English Knight Read Online Free

and Aelfraed led a rebellion against William the Bastard. He has fought the Norman horsemen and beaten them. Do not let his white hair fool you, Master Alfraed. You are being trained so that you may become a shadow of the warrior that your father is.”
    We did not find a mansio; at least not one which stood whole.  We found a building which had four walls remaining but neither roof nor people.  It did, at least, give us some shelter from the biting wind and the fire had a hearth in which to burn wood. That night Osric and I had the middle shift. It was the first one I had had to take.  Osric had been right; being woken from a warm blanket to stand in the cold was not a pleasant experience.
    Egbert took us to one side.  “We saw nothing on our shift but I shall sleep with my sword next to me.”
    “Wulfstan was right then?”
    “I think so, Osric. I saw nothing but the horses are nervous. I would keep your swords to hand.”
    The words were not addressed to me but they were intended for my ears. Osric nodded to me as Egbert rolled into his blanket.  “We move away from the fire.  Let us find a tree to stand next to.  Wrap your cloak tightly about you.”
    As we stood some thirty paces from the glow of the fire and I shivered I wondered what this danger was.  I went to speak but Osric shook his head and held his finger to his lips.  I was learning to heed these warriors.  I was in their world now.
    It was my horse which alerted us.  He whinnied. Osric touched my arm and then drew his sword. He pointed at my eyes and then the forest. He wanted me to watch. I nodded to show that I understood. He walked back to the camp fire; I assumed to wake the others. Where was this danger?  I peered into the forest.  I could see nothing! Then I caught the slightest of movements. Had I not been warned of danger I might have thought it an animal of the night but Osric’s touch had set my senses alight.
    I saw a shadow moving towards the fire. I was hidden by the tree and I stared as the shadow became a man and I saw that he had a long curved blade in his hand. Other shadows began to move towards the camp. I began to step forward when I felt Osric’s touch on my arm.  He shook his head and led me away from the fire and into the forest.  For a big man he was silent. I could now see the ten or so men who walked towards the fire.  It looked as though my father and the others had not been woken or they had, at least, not risen.
    I raised my sword but Osric shook his head again.  What was he waiting for? I stared in horror as the men walked into the camp and stood over the blankets. When would Osric do something? As if he had read my thoughts he nodded to me and, lifting his sword he ran at the nearest warrior. I pulled my arm back and stabbed at the man nearest to me.  He had only been two paces from me and my sword sank into his flesh.  I felt it grind against bone and it made me shudder.  I pulled it out.  The man turned and raised his sword to me.  He was not dead! Osric’s sword slashed around and sank across his back. The man dropped at my feet dead.
    I looked up and saw that my father and his oathsworn had risen like wraiths and their attackers lay dead at their feet. I saw the last two assassins as they ran into the forest.  I was going to follow when Osric’s ham like fist grabbed my arm.  “Let them go.  They can do no more. Fetch the bodies into the light and let us examine them.”
    The eight bandits were searched and money and weapons taken from them. My father looked at me for signs of injury. He nodded when he saw that I had none. “You have had your first brush with death.  What have you learned from it?”
    I looked at the dead men. “That I can see better in the dark than I thought.”
    Osric shook his head, “That is not the lesson you should take from this. If you have an enemy and the chance to kill him then do so or he will kill you.  Had I not been there then you would be lying dead in the