Soul Miner
III
Undeg sat entranced at her small piece of Lead, which Spurius had given her many days ago. She loved how it gleamed in the mid-day sunshine with its square angle facets. The small crystalline hunk of raw metal was totally unlike her chip of dull grimy coal her father had given her long ago or the globular iron piece she had from the same mine all the men were working at the last few days. She had begun to think of the Roman Priest more as Uncle Spurius, rather than Father Spurius. Her only father was Einion.
The men, including Spurius had all left for the mine as soon as they had finished their morning Brose very early that morning before Undeg was out of bed. They had all taken some leeks and oat bread with them for a noon day meal. Spurius had been going with them every day as they worked, working just as hard as they did at which ever mine they went to. Her older brother Sulien attended to all the tasks around the homestead, such as the pigs, weeding the vegetable garden, filling oat buckets, firewood for the houses and on and on.
“Undeg we need you to come here and help us with our carding of this wool.” Her Mother called.
“Coming Mother.” She answered, then ran to where her Mother, Aunt Carys and Eilir sat working the wool they had traded for at market several days ago. Eventually this wool would become clothing, after it was spun, and woven into cloth by the women.
Einion, Cawrduf and Spurius were working at the mine where iron was found. It was totally different from the Bell Pit where they mined coal. Since Spurius started working with them, he had found ways for Hugo to aid them in some of the ore dragging out of the mine where they culled the useless rocks from any loose iron or iron still mixed with rock. Most of the iron, like the coal they mined, was used to pay the king his taxes for the rights to mine. The remainder they could use themselves or as barter, at market, for other goods or services that they needed. Their combined accumulation from both mines had increased with the added labor of Spurius and Hugo. Spurius had told the men he wanted very little of either, it was his way of contributing to everyone for his continued housing and food.
The women had even altered some old clothes for Spurius to wear, so he would not ruin his priest’s garments working with their husbands. He had reluctantly agreed, seeing the logic in their offer. Besides who was ever going to know what he was doing or how he was dressed anyway.
One of the other things he had offered to do was teach any of them to read and write, if they were interested. As it turned out all of them were, to be able to read and write was something none of them had ever imagined. His most enthusiastic pupil was, of course, Undeg who delighted in every new experience.
That evening as the meal was being prepared Alban the blacksmith from but a short ways beyond the glen came walking into their enclave, his hand was raised in greeting. Alban was a mountain of a man, clearly a head taller than any one there, with biceps the size of most men’s calves.
“Greetings Alban, what brings you about at this time of day?” Einion asked in a loud tone to be heard before the man reached him.
“Not the biddings I would wish for any of us Einion, I am regret to say.” He answered as he now came near enough to talk normally. All three men of this glen, were now standing close together. “A soldier of King Gunedda has just left our homes, which brings me here. He has called for all able bodied men to join him and his soldiers at the River of the Goddess, three days from now.”
“Pochi Dim, for what purpose now do we lose friends and kinsmen?” Einion cursed. “Where along the River are we to be?”
“All that was told, was to be there upon forfeiture of favor to those who do not come, bring your weapons and stand ready three days hence. It is in a grievance between the king and king Ddyrnllwg of Powys” Alban all but grunted in obvious disapproval. “We are to meet at that point where the river Alyn joins the River of the Goddess, above Farndon.”
“Then, be there we must. I suppose Triston, Gethin and Gwydderig, all know as well.”
“Yes, Triston and Gethin were there to hear the soldier with me. Gethin is telling Gwydderig as I am here.”
“To be there in three days, we will have to leave the day after the morrow at first light.” We will join you three at that first light and all make the trek together. More will join us, I am sure along the road.”
“If they value there freedom, they will.” At that Alban turned and left the same way he had come.
“Spurius, you need not attend this affair. You are not known to the king as yet, as being here among us. This petty but possibly bloody fight between high born is not yours to bare.”
“I will be beside you all Einion, what affects you and yours, affects me. But on this time I will wear my robes. King Gunedda ap Edern knows of me in those robes and my place somewhere in his domain. I will take along a staff. I would suppose that Sulien remains here?”
“Yes he is still a summer away from being among those called for such a thing.”
“I am glad of that. I will leave Hugo here, but I doubt Rollo will stay behind.”
“No, I doubt he will.”
