by Griff Hosker
The thegn who led the men was not a complete fool. He halted just a hundred paces from us. If he thought we would turn our backs then he was a fool. It came to me that he was waiting for the fyrd to arrive. “On my command we walk backwards.” I banged my shield and began a chant to help us keep in step.
Clan of the Horseman
Warriors strong
Clan of the Horseman
Our reach is long
Clan of the Horseman
Fight as one
Clan of the Horseman
Death will come
As soon as the thegn saw what we were doing he dug his heels into his horse’s flanks and shouted, “Charge!”
“Halt! Wedge!”
We had practised this many times and Æbbi and Siggi stepped behind me while the next three moved back a little. The last five formed a rear rank. I had two spears. As the Saxons hurtled towards us I waited until they were five paces and then hurled my spear at the thegn. He held his shield up and deflected it. Sadly for the man next to him, the spear was deflected into his face. As he pulled his hand up he slipped from the saddle.
“Brace!”
I felt Siggi’s shield in my back. The Saxons showed their lack of experience. Some tried to throw their spears. Unless you had stiraps one of two things happened: you either fell from your horse or the throw had no power behind it. Two men fell from their horses and another four spears hit shields or glanced weakly from helmets and mail. The others like the thegn tried to stab down. To do so they had to close with us. Three spears stabbed at the thegn and his horse. My spear struck his leg and Siggi’s his horse. The horse reared and the thegn barely held on as his wounded animal galloped off away from the spears. I thrust upwards at the second Saxon as Æbbi rammed his spear into the chest of a third. My spear came up through his arm. As he pulled around the spear broke. Their attack was broken and the fyrd was coming closer. I drew my Long Sword and swung it in an arc. I caught the rump of one horse and the shield of a Saxon. They withdrew. One of the horsemen was tending to the thegn’s wound. I saw that the fyrd was less than half a mile away.
“Stig, how far to the drekar?”
“Four hundred paces.”
“On my command we run for the drekar.” I was counting on the fact that we could cover a hundred paces before the Saxons knew what we were doing and that Harold Strong Arm would have men with bows ready to repulse them. “Now!”
I let my men run first and I stood waiting. One of the younger riders saw his change and he galloped towards me. I slipped my shield around my back and held my sword two handed. Some of the other riders followed him. I was not being heroic. I knew what I could do with my sword. I let the tip rest on the ground and when he was twenty paces from me pulled it back and began to swing. It was all in the timing. The sword sliced the horse’s skull in two. The rider fell as the horse tumbled to the ground. The others who had been following stopped and stared in horror as the dying horse thrashed its hooves. I could not let the animal suffer and I strode up to it and in one blow took its head. The rider lay quivering on the ground. I said, “Today, you have been lucky! I give you your life!”
Sheathing my sword, I turned and began to walk back to my ship. I heard the sound of the fyrd as they ran along the road but they would not catch me. Even with my back to the horsemen I knew that I had broken their spirit.
As I neared my men they began to chant and bang their shields.
Göngu-Hrólfr Rognvaldson
Göngu-Hrólfr Rognvaldson
Göngu-Hrólfr Rognvaldson
Göngu-Hrólfr Rognvaldson
The animals and captives were all on board. Harold had three men watching them. I saw, in the distance, more Saxons approaching. “Get aboard! Abbot you may go to your people.” He looked at me apprehensively. “Run lest I change my mind!”
I saw that he was afraid I would break my word. I had no intention of doing so. They ran. Running towards the fyrd, I knew that would slow up the advance of the fyrd and allow us to sail. The ship’s boys were ready to loosen the ropes and retrieve the spikes.
I shouted, “Release the ropes!” My men hurried to clamber aboard. I went to help Lars who was struggling to pull out the metal spike. He was a little flustered, “Fear not, Lars, we have plenty of time!” I picked up the spike and he coiled the rope. Already the drekar, even without the sail, was tugging to be free of the land. Lars ran to the water. It came up to his chest. I hoisted him on my shoulders and walked to the side where he grasped a rope. The water was up to my chest by the time he had scaled the sides. I began to walk up the side. As I landed a cheer went up.
