Wulfric the Weapon Thane

by Charles W. Whistler

  CHAPTER VII. HOW WULFRIC CAME TO JUTLAND.

  It was Beorn who woke me. Out of his swoon, or whatever it was thathad taken his senses, he woke with a start and shudder that broughtme from sleep at once, thinking that the boat had touched ground.But there was no land in sight now, and all around me was the widecircle of the sea, and over against me Beorn, my evil companion,glowering at me with a great fear written on his face.

  Now as I woke and saw him, my hand went at once to the dagger at myside, as my first waking thoughts felt troubled by reason of all hehad done, though it was but for a moment. Thereat he cried out,praying me to have mercy on him, and tried to rise, going near tocapsize the boat. Indeed, I cannot believe that the man had everbeen in a boat before.

  "Lie down," I said, speaking sharply, as to a dog, "or you willdrown us both before the time!"

  He was still enough then, fearing the water more than steel, as itseemed, or seeing that I meant him no harm.

  Then I spoke plainly to him.

  "I will harm you not. But your life is in my hands in two ways. Ican slay you by water or dagger for one thing; or for another, Ithink I can take this boat to shore at some place where you are notknown, and so let you live a little longer. And in any case I havea mind to try to save my own life; thus if you will obey me so thatI may tend the boat, yours shall be saved with it, so far as I amconcerned. But if you hinder me, die you must in one way oranother!"

  Now he saw well enough that his only hope lay in my power to takethe boat safely across the water, and so promised humbly to obey mein all things if I would but spare him and get the boat to shorequickly. So I unbound him and coiled the rope at my feet again,bidding him lie down amidships and be still.

  Many a time men have asked me why I slew him not, or cast him notoverboard, thus being troubled no more with him. Most surely Iwould have slain him when we fought, in the white heat ofanger--and well would it have been if Ulfkytel had doomed him todeath, as judge. But against this helpless, cringing wretch, whosepunishment was even now falling on him, how could I lift hand? Itseemed to me, moreover, that I was, as it were, watching to seewhen the stroke of doom would fall on him, as the earl said itsurely must on the guilty.

  The wind freshened, and the boat began to sing through the water,for it needed little to drive her well. My spirits rose, so that Ifelt almost glad to be on the sea again, but Beorn waxed sick andlay groaning till he was worn out and fell asleep.

  Now the breeze blew from the southwest, warm and damp, as it hadheld for a long time during this winter, which was open and mild sofar. And this was driving us over the same track which Lodbrok hadtaken as he came from his own place. There was no hope of makingthe English shore again, and so I thought it well to do even as thejarl, and rear up the floorboards in such wise as to use them for asail to hasten us wherever we might go.

  So I roused Beorn, and showed him how to bestow himself out of myway, and made sail, as one might say. At once the boat seemed tocome to life, flying from wave to wave before the wind, and I madehaste to ship the long oar, so that I could steer her with it.

  And when I went aft, there, in the sharp hollow of the stern that Ihad uncovered, lay two great loaves and a little breaker of water.Now I could not tell, and do not know even to this day, what kindlyman hid these things for us, but I blessed him for his charity, fornow our case was better than Lodbrok's in two ways, that we had noraging gale and sea to wrestle against, and the utmost pangs ofhunger and thirst we were not to feel. Three days and two nightshad he been on his voyage. We might be a day longer with thisbreeze, but the bread, at least, we need not touch till tomorrow.But Beorn slept heavily again, and I told him not of this store asyet, for I thought that he would but turn from it just now. Whichwas well, for he could not bear a fast as could I.

  So the long day wore through, and ever the breeze held, and theboat flew before it. Night fell, and the dim moon rose up, andstill we went east and north swiftly. The long white wake stretchedstraight astern of us, and Beorn slept deeply, worn out; and thesea ran evenly and not very high, so that at last I dared to lashthe oar in its place and sleep in snatches, waking now and then tothe lift of a greater wave, or catching the rushing in my ears assome heavier-crested billow rose astern of us. But the boat wasswift as the seas, and there was nothing to fear. Nor was the coldgreat at any time, except towards early morning before the firstlight of dawn. Moreover, the boat sailed in better trim with twomen in her.

