The two armies ceased contact, and the Vikings returned to Lutterworth Castle and took up their defences. The Wessex army, for its part, retreated fifteen miles south and set up camp on a large estate.
Although they failed to defeat the Vikings in one blow, the sight of the Frankish knights breaking through two lines was a great morale booster for the army.
With only four hundred cavalry, they defeated thousands of Vikings in succession, were besieged by superior numbers, and broke through the siege after a bloody battle. To celebrate this rare victory, Aethelwulf ordered a feast for the foreign knights.
During the feast, looking down at the young knights below, the old king was deeply distressed:
The Vikings' long ships were not designed to carry horses, meaning that they could only rely on light infantry to plunder and were unable to withstand a massive charge of cavalry. Unfortunately, the English had not had stirrups for a long time, so they could only use infantry in formation to fight the enemy.
Times had changed. With the advent of stirrups and high-quality warhorses in Britain, the infantry advantage that the pirates were so proud of had been greatly reduced, and the decades-long plundering had finally had a chance to end.
At this point, the leader of the Oxford group asked about the plan for the next battle. The old king said slowly:
"Cavalry. Now I understand that the key to war is in the cavalry. After yesterday's battle, we have over 200 horsemen left and only 80 warhorses ready for battle. I have decided to rest here and wait for reinforcements from the rear before fighting Ragnar."
"Your Majesty is wise."
Everyone cheered loudly and continued to enjoy the food on the long table. Despite being on the front lines, the court steward still tried to requisition livestock from nearby villagers to ensure an adequate supply of beef and mutton. The atmosphere at the banquet was lively, but only one person was dissatisfied.
After much hesitation, this man approached Aethelwulf and asked, "Your Majesty, what about my previous offer?"
After repeating it twice in succession, the old king came to his senses and replied in a somewhat stiff tone: "Lord Theowulf, I have considered your request. There is no need to remind me continually."
After leaving Nottingham, Theowulf led more than a thousand refugees south in search of food, but was barely able to establish himself there. He learned that Aethelwulf was planning to attack the Vikings, so he came here in search of work.
In his opinion, the Mercian royal family was destroyed, and the two remaining branches were dissolute and ill-famed, and unworthy of inheriting the Mercian crown. As it happened, his wife was related to the royal family, so it would be better if she became queen and he became king, and they ruled Mercia together.
Ten days ago Theowulf had told Wessex of this plan, and the answer he had received had been ambiguous.
Five days ago Theowulf had asked again, and the old king had said he was considering it, and had asked him to wait patiently.
He had grown increasingly restless as he put it off until today. After another refusal, he had reluctantly gone outside the gates for a walk, wondering whether he should give more gifts to his close ministers.
As Theowulf passed the barn, he heard his name being called, and he tiptoed over to eavesdrop.
Several drunken palace guards were inside. They had stolen a small keg of beer from the kitchen and had hidden there to chat and laze around.
"Hiccup, Theowulf is a complete idiot, he really wanted to become the king of Mercia. Your Majesty spent a lot of money on the Northern Expedition, is it just for the sake of justice?"
"That's right, when the Vikings are driven out, Your Majesty will personally become the king of Mercia, and the estates in various places will be granted to us. After all the hard work, everyone should be rewarded."
...
The more time passed, the angrier Theowulf became. Judging by the chatter of the drunken guards, Aethelwulf was trying to win over the church and the nobles who held real power in various places, convincing them to support him in the Council of Wise Men.
As for the bargaining chip, it was, of course, those same ownerless lands.
Many nobles and gentry died at the Battle of Tamworth. Aethelwulf planned to donate these lands to the church or give them away as rewards to influential nobles.
Chester, Worcester, Cambridge...
As the drunkard muttered, Theowulf even heard the word "Nottingham".
What's going on? I'm still alive, but you're going to give up my territory?
The anger in his heart vanished with a gust of wind, replaced by an endless fear.
Yes, he had lost his territory, and only a hundred loyal soldiers and a thousand pitiful refugees remained. If he hadn't shown his desire to become king, Aethelwulf might have rewarded him with a fiefdom, provided he supported him in the Council of Wise Men.
However, since Theowulf openly declared his desire to become king, his personality had changed: from a potential target, he became a competitor, and he became a thorn in the side of those he suppressed and rejected.
No, it was more than that.
Remembering the way Aethelwulf had looked at him, much as the villagers looked at a bird about to be slaughtered, Theowulf shuddered.
"No, how could he do this to me?"
Theo Wulf shuddered and left the barn, returning to his room. After struggling all night, he had made up his mind…
The next morning he found the palace steward and gave him his wife's last dowry, a gold necklace.
The steward deftly pocketed the necklace and led Theo Wulf into a corner: "My lord, what do you want?"
"Er, about my wife's claim to the throne?"
Before the other man had finished speaking, the steward smiled and consoled him: "His Majesty is considering this matter and ensuring a more secure and stable future for your country. Among the many candidates, he likes you the most." "
Really? Thank you very much."
Theo Wulf turned and walked away. He noticed that the steward's words were full of carelessness and evasiveness. At that moment, the last spark of fantasy in his heart disappeared.
That night, Theo Wulf changed into civilian clothes and escaped from the corner of the manor. He did not plan to reunite with his people; these people were useless. Having escaped from the estate, he headed north at night and arrived at the outer camp of Lutterworth by evening of the next day.
Under the bows and arrows of the Viking sentries, he raised his hands and repeated: "Wig."
The guards did not understand Anglo-Saxon and took the suspicious youth to the castle. If this boy was causing trouble, he had ten ways to kill him.
…
The nobles were dining in the hall. Hearing that an Anglo-Saxon was looking for him, Vig left his place and saw an old acquaintance standing at the door.
"Lord Theowulf? What do you want?" -
"Surrender." -
"Why now?" Vig's vigilance was heightened to the utmost.
The enemy had remained in Nottingham for three months at first, but still did not want to be loyal to Ragnar and instead led his men south. He found it hard to imagine that such a man would surrender to the Viking army of his own accord.
"I intended to become the king of Mercia, but I was suspected by Aethelwulf, who also wanted to wear the crown. Alas, I was afraid that I would be killed, so I ran here for help..."
Considering that Theowulf's words were at least 30% trustworthy, Vig ordered the guards to search him, and then took him to Ragnar.