“Where to lord?”
“Where is the wind?”
“Still east by south east.”
“Then sail west and find a beach on Wihtwara. I am hungry and keen to try the monk’s ale!”
The men laughed. We had lost no one. We had achieved our objective and we had food. Life was good.
Chapter 3
We did not need to row for we sailed south and east with the wind. The women wailed and the animals complained but the children seemed just to be interested in the drekar. My men liked children. Most were fathers and they smiled at the youngsters. It was the women who were fearful for they were anticipating a hard life. The only way it would be so would be if they chose to make it hard. I noticed a woman, she was the one who had glared at Haaken. I put her age at twenty or more summers. She looked calm and she had no fear. The others, even the ones older than she looked to her.
The coast of Cent disappeared behind us as we headed towards Wihtwara. Although part of Wessex there were many places where we could land. The island was a mass of beaches and coves. Some were protected by high cliffs. As the captain of a knarr Erik knew them all. He found one before dark. I sent four men to check the surrounding land while we tied up and lit a fire. We slaughtered one of the older sheep. With the four fowl we had killed and the shellfish we gathered on the beach it would be a good feast for all; even the slaves. We did not share the bread, ham or cheese with them and we heavily watered the beer we gave them. We were warriors and we deserved a reward.
I was desperate to examine the parchments I had taken but I needed someone to read them. Instead we gathered all the coins together. While the coins we had from the villagers were bronze and silver, those from the abbey were silver and gold. I saw the eyes of the younger warriors light up. They were rich. The battle had yielded little in terms of weapons and mail but they could afford to pay the smiths of Rouen to make them mail.
Æbbi asked, “Lord, you seemed disturbed to find that the Franks had an abbey in Cent. Why?”
“I like not links across the water. Alfred has had the better of Guthrum. I thought he would be King of Britannia. If he had controlled that land then he might have aided me to rule Frankia.”
“Frankia, lord? That is a mighty mouthful!”
I nodded, “True Petr, but think what we have attained already. We have the Cotentin and the northern side of the River Seine. The land between, close to the coast, is ours. That is why I think the Bretons have made a mistake. Had they let us lie we might have grown indolent. Now we are roused.”
My men nodded. Our shield brothers had died. A Viking was a vengeful creature and we were the best of the Vikings. Guthrum and his Danes might have been cowed but we would not be.
Siggi Svenson came over to sit by me, “Lord, I am happy with what I have from this raid. I would that I could stay on my farm.”
“You do not wish to war on the Bretons?”
He shrugged, “I do not mind but summer is coming. I have a farm. If you were raiding at Gormánuður when the crops are in and we have culled our beasts then I would say aye.”
I nodded and drank some more ale. I had been thinking of this problem for some time. I saw an answer. “Siggi, you are a good warrior. What if I said I needed you for thirty days each year to be as a warrior. Would you go whence I asked?”
He nodded, “Of course, lord save…�
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Æbbi Bonecrusher snorted, “Save that it has to be convenient for this farmer!”
I saw Siggi colour and his hand went to his seax. I held up my hand. “Peace Æbbi! Siggi, if you gave me thirty days it would be when I needed you. You have a wife. You can get thralls and you have children.”
I saw him subside and his hand went from his seax to the bread. He broke a piece off the bread and used it to wipe clean the wooden platter. He glowered at Æbbi, “The way you say it, lord, it sounds reasonable and I would agree.”
Arne Green Eye said, “What if a warrior wanted more than thirty days, lord?” He smiled, “I prefer being a warrior to a farmer’s life.” He pointed to Siggi, “I have no mail yet. I have just a small piece of land which has more weeds than grass. If I took a goat from this raid it would enrich me beyond words. I would wish to raid as often as I could until I became as rich as Siggi.”
