Duke of Normandy

by Griff Hosker

  I did not mind that my wife kept from me for the next eight days. That meant I did not have to look at her priest. I had banned him and he hid from me in my own hall. My wife kept him company. She left my son with me and it was a delight. He helped me prepare my ship. He helped me to speak with the extra men who would come with us. He, in fact, was desperate to join us. It was too soon to sever the ties with his mother but I knew that day would come. My wife had had a choice; me or the priest and she had chosen the priest. It was a mistake.

  By the time we came to leave I was sorely tempted to take William with me but he was still too young. I did not think we would have to fight but if we did then William would be at risk. He was tearful when I left but I persuaded him to accept my departure. I knew that the priest and my wife would work on him and so I asked Padraig to watch over my son. The Celtic priest was happy to do so.

  We headed downriver. Erik was much more confident this voyage. The drekar was laden. A third were untried warriors. A third had a little mail but the rest were the best. I was not worried about them. My mind worried about William. I had become a father. Until I had returned from the land of the Saxons that was not so. I had had a son but I had not yet learned to be a father. Now I was learning. Were the sisters spinning a web? Whose thread was now linked with mine?

  It took just a long day to reach Carentan. We had to be vigilant as the Bretons claimed these as their waters. They were better sailors than the Saxons but their ships were poor. We could ram any of them and confidently expect them to sink. Carentan lay inland a little although the land between the town and the sea was either boggy or flooded. Saxbjǫrn and Halfi Axe Tongue had built a wharf there and we tied up. There was just one drekar moored, ‘Sun Dragon’ and she looked to be a little worse for wear. She was not Saxbjǫrn’s. Leaving just the ship’s boys and Erik on board we headed up the track which led to the town. It was a healthy walk. I knew not what I expected but the muted and sad faces on the walls were not it.

  We were admitted. Where was Saxbjǫrn? Halfi Axe Tongue? Nefgeirr? The oathsworn warrior with the fresh wound on his arm said nothing. I would not ask the oathsworn to speak with me. That was not right. His lord would tell me his news. The hall was filled with warriors but none of the three jarls were there. I looked at the oathsworn. He bowed, “Lord, if you leave your men here I will take you to the jarl.”

  “Haaken, come with me. The rest make yourselves comfortable!” I gave a pointed look at Bonecrusher and he nodded. He would discover the reason for the atmosphere.

  We went to the back of the hall. A curtain shielded a sleeping area. When I went in I saw Saxbjǫrn. He had his left arm in a sling. He gave me a wan smile. “As you can see, lord, it did not go well.” He looked pointedly at Haaken.

  “Haaken, leave us alone. I am safe.” My oathsworn left.

  “Tell me all!”

  “We were betrayed and we were outwitted. I discovered, too late, that Beorn Straight Hair, one of my oathsworn, had been bought by the enemy. They knew we were coming. We sailed our drekar towards the Mont for it had a good anchorage. We landed after dark and felt confident that we could strike inland and hurt the enemy. Nefgeirr and half of his crew stayed there. They would take the treasures of the abbey. We headed for Avranches. It was close by and Beorn Straight Hair told us that they had no wall. He lied. He went ahead with two men to scout it out and we prepared to attack. We never saw any of them again. As dawn broke the Bretons came. They used horses and swept all around us. Halfi Axe Tongue died in the first attack. I ordered a retreat and we fought our way back to the coast. Men fell all the way back to the coast but we slaughtered many Bretons. When we reached our ships two were afire and Nefgeirr and the last of his men were defending ‘Sun Dragon’. We fought our way to their side but Nefgeirr and his oathsworn died. They saved us for we boarded the drekar and sailed away. We sailed to the land of the Bretons with over two hundred and fifty men. I brought back less than forty. Had I not left a healthy watch on my town then it would have been worse. I am sorry, lord. I have wasted your time and lost all that I held dear. Your faith in me was misplaced.”

  “No, you have not. You were betrayed. Beorn Straight Hair will pay. I know that we cannot repay King Alan of the Bretons yet but his time will come. Can you defend your walls?”

