THE SHIELD WALL CHAPTER SEVEN
WOLF RAID
Author's Note: It has been quite a while since I updated this story. But at the request of another author I respect, here goes.
The next morning, after breakfast and again comforting Catraoine, at the third hour, Richardus called his chieftains and his father-in-law together.
"Last night, Wilmot of Bracken sent an assassin to murder me and I assume to abduct Catraoine. After sending me an insulting missive summoning me to justice and demanding Catraoine as his slave. He is no true baron and has no right to summon anyone, let alone me." He paused to take a sip of wine. "I shall suffer his existence no longer. In one month's, time, we march." Casca spoke. "Tribune, we have no siege equipment, he has a castle and it will be starting into winter. Nobody campaigns in winter."
"That is what all believe. But we are the wolves of the mountains. We can endure the cold. We do not need siege equipment; I do not intend to lay siege to the town or take it by force. Bracken's castle is no true castle, merely a fortified villa. What I intend to do, is cut off all supplies from outside the town, and dam the river above the town. He has a manor house outside the town. His fields and herds are managed from there. We will burn the house and stores, seize his herds. And drive them back to our stronghold. I am hoping that his warband will sortie against us. If they do, we can defeat them in the field." I doubt that he will send his entire warband. He will keep a large group behind, to defend him. He's a coward, he won't lead them himself.
Casca said;
"He won't have a large warband anyway. It's coming on to winter. He'll dismiss most of his mercenaries to save money and hire more in the spring. He won't expect us to come. And I doubt if he'll have his pickets out beyond five miles, if he has any at all. Choose your men, Primus Pilus. (Primus Pilus literally First Spear. A Roman officer rank. The senior centurion in a cohort) I don't intend to take all with me. Bracken isn't the only possible enemy out there Build a light trebuchet and mount it on a cart. Caoimhin, send a messenger to Arthwyr. Bracken's hold is on lands Arthwyr intends to rule. I do not want him to think that I'm about conquest.
I want to rule no more than our lands. I do not need the responsibilities or the worries of the Ard Ri. Send a courier to Arthwyr. Informing him of my plans. I will write the missive."
An hour later, a courier with an escort of two troopers left on fast horses. No brigands would willingly attack three armed and armored men, especially those wearing the distinctive black armor of Castellum's men. With the arrival of the Limitanei, local recruiting, and the recovery of his wounded, Ricardus' forces numbered a little over five hundred men. One hundred would stay behind, in garrison. Ten days after the courier's dispatch, a missive came back from Arthwyr.
My dear Cefnder although you have not asked for aid, Bracken is a foul plague upon the land. I shall ride with my Cymbrogi and a century of my infantry. Together we shall cleanse the land. I defer to your leadership in this case as it is you that Bracken has wronged. Arthwyr, Y Ddraig Goch of Cymru
Arthwyr and his troops arrived as promised and stocked on supplies. After two day rest, the combined war band prepared to march. Catrione plead;
"Please, Mo Chroi let me go with you."
"No, M'fhiorghra, you must stay. Alexis needs her mathair and you carry new wealth in your belly. You must stay. I will take as much care as I may. I will come home to you. This, I vow."
He kissed her, passionately and mounted, joining Arthwyr at the head of the column, they moved out. With addition of Arthwyr's contingent, they numbered a little over 550 men. The cart mounted trebuchet, and two wagons carrying supplies and tools. Some of the Limitanei had training as engineers, in the Roman army, they were essential to Richardus' plan.
They met very few travelers on the roads, most of them on foot. Those on horseback or in carts going away from their route of march were not molested. Those going in the same direction were stopped and forced to dismount or alight from their transport. They were told that they could find their horses, carts or wagons, under guard, five miles down the road. Anyone attempting to overtake and pass their column would have their mounts slain. Any man of military age trying it, would be killed.
They had two brief actions before reaching their area of operations. The first one, about fifteen miles from Bracken's fortified villa was a group of ten brigands attacking a party of merchants and their families. It was over in less than ten minutes. Five of the outlaw's dead from lance or arrow. The remaining five. Hanging from trees.
The second couldn't even be really called an action. Bracken had set up a "Toll post" Demanding money from any traveler on the road whether they were entering Broad Hill or not. Five thugs guarded two toll takers. Thugs they were, stupid they weren't. Facing ten mounted archers, they simply surrendered.
They were stripped of their weapons and armor, even their belt knives. The cart, horses and the toll money were confiscated and the men sent away, on foot. Told, if they tried to reach Bracken's Hall, they would be killed. As it was nearing dusk, the force made camp in a large meadow, screened by a forest, from Bracken Hall. Several fat deer, and a number of rabbits and ducks added to their rations.
