by Griff Hosker
I turned and ran towards the square. I could hear screams from women and children as they grabbed what they could and tried to flee. A woman and three children ran from their home towards the church. When they saw me, they dropped their precious goods and ran up a side alley. Life was worth more than the few items they had saved. I saw that some of my men lay dead. More Bretons had been in the town than I had expected.
There were two shield walls. Æbbi Bonecrusher and my hearth weru led one and a mailed warrior led the Bretons. Even as I watched he stepped forward and slew Bjorn Axe Hand. I heard a roar from Æbbi Bonecrusher for Bjorn had been his friend. I did not want my men to become reckless. I shouted, “Hearth weru! On me!” My voice seemed to echo in the night. My men had blood in their heads but my voice brought reason into them. They stepped back. I held Long Sword above my head in two hands. My men parted so that I could join the front rank. Bjorn’s body lay between us. The Breton lord, he had an open face helmet, grinned at me. He raised his sword and hacked off Bjorn’s head.
I heard Æbbi roar and I shouted, “Hold! I command!”
“Aye lord.”
I began to stamp my foot. My men copied me and banged their shields. I saw some of the Bretons look at each other fearfully wondering what it meant. Their leader shouted, “It is nothing! These are barbarians and we have God on our side.”
Just at that moment flames began to lick at the roof of the wooden church and the fire crackled. I shouted. “Charge!” and I leapt at the enemy. I swung Long Sword as I ran. The Breton lord held up his shield and my sword crashed into it. He was not supported by men behind and he reeled. My sword continued along its long swinging arc and hit the next warrior in the neck. As he fell Æbbi and the rest of my hearth weru hit the Breton line. Had their leader still been in the front rank they might have held but the anger of my men coupled with the lack of leader meant that they broke. The Breton lord regained his feet and he punched at me with his shield as he slashed with his sword. I grabbed the edge of his shield and blocked his sword with my own. Had I been wearing my helmet I would have head butted him. Instead I brought up my knee hard between his legs. He fell as though he had been hit with a war hammer. He lay on the ground and I gripped my sword with two hands and brought it down to slice his body in two. Even as I did so I realised I had ruined a good suit of mail and destroyed a helmet. I cursed my anger. I had allowed the death of an oathsworn get to me. The rest of the Bretons were butchered. The sun began to rise behind the burning church. The screams of the women and the children had grown fainter as they fled. Now there was just the sound of men dying.
I roared, “Empty the houses. Take everything from within that is of value to the drekar. Take all the mail, even that which is damaged.”
Æbbi and the rest of my men took out their anger on the dead. When the Bretons came to view the town, they would be horrified at what they saw. The terror we inspired was part of my plan. King Alan of Vannes might well be unafraid of me and my men but his people would be. When we came to make war, the battle would be half won before we began. I cleansed my sword on the Breton lord’s cloak. I saw Egil Flame Bearer. He had been with my oathsworn. “Egil, here is a good sword for you. I fear I have destroyed the mail and helmet.”
He grinned as he took the sword, “I thank you, lord but,” he held up a good helmet with a nasal, “I have found a helmet already and the warrior had coin but I will take the mail. I am handy with a hammer.”
I smiled for the young warrior looked elated. “You are walking down the warrior road now, Egil. I hope the journey is long.”
I headed down to the drekar. I could see that Erik had already lifted the decks and sacks were being loaded along with chests. We would share them in Rouen. For now, we had to ensure that the drekar was evenly loaded and that we had left nothing of value behind.
“Erik, there are still ships which need destroying.”
“Lord they are good ships. It breaks my heart to sink them.”
“They are the ships of our enemy and I would hurt them.” I pointed to the hill side. “See how we burn the town? If the crops were not still green I would burn them too. That is what we do. If you hurt a Viking we hurt you more. We make you fear us.”
He nodded, “I understand. Lars, take an axe and drive it through the keels of those ships.”
