Saxon Dawn (Wolf Brethren) Read Online Free PDF Page B

enough for when we woke the next daythe snow had ceased and was already melting. When we emerged from the hut we saw that the men were already filling the gateway where the wolves had entered with trees and earth. My father shook his head.  “A day too late. And now son, we will skin these beasts you slew. A wolf skin makes a fine cloak and will keep out the rain and the cold.”
    The Roman daggers we had were of a far better quality than any other blade and their sharp blades made short work of the skin of the wolf.  Once we had them skinned and pegged out we butchered the wolf.  The meat was not the best but it would augment the mutton and venison we used.  Wolf and the pigs would eat well. By the time we had finished the men were moving on to the second entrance.  “Come boys, we will go and help them.” He grinned, “And we will show them how to do it properly eh?”
    The three of us were proud of my father.  I supposed all boys felt that way about the man who had sired them but to Aelle, my father was a step fa ther and he still felt the same as we did. He now spoke our language well but we had learned enough of his to help us should we ever meet the enemies of my people.
    After the work was finished I hunted down my arrows from the previous night.  They were too precious to lose.  Only three were damaged beyond repair but I managed to salvage the heads.  The shafts were the easy part to make. We spent the rest of the winter making smaller shields for my brothers and fashioning the wolf skins into cloaks for me and my father. My mother had skilful hands and she managed to retain the head so that it fitted above mine. My father smiled when he saw it.  “My grandfather told me of the Romans who used wolf skins and wore them much as you do.  They had a helmet underneath.”
    “I wish I had a helmet.”
    “If we can get some more iron we could fabricate some but it would require more metal than we have here.  Perhaps in the spring eh son?”
    When spring came it as though I had suddenly spurted for I was not only as tall as my father but a little taller.  When I stood at my measuring post next to the hut I saw that I was higher than the door. I seemed to tower over my siblings and, best of all, I had begun a beard. I could see that my parents were both proud of the man I had become.  For my mother’s part she looked forwards to me taking a woman and siring her grandchildren. For my father it meant that we now had two men to protect the family. I had no intention of taking a woman.  The prettiest had been taken by Aed and she had died with him in the winter. I was more concerned with improving my skills as a warrior.
    “I will go and hunt a deer to celebrate my beard!”
    My father nodded, “Yes, for Raibeart and Aelle are now the sheep herders.” I looked sadly at Wolf. “Yes son, it means Wolf passes to Aelle now.”Growing up was not all good.
    I took my bow and arrows and my leather satchel.  I had worked the leather from the cow which had been slaughtered in the autumn and made, not only a satchel but a belt and baldric for my sword.  I had done it in secret.  I had wanted to make a scabbard too but, for that, I needed the sword and I dared not risk the sword in the hut. I had also made, from the deer skin some new boots but they were, as yet unfinished for I had a plan.  I would combine them with the caligae and make a much sturdier piece of footwear.  I hoped that I could hide them from my father but, now that I was a man, perhaps I could face him with the truth.
    My cache was still where I had left it.  I had used a sheep skin to keep them dry and I examined them for rust.  There was none . I slid the sword into the loop on my belt and it hung well supported by the baldric across my shoulder.  I was pleased that it felt balanced. I practised taking it out and using it.  I reluctantly returned it to the sheepskin and fixed the caligae to the deerskin.  As I tried a few tentative