Varangian (Aelfraed) (22 page)

Andronikos dismounted.
  “Your men are magnificent Aelfraed.  Never again will I listen to those who say they are undisciplined barbarians.  They obeyed every order.”

“Just point me in the direction of those speakers old friend and they will never lie again!”

The Kentarches rode in. “They are all dead, we found their camp but the women and children had fled. Did I do right Droungarios?”

Andronikos nodded.
  “It is winter and many will die anyway.  This will be a lesson for them.  They will spread the word that we are not to be trifled with.”

The rest of the day was spent despatching the wounded Thracians and securing those who had surrendered.
  My men were in high spirits for to them it was more coin to add to their horde. When Alexios met us his face was sad, “Two of the Tourmache died and many of the Thema.”

I looked at the Thracian dead. “But we won, strategos, and the enemy will not rise here again.
  It is the risk the warrior takes.”

He shook his head.
  “No Aelfraed, here we train and pay our men well and do not like them to be wasted.”

I did not know how to phrase my next sentence diplomatically in Greek and so I reverted to English.
  “Perhaps if they believed they were fighting for their lives then they might fight harder.  I saw the faces of the Thema lord and they looked terrified.  If you are terrified when you fight then you will lose.”

“Perhaps,” he looked at me with a strange look on his face.
  He was a thinker and pondered things for a long time. I did not see what he was thinking until two years later.  “How would you have done things differently?”

“It was a good plan strategos and it worked.”

“Do not flatter me Aelfraed. You know me better than that.” It was the first time that I had seen impatience with the man.

“Well I think I would have told the Thema, and the others what we intended.
  It is what we did with the archers and my men.”

He nodded.
  “It is risky.”

“Not if you trust your men and trust your officers. You have a good system strategos.
  Your ten man groups are effective.  I have adopted them and I believe my men fight better because of your ideas but you need to instil trust at all levels so that, even if they are on their own, they know what to do.”

“Interesting.” With that he strode off leaving Andronikos and me to count our dead.

It was a month later when the Imperial messenger found us mopping up the last rebels. He looked road weary for, even though spring had begun to arrive, the rain and the melting snow made travel difficult.

“My lord a message for you from the Emperor.” He handed the document to Alexios who broke the seal and read it.

When he had read it he folded it up and spoke to the messenger.  “Get yourself some food and a fresh horse and I will have my reply.” As the courier left he turned to Andronikos and myself, “Come with me gentlemen this is a momentous occasion.”

Intrigued we followed him.
  We watched as he wrote his reply and then sealed the document which he placed in the leather cylinder the courier had carried. He called in the sentry.  “Give this to the Imperial courier and then find the quartermaster and tell him to break camp.  We need to travel back towards Dyrrhachium. The Emperor is bringing over the other Thema.”

Curiosity was eating me up and, I suspect Andronikos.
  Alexios smiled, enjoying our fraught faces.  “It seems we have a new Emperor, Nicephorus the third.”

Andronikos reacted first.
  “Your man, Nicephorus Botaniantes? The man whose family was held for ransom?”

“The very same.”

I hesitated but I needed to ask the question.  “And the old Emperor?” I had never met Michael but heard that he was a good man.

“He has retired to a monastery and the new Emperor is to marry the Empress.” My face displayed my incredulity making Alexios smile, “This is Byzantium, my friend, do not be surprised by anything. And I am the new Commander of the Army of the West.”

“Well done my lord.” We were both genuine with our congratulations. For my part I had never had such a good leader since my father and Aethelward and Alexios had qualities which would have served Harold well.

“We are to head south and meet the new Emperor.” Since we had left Dyrrhachium we had travelled far to the north winkling out the last of the unruly tribes.
  Even had we not been recalled it was difficult to see how we could have remained on campaign for long; our weapons, armour and supplies were in need of replenishment.

We trudged south for two days and were less than a hundred miles from Dyrrhachium when the scouts reported the presence of the Emperor. It spurred us on for we were all looking forwards to seeing the soldier who had served with us in Asia.
  It had only been a few months but he had made a great impression upon me. When we crested the rise and saw the camp I was amazed at the number of tents which I beheld.  It seemed as though the new Emperor had brought every soldier he had. I wondered why.  He could have waited for us to reach Constantinople and then greet his new commander.  This suggested to me that there was trouble ahead. As we rode into the camp I was delighted to see Saxons and even more delighted when Ridley, resplendent in new armour waved at me.  I wondered where he had been for the past few months but I supposed we would discover all soon. Glancing behind me at the sorry sight of the troops who followed us I felt that we looked like the remains of a defeated army rather than one which had subjugated the northern border regions. We had left many men dead on various fields and garrisoned other towns.  Even had we not been recalled it is hard to see how we could have survived in the field for much longer.

Leaving the men in the charge of their officers the three of us, looking incredibly dirty and dishevelled approached the Emperor’s tent clearly marked by the Varangian guards who stood outside. Nicephorus came out and we dropped to our knees.
  He came and raised us up, kissing first Alexios, then Andronikos and, finally, me on the cheeks. “Come, I owe much to you three for you have worked miracles here but come inside and take refreshment for I had dire tidings to impart.”

Once inside his servant poured us wine and then left.
  “We have no time for pleasantries.  You visited Dyrrhachium earlier in the year did you not?” Alexios nodded.  “How were things there?”

“There was no threat from the Normans my lord and the garrison was well equipped to deal with an attack.”

