by Griff Hosker
I heard a horn to my left. It was Sven. Our cow horns sounded different from the Breton ones. Sven was coming. A second horn from ahead told me that Bagsecg and his men had made an attack. When I had been at the tower I had seen how vulnerable the horse herd was. The Bretons before us slowed. Some halted and looked around for the two new enemies. We neither slowed nor stopped. Men ploughed on. Our wedge still remained formed and bristled with weapons. The men who had fallen had been replaced. I saw King Alan. He was just fifty paces from me. He had a good view of the battlefield and he knew that he had lost. He had more men than we did but we had broken him and with fresh troops coming to my aid he would lose. I saw him turn and his standard bearer sounded the horn four times and then waved the standard. They were falling back. It was not a rout. It was a retreat. They marched backwards facing us. We had travelled four hundred paces when Sven and his men appeared on our left. I saw his raised sword and he led his men into the flank of the Bretons.
King Alan’s allies deserted him first. His lords then ran for the horses which remained. Even as I looked I saw Bagsecg and his men driving horses east.
Æbbi Bonecrusher said, “Lord, the men need rest. I do not think we can continue to pursue them.”
He was right, of course. I did not think that Sven would be either but I knew that Sven Blue Cheek would see the Bretons we had slain and wish to do something about it. He would continue until his men could go no further. I nodded, “Egil, plant the banner here! We have fought our battle!”
I sheathed Long Sword. If any needed despatching then I would use Hrolf’s Vengeance. I slid my shield over my back and I hung my helmet from my seax. We were not far from the Breton camp. King Alan had had tents. Egil and Óðalríkr Odhensson were still with me. My hearth weru were slumped on the ground. They were exhausted. Bergil went to the men he had brought. Some had died and he was a good leader. He saw to his men. Most of my men were with Sven. I would see them when they returned.
As we neared the tents I saw movement. I drew Hrolf’s Vengeance and hurried towards the tent. There was a priest and a warrior. They were stuffing papers and maps into a small chest. The warrior turned and swung his sword at me. I just reacted. I grabbed his sword hand with my left and then rammed my sword into his middle. The priest dropped to his knees and began to beg his White Christ to save him.
“Shut your whining priest! Who was the warrior I slew?”
He said nothing and I put my sword to his throat. “Tell me and I will not only let you live, I will let you go!”
“He is Lord William of Orleans.”
A Frank! “Go before I change my mind.” He scurried away. “Egil, he has mail and a good sword. They are yours. Óðalríkr Odhensson, you may have the rings on his fingers and his gold. Guard those papers. They are valuable to me. Then search the tent. Who knows what else the Bretons may have left.”
If these papers proved as valuable as the ones I had taken in Cent then the losses we had suffered might not be as disastrous as I had first thought. When we had found everything of value we left the tent and headed back to Bayeux. Our men and the men of Bayeux were working their way across the battlefield. The wounded were given a warrior’s death and whatever they had of value was taken. Óðalríkr Odhensson had fought many battles and that was why he had good mail, a fine sword and a helmet which could take a great deal of punishment. I saw that Sámr had begun to pile up the enemy dead. The fire I had begun with the bodies still burned and his men were slinging the Breton dead upon it. Disease and carrion followed the dead.
Our own dead were laid reverently out by the bridge. They would be buried in their mail and with their swords. There would be no marker save for a mound. So long as Bayeux remained Viking then their bodies would be safe. Without even speaking to them I knew that Ubba and Ragnar would want to go to the battlefield where they lost their men and bury them with honour. The difference would be that their bodies would have been mutilated by the Bretons and there would be neither mail nor sword.
As I entered the gates the defenders and the townsfolk clamoured around me. Others had fought in the battle but I was the symbol of the clan. To the ordinary people I was the reason for the victory and they tried to touch me. They thought I was lucky and they hoped the luck would rub off. The men and boys tried to touch the scabbard of my sword. Swords were powerful. Swords had the spirit of their maker within them and were seen as almost magic. I stopped no one. I knew how close we had come to losing. Indeed, we might still have lost. Until I could discover the fate of the towns in the Cotentin we had lost. Sámr’s wife, Elise, came and reaching up on tiptoes, kissed me. I had to incline my head to allow her to do so.
