Shaking rain from their cloaks, the two came to stand at the board, dripping water over us. 'Greetings, Myrddin… Pelleas,' said Bedwyr. 'What news do you bring us?'

'Is Ban with us?' asked Cai. Apparently, the king of Benowyc's disposition was much on everyone's mind.

'Men and supplies!' Arthur fairly shouted. 'Bors is bringing his warband.'

'Horses, too?' asked Bedwyr.

'A hundred warriors, and horses for all. Supplies enough for them and us, too. That is the bargain.'

Bedwyr and Cai grinned at one another, and at Arthur. Bedwyr clapped Merlin on the back, saying, 'Truly, you are a wonder worker, Myrddin!'

'Cups!' called Cai. 'Bring us something to drink! We must celebrate our good fortune.'

They are not coming until the spring,' Merlin told him.

'We will celebrate then, too,' laughed Bedwyr. 'You would not deny us the first good news we have heard since you left.'

'Why? What has happened while we were away?'

Bedwyr glanced at Arthur, who said, 'We have heard that Morcant has made an alliance with Coledac and Idris against me.'

'Owen Vinddu has pledged men and horses to them,' muttered Cai. 'This, when he told us he could not spare an oat or he would starve this winter. Curse the lot of them!'

'By summer they hope to field a war host a thousand strong against us,' added Bedwyr. 'More if they can get other lords to throw in with them.'

The hurt in their voices was real enough, the sense of betrayal strong. Merlin nodded in sympathy. 'Well,' he offered, 'it may not come to that. One of them, at least, will be in no position to make war against you in the spring.'

'Why? What do you know?' asked Arthur.

'Coledac is dead,' Merlin said, 'and most of his warband with him.'

'Ha!' barked Cai mirthlessly. 'Treachery repaid.'

'What happened?' asked Bedwyr.

'Sea Wolves have taken the Saecsen Shore.' Merlin let the significance of this news grow in them.

Arthur was first to speak. 'How bad was it?'

'The strongholds seized and the settlements burned – the small holdings as well. Coledac was killed in the first onslaught and the warband routed. No one escaped. After that there was no defence.'

Arthur, eyes narrowed, weighing the danger in his mind, gripped the brass cup between his hands, bending the metal. 'How far inland have they come?'

'It is not certain,' Merlin replied. 'From what we were told, the maui attack appears to have taken place further south.'

Thus was it a sombre group that assembled to celebrate our return. The next days, the dire news was repeated once and again, as straggling groups of homeless came to the caer seeking shelter on their way to the west.

Gradually, from many confused and conflicting stories, the truth emerged: Saecsens under a war leader named Aelle had overrun several of the old fortresses on the south-east coast between the Wash and the Thamesis. The main attack, however, was concentrated a little further south between the Thamesis and the Afon, the old lands of the Cantii. This assault was led by a king named Colgrim, with the aid of another – Octa, the son of Hengist now grown, and returned to avenge his father's death.

This south-eastern region is the Saecsen Shore, so called by the Romans for the linked system of beacons and outposts erected along the coast to protect against raiding Sea Wolves.

It was along this same stretch of southern coast that Vortigern settled Hengist and Horsa and their tribes, in the vain hope of ending the incessant raiding that was slowly bleeding Britain dry. And it was from this coast that the barbarians spilled out to flood the surrounding land, until Aurelius contained, defeated and banished them.

Now they were back, taking once more the land Hengist had overrun. The Saecsen Shore – its name would remain, but henceforth for a different reason. These invaders meant to stay.

We worried at this through the long winter. The thought of Saecsens seizing British lands burned in Arthur like a banked fire, but there was nothing to be done save endure the ignominy of it. Indeed, we had no other choice. We had to await Bors' arrival in the spring with the needed men. And then, Morcant must be brought to heel before we could even consider facing the Saecsens.

In all, it was a sorry winter for us. Despite Ban's generous gift of provisions, food began running low just before midwinter. We had grain enough, thanks to Ban, but no meat. The eve of the Christ Mass found us riding the hunting runs, clutching our spears in stiff, frozen hands, hoping to sight a deer, or pig, or hare – anything that would put meat on the board.

Merlin sang often in the hall, doing what he could to keep our spirits up. But spring found our courage at lowest ebb nonetheless, anxiously awaiting the arrival of Bors with Ban's men. With each day that passed, Arthur's resentment of the small kings hardened and his anger against them grew.

Spring saw no improvement. The weather stayed cold, the sky grey. Day upon day, icy rain whipped the southern hills. The wild wind howled through long chill nights; and it seemed the earth would never warm beneath the sun, nor know any milder clime again.

Then, one day, the weather broke. The clouds parted and the sun shone brightly in the high, blue sky. Light returned to the land. And with it came the news that we had feared all winter.

The messenger's feet had hardly touched the ground when the cry went up: Morcant rides against us!

'Where?' asked Arthur.

The messenger wiped sweat from his forehead. 'They are coming along the coast. They will have crossed the Ebbw by now.'

Arthur nodded sharply. The Ebbw river formed the eastern border of Arthur's realm. By riding along the Mor Hafren coast a force could move much faster than one having to thread the winding glens. It was speed Morcant wanted.

'How many?'

'Three hundred.'

'What!' Cai demanded. He had hastened to Arthur's side at the arrival of the rider. 'How did the old lion raise so many?'

'There is time yet before we meet them.' With the coming of spring, Arthur had ordered the ring of smaller hill forts to be manned with watchers – especially those along the coast, where he hoped for word of Ban's ships arriving any day. It was the watchman at Penygaer who saw Morcant's forces crossing the Ebbw estuary along the coast.

'Artos,' said Cai calmly, 'how do you propose to meet them? It is seventy against three hundred.'

'I admit the fight is not even,' Arthur's grin was lopsided and reckless, 'but Morcant will just have to survive as best he can.' He turned to me. 'Pelleas, fetch Bedwyr and Myrddin. We will gather in my chambers.'

'At once, lord.'

He and Cai strode off across the yard as the hunting horn sounded the alarm. I found Merlin and Bedwyr together at one of the granaries, examining our dwindling supply of barley.

'Hail, Pelleas,' called Bedwyr as I dashed towards them. He saw my face and his smile of welcome faded. 'What is it? What is wrong?'

'Morcant is riding against us. He is on his way here now with three hundred.'

'We cannot meet them,' observed Bedwyr. 'There are just too many. Even with Meurig's warband, they would still outman us three to one.'

'Where are they?' Merlin asked. His tone showed no surprise or concern.

'They have crossed the Ebbw river at the coast to take us from the south.'

'Yes,' mused Merlin, 'that is what I would do.'

'There is no time to ride to Caer Myrddin anyway.'

'We are to meet Arthur in his chambers at once,' I told them.

Arthur and Cai sat over the long board in Arthur's chambers, at one end of the hall. 'It is not possible,' Cai was saying as we entered, 'and even if it were, the risk is terrible.'

Arthur smiled and reached across the board to ruffle Cai's red curls. Trust Cai to count the risk.'