  His face showed a gritty determination. “Aye lord. They shall not have this pretty jewel but we have lost Benni Ville and the other towns we had built.”

  “Good, then recover and I will put together an army which will defeat this King Alan but first I will visit with him. I will speak with him.” I smiled my wolf smile, “I will leave him a Viking’s words!”

  “Is that not dangerous lord?”

  I laughed, “Aye, for him!”

  We stayed for two days. I wished to ensure that Carentan could be defended. I spoke with his men and assured them that they would have my help. They were broken men. To have lost two jarls in one night was unheard of. I sent Haaken the Bold on a mission. I sent him to the jarls who lived in the Cotentin and asked them to meet with me in Rouen in two months’ time at Sólmánuður. Leif Sorenson was sent east to deliver the same message to Bergil, Sven, and Sámr. I left with my drekar, I had a message to deliver to King Alan. I had a spy in my town just as Saxbjǫrn had one in his. None knew what was in my mind for it was only as we left Carentan that I told Erik of the course he should take.

  “Sail west. There is a small town with an abbey, Sant-Brieg. I would tell King Alan that I have received and understood his message. There will be war.”

  He nodded and picked up the chart. “That means sailing close to Sarnia and Angia. They have pirates who race out to take unsuspecting ships, lord.”

  “And we are not unsuspecting. If any race out to take us they will find we are no juicy morsel. Besides we will be sailing through their waters at night.”

  His face showed his displeasure, “Lord there are many rocks and shoals there.”

  “We have a man with a wax covered lead weight in the bows. We need to have complete surprise. The Bretons have spies in Carentan but Saxbjǫrn and his ships made it easy for the Bretons. They would have been seen sailing towards Mont-Saint Michel. I intend to surprise those who live in Sant-Brieg by striking at dawn.”

  I walked to the prow to think. I trusted all of my men but if I told them of the spy in my town and disclosed the contents of the letter they would act. I had had time to think on Padraig’s words. The priest had been right. There was little to be gained confronting Æðelwald. I knew he was gathering information through my wife. It would be easy to dry up that particular source but there might be others too. What I did not know was how he was getting information out. I had charged Padraig with the task of watching Æðelwald. I saw, in the distance, the Haugr. I had grown up there and yet it did not feel like my home. The fjord in Norway was the place I thought of as home. The threads of the Norns had stretched across oceans and lands so vast that it made my head spin to think of them. I had been complacent. The peace with the Franks had dulled my instincts and two jarls had fallen. Worse, we had lost almost two hundred men. A Viking was a warrior. A Viking raided and was vigilant. The lesson was learned. Lord Göngu-Hrólfr Rognvaldson would show his teeth. The Franks and Bretons thought I was duped. That might have been true once but no longer.

  A young warrior appeared next to me. “Lord Göngu-Hrólfr Rognvaldson?”

  I glanced down and when I saw his face realised that he must have been standing there for some time. It was a young warrior whom I did not know well. I knew his face. This was his first raid. I struggled for his name and then saw his hair, Egil Flame Bearer. He was so named for his red hair which looked like fire. “Yes Egil?”

  “The ship’s boys tell me that we sail to Sant-Brieg.”

  “They do. Do you know it?”

  He shook his head, “No lord but it is not far from Raven Wing Island.”

  “As the sea gull flies but it is on the other side of the coast. Why?”

&nbs
p; “My family lived there. When Hrolf the Horseman took the clan to the Haugr my family stayed for a while. My great grandfather was one of the warriors who followed Finni Bennison. His name was Karl the Red.”

  I struggled to remember him. The name was unfamiliar. I knew Finni Bennison but not the man who had followed him. I nodded, “Finni served my grandfather well.”

  “I know. My family made a mistake when we did not follow Hrolf the Horseman. It has taken us three generations to remedy that mistake. After my grandfather was killed by Bretons my mother and father brought us to the Seine. My father died in the raid on Paris.”

  “Did he sail with me?”

