by Griff Hosker
Haaken and my Ulfheonar left the task of ending the lives of the Danes to Ulf's men. "How did you escape this trap, Jarl?"
"Trap?"
Beorn the Scout nodded, "I found the trail of the second warband, Jarl. They had been heading for Cyninges-tūn. I am guessing that they received word that you were here and they came north to join the others. As soon as I discovered it I told Haaken."
"We came as fast as we could, Jarl, but the heavy rains made travel almost impossible."
I shook my head. I saw the guilt on all of their faces. "This was wyrd." I held the dragon symbol. "Had I not been pursued I would not have discovered this. My dream told me I would find it."
Rolf could not contain himself, "And we found the voice of the dragon!"
My men stared at him as though he had lost his mind. Aiden said, "It is true. We found the site of an ancient battle. It looked to me as though the two things came from the times of the Romans. The Jarl is Dragonheart. This is the link to that dragon and see it has saved his life already!"
He pointed to the scar running across the metal.
Ulf asked, "Is this over now, Jarl?"
"No, Ulf. There is one brother left and others who live in Jorvik. The Danes are growing in power there. I think that the days of Northumbria are numbered. Soon we will need to make war on them. When we are finished here have your warriors train. I will send word when we go to teach the Danes that this is not their land."
We did not leave straight away. We were all exhausted. Haaken and Ulf's men had had to travel without rest and we had spent three days fleeing across the land and fighting a relentless enemy. We headed for the nearby Roman fort and camped there. Snorri and the others were closely questioned by the other warriors. Everyone knew that what we had done was remarkable, I sat with Olaf, Haaken and Aiden.
"The Weird Sisters have woven a complicated web this time, Jarl."
"You are right Aiden. It goes from the Danes to Egbert and here to a time before the memory of man. I hope my son and the others are not entangled in this web."
"They will be, Jarl. The Norns do not do things by half and I fear I cannot see across the sea. I did not even see my own trap."
Olaf Leather Neck stroked the edge of his axe, "We rely on our weapons and our brothers. That is all that a warrior can do."
If there was something good to take from this encounter with the Danes it was the weapons, mail and treasure we took back home with us. Ketil and his men had the first choice. Had they not arrived when they had then we would be dead. But all of us benefitted. We took the sword from Harald Halfdansson and buried it with Vermund and the others who had fallen. He had earned it. His golden wolf we took, along with his share of the spoils, for his wife. He had no children and his wife was young. Another warrior would take her to his hearth. That was the way of the warrior. When we had taken our leave of my Ulfheonar we began the long journey home. For Aiden and I it was a silent journey for we had much to ponder.
There was relief when we marched through the gates of Cyninges-tūn. I had had enough of riding and I had walked the whole way with my men. I know that Aiden wrestled with the problem of his powers and the significance of the dragon. I was planning my attack on the Danes. I had learned that if you did not punish your enemies then they took it as a sign of weakness and came back. When the Irish had kidnapped my wife and children we had inflicted such punishment that they never attempted anything like it again. I would do the same to the family of Halfdan the Black.
Kara greeted Aiden but I did not see Brigid. "Where is my wife?"
"It is nothing to worry about father, but she has a fever."
Fear gripped my heart, "Erika?"
"Your child is healthy. We found a wet nurse for her."
I stared at Kara, "A fever? You and your women normally have cures for such things."
Kara came closer. "It may not be a simple fever but I think she will recover."
"You speak in riddles. She will be fine and then it may not be a simple fever. Which is it?"
"Since the spirit of Myrddyn returned I have not thought clearly. I suspect my husband has not either. Is not that right?"
He nodded, "I told you that I should not have been caught so easily. My mind is clouded. "We must go to the cave and dream."
Kara smiled, "It is what I thought too. We will wait until Brigid is healed for we will need to leave Ylva with her grandfather."
"I thought you said that Myrddyn's return was good."
