Across the Seas

by Griff Hosker

  Siggi laughed, “Aye and then Arne mentions Pridbjørn’s knarr and he supports us once more. Pridbjørn was his friend.”

  “If we went to the new world, the land of the bear and deer, we could easily build a new knarr for him. There I saw trees which were bigger than any I saw in the lands of the Picts. And the trees are like an ocean. I saw no breaks. It may be the people who live there farm but they do not do so close to the coast for we saw no clearances.”

  Arne pointed to the women who were gathered outside the boat hall. Some were making cheese while others were making capes. “We have more women and children now than men. If we have to fight then we have fewer men.”

  “Arne, even our little brother had the skill to lay low their warriors.”

  “He said he killed one.”

  “He may have done but we did not stay to check!”

  “So, we hunt the seal first and make salt. The crops will grow or they will not. Standing and watching will not encourage them to rise!” It was as we turned, I noticed a black line in the distance. It had not been there when we had left. “What is that?”

  “That is what happens to the fire which flows from the mountain. It turns to black rock. It is as hard as the edge of a good sword.”

  “And it has stopped spewing?”

  “It seems so. The ground shook first and then it burst forth. We had two such eruptions in the time you were away. The last one was bigger. Some of the rivers of fire reached the sea. The tiny piece of sand which lay to the west of us is now rock. This island is growing and changing its shape!”

  Chapter 11

  Over the next month, we hunted seals. Their skins could be made into something which would protect us when we went to the land of the bear and the deer. Dreng might have died but the experiences we had shared would now help all of the clan to benefit. The four of us who had sailed were consulted by all. Halsten, Stig and Eidel were envious of Rek and that helped him to get over the loss of a shipmate.

  I spoke with Padraig and Aed on those seal hunts and told them of our plan. They were as enthusiastic as I was. Both had children now and their wives were hardy women. Helga was my cousin and she was also a warrior. I told them of my charts and of Rek’s offer to sail with them.

  “He was a boy when last we sailed with him.”

  I nodded, “And in the years since then he has become almost a man. He may not be a giant like Sven is becoming but he knows how to steer. It means there will be three of you to take the steering board. It may be that we become separated on the voyage. I hope not but Rek knows how to sail.”

  “But we have no hourglass.”

  “And there were many days when we sailed beneath black clouds with neither sun nor stars. I kept a record and the winds were, generally, from the west. At dawn and dusk each day you will know the direction in which you sail. So long as it is south and west then you will be heading in the right direction. And I will hang a light from my stern for the few hours of darkness we will have to endure.”

  It was Tvímánuður when we saw the knarr approaching from the west. It was not Sighwarth’s knarr. This one looked to be slightly bigger. We were working on the drekar. We had her drawn up on the beach and were coating the hull with pine tar. We had almost exhausted the pine trees. Some had been lost when the river of fire had burned them. There might have been others but they would be far from our home. We would not trek for them. Although not a warship, we were wary of the knarr and Arne, when he was told of the approach, ordered the women and children into the halls and the men to gather their arms. It was at that moment I saw how few we were in numbers.

  The knarr approached our quay. Our snekke was tied there and I went to stand on its deck with Fótr, Rek and Sven. We did not recognize the captain. The knarr was laden. There looked to be at least seven families aboard her. The knarr bumped into the quay and two boys tied them up. The captain, who looked to be of an age with Arne, stepped on to the planking. Arne did not have his weapon drawn. There was no danger from just eight men.

  “I would say welcome to our land but that you have come from the west and we have endured attacks from there.”

  The man nodded, “Aye, I know. I am Leif Eriksson.” He held out his arm for Arne to clasp. My brother did so. “We lived on the west coast of this island but we have had enough. A man cannot make a farm work here. We are heading to Hibernia. Some of our folk lived there and we think that we could farm there at least.”

  I saw the relief on Arne’s face, “Aye this land is not an easy one. Why did you come here?”

  “The King of Norway left us little choice but he has no power in Hibernia. We would stay the night here. We know there is nothing east of here until Føroyar. We have supplies but one more night ashore would please the women.”

