Copyright © 1999 [www.thependragon.co.uk]. All rights reserved.
Revised: January 03, 2012 .
 

9

            Finally Bedwyr saw sunlight out of the window. He had woken up several times during the night to be met by only darkness. His sleep was nearly always disturbed when he was staying in Vortigern’s heartland.

Bedwyr looked across the room and was surprised to see that the two other boys who were sharing the chamber, Balduf and Claris, were already dressed. They were both, like Bedwyr taught at Litnus under the care of the renowned scholar, Ivor.    Claris, a jovial and rather plump boy, noticed that Bedwyr was awake. ‘You’d better hurry up,’ he said, ‘Kilydd wants to leave soon.’

            Bedwyr waited until the other two boys had left the room and then got dressed as quickly as he could. He felt self conscious in front of them and was never sure of himself when he was in Londinium. Being the nephew of Uther Pendragon made him an outsider especially as most in the town had become accepting of the rule of Vortigern.

            Kilydd looked annoyed when Bedwyr appeared and was eager to get going. ‘Ivor will have already left the Basilica,’ he declared. Kilydd had once been a soldier who had fought in Vortigern’s Romano-British army but now he was a balding middle-aged man who taught the boys of Litnus how to fight.

Bedwyr had been to Londinium many times before, but as he saw the town ahead of them he was still taken aback by its sheer scale. In Roman times it had had a population of 30,000 inhabitants and now living in the town were mostly Romano-British former citizens of the Empire. They lived in an area of three hundred acres enclosed by three miles of stonewalls, nine feet thick, up to twenty feet high, and pierced by gates where the main roads led through them.

Kilydd led the boys towards the river gate and they walked across the wide wooden bridge that spanned the Thames. Bedwyr looked back along the river for a moment as he noticed a trading ship was moored and remembered how he had been told that in Roman times there would have been scores of trading ships that were full of salmon, trout and shoals of fresh-water fish.

As they approached the gate the boy noticed the true outsiders of Londinium, the seasoned Saxon warriors who defended the entrance to Vortigern’s capital. They were loyal to Hengest and looked quite strange standing in front of a decaying Roman wall. Like Balduf they were Jutes but whereas Bedwyr’s friend had spent a lot of time among the British and often dressed like the supposedly more civilised citizens of Londinium, the Saxon warriors appeared, at least to Bedwyr, to always wear scruffy and torn clothes. The captain of these guards stood a long way ahead of his men and had long fair hair, a beard and was clothed in a thick, coarse shirt and trousers. As they went through the gate Bedwyr got a closer look at the other Saxon warriors who all carried short swords, thick iron spiked spears, battle-axes, and round wooden shields. Bedwyr had never seen any Jute who wore a helmet or a coat of ring mail like some of the British warriors.

These Jutes were worshippers of the Gods of war and supposedly disliked the unfamiliarity of towns where they felt evil spirits dwelt. Most of Hengest’s men would have rather stayed in an encampment under the stars and been enjoying a bellyful of meat and strong beer rather than staying inside the walls of Londinium.

There were some suspicious glances from the Saxons as Kilydd led the boys through the gate, then past the old Roman baths and onto the Roman street that led up to the Basilica, which was the centre of commerce and home to the Council Of Britain. It was a vast and impressive building, more than 420 feet long, with high-arcaded walls. Down the streets on either side as far as Bedwyr could see were the wide, arched fronts of the numerous shops and counting houses and the somewhat decaying porticoed homes of the prosperous merchants.

Life in Londinium was well organised and pleasant for all but the poor and the slaves who did the heavy work. The farms outside the walls and the gardens within them produced fine meat, vegetables, and fruit and there was plenty of fresh clear water, piped in hollow tree trunks. Unlike many of the former Roman towns there was no shortage of work in Londinium. There were brickfields, potteries and glassworks, joiners’ shops and mills, masons’ yards, and furniture factories, as well as row upon row of warehouses and work sheds along the riverfront. Latin had been the universal language of the town although the common British tongue was now spoken widely, which was lucky for Bedwyr as like Balduf, his grasp of the Roman language was poor.

