In Britannia Salutem

[Lindseyman]

Cador

Cador sat in a small room in what had been the legionary barracks in Isca and was now his, for want of a better word, palace, and laughed and laughed until he cried. It wasn’t that Vortigern had been killed that made him laugh but how! The dreaming idiot had travelled just with his bodyguard having sent his army on ahead, never thinking that there must still be the Saxon War Host in existence! The treachery at the Henge had only removed the leadership of the Saxons not its warriors! There were no words which could accurately describe Vortigern’s stupidity and arrogance and he had paid for it with his life and those of his bodyguard. There was, admittedly, the added bonus that Guitolinus was missing, presumably killed. Cador had feared Guitolinus, he was intelligent and Cador always thought that he had known exactly what Cador was thinking and planning and was just waiting for the right moment to strike.

However on the plus side, he had managed to drive a wedge between Vortigern and the Northern idiots, who were too honourable for their own good, and he had expected that there would have been war between them within a year, two at the most. Unfortunately that would now never come to pass. Also someone had acted far too quickly in assassinating Ambrosius! His army was needed to defeat the invaders and would have acted as a counterweight to whoever had come out on top in the struggle between Vortigern and the northerners. Whoever succeeded Ambrosius would need time to consolidate their position and that time could now result in the Saxons reorganising and being a problem again.

That time could also result in the North becoming properly organised. His spies had reported on the agreement reached in the north and it had surprised him. He honestly hadn’t thought that they would have been pragmatic enough to reach an agreement with Aelle, especially not so quickly! That it had happened was probably because Aelle, despite being an Angle, actually thought much the same way as the Northern Lords, especially Utha. It was likely that this was a result of him being a proper leader of his people rather than an opportunist mercenary like both Hengest and Horsa. Aelle’s family had ruled the Angles since Constantine had ruled Rome and acted accordingly.

Oh well adjustments would have to be made to his plan and messages sent. No plan survived real events for long and the wise made adjustments accordingly!

 

[Lindseyman]

Ebissa

Ebissa washed his face and hands and thought long and hard. He had led what was left of the Saxon War Host after their ambush of Vortigern on a fast march to the east. By Woden those Britons had fought well! They had been outnumbered two to one and yet had still managed to halve his forces. Ebissa shuddered to think what would have happened if they had been as disciplined as Ambrosius’ men!

Well he wasn’t going to find out. Once word of what had happened on Watling Street reached the Romans they were going to start hunting for him. They had no love for Vortigern but were not going to let a Saxon War Host roam the countryside unchallenged for long! Whichever Loki spawned idiot had decided that removing Ambrosius would result in a period of confusion for the Romans had obviously never had to deal with his son! Ebissa had fought a few skirmishes with “The Bear” and had been beaten each time. That man combined all the worst aspects of Britons and Romans as far as Ebissa was concerned. He fought like a devil but with discipline. Even a small Roman force would wipe the floor with what he had left.

Ebissa planned a quick march to the Metaris where he would embark his men on boats and sail to north of the old wall. There were settlements of Angles there who did not recognise Aelle as their King and who would give them shelter. Ebissa ground his teeth at the thought of Aelle. His type were the reason that his family had left the old country for the new lands of Britannia in the first place. Heads so full of honour and tradition that they wouldn’t do what was necessary. To make matters worse Aelle had apparently come to an agreement with the British leaders of the area. The more rational side of him admired that, it was a master stroke and would put the British fools off their guard. However Aelle and his family would honour the agreement not lull the Britons into a false sense of security and then strike.

Ebissa intended to found a kingdom in these lands. He had expected to do so in the rich south. However he would deal with the fate that the Norns had bestowed on him. The land north of the wall was not as rich as the south but was still better than the old country and more fragmented so would be easier to take over. The Votadini and Damnoni had been at each other’s throats since the Pictish wars fifty years ago and had been further weakened by the last Pictish incursion. Yes, there were definite opportunities for a strong man to take up there.

 

[Lindseyman]

Rowena

Rowena screamed whilst Vortigern’s female relatives and her maids clucked around her like hens. Some of the older ones wore very worried expressions but Rowena paid them no heed and screamed again. The pain was like having your insides twisted, pulled, and squeezed. If she fought it, the pain became worse so she rode with it and it occasionally became bearable.

