Viking Shadow

by Griff Hosker

  “Aye jarl. Lars get up the mast and lower the sail.”

  “But we are still tied up!”

  “If we sever the ropes then so be it. I want to be ready to sail as soon as all of the men have boarded.”

  “And what about you?”

  “We will use the fishing boats to escape!” I joined Olaf and Haaken. They had with them just ten men. Ráðgeir Ráðgeirson and his men were leading the laden horses. I ran to take Haldi’s shield from the horse. He would need it no longer. I shouted, “Get everything on board the merchant ship now! If you cannot carry it then leave it! The enemy comes! We hold them here until we have our dead loaded.”

  Olaf nodded and said, “I am sorry, Jarl.”

  “Your need for ale has proved expensive. Let us hope that we pay no more. When Arne has gone we climb down to the fishing ships and use them to board our drekar.”

  We saw the horsemen appear on the road which led down to the harbour. They were led by four men who had mail shirts. I could see, from the sun glinting on them, that they reached to their knees. There were just thirteen of us. There were seven of us in the front rank and six behind. I had a shield and that made me feel better.

  The horsemen galloped down the road. I saw that some had bows. It would take a phenomenal archer to hit someone while galloping down a cobbled surface. There was, however, always the chance of a lucky arrow.

  I heard Sámr the Ship Killer shout, “Draw!” The horsemen were closing with us. The four with mail would strike us first. They had lances. The horsemen with bows were further back.

  “Brace!” I felt two shields press into my back. I held Ragnar’s Spirit over the top of Ráðulfr’s shield. As I had counted on the horses did not charge into us. We were a solid wall of wood and metal. Instead they turned as their riders rammed their lances at us. They must have been used to charging unarmoured men who fled when horses approached. We were Vikings and we stood. At the same time arrows flew from behind us to hit the horses and men attacking us. I saw a horse’s head and I rammed my sword towards its eye. It reared and, as it did so an arrow hit its chest. The horse and rider fell to their right. They crashed into the next two horsemen. Olaf swung his axe and took a rider’s head. Haaken struck at the horse before him and its throat spurted blood. Horses do not like the smell of blood and panic ensued. I took a chance and, punched my shield at the rider who tried to stand. He tried to sway out of the way. I swung my sword at a rider who groggily rose. His head flew backwards.

  As our bow men thinned the ranks behind I heard Erik shout, “You are clear, Jarl!”

  I shouted, “You six jump into the fishing boats and tell us when it is clear for us to do so.” The horsemen, I could see now that they were Arab mercenaries, were wary. Three of their mailed men lay dead or dying. The fourth had crawled away from his dying horse. Some of those without mail lay dead. There were dead and dying horses littering the quay. Those with bows were the targets of my bow men. They hesitated. A real warrior does not hesitate.

  “Clear jarl. You can jump!”

  Slipping my shield around my back, I said, “On three. One, two, three!”

  We turned and jumped into the boat which was just below us. The enemy horsemen rode towards the quay. Arrows thudded into our shields and then the archers died as my own slew them. We huddled beneath our shields. One of the ship’s boys had tethered the fishing boat to the stern of the drekar. The drekar pulled us out of range of the arrows. We climbed the rope onto the deck of our drekar. As we landed on the deck I turned to Olaf Leather Neck and said, “No more stops for ale!”

  He grinned, “But think how good this will taste!”

  Ráðgeir Ráðgeirson was the last aboard and I saw him raise his sword to sever the rope we had just climbed. “Hold! Leave the fishing boat tied there.”

  “But it will drag us jarl. It will be like a sea anchor.”

  I pointed to the merchant ship, “Erik, that will determine our speed not the fishing boat. It does not have the lines of a knarr. We know not yet how we may use it but we are tethered to it.”

  We headed west along the coast. As we neared their fortress and citadel we saw that the riders had reached it. It looked like someone had disturbed a wasp’s nest. Ominously there were ships in the harbour. The merchant ship, Erik had named her, somewhat ungraciously, as the cow, waddled along. She was not as slow as we had thought but we had to reef our sails. Even with a fishing boat astern we were still far faster.