My men began to filter back towards the drekar. They carried chests, bolts of cloth, hams; all that the town had contained was ours. Æbbi Bonecrusher came toward me with a loaf. He handed it to me. It was still warm. He smiled. “You said you wanted freshly baked bread. It does not come any fresher.”
“Thank you, Æbbi Bonecrusher.”
He shook his head, “Thank you, lord, I forgot that I followed a great leader and I almost lost my head. It will not happen again.”
I nodded and bit into the warm bread. “Have our dead brought back to the drekar. We will bury them at sea. They died well.”
“Aye, lord, and they are now in Valhalla!”
The fire began to spread as my men moved down the hillside. The very steps we had used began to burn.
The last of my men boarded. “Tie ropes to the wharf.”
Erik gave me a strange look and then nodded, “Lars, do as our lord commands.”
I shouted, “Take to the oars and hoist the sail.”
I think I had bemused them all. I sat next to Sweyn Oak Arm. I began the chant.
The Clan of the Horse march to war
See their spears and hear them roar
The Clan of the Horse with bloody blades
Their roaring means you will be shades
Clan of the Horse Hrolf’s best men
Clan of the Horse death comes again
Leading Vikings up the Frankish Water
They brought death they brought slaughter
Taking slaves, swords and gold
The Clan of the Horse were the most bold
Clan of the Horse Hrolf’s best men
Clan of the Horse death comes again
Fear us Franks we are the best
Fighting us a fatal test
We come for land to make our own
To give young Vikings not yet grown
Clan of the Horse Hrolf’s best men
Clan of the Horse death comes again
Clan of the Horse Hrolf’s best men
Clan of the Horse death comes again
The Clan of the Horse march to war
See their spears and hear them roar
The Clan of the Horse with bloody blades
Their roaring means you will be shades
Clan of the Horse Hrolf’s best men
Clan of the Horse death comes again
Leading Vikings up the Frankish Water
They brought death they brought slaughter
Taking slaves, swords and gold
The Clan of the Horse were the most bold
Clan of the Horse Hrolf’s best men
Clan of the Horse death comes again
Fear us Franks we are the best
Fighting us a fatal test
We come for land to make our own
To give young Vikings not yet grown
Clan of the Horse Hrolf’s best men
Clan of the Horse death comes again
Clan of the Horse Hrolf’s best men
Clan of the Horse death comes again
We had to row hard and there was resistance but eventually the wind, our drekar and the strength of our men prevailed. The piles which held the wharf were dragged into the river. The wood from the wharf would have to be removed and the sunken ships shifted. The port would need much work until it could be used again.
“Cease rowing! Cut the ropes! It is time to go home!”
I watched the fire burning as we headed north. I knew that Bretons would be galloping to try to save their town. It would be too late. The ancient monastery was gone. The lord, whose name I did not know was dead, along with every warrior in the town. The ones who had escaped would not boast of their es
cape. They would count themselves lucky that they had avoided the wrath of the Northmen. The priest who had fled would report the tale to his bishop and to the King. My message would be delivered.
With the wind behind I sailed close to, first Sarnia, and then Angia. I was taunting the Bretons. I was letting them know that these were my waters. I could bring twenty times the ships and none could stop me. There were ships in their harbours but none ventured forth. As night fell the wind diminished. Before the sun set we sent our dead into the waters. They had died with their swords in their hands and would be in Valhalla. Their bodies would be safe from the vengeance of the Bretons. We were in sombre and reflective mood as we headed home.
I had much to think about. I had declared war on the Bretons. I had fought them before. We had beaten them. I had been remiss. The peace had seduced me and I had grown lax. Erik Gillesson was my master of horses. There had been a time when Stephen of Andecavis had led horsemen who could fight the Breton and Frankish horsemen. They had given us parity on the field with their horses and that had allowed our shield walls to win. Erik and his son Bagsecg still bred fine horses. They had even bred a horse big enough for me. The training of my young men as horsemen had not been as rigorous as it ought to have been. We needed horsemen again. Horsemen would have found the Breton raiders before they could take my farmers and their families. I could have stopped the war before it began.