It was far worse than last year when she had given birth to Cerdic. However this birth was about four weeks too early. The midwives claimed that it had been brought on by the shock and stress of first seeing her father and brother killed at the Henge and secondly by the news of Vortigern’s death on Watling Street. Whatever had caused her to go into labour early it was far more painful than she had ever imagined!

The midwives applied hot compresses to her lower body and genitals but it did not relieve the pain. The really intense pain had started after her waters had broken. It was more of a tightening that got worse and worse until it peaked, then dropped off. If it could have had this particular pain once an hour or even once every 15 minutes, Rowena thought that she might have been able to tolerate it. But the contractions just kept coming and coming.

She screamed again it now felt like her hips were being pulled apart!

“I can see the head. Push, dear, push as if your life depended on it!”

“What does you think I’m doing” screamed Rowena but she did as she was told. She screamed again.

“It’s coming.”

Suddenly there was an intense pain and then nothing. Rowena looked at the chief midwife she was holding a baby wrapped in cloth.

“It’s a boy”

On hearing that Rowena passed out.

 

[Lindseyman]

Myrddin

Myrddin rode slowly along the track. He had skirted west of Watling Street so as to avoid any stragglers from Ebissa’s War Host and had managed to purchase an old sway backed Mare from an isolated farm in return for repairing their well. The sun shone brightly with an occasional cloud in a blue sky. The birds were singing and the hawthorn was beginning to come into flower so all in all it made for a pleasant journey. Myrddin often used the old British tracks when travelling around the country. They connected all the villages and farms that never seemed to make it onto any tax collector’s map and one could get a sense of what the ordinary country folk thought about matters.

The Lords of the Britons would shudder at how little notice that the true country folk paid to them. As long as the roads were kept in reasonable repair and were safe to use and the land was peaceful they couldn’t care who ruled them, whether Briton, Roman or Saxon! That didn’t affect how good the harvest was going to be or whether the sheep would lamb. In some parts of the country the old markets had kept going right through all the changes of the past 400 years and some of the farmers would be hard pushed to remember who claimed to rule them!

Myrddin swung back to Watling Street and rode towards Tripontium. There had always been a market at the full moon and the moon was approaching full. He loved the markets. One could pick up all the local gossip and surprising snippets of knowledge from amazingly faraway places. Myrddin arrived at the local inn and although he had to haggle quite hard managed to secure a single room for himself at quite a reasonable price. Most people nowadays used the commons (as did Myrddin on occasion) but he had wanted a good night’s sleep in relative peace.

After a surprisingly good, if plain, meal. Myrddin sat in the common room and let the conversations flow over him. Within half an hour he had found out that the death of Ambrosius was being blamed on Guitolinus and that his son had succeeded him as Artos not as Ambrosius the Younger: that Ebissa had been seen heading East at a rapid rate and was rumoured to have taken to sea at the Metaris and sailed North: that the Lords of the North had made peace with Aelle of the Angles and now counted him as one of themselves.

That last piece of news had almost made Myrddin choke on his ale! He knew and respected Utha, Lucius and Cunoval. He knew that Quintus wasn’t quite the fool that Vortigern had thought him to be and that Urien was trusted by Utha and Lucius. However he would never have thought that they all would be so pragmatic as to come to an arrangement with Aelle! Aelle admittedly did think the same way that they did but he was still an Angle, an invader. Somebody had developed a sense of “realpolitik” and a healthy dose of common sense. Myrddin would put money on it being either Utha or Lucius or possibly both of them. They had always been amongst the most sensible leaders of the British even given Utha’s silly falling out with his cousin (although that had never seemed to stop either of them knowing what the other was doing!).

The last piece of information, that he gleaned, was the most interesting Rowena had given birth prematurely to a second boy whom Catigern (whom had been Vortigern’s younger brother and had succeeded him as ruler of the Silures) had named Cynric. However they had disappeared even though Catigern had named the elder Cerdic as his heir (his own sons having been killed in battle) despite him only being a year old. Myrddin decided that he would turn west and investigate this. Cerdic was too important a part of Myrrddin’s plan for him, his brother and mother to just disappear!

 

[altwere]

Good up date. Glad that you posted.

 

[The Professor]

I notice you're using Vortigern as a name rather than title. Has it been shown as such?

 

[Lindseyman]

I notice you're using Vortigern as a name rather than title. Has it been shown as such?