  Arne hesitated until a voice came from behind us. It was Gytha, “Make them welcome Arne Larsson. It is the right thing to do.”

  She was a woman but she was a volva and there was command in her voice. Arne nodded, “Forgive me, the volva is right. The attack last year has made me forget my manners.”

  Leif turned and said, “We can land.” He looked at Arne, “Can we camp near to your hall?”

  “Aye.”

  “Camp close to the halls on the headland.”

  Arne said, “Back to work.” He put his arm around Leif. The visitor was smaller than my brother. “There is more to your leaving than just the land. No man risks the savages of Hibernia without good reason.”

  “It is Hakon Long Memory; since he came, we have had more outlaws than families. He rules the west of the island as though he is king. They seek women.”

  “They do not farm?”

  We reached our fire and Arne gestured to the flat, black rock we used as a seat. It was amazingly smooth. Our breeks had polished it until it almost shone. “They have farms but they use thralls to work them. They raid.”

  Siggi shook his head, “Where do they raid? There is nothing around here.”

  “He has two drekar. Neither are particularly big but he sails east and raids the land of the Saxons. You have done the voyage. It is not as frightening as they say. The winds west make it easy. They are away just forty days and come back with grain and more slaves. There are rules in the lands of the Saxon and the Frank. There is justice. Here is the frontier. They want your women.”

  He just blurted it out and it shocked me. I spoke for the first time. “Why, if they have slaves?”

  He smiled but it was a sad smile. “Hakon Long Memory is a strange man. He wants Norse or Danish blood coursing through the veins of his warriors. He believes that Saxons and Hibernians are weak. He has this idea to breed a clan of warriors who can return to the land of the Saxons and wrest it from King Harald!”

  “But that will take years!”

  “I told you he was strange. I came here for shelter and to warn you. He is coming for you. He sailed to raid the lands of Wessex fourteen nights’ since and that is how we were able to leave. He will return and this will be his last voyage before winter sets in. He will bring back grain for beer and bread. He will bring back slaves and he will have warriors who will come and exact the vengeance for his dead brother and other slights he says he has endured. He now has a pair of sons who believe as he does. They have seen but twelve summers and they are as bad as their father. I fear to think what they will do when they lead their father’s men.”

  “Thank you for the warning but you had no need to tell us. You owe us nothing.”

  “But I do. My son and the daughter of Leif Yellow Hair, Hilda, were married. It was she told us of the feud which led to their departure. She liked your clan and argued with her father. When he died one of Hakon Long Memory’s sons, Harold, took a fancy to Helga. When my son tried to stop him, he was slain. I could do nothing about it for the Danes were all at home and we would have been massacred. The Dane took Helga. Two days’ later we found her at the foot of a cliff. She had killed herself. I come to you in memory of Hilda.”

 
I remembered Hilda. She had been pretty and, at thirteen summers, she had her whole life to live. Leif Eriksson had two reason to mourn for he had also lost a son.

  Arne nodded and stood, “Then we thank you. We have a drekar to repair.”

  “And they want that too. Each time they sail east they return with more men such as they. I think they visit Dyflin and other wild ports to seek other outlaws. Three ships would give him a fleet.”

  Arne said, grimly, “We will fight them!”

  “I beg you to leave this place. The last time Hakon came you had parity of numbers and prevailed but since then he has doubled his fighters. You cannot win.”

  Arne looked at me, “Erik, tell him of our plan. I believe this argument may sway the last of the doubters.”

  “Your plan?”

  I nodded, “I sailed west in a snekke and found a land.”

  “The Green Land?”

  “Perhaps.” I was confused. I had seen no sign of others when we had landed. “A land filled with bears and deer?”

  Leif shook his head and laughed, “Eirik the Red said it was a land full of green but the ones who went there found just snow and a land even more inhospitable than this one.”

  “And that is west of here?”

  “Aye, due west. Ten days’ sailing.”