"It is but it was you who went to the cave and it should have been us."
I hurried to my hall. Uhtric and my wife's women were tending her. They bowed when I entered. "How is she?"
"She has warmed to the touch since the morning and her eyes fluttered as though she might wake."
"Did the nuns of the White Christ help her?"
"They have rarely left her side. It is only since we had word of your return that they have left."
I stroked Brigid's head, "Kill a chicken, pluck it and cook it. Pour in half of a small jug of the red wine I was saving. I will feed her!"
They scurried off. This was not what I normally did but I remembered that my mother had used chicken broth when we were ill. The wine was just an afterthought. The taste warmed me through and I believed it could not hurt. "Fetch me my children!"
Gryffydd and Erika were brought and poor Gryffydd looked fearfully at his mother. "Fear not, my son, we shall heal her. Come and sit on my knee."
He began to stroke the dragon around my neck. "What is this?"
"It is the sign of the dragon." I took it off and placed it around his neck. "There, you shall wear it."
He looked pleased and then he frowned and took it off, "Mother needs it more than I do father. Let the dragon heal her." He placed it around her neck. After a few moments her breathing seemed easier. It became regular and a little colour came back into her cheeks and as we watched, her eyes opened. Gryffydd grinned, "See, I told you!"
She looked up at me, "I dreamed you were attacked. Was it true?"
"It was but I came to no harm and I am home now."
She put her hands on mine. "How long have I been ill?"
"A few days." She nodded and looked at my face and then Gryffydd's.
"The dragon cured you!"
"The dragon?" Gryffydd held it up for her to see. My poor wife looked confused. "I do not understand."
"I found this near the Roman Wall and it saved my life. I put it around our son's neck and he placed it on yours. It seemed to work."
She took it off and looked at it. Her eyes widened. "Do you know what this symbol is?"
"It is a dragon such as came to me in my dream. The old wizard, Myrddyn, said it was connected to me and was important."
She shook her head, "No, husband. I have seen this many times before and it is important. This is the symbol of my people. It is the banner under which we fight. It is said that one day this will unite all the peoples of this land." She clutched at her cross and closed her eyes. "This is pagan and cannot be happening!"
"You cannot fight your destiny. When I first took you from your home I did not know where the road would lead. I still do not but we cannot get off the path that has been chosen for us. I now see that the dragon ties us together. It is wyrd." It took some time to calm her down but eventually she did.
After she had eaten some of the broth I had had made for her I sent for Kara so that she could examine my wife. She was pleased and, when we told her of the dragon, she became even happier. The only person who seemed sad about the whole thing was Brigid herself. After she had fallen asleep Kara took me to one side. "Do not worry, father. There are two demons fighting inside of her. Brigid must make her own choices. But this is good. Your son shows that he too has a gift. He placed the dragon around her neck. We did not tell him to do so. Who did?"
After a couple of days, when Brigid was able to move around the hall and showed signs of recovery, Kara and Aiden left to sleep in the cave. Macha and Deidra cam
e to stay in my hall to help Brigid recover. It left my son and I some time alone. I was aware that I had neglected him. The dragon had changed the lives of all in my home. I did not fully understand it but I was aware that it had some power. I hoped that the visit to the cave would bring with it some knowledge. I took Gryffydd to Bjorn Bagsecgson.
"I think, Master Blacksmith, that it is time for my son's first weapon."
Bjorn was a grandfather and knew how to speak with the young. "Indeed and all of Cyninges-tūn has heard how he saved his mother's life. What would you have for him, Jarl Dragonheart?"
I had already decided what he would have but I was acutely aware that this was an important moment in my young son's life. It was his first step to becoming a warrior."He has far to go to grow into Ragnar's Spirit but I would have a sword made for him rather than a seax. When he is a warrior grown he can wield a dagger which will be the equal of any sword."