I know that modern historians think that Vortigern was a title, however if Gildas (at least in the version I own!), Bede, Nennius and Geoffrey of Monmouth (such a reliable source) all used it as a name,whom am I to argue (also Rosemary Sutcliff and Mary Stewart although I am definitely NOT comparing this attempt to their work!)

 

[Lindseyman]

Artos

Marius sat in Young Ambrosius’, no Artos’, first officers meeting and listened with rising surprise. Artos wanted to be much more proactive about re-establishing order in Britannia than his father.

“I did not and do not disagree with any decision of my father’s” Artos stated, “and I fully agree with all of his aims. However I am not my father and I will go about achieving them differently. We must restablish control in much of what was Flavia Caesariensis. Although Vortix claims much of it through his wife’s grandparents he has done nothing to exert any sort of control even the lax control of the tribes. As a result much of the area is virtually lawless although some of the towns still exert some sort of control over their hinterlands, my Uncle Utha controls the old tribal lands of the Cornovii and his ally Aelle has established control over the eastern Coritani lands. It is in the rest that we must restablish order so that the Saxons do not have a chance to establish themselves there now that my father forced their withdrawal from Cantii lands.”

Artos paused and took a sip of water.

“We will at first just send regular cavalry patrols through the area and restablish contact with all the functioning municipalities. Once we have done that we will start establishing garrisons in those areas that welcome us and take other measures in those areas that do not. I will also keep in regular contact with my uncle and his allies in the north. Although I am not overly happy with the agreement that they reached with Aelle, I must admit that it does make a great deal of sense from their perspective so I will accept it. We must also establish good relations with Catigern and the other Cambrian leaders. We cannot be divided any more than we are already or the Saxons will just walk in and take over the rule of our lands.”

With that Artos finished and the rest of the meeting was spent briefing individual officers as to the areas which they would patrol. Finally Artos turned to Marius and grinned

“How did I do?”

“Frankly, My Lord, I’m amazed. You didn’t think this plan up overnight!”

“No, it has been fermenting in my mind for some time now. I would never have gone against my father’s orders to implement it but as I now have to be in charge I’ll do what we wanted my way.”

“I don’t think that you’ll need me around then!”

At that statement from Marius, Artos looked genuinely shocked.

“Of course I do! Although I will think first of the cavalry, after all I AM a cavalry man, the infantry will be just as important especially to man garrisons and to patrol areas which are fully under my control. Also very few battles can be won with just cavalry and we will still have battles to fight, old friend, even if not as many as my father feared.”

“Now, Marius, you know my Uncle better than I. What will he make of all this?”

 

[Julius Vogel]

Very interesting! Now when will Rohm make an appearance?

 

[Lindseyman]

Utha

Utha looked hard at the messenger, no envoy would be a better word that Artos had sent to him.

“Repeat that again” he ordered.

Marcus, who had previously been Ambrosius’ aide squared his shoulders and repeated what he had just said.

“My Lord Artos wishes to report that the eastern lands of Flavia Caesariensis are all but deserted. There are a few settlements of Iceni, Trinobantes and Catuvelanii but there are no major towns left roughly east of Ermine Street and north of Camoludunum. He adds that it is a wonder that there have not been more Saxon and Angle settlements in the area as it is still good farmland. He also reports that the marshy area around the Metaris is far bigger than recorded on the maps left in Venta Belgarum and Aquae Sulis. My Lord wonders if you in the North have any idea why the lands have been deserted as they were still prosperous when Honorius was Emperor.”

Utha frowned and thought before answering

“No, there has been no plague reported nor pestilence. Messages from the area just decreased over time until they stopped about twenty years ago. There certainly has been no influx of people moving north to avoid the troubles.”

Utha shook his head

“This is really difficult to understand. As your Lord Artos said that land was prosperous and there is no good reason for it not to be so still. However harvests were poorer for a time so perhaps it was worse in those areas?”

Marcus shook his head

“I know not, My Lord. There were also no movements of people into our lands.”

“Oh well, perhaps Vortigern or Guitolinus knew. However whatever they knew died with them on Watling Street. What else does Artos wish to tell me?”

“Given the desertion of the lands of the Iceni. My Lord Artos came to a similar arrangement to the one you made with Aelle, with a leader of settlers from Geatland called Rodmunt. From him he learnt that crops have been failing for the last twenty or so years in that area and he expects more people to come to this island over the next few years. With that in mind My Lord Artos wishes to meet with Aelle to settle on the boundaries of what he calls Lindsey. His only stipulation is that Lindum must remain under his control.”