Bracken didn't have a large domain, only about thirty square miles. It was an elongated rectangle along the river. The hill that the town sat on was broad and flat topped, only rising some one hundred feet above the surrounding forests and meadows. It didn't give the occupants much of an advantage. There were four gates in the town wall, at the cardinal points. The largest, the main gate, faced East. The town wall was made of roughly fitted stone, but only about eight feet high. The villa itself, had a brick wall, also eight feet high with guard towers at each of the two gates. The quarters for the war band were outside the villa, rough wooden structures. Only the ten men of Bracken's personal guard and their women had quarters inside the villa.
The trees surrounding the town had been cut back to about a quarter mile.
In the morning, operations began. Two hundred of the men formed a loose cordon around the town concealed in the woods, for now. At three miles above the town, the river narrowed to about thirty feet and five feet deep. Richardus' men rolled large stones into the river, adding dirt and logs, driving in stakes to hold the logs. A long day of hard labor created an effective dam.
Archers protecting the engineers and turning back the river traffic. That completed, a little silver to a local man identified Wilmot and Karl Bracken's manor houses and farms. They were put under observation, but no action was taken, yet.
It only took a day for the reduced flow of the river to be noted. Bracken never even considered enemy action. Surely not in winter. He assumed a log jam or a bank cave in. Still, not trusting his slaves not to run off, he sent ten of his mercenaries to escort the working party. Richardus's scouts saw them coming. Ten slaves trudging along, an oxcart full of tools and ten mercenaries, a mounted sergeant and nine on foot, one of them plying a whip.
Considering this low class of sell-swords nothing but sewer scum, no warning was given. Their only warning was the sight of the arrows in flight. minutes later, all of the mercenaries were dead. Those that the arrows had downed but not killed, were given the death stroke. The dead mercenaries were stripped of their weapons and armor. The slaves were freed of their coffle and given the mercenaries weapons. Richardus gave each of them a silver denarius and a day's rations. Each man took a tool from the cart and they departed Bracken's holdings as fast as they could walk. The mercenary's bodies were buried in a mass grave. The soil smoothed out; leaves scattered over it.
Both Bracken brothers' manor houses were upstream and out sight of the river, a marsh between the houses and the river so the overflow was not noted. Karl Bracken had tired of the town and with his family had gone to his manor. That was his second to last and second worst mistake.
Richardus and Arthwyr watched from the woods as Karl Bracken, his son, wife, two daughters a large retinue of servants and twenty men of his personal guard approached the manor.
"Shall we pay them a visit, Richardus?"
"Aye Arthwyr, we shall. A herald and two bannermen rode at the head of the war party with Richardus and Arthwyr. The red banner sporting a black wolf's head and a green one with a red dragon. Fifty of Richardus' men half heavy cavalry and half horse archers and Arthwyr's Cymbrogi. Ten men of each band rode down with the two leaders, the herald and the bannermen. The rest stayed in the woods. Karl's guard captain saw them coming.
"My lord it appears that an embassy is approaching." Karl looked up. "Form the guard across the road. You and I will stay in front. Everyone else, into the manner."
With his men deployed, Bracken rode to the center. The herald approached, bearing a white wand. He stopped ten yards away.
"Sir Bracken, my lords Richardus Castellum and Arthwyr Y Ddraig Goch would parley with thee."
"We do not parley with brigands. Be offwith you quickly or I shall send your head as my reply." The hereld turned and spurred away. Bracken took the bow from a guard and shot at the hereld. The angle was poor and the broadhead merely glanced off the man's armor.
Richardus cursed. "I would have given that whoreson a chance to surrender and bear a message to his brother. He chos stupidity and violence to a , sound the call."
Bracken's face went white when he saw the full hundred troopers.
"Quickly into the manor and bar the gate."
Richardus said;
"Behind those walls, twenty men could hold for days against our hundred with just our bows and , ride to camp and bring back fifty heavy infantry, the trebuchet and its' crew. I'll employ the trebuchet and the tortise formation."
Inside the manor, Karl Bracken gloated as he watched the war party withdraw.
"We will be safe in here. They cannot force the wall with lances and arrows. When night falls we will send a courior to my brother. He will drive those brigands away."
By mid-afternoon the heavy infantry had arrived, along withthe trechbucket and it's crew. The manor house was stone with a slate roof, but most of the torage sheds were wood with thatch roofs.
Bracken had stationed a man with sharp eyes on the wall. He ran into the manor.
"My Lord, the brigands are back, but I do not think they are mere brigands, There is a column o infantry that look like Romans."
"Romans? I think not, Karl Bracken went to the wall and his face blanched. Except for their black cloaks and blackened armor, they looked exactly like a half century of Roman soldiers. The horsemen also looked like Romans. Bracken ordered his men to the wall but the first five werswept from the wall by a murerous storm of arrows The rest crouched behinf the wall.
