Vol. 1 Chapter 11 - Battle of Ashdown

Kingdom of Wessex, Coocham

/pov MC/

With winter ending and spring coming soon.. King Aethelred called upon the Ealdorman of Wessex to raise the fyrds, local lords private armies, to unite as one on the border of Wessex and East Anglia and expel the pagan invaders from their lands.. by the time my family had got settled in on our lands.. I had only two months to train the two dozen peasants of fighting age the only ones of fighting age on the surrounding lands of the village that are sworn to the new lord of Coocham.. to form them into a well trained fighting force..

Two months isn't enough time to put a lot of meat on their bones or making them stronger but I could have them know their forms and how to come together as one in a shield wall move as one in a shield wall how to work together as one.. for divided they are weak but united they are something else..

Took a couple swift blows to an unexpecting stomach later and these peasants now understand the difference of 'left' and 'right'.. I would have them run in them morning work on drills in the day.. then I placed the amongst one another one on one till the end of the day.. I would occasionally make a soldier either fight with one arm or one leg because your enemy won't let up even if your down a limb..

They will learn to fight with one hand or on one foot they will learn to fight even after they are so tired they can't move.. I pushed them to their limits.. again and again.. by the time it was all said and done my coming of age gift to my little brother was two dozen well equipped men..

We were ready for the test so on the last week of winter we were summoned to the burh, equivalent of a small military fortress in the beginning of Alfred's reign that he built all across his coast line and borders to deal with raiders, near Ashdown where the great battle would occur.

"Alright little brother this is it.. once we enter this camp I want you to be as arrogant and pagan as possible.. if anyone tries to move you let them make the first move I'll always be standing right by your side.. once they move I'll move.. I'll put them down hard.. if they draw blades I'll have knives sticking from their eyes before they can blink.. if they see a monster like me doing your bidding they will take you very seriously.. we will come out of this battle with enough wealth for me to make good on my promise to Brunhilda.. As far as replying directly to their questions let me handle that.." Uhtred agreed to what I asked it made sense to him because I was right.. they would fear him through their fear for me and I would use that to my endless advantage.

/pov Ubba/

He is.. He is here.. no.. no.. "Guthrum! Guthrum look there!" I screamed in the direction of the 'man' coming towards our main flag where Guthrum and I had our personal guards watching our men mow through the weak saxons on the main battlefield.. he was already almost upon the hastily built shield wall by our best warriors.. 50 of the strongest ruthless Dane warriors we selected to make our personal guard couldn't hold for longer than the time needed for the team of two dozen Saxon peasants who were different than the other peasants..

They were well equipped with big tower shields behind said shields spears flew out from angles our men were too slow to react and block.. then the first two lines collapsed instantly.. thats when he did it.. he charged and leapt over the last line of our mean and spun around once swinging a great sword with both hands leave a slice of silver cutting through the air towards Guthrum and I raised my hands but I knew it wouldn't protect me this was it.. I held tight on my axe while I still could.. Valhalla I'm coming..

/pov King Aethelred/

I can't breathe.. god it burns.. this stench of death and shit.. fuck bleeding like a damn stuck pig.. god please smite the damn heathen.. send them away from our shores never to return please lord god.. "Hold! Hold the line you gods damn imbeciles! if we fall here our families will be slaughtered and taken as slaves damn you all! Are you cowards!? Fight damn you!" I berated the peasants who were dying like flies.

"Your Grace! Look! God has heard our prayers he's sent reinforcements! It's Aethred and Uhtred by god! Look at them they are almost at Ubba and Guthrum! God is with us your grace! Order a full attack we will rout them! For God! For England!" I could hear Father Beocca yelling in my ear.. I did exactly that.. I ordered the charge I could already see a large black armored man a top a large equally black warhorse yelling and screaming for the Danes to surrender.. he was holding the heads of Ubba and Guthrum In one hand swinging a large sword in the other reaping them like stalks of wheat.. By god he must be sent by Christ.. finally.. we will be of these Danes! Praise god!.

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/pov MC/

while the battlefield was being scavenged clean by the peasant army the Danes collapsed and retreated running for the ships to leave this gods forsaken island to never return Uhtred and I was making our way to where the Prince Alfred was meeting with the Ealdorman of Wessex celebrating their victory I turned to Uhtred to say "Remember what I said little brother.. We give them Ubba and Guthrum's heads but they must pay for them.. it's time for our story to begin little brother.. let's go get our dues.."