  Gray morning came, and the seas were longer and deeper, for we werefar on the wide sea. All day long was it the same, wave after wave,gray sky overhead, and the steady breeze ever bearing us onward.Once it rained, and I caught the water in the bailer and drankheartily, giving his fill to Beorn, and with it I ate some of myloaf, and he took half of his. Then slowly came night, and at lastI waxed lonely, for all this while I had kept a hope that I mightsee the sail of Halfden's ship, but there was no glint of canvasbetween sky and sea, and my hope was gone as the darkness fell.

  So I sang, to cheer myself, raising my voice in the sea song that Ihad made and that Lodbrok had loved. And when that was done I sangthe song of Bosham bell, with the ending that the gleeman onColchester Hill had made.

  Thereat Beorn raised his head and, snarling at me like an angrydog, bade me cease singing of shipwreck. But I heeded him not, andso I sang and he cursed, until at last he wept like an angry child,and I held my peace.

  I did not dare sleep that night, for the wind freshened, and attimes we might see naught but sky above us and the waves ahead andastern of the boat, though to one who knew how to handle his craftthere was no danger in them. But from time to time Beorn cried outas the boat slid swiftly down the slope of a great wave, hovered,and rose on the next, and I feared that he would leap up in histerror and end all.

  "Bide still or I will bind you," I said at last to him, and he hidhis face in his arms, and was quiet again.

  Worn out when day broke was I, and again I ate and gave to Beorn,and he would eat all his loaf, though I bade him spare it, for Iknew not how long yet we might be before we saw land. And thatseemed to change his mood, and he began to scowl at me, though hedared say little, and so sat still in his place, glowering at meevilly.

  Presently came a whale, spouting near us, and that terrified him,so that he cried to me to save him from it, as though I had poweron the seas more than had other men. But it soon went away, and heforgot his terror, beginning to blame me for not having gained theshore yet.

  I could say nothing, for I knew not how far we had run; yet we hadcome a long way, and I thought that surely we must have sailed asswiftly as Lodbrok, for the sea had favoured us rather than giventrouble. Even now I thought the colour of the water changed alittle, and I began to think that we neared some land at last.

  As the sun set, the wind shifted more to the westward, and Ithought a change was coming. It was very dark overhead until thewaning moon rose.

  Now, soon after moonrise Beorn began to groan, in his sleep as Ithought; but presently he rose up, stiffly, from long sitting, andI saw that his eyes were flashing, and his face working strangelyin the pale moonlight. I bade him lie down again, but he did not,and then I saw that he was surely out of his mind through theterror of the sea and the long nothingness of the voyage to whichhe was all unused. Then he made for me with a shout, and I saw thatI must fight for my life. So I closed with him and dragged him downto the bottom of the boat, and there we two struggled, till Ithought that the end was come.

  The boat plunged and listed, and once was nearly over, but at thatnew strength came to me, and at last I forced his shoulders underthe midship thwart, and held him there so that he could by no meansrise. Then all his fury went, and he became weak, so that I reachedout with one hand for the line and bound him easily, hand and foot.I set him back in his place, and the water washed over his face ashe lay, for we had shipped a good deal in the lurches our strugglecaused. Then he was still, and as on the first night, seemed tosleep, breathing very heavily.

 
So I left him bound, and bailed the water out. Then knew I how weakI was. Yet I held on, steering from wave to wave as though I couldnot help it.

  Once, towards morning, there came a booming in my ears, and afaintness, for I was all but done. But the boat dashed into a wave,and the cold spray flew over me and roused me to know the danger,so I took my last crust and ate it, and was refreshed a little.

  But when the morning broke cold and gray over brown waves, there,against one golden line of sunlight, rose the black steady barrierof a low-lying coast, and round the boat the gulls were screamingtheir welcome.

