handcarts or even with carts pulled by oxen. Asking for information, they were told that this was almost Lundenwic, a fact confirmed when they could smell the cooking fires and stink of a large place where a great many people lived together. Soon they could see the large river and a massive bridge that allowed people to cross. There did not seem to be a ford and they stood in a queue while armed warriors checked what people had in their packs. This was the first time the Brothers had met Angles. They spoke the same language but both their dialect and accent were strange and they had to concentrate to understand what was being said. The Angles also wore their hair braided to one side, a fact the Brothers found hilarious but tried not to smirk in case a warrior should take offence. Wulfhere was unsure if they would come off best in such a quarrel. The Warriors were charging a toll to cross the bridge in the name of king Guercha, the Angle king, who obviously ruled in these parts now. However, when the guards found they had no goods they were allowed to cross unhindered. Dunstan only smirked once. Crossing the bridge they could see that the old city of Lundenwic had been sacked and partially burnt in the recent past. The walls still stood but there were no gates in the openings that they could see. Some of the buildings were still smoking but some seemed to be undamaged. The docks area appeared to be still in use and there was a crowd of ships, coming and going, loading and unloading goods. The main dwelling place was a collection of familiarly built houses to the right of the new city. Most of the inhabitants appeared to be warriors and there were few women or children. Crossing the river bought the Brothers into Mierce and it really looked like a foreign and alien country. Dunstan again negotiated a common room to sleep and some food for travelling. The others asked if anyone knew Ealdorman Wiglaf and where he could be found. Eventually, one of the merchants told them Wiglaf had a burgh at Grim's Dyke only one day’s travel north west and showed them how to get to the stone road that led there. They passed an uneasy night in Lundenwic. No-one seemed to sleep and they could hear the sounds of drinking and gambling. They arose early in the morning and checked again with local merchants about helmets only to find they cost more hack silver than they had left. Dispirited they set out. Dunstan cut off some cheese and a bit of hack silver to give to a beggar by the gate. The beggar, delighted by his new riches, confirmed that the road was indeed the one that went to Grim’s Dyke. After several hours travel, Wulfhere noted a silhouette of a man on a hill watching them. When the others turned to look, the man threw himself flat and they were unable to see where he went. Warily, they increased their pace to avoid any trouble. After another few hours they noticed two men travelling parallel to their course and a short time later the two became five. The five increased their pace and looked like they wanted to meet the Brothers. None of them looked like they wanted to pass the time of day and share some news. Mierce was still a disputed territory despite the Angle Burghs along the road, so the Brothers began to run, particularly when they noted the five had oblong shields. A footrace developed. Uthric and Wulfhere easily outpaced the pursuit, but Dunstan lagged behind having hurt his knee. Dunstan's inability to run any faster forced the other two to slow down and allow him to catch up. He was after all their baby brother and they knew Hildegard would be annoyed if he had been killed in a fight. To slow the enemy down, Uthric who could speak some British shouted at the pursuing men that he only wanted to marry their sister. The five were somewhat confused by his argument and dropped off the pace allowing the Brothers to reach the safety of a fortified settlement. They enquired if they had reached Grim’s Dyke but the man said no.

I've drawn my own... or get some pictures from the internet that meet requirements and then use a Whiteboard app to show it to the players, drawing on positions etc I also will engage my daughter to do some art for me...leastways she says she will Happy to help you out

I'm still researching and writing it Hierophant.. and I've got rather side-tracked with Anglo-saxons .. but I will get back to it soonish I am continuing to gather materials and ideas and I have lots of notebooks full of stuff .. some of the Þáttr blogs relate to stuff I've been thinking about When I actually type it I'm happy to share it with you and perhaps we can play test it.. and even if you want you want to think about some collaboration? we use Zoom for the games