Londinium was very much Vortigern’s capital. The Romans had named it and it brought the High King much of his wealth. However, it was in a risky location to have his seat of power. He had Jutes living to the south and a growing number of Angles had settled to the north of the town.

At the basilica there was no sign of Ivor and the other children. This was much to the frustration of Kilydd. However, they were they were approached by a young man from Lothian called Ermaleus.

‘They have returned to Litnus,’ he told Kilydd, ‘and I was told to wait for you.’

Kilydd looked up impressed while Ermaleus smirked in Bedwyr’s direction. Bedwyr had come across the young warrior on a few occasions and Ermaleus was quite aware of Bedwyr’s family history.

So the four of them and Ermaleus walked to the edge of the town to the row of halls that stood beyond the outer walls of Londinium. These buildings had been built by Ivor’s grandfather, who was also a renowned scholar and had started the school for the children of the Romano-British elite. Now there were youngsters at Litnus who were sons and daughters of tribal chieftains and even Saxon warriors.

Kilydd led them into the stone courtyard where many of the other children had congregated. He then disappeared off to Ivor’s main hall.

Bedwyr was approached by the young Angle boy, Egric. He was skinny and had noticeable balance issues but Bedwyr ignored this strangeness because he liked him and Egric was a confident speaker of the common British tongue.

The children had been left to their own devices and Bedwyr wondered why. ‘What’s been happening?’ he asked Egric.

‘Vortigern has announced Vitolinus as his heir,’ said Egric. ‘I didn’t even realise he had a third son.’

Vitolinus was Vortigern’s infant son from his second marriage to Hengest’s daughter Rowena. The announcement suggested that his two sons from his first marriage, Vortimer and Catigern had been past over.

‘Why does this effect Litnus?’ Bedwyr asked.

Egric shook his head. ‘Anna announced it, and then Joneth rushed off to tell Ivor.’

Bedwyr looked around the crowded courtyard but could spot neither of Vortigern’s daughters. He then turned back to Egric who had a strange look on his face. ‘What do you think of Helain?’ the Saxon whispered nervously.

Bedwyr looked over to where some young women were looking after the smaller children. There was Helain. She was not overly beautiful but certainly not plain and Bedwyr had always noticed a kindness in her. She had once taken something of a shine to him in a sisterly manner.

‘Not a dream worth bothering with,’ Bedwyr warned. ‘I think there are plenty with an eye for her.’

Egric was not really listening to Bedwyr’s response as he’d realised he was being watched. A red haired boy named Argan was watching them from a wooden bench close to the entrance of Ivor’s hall. Egric had become something of a target for the troublemaker. Argan was of a similar age to Bedwyr and because of that they had spent plenty of time together in Litnus. He was a skinny boy who had once been an over sensitive child prone to tears but was now something of a challenge to the authority of Litnus. He was clever and easily bored which had led him to find entertainment at the expense of others. He had turned his attentions to Egric because the younger boy was not strong enough to fight back and because anyone watching would presume he was just putting a Saxon in his place.

Bedwyr looked straight at Argan. ‘Has he been hurting you?’ he asked Egric. ‘Tell me if he has, because there are plenty that have had enough of him.’

Argan had now turned his attention away from Egric and walked over to somebody who Bedwyr really had a problem with. It was dark haired well built boy of Silurian extraction called Lavaine. He was arrogant and just the sort of boy who could make an impression on a bored youth like Argan. He had always shown a dislike for Bedwyr for no apparent reason.

Bedwyr’s attention was then taken by Gromer who was being chased by two older boys as part of some game. Bedwyr and Egric decided they would join in although Egric was not difficult to catch or keep away from. It was not long before he left the other boys and just stood and watched.

Bedwyr also turned away from the action and as he did someone kissed him on the lips. He back away from the girl and realised it was Flora. This was the first time he had such contact and he stood a little dumbstruck while Flora edged away to where Enid was watching. Bedwyr pulled himself together and returned the princess’s scrutiny. Flora smiled at Enid mischievously and then two girls began to walk away in the direction of the feasting hall.

