Varangian (Aelfraed) (19 page)

“Will you be long in the city?”

“I know not. We have a meeting tomorrow with the other officers and I daresay we will find out then.”

“Well you are always welcome here. And if there is aught I can do for you…”

“Thank you Eric, there is one thing, well two really.  One is to find out how things are in England.  I would like to know if my men still fight and I would know how Stig and the others fare.”

“I will discover news of England but I can tell you of Stig.
  He is now an important leader.  He has a hundred men who guard the boats.  Jarl Gunnersson also commands more boats and they sail down the rivers together.  Their success means that more merchants use them. They are rarely attacked now and that means profit for all.” I nodded, pleased.  “A half smile played upon Eric’s lips. “They have a new powerful boat called, The Aelfraed and Stig calls his men,
The Men of the Red Horse
.”

I was touched and, as I looked up at Ridley I could see that he felt the same.
  “When you see them tell them that I am honoured.”

“They will be sorry to have missed you but I am pleased beyond words that you have graced our home.”

Snorri and Ragnar both nodded. “For myself I can just say that this has been the most peace I have known for many a year, thank you.”

The briefing at the palace, the next day, was for all the senior officers only and I left Ridley to check on the equipment of our men and to begin their training. I did not know when we would be needed again but the briefing suggested sooner rather than later.

The strategos looked pleased with himself as he greeted us all.  This time I was not the newcomer and all of the other commanders knew and respected me.  We had fought together for over a year and you get to know the qualities of a man in that time. I had been close to Nicephorus but his early departure meant that I was now closer to the others.  Andronikos, in particular, warmly greeted me. He had developed into a cunning commander of light horse and had made significant improvements to his men’s arms and armour. “Welcome gentlemen. It seems that our success has put us in great demand. Reports are coming in that there is unrest around
Dyrrhachium
and we are to be sent there to quell the insurrection.” He glanced around the room as the murmur of conversation rose.
  He held his hands up and the room became silent once more.  His voice seemed quiet as he continued, “I am afraid, Andronikos, that your horse will not be as useful in the mountains as they were in Asia and we will not have the benefit of cataphracts, although I am not sure of how much use they would be in the mountains.” He smiled at me, “However I am sure that our Varangian Saxons will prove as resourceful there as in Asia.”

I took his praise as a compliment but I was not sure how my men would cope with uneven terrain.
  A shield wall worked best when it was a continuous line on good ground but I also knew that my men were confident and, given time I could train them to perform individually as my warriors had in England in the woods above Medelai.

He became serious.
  “We have now lost all of our territories in Italy and Sicily to the Normans and I hear that Robert Guiscard is casting his greedy eye across the waters to Serbia. We need to ensure that the province is loyal and a buffer against the Norman threat.” I felt the cold shiver run down my back as the Normans were mentioned.  The Norns were sending me close to my Nemesis and that made me even more determined to have the finest force I could.  “We have three days.  We will be taking wagons but we need no siege train.” I saw the disappointed look on Basil, the siege train commander’s face. I nodded sympathetically.  It would be hard to remain behind while comrades were off fighting for we had all become close. Alexios gestured for me to join him as the others pored over the map. “It seems the commander of the Varangians has dismissed other volunteers from England.  There are fifty more men waiting equipment and training.” I brightened.  That more than made up for our losses fighting the Franks. “The title Varangian Inglinoi appears ever more appropriate now, does it not?”

Ridley and my other officers had wasted no time in training and equipping the new men.
  I watched them for a while and then, as the noon meal break approached I asked my officers to join me. “We have three days to turn these into a fighting unit and we also need to train them to fight in smaller groups.” Ridley nodded, he knew there would be a way but the others looked sceptical. “Do not worry about their ability to do so.  They are resourceful.  How else would they have managed to make it all the way here from England? After they have eaten split them into Kontoubernia. We need one man to lead each unit; he will be the Dekarchos and paid accordingly. Choose your men well for they will need to be able to command on their own. We will then train them to fight in pairs. We need to be able to go from line to small groups, to pairs and back; but we need to do it quickly and while being attacked.”

Edward looked puzzled, “In pairs, my lord? That seems a hard task.”

“No I have been talking with scholars and the other officers.  There were warriors in the ancient past, the Theban Band of Thebes.  They fought as pairs, protecting each other.“ I pointed at Ridley. “Ridley and I have done so for years.  Whenever the shield wall broke we protected each other.” I risked a jibe, “except of course when my friend went berserk once.” They all laughed for they loved that story.  Ridley just reddened and I was pleased that he had learned to laugh at himself.

“The Kontoubernia will then need to fight as shield wall.” I could see that they were uneasy. “We are going to fight in the mountains to the west.
  Ridley and I have fought in Wales which is similar but even that, apparently, is gentler than the terrain we will be facing. We will not have the luxury of even ground and the shield wall will not hold and the wedge will need to be more flexible.  We have three days to train the men to move from shield wall to pairs, to small shield walls and wedges and back. Each of you may end up leading your own wedge if the occasion arises.  I know that you can do this. All of you were trained as warriors and Housecarls; Ridley and I by the best, Sweyn, King Harold’s Housecarl and champion.  You will succeed, I know it.”

They left, happier. Ridley joined me.
  “You are right Aelfraed and they will see it; it just takes time for them to come to terms with a new idea.”

“I know but there is one more change that affects you.
  You and I will need to be able to take charge of half of the men.” I pointed at the departing officers.  There are five of them which gives them command of, roughly a hundred men.  You will command two hundred and I three hundred so that we are more flexible.  Our cavalry will not be of much use and the Thema at ten thousand warriors is too big.  I can see us having our work cut out. We will need to fight out of sight of each other.”