Utha smiled

“That can be arranged. Let us meet at what was Segelocum at the next full moon.”

Marcus saluted and left.

Utha continued to think. Things were looking better than they had for years. If Aelle and Artos could reach mutually satisfactory terms that would only leave Catigern and the other Cambrian leaders to bring into line. Then he frowned, also Cador. There was a man with his own agenda despite his apparent agreement with the Northern Lords.

 

[Lindseyman]

Myrddin

Myrddin had trotted down the old Roman roads until he had reached Magnis and then he had used the old country tracks until he reached Gorbanium (or Govenni as the locals now tended to call it). From now on he would have to stay clear of any major settlements as someone would be bound to recognise that he was Guitolinus and he didn’t want that.

Rumours about the disappearance of Rowena and her two sons were rife. There was however a common thread to them all. A ship had been docked at Venta Siluria and although the crew had spoken little they couldn’t disguise their Dumnoni and Armorican accents, the night that the three had vanished it had raised sail and left. This suggested that Cador was involved.

Myrddin had to admit that if Cador had spirited them away he had probably increased their life expectancy! What had caused Catigern to announce Cerdic as his heir? He must have known that this would ensure them an early death as his other relatives jockeyed for position and power in the depleted court. Mind you Catigern might well have intended just for that to happen, then he wouldn’t have their blood on his hands. Also why would Rowena agree to their kidnapping, she knew what Cador thought of her as a Saxon? Unless of course she realised what was likely to happen if she stayed in Venta Siluria!

From the dealings that he had had with her, Myrddin realised that she was by far the most intelligent of Hengist’s brood with a strong pragmatic streak. Her father, Hengist, and her elder brother, Octa, were dead by Vortigern’s deeds at the Great Henge. Her younger brother, Ebissa, had revenged their father but then had fled east and then north of the wall. So she must have realised that there was no help coming from that source. The next safest option would have been Ambrosius but he had been killed as well and Artos had a reputation of antipathy towards Hengist and his family if not to all Saxons.

No, Cador had offered here an immediate escape route and she had taken it. Probably hoping that she could, somehow, then make her way back to her own people. From what Myrddin knew of Cador he somewhat doubted that she would be given the chance. However this all begged the question. Why had Cador done this? He obviously wanted them alive but for what reason?

Myrddin got some of the answers when he ran into a merchant travelling towards Burrium who had been at Venta when it had happened. This merchant had been checking his stock in his warehouse when he had seen two women carrying two children being hurried onto the Armorican ship which had then immediately raised sail and left despite the tide not being at full height. The merchant had wondered what had caused them to leave so hurriedly but a detachment of soldiers had arrived soon after and had cursed that there were no boats available to follow. The merchant commented that the ships commander must have known that stretch of water like the back of his hand or was just exceptionally skilled and lucky or perhaps all three!

Myrddin thought hard. He was going to have to travel to Dumnonia and then possibly Armorica. There was some plan being enacted here but he couldn’t work out what it was let alone who had thought and organised it. He admitted that it was something that he could have planned either as Myrddin or Guitolinus but he hadn’t realised that there was anyone else who could have done so in Britain. Then a thought struck him, if Rowena and the boys had been taken to Armorica, as seemed likely, then perhaps there was someone who was capable of planning this. However they should have been preoccupied with Atilla and the Huns not with abandoned Britannia!

 

[Lindseyman]

Cador

Cador breathed a sigh of relief. He had finally got that witch Rowena, her two boys and their nursemaid onto a boat going to Armorica. Let Huil deal with her in the short term! She had been a monumental pain from her arrival at Isca, demanding all the deference which had been her due when Vortigern’s wife. She didn’t seem to recognise how precarious her life was at the moment. Still he had also sent messages with the boat to his contacts who had helped organise her rescue. They could decide what to do with her and her sons.

Meanwhile the situation in Britannia was rapidly getting out of control. Ambrosius’ son had not only consolidated his grasp on power far more quickly than expected, he was far more proactive than Ambrosius. He had established his control over eastern Flavia Caesariensis and was even now heading to a meeting with the Northern Lords and Aelle. This meeting was too far away and too soon for him to sabotage in any way, so for once he was going to have to wait for the outcome before deciding what to do. Hopefully Artos would be too pig headed to come to an agreement with them. However Cador didn’t hold out too much hope in that regard. Artos, after all, had reached agreement with Rodmunt of the Geats in the old Iceni territory.

