Ch 26 Royal Prisoner

Aethelwulf rode on horseback in front of his men toward the town of Wallsend....his best scout didn't return but one sent earlier did.

Seems those Viking cunts were building a camp outside of Wallsend and were nearly finished with defenses.

He needed to attack before they became truly dug in....even with his superior numbers he knew those Heathens were effective at battle, Wigeas defeat was proof of just that.

After two hours they reached the treeline across from the town and spotted several anti horse stakes on either side while more heathens seemed to be building more nearby.

Right now would be the perfect time to charge, they had armor on but were scattered around and seemingly vulnerable to a cavalry charge.

Aethelwulf looked at his cavalry then at the scattered enemy forces....he pulled his sword out and called to his men.

"NOW IS THE TIME!!! CHARGE WITH ME!!! INFANTRY FOLLOW AFTER US TO WIPE OUT THOSE HEATHEN BASTARDS!!!" Aethelwulf yelled out and Trotted forward on his large brown horse.

His men let out a warcry and whipped their steeds after them.

Only about twenty Heathens were on the field roping cavalry spikes together and seemed like easy pickings.

The horsemen charged forward across the field at a gallop as their adrenaline pumped and senses focused perfectly.

Aethelwulf charged first and rode hard against those Heathens...he would win this, he could feel it in his bones.

. . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .

(Other Side)

My men all waited with smiles on their faces as the cavalry charged out position.

I had twenty piked made for us and left the front open to seem like a juicy target for the Northumbrians.

Aethelwulf fell right into my trap and charged directly for my position.

The remainder of my warriors stayed hidden just inside the town walls, it would take seconds for all of them to rush forward and line up, Tostig led them patiently while I served as bait for the charging horsemen.

Before long I spotted Aethelwulf and stood up and began yelling fake orders as my men pretended to panic and fail to line up, upon seeing this the horsemen whipped their mounts into a full gallop, they could practically taste victory.

Until the first ones horse broke through a ditch covered in leaves and twigs, the horse and rider fell hard into the wolf pit and were impaled by sharpened stakes.

First it was only one, then another, and another.

The men who managed to ride past the traps didn't notice their comrades falling into the ditches from the tunnel vision they were experiencing.

I reached down as Aethelwulfs horse was only seven yards from me, I picked up the pike and braced for impact....I could see Aethelwulf's eyes widen in shock at the long pike emerging from the foliage just as he thought he'd ran his blade into my neck.

His horse crashed against the sharp spear and it punctured deep into its chest cavity, the horse let out a horrendous scream and tumbled down as Aethelwulf lost the grip on his fancy sword and was sent tumbling into the soft earth behind me.

Immediately two of my men snatched him up as Tostig ordered the men to rush out from their postitions and counterattack the confused and deleted horsemen.

I looked around and found my men bringing down half of the remaining horsemen with pikes while the other half rode by nearly harmlessly.

Once they were behind our lines the cheval de frise barricades prevented them from escaping to the sides while we boxed them from the front and the town wall boxed them from the rear.

I charged forward with my Dane axe and swung hard at the mounted men as my gruesome engraved axe cleaved through man and horse alike as the horrendous hoarse screams of dying horses echoed throughout the battlefield.

My men moved like Hyenas and ripped apart the mounted men before moving into the line after the last of them were hacked to peices.

We could all hear the dying cries of the cavalry which fell into our wolf pits just a dozen meters ahead.

By this point the enemy infantry was halfway across the field and being urged on by a Sargeant....they lost the cavalry in that dishonorable sneak attack from the heathens but they still outnumbered the sinners four to one and they wouldnt leave here without killing every last one of them.

"ITS OUR LUCKY DAY!!! THEY ONLY OUTNUMBER US FOUR TO ONE!!! SHOULD BE AN EASY FIGHT!!!" I shouted out and my men laughed as they got into position.

We had never fought against so many but they trusted me absolutely and would follow my damn orders no matter what.

The shield wall was formed and my warriors braced themselves for the impact.

Just off to my left hand side were ten of my bowmen waiting patiently, they'd all been given the task of beginning their salvo one the enemies were fifty feet away from us.

Before long the whizzing of arrows and cries of wounded Northumbrian soldiers began to resound as my men took them completely by surprise.

Every few seconds another volley would fly towards the Northumbrians and the bodkin tips peirced through their chainmail and flesh as precious blood leaked out.

Before long forty Northumbrian soldiers lay wounded or dying on the field from the ruthless barrage of arrows.

It wasn't until too late that the Sargeant commanding the infantry peeled off thirty men to raise their shields against the archers and protect his infantry's backs.....

Now only one hundred and thirty infantry faced against our shield wall of fifty....much better odds.

