The Mercian abbot and his retainers were ambushed and killed while travelling in the Welsh mountain kingdom of Brycheiniog. In June 916, on the feast of St Cyriac, Æthelflæd’s good friend, Abbot Egbert, was murdered for no known reason. While often magnanimous in victory, Æthelflæd could be ruthless when it was her friends who were attacked even she was not immune from the desire for revenge. She personally led campaigns against the Welsh, the Norse and the Danes – though whether she actually wielded a sword in battle is unknown. The combination of her indefatigable forces and compassion in victory saw the Danes soon suing for peace in the summer of 918, the noblemen and magnates of York sent emissaries to Æthelflæd, promising that they would surrender to her. In 918, Æthelflæd captured Leicester, ravaging the countryside around the town until the Danes surrendered. Four of her favoured ministers were slain inside the gates.’ Anglo-Saxon Chronicles edited by Michael Swanton ‘With God’s help Ethelfleda, lady of Mercia, captured the fortress known as Derby with all its assets. Losing four of her greatest captains in the battle to capture Derby in 917, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle reported: It is universally acknowledged that Æthelflæd helped to push back the Viking incursions. Alongside her brother, King Edward of Wessex. Although she exercised regal rights in Mercia even before her husband’s death, after Æthelred died in 911, it was left to Æthelflæd to lead the Mercians in the fight against the Danes. Æthelflæd was a strong, brave woman and is often regarded more as a partner to Æthelred than a meek, obedient wife. The daughter of King Alfred the Great, Æthelflæd was married to Æthelred, ealdorman of Mercia.

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