At this point Einion and Cawrduf turned to go to their wives and children. This would be hard news to bring them all.
Einion and Cawrduf spent the next day stocking up supplies for their families and then turned to readying provisions for the trip to the River as well as some well-appointed work on the weapons they would carry.
Father Spurius found an oak branch to his liking; just long enough to be the height of his shoulder, about half as thick at one end as half the size of his bicep and half the size of his wrist at the other end. Back at his dwelling he fashioned his staff by cutting all the bark from the limb and then finishing it by scrapping its exterior with a stone to a smooth surface. Then he practiced it for balance and heft.
Goodbyes said at first light the following morning the three men left the glen, walking toward where they would meet Alban and the others, Rollo walked near to Father Spurius steps. That night after a long days trek down the winding road, it was not only the seven men and dog sitting around a small fire eating bacon and oat bread, but several other fires with groups of Decaenli men relaxing before sleeping in the open. Most of the conversations were in muted tones with some grumbling to their kinsmen about the call to duty, to a king not wholly of their choosing.
On the second sunrise later, these men had grown into a small army of hard faced Decaenli. Some carrying spears and wearing knives of various lengths, others with swords and many with wooden shields. Some even had scalp helmets, varying lengths of chain mail or shin armor probably taken as spoils of war from a previous battle they had survived. A few had quivers across their backs and hunting bows in their hands propped against the ground. There were men with pitch forks, axes, picks and large sledge hammers. All were arrayed facing the River of the Goddess atop the rise paralleling it, south of the mouth of the River Alyn.
On the promontory on the north side of the Alyn was King Gunneda ap Edern astride his war horse with even more men, many seasoned soldiers. Although truly a full two thirds of men here were just as the men from the glen, who by chance were the ones standing closest to the River Alyn.
Across the River of the Goddess, beyond a flood plain adjoining its eastern shore and atop the crest of a long set of hills beyond, was the army of King Cadell Ddyrnllwg of Powys. That army appeared to be of quite similar make up, as the one Father Spurius and his friends accompanied.
Both armies stood thus for over an hour, King Gunedda was not going to be caught crossing the river or in it still, if and when the Powys army attacked. Besides the fact, that his Kingdom’s border was the River of the Goddess itself. If battle it was to be, then let Cadell Ddyrnllwg be the aggressor and be caught in a river crossing, their backs to the rivers shore. Gunedda showed patience and while surveying the extent of his army, noticed the black clad Father Spurius among those on the south side of River Alyn with that great dog of his and wondered at his presence here.
Slowly, but seemingly from a northern nowhere two white robed figures walked down the middle of the flood plain on the eastern side of the river. The taller one held a large crooked staff, using it as he plod slowly forward, his companion, even at this distance, could well be recognized as a woman of early adult years and fully hale of health. As the two neared the half way point between both armies, they both stopped and after standing still for a few minutes, the taller of them raised his great staff and thumped it on the ground at his feet.
Father Spurius heard a low hushed murmur emanate ever so quietly through the mass of men around him, including Einion and Cawrduf.
”Who are these two standing in the field?” he whispered to Einion.
“I have heard of this happening before, Father. But never have I seen it happen for myself. The taller one is the Derwydd priest Pwyll, I am sure, he I have seen before at festivals and trials. The other I believe to be Gwenfron, a Derwydd priestess. If she is with Pwyll here, then it may be that they are interceding in this battle.” Einion replied in oh so quiet tones.
“This can happen?”
“As I said I have heard of it, but never have I seen it happen.”
Before more could be said, the Derwydd priest thumped his staff again. But this time he called out the names of both kings bidding them to join the two in the middle of the flood plain meadow.
Gunedda thought for just a moment and then with a whisper of an idea, which he shared with no one, he summoned a runner to take a message to the south side of the river Alyn, as he and one of his captains slowly started descending the rise they were on.
That runner quickly crossed the Alyn river bridge and climbed the hill, running directly to Father Spurius.
“You are Father Spurius?”
“Yes, that is who I am, why are you asking?”
“Father, King Gunedda ap Edern, bids you join him at the river’s edge and he says for you to bring one with you who knows you.”
“For what purpose does he request this?”
“It is not a request priest, choose who accompanies you and make haste to the river bank.” With that said, the runner started running back in the direction he had come.
