Chapter 17

Early the next morning Alistair and I left, dressed in battle fatigues and all our equipment for we had no idea how long we would be away. I noticed that Marcia held on to Alistair's hand a bit longer than usual when we left. They had been close since the time the four of them had been brought into the Guesthouse. Marcia had even laid her sleeping furs by his sleeping-bag. Julia had also done the same but at the other side of him, but it was Marcia and Alistair who had become the closest. I kept out of it and let them get on with any relationship they wanted to form.

"I see you and Marcia have hit it off?" I said as we were returning up the pathway we had travelled yesterday.

"Was it that obvious, I think she is a real charmer," he said with a smile.

"Remember who she is, it's all right here but what will happen when we return?"

"It's not that serious Charlie, I have only known her a few hours."

Since we had no idea where we could find Cefi, we found a path and each taking a side we moved parallel to the path being as quiet as we could, moved deeper and deeper into the forest. There were signs of human activity, but all old. All day we travelled and met no-one so that night protected by an overhand and by a small stream we made camp for the night.

Lucky we were well protected and out of sight for that evening as I was on watch three men armed with swords and battle-axes came along the path. If these were the calibre of whom we were up against my spirits rose for they made that much noise that they woke up Alistair, who crawled up alongside me.

After they had passed Alistair said," Noisy lot that, you could hear them coming for ages, I hope the rest are as noisy." He then returned to his sleeping-bag leaving me to the night.

Now at least I knew we were travelling in the right direction for they had come from the same direction we had.

The paths meandered through the woods and we were careful to avoid leaving any footprints on it. It was the fourth day when we came upon a lone man asleep on the large bough of an oak tree. He was meant to be on guard that was obvious but the boring duty had caused him to drop off.

Before the man could come to his senses we had disarmed him and had him propped up against a tree about twenty yards in off the path.

After we had bound him we removed the cloth we had tied around his face when we captured him. He looked a rough character but with a low brow, almost animal-like, large square hands and thick arms yet he would only be about five foot four inches tall, but heavily built.

At first he was aggressively defiant and tried to struggle against his bonds, and when we released the cloth covering his face he was surprised when he saw us, dressed as we were, so alien from him.

"Who are you are you demons, what manner of clothing is that you wear?" He stammered.

"We are looking for the camp of Cefi; you are going to tell us, aren't you?" Alistair said with his face only inches from the man.

"I will never tell you that, anyway we only stay in one place for a few days then move on, we have many camps."

"Well you will better tell us where they all are." I said.

He took us by surprise, for he jumped up and started running. Then he disappeared into the ground we walked over to where he vanished and saw that he had fallen into an animal pit with sharpened stakes in the bottom on which he was really and truly impaled.

"Well we won't get much out of him, but we can't be that far from the camp, think about it. A guard, pit traps, what else is there around. From now I think we should tread carefully." Alistair said in a whisper.

I then had an idea, I got Alistair to hold my legs and I removed the bindings we had put on the man's arms. I walked back to where we had surprised him and found the horn I remembered seeing. I took the horn and blew a long note, then threw the horn on the ground where it could be seen with the man's sword.

"Let's hide back in but in a position to see the pathway," I said to Alistair taking my Gilly suit off my pack and putting it on then within minutes we were completely blended in to the surrounding area.

A little while later four men appeared coming up the path and on seeing the sword and horn on the ground started talking to one another in an agitated manner. They then split up and started combing the surrounding area. It wasn't long before a shout came up from the area of the pit and they all congregated around it looking down. What was said was difficult to hear from here but they soon dispersed again leaving one of their numbers on guard duty, but this man lay down on the ground beside a tree so he could watch the path.

"Their camp can't be far away for they only took a short time to get here, so I am certain we are in luck Alistair."

"I think we should wait until dark which won't be long now before we move out, but we're not leaving that guard here are we?" He asked.

"No, I have a good head shot, but give the others time to get back to their camp and our sentry chap to calm down then I'll take him out. After all Cryda said to kill them all. I wanted to capture them but what would we do with him until we find Gwen."

Twenty minutes later our guard never knew what hit him as I put an HV ball through the top of his skull at seventy yards range. For a sniper that was the easiest of kills.

Keeping a close lookout on our front and sides we moved forward following the path we saw the others take. Alistair was using his infra-red so our progress was much faster than if we had to rely on visual. I didn't need the infra-red to recognise the light from what was obviously a camp fire for there was a glow ahead and to this we made our way, now more cautious than ever.

We came to the crest of a small rise and in the depression below us we could see the bandit's camp. It was by a slow running stream and they had built their shelters among the trees back in the woods with the small clearing vacant except for the fireplace and the two women working over two iron pots.