Also rather disturbing messages were coming from north of the wall. Ebissa had landed with the remains of his army at Din Guarie and had then been joined by refugees from Tanatus. He had rapidly established his control over the area and was causing Lot no end of bother. Not that that caused Cador to shed any tears. Lot was a dangerous man who had ideas massively above his station. He had subjugated the Vennacones and Selgovae, ridden out the last Pictish storm and had nearly forced the surrender of the Damnoni as well. He obviously saw himself as becoming Overlord of north of the wall and then influencing what happened south of it. No, Ebissa was, albeit unwittingly, helping Cador’s cause by forcing Lot to rethink his plans.

Also, rather closer to home, Guitolinus had been seen in Silure Territory. He had been very careful not to identify himself but had been spotted by one of Cador’s spies. This was a problem. Guitolinus was VERY intelligent and might work out what was happening. He had obviously, for one thing, realised that he could not be Guitolinus any longer. However he was one problem that Cador could have solved. He sent for a special member of his household, who was excellent at solving this type of problem.

 

[Hecatee]

And the chase is on... who shall survive among all those travellers... ?

 

[Lindseyman]

Aelle

Aelle sat in his hall in what his people were now calling Luth (the few remaining Coritani had called the old Roman settlement Ludes) and reflected with satisfaction on the recent meeting at Segelocum. He had been worried when he had heard Artos’ condition of keeping control of Lindum but when he realised that that was Artos’ only condition had agreed to it. Lindum was nearly deserted and was falling into ruin. A garrison of Artos’ troops based there would act as a buffer between his lands and the rest of what the Britons called Flavia Caeseriensis which was virtually lawless and more importantly would give Vortix something else to think about apart from recovering Lindsey, to which he had only a tenuous claim through his wife’s grandparents.

This year had gone exceedingly well. He was now accepted as one of the Northern Lords, he controlled more land than any of his family for more than 100 years and his people were beginning to prosper. They had been able to bring in what had turned out to be a bumper harvest without worrying about any raids from the Britons. What was more surprising was that there had not been any raids from the old country! He still had contacts with those of his relatives that had stayed and they had also reported a peaceful summer with no raids from the Franks or any of the others who had been pushed aside by Atilla and his Huns. It had probably helped that Atilla had moved south into Italia and had been delayed and slowed down by Aetius, the weather and plague. News was trickling north that he had withdrawn into Pannonia after meeting with the leaders of Rome.

The only slight problem was the news that Cunoval had brought to the meeting about conditions north of the old Roman Wall. Ebissa had established himself at Din Guarie and was starting to carve out a Kingdom for himself. Aelle had been surprised at the satisfaction that this had caused the others. They now obviously considered Ebissa to be Lot’s problem. Aelle was not so sure. In many ways Ebissa was the most dangerous of Hengist’s children, being more considered and thoughtful than any of the others apart from possibly Rowena. She, however, had disappeared, although rumour had it that she had been seen in Isca and had been put on a boat to Armorica, which was reassuringly far away. No, he would keep an eye on Ebissa. If he was successful in establishing himself north of the wall he would turn his eyes once more to the richer lands south of the wall.

Still, winter was coming and his people were safe for the time being. He would keep in regular contact with the others, especially Lucius and Quintus, and prepare for next year’s raiding season.

 

[Cymraeg]

Interesting. More power to the younger Aurelianus!

....yes, I am a tad biased against Aelle.

 

[Lindseyman]

Morgause

Lot raged around his private room in his citadel. His wife, Morgause, watched impassively. She was used to these shows of temper, she just had to let Lot work his way through his temper and then he would become rational again. This time, however, she fully understood his rage. Events had certainly conspired against all their careful planning over the previous few years!

Firstly, Vortigern had assassinated most of the Saxon leadership at the Great Henge. Both she and Lot had been awestruck at Vortigern’s audacity. It was the sort of thing that they would have attempted given the chance, it was NOT the sort of thing with which they would have associated with Vortigern! The wish, yes but not the action!

