Arthur, King. William Speir

asked.

      “I think he’s probably right. The attack makes no sense on its own, except as a way to shift Ambrosius’ attention off of Hengist. It’s a brilliant move.”

      Merlin nodded and kept reading. “He’s also planning to send an emissary to Dal Raita. Do you think there’s any chance of using them as allies against the Picts and Caledonians?”

      “Possibly, but it depends on their intentions and on how many other Irish settlements are being planned along the Rheged and Welsh coastline.”

      Merlin finished reading the dispatches. “If Colgrin made one attempt, he could make more attempts. We should watch our southern border as diligently as we watch our northern one.”

      “I agree. I’ll see to it.” Galerius left the great hall.

      “Finish the story, Merlin,” Arthur pleaded.

      Merlin smiled. “Very well, my Prince. Where were we?”

      “Boudica had just sacked Camulodunum and was heading for Londinium,” Cai answered.

      “Ah yes,” Merlin said. “Remember, Queen Boudica’s uprising was all started because a single Centurion took exception to the fact that she was a woman and a barbarian. He flogged her in front of her people and raped her daughters to demonstrate Rome’s power over the Celts. Had this not been done, there would have been no reason for the uprising. Cruelty, the favored weapon of the Romans, is also why so many of their conquered lands rebelled against them. The Saxons and their allies favor cruelty as well. They’re ruthless and heartless in how they deal with their defeated enemies. We fight just as hard as they do, but we’re more compassionate. That sets us apart from the Romans and our enemies. Anyway, back to the story. By this time, Boudica had nearly one hundred thousand Celts with her…”

      By the beginning of autumn, the princes were quite proficient with the spear and had started learning archery.

      The forests around Din Eidyn were filled with every sort of game, including squirrels, rabbits, boar, and deer. Hunting in the harsh northern winters was difficult at best. Each autumn, the men would hunt and bring home as much meat as possible. The meat was smoked, and that would sustain the people until the spring thaws, when the men could resume their hunting.

      A week before the men in the hillfort were to leave for the annual autumn hunt, Galerius found Merlin standing on the walls above the main gates. Smoke from the chimneys near the base of the causeway swirled in the breeze coming off the river, creating a ghostly pattern in the air above the village. Merlin leaned on his staff; the cold air made his left leg throb.

      “My men are eager for the hunt this year,” Galerius said.

      Merlin smiled. “I know. The princes were riding through the western forest yesterday and said that the woods are filled with deer. Word spread like wildfire when they returned, and now every spear in the armory is being sharpened.”

      Merlin gestured toward the smithy. The clanging of the blacksmith’s hammer echoed in every corner of the hillfort. “Even our blacksmith is working day and night to make sure that the men’s weapons are ready.”

      Galerius nodded. “Speaking of the princes…”

      “No.” Merlin stopped him.

      “They’re ready, Merlin. They’re proficient with the spear, they’re learning the bow… they need to be with the men on the hunt this year.”

      “It’s too dangerous.”

      “My men will be with them. There’s no danger.”

      Merlin faced Galerius. “There’s always danger,” he snapped. “You’ve hunted boar before. You know what they can do!”

      “The princes are not going to be hunting boar, Merlin,” Galerius countered. “I know they’re not ready for that. They’ll be hunting small game. Maybe a deer to two. Nothing more.”

      Merlin stared at him. Finally, he said, “How many guards will you send with them?”

      “I was thinking twenty.”

      Merlin nodded. “Very well. But I want them to be your best men. They have to understand that protecting the princes is more important than the hunt. They might not return with a single kill of their own this year. Make sure they know that.”

      “I will, Merlin.”

      “When do you want to tell the boys?” Merlin asked.

      “Tonight,” Galerius replied. “They leave in week, and they’ll have to start getting ready at first light tomorrow.”

      Merlin followed Galerius down the stairs and hobbled after him to the great house. It IS time for the boys to join the hunt. I imagine that they’ll be excited when Galerius tells them.

      It was still dark when the men of the hillfort set out on the annual autumn hunt. Arthur, Bedwyr, and Cai rode their horses, surrounded by the twenty guards assigned to protect them. Pack horses carrying spears, arrows, swords, and other equipment followed close behind them.

      The princes could hardly contain their excitement. They’d spent three months learning to fight with spears before being allowed to shoot a bow for the first time. The three boys were about equal with the spear. Arthur proved to be a natural at archery, but Bedwyr and Cai found it difficult to hit the center of the target.

      Shortly after leaving the hillfort, the men separated into three groups. One group turned north to hunt along the river. The second group headed south to hunt along the southern border. The third group, which included the princes, turned west to hunt in the deep forests that spread across central Gododdin.

      An hour later, the princes, their guards, and forty men stopped and began setting up their camp. The rest of the men headed further west. The air was crisp, and the constant winds shook the trees, causing the leaves that hadn’t yet fallen to rustle.

      During the week prior to the hunt, the princes had learned how to make snares to capture squirrels, rabbits, and birds. By sunrise on the first day of the hunt, the princes were busy setting snares all around the hills and ridges near the camp while their guards watched them from a discreet distance. At first, the presence of so many men seemed to have scared off the animals, but by mid-day, the game had returned.

      Arthur was crouched behind a boulder, watching two rabbits hopping toward a cluster of snares that he had placed along a trail that showed signs of rabbit tracks. He held his breath as they got closer. Just before they reached the snares, they stopped and sniffed the ground. Arthur wondered if they could detect his scent.

      After a moment, they moved closer to the snares. Arthur tossed a small rock onto a pile of leaves behind the rabbits. They hopped away from the sound and right into the snares.

      Arthur jumped up and removed the rabbits, putting them into a large woven sack. He tied the top of the bag with a leather strap and reset the snares. Then he went to check on the other snares he had set that morning.

      By late that afternoon, Arthur had snared ten rabbits, a dozen squirrels, and two large birds called grouse. He brought them back to camp and put them into cages. The smaller game would be kept alive until they returned to Gododdin.

      For two more days, the princes snared small game. But on the morning of the fourth day, the men told them to get their spears. Today they’d be hunting for deer.

      Deer hunting had two methods. One was to lie in wait for the deer to come. The second way was similar to boar hunting: drive the deer toward the waiting hunters.

      The men led the princes to a nearby stream and told them to find a place to hide. The men waited for the deer to come drink from the stream.

      The princes found a hiding place halfway up a nearby ridge where they could watch the hunters from above. They wanted to see how it was done before trying it themselves. They didn’t speak as they waited for the deer to come. The winds gusted and moaned through the rocks and trees. Brown, orange,