“And therein is the heart of the problem.  It was not the Normans we should have feared but the rebels.” Alexios looked as though he was going to say something but the Emperor held up his hand.  “Not the truculent tribes Alexios but Nicephorus Bryennios.  He has suborned the local Thema and raised his standard in Dyrrhachium.” He pointed towards the tent door.  “These are the only troops we have in the west commander.  I will take my Varangians back with me and you will need to defeat these rebels with what you have.  The fate of the Empire is now in your hands.”

“And now, gentlemen, I would like a few moments alone with my new commander. Thank you again for your efforts on behalf of the Empire.
  We are grateful.” I began to leave but he held my arm.  “Thank you Aelfraed Godwinson for Ridley has told me it was your decision to capture the fort and had it not been for the prompt attack then my niece would now be dead.  I am in your debt.” He smiled.  “Your friend is both loyal and a powerful advocate on your behalf.”

When we left Ridley came up and picked me up in a bear hug.
  The soldiers who waited around the camp were amazed.  “I wondered what had become of you old friend.  I thought, perhaps, you had gone back to England.”

“I wanted to come back sooner but the Emperor made such a fuss and kept me there.
  Of course he was not Emperor then but I think he kept me close by as a sort of bodyguard.”

“I am pleased to see you.”

Andronikos also hugged him.  “As am I.  We missed you; especially on the battlefield.”

Ridley became serious. “I see our ranks are depleted.”

“We did not do so badly but we could do without another campaign now.”

He brightened a little.
  “I have brought more recruits.  Two hundred of them and the wagons have some spare armour and weapons.”

“Good,” I turned to Andronikos.
  “I will see to my men I suspect you will be doing the same?”

“I had better.” He scanned the officers he could see who were nearby.
  “I am just wondering which old man they have brought out of retirement to be our Strategoi.”

I shrugged.
  “It matters not; we will keep doing as we have done.  Winning!”

I put my arm around Ridley, “It is good to see you old friend.
  That is the longest I have been without you in battle since we started as warriors.”

“I know.
  I preferred it when we made the decisions for I did not want to be a bodyguard for no matter how elevated a man when I knew you and the men needed me. But, “he suddenly looked sheepish, “there were compensations.”

“Anna?”

He looked at me as though I had the gift of second sight.  “Yes but how did you know?”

“I remembered the silly look I had when I was with Gytha!”

He suddenly burst out, “And I am wed! We married last month.”

He looked at me expectantly as though uncertain of my reaction.
  I was of course delighted for him. I clapped him on the back. “That is the best news I have heard in a long time.  When we are back in civilisation we will have to celebrate.  Now let us get these new men sorted and the equipment apportioned.  Edward! Officer’s call!”

It took all the rest of the afternoon to allocate the new men to existing Kontoubernia and equip the men with damaged weapons and armour.
  We then spent some time appointing the new officers. We were so engrossed that it was only the men before us standing to attention which alerted us to Nicephorus’ presence behind me.  We whirled and dropped to our knees. “Apologies you…”

He waved his hand as though a magician, “Stand, it matters not and you are doing as I would wish, preparing for war.
  I will see you both when you reach Constantinople when I can properly reward you. And, nephew, I will look after your wife in your absence.” I almost burst out laughing at the confused expressions on Ridley’s old comrade’s faces. I mouthed ‘later’. The Emperor mounted his horse. “We will return to the capital.  Good hunting. “

It was as they left that I saw the look of pure hatred upon the faces of Olef and his Varangians.
  As he passed he leaned down to speak to me quietly. “There is only one Varangian Guard.” He waved a dismissive hand at my men, “these Saxons are no Varangians.  We will have words when you reach the city.”

I star
ed back at him.  “You will find me and my men ready with blows as well as words Viking!”

His hand went to his sword but he thought better of it. Each man glared at me as they rode past. Andronikos had seen it all.
  “I see you are still making friends and influencing people.”

“He is an arrogant bastard who, as far as I can see has never pulled a sword from its scabbard in anger.”

“That is as may be but they are the Emperor’s bodyguards and you cannot fight with them on pain of death.”

An old memory of Scotland came into my head and I said, enigmatically, “We shall see.”

The last of the Varangians had barely left the camp when the new Commander of the West summoned us. “Aelfraed, Andronikos and Ridley your officers can continue to see to their men, come to the command tent; we have work to do.”

Once inside he bade us be seated. “Things are even worse than we thought, however the good news first. The new Strategoi…”

Andronikos sighed and interrupted, “Don’t tell me, they have found some in a dusty cupboard and they have sent them west.”

Alexios ignored the rudeness. “Well surprisingly I rate them and I asked the Emperor for them although he had already suggested one of them to me anyway.”

Andronikos realised he had gone too far.  “Sorry commander.  It has been a long campaign and I….”

“If you would let me finish, the new Strategoi are Aelfraed Godwinson and Andronikos Tassius.”

Ridley clapped us both on the back and I turned to Andronikos.  “What size shoes do you take old friend and would you like a hand to get them out of your mouth.”

He grinned and reddened as Alexios continued.
  “Of course we need a new Droungarios for the Varangian Inglinoi and I am pleased to say that is you Ridley.  I will leave it to you two to find Komes and, Andronikos, as you will be in command of the cavalry you will need a new Droungarios. Now the bad news. We are outnumbered. Not only have the local garrisons gone over to the rebels but they have Pecheng mercenaries on their side as well. We have one Thema of foot plus the remnants from our campaign, the Inglinoi, ten Kontoubernia of cataphracts, three Droungoi of horse archers, plus your remnants and a Droungoi of light cavalry.  Not enough, I fear, and certainly not enough to assault the port of Dyrrhachium.”