We could see the men in the shadows, some sitting outside their shelters, others we could see inside. I spotted one of the raiders who had answered the horn, but I couldn't see the other two. In all I counted twelve men and eight women, but I was sure there were more. So for the rest of the evening we just watched, plotting where everyone was as they ate and prepared for sleep. We were able to spot the locations of the two sentries, but they were where we would have expected them. This observation made us change our count, there were fifteen men and the eight women, but was Gwen among them.

This was obviously not the main camp and I could see no sign of anyone carrying a gun of any sort. At three in the morning we started to make the move we had discussed between ourselves earlier. Alistair's game keeping ability really showed as he moved silently and swiftly through the undergrowth with hardly a sound as he made for the first sentry, I took the second one. I just crept up on him as he leaned against a tree and placed the tip of my knife on his neck just above the iron collar he wore.

"One little sound and it will be your last," I said removing the throwing spear from his hand. "On your knees and your hands behind your back," I whispered in his ear.

The man obeyed every instruction and I bound his wrists and thumbs together as well as his ankles with rawhide laces. Then a quick chop to the side of the neck under the ear and he went to sleep like a baby. I wonder how many more of them had these collars on.

Slowly and silently we went round each of the shelters, finding one or two people in each some women lying alongside the men and in one shelter four women together. It was in this one that we found Gwen, but she was hard to identify at first. When she came into the light I was confronted by the most beautiful woman that no amount of grit and grime could hide.

"You're not one of them," she said in broken Gaelic.

"No we are here looking for an English woman called Gwen."

"I'm Gwen, how did you find me," she said almost too loud in an upper-class English accent.

"Long story, keep quiet for now we will be back." I replied in English. I left her untied but I tied and gagged the other three women and left to deal with the others in the other shelters.

Slowly we had the lot tied up and now sitting in the clearing. Gwen then came rushing to my side,"Please the three women who were with me are captives of these people, they won't run away, untie them please."

"You untie them then and get some hot water; I want to see you washed."

"I would love to have a hot wash, have you soap?"

"Yes and a towel also, I think you should have my spare underwear too, it's clean, as I am sure yours must be filthy by now."

"Underwear, that went a long-time ago. Stolen by these women," she said pointing to the group of four tied up with the men.

Gwen and the three women all went down to the stream carrying one of the large pots which had been by the fire and vanished from view.

"Now where is Cefi, I wish to talk to him and I believe he has something that I want back," I addressed the bandits all sitting on the ground. It was then I noticed that half of them wore iron bands around their necks.

No reply, so I asked again. This time I got an answer, from a young lad, "He is at another camp, he will return and slay you."

"Thank you, for the information, so there is not much point of us waiting here; I'm taking you back to Cryda for his justice. If anyone between here and Cryda's fort wants to tell me exactly where I can find Cefi I will consider letting them go free, so think about it," I told them. I think I may get some response for when I said I was taking them back to Cryda some of them almost turned white. Well paler for as usual their faces hands and feet were filthy and it was difficult to tell what colour they were.

To try to put the fear up them I decided to show them the power of the rifle. Slipping on the noise suppressor I took aim at a pot outside a shelter and fired sending the put into the air. Just before it landed again I hit it and sent it flying well into the woods with only two swish sounds. This I saw impressed the ones who saw it for they were staring in amazement at my rifle.

The four women returned and what a difference a wash made. I saw that they had even washed out their dirty dresses and were wearing them wet.

"You'll catch your death of cold wearing that wet smock," I said to Gwen, but I couldn't stop myself looking up and down her well proportioned body. God, the photograph we had been given didn't sho her as she was.

"I have got used to wearing wet clothing, but I do appreciate your underwear."

"You're welcome, I bet it looks better on you than on me," I said with a laugh.

I would almost bet she blushed as I said that but then maybe it was just the cold water that had flushed her face that way.

There was a long rope which we laced through the rings of the ones with the rings around their necks. Then looping the rope around the others, with their hands tied moved out of the clearing towards Cryda's fort, picking up the sentry we had left by the tree.

Although we had spent almost a week following the winding paths we hadn't travelled far and by that evening we had left the woods and saw the fort in the distance. So even though it was getting dark we decided to press on. Now there was fear on the faces of the bandits and they were dragging their feet, only prolonging the inevitable.

Usually you would never gain entry into a Celt fortification after dark it was obvious that they had been watching our progress for Cryda himself was standing on the battlement by the great gates.

"I can't see Cefi, have you killed him?" He shouted down.

"No, but we are going back to get him once we deliver these prisoners to you," I shouted back.

Just then from a young man who was standing close to me in a soft voice," I will show you where Cefi is, if you won't hand me over to Cryda."