  Erik complained, “This will add days to our voyage.”

  I smiled, “Then bring aboard the cargo and we will sink her!”

  He looked appalled, “You cannot deliberately sink a ship which is undamaged!” He was a sailor and, to him, all ships were living things. The fishing boat we pulled had no spirit. The fishing boat was dispensable but a shipwright had fashioned the hull of the merchant ship. The prow, small though it was, had been carved carefully. Part of the builder was in the hull. I smiled. He would not complain again.

  We had left the town by the third hour of the day. We passed their citadel two hours later. The sun baked down and there was a haze upon the water. Men languished beneath the awning. I looked at the masthead. The wind was easing and changing direction. What little breeze there was pushed us towards the shore. It came from the south and west. Aiden said, “We will have to row.”

  “The wind will return.”

  “Aye Erik but we do not have the luxury of time.” Aiden pointed to the land, a mile or so to the north of us. There were towers. “They will signal back to Al-buhera. Their galleys will come and they will take us. Besides the further west we are the more chance there is of picking up a wind. Remember when we came south? The wind lessened here. It is something to do with the shape of the land.”

  He acknowledged defeat and he took us next to his son’s ship. “We will tow you.” He looked at me. “Do we abandon the fishing boat?”

  “No, she may still serve a purpose.”

  Erik Short Toe shouted to his son, “Tie the fishing boat to your stern.”

  It took some time to accomplish the task and then the crew took to the oars. We had some of our crew on the merchant ship and we had lost a warrior. It would be a hard row. Aiden had to use a chant to build up the speed. Snorri had his men using the sweeps on the merchant ship to make our task easier. The song was a fast one. It was the song of the Ulfheonar.

  Ulfheonar, warriors strong

  Ulfheonar, warriors brave

  Ulfheonar, fierce as the wolf

  Ulfheonar, hides in plain sight

  Ulfheonar, Dragon Heart's wolves

  Ulfheonar, serving the sword

  Ulfheonar, Dragon Heart's wolves

  Ulfheonar, serving the sword

  Ulfheonar, warriors strong

  Ulfheonar, warriors brave

  Ulfheonar, fierce as the wolf

  Ulfheonar, hides in plain sight

  Ulfheonar, Dragon Heart's wolves

  Ulfheonar, serving the sword

  Ulfheonar, Dragon Heart's wolves

  Ulfheonar, serving the sword

  Once we had way we stopped singing and one man in two stopped rowing. Snorri’s oars on the merchant ship made it easier for us. There was less drag and we edged west. Erik took us slightly south and west to move us away from the coast. With sails furled we could sail into the slight breeze which was taking us north and east.

  The ship’s boys took food and water to the rowers. We had some ale but that would be saved for the time when they could cease rowing. The sun passed its zenith and the heat grew. The ship’s boys took to pouring seawater over the rowers to cool them. We still had a look out as did Arne. It was Lars on the ‘Cow’ who shouted the warning first, “Galleys to the north and east. There are three of them.”

  I looked at Aiden, “They are following. We should not have stopped.”

  Aiden laughed. Since we had passed the straits his powers were returning and with his powers came confidence, “Jarl Dragonheart, this is the
work of the Norns. I can feel their web. Had we not raided then something else would have happened. All is not lost. I cannot see the ships. They are too far away. They will have a long row to reach us.” He pointed ahead. To the west were clouds. They were moving. “There is a wind to the west. Olaf Leather Neck will row until he drops. He feels guilty about Haldi. The other men feel the same. They all wished to raid.”

  I looked at the crew. Men were swapping places with their oar brothers. There were no complaints. Even Baldr was part of the crew. He had taken a water skin and was helping the ship’s boys. The danger and the hardship were tightening the bonds of brotherhood. Baldr was becoming part of the clan. I could now see the Allfather’s hand in this. The Norns had spun the web and it was there to make my warriors like a mail byrnie. We would be bonded and harder. We sailed west by south.