  Then came over me a dull fear that I should be lost in sight ofland, and a great sorrow and longing for the English shore in placeof this, for never had I seen sunrise over land before from theopen sea, and hunger and thirst gnawed at me, and I longed for restfrom this tossing of sea, and wave--and always waves. Then I lookedin Beorn's evil face, and I thought that he was dead, but that tome seemed to matter not.

  Swiftly rose up the coast from out the sea, and I saw that it waslike our East Anglian shore, forest covered and dark, but with pineand birch instead of oak and alder. The boat was heading straightthrough a channel; past sands over which I could see the white lineof the tide on either side, and that chance seemed not strange tome, but as part of all that was to be and must be.

  Then the last rollers were safely past, and the boat's keel gratedon sand--and I forgot my weakness, and sprang out into the shallowwater, dragging her up with the next wave and out of reach of thesurges.

  Then I saw that the tide was falling, and that I had naught more todo, for we were safe. With that I gave way at last, and reeled andfell on the sand, for my strength could bear no more, and I deemedthat I should surely die.

  I think that I fell into a great sleep for a while, for I came tomyself presently, refreshed, and rose up.

  The tide had ebbed a long way, and the sun was high above me, sothat I must have been an hour or two there upon the sand. I wentand looked at Beorn.

  His swoon seemed to have passed into sleep, and I unbound him, andas I did so he murmured as if angry, though he did not wake.

  Then I thought that I would leave him there for some other to find,and try to make my way to house or village where I might get food.I could send men thence to seek him, but I cared not if I never seteyes on him again, hoping, indeed, that I should not do so.

  So I turned and walked inland through the thin forest for a littleway, stumbling often, but growing stronger and less stiff as Iwent, though I must needs draw my belt tight to stay the pangs ofhunger, seeing that one loaf is not overmuch for such a voyage andsuch stern work as mine had been, body and mind alike unresting.

  Nor had I far to go, for not more than a mile from shore I saw agood hut standing in a little clearing; and it was somewhat likeour own cottages, timber-framed, with wattle and clay walls, butwith thatch of heather instead of our tall reeds, and when I camenear, I saw that the timber was carved with twisted patterns rounddoor and window frames.

  No dog came out at me, and no one answered when I called, and so atlast I lifted the latch and went in. There was no one, but thepeople could not be far off, for meat and bread and a great pitcherof ale stood on the round log that served for table, as if the mealwas set against speedy homecoming, and the fire was banked up withpeats, only needing stirring to break into a blaze.

  Rough as it all was, it looked very pleasant to me, and after I hadcalled once or twice I sat down, even as I should have done in ourown land, and ate a hearty meal, and drank of the thin ale, and wassoon myself again. I had three silver pennies, besides the goldbracelet on my arm that I wore as the king's armour bearer andweapon thane, and was sure of welcome, so when I had done I sat bythe fire and waited till someone should come whom I might thank.

  Once I thought of carrying food to Beorn, but a great hatred andloathing of the man and his deed came over me, and I would not seehim again. And, indeed, it was likely that he would come here also,as I had done, when he woke; so that when at last I heard footstepsI feared lest it should be he.

  But this comer whistled cheerfully as he came, and the tune was onethat I had often heard men sing when I was with Halfden. It was theold "Biarkamal", the song of Biark the Viking.

  Now at that I was very glad, for of all things I had most fearedlest I should fall on the Frisian shores, for if so, I shouldsurely be made a slave, and maybe sold by the lord of the coast towhich I came. But Danes have no traffic in slaves, holding freedomfirst of all things. And that is one good thing that the coming ofthe Danish host has taught to us, for many a Saxon's riches camefrom trading in lives of men.