Bedwyr was not sure what to make of the incident. He looked about himself and it appeared that the other boys were too wrapped up in their games to have noticed the kiss. Flora was several years older than Bedwyr and he’d always noticed her in the company of the two princesses.

There was no doubt in Bedwyr’s mind that it had been Enid who had instigated Flora’s kiss. Perhaps she had dared the older girl to do it. He was starting to have an ever growing obsession with Enid. He had been little more than nine when he had first set eyes on her in the Christian community that lived within Merlin’s realm. She had been trouble even then that age and Bedwyr had straight away noticed her prettiness long before he realised she was the daughter of the High King of Britain. He had not been the only. During the 2 years, first Julain and then Hueil had got close to the princess much to the fury of the monks. Hueil had been warned that if he continued to put his hands on the princess Vortigern’s guards would cut them off. Bedwyr had said little at all to Enid during this time, but she was aware of him and had caught him staring at her. Then there was the incident that really caught her attention.

Two boys had come to the Christian compound. They were the sons of warriors from Gaul who had come to Britain to fight for Vortigern. Hueil had quickly ostracised them from the rest of the children, but Bedwyr, despite the language barrier, had shown them friendship and then pleaded their case with Hueil. He had probably not changed the older boy’s opinion, but Enid had witnessed all of this and Bedwyr had made an impression.

At midday Kilydd appeared and ordered everyone into Ivor’s large feasting hall. Bedwyr found a position on a bench next to Gromer and waited to hear what would be served for lunch. He looked around the hall. Most of the Saxons were sat together on the next bench to him. Then there was the bench where the two princesses and their friends sat. Enid appeared to like to surround herself with only prettiest of the girls. She sat between the slender Freya, niece of the King of Siluria and the much younger daughter of the King of Powys, Olwen.

‘Where is the fat bastard?’ Gromer said quietly.

‘What?’ Bedwyr asked hardly hearing.

Gromer looked annoyed. ‘Ivor,’ he answered.

Bedwyr shrugged. His interest remained on the princess and he realised that he was not the only one interested in that particular bench. He observed Cyngen, crown prince of Powys, staring unsubtly in the direction of Freya. The niece of King Brandegoris of Siluria was getting plenty of attention and Lavaine had also noticed her and set his sights on getting to know her better.  

Joneth entered the hall but said nothing. She just looked around the large room noting who was there. She was a tall dark haired woman with suspicious eyes and a sternness to her voice that showed authority. She was a woman in a man’s world but Bedwyr noticed how she was often in control in Litnus without her male superiors feeling threatened.

Joneth looked at the bench where Anna and Enid sat. She knew that they were often the two to watch when it came to discipline. Although, it was rather difficult to tell off two girls who were the daughters of the High King of Britain. Joneth had had to be careful in her dealings with Enid who had recently been caught climbing on the roof of the children’s quarters.

Joneth turned to look at the doorway that led to the kitchens. ‘The food will be coming soon,’ she announced.

They could all hear plenty of noise coming from that direction as doors were opened and closed. Bedwyr was hungry although you could never be sure what you would get from the kitchens of Litnus.

Bedwyr then almost jumped out off his stool as Joneth shouted at Balan for quiet. Balan and his best friend Dywel had been whispering incessantly ever since they had both entered the hall. Dywel was no longer a student of Litnus but had been helping Kilydd with the training.

Then the two fat kitchen slaves started bring in the trays of food whilst being supervised by Kilydd. Bedwyr saw what he thought was fish being prepared on the large table at the end of the room.

They then heard the sound of a horn being blown and most of Litnus’s adults entered the hall although Ivor was not among them. Davina entered nervously. She would have been considered quite scholar had not been that she was a woman. Davina had told Bedwyr tales of the ancient world and of the Romans.

She was followed closely into the room by Janis who had come originally from Kernow. She carried out a number of different tasks for Ivor and Bedwyr remembered once seeing her storming out of the scholar’s chamber in tears. She was a very sensitive woman and found Ivor as intimidating as most of the children.