  “No lord. He sailed with Sven Stormchaser. All in his crew perished.”

  I remembered Sven. He had had one of the smaller drekar. I had begun to wonder why Egil had come to speak with me. Now I began to see. “Who is left from your family?”

  He said, simply, “Me. I was the one left at home to watch over my mother and grandmother. My two brothers perished with my father. My grandmother died when she heard the news and then my mother had the sickness of the worm. She grew thin and died from within. It took her months to die. I buried her two months since.”

  I looked at him. He wore leather mail and had a simple round, pot helmet. His shield was well made but his sword was short. “The farm?”

  “I gave it to Ralf the Pig Man in return for half of the profits. I would be a warrior, lord, and the little coin I receive will feed me.”

  “And you have made a good start for you have joined a good crew. This is your first raid?”

  “It is. Lord, you should know that although I have never raided my father and my brothers trained me well. I will be a good warrior.”

  “You have never killed a man?” He shook his head. “Had to fight for your life?” Again, he shook his head.

  “But lord I would serve with you. My life will be that of a warrior. I would be an oathsworn!”

  It was my turn to shake my head. “To be oathsworn is an honour reserved for the best of men. I am not saying that one day you will not be oathsworn but now it would be like giving you a death sentence. My oathsworn fight where the battle is hottest. Sail on a few voyages with me and learn to become a warrior.”

  “I will, lord, but I would have you take me each time you sail. I have nothing for me at the farm. It is full of the ghosts of the past.”

  Now I understood. “You would live in my warrior hall!”

  He grinned and I saw that he was young. He looked to be the age I had been when my brother had tried to kill me and I had sunk to the bottom of the sea. I could almost hear the Norns spinning. My thread was connected. His great grandfather had broken the thread and the family had suffered. The Norns were giving us another opportunity. “I am happy to be as a sentry on your walls when you do not raid, lord. I wish to learn. I wish to atone for the mistake my great grandfather made and which plunged my family into this pit which has all but consumed us. I know that we were cursed.” His voice became quieter, “Lord, we all know of your curse. You overcame yours. This is my chance to overcome my family’s curse.”

  I clasped his arm, “Then, Egil Flame Bearer, you shall live in my warrior hall and I will try to help you but know this, a curse is hard to overcome. I needed the help of Ylva Aidensdotter the mightiest witch in the world.”

  “Aye, lord, but you are Lord Göngu-Hrólfr Rognvaldson and you are the mightiest Viking of your age. This is wyrd!”

  The Norns were spinning. They had a prophecy to fulfil and another thread was added to their spell.

  Chapter 5

  Erik might not have been familiar with Angia and Sarnia but I was. There were hidden shoals, reefs and rocks but I knew where they were and what to watch for. As well as a man with a lead weight at the prow I stood there too. I shouted my commands down the drekar and Erik adjusted his steering. It was nerve wracking but years of sailing these waters had given me the ability to almost sniff out the course. When we saw Sarnia to the steerboard I knew we were safe and I strode back to Erik. “Your course is clear now.”

  “Thank you, lord. You are truly a mariner.”

  “The Lord of Rouen must be many things to many men. I will rest. Have me woken when the coast is close.” I curled up and slept. I had learned to do this years ago and I was able to sleep instantly and be awake just as quickly.

  “Lord, it is time!” Æbbi Bonecrusher shook me awake. He waited as I stood and then handed me a horn of ale. “We can smell the land. Erik is a good captain. By my estimate the town and church are not far away. We heard a bell sound.”

  “Are the men ready?”

  “They are mailed and prepared. All have eaten.” He proffered some bread.

  I shook my head, “There will be fresh in the town.” He helped me to don my mail. Petr the Slow offered me my helmet. I shook my head. “I should not need it nor will I take my shield. Unless they are ready for us then I doubt there will be much opposition.” I walked to the mast where most of the men were gathered. “When we land the larboard crew will secure the wharf, the warehouses and the ships. The steerboard crew will come with me and take the town. I want King Alan to know who did this. We take everything. Every man will be slaughtered. Kill the priests. Drive the women, children and old from the town.”