Siggi whipped his head around, “I am not rich! I have a farm which I work from sunrise to sunset.”
My voice took on a commanding tone, “Peace Siggi! Take it as a compliment that Arne envies you.” He nodded, “Aye Arne but if I had every warrior for thirty days, at least, then think what we could do. When we have been to Saxbjǫrn ’s then I will summon my lords. This only works if all of my people adhere to the same system.”
Æbbi said, quietly, “Lord, you are Lord of Rouen. Men rule because you allow it.”
“And if I wish to continue to enjoy their loyalty then I must work with them. This is good. I was just using you to sound out the idea. I need to speak with others.”
That night I slept well despite a deck crowded with animals and captives. I had an idea and I saw a way to make my clan stronger. The gods had been kind to us for the wind had veered to east south east. We could sail due south and would not need to row. Erik was in good spirits. He had sailed his first voyage and, so far, not made any mistakes. If the wind continued from the same direction then we would be home within two days. We sailed swiftly south. At noon Erik was already estimating our speed. The ship’s boys were singing as they skylarked in the stays. Perhaps their merriment was the reason that they did not see the sails of the two ships until it was too late.
Lars pointed to the east as he shouted from the masthead, “Captain, two ships to the east.” There was a pause. “They are Saxons!”
My captain’s face showed his thoughts all too clearly, “These are the ships King Alfred uses to hunt for Vikings. We are in trouble, lord.”
I shook my head, “We are in trouble when I say we are. To arms.” As men grabbed their weapons I looked east. They lay between our present position and our home. They would continue to close with us and drive us over the edge of the world. I had to remain calm. I had been outwitted by this King Alfred. I should have known how clever he was. He had defeated Guthrum.
I went to Erik, “Keep calm, captain. We are faster than they are.”
“But they have the wind. Eventually they will catch up with us and then with odds of two to one they will win.”
I laughed, “They need odds of greater than five to one to defeat Vikings! Just keep sailing and do not lose heart.”
There was a contrast between Erik, his young crew, the first-time warriors and those of us who had seen this before. It was the inexperienced ones who developed a crick in the neck turning to see the two Saxons bearing down on us. They had hours of daylight to catch us. Although we did not stare at the Saxons my hearth weru and I were talking of how we would escape the enemy. We had to elude them for our decks were crowded. If it came to a battle then we would have to abandon the animals and captives over the side. Panicking animals could destroy our drekar.
“I would fight them, lord.”
“Throw the animals and the captives to the sea?”
Harold Strong Arm shrugged, “If we do not then we are lost.”
Æbbi Bonecrusher shook his head, “You know me, Harold, I would fight any man and Saxons? As many as are foolish enough to come within range of my sword but there is little to be gained from fighting and much to be lost. We out run and outsail them.”
Snorri lowered his voice, “But our captain is young and lacks experience.”
I had heard enough, “The Norns have spun. This is meant to be. I asked for a raid which would make my newer warriors and sailors stronger. Is this not what we asked for? And Snorri, has Erik done anything which Olaf Two Teeth would not have done?” He shook his head. “We sail until dark. You are right, Æbbi, we will not be fighting which means we can row. When it is dark we lower the sail, take to the oars and sail north and east, into the wind.”
I saw Petr the Slow frown, “Into the wind? Towards the Saxons?”
Haaken the Bold explained, “The Saxons would have to stop, furl their sail, run out oars and then row to follow us. Is there any crew who can row as long and hard as us?”
Harold was like a dog with a bone, “What about the younger warriors?”
“They will have muscles which will burn and their hands will be red raw but we will do that which our lord wishes, we will have a crew!”
Æbbi had the final word.
I rose and went to Erik. He was worried. “The wind is helping them, lord. They are eating into the lead we have and I can go no faster.”
“Suppose you mirror their course and sail with the wind?”