However it had backfired rather spectacularly when Ebissa had killed him on Watling Street. That in turn had led to Ebissa fleeing north of the wall from the expected retaliation of the Roman Party and that had in turn wrecked their plans. They had ridden out the last Pictish incursion, subjugated the Venacones and Selgovae, and had nearly defeated the Damnoni. They were about to be able to declare Lot as High King of Valentia, when Ebissa had landed with his war host at Din Guarie. He had been rapidly reinforced by refugees from Tanatus and had established control over Lot’s southern lands and indeed had defeated Lot at Bremenium, although it was a rather inconclusive victory. However it had been enough to stop Constantine of the Damnoni recognising Lot as his overlord and to put a hold on their planning.

Secondly, their plan to assassinate Ambrosius to throw the Roman Party into disarray had also backfired! His son Artos had established his control far more rapidly than expected and indeed had greatly increased the area of Britannia that he controlled. Added to which the Northern Fools had got their act together, forged an agreement with Aelle and had stabilised the area to the south of the Wall.

No, Lot’s rage was understandable but didn’t help in the slightest. They were going to have to rethink their plans to gain control of all of Valentia let alone the lands south of the wall. The first step had to be to get rid of Ebissa, for which they needed the Damnoni and the Northern Lords, none of whom trusted Lot at all. This was going to need a lot of patience and diplomacy over the next few months. Lot was capable of this but only when he was calm. Hopefully, their eldest son Medraut hadn’t inherited his father’s temper and would be able to build on what she and Lot hoped to create in future years.

Morgause left Lot to his rage and summoned Belerix. He had been successful in removing Ambrosius, albeit not with the expected results. Hopefully he would be equally successful with his next assignment.

 

[Lindseyman]

Myrddin

Myrddin sat in the common room of an inn in Condate and nursed his wine. He had made the sea crossing from Dumnonia in one of the merchant ships that still crossed the British Sea. He knew that Rowena, Cerdic and Cynric had been brought to Armorica and if Huil was involved then it was likely that they were staying in the southern part of Armorica that he ruled. Myrddin thought he knew where he could find them. There was an old Villa near Huil’s main settlement. What he would do would then depend on Rowena and who was in control.

In many ways Armorica was a superb place in which the boys could be brought up, far from the politics of the British Lords, especially those of Catigern’s court! Myrddin was no nearer finding out who had organised the whole affair but he now had his suspicions. He was beginning to recognise certain ways that it had been organised. They bore all the hall marks of a certain undersecretary in the Finance Office in Ravenna, who also just happened to control all the Western Empire’s spy network! Despite all the problems of the last 100 years it still rivalled the spy networks of both the ERE and Persia, what Myrddin couldn’t understand was why they were displaying such an interest in the wife and sons of a deceased ruler of part of an abandoned province! Once he had ascertained the safety of the boys and their mother he was going to have to venture into the lion’s den. He grimaced, this was taking him further and further from where he really wanted to be, which was either with Utha or Artos.

He barely registered that someone had sat opposite him but he came to with a start when he felt the dagger under the table.

“Hello Guitolinus, or should I call you Myrddin?”

Myrddin looked closely at the man opposite him and his heart sank it was Polonius, one of the WRE’s best operatives.

“Don’t worry, I have no intention of killing you, just of getting your attention. My master wants you to leave immediately. He wishes to discuss certain matters with you about the situation in Britannia and will meet with you in Ravenna.”

“I don’t suppose that I have a choice in the matter.”

Polonius grinned

“No, especially as I have dealt with the assassin from Cador whom was tailing you!”

Myrddin sighed

“Very well, but why is he showing his hand in this matter?”

“You are getting too close, Myrddin, and he also wishes your advice on another matter. You have a different way of looking at things and may be able to suggest a solution that he can’t see, being too close to it so to speak.”

“When do we leave? I assume that the travel arrangements have been made.”

“Now, whilst Cador doesn’t know that his plan to remove you from the scene has failed.”

With that Myrddin and Polonius left the inn and started on their journey.

 

[Lindseyman]

Ebissa

Ebissa seethed. The assassin that they had caught was proving rather unwilling to divulge who had sent him. He had stoically withstood all the torture to which he had been subjected and was close to death. Finally one of his subordinates had made a suggestion. The island of Medcaut which was across the bay from Din Guarie was accessible by a causeway which was covered at high tide. Perhaps if they staked the assassin to the causeway at low tide and waited they might learn whom he served. Ebissa approved and at the next low tide the Briton was indeed staked to the causeway. He hadn’t seemed worried at first but as the tide rose and began to wash over him he began to struggle. Finally as the tide only just left his face above water moments at a time he finally broke. He was dragged dripping wet and shivering before Ebissa.