  Then the door was pushed open, for I had left it ajar, and in camea great dog like none we have in England. I thought him a wolf atfirst, so gray and strong was he, big enough and fierce enoughsurely to pull down any forest beast, and I liked not the savagelook of him. But, though he bristled and growled at first sight ofme, when he saw that I sat still as if I had some right to bethere, he came and snuffed round me, and before his master came wewere good friends enough, if still a little doubtful. But I neverknew a dog that would fly at me yet, so that I think they know wellenough who are their friends, though by some sign of face or voicethat is beyond my knowledge.

  Now came the man, who edged through the door with a great bundle oflogs for the fire, which he cast down without looking at me, onlysaying:

  "Ho, Rolf! back again so early? Where is the Jarl?"

  Now I knew that he was a Dane, and so I answered in his own way:

  "Not Rolf, but a stranger who has made free with Rolf's dinner."

  Whereat the man laughed, setting hands on hips and staring at me.

  "So it is!" he said; "settle that matter with brother Rolf when hecomes in, for strangers are scarce here."

  Then he scanned my dress closely, and maybe saw that they were seastained, though hunting gear is made for hard wear and showslittle.

  "Let me eat first," he said, sitting down, "and then we will talk."

  But after he had taken a few mouthfuls, he asked:

  "Are there any more of you about?"

  "One more," I said, "but I left him asleep in the boat that broughtus here. We are from the sea, having been blown here."

  "Then he may bide till he wakes," the man said, going on with hismeal.

  Presently he stopped eating, and after taking a great draught ofale, said that he wondered the dog had not torn me.

  "Whereby I know you to be an honest man. For I cannot read a man'sface as some can, and therefore trust to the dog, who is neverwrong," and he laughed and went on eating.

  Now that set me thinking of what account I might give of myself,and I thought that I would speak the truth plainly, though therewas no reason to say more than that we were blown off the Englishcoast. What Beorn would say I knew not; most likely he would lie,but if so, things must work themselves out.

  I looked at the man in whose house I was, and was pleased with him.Red haired and blue eyed he was, with a square, honest face andbroad shoulders, and his white teeth shone beneath a red beard thatcovered half his face.

  When he had eaten even more than I, he laughed loudly, saying thatbrother Rolf would have to go short this time, and then came andsat by the fire over against me, and waited for me to say my say.

  So I told him how we had come, and at that he stared at me as ourfolk stared at Lodbrok, and started up, crying that he must go andsee this staunch boat that had served me so well.

  "Bide here and rest," he said, "and I will bring your comrade toyou," and with that he swung out of the house, taking the dog withhim. And at once the thought of leaving the hut and plunging intothe forest came into my mind, but I knew not why I should do so,except that I would not see Beorn again. However, there was a thirdman now, and I would see what befell him.

  Now I waited long, and had almost fallen asleep beside the warmfire, when I heard a horn away in the woods, and roused up tolisten. Twice or thrice it sounded, and then I heard it answe
redfrom far off. So I supposed that there was a hunt going on.

  Then I heard no more, and fell asleep in earnest; for I needed restbadly, as one might well suppose.

  Something touched my hand and I awoke. It was the great dog, whocame and thrust his nose against me, having made up his mind to befriendly altogether. So when his master came in I was fondling hishead, and he looked puzzled.

  "Say what men will," he said, "I know you are an honest man!"

  "Do you hold that any will doubt it?" I asked, wondering what hemeant; for he looked strangely at me.

  "Aye; the jarl has found your boat, and has sent me back to keepyou fast. Know you whose boat you have?"

  "It belonged to Jarl Lodbrok, who came ashore in it, as I have comehere--and he gave it me."

  "Hammer of Thor!" said the man. "Is the jarl alive?"

  "What know you of him?" I asked.

  "He was our jarl--ours," he answered.

  "Who is the other jarl you speak of?" I asked him, with a hope thatHalfden had come home, for now I knew that we had indeed followedLodbrok's track exactly.

  "How should it be other than Ingvar Lodbroksson? for we have heldthat Lodbrok, his father, is dead this many a long day."