“Lord Hrólfr you look tired. I have had a room prepared for you.” She gestured and a servant appeared. “Petr will show you.”
“First, I must see my lords.” I turned to Egil and handed him the chest. “Take this to the room and then come and find me. I will be with the healers and Ubba.”
Lady Elise said, “They are in the chapel.”
There were many Christians in our land and I allowed them to worship. Their priests made good healers. They were not as good as a volva or a galdramenn but they were conscientious. I knew where the chapel lay. It was outside the hall.
Ragnar the Resolute was just coming out. He dropped to one knee. “Lord I have let you down badly. So did the others but a man must answer for his own mistakes. We thought we could defeat the Bretons and we were tricked. It has been an expensive lesson. I lost my brother, two nephews and a son!”
“The cabbage is out of the ground, Ragnar the Resolute. You can do nothing about the past. It was the Norns.”
He shook his head, “No, lord, the Norns spun and we had a choice. We each went for glory. As we chased the Bretons south we boasted of how we would tell you of our victory and how we had saved you from an unnecessary journey.”
I put my hands on his shoulders, “You put this behind you. Finnbjǫrn is dead and Ubba has lost a leg. You can learn from this. Your port is now the strongest on the Cotentin. You command the Cotentin.”
He looked shocked, “I almost lose you your land and you reward me?”
“You have not changed. We named you the Resolute for that is what you are. You have inner strength. Draw on it now. You made a mistake. You will make others. I have made mistakes and that makes us human. Learn from it and become stronger.”
“I will and I will not let you down.” He lowered his voice, “Ubba is not a well man.”
“The wound?”
He shook his head, “His mind!”
It was dark inside the chapel and there was the smell of blood and ointments. Tallow candles sputtered and spat. I saw bandaged warriors. Some, like Ubba, had lost limbs. All would live. If they were not likely to survive then a shield brother would have ended their lives. A priest came to me, “Lord Göngu-Hrólfr Rognvaldson, I pray you speak with Ubba Long Cheek. His spirits are low.”
“Will he live?”
“Live? Yes. It was a clean wound and I took the leg off above the knee. He might even walk one day. That is not the problem. He does not wish to live.”
“I will speak with him.” I wandered over to the cot upon which he was laid. I could smell singed hair. They had used fire to seal the wound. Ubba’s eyes were closed. I pulled a chest over and sat on it. He opened his eyes. They widened. “Now then, Ubba One Leg! Were you so tired of your own name that you sought a new one?”
“Lord, how can you bear to look at me. You should take Long Sword and end my life and I would be grateful.”
“But if I did that I would lose a warrior who is one of the best I have led.”
“Did they not tell you? I was the reason Finnbjǫrn and Ragnar did not follow your instructions. Loki must have put the thought in my mind that I could defeat the Bretons and give you more land to rule. Instead my warriors lie unburied.”
“We won!”
“What?”
“King Alan has fled back to his own lands.
He has failed to take a single town. He has hurt us but we have his horses and we slew many of his men. We will go to war but when I say! That will now have to be in Þorri. Can you learn to walk by then? Perhaps ride a horse? Had you had more horses then you would have caught the Bretons or seen their trap. There is a reason we use horses Ubba One Leg!”
“I do not like horses.”
“I think that now is the time to become familiar with them. Build an army for me. Teach your men your skills. When I am ready I will summon you and we will march or ride together.”
He took my hand and placed it on his brow, “I swear I will not let you down a second time.”
“I know you will not.”
I returned to the hall. I waved Egil over. “Before we go to the chamber we will drink. I could manage a whole barrel!”
“I will fetch what I can.”