"Let us test his strength then." There were iron bars laid out neatly in the workshop. They varied in length. "Come here, Gryffydd. Pick up each bar in turn and then lay it down."
The first three were easy for my son for they were short. When he came to the one which was twice as long as my hand he had to use his other hand to help him. "Thor himself has decided for you. That is the one!"
"But it is too heavy for me to lift with one hand."
"And when I have added the pommel and the guard it will be heavier but it will take a month to make and you will have to become stronger." He flexed his arm. "Put your hands around this." He tried but they would not reach and Bjorn laughed. "When I was your age then my arms were not like this. You work each day and you use your arms. Little by little they will become stronger. Your father did not learn to use Ragnar's Spirit in a day. When he was growing up he hewed trees for old Ragnar and he learned to use a bow. You must do the same."
"I will." His eyes showed the excitement. It made me wonder why I had not paid him more attention before. He was the future and I had been too busy with the present.
"And the design?"
I looked at Gryffydd and took the dragon from around my neck. "I think the gods have decided that for us. There should be a dragon on the blade; this dragon."
Even Bjorn became excited. "Aye Jarl. Wyrd!" He held his huge hand out, "If I could have this for the day then I can study it. " I hesitated. I was loath to lose such a precious item. My sword was rarely more than a hand span from me. Bjorn smiled, "I must know the way the dragon moves and make it so that its movement is reflected in the blade. You can trust me with this Jarl. I have never failed you yet."
I gave it to him, "I know Bjorn. Come son, let us find a bow for you and then we will cut firewood!"
The young are eager to learn and my son took in every word with a rapt attention I had not seen before. We practised with the bow and loosed arrows at a large oak by the Water. When his forearm was red from releasing the bow then we went and found a hatchet. I hewed the logs and he split them. It took me back to Norway when Old Ragnar, one handed and crippled, had split logs with me. Those had been happy times. I did not know, at the time, how happy for I had been a slave. It made me realise that happiness came not from your station but your state of mind.
When the sun was at its height I laid down the axe. "Come my son, we have earned our food this day!"
He was animated as we walked back to my hall. Brigid must have had servants watching for us. There was food and ale on the table as we entered. Macha and Deidra shook their heads when Gryffydd entered. "He is as filthy as a heathen! Come Gryffydd. It is time for a wash!"
"But father."
I shook my head, "Never argue with a woman, Gryffydd; you will lose!"
His head dropped and he allowed himself to be led. "What have you been doing husband?"
"Hewing logs and teaching my son to use a bow."
She studied me and my face and then said, "And where is the dragon?"
"Bjorn is studying it. He makes the first sword for our son and the dragon will be incorporated into it."
She made the sign of the cross. "Is this well done?"
"There is a connection between the dragon and my son. You can see that even though you may not like it. If this symbol of your past can protect not only our son but our people is that not a good thing?"
When she said, "Eat your bread and cheese. They are both freshly made." I knew that she agreed. She had a stiff neck and would never acknowledge that I was right.
Even my wife smiled when she heard the way Gryffydd spoke of his new sword, the dragon and the archery. She reached over and put her hand on mine. She said nothing but the touch was enough for me. By the end of the afternoon my son could draw his small bow and release with far greater accuracy. He even hit the target four times out of five. We did not bother with the logs for I could see that he was tired.
"You must practice each day with your bow. Even if I am not here then I want you to spend as much time with the bow as you can. If enemies come then you will be on the walls defending our home. These are your first steps to becoming a warrior."
"I will."
"Now unstring your bow. When this becomes easy to draw we will get you a bigger one. I will have Snorri show you how to make a bow."
"Like that which he uses?"
Snorri had an expensive bow from the Saami people. It could send an arrow further than any other bow I had ever seen. "No, but when you are strong enough to use the longest bow that we can make I will send Siggi to the Saami and buy you one."