  "Let me go to the jarl," I said, rising up. "I would speak withhim," for I would, if possible, tell him the truth, before Beorncould frame lies that might work ill to both of us, or perhaps tome most of all. Yet I thought that I saw the shadow of judgmentfalling on the murderer.

  "Bide quiet," said the man; "he will be here soon."

  And then he said, looking from me to the dog, "Now I hold you as atrue man, therefore I will tell you this--anger not the jarl whenhe speaks to you."

  "Thanks, friend!" I answered heartily, "I think I shall not dothat. Is he like his father?"

  The man laughed shortly, only saying:

  "Is darkness like daylight?"

  "Then he is not like Jarl Halfden."

  Now the honest man was going to ask in great wonder how I knew ofhim, when there came the quick trot of horses to the door, and astern voice, which had in its tones somewhat familiar to me, calledhim:

  "Raud, come forth!"

  My host started up, and saying, "It is Jarl Ingvar," went to thedoor, while I too rose and followed him, for I would not seem toavoid meeting the son of Lodbrok, my friend.

  "Where is this stranger?" said the jarl's voice; "bring him forth."

  Raud turned to beckon me, but I was close to him, and came out ofthe hut unbidden.

  There sat a great man, clad in light chain mail and helmed, withhis double-headed axe slung to his saddle bow, but seeming to havecome from hunting, for he carried a short, broad-pointed boarspear, and on the wrist of his bridle hand sat a hooded hawk likeLodbrok's. His face had in it a look both of his father and ofHalfden, but it was hard and stern; and whereas they had brownhair, his was jet black as a raven's wing. Maybe he was ten yearsolder than Halfden.

  There were five or six other men, seemingly of rank, and onhorseback also, behind him, but they wore no armour, and were inhunting gear only, and again there were footmen, leading houndslike the great one that stood by Raud and me. And two men therewere who led between them Beorn, holding him lest he should fall,either from weakness or terror, close to the jarl.

  So I stood before Ingvar the Jarl, and wondered how things wouldgo, and what Beorn had said, though I had no fear of him. And asthe jarl gazed at me I raised my hand, saying in the viking'sgreeting:

  "Skoal to Jarl Ingvar!"

  At that he half raised hand in answer, but checked himself, sayingshortly:

  "Who are you, and how come you by my father's boat?"

  I was about to answer, but at that word it seemed that for thefirst time Beorn learnt into whose hands he had fallen, and he fellon his knees between his two guards, crying for mercy. I think thathe was distraught with terror, for his words were thick and broken,and he had forgotten that none but I knew of his ill deed.

  That made the jarl think that somewhat was amiss, and he bade hismen bind us both.

  "Bind them fast, and find my brother Hubba," he said, and men rodeaway into the forest. But I spoke to him boldly.

  "Will you bind a man who bears these tokens, Jarl?"

  And I held out my hand to him, showing him the rings that Lodbrokand Halfden had given me.

  "My father's ring--and Halfden's!" he said, gripping my hand, as helooked closely at the runes upon them, so tightly that it was painto me. "By Odin's beard, this grows yet stranger! Who are you, andwhence, and how came you by these things?"

  "I am Wulfric, son of Elfric, the Thane of Reedham, 'the merchant'as men call him. I have been Jarl Lodbrok's friend, and have foughtby the side of Halfden, his son, as these tokens may tell you. Asfor the rest, that is for yourself alone, Jarl. For I have no goodtidings, as I fear."

  "Who is this man, then, and why cries he thus in terror?"

  "Beorn, falconer to Eadmund, King of the East Angles," I said.

  But I would not answer at once to the other question, and Ingvarseemed not to notice it.

  Then there was silence while the great jarl sat on his horse verystill, and looked hard at me and at Beorn; but when the men wouldhave bound us he signed them back, letting Beorn go free. Whereuponhis knees gave way, and he sank down against the house wall, whileI leant against it and looked at the mighty Dane, somewhat dreadingwhat I had to tell him, but meaning to go through all plainly.

