AERON'S FLAME
An excerpt. Badon,Bedwyr and Cerdic.
" A wolf can only know that it is a wolf.. It is instinctively proactive and decisive in action.” Bedwyr had the annoying habit of repeating maxims when fighting. Almost as if lecturing his opponents. Breathing deeply, Bedwyr met the challenge. “ Shall we dance?”
He was motionless, blade held low almost touching the ground between his feet standing relaxed. His opponent confidently aggressive cut at Bedwyr’s exposed head. Bedwyr stepped forward into the attack, flicking his wrists lifting his sword he deflected the strike on the flat of his blade then finishing his strike Bedwyr fluidly ran the fool through. Meeting an opponents strike with a strike provides both offense and defense simultaneously. The trick is to ignore the opponents intent and close while striking. Closing and striking interferes with pretty much anything the opponent is trying to do. All you need focus on is your action. Never remain static, that only encourages the opponents ability to control the initiative. Never try to block and then counter. That only keeps your opponent one move ahead of you.
Turning and facing his second opponent off line, Bedwyr pivoted on the balls of his feet, stepping forward a half step, the longsword over head, he used the thunder strike, striking off line, cutting deep into the Irishman’s unarmoured chest before the surprised man could react to the sight of his still falling friend. Beginning to end Bedwyr moved in a singular flowing motion never stopping until cutting down the second opponent. Blink three times rapidly and the entire movement would be missed.
The fight was over, lasting barely a dozen heart beats from the moment Bedwyr had drawn his sword , answering the challenge of the two dead men.
" Never let them work together. Isolate your opponents, then strike decisively. A house divided cannot stand.” He whispered, wiping his bloodied blade with a piece of a cloak from one of the men at his feet. Then laughing as he sheathed his sword, Bedwyr addressed the dead men. ” If you dinnae want the thorns, yae should never hae plucked the rose.” as he walked away. To report what he had just done to Arthur.
Arthur was surely not going to be pleased that Bedwyr had just left two dead men at the gates of the town.
Arthur met the news sardonically, having already received a report before Bedwyr found him. By all reports, The two men had been insulting the queen. Bedwyr had objected most strenuously to those insults, tho not drawing steel until after they had drawn on him. Insulting the queen was ill advised in Bedwyr’s presence.
“You will pay their Eraic. Bedwyr, straight away. I want no disputes with their clans.” Nodding in assent, accepting the right of it, Bedwyr turned to leave. ” Can you please simply wound them Bedwyr? I need every sword I can find. Should You continue depleting my ranks then where is my army?” Grinning Bedwyr walked away from his king. ” Och, Yae only want the best now do you not? ” affecting the lilting accent of their old sword master.
Arthur smiled at his retreating friend. If anyone could weld the Angles, all infantry, together with the Brigante cavalry, and the Dal Riata , it would be Bedwyr. A Setantii, they claimed descent of Cu Chullain. A race he sired while studying with Scathac on Skye, the sacred Isle. Knowing Bedwyr, Arthur could believe it. The Brigante loved him, holding only Arthur higher.
The Angles respected him. Bedwyr would be the perfect commander of Arthur’s northern Army. While Arthur concentrated on the south west. The Dumonii and Dematae, with the Silures and Cornovii, had only ponies, and Infantry. Arthur would bring heavy cavalry that none of them had dreamt of before. A year of training together should make them ready. Then Arthur could catch the south Saecsen between two armies. The east Saecsen of the old Icenii territory. Would be left for last. Surrounded and isolated.
Gawain would go to Armorica. King Ban, was Arthurs cousin through Uther and Ambrosius. With The Venetii ships, combined with Angle long ships. Control of the sea passage would be complete. Britain as well as Amorica would be free of the Saecsen invaders.
Badon was an accident.
After a brilliant sneak attack on Rutapaie, and a quick advance to Londinium. Arthur and his Amorican allies, caught the Sassanach completely unawares. So Arthur had thought at first. Bedwyr was supposed to link up at Londinium, and together, Arthurs northern army of Brigante, Rheghed, Gododdin, Dal Riata, and Angles, with the Romano Brittish army of Ambrosius and Uthyr and The Amoricans. Arthur would sweep through the territories the South Saecsen held. That was the plan at least. Instead, Arthur met a combined Saecsen-Frank army at Londinium, laying siege to the city. Bedwyr never did make it to Londinium. Bedwyr ran into the host of the east Saecsens while en route. The northern army fought three running battles before finally scattering the saecsen host, instead of pursuing and destroying the saecsen, Bedwyr set out immediately for Londinium.
When Bedwyrs scouts reached Londinium, Arthur, and the sasanach had already gone, Bedwyr turned following the Armies, three days behind them. Arthur fought a total of six battles in this time. All were purely cavalry engagements. Arthur sent all of his infantry at forced march back to the south west.
With three hundred horse calvary, Arthur raided and harassed the Saecsen/Frankish host. He was trying to draw the Sassanach back to his southern base of operations. Camel-Lod was perfect. An ancient Celtic hill fort of immense size. Room for a small town at the highest level. A maze of earthen walls and ditches to navigate up. Perfect for snarling up the Saecsen foot soldiers. Just as it had done the Romans centuries before. Lacking the Roman siege engines, the Saecsen would be easily held at bay.
Bedwyr managed to arrive before the sassanach could over run Arthurs position. Not far away was another immense hill fort on Badon hill. Arthur planned on snarling the sassanach there as well. To give his northern army and the other kings of Britain time to come. The siege lasted three days. The balistae and mules earned their keep. Doing terrible damage to the lightly armored Saecsen. After a few balistae hit both horses and riders with solitary bolts. The Franks kept their mounts far out side the range of the arm length heavy bolts.
Three days Arthur had led the Sasanch across south Britain. Three days Arthur held at Badon. The morning of the fourth day, Bedwyr arrived with the Brigante cavalry and the Angles. Taking the Franks afoot, and the Saecsens from the rear. The Sassanach broke. The northern army even managed to capture most of the Frankish horses. This wasn’t supposed to happen at all. This summer, the plan had been to break the south Saecsen. Next summer would have been the east Saecsens turn.
The majority of the Franks surrendered. The Saecsen fought desperately. To their destruction. Beltane had scarcely passed and Arthur had two victories to contend with. The headaches of victory can be worse than the pains of defeat it seems. Now with two, Arthur was a bit overwhelmed.
In a fortnight of campaigning Arthur and Bedwyr had managed to subdue all of the Saecsen in Britain. Arthur was twenty four years old when he became Riothamus of all Britain and Armorica. Something no other had ever accomplished before. That was also the summer Caradoc was borne. Of the two miracles Arthur viewed his son Cerdic, Caratacus ap Artur Pendraeg, as the true wonder.
