Arthur, King. William Speir

of the armies from Powys and Brycheiniog before Ambrosius’ army attacks, or we won’t survive this day!”

      Vortigern nodded. “Forward, men of Gwynedd!” he shouted. “Forward for your lives and your King!”

      Vortigern’s men surged forward, but a moment later, shouts arose from his right flank. Turning, he saw Galerius’ cavalry attacking.

      They rode around me while my attention was on the northern armies to the east. What else can go wrong?

      Vortigern’s guards formed a circle around their King, preparing to defend him to the death.

      “Ride, my King,” one of his captains shouted. “We’ll deal with the cavalry.”

      Vortigern nodded, and he and his guards galloped across the field to join the armies of Brychan and Cadell. He glanced back once, and not a single one of the soldiers who had been with him were still standing.

      They sacrificed themselves for me. I’ll see to it that their sacrifice is remembered.

      As the armies of Powys and Brycheiniog redeployed to face the new threat approaching from the east, Vortigern reached Brychan and Cadell. “Your timing is perfect, my Lords.”

      “We answered your call, my King,” Cadell said. “We remember our loyalties. Let’s get you to Dinas Emrys.”

      “Too late!” Brychan shouted.

      Vortigern looked to his left just as the vanguard of Ambrosius’ northern armies slammed into Cadell and Brychan’s right flank.

      Uther had ordered his cavalry to ride south and cut off Vortigern’s escape, in case he decided to abandon his allies and run for the safety of Dinas Emrys.

      Uther, Nudd-Lludd, Arthwys, and Galerius were behind the vanguard, surrounded by guards. Galerius had made it clear that he didn’t want the prince and the two kings to lead the attack against Vortigern’s allies. Uther agreed, but he still wanted to be the one to reach Vortigern first.

      The armies of Vortigern’s allies were never able to deploy into lines of battle. Wave after wave of soldiers from the four armies poured into them, and soon the battle had disintegrated into clusters of fighting over a wide area. The ground grew slick with blood.

      Galerius’ cavalry slammed into the left flank of Vortigern’s allies, forcing Vortigern to flee for his life. Vortigern and his guards made their way south through the fighting. His standard-bearer rolled up his dragon banner, so the soldiers wouldn’t know that it was Vortigern riding past them.

      Uther watched as Vortigern reached the center of the field. Looking southwest, he saw another army approaching.

      “Is that Ambrosius’ southern armies, General?” he asked Galerius.

      Galerius nodded, smiling broadly.

      A shout went up across the field of battle. Cadell and Brychan saw the southern armies approaching.

      “We can’t face so many,” Cadell shouted to Brychan. “We have to withdraw.”

      Brychan nodded.

      The two kings shouted for their men to abandon the field and return home.

      Vortigern saw Ambrosius’ southern armies approaching. As he continued riding south through the fighting, he heard his allies giving orders to withdraw.

      They’re abandoning me! I must reach Dinas Emrys.

      He urged his horse to go faster, but the withdrawing soldiers from Powys and Brycheiniog blocked his path. When he finally made it through his retreating allies, he saw Uther’s cavalry ahead, waiting for him in a long line.

      “Ride on, my King,” the captain of his guard shouted. “We’ll clear the way for you.”

      The guards rode forward in a wedge and lowered their lances at the waiting cavalry. The cavalry was deployed to intercept a much larger force, and Vortigern’s guards took full advantage of this. Ten guards attacked the center of line of Gododdin horsemen and opened a hole large enough for Vortigern to ride through with his standard-bearer.

      Vortigern’s guards were dead by the time Vortigern was past the cavalry and racing toward Dinas Emrys. His guards had done their duty, and each had killed several Gododdin horsemen, including all three of Merlin’s sons.

      When Vortigern reached Dinas Emrys, he rode up the causeway, shouting to his men inside the hillfort. Recognizing their King, they opened the gate and let him enter.

      “Where were you?!” Vortigern shouted at his captains when they gathered around him. “I sent for you, and you never came. Ambrosius’ armies attacked, and they scattered the combined armies of Powys and Brycheiniog. I barely escaped with my life!”

      “We received no message, my King,” his chief captain replied. “If we had, we’d have come at once!”

      “Well it doesn’t matter now. Ambrosius is coming with his armies. Make ready!”

      “Yes, my King,” his captains responded.

      Vortigern rode to the hillfort’s great house. Rowenna was there with their son. “Welcome, my King.”

      Vortigern kissed his wife and walked past her into the great house. “Bring me wine!”

      “I take it things didn’t go well this morning,” she said after Vortigern had drained one goblet and was working on his second one.

      “That’s an understatement, Rowenna. Rheged and Strathclyde abandoned me, Powys and Brycheiniog ran away when Ambrosius’ southern armies appeared while we fought against his northern armies, and Hengist and Colgrin are nowhere to be seen. Ambrosius will be here shortly, and we’re trapped inside this hillfort. How could things be worse?”

      “You could be dead, my King.” Rowena lowered her eyes so her husband wouldn’t see the thin smile on her lips.

      Vortigern glared at her. “The day is young, Rowenna. Now leave me. I need to drink.”

      Ambrosius rode at the head of the southern armies, and Galerius, Uther, Nudd-Lludd, and Arthwys rode out to meet him.

      “Greetings, my Lords!” Ambrosius smiled as they approached.

      “Greetings, King Ambrosius,” they responded.

      “How goes the battle?” Ambrosius asked.

      Galerius responded. “We attacked the armies from Powys and Brycheiniog, but they scattered when they saw you approaching. Vortigern’s men were cut down, but it looks like he escaped in the confusion. I assume he’s reached Dinas Emrys by now.”

      “The men from Strathclyde should have occupied Carn Fadrun already,” Uther added. “But we don’t know about Rheged.”

      “I’ve been in contact with Lord Gwrast,” Ambrosius said. “He’s deploying his army to prevent Colgrin, Hengist, and Horsa from coming to Vortigern’s aid. He still doesn’t like me, but fortunately he hates Saxons and Anglians more.”

      Ambrosius looked over the field. “How were your losses?”

      “Light, my King,” Galerius replied. “We’re still counting the dead and wounded, but we inflicted much worse than we received.”

      Ambrosius nodded. “Then we should head for Dinas Emrys and finish what we started.”

      Word was sent out to the northern armies to move south as soon as they were able. Uther, Nudd-Lludd, Arthwys, and Galerius rode to Dinas Emrys with Ambrosius and the southern armies.

      They reached the hillfort an hour later. The gates were shut, and Vortigern’s men lined the walls. Vortigern’s red dragon standard fluttered in the breeze over the hillfort’s walls.

      “He’s not going to come out, is he?” Ambrosius asked.

      “No, my King,” Galerius replied.