The infantry halted deyond long bow shot. The trebuchet went into action. Throwing pine pitch soaked flaming wicker balls into the compound, several buildings caught fire. Then they switched to stones, breaching the wall in several places. Finally the infantry advaned in the tortise formation, shields interlocked over their heads. Men at the center carrying a heavy pole with a steel ram's head. A battering ram. Manors were not forts. Their gates not designed to withstand siege equipment They failed in minutes,allowin the infantry inside, quickly. Bracken's men threw down thier arms. They new that with the walls breached and more than three times their number inside, resistance meant death.
Richardus rode in and dismounted. Karl Bracen stood on the porch of his manor dressed in a blue tunic and silvered chain mail. His helmet was polished brass. His gilt-hilted sword was still in its' scabbard. Although he dressed the part, he was no warrior. Richardus spoke.
"Karl Bracken, you and your brother, claiming nobility you do not have have committed unforgivable grieviences against me and my lady wife. Also oppressing and enslaving your fellow Britons as well as the people from Hibernia and Cymru. Your reckoning is upon you. I grant you three choices. You may prove yourself a man and fight me but that to the death. You can flee into the countryside without weapons or you and your wife submit to slavery." Karl Bracken might be vain an greedy but he knew that a fight with ths war leader would be hopeless Proving the coward he was, Karl Bracken said;
"We submit. We are your slaves."
"Discard your weapons and armor and strip to your loincloth. Then call all of your househod out."
." I yield me and Willa, but what of our children?"
"Your son will be given a horse. Sword and lance and make his own way, if he daughters may hire out as drudges in the town, or find a man among my men who pleases them." Casca, take five men and check to see if there ae slave pens, Free them, if there are slaves in them. Sextus, find the treasure room, bring it all out. Quintus, take five men and collect the cattle. Also bring in the serfs or tenet farmers."
When everyone was assembled, Richardus said;
"As a rule, I do not approve of slavery or keeping of slaves, excect as a punishment for severe wrong doing. Because of your crimes, Karl Bracken you are made a slave and sripped of your name. You are now o0nly the slave Cur. If you speak the name Karl, you will be whipped. Willa Bracken youtoo are made slave but you may keep your name. Strip." Blusing, she had no choice but comply.
Richardus spoke to one of the women.
" Bring these two slaves the plainest of garments." He then reeated the Bracken offspring's options. Not surprisigly the two girls chose to go with the warriors. Egan Bracken, at sixteen was a stocky blond youth. Chose to do as he was told. He wasn't very smart, but could probably be trained as a soldier. The guard captain, was allowe to keep his horse, lance sword and shield and chargedbwith training Ethan the surviving mercenaries went with them but witout any weapon but a belt knife They were given enough money to leave the island and not return on pain of death. The slaves were freed as were the serfs. Each one given a silver soladae each could raid the stores and take what they needed Each farmer got two cows and a brace of oxen Two bulls were shared amog the ten men. The remaining cattle would be driven home to the glens. The farmers were now their own masters.. The store house was opened and the contents fairly distributed. Richardus took the treasur chests, the contents to be distributed to his men and their families, when the got home. They burned the manor and outbuildings, but left the winter crops to the people of the land.
The warband marched on Wilmot Bracken's manor. There were only five guards and the staff, there. The same actions as at the other manor were repeated. Then the warband turned around and marched on Bracken's holding.
The smoke from the burning manors could be seen from Bracken's hold but Bracken was still not alarmed, as he assumed that it was a small forest fire. (There was an intervening hill between the town and the manors. Bracken's biggist worry anf ire was with his missing tax collectors. Richardus rejoined the main body of his troops. They camped and feasted on fresh roasted beef and veniso.
The next morning, Ricjhards had his men breakfast at first light. They waited for the daily exit of wood gatherers and tradesmen to leave the town and captured them. He then put a dorce of fifty men covering each gate, then assembled the restout o long bow shot opposite the main gate. The treuchet was moved into position and the head of one of the mercenaries was launched into the town, with a message attached.
Wilmot Bracken, false baronj of Broad Hill, as you oce tried to summon me to your false justice, I have come to render true justice to thee. Send your forces out to meet mine in open battle and Broad Hill town shall stand. Cower behind your walls and Broad Hill town shall burn. You have until one hour past mid-day to answer.
Richardus Castellum of the Glens.
Bracken received the message and, as Richardus expected, flew into a rage and prepared to resond, when his wife calmed him.
"He is a mere bandit chief. He cannot take the town. Let him starve and return to his hold with his tail between his legs." She was as arogant and overconfident as he, if a little bit brighter.
The appointed hour passed. Richardus turned to Arthwyr. "It is I thought. Bracken's a fool as well as a coward. On his head, be it!"
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