The men responded well to the training and the new officers were delighted with their extra pay.
  The new men enjoyed the new armour they were given and the hobnailed shoes which replaced a whole variety of footwear.  Once in the mountains they would prove invaluable. We had no time to visit our friends again but as we marched from the city, out of the Adrianople Gate, I saw them in the crowds cheering us. I heard Snorri’s voice ring out, “Remember Senlac Hill!” When my men heard that they began banging their shields and I saw Alexios turn around and give me a wry smile.  The Varangian Inglinoi were never quiet as Andronikos said, “You always know where the Inglinoi are whether in camp, marching or on the battlefield! They are the noisiest warriors I have ever met!”

We headed west and, this time, our route was along better roads and was safer for we were still in the Empire and the lands which had been ruled by Rome and its descendants for over a thousand years. I explained to Ridley, as we marched along, what I had discovered about the area which was causing trouble. “It has only recently been recaptured and rejoined the Empire. The fact that it is close to the Normans in Italy is a cause of concern.
  Many of the people there are happy to be under Byzantine rule but there are men who seek power, a little like Roussel and take the recent losses at Manzikert as a sign of weakness.”

I could see that Ridley was troubled. “But Aelfraed, are the people there not as we were in England, fighting an invader?”

“No Ridley.  The land belonged to Rome since the time of the Caesars.  It is the newcomers who are as the Normans; trying to seize a little power.” That reassured him and he looked happier as we trudged along the straight, cobbled roads built by the legions of Rome.

Once we neared the troubled area we took to a more defensive formation. We still had almost the same army which had destroyed the mercenary rebels; here the cataphracts would be of little use anyway.
  Not a huge army but a well led one.  We could see the burnt out farms and villages which reminded me of England and the Normans. The people we met were wary of us for they had grown up in a land not ruled by the Emperor and the new lawless phase made them look to themselves. Andronikos and his men had been scouting far ahead and they reported a rebel stronghold.  It was in the mountains and they had an old Roman tower which had been added to make a sturdy fort. Alexios decided to use this as our first opportunity to show the rebels that they had to submit to Byzantine rule once more. The warriors who opposed us, the Thracians, used a variety of weapons and tactics.  They were superb horsemen and the horse archers we had brought began to suffer increasingly damaging casualties.  Alexios decided to keep them close to the main army which annoyed Andronikos but he accepted it was necessary. We also found that they were almost suicidal and fanatical for their unarmoured warriors would attack us at night wielding their wicked curved swords they called the rhomphaia.  Sometimes it was used attached to a pole and caused great casualties amongst the cavalry.  I was told, when we returned to Byzantium, that the Varangians all used the rhomphaia.  I never cared for it as you could not use it effectively to stab but it was highly efficient as a slashing weapon.

I first met one when we camped close to the first fortress and they made a night attack. At the first scream from the dead guard I was awake and grabbed Death Bringer. I leapt from my tent and saw a Thracian almost cut one of the sentries in two with
his blade. He saw me, emerging from my tent and must have thought I was one of the effete Greek officers from one of the other regiments. He raced fearlessly at me with the long sword above his head.  I held Death Bringer behind me while watching the sword. As soon as I saw it descend and that he was committed to the stroke I stepped aside and brought Death Bringer in a huge swinging arc to cut his body in two. The other raiders were all despatched but three of my men lay dead, a grievous loss.

We had waited at the foot of the hill near the fort for a week and this had been the third attack; my
men’s morale was beginning to sink and, as the bodies were taken away, I stormed to the command tent. I should have halted and asked permission to enter but the sentry, who knew me, quickly stood aside to avoid being bowled over. Alexios was standing over the map with Andronikos. “Staring at the fucking map will not get the hill fort taken! When are we going to stop sitting on our arses and take this place?” I could converse in Greek but when I was angry I reverted to English and Andronikos only understood a couple of my words, he did however understand the meaning and he took a step back.

Alexios gave a small smile.
  He was always a calm and calculating man.  “Ah it is the impulsive Englishman who cannot get out of the habit of speaking his mind.  I fear we will never make a Byzantine out of you.”

I had calmed a little and I answered in Greek. “Perhaps Byzantine commanders do not mind their men being killed for no good purpose but I value each one of my men for they are hard to replace.”

“Then you come at the right time for we were planning just such an attack although the manner of your arrival leaves much to be desired.”

I gave a weak smile and felt myself redden, “Apologies strategos. I speak too passionately.”

“It is part of you.  I wish it was not but without it you may not be the warrior you are. Now to the problem in hand, Andronikos you were saying?”

He grinned at me, “It is my fault we have delayed Inglinos; we have been scouting around the hill fort. It is well made, for the base was constructed by Pompey’s legions and it is soundly made.
  There are cliffs and steep slopes at all but the four gates and they are well protected by towers. Even if we had rams we could not use them for the roads are cunningly made and twist and turn but we will have to try and build them for there is no other way.”

I went to the map and the sketch the cavalryman had made. “Is the gate wood or metal?”

“It is wood but studded with iron bolts.  It is thick.”

Alexios looked at me with curiosity written all over his face and I had the confident look of someone who has the solution. “Is the door as thick as a large oak tree,” he looked confused, “or a cedar from the east?”

“No, of course not, it is less than half the thickness of a tree.”

“Good then I can get you in.”

I went to the table and poured myself a goblet of wine which I drank off in one. Alexios looked at me curiously, trying to divine the plan he had not seen but I had. “Would you mind explaining how?”

“We divide my men into four groups and each one makes what the Romans called a testudo.
  Then, when we are at the gates we use our axes to cut them open.”