  Inexorably the galleys closed with us and we were still far from the clouds and the elusive breeze. I shouted up to Siggi, at the masthead, “How far to the coast?”

  “I can see it no longer.”

  Aiden’s voice came from behind me. “We have another ten miles of rowing jarl. It will be close but I have a plan.” I turned, “The fishing ship we tow can be used as a fireship. They will be upon us just before dusk. We have Arne light a fire in a pot. He has the sails raised on the fishing boat and cuts it adrift. The fire will spread. The wind will take the boat towards the galleys.”

  “They will be able to avoid it.”

  “Of course, but to do so they will have to alter course and that increases our lead. If the Allfather wills it then we will catch the breeze and can sail north. We should have cleared the coast and the wind will aid us and deter the galleys.”

  “Then you had better explain to Arne exactly what he must do when they close. It will take time to prepare a fire pot.”

  We had used a fire pot before. We had a supply of candles. They were the ones we took from smaller churches. We used them to signal at night and to make fire pots. They would be placed in oil-soaked cloth. When the candle burned down and ignited the flames then they would leap up the mast. The wind would do the rest.

  Arne understood what he had to do and I saw Lars and Arne as they prepared the pot. Siggi was now our only lookout. The afternoon was passing quickly. He shouted, “Captain, the galleys are closing. I think they have upped the beat.”

  We could do the same but, unlike the galleys, my men were not slaves and if the galleys closed we would have to fight. Aiden read my mind, “By the time they close with us the wind will be with us and we will have cleared the coast. Look!” He pointed to the masthead. The pennant fluttered faster than it had. The wind was freshening. Once we had cleared the coast then our two ships would fly. It would, however, be close.

  Lars came forrard and shouted that they had the pot prepared. I cupped my hands and shouted back, “Listen for my signal. When you have raised the boat’s sails, lit the pot and severed the rope then have Arne hoist the sail. We head north. You will sail to larboard of us and we will protect you from the galleys.”

  “Aye jarl!”

  I turned to Aiden, “We are in your hands, galdramenn.”

  He smiled, “I am getting closer to home. My powers grow. I see dimly but at least I can see here. I am not living in the fog of the Blue Sea.”

  We could all see the galleys now. As with all ships they were not identical neither in their handling nor their crews. One was tardy and three lengths from the second ship. The leading ship was well handled. The oars rose and fell in unison. We could see that the third one had a slightly ragged stroke. The second was the smaller of the three galleys. The wind was stronger now. I could feel it on my face. I looked at Aiden and he smiled, “Now jarl. Now is the time.”

  Cupping my hands, I shouted, “Light the fire!”

  Erik shouted, “Prepare to lower the sail.”

  I watched as Arne sent Ulf Galmrson to the mast with Sweyn Olafsson. They would lower the sail. Meanwhile Snorri Gunnarson ran to the prow to slip the cable. Galmr stood ready to retrieve the rope. We could not see the fishing boat but we could see that the galleys were just ten lengths away and closing fast. As soon as Snorri threw the tow rope into the sea and the sail was lowered we knew that the fireship had been launched.

  “Lower the sail. In oars. We come about!”

  The father and son, Erik and Arne were a little like Aiden and me. They understood each other without words. As we headed north Arne took his ship west. It would allow us to be between him and the galleys. As soon as we had cleared ‘Cow’ I saw the fishing boat. She was heading north and east. With no one at the helm she was going where the wind took her. She was sailing across the course the three galleys wished to take. I watched as the leading galley increased the stroke rate as the captain tried to cut us off. The other two turned south to avoid the fireship. It was one to one and I would take those odds any day.

  My crew, relieved from the oars lined the side to look at the galley and the fireship. The sail caught fire and the fishing boat slowly settled in the water. She had done her part. The galley was now less than five lengths from us. She was using her oars and her sails but we were faster. I glanced to larboard and saw that Arne was two lengths from our side but four lengths astern. He was struggling to keep up. I saw the coastline ahead. It was just a mile away.