Sámr’s hall had a long table and I sat in the middle. This was not my hall and I would not take the head of the table. My hearth weru came in. They slumped next to me. “We must be getting old, lord, for I am weary beyond words. My sword is as blunt as a lump of iron and my helmet is covered in dents and dints!”
I laughed, “Æbbi Bonecrusher, then take the coin you collected and buy a new one! Buy two!”
Harold Strong Arm limped over, “He is too tight, lord! I believe he still has the first farthing he ever stole!”
I looked at my wounded warrior, “I did not see you in the chapel!”
He shook his head, “I do not like the smell of churches. I went to the gatehouse for fresh air.”
Sámr came in, “More likely to see if you could continue to fight!”
“It was a scratch.”
Sámr shook his head, “I have just spoken to Bergil. One of Bagsecg’s riders told him that Sven Blue Cheek is returning with the rest of the army.”
“Good. Can you cope with all these men, Sámr Oakheart?”
“The Bretons brought cattle to feed their army. We can manage and if not then we would do without for if you had not come then all would have been lost.”
I nodded and emptied the horn of ale which Egil had offered me. “Aye, I made plans but they did not turn out the way I expected.”
Ragnar had been seated quietly at the end of the table. He looked up and said, “But your plans did work. We each left more than enough men to guard our walls. Your new system is a good one. You were just lacking in your choice of lords.”
I waved his comments away and held up my horn for Egil to refill, “I told you before we use this as a lesson. We know where we are vulnerable. Bagsecg has captured horses. Each lord will take an equal share. My grandfather had a dream of Viking horsemen. Thanks to a treacherous brother that dream was shattered. Let us make Hrolf the Horseman’s dream a reality.”
The mood changed in an instant and they all shouted, “Hrolf the Horseman!”
I began to sing the song of my grandfather and all joined in. I was touched that all knew every word of the saga.
The horseman came through darkest night
He rode towards the dawning light
With fiery steed and thrusting spear
Hrolf the Horseman brought great fear
Slaughtering all he breached their line
Of warriors slain there were nine
Hrolf the Horseman with gleaming blade
Hrolf the Horseman all enemies slayed
With mighty axe Black Teeth stood
Angry and filled with hot blood
Hrolf the Horseman with gleaming blade
Hrolf the Horseman all enemies slayed
Ice cold Hrolf with Heart of Ice
Swung his arm and made it slice
Hrolf the Horseman with gleaming blade
Hrolf the Horseman all enemies slayed
In two strokes the Jarl was felled
Hrolf's sword nobly held
Hrolf the Horseman with gleaming blade
Hrolf the Horseman all enemies slayed
Chapter 10
I waited up for Sven Blue Cheek to arrive. Most of my men just collapsed having drunk all that there was and eaten well. Two hard days had taken its toll but I had to speak with Sven and Bagsecg for they were the ones with the true picture of the land and how it lay. They arrived together. Bagsecg was walking. They led captured horses laden with the detritus of battle.
Sven Blue Cheek looked genuinely pleased to see that I lived. We said nothing until we went into the hall. The floor was littered with sleeping men. We could have had a battle in the hall and none would have woken. Egil lay asleep but he was in my chamber with his body wrapped around the chest. As Sven drank I told him of the papers I had taken.
“That is what makes you who you are, lord. I would have left them.”
I shrugged, “They may help but I did not use the last ones well enough. I will now.”
Sven nodded, “We kept our swords in their backs until we had passed where they defeated Ubba’s men. I had my men bury our dead in one mound. Their bodies had been despoiled. It would have done their lords no good to see them. Ragnar’s son and his brother were almost unrecognisable.”
“I have made him lord of the Cotentin.”
“That is good. He will be stronger for this and it will not happen again.”
I turned to Bagsecg, “I told the lords that we would share out the captured horses.”
“Aye lord if I can keep the breeding stallions and mares.”
“Of course.”
“And we need horsemen riding horses like Gilles. I lost twenty men because we were not wearing mail. We need both kinds of horsemen.”
