Varangian (Aelfraed) by Hosker Griff

Author:Hosker, Griff [Hosker, Griff]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sword Books Ltd
Published: 2013-01-19T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

These days getting ready for war was easy for we had servants to help us dress and to keep our armour and weapons clean. I still sharpened my blades myself but Basil did a good job with the armour. The new armour was so much lighter than the old one I had had for years that I felt I could fight faster and respond quicker to danger. I stepped from my tent and shouted for assembly. My eager warriors were all there and quickly formed up into the four columns. Ridley and Egbert led off first for they would have the furthest to move, then Edward and finally me. I had decided that it did not matter if we all attacked at once or at different times. There were advantages in both but I did not want time and possibly men’s lives wasted because someone was waiting for an order.

The road wound steeply and I could see how hard it would have been for a ram to have ascended the steep slope. Andronikos and his men were waiting in the tree line out of bow range as we trudged up. I halted. “Column of fours.” The men formed up behind me and I pointed with my axe. “Droungarios, if you wait until my men have passed you then you should be able to ride closer and hit them.”

He looked at me in amazement. “But they will loose at you.”

I grinned, “Aye and their arrows and bolts will strike wood and iron. We are a little better protected than you! Forwards!”

The advantage we had was that we were going up a cobbled road so we could keep our shields up and watch the ground. That way we were totally armoured and would not deviate off course. We heard the whoosh of the missiles and then the thud, clank and ping as they hit shields and helmets. The men on the right had their shields on their right and those behind, in the middle held theirs above their heads. Had we had oblong shields, we would have been totally encased but the round ones were effective as they were doubled in places. I knew when the cavalry had ridden up for the barrage lessened. When the road curved to the left I realised that we were close and I raised my head to peer over the rim of my shield. The gate was ten paces away. “Nearly there lads!”

I heard a cheer ripple down the column and then we were at the door. I shifted my shield above my head and the three men designated to begin the demolition of the door came forwards, their shields held high above them by the warriors at the front. We had chosen them because they were the shorter men and it was easier to protect them. They also had axes with the best heads for cutting wood and soon chips and splinters flew off. I felt a thud as a stone was dropped from the ramparts above.

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