Amber Treasure, The by Richard Denning Read Free Book Online Page A

say something
about his feelings for her.
    Just then, the winter sun broke
through the dark clouds lighting up the glade. It caught Aidith’s red hair and
I felt my throat go dry. Maybe, one day, I would get the courage up as well, I
thought.
    With a crunching of leaves and
snapping of branches, Aedann pulled himself back out of the bush.
    “I would think you could give a
man some warning!” he complained, spitting out holly leaves. Then, he saw
Mildrith and Aidith and he smiled at my sister.
    Mildrith looked surprised. Like
me, she was not used to seeing him do this. After a moment, she smiled back.
    “Hello, Aedann, you with the
boys?”
    “No!” I said, quickly.
    “Yes!” said Aedann, just as
quickly, striking a manly pose with the sword he carried. Mildrith giggled.
    “Well, don’t let Father catch
you, will you?” she said with a wink and then dragged Aidith away.
    As they left, I noticed that
Cuthbert was studying Aedann, his eyes narrowed and dangerous. I smiled to
myself. So then, Cuthbert has a rival, I thought, and Cuthbert knew it too. Oh
well, might do him some good.
    Lilla came to us again at the
start of the spring. He brought shocking news from distant Rheged. What Aedann
had jokingly predicted, had come true.
    Lilla had the lights extinguished
in the barn, save one that lit up his face and he spoke in a sombre, mournful
tone.
    “The Warlord, Owain, ambushed the
great Firebrand in a rocky, barren land. His army was surrounded as it passed
through the mountains and slain to a man. Last to die was the great warlord
himself. Ten score he killed before they killed him, but die he did, pierced by
many blades and arrows.”
    A groan broke out across the barn
as we took in what he had just said. Firebrand, the great Anglo-Saxon warlord
who had kept the Welsh on the back foot for many years, was dead. The lands he
had conquered and occupied, Lilla told us, had now risen up in rebellion. Bernician
lords vied for power and civil war had broken out. But that war did not last
long, for Firebrand had an heir. His son, Aethelfrith, was as strong and fierce
as his father and had put down the rebellions and civil war with a vengeance.
    The shocks of the campaigns in
the North and West were felt even in the Villa. During this time, Deira
remained neutral in the struggles and concentrated on assimilating the new
lands King Aelle had conquered years before. However, the fighting in the North
drove scores of people south. Thus, leaderless men and bandits deprived of land
and livelihood came to Deira and the countryside became a dangerous place.
Small groups of travellers and, in particular, traders were their prey and the
people soon became afraid to travel. The King took action and called up the Fyrd
− the local levy of a portion of the warriors in each district −
and set them to clearing the woods and abandoned farmsteads of the bandits.
    So it was that Cuthwine went off
to fight. He was passing twenty-two at the time. Father gave him my uncle’s sword
to carry. He left tall and proud, leading two other youths from the village and
accompanied by Grettir and was gone many months. When he returned, late in the
summer, he bore several scars and told stories of skirmishes and battles
amongst the Wolds. Once again, my spirit burned with longing to take my place
in the sagas. The Villa seemed dull indeed, compared to these strange and
exciting places. In the end, the bandits had been dispersed or slain and the
King discharged the Fyrd. The sword was hung up again in the Villa and we went
back to daily life as farmers, expecting that peace would last.
    This was not to be. When Yule
time came and we feasted on roasted lamb and beef and drank the best ale and
mead to stave off the winter cold, Lilla came again to stay with us. His
courage rising after the victory over Bernicia, Owain of Rheged had − so
Lilla had heard − been gathering an army. It was not just from Rheged
over the mountains to the west, but from other