  I shook my head and smiled, “Then that is not the land I found. I sailed for more than forty days and we sailed south and west. We found a land with deer and bear.” I tapped my jerkin. “I made this jerkin from the skin of one and these, “I picked up the pot with the plants we had taken, “are the sorts of plants which grow there.”

  He touched the plant. The last fruits had dried on the plant. We had left them to see if we could propagate from the seeds. “They look like grapes. So this land can grow vines?”

  “Perhaps. We stayed there for just eighteen or so nights and returned to tell the clan.”

  I saw him look west, “Then this Vine Land might be a place we could live?”

  “I do not lie. There are warriors there, skræling, they are fierce. When we go, we expect to fight for land.”

  “And how big is this land?”

  “We sailed along it for seven days and nights. We saw no end to it.” I stood, “And now I must go to my ship. If you would speak with me more then I will answer your questions when we eat.”

  I had piqued his curiosity and interest. That evening as we shared our food with them, he questioned me at length. When I stood to retire, he said, “It is wyrd our meeting. The Norns are spinning Erik the Navigator. I spoke with your young brother and he confirmed all that you said. If you could do that in a snekke then I believe you will succeed with the drekar. When you and your brother have your home watch for my ship. It will not be for some time but I would live in this land of the vines.”

  They left the next day and I never saw Leif or his people again. I often wondered if they had made the voyage. I realized that it would be easier for one to follow. They were not sailing into the unknown. He had seen the berry plant and knew I spoke the truth. Adventure was easier under those conditions.

  After they had gone Arne convened a Thing. We held it two days later. Sven and Rek were both old enough to attend. Eidel, Halsten, and Stig were men grown. The five of them stood with me. Fótr looked unhappy. He was with the other young boys and they could only watch. He was half a year from being able to attend. In six moons he would be a man. He stood with Dreng’s brother, Ebbe.

  Everyone knew what Leif Eriksson had told us but Arne explained again. “We know that our neighbours cannot raid yet. They are in the lands to the east of us. That will give us a month to prepare. The ice freezes at Gormánuður and they would not risk the sea to attack us. If they have not attacked by Gormánuður then the earliest they could do so would be the end of Gói.” He allowed that to sink in. This was the task of a jarl. He had to plan and think for the clan. Arne had consulted with Gytha and Snorri before he had spoken. “I still plan on leaving. Gói would be the earliest that we could go. My brother told me that the journey will take more than forty days. As harsh as life is here, it would be harder at sea, in winter, on a drekar. The question is, who would wish to come with me?”

  That began a debate. All those who supported the idea remained silent at first. It was important to allow the opposition to speak. Æimundr Loud Voice and Mikel the Follower, as we expected, began the debate.

  “Jarl, you are right. This land is not the land we thought it to be but why risk this unknown land that a young navigator claims to have found? We could sail home. Leif Eriksson and his people had the right idea. We could sail to Hibernia. If we merely flee the King of the Norwegians then we will be safe there.”

  I was going to speak but Sven stepped forward. He was brave for he faced the entire clan. “Æimundr Loud Voice, I resent your choice of words. Erik does not claim anything. We did find a new world and the plants we brought back are proof. This is my first Thing and I will follow the rules but if you suggest that we lied about our journey again then when this is over you and I will have words.”

  “I fear no boy!”

  “And I am no boy!”

  I could see that this was getting heated. Sven had been wrong to speak thus. A Thing was time for reflective debate. I stepped forward, “I realize that it may seem incredible to some of the clan that we managed to do what we did.” I looked over to Ada, “It cost Dreng his life. I do not say that life will be easy in the land of the bear and the deer but it will be better than here.”

  With the heat taken from the argument, it became a cut and thrust of argument and counter-argument. When a natural silence fell then Arne said, “We have spoken enough. Those who agree with me and think the clan should make a new home in the land my brother found then stand with me.”

  Four warriors remained alone, Æimundr Loud Voice, Mikel the Follower, Uddi and Sighwarth. When Sighwarth joined us then we knew the clan was with us. “You and your families can have these halls and we will leave food with you but at the end of Gói we will set sail to the west.”