I glanced up at the mast head. My pennant flew there. It did not stand out enough. I wanted something which told the Franks and the Bretons who came to fight them. I wanted them to fear me before they fought me. I would have a larger standard made. It would be red. The blood red sign with a yellow horse would tell them that the Clan of the Horse was coming. Egil Flame Bearer had shown that he had courage. He had yet to prove himself as an oathsworn but he could stand with my standard. His red hair seemed to mark him for that task.
The voyage up the Seine was slower than normal and we did not reach Rouen until after dark. We had no throngs to welcome us. It did not matter. We had a war to plan. As we sailed the last few paces to the wharf I said to the crew, “You have all done well but this is only the beginning. Go home and see your families. I would have all of you sail with me.” I looked at Siggi, “But if you cannot then do not worry. I will call upon you again in the spring. It is late but come the morrow I will divide the treasure we have taken. If there are those of you with long journeys then fear not, I will send your share to your homes. We fought as one and we share as one. Clan of the Horse!”
The crew roared, “Clan of the Horse!”
I waited until all had landed before I left. It was so late that all were in bed save for Dómhildr and Padraig. Padraig was finishing a goblet of wine. Dómhildr bobbed her head, “I will fetch you wine, lord, and congratulations!”
She left and I frowned, “Congratulations?”
Padraig gave me a weak smile, “Your wife, lord, is with child.”
I could not get excited about it. She had been with child once since William and the babe had died stillborn. I wondered about the curse for she had been pregnant six times and only produced one live child, William. Our daughters had died. “I hope the gods are kinder to me.”
He saw that something was amiss. “What is wrong lord?” I told him my news. My riders would not be back for a few more days. After I had told him he sipped from his goblet. He did not use a horn. “War with Brittany might be expensive lord. We know of the secret alliance between Wessex, the Empire and Brittany. Are you not playing into their hands?”
“If I sit and do nothing I am. They seek to eat us piece by piece. This Frankish peace is no peace at all. I will smile and feign belief in the word of the Emperor and his King but when Brittany is defeated then the Franks had best watch their borders.”
He nodded, “And your lords arrive when?”
“Soon. I need maps of the borderlands. I will ask my lords for the numbers of men that they can send to me. How are our finances?”
“Thanks to your raids they are healthy. What you lack is a large army.”
“I know. Had Guthrum not relinquished his power I might have sent to him. I have few allies.”
He smiled, “I am sure you will find a way.” Dómhildr returned with wine, bread and cheese. Padraig smiled, “Eat lord. You need to keep your strength. I will be at your side. On that you can depend. God has willed it so.” I wondered at his words. It sounded like there was a hidden message beneath them.
The next day my wife came to me and she was beaming. “In seven months from now you will have a second son.”
“I am pleased, my wife. Take care with this one and rest. I would have a healthy son like William.”
“Fear not lord for my priest has interceded with God. He will be born healthy and he will be a leader to follow you.”
For some reason I liked not her words. They seemed to imply that William did not exist. However, at the time, I was too busy with planning a war to take them in. Padraig, although a priest, understood war. He did not concern himself with the killing and the right or the wrong of it. He looked on it as an exercise in numbers. I had had an idea for a way to send a message to my lords. Padraig and I sat with my moneyer, William of Rouen, and came up with a solution. When they showed me the result I was well pleased. “I want fifty of these minting. Then I will have the die. Padraig will keep it safe.” I was becoming a very suspicious man. I found myself questioning everything. I had been betrayed too many times in my life already.
My lords arrived before the deadline I had set. I knew that they would. Each of them felt a bond with me. Some, like Bergil and Sven, had been oathsworn. Others, like Ubba Long Cheek and Saxbjǫrn, had chosen to follow my banner. Bjorn the Brave had done great service in the siege of Paris. Erik and his son Bagsecg were a link back to the days of my grandfather. Each was tied to me but by a different thread. When the Lady Poppa discovered that they were all arriving she hid herself away. I did not mind for that meant the Frankish spy would know nothing of what we said.