  Now the ring of men closed round us, staring at us, but in silence,save for the ringing of the horns that were blowing in the woods tocall Hubba from his sport. And Jarl Ingvar sat still, as if carvedin oak, and seemed to ponder, frowning heavily at us, though thelook in his eyes went past me as it were.

  Glad was I when a horseman or two rode up and reined in alongsideIngvar. I think that the foremost rider was the most goodly warriorto look on that I had ever seen, and one might know well that hewas Lodbrok's son.

  "Ho, brother!" he cried; "I thought you had harboured the greatestbear in all Jutland in Raud's hut. And it is naught but twostrangers. What is the trouble with them?"

  "Look at yon man's hand," said Ingvar.

  I held out my hand, and Hubba looked at the rings, whereupon hisface lit up as Halfden's had lighted, and he said:

  "News of our father and brother! That is well; tell us, friend, allthat you know."

  "Stay," said Ingvar; "I took yon man from the boat we made for ourfather; he was half dead therein, and his wrists have the marks ofcords on them; also when he heard my name he began to cry formercy, and I like it not."

  "This friend of our folk will tell us all," said Hubba.

  "Aye," said I, "I will tell you, Jarls. But I would speak to youalone."

  "Tell me," said Ingvar shortly; "came my father to your shores inyon boat alive?"

  "Aye," I answered.

  "And he died thereafter?"

  "He died, Jarl," I said; and I said it sadly.

  Then said Hubba:

  "Almost had I a hope that he yet lived, as you live. But it was apoor hope. We have held him as dead for many a long day."

  But Ingvar looked at Beorn fixedly, and the man shrank away fromhis gaze.

  "How did he die, is what I would know?" he said sternly.

  "Let the man to whom Halfden and Lodbrok gave these gifts tell uspresently. We have enough ill news for the time. Surely we knewthat the jarl was dead, and it is ours but to learn how;" saidHubba.

  "How know you that these men slew not both?"

  "Jarl Ingvar," I said; "I will tell you all you will, but I woulddo so in some less hurried way than this. For I have much to tell."

  "Take the men home, brother," said Hubba; "then we can talk."

  "Bind the men," said Ingvar again.

  "Nay, brother, not the man who wears those rings," said Hubbaquickly.

  "Maybe, and it is likely, that they are ill come by, and he willmake up some lie about them," answered Ingvar.

  "It will be easily seen if he does," answere
d his brother; "waittill you know."

  Ingvar reined his horse round and rode away without another word.Then Hubba bade the man Raud and his brother, a tall man who hadcome with the Jarl Ingvar, take charge of us until word should comefrom him, and then rode after Ingvar with the rest of the folk.

  "Come into the house," said Raud to me. "I fear you have ill newsenough, though only what we have expected."

  So we went inside, and I sat in my old place beside the fire. Rolf,the brother, helped Beorn to rise, and set him on a seat in acorner where he could rest, and then we were all silent. The greatdog came and sat by me, so that I stroked him and spoke to him,while he beat his tail on the floor in response.

  "See you that," said one brother to the other.

  "Aye; Vig says true, mostly."

  "One may trust him," said Raud; telling of how Vig the dog had madefriends with me at first, and he nodded in friendly wise to me, sothat I would not seem to hold aloof, and spoke to him.

  "That is Jarl Hubba, surely?"

  "Aye, and the best warrior in all Denmark," said Raud. "We fearIngvar, and we love Halfden; but Hubba is such a hero as was Ragnarhimself."

  And once set on that matter, the two honest men were unwearied intelling tales of the valour and skill of their master, so that Ihad no room for my own thoughts, which was as well.

  Then came a man, riding swiftly, to say that the jarls had lefttheir hunting, and that we were to be taken to the great house.Moreover, that Rolf and Raud were to be held answerable for oursafe keeping. When I heard that I laughed.

  "I will go willingly," I said, rising up.

  "What of this man who sits silent here?" asked Rolf.

  "Little trouble will be with him," said his brother.

  And indeed Beorn almost needed carrying forth.