The last of this group to enter was Fillagh with her crazy hair and surprising sense of humour. Bedwyr liked her as she had a rebellious streak and showed no hint of fear went it came to Ivor. Some in Londinium thought she was mad and Bedwyr had seen her grab Ewan by the ear and pull him along a bench.

Bedwyr was right and it was fish on the menu. There was little stale bread to go with it but the fish was actually quite nice and Bedwyr took as much as he was allowed. He noticed that Joneth’s eyes were briefly on him. She knew exactly where Bedwyr came from and thought the boy was lazy.

It had been Igrayne who had insisted on Bedwyr learning in Londinium. Bedwyr had suggested that most in Litnum were made when he had first gone there, but Igrayne was having none of it and Bedwyr was not sure whether his father had had any influence on the decision. In truth Bedwyr loved and hated Londinium and Litnus in equal measure. He liked to get away from Durnovaria but also still felt like an outsider in Vortigern’s capital.

Joneth’s attention was now on the Saxons. She clearly did not wish to deal with such people. She wanted only youngsters at Litnus who knew the common British tongue or Latin. Ivor also seemed to have contempt for the Saxons but there coming to Litnus had brought him further wealth and he had only once thrown a Saxon off his land as far as Bedwyr knew.

This was a regrettable incident and it came as no surprise to anyone who knew Litnus well that Enid was the orchestrator. It had had happened during the last autumn when Bedwyr was not in Londinium. Gromer had relayed what had happened to Bedwyr. It involved the Saxon boy Octa. He was a short a skinny boy who was about a year young than the Princess. His family had travelled over to join Hengest’s people a couple of years earlier and he already had a reasonable grasp of the common British tongue. He was known by a most in Litnus as a boy who always seemed to be eating but remained noticeably skinny. He got on reasonably with the British youngsters but this started to change when his older brother Liofa was sent to stay at Litnus. Liofa was a tall well built boy who was already of sixteen years and could not pick up the local language which straight away put him at odds with Ivor and Joneth. It was a surprisingly warm evening when Enid came across Octa in the courtyard and started teasing him. Liofa had seen and quickly rushed over. Before finding out exactly what had happened he lifted the Princess up above his head a threw her against a stone wall.

When Bedwyr arrived at Litnus several days later, the first thing he noticed was the bruised Enid who could hardly move. Gromer’s telling of this tale was very much fro the point of view of Britain and he placed the fault very much with Liofa. Bedwyr had seen the boy prowling around Litnus and thought he was itching for a fight but he also knew what Enid was like. He was only too aware that what Gromer described has a bit of harmless teasing could have been a bout of nasty bullying. Either way Liofa would have probably only seen his distressed young brother and perhaps all his annoyance at being stuck in foreign land had come to the service and he had taken out his frustrations on Enid.

By the time Bedwyr had arrived at Litnus, Liofa was gone. Had been taken off to Vortigern and executed for his crime? After all it had been suggested by those that had seen the assault that Enid was lucky to have survived. According to the other Saxon boys Liofa had been sent back to his own people unharmed but this seemed strange to Bedwyr and Octa had gone very quiet on the subject of his brother. Balduf suggested that Liofa’s father was important to Hengest and that the Chieftain had stepped in and probably had to recompense the High King for doing so.

After the eating and drinking was over Bedwyr was shocked to see his uncle, Ambrosius enter the hall with Ivor walking up just behind him. Both men looked around the hall but Ambrosius eyes did not fall on Bedwyr. Ambrosius was a well built politician who still believed that one day Roman rule would return to the island. Bedwyr had been in his presence many times but could not remember ever actually speaking to him. The boy wondered if his uncle would even recognise him.

The hall was in silence as Ivor pointed towards the two princesses and Ambrosius glanced briefly at them. Cado, a Dumnonian boy coughed loudly which got him a nasty look from Ivor. The scholar was a big man in terms of both height and his ever expanding stomach. He was probably the most intimidating person Bedwyr had ever come across and that was a feeling shared by most in the hall.

