Saxon Slaughter by Griff Hosker

Author:Griff Hosker
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Sword Books Ltd.
Published: 2014-02-02T00:00:00+00:00

Myrddyn nodded sagely, “It explains the raiders but what were they doing so far from their ship? And why did they not do anything? We have found their tracks and yet they seemed to do nothing. This has posed more questions than it has answered.”

I felt a chill run down my spine; the boys were in danger. I knew it. I had done Einar a disservice. He would have returned before now. Something had prevented him from doing so. “I want every man not on guard duty ready to search with a lighted torch. Einar and the boys have not yet returned from their training. We will search the woods to the west. It is where they went hunting. I fear they may have run into this band of Saxons.”

As the others ran off Myrddyn said, “Or that may have been the purpose of the raid?”

That thought was unpalatable but suddenly made sense. It would have been typical of King Edwin and his cunning plans and yet the fact that the ship had landed in the west did not make sense. Something was not right.

I grabbed a torch and joined the men who ran from the fort. Einar and the boys had gone on foot. They could not be far away. I kept thinking of reasons why they would be late and therefore safe. The thought which dwarfed all of the others was that Myrddyn was right and this Saxon incursion had a purpose.

We heard a shout within moments of entering the wood. I ran to the sound and found a sight which filled me with both horror and fear at the same time. We found the bodies of two Saxons. They had been killed by sword strokes.

“Spread out and go carefully. Look under every bush. My son and Einar are somewhere close by. These dead Saxons are not the only ones. We seek a war band.”

I scoured the ground before me. I could see churned up tracks and broken branches. Someone had moved at speed through the undergrowth and they had not worried about secrecy. This was the sign of a flight and a fight. I saw blood spatters on the leaves and branches. Prints in the soft ground seemed to radiate in every direction.

One of my men up ahead gave a cry. “Warlord!”

I ran through the woods in the direction of the voice. Einar hung, barely alive; he had been nailed to the tree like the White Christ. The wounds on his body showed that he had fought his attackers bravely. There were many cuts and injuries. Myrddyn was at his side in an instant and he ordered the men to support his body while he removed the nails. My faithful Dane opened his eyes and murmured, “I am sorry my lord. I have failed you.”

“No, you have not.” I was about to ask him where my son was, when Myrddyn removed one of the nails and Einar passed out. It was a mercy as we were able to take him down quickly.

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