  I hoped we did not have another Leif Yellow Hair who might try something untoward. I saw Gytha approaching the three men to speak with them. I said, “Sven, you almost began a war with your words.”

  “I am sorry, Captain, but I could not stand idly by while you were insulted.”

  “I thank you but I can fight my own battles.” I turned to Arne, “And speaking of battles, how do we defeat Hakon for he will come and we both know that it will be before the winter bites?”

  He and Siggi smiled, “We know and we have made plans. Snorri and Gytha applied their minds to this. We cut down the thin saplings which are of no use at the moment. We sharpen the tips and we bury them, while the sea is yet to freeze, beneath the surface to protect the beach and the quay. We can remove them before we leave but when they bring their drekar to attack then they might well impale themselves on the stakes.”

  Sven had not moved and he pointed west, “And what if they come over land the way they did the last time?”

  Snorri smiled, “The Norns spun and the gods aided us. When the river of fire flooded down to the sea it built a wall of stone. It would have taken us years to do that which the mountain did in one day. They either come by sea or they do not come at all.”

  Gytha joined us and I waved Sven away. This was family. She smiled, “I promised the three of them that I would curse their families if they did as Leif Yellow Hair had done. I told them that we would help them to lay down the keel of a knarr to take them home. They were happy about that. All is well.”

  Gytha was the heart of the clan. I think she always had been. The longer we had been here the more powerful she had become. I wondered if she took power from the fire in the mountain.

  I still had the snekke to repair. She was drawn up on the beach and we had stripped her back to the undamaged strakes. The sprung ones and the wood we had cut in the land of the deer and the bear would be used for firewood. Before we put the spare and
scrap metal into the hull, I had Siggi and Sven make more nails. We had seen the value of them. Fótr, Rek and I painstakingly rebuilt ‘Jötnar’. We had a quantity of pine tar but not as much as I would have liked and so we used wool and fur to pack between the strakes. It made the tar go further and made a better seal. We left the boat to dry on the beach and then went to see to the drekar. By the time we had finished the snekke the rest of the men, with the exception of Mikel the Follower, Uddi and Æimundr Loud Voice had hewn the timber and sharpened it. We had fire hardened the tips in the fire.

  The three of us took the decking out of the drekar and put it under the sail. Then we began to remove the stones. We placed them at the side of the trail which led to the halls. If Æimundr Loud Voice and the others wished to use them then they could move them further. It was as we removed the last ones that a family of mice fled our hull. I was not sure if they would return. If they bred on the island then the foxes would enjoy the change of diet. Wyrd.

  With the stones removed we were able to examine the hull. Arne and I had built this with my father and Snorri. I saw the rune I had put in the bottom. I had remembered the piece of wood I had seen floating and I had decided to leave my mark too. We let the hull dry for a day or two and we helped the others to drive the stakes beneath the surface of the sea. We stripped off and worked in teams of four. Half an hour was the most that a team could manage in the icy waters. We used my hourglass to measure the time. The stakes were rammed in so that they were at an angle. The point was just the length of a leg below the surface. It would not be seen, especially at night, but it would drive into the hull of a drekar trying to enter the harbour. We only had two shifts to do but the others were in the water each day.

  When we had let the air get to the hull, we examined it a little more closely. The timbers looked sound but, as a precaution, we packed them with pieces of fur and wool before painting the inside with pine tar. We had the luxury of allowing it to dry for another two days before we began to load the scrap metal. The women had woven rough sacks. First, we half-filled each one with scrap metal. These were the swords and daggers we had recovered which had bent and the badly damaged byrnies. Then we filled the sacks with the black sand from the beach and laid them in the bottom of the drekar. We took our time for I wanted a balanced drekar. When we came to the damaged helmets, we flattened them with hammers. In this way we had a layer of sand and metal filled sacks which ran the length of the hold. We rode a little lower in the water but we still had more to load. That would have to wait until we had decided what weapons we needed. We would also load barrels for the voyage.