Ivor turned round to face Joneth, which gave Bedwyr a glimpse of the strange tuft of curly hair on the back of the scholar’s head. While most of the youngsters at Litnus dismissed Ivor as a callous disciplinarian, Bedwyr had a respect for the man. For Ivor had a presence and a dark kind of humour to him that made sure that Litnuss was never a boring place to be.

‘There will be nothing more today,’ Ivor said to Joneth and then led Ambrosius out of the hall.

Joneth address the hall. ‘There will be no training or lessons this afternoon. You may all do as you please, but I don’t want to hear of anyone going into Heridin Forest.’

The small forest was on the other side of Litnus to Londinium and the students were always told to stay clear. Bedwyr wondered who had been recently caught there to warrant the comment from Joneth. He had never been quite sure why the forest was out of bounds but it made many of the children more interested in exploring it.

Kilydd arranged that most of the boys could go up to the top fields and practise with wooden swords. Bedwyr took one of the weapons but he realised that Kilydd would not be supervising he wondered whether anyone would bother with the mock fighting. It was probably not a good idea when the sun was shinning and spirits were high to leave the boys to their own devices.

The training quickly moved to a game of who could knock down the biggest boy. Bedwyr was hardly short but the fair haired Eachern was over a foot taller. They had known each other since they had both been four and Bedwyr was actually the older of the two. Originally they had not been friends but now Bedwyr had found a respect for him.

Having been picked on for his size when he was younger it was now something that marked Eachern out as someone of value. He was originally from the northern kingdom of Elmet and his father had been a prominent warrior. There were few doubts that he was also heading for a career as a soldier.

On this afternoon a combination of the warm sun and the strong appetite of the other boys was wearing him down. It was one of those periods of continuous warmth the made many a youngster feel like the summer would last forever.

It was not too long before most of the boys were sweating and lacking any more energy. They all started to walk back towards Ivor’s hall. As Bedwyr approached he heard shouting and over in the courtyard he saw Balan chasing Flora along the side of the hall. He was carrying a bucket of water and he tried to drench the curly haired girl but missed.

Bedwyr’s thoughts returned to the earlier kiss as he walked to the edge of the forest. He sat down in the shade of a oak tree and closed his eyes while listening to the shouts of the youngsters playing nearby. He sat there for sometime before opening his eyes as more of the young men came running past with buckets of water.

Bedwyr could see Fillagh watching from the window but she was making no attempt to quell the high spirits.

Then Bedwyr saw Enid being chased by Balan and Flora. A smile shone across her face as she turned to look back at her pursuers. Once again Balan missed his intended target which brought laughter from the girls. Bedwyr watched as if in a kind of trance as the petite figure of the youngest princess ran through the long grass.

This was broken by a scream. It appeared to have come from behind Fillagh’s large hut. Most of the other youngsters in the vicinity also heard but put the noise down to children playing. Bedwyr, however, could hear distress from this cry and got up and went towards the hut. He was followed closely behind by a Garlon, a boy from Lothian.

They were faced by the sight of Ermaleus lying on the ground with a knife sticking out of his belly. Blood spurted from the wound and from Ermaleus’s mouth. Bedwyr was shocked. He had never seen such injuries before and took a step backwards as he considered whether the young man was still alive.

‘He attacked me,’ said a timid female voice. Ellen was sitting a metre or so from the young man and was covered in blood.

Kilydd brushed past Bedwyr and knelt down over the body. ‘Get back,’ he shouted as more people approached the scene.

Davina appeared. ‘What’s wrong?’ she said.

Kilydd turned to face her and his expression was grave. ‘Ermaleus has been killed.’

Colgrin, the young Saxon warrior, took control of the situation. ‘Go back to the courtyard,’ he told the others.

Bedwyr did as he was told and walked solemnly towards the courtyard. Argan came over to him. ‘What’s going on?’ the red haired boy asked.

‘Ermaleus has been stabbed,’ Bedwyr said. As he spoke he noticed there was no look of concern from the other boy or even a question as to whether Ermaleus was dead or alive. Argan past him hoping to get over to the body but was stopped by Colgrin.