With my oathsworn watching my doors I told them all that I had learned. I told them of the conspiracy and the fate of Nefgeirr and Halfi Axe Tongue. They listened in silence. “We have been duped and we need to be as cunning as our foes. We go to war.”
They cheered. Sven Blue Cheek said, “And about time too. It does not sit well to grow fat and lazy. A warrior should be lean and hungry.”
I held up my hand for silence. “We need a system. I want each of you to commit every man in the lands you rule to thirty days service a year.”
Sámr shouted, “Make it sixty, lord! My men would be happy about that!”
I nodded, “And those who wish can make it sixty but by making it thirty then we can keep our walls watched and protected while we go to war.”
Silence fell until Sven Blue Cheek said, “I have grey hairs on my head and in my beard but you, Lord Göngu-Hrólfr, are wiser. This is a clever plan.”
We spoke of how we might use our men to the best effect. Bergil Fast Blade asked, “When do we attack? Soon?”
I shook my head, “First you need to ensure that you have neither spies nor traitors in your lands. Saxbjǫrn was betrayed from within. The enemy knew that they were coming. I will send a sign. I have had my moneyer cast a special coin. It will be larger than a penny and made of silver. On one side there will be a horse while on the other a lion.” I smiled, “The horse carries us to battle but we go with the heart of a lion.” I saw nods. They liked the symbolism of the lion. When you receive the first coin you prepare for war and the second tells you that we are to fight.” I took out the coins and, walking around them I gave each one a single coin. I watched them examine the coins. William had done a good job. As there would be a limited number of them he had taken great care in the striking of each coin. The fact that there would never be a large number meant that the die would stay sharp. It would be hard to make a copy for they would not be in general circulation.
Sámr asked, “But where do
we fight?”
“In the land of the Bretons. We need to make certain that the borderlands, the Haugr, Bayeux, Ċiriċeburh and Valognes can be defended when we are away. We cannot use our ships for they watch for them. Their heartlands are protected. Angia and Sarnia are like sentinels. At Ýlir I will make a progress around your strongholds. I will tell you all then of my plan.”
Finnbjǫrn Stormbringer frowned, “But we are all here now, lord. Why not tell us now?”
“First, I do not know. I have much to discover about our enemy. We fought King Alan before. I would make this the last time. I have to unravel the threads of our enemies’ plans. The King of the Franks and the King of Wessex are involved but I am not sure yet how. What I do know is that we are seen as an abomination that the three of them wish to see eradicated.”
Sven Blue Cheek was the most experienced and loyal of my lieutenants. He nodded. “Then we ride to war and fight as Vikings.”
“Aye. Bagsecg Eriksson will lead all the horsemen that you bring. I know it will not be as many as in days past but that must change. Each of you will lead your own men in battle. You will all fight under your own banners but the plan will be mine. I made a mistake in allowing Saxbjǫrn and the others to punish King Alan. I will not do so again. If you are attacked then send to me for help.”
“How? The message might be intercepted.” Ubba looked concerned.
I held up the coin. “You all have the horn to summon me. Send a rider with the coin and I will come. Trust in your walls and trust in me.” I looked around at all of them. “The enemy are cunning. I know that you are warriors all and that you have courage but we need to act as one. If there is any hint of danger then send to me. I do not want any of you to suffer the fate of Haldi or Nefgeirr.” Looking back, when hindsight gives a man perfect vision, I should have looked each man in the eye but I did not and I paid the price or perhaps the Norns had already decided our direction.
My lords stayed for two days. It gave me the opportunity to discuss with each of them their unique situation. We were thinly spread and clung, largely, close to the coast. Each stronghold was less than half a day from their nearest neighbour. That was a strength but the ones on the Cotentin, Valognes, the Haugr, Carentan and Ċiriċeburh were vulnerable for Angia and Sarnia lay close by and they would be on the front line of any attack. They lay the closest to Brittany. Even Sámr’s stronghold at Bayeux was a little too close to the enemy to be considered safe. Caen was my rock. Sven would be the one who would hold my flank. It was Sven Blue Cheek who would know my heart.