Chapter 14: Rebuilding the villages

The next morning a runner arrived from the village of Hroth, saying that they are journeying to see the released women and to ask that we do not leave before they arrive.

Meanwhile Hild's mother Eadburg and Morderth approached us.

"I am going to take Morderth as my husband. He is the owner of the goats and we're going to find a place nearby to build a new house," she told Hild.

I suddenly remembered Jane's cottage. "There is a clearing on the way to our village, which had been cleared and been lived on, but the house had been destroyed. Also it will be a lot closer for Hild to visit you. "

This was something I was going to talk to the villagers about anyway. This custom of daughters not returning to there parents homes once they were wed was absurd. This was one reason the Celts found them easy to raid. There had to be a closer relationship with each other, so an alarm system could be set up, among other things. They had to come up with a method of defending themselves.

Northhelm thought it was a wonderful idea. I told him I would go hunting with him, so that he had enough meat to tide them over while he prepared accommodation. It was agreed that they would leave with us when we left.

While we were talking another of the ex-captive women approached Northhelm.

"Will you take me as a wife also? My name is Sae."

"I will take you as a wife also." Northhelm answered.

"Before you agree to something you regret I wish you to consider what I have to say," Sae butted in.

"What is that?"

"All my people are dead and I have been with the Celts for fifteen years. I was taken when I was a little girl. I have been used by many Celt men and taken against her will," Sae told him.

"I will still take you as a wife," he replied.

It was obvious that the women were sorting themselves out on their own. She was slightly younger than Eadburg and I'm sure would be quite pretty once cleaned up.

"You will be welcome as one of my family, but we are not staying here, Chally is going to show me a clearing where I can graze my goats. Do you still want to come?" Northhelm asked her.

"I will gladly come; I would like you to declare my engagement to the people here, so that they will know that I am yours and only yours," Sae asked.

"I will make the announcement once the village of Hroth arrives," he told her.

It wasn't until the early afternoon that Hroth's people arrived. I don't think they had ever seen so many people gathered at one spot before in all their lives. After a short time the strangeness was over, they were mixing and talking with people they must have just heard talked about, but never met.

Hroth came and spoke to me aside from the others.

"I am sorry to hear of my daughter's death, I heard that you had grieved deeply by her death. You have killed the perpetrator and allowed Modthryth to go to Mother Earth in peace. You must not grieve, but grasp life and continue on. We would welcome you to our home any time you are passing through," he said, turned and walked back to his family.

I called in a loud voice so that I could be heard over the chatter. "Quiet, come closer.

"I have freed your people from the Celts, whom you call the men from the west. How I did it I shall not say, but their Head chief Dunstan, has gave me his word that no more raids by his people will be made on your land. He is only one of many clans of Celts, so others may attempt to raid in his place. You must acquire skill with arms and set up defence positions for your people to repel them. You have done it once and inflicted severe damage to the moral on one of the subclans. Once word gets round that you are not easy targets, they will leave you alone.

Pause

"This custom of daughters being almost expelled from their father's house once wed should be abolished to day. You must start to visit one another, as through friendship your strength will increase. Please assist one another and learn to share. For example Ine's village is inhabited by many elderly men and women and puts great pressure on him to provide, yet the village of Hroth has many young hunters. Perhaps they could help there and put less of a strain on the wildlife as well. Once I see that you have tried to work together better, I will teach you how to defend yourself against the raiding parties.

"Select a leader from among yourselves, to settle any arguments and to enforce your laws. Eadburg, Sae and Northhelm are going to a clearing one hour's march, north-east from here," I pointed the direction, "Where he is going to rear goats. We are going to leave you now and I trust that you will find accommodation for the women whom I rescued from the Celts. I will be visiting you all from time to time. Goodbye and good luck."

I sincerely hoped that they would become more organized on their own.

With that I left it to them, turned and led my little group out of the clearing on our way home.

It only took us an hour and a half to journey to the burnt out remains of Jane's old home. Right-a-way Northhelm liked the look of the place and said it would suit him nicely. He and his two wives soon had a humpy style temporary shelter built that would keep out the weather and provide them some protection from the wind and any light rain that should fall.

Meanwhile Marjorie and Hild set up our tent. They then started preparing a meal for all of us, using the remaining rations, which were still in our packs, No use carrying them, as we weren't far from our home.

While they were doing that I went in to the forest looking for the wild pigs, which had been seen running off as we entered the clearing.

Since there were large expanses of oak and hazel I knew that the pigs would be foraging around these trees. Sure enough, I saw the whole family of pigs with a nasty looking boar among them. The young were almost at full maturity and I could tell the two sows were pregnant again. I took careful aim and shot one of the young pigs.

As I did so the boar let out a snort and started charging towards me. I really didn't have time to reload; I just leapt up on to a branch out of these tusks way. I drew the pistol, since I was only about four feet from the ugly beast and shot him three times in the head. I wanted to be sure this fellow stayed dead.

With the sound of the shots the others pigs just disappeared. I was going to take the young pig back and come back for the other, but I had willing hands arriving.

On hearing the shots all five of them came running. We decided that we would have the young pig to take back with us and Northhelm would have the boar. He said that it would last them for many days. Also there were plenty of fruit and nuts around to sustain them.

When we got back to the clearing I gave him a hand to erect the damaged pens. He said he was only going to keep the goats penned for tonight but would be making other arrangements tomorrow.

The meal was ready and we sat down around the small fire and ate.