“Einion will you go with me to meet the king.”
“Spurius, this I would not miss. Let us be on our way quickly.” As soon as it was said both men and Rollo began walking down the slope briskly and then crossed the Alyn River Bridge to where King Gunedda and his captain sat upon their war horses.
“You look well priest.” Gunedda greeted him. “Some time back I heard a story of a black clad Roman priest saving a fisherman’s life from two footpads along a river here-abouts, who had a wolfdog with him. That, I believe, to have been you and your dog I see still traveling with you. Am I correct in this?”
‘You are, my king, and why do you ask?”
“You, fellow there, do you know this Roman priest?”
“I do my King.”
“Have you converted to his religion then?”
“No, my king, I have not. Neither has any I know, nor has he tried to convert any I know of. Even though he has helped many in these mountains.”
“Well said. Then Father Spurius, you have been true to your word. Now I believe you may be, just the two I wish to accompany my captain and I to this parley with the Derwydd priests and King Cadell Ddrnllwg this day. We cross the River of the Goddess now, this place is a shallow crossing.”
Once on the east side of the river and through the few willows growing along its banks, they came into the meadows of the flood plain and slowly made their way to where the Derwydd priest and priestess stood, now joined in close proximity by the king of Powys and three others of his army.
“Greetings, King Gunedda ap Edern of Gwynedd, you must have changed since I last met you to bring a priest of the Romans and wolfdog as part of your retinue to this parley. Have you converted to his cult then?” the Derwydd priest stated with a hint of some derision apparent in his tone.
”No Pwyll, I nor have any in Gwynedd been converted, or asked to convert to my knowledge. I bring him because it is my choice to bring any I decide to this parley.”
“Then you Roman, why are you present at this burgeoning battle between the kingdoms of Gwynedd and Powys? This is no affair of Rome, since your countrymen abandoned these shores. Be you the Blackrobe I heard tell of recently, the one who uses a fishing pole as a quarter staff, to beat criminals?”
“I am Father Spurius, and yes, a priest of the Church of Rome. I am also the one who scared off two footpads attacking a fisherman in Gwynedd to save his life and property.”
“Now you bring a more potent quarter staff here to do battle against those loyal to King Cadell Ddyrnllwg. Have you come to advance your skill from harm to killing?”
“No I have only brought what might be necessary to stop those from Powys, harming or killing the men of Gwynedd who I know well, to be peace loving men, when left to their own devices.”
“You there, do you know this Roman?”
“Yes, Pwyll, Derwydd priest. I, Einion of the Decaenli know him well and call him kinsman now, as do all I know. What he and my king have told you is true .”
“I have met him as well Pwyll, sometime back he begged my leave to cross my kingdom in his travels to Gwynedd. I found no ill in the man.”
“Fine then, for all you here I tell you this. Two days prior I watched a flight of birds headed in this direction. Without warning and with no hunter about to loose arrow or stone for killing, I watched as several of these birds dropped from the sky dead in mid-flight. It is an omen of greatest import. If this battle starts as these two armies have met, then there will be men die here today before their time has come to do so? So I, Pwyll of the Derwydd’s, ask both you kings what is the cause of this grievance that brings you both here to battle one another this day.”
“Famine of crops and diseases of the body have reached my people from the south and east of Powys. I have need of more area to feed those in my kingdom. Powys is landlocked and we need a port where the River of the Goddess empties into the bay leading to the western sea. Gwynedd has much shoreline along the bay and the sea itself, they could lose that point and it not impact their availability at fishing grounds. So I plan to take it by force if I must. I want that land where the river turns due north before turning to drop into the bay.” King Cadell Ddyrnllwg demanded.
“And this is a problem for Gwynedd, how? Go assault those kingdoms on your eastern and southern borders, leaving us in peace. We have no pestilences or crop failures that have impacted Powys. Why make your problems those of ours. We caused no affront to you or your kingdom to warrant such a declaration of war on us.” Gunedda ap Edern answered.
“Those kingdoms are also landlocked, and in worse shape than Powys from these maladies. I need fishing rights to the sea where my fishermen can substantially increase their yields over what little they can acquire now. If it needs to be war, then war it will be. No Derwydd priest will halt this battle, as they have on occasions before with pious talk and sooth saying.”