  Erik glanced behind us, “He is sailing too close to the coast. He must be desperate to get to us.” He pushed the steering board a little more to larboard. It meant we were slightly slower but we would be heading away from any rocks and it would allow Arne to catch up with us. The galley closed to within three lengths and disaster struck. We saw the ship suddenly slow and then the mast shuddered. Oars flew in the air.

  “She has struck a reef.”

  Aiden pointed over the side. “And we came within a length of disaster.”

  I could see the rocks. We had a shallow draught but even we would have struck them. Erik turned further west and Arne mirrored our course. We watched the galley as she broke up and her consorts raced to get the survivors before they drowned or were devoured by the shoal of sharks which raced towards them.

  Chapter 16

  With the wind from our larboard quarter and the coast of the Caliphate to the east we kept a good watch as we headed north. We were on the last part of our journey and it would not do to be careless and run aground. Olaf Leather Neck avoided me. I had a sharper edge to my tongue of late and he was not afraid of any enemies but he feared upsetting Jarl Dragonheart! The men did not have to row. Now that we were in the grey ocean the sun burned less fiercely. In the Blue Sea the sun seemed to reflect off the water and make the ship hotter. Here the ocean absorbed the heat in its dark, grey waters. Men no longer stripped to their breeks. They wore their kyrtles. We divided the crew into three watches so that we could sail without stopping. On the merchant ship Arne and Snorri would have to go watch and watch about. At night we would hang a lantern from our stern. It had been one of the purchases we had made in Miklagård. Although expensive it allowed us to read charts at night. It was safe. A candle burned in the opaque glass. The glass was fragile and when not in use it had a sheepskin lined basket. It would pay for itself on this one voyage.

  So long as the wind held we kept to our northerly coast. We were soon in familiar waters. Once we passed the Caliphate then we had the waters of Vasconia and Frankia to navigate. The seas around Frankia would be dangerous. There were pirates, enemies and rocks. They were a lethal combination and we would be forced to stay close to the coast for fear of running foul of Syllingar.

  During this part of the voyage Baldr came out of his shell. Helping the crew during the pursuit had made him less afraid to smile and to use the new words he had learned. Like Germund and me, he had been a slave and a slave had to learn to pick up languages quickly or suffer a beating. There were no threatened beatings but he still learned quickly. From Germund we gathered that he was looking forward to a new life. His family was so far away both in time and distance
that he had forgotten them.

  Sámr said, one night as we stood a watch together, “He does not wish to leave us at Bruggas, great grandfather. He wishes to go to the Land of the Wolf.”

  “We could take him to Hrolf the Horseman. His land is now the Land of the Horse. Perhaps that would be even better for him.”

  He shook his head, “He is like a young deer. He is shy. Germund and I have tempted him from the woods. To him we are not hunters. We are friends. Hrolf and his clan might be kind but to Baldr they would be hunters.”

  I ruffled his hair, “You have become wise, Sámr the Ship Killer.”

  “I did not kill the ship!”

  “And Olaf does not have a leather neck. You killed those who steered the ship and we won. Accept the name for it is honourable.”

  The journey north was slow but uneventful. Erik was pleased that we were not moving too fast for we had had so many collisions and been subjected to so many storms that he feared for the integrity of the drekar. “I will be happier, jarl, when she is out of the water and we can give her a good examination.”

  And so we plodded north at the pace of the ‘Cow’. When we found deserted beaches and could land for a night ashore Arne found virtue in the Arab merchant ship. “She is not as fast as ‘Kara’; that I will grant you but she can take far more cargo.”

  His father looked at him, “You would think to sail her in home waters?”

  “She is the jarl’s ship, it is for him to decide what happens to her save that I do not like her name. She is no cow!” Normally we would not rename a ship for it was considered unlucky but, as this one had an Arab name we could not decipher we had no other choice.

  “For myself, Arne, she is yours. You have done us great service on this voyage and I would reward you. If you wish the ship for your own then it is done. But I would heed your father’s advice about her suitability for our waters.”

  “We took her in our sea and not the Blue Sea. I admit that her sails are not what we are used to but Lars and I have found that we can sail closer to the wind than ‘Kara’.”