He became even more excited then and his words came out in a torrent as we headed for Bjorn's workshop. He took off his leather apron and came towards us. He gave me the dragon, "This is a wondrous symbol, Jarl. I have studied it closely. See how the muscles on the dragon's body make it seem real. It feels alive. That is not easy to do in metal. It is a shame about the mark on the body."
I laughed, "You mean the Dane's blade should have struck me and not the dragon?"
He grabbed his hammer of Thor, "Sorry, Jarl! I did not think. The dragon has a thick skin. See how it has scales along its body, Gryffydd. Your sword shall have such scales and, perhaps, your first byrnie. If you are to be the dragon warrior then you should look like one."
I had not thought of that but it seemed appropriate. I was the wolf warrior with the heart of a dragon. Perhaps my son would be the dragon warrior with the heart of a wolf.
Aiden and Kara did not return until noon the next day and, as they entered my hall, I saw how drawn they were. Macha and Deidra fussed over them. Gryffydd and I had spent the morning practising and hewing logs and we ate greedily as the two of them told their story. The three Christians clutched their crosses and silently intoned prayers as they heard what, to them, was blasphemy.
It was Aiden who spoke and Kara cuddled Ylva. "The old wizard came to us. You are right Brigid there is a connection to the old people of this land. The dragon was their symbol but it is more than that. The old man told us that the dragon came from a land far to the east; a land without mountains and without trees. It is from the land of the horse." He looked at me. "You were meant to find it. The grave had laid there since the time of the old wizard and the rain was sent to show you what lay within. It was wyrd."
"But what does it portend?"
"You are to be as the dragon. You must move quickly and when you strike do so with all the power at your command. A dragon is hard to kill for it wears armour over its body but every dragon has a weak spot. There is always one spot where a dragon can be hurt."
Kara looked up, "Your family. Each time you defend this land and fight our enemies then all of us in this hall and Wolf Killer and his family will be in the greatest danger. That is your challenge, father. You must be as the dragon and range far and wide to defeat our enemies and yet you must protect that which makes you strong; your family."
All those in the room looked at me. I had been set an impossible task. I had to be in two places at once. How would I do what had been foretold?
> Part 3 The Dragon's Roar
Chapter 9
Wolf Killer and the warriors from Cyninges-tūn did not return until the summer was almost over. The air was still warm and the days long but the crops were ripening and the young animals no longer needed their parents. Our markets were filled with the bartering of lambs, calves and kids. A long line of horses and men trekked up to the gates of my hall. Even though Wolf Killer could have gone directly home more quickly he came to speak with me. The raid appeared to have been a great success. I could see that by the quantity of goods they brought but, as my jarls and my son sat and drank ale with me, they told me of the cost.
"The men of Neustria are fierce warriors and they have well made burghs. We lost warriors; good warriors."
"Did they die well?"
"All died well."
"Then it is wyrd."
They told me of the rivers up which they sailed and the churches they had robbed. "We did not get as much coin from the holy books we took. They are not as good as the ones we take in this land."
"We met up with Gunnar Thorfinnson and young Hrolf. We both chose the same river in which to hide. They came on one raid with us. Your young apprentice is doing well, Jarl. He is like a son to Gunnar. They plan on spending the winter there. There is a river they make their own. It will be a hard battle for them but he has a determined crew."
"I am pleased for them both. I liked young Hrolf. He had spirit and it is good that he goes back to the land which enslaved him."
Wolf Killer had sharp eyes and he spotted the dragon about my neck, "That is new, father. Is there a tale there too?"
We told him of the raid by the Danes and our escape. Aiden finished off the tale with their dream. "You are right, father nothing we do is in isolation. Our raids in Neustria will have an effect. I know not what that will be but it will change our future. I would say that you were lucky to escape with your life but I know that it is not luck but the Weird Sisters." He stood, "And now I must return to my home. Your words have made me anxious about my family. My home is the closest to the Danes." He pointed to the chest his men had brought in. "I have left a share for you father. I will not raid again this year."