"If when I release you, you try to escape I will kill you," I said to him as I undid the clove hitch from around his neck. "Walk in front of me."

When he walked in front I cut his bonds. I was waiting for him to make a bolt. If he had I would have dropped him before he got ten yards, but he didn't I was happy to say.

"Join the four women at the rear, now," I said as we passed through the now open gate.

Once we were all in Cryda came down from the walls and looked at all the bandits with piercing eyes. "Some of you I have never seen before but I see some escaped slaves, I have the choice of slaying you or freeing you, what will it be?"

"Any man or woman who swears their fief to me their life I will spare. Speak up this is your last chance, this also goes for the escaped slaves, who I should execute."

To the man and woman they declared their allegiance.

"Since you so have sworn, the punishment will be thirty lashes for each of you, and then you will be released into the care of one of my subjects. Master at arms, get the sentence carried out as soon as possible."

Cryda turned to our group which consisted of Gwen, the tree women, the young man who was to help us and myself. "You thought I was going to slay them didn't you, what a waste that would have been. Only Cefi and his deputy will be put to the torture and executed, for they are the two who have incited their followers. These are just sheep and one shouldn't blame the sheep for what the shepherd done."

"This is the woman I was seeking and these are three women who were slaves of Cefi. I would like you to treat these three women with respect and either let them return to their homes or marry into your town. I asked him.

"That will be done for we have a few young men who seek wives and I am sure will make them very happy."

"Also until we leave again can you find shelter for this young man, he is going to show me where to find Cefi."

"I will give him shelter in my home until you leave. Go I think the others are eager for your return," he said as he led the three women and the young man towards the Council House.

Gwen obviously knew Marcia and Julia, they ran and hugged one another, but Marcia soon left Gwen and went to Alistair. It was obvious that they had both missed each other, by the look on their faces but they only grasped hands as Alistair took off his pack and rolled out his bedroll.

As I rolled out my bedroll, Gwen placed the sleeping furs that had been given her alongside mine. It might mean nothing, for there wasn't that much room for seven of us to stretch out, with our feet pointing in towards the circle of stones which contained the fire.

"You don't mind do you?" She asked.

"No not at all but let me first put a few drops of this insecticide on these furs," I replied. Alistair and I had been given a small dropper bottle each by the army to prevent being attacked by lice. This was experimental and was similar to the flea treatment that is given to cats and dogs and they say it's harmless to humans. It has no smell or colour and just a few drops in the bedding are meant to keep away the lice which in this period of time are rampant as I explained Richard the Brigadier.

The period spent with the Celts had vanished with most of her vanity for with no embarrassment she slipped her smock dress over her head and stood there in my jungle green underwear.

"Yes Gwen, they definitely look better on you than on me," I said admiring her lithe body, Wow she was sure a looker this woman.

We were that tired that almost as soon as my head hit my pillow I was sound asleep. Waking the next morning Gwen had hold of my hand and was awake staring into my face with the edges of her moth turned up in a smile.

"You look quite handsome asleep, my white knight. Do you usually go around rescuing damsels in distress?"

"For the past few years I have rescued a few, that is true, but I'm no Sir Galahad."

"Oh I think you are, so there," she said leaning over and kissing me on the brow and nose.

Alistair and I decided that we would have a rest for a couple of days before we went after Cefi again. So it gave us a chance to wash our clothing, me being reduced now to just one set which had to be washed and dried before I could put them on again.

During this time Gwen told me in confidence that for the first few months she was raped by many of Cryda's men and hated the sight of him. She kept her tears back as she related this and all the other humiliations she had to endure. But when I put my arm around her shoulder and pulled her to me she broke down and sobbed for so long I was getting worried, as well as wet with her tears.

After this Gwen was like a shadow, she was always by my side and in fact was becoming an embarrassment in some ways, but in others I loved the attention this beautiful woman was giving me.

I saw that now all the prisoners we brought back had the iron collar around their necks as well as the four women. When I saw Cryda I asked "Why have you put iron neck-rings on the people we brought in?"

"It shows they are not free men, so cannot own land or carry weapons. Three generations from now they will have to wear these neck-rings and if there are no further criminal acts carried out the fourth generation born shall be free-men. Then he will be entitled to his five acres, but if he is a smith, then in two generations the bonds will be removed."

"So who do they work for and how do they live?"

"The town or village where they live, that's who they work for, it is the community they live in that decides their fate and with the help of the King's Laws. Don't worry they will not be let to starve or be without shelter," he said as he walked away with his hands clasped behind his back.

What I'd done was to provide Cryda's town with slaves for the next three generations, but I expect that is a bit better than being put to death.

"When you go looking for Cryda, I'm coming with you," she said the evening before we were to part.

"No I want you to stay with the others," I responded.

