The Summer of the Danes
Edith Pargeter
 Brother Cadfael is a monk of Shrewsbury Abbey, where he tends the herb gardens and compounds medicines after enjoying many adventures in his early life. In the spring of 1144, he is pleasantly surprised to be asked to go on a journey into his native North Wales as interpreter to Brother Mark, his former assistant, who is now a deacon to Roger de Clinton, the Bishop of Coventry. Mark is taking gifts and greetings from Bishop de Clinton to Gilbert, the newly-enthroned Bishop of St Asaph, and to Meurig, the Welsh Bishop of Bangor. The situation in North Wales is complicated for several reasons. Bishop Gilbert is a doctrinaire Norman, rather than a Welshman, and he is mistrusted by many Welshmen, not least Owain Gwynedd, the ruler of Gwynedd. Within Gwynedd, Owain has recently dispossessed and exiled his brother Cadwaladr ap Gruffydd for his part in the murder of Anarawd ap Gruffydd, the ruler of Deheubarth in west Wales. At St. Asaph, Cadfael and Mark find Owain Gwynedd's household encamped near the Bishop's dwellings, where they are attended by Canon Meirion and his daughter Heledd. As a married (albeit widowed) priest, Meirion is in disfavour following the reassertion of clerical celibacy, and is under pressure to put away his daughter before he can expect promotion under Gilbert. Rather than be sent to a nunnery in England, Heledd has accepted Owain Gwynedd's suggestion of an arranged marriage to Ieuan ab Ifor, one of his tenants on Anglesey, but she resents her father for putting his career ahead of his daughter. At the feast, while Roger de Clinton's letter to Gilbert is read out, Cadfael talks to Cuhelyn, who lost his left hand defending Anarawd from Cadwaladr's assassins. A man named Bledri ap Rhys is admitted to the hall and makes a plea to Owain for Cadwaladr's lands to be restored, clearly with Bishop Gilbert's encouragement. Bledri's manner is haughty and Owain temporises, saying that Bledri's petition will be considered later at Owain's own court at Aber, near Bangor. After most people have gone to bed, Bledri flirts briefly with Heledd, and mocks Canon Meirion when he intervenes. The next day, Cadfael and Mark accompany Owain's retinue as they journey westwards. Heledd and Meirion go with them. Cadfael reveals to Mark the details of his childhood in Trefriw, among a villein community such as those they are passing, and the restlessness and curiosity which caused him to leave the community and wander the world for several years before he settled at Shrewsbury Abbey. When they arrive at Aber, Bledri is greeted warily by Gwion, the only Welsh noble who has not repudiated his former allegiance to the exiled Cadwaladr, and who remains confined to the court. After the evening meal, Cadfael and Mark go to the chapel to observe Compline. Cadfael sees first Bledri then Gwion leave the chapel as he and Mark enter. At midnight, a messenger arrives from Caernarfon and arouses the court with the news that a Danish fleet from the Kingdom of Dublin has been sighted west of Abermenai and that Cadwaladr is with them, having enlisted their aid in restoring him to his lands. As Owain Gwynedd dispatches couriers to muster levies, Bledri and a good horse and its saddle are found to be missing. Although it is assumed that Bledri has fled to join the Danes, Cadfael wonders how he could have left the enclosed court undetected and asks Gwion to show him Bledri's quarters. They find that Bledri has been murdered, apparently woken from his sleep by the murderer. A kitchen servant claims that he saw Cuhelyn openly leave Bledri's quarters late at night. Cuhelyn admits that he recognised Bledri as one of Prince Anarawd's murderers and intended to challenge him to mortal combat, but he found Bledri asleep and put off the matter to morning. The horse is not found and further enquiry reveals that Heledd is absent. Meirion is concerned for his daughter who is astray in a countryside threatened by Viking raiders. Mark and Cadfael continue their journey to Bangor to deliver Roger de Clinton's gift to Bishop Meurig. Although Meurig greets them warmly, he too is distracted by the news of the raiders. Mark suggests that he and Cadfael spend a couple of days searching for Heledd. They find that she had gone to the dwelling of Nonna, a solitary holy woman, but found it empty as Nonna had gone to Bangor for safety. They also see a Danish vessel in the Menai Straits and realise that some raiders must be nearby. They split up. Cadfael hears Heledd's horse neigh and finds her hiding place, but so too do the raiders, who seize them. The raiders' leader introduces himself as Turcaill. They take Cadfael, Heledd