Ch 84: Blacksmith’s Shop
In late July, Bjorn sailed north, conveying the situation in York to Vig:
“I witnessed the cavalry training; it does seem quite impressive. From what Father says, he plans to go to West Francia next year. Ha ha, hopefully, I can arrive in time to witness a large-scale cavalry charge.”
After staying a day, the fleet loaded woolen cloth, drinks, and fifty slaves purchased from York before departing the dock.
After seeing Bjorn off, Vig went to the southwest area of Tyne Town. Thanks to the influx of Northern European refugees, the number of blacksmiths increased to twelve, business was booming, each employing two apprentices, for a total of thirty-six workers.
Among them, eight blacksmiths, including Cadfael, were employed by the lord. Cadfael served as the chief blacksmith, responsible for producing and repairing military supplies and sometimes producing civilian ironware. The largest order was for iron plowshares for Saxon wheel plows.
Vig entered the stone-built blacksmith’s shop, the heat of charcoal dust hitting him in the face. The gate was open for ventilation; the forge was in the center, connected to leather bellows, with hammers, pliers, chisels, and other tools scattered around the floor.
“Sir?” Cadfael handed the tools to his apprentice, took a rag to wipe the sweat from his brow, and asked what the lord had to say.
“Two hundred sets of damaged iron armor, how many are usable now?”
Cadfael: “Eighty-five have been repaired. Do you need them urgently?”
Vig nodded. “Try to finish them by September. Also, make fifty crossbows; the inventory is a bit low.”
Twenty miles northwest of Tyne Castle, there are large hills, the terrain rolling and extending to Edinburgh in the north.
Recently, villagers on the edge of the hills came to complain that bandit activity was increasing, with sheep stolen and crops harvested from the fields on numerous occasions. Vig planned a purge to prevent the bandits from growing stronger and eventually threatening the surrounding area of Tyne Town.
Letting Cadfael get back to work, Vig chose a relatively open space to sit and observe the blacksmiths.
Before starting work, apprentices needed to pump the bellows to heat the pig iron to white heat. Blacksmiths used tongs to remove the iron, using hammers to forge out impurities.
When forging iron plowshares, it required repeated folding and forging to improve toughness. If forging iron swords, blacksmiths used the “sandwich steel” technique: two pieces of tough iron wrapped around a core of high-carbon steel to prevent the sword from breaking. The process is complex, leading to high prices for iron swords.
Currently, most of the production capacity is used to repair damaged iron scale armor. This type of armor consists of small iron plates layered and secured to a backing for protection.
There are two reasons for the damage:
Iron axes striking the armor causing cracks or bends in the plates.
Long-term use causing some plates to fall off.
When repairing, if the lining is in good condition, the blacksmith only needs to replace the damaged plates, using hemp thread to sew the plates through the holes.
If the lining is severely damaged, all the plates must be removed and a new piece of leather sewn on.
Compared to chainmail, iron scale armor is easier to make and repair, suitable for mass equipment. In addition to these second-hand items, there are seventy sets in stock in the warehouse. Including the eighty sets of the shield-bearers’ equipment, Vig had a total of 350 sets of armor.
“Attacking Edinburgh is a bit of a stretch, but dealing with these bandits is more than enough.”
After some time, Vig could not bear the high temperature in the blacksmith’s shop and wiped his sweat before leaving the gate.
At that moment, a wagon arrived to transport iron ore. These raw materials came from the Picts in the north, specifically from a mining area located northwest of Edinburgh in Stirling. The locals mined reddish-brown iron ore in open pits, simply processing it into pig iron ingots, which were then sold to Britain and Northern Europe via merchant ships.
In Vig’s impression, during the Victorian era, Scotland was known for its mining industry, producing a large amount of coal and iron. One day, occupying the north would be suitable for building an industrial base.
In September, bandit activity was rampant, and the villages on the edge of the hills were plagued, with villagers going to the official residence to complain almost every day.
After Cadfael delivered the equipment, Vig conscripted four hundred men for a week of short-term training, heading to the northwest hills for bandit suppression amid the hopeful gazes of the subjects.
“Sir, you’re finally here.”
Fat Squire Harry rushed to the grey horse, lamenting the loss of ten sheep from his manor. In addition, bandits would secretly harvest crops under the cover of night, and with no one to stop them, it eventually escalated into open extortion.
Based on the cultivated land area, bandits demanded a certain proportion of wealth from gentlemen, small landowners, and ordinary peasants, threatening to attack villages that refused to cooperate.
As a gentleman, Harry was assigned the largest amount—three hundred bushels of wheat—exceeding his capacity. If Vig delayed any longer, he would have to form his own militia and fight the bandits.
Hearing this, Vig’s anger surged. “They’re collecting protection money on my territory? Do they think I don’t exist?”
After resting overnight, he selected three agile hunters as guides, and more than four hundred people resolutely crawled into the complex terrain of the forest.
The September mountain wind carried a hint of coolness, caressing everyone’s faces. Sparse red wild berries hung on the bushes on both sides of the mountain road. Looking closely, a few grouse were vaguely visible in the distance.
After walking for more than two hours, the mountain road gradually disappeared, with the advance troops wielding iron axes to clear a path, significantly slowing down the speed of advance.
“How much farther?”
The hunter hesitated before replying, “We still need to cross three mountain peaks. Your soldiers are equipped with iron armor, making their speed too slow. We expect to arrive by noon tomorrow.”
Looking towards the large birch forest on the opposite mountain ridge, Vig casually asked, “Do you know the specific situation of the bandits?”
Recalling the past, the hunter shivered. “About two or three hundred. Some members use indigo dye to paint patterns on their skin, which looks quite intimidating.”
Upon hearing the words “indigo dye,” Vig realized that these bandits were Picts. Their name “Picts” comes from the Latin word Picti, meaning “painted people.”
Small groups of Pictish bandits infiltrated Northumbria to pillage. Was this a coincidence, or a secret probe by the northern nobles?
After spending the night in an open area halfway up the mountain, the troops continued their advance. After crossing the last mountain peak, Vig heard a faint sound of a bowstring vibrating.
*Whoosh whoosh~*
Instantly, hundreds of arrows shot out from the bushes on both sides. Countless figures with indigo patterns flickered behind the trees, attempting to frighten the enemy with shrill shouting.
However, the following scene was beyond the anticipation of all the bandits.
Arrows whistled into the ranks, but did not inflict much damage. Some people had five or six arrows in them and still stood there blankly.
Angry at his subordinates’ dullness, Vig roared at the top of his lungs, “What are you standing around for? Shoot back!”
Under his command, two hundred crossbowmen drew their bolts, loaded their crossbows and retaliated under the arrow shower.
After several rounds of exchanges, the Pictish bandits suffered heavy casualties. The Vikings only lost five men. Apart from two unlucky fellows who were shot in the face, the remaining three lay on the ground wailing loudly—not sounding like they had suffered fatal injuries.