Merlin

'You, Myrddin.' He used the Cymric form of my name, something he rarely did. 'Please.'

'Why, Uther?' I had caught something in his tone I had never heard from him before.

'The men would feel better,' he said, his eyes sliding from mine.

The men.' I said and was silent.

He could endure only so much silence, so at last he burst out, as if the words had been trapped inside him, 'Oh, very well, it is not for the men only.'

'No?'

‘I would feel better for it.' He smacked his fist angrily against his thigh, as if the words had cost him dearly. But he looked at me with something like pain in his eyes. Or fear. 'Please, Merlin?'

'I will do it, Uther. But you must tell me why.'

He stepped close, and spoke low. 'Well, there is no reason you should not know… ' he began, and halted, searching for words, 'My scouts have returned from across the river… '

'And?'

'If their count is accurate – and I trust with my life that it is – we will face an enemy war host larger than any other since fighting began in this island.'

'That is not saying very much. How large?'

'Were we five times our own number we still would not match them man for man.' He spat the words. 'Now you know.'

So, Hengist had been busy all summer and his efforts had born fruit. 'But the men are not to know – is that it?'

'They will learn it soon enough.'

‘Tell them, Uther. You cannot let them discover it on the field tomorrow.'

'Would it serve a purpose, do you think, to have them worry with it through the night?'

He walked off without another word, and I went on to my tent and bade Pelleas string and tune my harp, so that I could sing as Uther requested. I rested, and then, after supper, when the war host had gathered round the huge fire-ring Uther had ordered to be made, readied myself.

It was in my mind that there were many people – very many, if not most now alive – who had never heard a true bard sing. Certainly, the young warriors of our war host had never heard. It saddened me to think that more than a few would go to their graves tomorrow never having known, nor felt the power of the perfected word in song. Therefore, I was determined to show them.

I stripped and washed myself, and then dressed in my finest clothes. I owned a belt made of spiral discs of silver which had been given to me by one of Aurelius' lords; this Pelleas polished until it shone and I tied it around my waist. I scraped my hair back and bound it with leather. I donned my fine cloak of midnight blue, and Pelleas arranged the folds precisely and fastened them at my shoulder with Taliesin's great stag's-head brooch which Charis had given me. I took up the harp and stepped out into the night to sing for the massed war bands of the Island of the Mighty.

The stars shone like bright spearpoints to the low-rising moon's silver shield, and I sang. Straight and tall before them, I sang: I was a dancing flame against a wall of fire; I was a wild tempest in their midst; I was a voice falling like bright lightning from an uncertain sky; I was a shout of triumph at the Gates of Death.

I sang courage in the heart and strength in the arm; I sang bravery, valour, and gallantry. I sang honour.

I sang the power of Holy Jesu to save their living souls from eternal night, and my song became a high and holy prayer.

Awe descended over the warriors as the song came shining from my lips. I saw their faces bright and lifted up; I saw them changed from mortal men to warrior gods who would gladly die to defend their brothers and their homes. I saw a great and terrible spirit descend over the camp: deadly Clota, spirit of justice in battle, the dark flame of destiny cupped in her hand.

Here it begins, I thought; here is where the winning of Britain begins… Now, this night.

FIVE

Uther awakened the camp early. We broke fast and pulled on our battledress in the dark, and then moved into position. Now we sat on horseback on the crest of the hill above the ford, awaiting the sunrise. Across the sleepy Nene the Saecsen war host assembled: ten thousand strong, moving inexorably down the opposite slopes like the shadow of a mighty cloud on a sunny day. But it was no shadow darkening the land. Great Light, there were too many of them!

Hengist had indeed grown strong; he must have been building his forces throughout the long summer, swelling his war host with Saecsens from home. And not Saecsens only. There were Angles, Jutes, Frisians, Picti, of course, and Irish Scotti as well. All had answered Hengist's summons to the busting.

In contrast, our own troops appeared to have dwindled away since the night before when they had seemed as numerous as the starry host itself. Uther's scouts had told the truth: they were five to our one.

'Lieu and Zeus!' swore Uther when he saw them. 'Where can they have come from?"

'Never mind,' I told him. 'It is where they are going that matters.'

'Well said, Merlin,' answered Aurelius. 'Today we send them to meet their ill-famed Woden – and let them explain to him why they were bested by so few Britons!'

Aurelius and Uther then fell to discussing the battle plan for a moment but, as everything was in readiness and all had been said before, there was little more to do. Uther saluted his brother and moved off to take his place at the head of his troops. Tray to your Lord Jesu, Merlin; I am certain he will hear you and grant us the victory today,' Uther called after him.

This was the first interest in Jesu that Uther had ever exhibited, if interest it was. I answered him, 'My lord hears your voice, Uther, and stands ready to aid all who call upon him – even now!'

'So be it!' came the reply. Uther snapped the reins and the horse trotted off.

The Britons were to advance slowly to the river and wait for the enemy to come across. We did not care to fight with our backs to the water, although taking the enemy midway in the stream might offer a slight advantage – if we could keep the battle line stretched out. The danger in this was that, once through the line, the barbarian could swarm around our flanks and gain the high ground behind us.

To keep that from happening, Uther determined to hold a third of the war host back, to reinforce the flanks if the Saecsens began to overwhelm them. Aurelius would lead this rear guard, and I, as was my custom, would ride beside him. Pelleas rode beside me, stalwart and grim. Together we had determined to protect the High King come what may.

Aurelius commanded the remnant of Hoel's men who had not returned to their lord. With us was Gorlas, who, next to Tewdrig, possessed the largest mounted warband.

At Uther's command, the foremost line started forward, horses and men together. At the last moment, when the two armies closed on one another, the horsemen would whip their mounts to speed, meeting the first wave of foemen with the lightning of steel and the thunder of pounding hooves.

Our warriors started down the long slope. As expected, the enemy started forward as well – some even reached the river-bank and leapt into the water. But Hengist had foreseen the folly of this type of attack and corrected it before committing himself to an indefensible position. The Saecsen line halted on their own side of the river and waited, raising a great cry of challenge to us.

I could hear their taunts from where I sat. Aurelius jerked the reins back and forth, causing his horse to toss its head and snort. 'Where did they learn that?' he wondered aloud, then looked at me. 'What will Uther do now?'

We did not have to wait long for the answer, for speeding towards us came a messenger, who reined up with a sharp salute. 'Lord Uther asks that you join him on the field at once.' The excitement in his voice made it quiver.