  Petr said, “We do not take them as slaves?”

  Æbbi Bonecrusher shook his head, “They are too close to home. They can flee or there might be a rescue attempt. Lord Göngu-Hrólfr Rognvaldson is wise. This gives the Bretons more mouths to feed and less men to provide for them.”

  “We take every coin, each animal, all their sacks of flour and even their loaves of bread. When we leave we burn all to the ground. We destroy all of their ships.”

  Snorri said, “That will make him attack us.”

  “Aye and that is what I want. I will have a battle and it will decide who rules the land between the Cotentin and Rouen and when that is done I turn my attention to the Franks.”

  The two kings did not realise what they had done when they roused me. I was the sleeping dog they should have let lie. Although it was dark the shadow that was the small rise upon which the town stood could be seen. We knew that the river below the town was small. I had passed the port but that had been many years earlier when I had been but a boy. As I recalled there was a wharf which ran along the river below the houses and I could not remember a wall. This raid had a good chance of success as they did not know we were at war yet. As soon as they did then they would build walls and have a town watch. When the lookout at the prow heard the sound of waves on the shore he whistled and Erik had the sail furled. Half of our men went to the oars. They pulled us gently in to the shore. The tide was with us. The half who were not rowing gathered at the prow and stern on the steerboard side.

  I had my sword raised. As soon as I judged it right I would lower it. The steerboard side would stop rowing and the larboard side would make but one stroke. If I timed it aright then we would bump gently into the wharf. Five men had bows with arrows nocked in case there were any watchers. There were ships tied up and, alarmingly, one looked to be big enough to be a ship of war. I had cast the bones. We would have to deal with whatever we found awaiting us. I pulled myself up on to the gunwale and held on to the forward stay. I held my sword up. I waited until we were a ship’s length away from the wharf and I dropped my sword. The oars were run in and we turned sharply. Erik compensated and when the larboard oars stopped we bumped gently into the wharf. Even while the ship’s boys were tying us up I had leapt onto the wooden wharf and was racing for the path which led to the houses.

  Glancing to my left I saw that Egil Flame Bearer was there close to me. It was he who slew the first Breton. There was a sentry who had been sleeping. He paid for his carelessness with his life. As he stood, startled by the noise of feet on the wharf, Egil rammed his sword into his middle. The sentry died silently. My long legs took me up the steps which led to the church, the hall and the merchants’ house
s three at a time. Once my men joined me I knew we would be heard as we thundered up the wooden steps. Those in the houses closest to the steps would wonder what they heard. Some brave soul would venture forth and then the alarm would be given. I wanted to be close to the church when that happened. The stairs were few in number. As I came out on the flat area by the town square the first man stepped from his house. Even as he shouted, “Vikings!” my Long Sword hacked into his chest.

  My speed had taken me ahead of my men. I ran for the church as men poured out of houses. They were armed but my men were awake, mailed, and ready for war. I heard steel on steel behind me as I burst into the church. It was an abbey church albeit a small one. Two priests knelt by the altar. One threw a candle holder at me. Although I batted it away with my sword it allowed the two of them to run through the back door of the church. They had gone empty handed.

  Egil and Petr followed me into the church. “Collect all that is valuable.”

  I ran out of the back door. One priest was helping the other onto the back of a horse. I swung my sword. The priest on foot ran at my swinging blade to buy his companion the time to flee. His dying body fell at my feet. I shouted, “Tell King Alan that Lord Göngu-Hrólfr Rognvaldson makes war on the Bretons! Fear me and fear my Long Sword!”

  More priests ran from the chapter house. These were armed. They charged me. It was not glorious but it was necessary. I swept my sword left and right until a bloody pile of corpses lay before me. None were left. I ran into the chapter house and I was joined by Einar Ketilsson and four other men. “Search it and then burn this and the church.”

  “Aye lord. “There are mailed men in the square. They are defending the warrior hall.”

  “I will deal with them!”