*CRASH 

*WHACK 

*SQUELCH 

*STAB 

*GUSH 

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"

"MY ARM!!! MY ARM!!!" 

"GOD HELP US!!!!" 

"AHHHHHHHH!!!!!" 

The cacophony of glorious battle Resounded as my men hacked at the Northumbrian bastards with great effect.

I spotted two of my men be dragged back and replaced In the line just as I charged forward with my Dane Axe to cleave these Saxon bastards apart.

With each swing trails of blood flew off my Great Axe as the Saxons were dismembered with ease.

I moved forward relentlessly until I reached the enemy Commander and cut him and his bodyguards apart with a few swings before turning on the other Saxons who were fighting for their lives.

I cleaved apart a swath of enemy footmen in minutes as the ground became flooded with blood, gore, limbs, and dying Men.

Before long the enemies turned to flight and ran away as my men charged behind them.

Those who were busy blocking the arrows didn't comprehend what was happening so my men bashed their skulls with axes and my bowmen picked off those that ran off into the distance.

Before long Floki ran up with a Horse and handed him to me. "THE ONLY PONY THAT HAD NO INJURIES!!! HAHAHA!!!" He cackled madly.

I hopped on the horse and whipped it onwards, I could sense that it was tired but I had to kill those fleeing runts one way or the other.

I rode on like the headless horseman and used my Dane Axe to cleave heads from their necks with every swing.

Before long there were only a handful of men left who dropped their weapons and fell to their knees with tears in their eyes.

{""P...P...PLEASE!!! WE S.. SURRENDER!!!""} They all cried out and mumbled prayers to their God.

{"Drop your weapons, walk back to camp....collect your comrades heads as we move."} Ordered and the five trembling men threw their weapons into the grass and moved to pick up all the heads.

On the ones who weren't completely off they had to grabb a dagger and finish cutting them off with tears in their eyes.

Before long we reached the Battlefield.

"Have these prisoners collect all the heads of the fallen Saxons....I have a message they need to send." I spoke and dismounted the horse I was riding and fed it an apple from my pouch, it was already bruised but the horse didn't give a shit as it munched on it greedily.

I tied it up next to a trough and walked to Tostig who was sitting with his head down sadly.

"Don't be so sad Old Man, you'll enter Valhalla soon enough." I spoke and patted his shoulder as he nodded.

"Where is our valuable prisoner?" I asked the depressed old man.

"In the barn..is he that important?" Tostig asked.

I knelt and spoke softly. "That's the King's Brother....you know what that means...." I spoke and I saw his eyes light up immediately.

"G...G...Gold....Lots of Gold....." He muttered and I patted his cheek with my hand before walking to my wounded men.....I found Orwyle to be the only dead one, he had spear thrust through his throat.

I knelt down and said a prayer for him to the Gods as my men watched on....I really didn't give a shit about him, but having the increased loyalty from this acting was definitely worth it.

After my prayer I stood solemnly and spoke aloud. "ORWYLE WAS A GOOD MAN, HIS FAMILY WILL BR CARED FOR....MAY HE ENTER ODINS HALL AND FEAST AND FIGHT UNTIL RAGNAROK!!!" I shouted and my men cheered for the fallen Man.

After that little show I walked off to the barn, I opened the heavy door and found Floki with a steel cup filled to the brim with piss urging the bound man to drink.

"Come on angry man...just a taste...hehehehe.....I made it especially for you....hahahaha...." Floki spoke in a sing song voice as Aethelwulf glared at him and moved his mouth away from the cup.

"Floki stop that, he's the King's Brother for Odin's sake..." I spoke disappointedly and he just giggled.

"I just wanted to see....hehehe.....if these Saxons liked to drink pee....hehehe...maybe that's why they are so weak....hahahah...." He cackled out and sat nearby.

I grabbed a nearby bucket and flipped it over so I could sit in front of Aethelwulf.

I looked into his defiant eyes and spoke. {"Do You Know Who I Am?"} I asked while taking off my veiled helmet.

He gazed at my Milky Eye and I could feel the fear emanating from his very soul....every tale of Thenn was worse than the last after all.

{"You are Thenn Odinson The One Eyed....A Heathen and Demonic Creature from the pits of hell..."} He spoke firmly.

{"Not Hell....Hell is what my enemies experience before the life fades from their eyes....And you were my enemy just now."} I spoke and sweat ran down his forehead.

{"W...What...What will you do with me...."} Aethelwulf spoke out while his body trembled.

I smiled and slowly brought my hand close to his chest over his heart...I saw him close his eyes and mutter a prayer to God.

He knew of my propensity of eating human hearts from what Wigea and Edgar reported....he felt death itself over his shoulders at this very moment....

Then I pulled my hand away and he felt death recede.