“Then we will head further out into the ocean and…”
“And you have never been this far west.” He nodded. “I have. I know not where the edge of the world lies but it is further west than I have sailed. Keep the same distance between us. When it is dark you will have the ship’s boys furl the sail and you will turn us to face them. We will row until we lose them. When they are no longer in sight then turn to sail due east. As the men tire we can use the sail again.”
“We are single crewed.”
“And at night we will be hidden. Once we have passed them we can change direction once the men are tired. All that this does is to give us a longer voyage home.”
He nodded, “Perhaps I am not the man to captain your ship, lord. I do not have the experience.”
“And the Norns know this. You do not think that this is an accident, do you? This is meant to be.”
I saw him nod and clutch his amulet, “Aye, lord.”
“When you have changed course have your boys fed. They will have to work all night while my men row. This is how we forge your crew into the steel that is the heart of this ship.”
I wandered to the prow where my men kept watch on the animals and the captives. We had taken no boys older than seven years. Most of the captives were women and children. I spoke with them all but I addressed my words to the matriarch who sat in the centre. She was the one the others looked to and she had young children by her. I watched her eyes as I spoke.
“We have a long voyage home and your ships are chasing us. They will not catch us.” I gestured to the animals. “One of the cows will need milking, the other has a calf. You can have the milk. You have young children and it will feed them and help them to sleep. My ship’s boys will bring food later. They do not speak your language. If you need to speak then send for me. Ask for Göngu-Hrólfr Rognvaldson.” I said the words slowly. “Keep the animals calm. I say this for your own safety. If they become restless then their hooves can hurt.”
The matriarch said, “What do we do with their dung? How do we make water? Would you have us piss on the decks?”
She was not afraid of me and I heard a challenge in her voice. I smiled, “You are right, gammer, to ask such questions. The animal dung can be thrown over the side and that too is where you make water and…” I waved a hand. I remembered Bergljót and Gefn when we had sailed from Norway to Northumbria. “It helps if one holds the woman’s hands while she sits on the gunwale.” I tapped it so that they knew what I meant. “We will be sailing in a straight line for a while. Make water now, while you can.”
I saw them taking it in. The matriarch said, “And what is our fa
te when we reach your home? Do your men use us as playthings?”
“You have slaves in your land. Do your men use them for pleasure?”
“No, but we are Christians and not barbarians!”
“We have priests and we have churches. My wife is a Christian. Some of you will become servants in the halls of my lords. Those with skills such as bread and cheese making or brewing ale will perform those tasks. Those without skills will be taught them. We are not barbarians. In Rouen we live in stone houses. We took you from wattle and daub huts. Think on that!” I was about to head to the steering board when a thought struck me. “When you hear my men say,” I changed to Norse, “come about,” I reverted to Saxon, “then hold on for we are about to change course.” The woman repeated my words. I nodded. “And I dare say you will pray to your God, the White Christ, at the same time!”
As I walked astern I saw that the Saxons had not gained on us. I examined them. They were a copy of the drekar but they were not as narrow. We could outrun them. They did not have their shields at the side but I saw that they had ports for their oars. They did not have as many ports as we did but I guessed they would have a larger crew. King Alfred had done well. However, it is one thing to have ships and quite another to have the experience which courses through the veins of a Viking.
As I passed my men I said, “Eat and rest. When it is dark we row and we row hard!” I joined Erik and I took the steering board. “Go, eat, drink, make water. I have spoken with the captives. We are now in the hands of Ran and the Norns.”
“Aye, lord and thank you. Your words have calmed me. I began to feel unmanned. This is not like my knarr. There I worry about four others. Here I worry about many more.”
With my hand on the steering board I felt connected to my drekar. She was alive. Each slight touch brought a response. It was a joy to captain her. I glanced up at the sail. The crew had done well. The stays and sheets were taut and the sail billowed perfectly. Erik knew his business and he had set the sail so that we kept pace with the Saxons. Had we wished then we could have left them far behind but that would have taken us further from our home. Already we would take a day longer to reach Rouen. More if the tide was against us.