and some plundered food aboard the ship and row to Abermenai, where the main force of Danes are encamped. Mark sees this from a safe place, and reports it to Owain. Heledd tells Cadfael that she left Owain's court at Aber merely to refill a jug from a well, but found a horse saddled and tethered outside the enclosure and seized the chance to flee an unwelcome marriage. Overnight, Owain Gwynedd brings an army to within a mile of the Danes' encampment. Brother Mark is sent as envoy to Otir, the Danes' leader, and Cadwaladr, to say that Owain is prepared to meet with Cadwaladr and discuss their differences. Otir demands a hostage for Cadwaladr's safe return, and Mark offers himself. Cadwaladr goes to Owain, who coldly tells him that he may be restored to his lands only when the Danes have departed. Cadwaladr rides back to within hail of the Danish camp and imperiously tells the Danes to begone, as he and Owain have settled their differences. Furious at the falsehood, Owain himself rides into the Danish camp for a parley. He tells Otir that Cadwaladr's word is worthless, and that he himself will not pay Cadwaladr's promised fee for Otir's aid. He does offer to ransom Mark, Cadfael and Heledd, but Otir insists that Cadwaladr must pay the price for their release also. That night, Turcaill rows his ship close to Owain's camp. He and some of his men sneak inside and carry off Cadwaladr, without being detected. Some time later, Cuhelyn finds Gwion gagged and bound in Cadwaladr's tent and Cadwaladr missing. When Gwion is brought before Owain, he says that he took the body of Bledri ap Rhys to Ceredigion to be buried, but then broke his parole by gathering about a hundred of Cadwaladr's former adherents, assuming that Owain and Cadwaladr had settled their differences in the face of the Danes. Owain contemptuously dismisses him as another whose word is of no value. Wandering the camp, Gwion meets Ieuan ap Ifor, who is wondering how to recover Heledd, his betrothed, and they begin plotting a raid against the Danes. In the Danish camp, Cadwaladr agrees to pay two thousand marks for his release. Brother Mark carries the message, with Cadwaladr's seal as proof, to Owain. Owain in turn despatches Gwion, together with his own son Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd, to collect the ransom in silver and cattle from Rhodri Fychan, Cadwaladr's former bailiff, at Llanbadarn. Three days elapse while Cadwaladr's ransom is collected and the silver is delivered. Gwion tries to gather his men to thwart the payment of the rest of the ransom, but the able Hywel forestalls him by driving three hundred of Cadwaladr's cattle to Abermenai before Gwion is ready. At night, Ieuan ab Ifor's men launch an attack on a weak corner of the Danish camp. In the confusion, he seizes Heledd and drags her away as the Welsh retreat. Cadfael treats the half dozen Welsh and Danish wounded. The Danes bring their ships close inshore and line the beach, intending to sail off as soon as the full ransom for Cadwaladr is paid. As the cattle are being driven aboard, Gwion leads Cadwaladr's supporters in a last-minute attack. Owain Gwynedd personally intervenes to stop the fighting. In the last few moments before the Danes and Welsh draw apart, Otir mortally wounds Gwion. Gwion confesses to Cadfael and Owain that he murdered Bledri ap Rhys. Having charged Bledri with delivering messages to Cadwaladr and tethered the horse outside the palace at Aber for Bledri to ride to Abermenai, Gwion went to Bledri's quarters to find him in bed, clearly waiting on events before deciding whether to support or betray Cadwaladr. He struck him down and stabbed him as he lay stunned. Otir has already declared that Brother Cadfael is freed without ransom for his aid to the wounded. Heledd goes to the beach to watch the Danes leave. Turcaill's boat emerges from behind a headland, and Heledd willingly goes aboard with Turcaill. Cadfael considers that the outcome is as satisfactory as it could be. The Danes return to Dublin with their payment gained with little effort, Owain has prevented them raiding the coasts at no cost to himself, Cadwaladr is humbled and may be restored to some of his lands, Canon Meirion is free of his daughter and even Ieuan ab Ifor is spared a marriage to a resentful wife. Those who have committed murder have themselves met violent ends. In spite of the bewildering series of events, Mark and Cadfael are able to return a few days beyond the ten they promised Abbot Radulfus. Cadfael confesses to his friend Hugh Beringar, Sheriff of Shropshire, that he is always eager to wander for a while, but that he is content to be returning home, to Shrewsbury Abbey.