He opened his eyes in surprise that I wasn't feasting on his heart.

"How much....does your brother value you?" I asked the pale faced man.

{"W...what do you mean....I Am his brother....his flesh and blood....."} Aethelwulf spoke out.

{"How many pounds of gold are you worth to your Fat, Lazy, Disgusting, Slob of a brother?"} I asked and I saw his eyes widen.

{"How much do you want...he will Ransom me, I know he will....."} he spoke in a panic.

Aethelwulf didn't believe he'd leave the clutches of these demons but now there was a light at the end of the tunnel.

I patted his face with a smile. {"Good...I hope he cares for you as much as you think....or I'll make sure even in the afterlife you will feel the pain I inflict on you..."} I spoke coldly and a shiver ran down his back.

I turned to Floki and spoke. "Make sure he doesn't escape, don't torture him." I spoke and Floki smiled sinisterly and crawled to the tied up Aethelwulf to torment him again.

Once outside I found my men cutting off the hind legs of meaty horses to roast over the flames with herbs, oil and salt rubbed on the meat.

I also found the prisoners just about halfway done collecting the heads of their comrades, it was nasty business but they'd survive if they finished.

I sat down and Rollo moved beside me and sat down....he always gave me a hateful glare but I didn't give two shits.

"It was a perfect battle Thenn, the Skalds will surely sing of this day until Ragnarok comes." He spoke in a fake friendly voice.

I stared into the fire as I responded. "We still have much to do, this small battle is merely a steppingstone on what the three Fates have in store Rollo...." I spoke and I saw his face harden from the corner of my eyes.

"Men would kill to have a sliver of what you have brother.... you are loved by your Men, You are unmatched in battle, You are probably wealthier than our Earl by now....But it feels like you don't appreciate those things enough..." He gruffed out with a scowl on his face.

I just smiled and spoke. "Glory is not everything Rollo, I fight for love more than I fight for glory or gold....I wish to give the family I love every star in the sky and every diamond that sparkles.....You on the other hand seem to fight for nothing, when will you marry...or have children and a family of your own.....those Slaves you keep in your house are no substitute for a wife..." I responded and a few of the men around the campfire agreed.

"But...But the Women I've fallen for are already with other Men..." He spoke out with a pained heart.

"There are many Women in this world Rollo, after this Raid we'll be the most famous men in Norway.....just the loot on the boat will make us live like Kings until next summer even if we gamble it all away.....use that fame to find one for yourself." I spoke and a few of my men laughed and agreed that they would do just that.

"I see.....thank you Thenn, I have much to think about...." He spoke and walked away.

After half an hour our horse haunch was cooked and I pulled my dagger and tore off peices. 

My men all dug into the meat with fervor as we sat under the shade of a tree, it was a hard battle and we deserved the meal.

After a few minutes the prisoners finished with the last of the heads and they all knelt and cried beside the pile.

I walked over with a few men and ordered others to bring out a cart.

Before long a donkey cart was brought out, the baying beast seemed angry at something as it was led out of the town.

I walked up and cut the donkey loose and guided it nearby one of the campfires.

I pulled my dagger and drove it into its throat as it bucked and kicked helplessly against me.

Once it slumped to the ground I spoke to my men. "Get some of its meat ready, it looks tastier than the horse." And several of them hopped on the dead animal and started dismembering it.

I walked back to the prisoners and spoke. {"Which one of you is in charge?"} I asked and the Men pointed to a slightly older man only about thirty.

I turned to my warriors and spoke. "Cut out all of their eyes except for the oldest....only take his right." I spoke and my men pounced on the prisoners like lunatics and scooped and cut out their eyeballs with glee.

Once they were done we tied the blind men to the cart in place of the donkey and I tied the one eyed man to the seat.

After that we tossed the two hundred and fifty heads to the rear.

I spoke to the One eyed man. "Take the cart to your King along with this letter." I spoke and handed him a rolled up parchment with a blank wax seal.

He took it and urged his men to walk on as they screamed and cried for mercy.

{"PLEASE MERCY!!!"}

{"GOD HELP US!!!"}

{"IT HURTS...I CANT SEE!!!"}

I walked up to them and spoke. {"IF YOU DONT WALK LIKE DONKEYS ILL COOK YOU ALIVE!!!! MARCH YOU FUCKING SAXON RATS!!!"} I roared and immediately they snapped out of it and began marching on down the road while the one eyed man gave directions.

All my men watched the cart pulled by eyeless men and giggled madly at the sight....they'd tell this tale wherever they went.

I sat down and enjoyed some more roasted horse meat as we waited for the donkey to finish cooking..it was only just before midday so the King had plenty of time to send a response if those eyeless men marched fast enough....