That night we began to formulate a plan. We had to change how we fought for we had enemies all around us. Just before I went to my chamber I said, “One thing has me puzzled. Beorn Straight Hair; where was he?”
“Why worry about his absence?”
“He betrayed Saxbjǫrn and fled to the Bretons. I like not the fact that he was not here. It reeks to me of mischief.”
Sven looked puzzled, “He has received his gold and he has gone. He is not worth worrying about. He is a nithing!”
“When I know where he is then I will cease to worry but we have been undone a little too often lately. I will view everything with suspicion.”
Egil slept at the foot of the bed. He had fully taken on the role of standard bearer. I was so tired that I almost collapsed on the bed. Perhaps it was the ale, the tiredness or perhaps the disaster but whatever the reason for the first time in a long time I dreamed.
I was a bird and I was high above the land. I saw my grandfather. He was riding Gilles. He stopped on the top of a hill. I saw that he spied the land of the Seine. Ships plied the river. Farmers toiled in the field. I saw what he could not. Danes were crawling towards him. I saw Godfrid and I saw Beorn Straight Hair. I swooped to warn him of his danger. He smiled at me. I kept swooping but all that it did was to distract him. The Danes rushed up and began to hack at him and Gilles with swords and axes. I was thrown high into the air and when I looked down he was gone. I heard keening and I dived down once more. It was coming from my hall. There sat Gefn and she was weeping. She was shaking her head. In her hand she held a girl child. Even as I alighted I could hear the bell sounding the alarm. I flew high above the river and I saw an army marching towards Rouen. There were many standards and banners. They followed a cross. They were heading for Rouen. Drums sounded and grew louder and louder.
I awoke. Someone was banging on the door. I wondered why Egil had not opened it and, as I jumped from my bed, I realised he was not there. I shouted, “Come!”
One of Sámr’s servants was there. “You are summoned lord. A rider has come to us from the Haugr.”
I wondered what was this disaster. I poured some water into the basin and sluiced down my face. I headed for the hall and Egil appeared, “I am sorry lord, I went to fetch food.”
“It is no matter.” We entered the hall. I saw Bertrand, one of Bagsecg’s riders. Sven, Bergil, Ragnar and Sámr were
speaking with him. When I entered they all stopped.
Bergil said, “Lord Bertrand has grave news. Tell Lord Göngu-Hrólfr Rognvaldson what you learned.”
“Yester morning Lord Bagsecg chose four of us to ride to the Cotentin to seek news of the Bretons. He was worried that not all of the Bretons might have left the land and he feared they would do mischief.”
My captain of horses had done that which I should have done. “Where is the messenger now?”
“He has headed for the Haugr.”
Sven said, “I would listen first, lord, and ask questions later.”
I nodded and took the ale which Egil proffered. “Go on.”
“We all broke our journey at Carentan. There we found that they had been attacked but the attacks had been repulsed. I was sent to the Haugr. Lord, it has been completely destroyed. I found a child of ten years who had hidden when the attack came. It was Danes. They came without shields on their drekar. The men Finnbjǫrn had left thought that they were friends and admitted them. They were put to the sword and the buildings fired. The Danes left.”
I shook my head. The curse which had hurt my clan had destroyed my grandfather’s home. The meddling priest had much to answer for. “The boy, what did he tell you and how did he survive?” I knew that I sounded suspicious but I had to ask the questions.
“His name is Thorkell Svensson. His father was left in command of the walls.” I remembered Sven, Thorkell’s father. He had been one of my father’s most trusted warriors. He must have been almost fifty years of age. “He sent his son away to hide. He told him someone had to tell you what had happened. The boy is small and quick. He evaded the Danes. He hid in the wrecked tower by crawling into a tiny space. He was able to watch and to hear. The men were butchered as were the boys. The old, both men and women were slain. Sven White Hair was given the blood eagle. The few women who were left and the children were taken aboard the drekar. Thorkell waited until he saw them leave and then emerged. When I found him, he was burying the dead.”