"I know the places where he hides as well as Gorth and I can tell you if he is leading you into a trap, Please Charlie I want to confront this man," she pleaded.

"You are as bad as a woman I knew a few years ago, who too fluttered her eyes when she wanted something and knew I couldn't refuse her," I said thinking of Jane.

"I knew you were a softie and I won't get in your way, also I'll help carry the weight."

I never gave it a thought as the four of us left the fortification and instead of heading north we headed almost due east, further east than the point we had left the forest with the captives. Two days we moved through the winding pathways of the woods. Stopping occasionally to listen and smell the air for the scent of smoke. Smoke and cooking meat was the smells which were the hardest to disguise.

The first night we stopped was when I realised that Gwen had not brought her sleeping furs with her.

"Gwen, you have no sleeping furs, why didn't you bring them with you?"

"Be because I'm going to share your sleeping-bag, it's big enough for two I saw. You're not objecting are you?" She said looking straight into my eyes.

"No, to late now! I'm not going back to get your sleeping furs."

"I have no diseases I promise, but I just want to be held close, is that too much to ask Charlie?"

"We have to take turn on watch so you will get your sleep disturbed."

"I too will take my turn so you and Alistair can get more rest."

"Well in that case we accept, we usually do hour about, for after an hour your concentration starts to wain and we definitely can't have that," I replied getting the nod from Alistair. We weren't going to leave Gorth alone, for I didn't really trust him yet.

I have shared this sleeping-bag with a few women, but Gwen just seemed to mould her body into mine. It was if we had done this for years and knew the most comfortable position to suit us both. Now was the first time that she actually kissed me full on the mouth. It started so softly just like a feather touching then the fervour increased and our tongues started exploring each others mouths, our mouths grinding into each other, bodies moulded together. Our arms were around each other pulling our bodies even closer. Until the passion subsided and we slowly moved our heads apart and gazed into each others eyes.

"You may not believe me and I don't care if you do or not, but I have never felt like kissing a man like I did you ever before in my life. Maybe you were told I was 'butch', but I'm not. It's just I haven't met the right man, I know I have now and I don't want ever to lose you Charlie."

"Gwen I'm married to Lady Marjorie Barton and I have a small daughter from another wife who died. I really feel flattered by what you are saying, any man would and you are such a beautiful woman."

"I heard tales before I ended up here, that Lady Marjorie had a man but also there was another woman too living there."

"Yes that is true, I had two wives?"

"Then you'll have two again. I don't mind sharing you with Marjorie, now you will have two ladies of the court as your wives. I don't mind what they say about me, I never have and most of the things that were said were untrue anyway," she said pulling me closer and kissing me again on the mouth.

God knows what Marjorie is going to say about this. I couldn't say no to Gwen, for I felt for her as deeply as I did Marjorie. Now I would have two of them with their pebble in the mouth way of talking. At least she will fit into Marjorie's circle of friends and not feel an outcast.

What the hell life was short and I play it as it comes nowadays. So the arrangement stood.

It was Gwen and not Gorth who alerted us we were approaching a possible location where Cefi could be. Again it was a small depression in the ground with a small spring trickling out from some rocks. A circle of stones were in the middle and the remnants of a fire within the circle, but no sign of anyone there. We gave it a good search but it was obvious that it hadn't been used for some time. So we moved on to the next location which Gwen said was only about a mile away.

A mile in the woods was quite a distance for one couldn't walk straight and the forest floor was soft and heavy going, small hillocks or brush. It was only where the trees thinned out and dominated by large spreading oak or chestnut the going was easier. So that mile took us almost two hours to travel.

The smell of roasting meal travels a great distance and this was the first suggestion that we were approaching a site which was settled in. So from now we paid particular attention for sentries and traps, also we split up to keep a watch on the widest of fronts.

It seems that all the sites were placed in depressions, for this one also was in a similar position. Granted it was difficult to see, but if no sentries were posted, this was a trap. This was what happened in this case. Once we found the camp Alistair moved around to the side opposite me, which took about another hour as he stealthily moved into position. I spotted him through my scope and he indicated with his finger he was in position.

"Gwen point me out who you know here and tell me if Cefi is down there," I whispered to her, for she was lying by my side with my binoculars to her eyes.

"There are only five men there and Cefi is the ginger-haired one, the short stocky one is his right-hand man and he is the cruellest of them all. The three women are all hostages who have been taken on their raids on travellers through the woods. It's strange that Eald isn't here, he is another red-head, but is useless on his own," all this was said with as much venom as I've ever held from a women before.

Then on our right four other men following the small trickling stream walked into the camp, they must have almost walked over Alistair as they entered.

"That's Eald he thinks he is a great lover. Of course when the woman is held down," Gwen whispered.