Freiherr Johannes Pähler vor dem Holte stood and admired his ancestral lands. Beside him stood the taciturn young Franciscan, Brother Thomas, who had taken up residence in the Baronial home and was said to be planning to build a Franciscan Monastery. Vor dem Holte had recently returned from the Northern Crusade in Samerland following the death of his father, Freiherr Meinhard, at the hands of the Hanse. Freiherr Meinhard had been accused by the Hanse of banditry and murder of merchants. The Hanse armies had blockaded him in his castle and when he refused to surrender had stormed it and hung the old Baron like a common criminal. They had also requested his lands be forfeited to the dead merchants’ families. Fortunately, the Emperor had agreed with the younger Vor dem Holte and the lands were retained by the family. He now hated the Hanse with a passion and resolved to destroy those upstart merchants. Vor dem Holte had joined the Teutonic Order following the disastrous campaign of Komtur Heinrich Stango on the Vistula Lagoon which had left the pagan Sambians in control of the area once again. The new Grand Master, Poppo von Osterman, had petitioned Gregory IX and the subsequent Golden Bull of Rieti had legitimised the new Crusade. Across northern Germany, Denmark and Sweden, young nobles had heeded the call and among them was Juncker Johannes Pähler vor dem Holte. He made a name for himself joining with the Livonian Sword Brothers in pacifying the Curonian Lagoon area They had founded the new city of Memel on the ruins of the city the Sword Brothers had burnt and had then massacred the local population. This action stopped the Samogtians supporting their neighbours, the Sambians, and allowed the Order to pacify and convert any remaining living pagans. Vor dem Holte thought it was a good outcome. Vor dem Holte distinguished himself in the campaign, personally sending many pagan souls to hell just as he believed they deserved and making himself richer in the process. His reward, for his outstanding zeal, was to be sent on an embassy to Novgorod Veliky. It was there that Vor dem Holte first encountered the power of the Hanse and the insidious nature of their philosophy. He did not think it was proper or correct that these merchants were not ruled by nobles or princes. At the Kontor of Novgorod they had treated him as an equal and, unbelievably, they had even infected the people of Novgorod, who now had a Posadnik elected by the local assembly, the Veche. Thankfully the city was also jointly ruled by the Archbishop of Novgorod, who although of Orthodox persuasion, was a noble, and he could talk freely with him rather than the upstart commoners. Vor dem Holte failed in his mission to get military support from Novgorod but did not suffer any consequences from his superiors. It did not go equally well for the Posadnik and Veche of Novgorod. When Alexander Nevsky heard about the discussions, and in fear of Berke Kahn’s negative and possibly for him, fatal response, he punished the Posadnik and the leading members of the Veche by chopping off their noses and adding a third more ermine pelts to the tribute due to the Grand Duke of Vladimir. Berke Kahn was indeed pleased with the extra ermine furs. But all this was in the past and the Juncker had come back to be the Freiherr. His immediate plans were to revenge his father. He looked at the harvested fields with some satisfaction until he noticed at each corner of the field that stalks of rye had been tied together and left as some form of votary or shrine. He brought his discovery to the attention of the Franciscan who scowled in response and launched into a monologue about someone called Burchard of Worms who had warned all good Christians against witchcraft in his Canon Episcopi. And this, said Thomas, was Witchcraft. Vor dem Holte began to get a sore head and regretted his decision to involve the Friar. It was always this way when priests started going on about something or other. They could never be satisfied with how things are. They needed to find something to disagree with and then, to preach about it for longer than he cared to listen. He thought of maybe dismissing the Franciscan but he owed him a debt of gratitude for solving a problem that would certainly have led to a compromising situation both with his superiors and with a certain Posadnik. He had to act to stop this incessant noise in his head. Vor dem Holte shouted to one of his Sergeants, who were both keeping a safe distance from the noble and the friar and trying to amuse themselves by standing on homeless field mice, to bring him the local priest. Father Mathias was brought, have dragged, half stumbling in front of the Freiherr and the Friar. He was an older man, no doubt one of the peasants who had been ordained by his father to save money and keep the populace happy. It was unlikely that he could read Latin and probably mumbled the prayers thought Vor dem Holte. Vor dem Holte demanded to know the significance of the tied rye stalks and who had done it. The old priest tried to explain that it was a harmless country practice and was just a custom the villagers indulged in. As their priest, he ignored such minor sins, as he believed, did God. The Franciscan could take no more. He ranted and raved, spittle flying from his mouth as he screamed about pagans and witchcraft. The old priest flinched and whimpered as the two Sergeants held him upright. Vor dem Holte had had enough of the Priest, who was whimpering and the Friar who was raving. Beat him he said. He walked away as the sergeants beat the old man with their spear butts. The next day, Vor dem Holte sat bored in his hall drinking watered wine. His temper had not improved since yesterday. He had intended to go hunting but the sudden storm had put paid to that. He tried to engage one of the sergeants in a game of dice but the man, terrified of winning, had made sure he lost each game. Vor dem Holte was about to have the man beaten to toughen him up but decided it might not be good for morale in general. A better idea was that he would use the time to get his new set of clothes fitted properly, the shirt was not right and the hose was too loose. He called for his tailor but was interrupted by one of the guards saying that there was a man wishing to speak with him. Vor dem Holte looked at the man approaching him. He was small and oddly wrinkled. Remarkably, he was not wet from the increasingly heavy rain that was beating on the shutters. The wrinkled man swept his hat off and proceeded to advise Vor dem Holte that, for his own safety, he must replace the rye stalks at the corner of the fields. It was Vor dem Holte's turn to rage and rant about commoners coming to tell him what he should do and attempting to bully him. He demanded to know who the man was and threatened to have him evicted from his no-doubt festering hovel on the estate. The wrinkled man just smiled and said his name was Eckhart, sometimes called the faithful, and that he was a servant of someone he referred to as Frau Holda who sometimes was also known as Percht mit der eisen Nase. He therefore did not need evicting if the Freiherr should please, but he must with utmost haste replace the rye stalks. Vor dem Holte replied he knew no one called Frau Holda and even if he did he would not be menaced in his own home. He took a cudgel from the wall and began beating Eckhart. When he had vented his anger and was somewhat calmed, he ordered the sergeants to chain Eckhart in the cellar to await execution tomorrow. And if they found this Frau Holda, chain her up too. Later that night the storm intensified. The old Priest, Father Mathias stood in the door of his small house watching the clouds race across the sky, wincing slightly from the bruises on his body. He could hear the howl of hounds and knew the Hunt was abroad. Fearful that he would be caught up in their wake, he turned to go inside and bolt the door, as most of his sensible parishioners had done. The movement in the sky caught his eye and he could not help himself looking at the Hunt which was outlined against the full moon. To his horror he saw two figures followed the Hunt, one a tall man and another wearing the robes of a friar. He crossed himself and bolted the door. In the morning the sergeants were surprised that Eckhart had escaped his chains. Fearful, they went to tell their Lord but he could not be found either. His bed had not been slept in. Thankfully that dreadful Franciscan had disappeared too.

I was only interested in letting people know the etymology of Lust and the pre-15th Century meaning and how its used in modern German .. if some want to use the modern meaning, that's fine with me 🤪Particularly, since some people found the interpretation very narrow and limiting in terms of role-play I just don't have time for that with running a Saxon Campaign and CoC and none of my existing group would be that interested even if I was But I agree with Greg's quote... just have fun