“Who sent you and why?”

“The Lady Morgause sent me to remove you and to sow discord amongst your followers so that Lot could reconquer the lands you now hold.”

“You seem a poor choice as assassin. You were captured as soon as you made the attempt!”

At this the man straightened up and glared at Ebissa.

“I am many things but I AM good at this trade. It was I who poisoned Ambrosius”

Ebissa raised an eyebrow at this information.

“What did the Lady hope to achieve by removing Ambrosius? All it achieved was replacing a good but overly cautious Commander of the Romans with a better and far more proactive one!”

“She didn’t realise how good Artos was. All we knew of him was that he was a young cavalry commander with little experience. His rapid establishment of command of the Romans was a complete surprise to her and Lot. I expect that he was to be my next target after you.”

“Well Artos is at least safe from you.”

With that Ebissa thrust his knife into the man’s stomach and left him to die.

Ebissa next met with the leaders of his followers and planned his next move. Apparently Lot and his family always spent midwinter at his family’s holdings near Bearaig a day or so ride from his capital. At this time he only had his household troops with him as the Britons tended to observe a truce at the Mid-Winter Solstice. Well he wasn’t a Briton, as Lot would find to his cost!

 

[Lindseyman]

Morgause

Morgause relaxed in her chair in the children’s room. She came as often as her duties would allow especially at this time of year. The Mid-Winter festival was a time when she and Lot could have a small respite and spend more time with their children. Lot had ridden out with a hunting party early in the morning and was not expected back until nearly nightfall, so Morgause had decided to spend the day with the children. Medraut, their son, was playing with a wooden sword whilst his sister Morgana was concentrating on trying to walk towards her mother. Morgause smiled indulgently she really enjoyed this time with them both. It wouldn’t be too long before Medraut would be being trained as a soldier and in how to rule but she would take advantage of this time whilst he was still a child.

Suddenly Medraut looked up

“Mother, something is wrong!”

Morgause had felt it as well. Her family had always had a touch of the second sight and it would seem that Medraut had inherited it. She got up and walked slowly to the door. There was an increasing commotion outside and it wasn’t the sounds associated with a returning hunting party. Suddenly Escrix, the steward, burst into the room.

“Lady, you must fly with the children. There is a war band of Saxon warriors at the gate and they are trying to break it down. There are not enough men here to successfully defend this place.”

“Is there any word from my Lord Lot and the hunting party?”

Escrix looked sorrowful and looked pointedly at the children. Morgause took the hint and came outside the room and shut the door.

“Out with it. What do you know that cannot be said in front of the children?”

“My Lady, the first we knew of the war band was when My Lord Lot’s head was thrown over the wall!”

Morgause felt like screaming but this was not the time. She swept back quickly into the room and gathered the children and their nursemaid.

“Quickly, follow me”

She took them to her chamber and opened a hidden door. The children were now getting frightened as there were now clear sounds of fighting from within the hall.

“In here and hurry and most of all be QUIET.”

This last was spoken to Morgana who was obviously about to cry. They hurried down a narrow passage way which came out into some woods beyond the walls. Morgause had paused at the end of the passage but she had heard no signs of pursuit nor of any Saxons in these woods. Well that would change when they found that she and the children were gone.

They hurried through the wood and reached a guard post on the road to the citadel. It was deserted but there were three horses still tethered to a post. She and the nursemaid mounted two of them and carried the children in front. They rode rapidly but not along the road. The Saxons, curse them, would have men stationed there to cut off any escape. Morgause was worried but didn’t let it show. The sight would only set the children off and they needed either stealth or speed to escape. Given that she knew that the nursemaid was a country girl who could ride well, Morgause decided to opt for speed. The problem was where to go?

The citadel was not a possibility, with Lot dead there would be infighting about who should succeed. Her life and that of Medraut would be at most hours if they went there. Constantine at Alt Clud was a possibility although they would be imprisoned. No, she would have to first try and reach her brother Garaidh who held lands near the border with Rheged. She knew the route well and should be able to evade any pursuit.

 

[chr92]

Thanks for a scene as solid and interesting as the rest. Hope we get the next one soon.