Born to Battle: The Confessions of Saint Illtyd (The Age of Saints Book 1) by D. A. Stewart

Author:D. A. Stewart [Stewart, D. A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Straeon
Published: 2021-05-05T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 28

I rode with Arthwyr and the Britons through that summer and into autumn.

As we rode north and east, we encountered sparse resistance. As we pressed further north, the kings of the north came to our aid. We were nearly continually resupplied with men and provisions. We mostly drove the Saecson before us. As word spread we found more settlements deserted upon our approach … the choice to leave, supply provisions, or die being made even before our arrival. The diligence of our scouts and the blessing of God averted several ambushes. As the weather grew colder, we knew our campaign was drawing to a close.

We fought the Saecsons when we found a settlement they deemed worthy of defending with their lives, or when they massed to attack us. Arthwyr desired to finish what we had begun and pushed us hard toward Linnuis. We fought a series of battles against the Saecsons as they fell back toward their island fastness at Lindsay. We defeated them six times but could not drive them from the island before the weather turned.

One chilly morning Arthwyr called the lords to gather in his tent. As we gathered, stamping our feet against the cold and drawing near to the smoking braziers, talk turned to the harvest and the men yearning for the warm hearth of home.

Arthwyr sat apart on his camp chair, chewing his moustache and scowling. I could feel the frustration of my old friend but did not approach him; allowing him to choose his own time to reveal his thoughts.

Finally he rose. “My lords, my friends,” he called out, gesturing to the seats arranged in a wide circle. Striding to the centre of the ring, he waited for us to settle. “I call you friends. More than that, I call you brothers. We are Britons all and have forged our brotherhood in the heat of battle. We are brothers in blood and toil. We have shared the victories and have borne the cost of many clashes. I count it a great privilege to have led you. You chose me as your Dux Bellorum, and I believe I have borne the weight of command as well as any man can.”

He paused, looking around the circle and found only nods of agreement before continuing. “The Saecson have tasted our metal and been pressed hard. They cannot doubt that we are no longer the easy prey they may have thought. We have the upper hand, and I would have had us crush them utterly.” He shook his head sadly and went on, “But it was not to be. Not this year, anyway. The weather has turned … the snows are coming. It is time for us to end our campaign. Not forever mind you, but for now. So, as I have commanded you in war, I now release you to find what peace you can this winter. But before we go our separate ways, I have a proposal. I propose we gather a council of war in mid-winter to plan for renewing the campaign in the spring.

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