Lies, Damned Lies, and History(17)

‘They seem very calm,’ said Peterson, talking about the people, I assumed. ‘There’s no panic anywhere.’

No, there wasn’t. People deposited their belongings and set about making themselves comfortable. Either the threat was small or they’d done this so many times that the fear had worn off.

‘Or,’ said Peterson, ‘they have confidence in their defences.’

‘Or rescuers,’ said Markham.

‘From whom? From what are they being rescued?’

They all looked at me.

‘No idea,’ I said. ‘I know that after the Romans left, the country was vulnerable and defenceless. The Saxons are moving in, but that doesn’t necessarily mean this is all about them. This might simply be some local dispute over a border or some stolen cattle.’

He nodded. ‘True.’

I looked at the scene around us. People were greeting each other, unloading their small piles of belongings and setting up camp.

Such men as I could see wore coarse, woollen undershirts with long sleeves and woollen trousers. Most wore some kind of belted tunic over the top. No pockets, obviously, but their belts hung with pouches for those valuable and important items. Most wore swords. They all had a dagger at their belt. Most people wore shoes, too, seemingly made of one piece of leather with what looked like an extra piece added for the sole.

Women wore linen under-dresses, again with long sleeves and drawn tight around the neck. Their sleeves were tied with string or braid. A second outer dress was fastened at the shoulder with a clasp or brooch, Celtic knots seemed a popular design. They also wore belts and pouches. There seemed little difference between men’s and women’s shoes, but I did notice that some women wore woollen socks. As did I, so obviously women and their icy cold feet are not a modern phenomenon.

What struck me most were the colours. I knew they used vegetable and berry dyes, and everywhere I could see various shades of red, brown, and ochre, although there was very little blue or green. To my modern eye, all the materials were coarsely woven and looked very heavy. Practicality seemed preferable to fashion, with women’s skirts finishing at the ankle to keep them out of the mud. Interestingly, not all women’s heads were covered. I made a note to try to discover whether this signified their single state, or their religious beliefs. Head covering became more popular as Christianity gained ground and I wasn’t sure how much ground it had gained in this area by the 6th century.

On our right, about fifteen to twenty feet away, a family with several children was unloading their belongings. Three loudly complaining chickens in wicker cages were carefully placed against the wall out of harm’s way. They laid out their blankets, as we had done, unpacked a few pots and a precious metal skillet, and set about making a fire.

It was done in seconds. ‘Wow,’ said Peterson in admiration. ‘Even Markham can’t ignite something that quickly.’

‘Bet I could,’ said Markham. ‘Shall I give it a go?’

‘No.’

My heartbeat had returned to normal and it was time to earn our pay. I heaved myself to my feet. ‘We should take a look around. We’ll split into two groups and see what we can see. Markham, Roberts, and Sands, you head off that way. Peterson and I will try to get into the other enclosure. Where the soldiers are. We’re bound to learn more in there.’

‘Excellent plan,’ said Sands, and it would have been if they had let us in. We were turned away, politely at first and then they shoved Peterson backwards and the message was clear. Soldiers only. Stay out. So we did.

We turned away and watched the gate guards urge the last stragglers through. They didn’t close them, merely stationing themselves across the entrance, but there was no doubt they could be closed at a moment’s notice.

Not that they would need it. Like all hill forts, it was a good position defensively. They could see any one and anything long before they were within striking distance. And, in my opinion, anyone making it to the top would need a good half hour’s quiet sit-down – and possibly even oxygen – before even contemplating anything requiring any effort at all.

We wandered around, weaving in between the little camps that were appearing everywhere as women got busy. Children ran around getting in people’s way. Many of the old men had gone to the front wall and were peering over the top, pointing and nodding. I wondered if they were reliving old battles.

I estimated there was just over one hundred people here, mostly women, children, old people, and their livestock. I had no idea of the number of fighting men and it clearly wasn’t a good idea to try poking around. The last thing we needed was to be apprehended as spies.