“Gwynedd will not so easily be bullied into giving up its rightful lands to Powys, Ddyrnllwg, know that. These lands have belonged to Gwynedd for too long and were not taken from Powys at any time. They will remain as they are, if battle is needed then know that we will give a good account of ourselves this day, no victory is guaranteed to you. Much the opposite would be my estimation.”
“My Lords, Kings, let us not strike the first blows of battle here, do not dishonor this parley. There must be some way to avert death and destruction this day. I have come here to stop a battle which has been foretold to me will upset the fates of some that are not meant to die this day. You know we Derwydd’s profess and strive in every way for mainly three things; peace, love and wisdom. Let wisdom win a peace today on this meadow.”
“My King you have asked me to accompany you here this day. May I ask a question of you and King Ddyrnllwg?” Father Spurius interjected before any other spoke again.
“I find no fault in you asking a question Father Spurius.” Gunedda answered
“Ask away Roman, if you must, for all the good it will do.” Ddyrnllwg added.
“Thank you both. Since I am not well versed in the boundaries of the two Kingdoms, may I ask just where do you place the boundary of Gwynedd at the river exactly?”
“Where the shoreline touches the river of course. Where else would it be?”
“And is it the same with Powys, King Ddyrnllwg?”
“Of course, as Gunedda has already answered.”
“There is another though, it is the reason Cadell rightfully says Powys is land locked. Rheged has the last small portion of the norther shore of the river before it reaches the bay.” King Gunedda ap Edern added before going on. ”To what purpose is your question?”
“Then I would suppose that both Powys and Gwynedd fishermen ply their vocation in the river without difficulties between your two Kingdoms.”
“Yes, it could not be any other way. The river belongs only to the Goddess.” Gunedda answered.
“Then my Question to you King Cadell Ddyrnllwg is this. If the river, itself, belongs to no kingdom. Would it not be possible for you to establish a port at the point where Powys’s boundary is closest to the bay and your fisherman sail from there into the bay to fish, rather than do Battle with Gwynedd or Rheged. I would think neither of them would take an affront to that.” Father Spurius concluded.
“None could be taken by Gwynedd, I will assure King Ddyrnllwg that.” Gunedda added.
“That could work Roman. Their ships could sail that part of the river without much loss of time and if Rheged attempts to be obstinate I will deal with them specifically. I am surprised by you Father Spurius, I had not thought of you being in this parley to be of much use. I was wrong.” Cadell stated and then concluded. “Gunedda I will have my men disperse, not because I fear you or the omens of this Derwydd priest, but because it is the right thing to do today.”
“And I, you Cadell Ddyrnllwg. Pwyll I feel sure the tales will tell of yet another battle you Derwydd priests stopped before they started, but for myself I know it took a Roman to avert this one. We will turn and leave as well.”
As the two kings with their retinue retired from the meadow to their respective armies. Pwyll and Gwenfron turned around walking back north in the direction they had come.
“This Roman bears watching Pwyll. He sees answers to issues he had no direct knowledge of where others become mired in their own selfishness. He also places the well-being of others above that of his own.”
“You could be right Gwenfron, however I suggest that you not let your interest in the man become a stone tied round your belly that could drag you down.”
“By what do you mean that, old man?”
“Simply, that your methods do not always do you well. Those who follow the teachings of Gallisenae have at times deemed you suspect in your activities.”
“I care not for those priestesses who abandon the better part of love in self-denial and make no excuses for it. I never intend harm or injury, I follow our path as we were taught.”
“I am not judging you or them. Merely offering you good council.”
“In that I appreciate, in that as it is stated.”
The rest of their walk out of the meadow was in silence.
Once across the river King Gunedda ap Edern turned and thanked Father Spurius for his efforts at the parley and wished him good fortune. Before riding up the hill on the north side of the Alyn and turning his men there back towards Rhos or where some of them had traveled from.
Einion turned his head to Spurius as they walked up the slope in front of them and broke the silence.
“Spurius I am sure you noticed the Derwydd priestess, even though she spoke little.”
“Yes I noticed her, why?”
“Her name is Gwenfron, beware of her. She has been known to follow paths different from most Derwydd priestesses. She watched you with interest while you were talking to the Kings. That is all, just beware of her.”
