by Griff Hosker
"Thank you, my son. And I may have to take the rest of my men to Jorvik over the winter so it is good that you stay close by. The prophecy says that my land will be in danger when I am away and yet I must venture into the heart of our enemy's land. You will protect my family."
Gryffydd said, "I will have the dragon blade by then! I will protect the land!"
All smiled. Wolf Killer said, "I will tell you what, little brother, we will both protect this land. What say you?"
His eyes widened as he said, "Aye, Wolf Killer!"
After he had gone I sought out Siggi and Raibeart Ap Pasgen. Before he had captained my drekar Raibeart had acted as a spy for me. He had sailed a knarr and found information which we needed. "I have a task for you both but you can refuse if you wish."
Raibeart shook his head, "I will never refuse you, Jarl Dragonheart, for you have made me what I am today."
Siggi's face displayed his determination, "And I can never repay you for helping me to avenge Trygg. Ask."
"I would have you, Raibeart, sail 'Weregeld' into Jorvik. I would know where the Halfdan clan live. If Siggi goes with you then it will appear less suspicious and you can protect each other" They both nodded. "With the goods you have brought back from Neustria there will be goods we can trade with the merchants of Jorvik. There are still many Saxons who live there and they are Christian. There may well be a market for the holy books and goods you brought."
Siggi nodded, "Bjorn told me there is some low grade iron ore at the mines. That is good ballast and they need that for the Saxon armouries."
"Good. See if you can trade for young animals. The vales around Jorvik have many fine flocks. But the most important part of your voyage will be to find where the Halfdans live."
"We will do so."
"I will ask for volunteers to sail with you. You will need warriors but the ones you take should look like sailors."
"Do not worry about that, Jarl. There are many young warriors who are keen for adventure. This will appeal to many."
It took us three days to gather the crews and the goods which they would take. I went with them, accompanied by my son, to Úlfarrston. I needed to speak with my drekar captains. Erik and Olaf were the only ones who were there. Bolli, my shipwright was working on 'Odin's Breath' which needed repairs following the last raid.
"We will be taking our ships to Jorvik and we will do so in winter."
Olaf was new to winter raiding, "What if the river is frozen?"
"We will travel before Yule. If the river is frozen then it means we are not meant to raid and we will return home."
Erik was more philosophical about it all. So long as his drekar was on water then he was happy. "Will you be attacking Jorvik? It is a powerful fortress."
"I hope not." I pointed to 'Weregeld' which was being loaded. "Raibeart and Siggi will find out where we need to attack."
"Then we have time."
I nodded. "I cannot see them being back here before the end of a month."
"Good then I will replace some of the sheets and shrouds. Sailing in winter is demanding! How many drekar will we take?"
"That depends upon the information which our scouts bring back. It may be just your two but if needs be we will take them all. The Danes have troubled us three times this year. We rid ourselves of this particular boil with one sharp strike." I told them how the brothers we had sought had been involved in the attempt to attack the heart of my land.
Erik Short Toe frowned, "They died too well. You should have half killed them and left them to be eaten by carrion. That is the punishment for traitors." He looked at Gryffydd. "Would you like to see your father's ship?"
I could see, by his reaction, that Gryffydd was fascinated by the drekar. Erik now had children of his own and they were swarming over the drekar. "You can play with them if you like. I have much to discuss with my captains."
He raced off, eager to play with some new companions. We spent some time discussing routes and charts. Olaf would have to copy the ones which Erik had. They were jealously guarded by my captains. Most Vikings did not have the luxury of charts and that was the reason many failed to return from voyages. Aiden ensured that my captains knew what the land and the sea would be like. Olaf was lucky that he had such a fine mentor as Erik. "The seas to the south of Jorvik are treacherous, Olaf. There are swamps and reeds which spill over into the river. It is easy to miss a channel. When we go you will follow Erik. His boat draws more water; if he can sail then so can you. "
Erik pointed to the side of Olaf's drekar, "We will be travelling light and will not draw as much water as we normally do but we ride lower in freshwater."
"There is much to learn and to remember."
"And you are learning, Olaf. I remember when Erik had to learn. Old Josephus passed all of his knowledge to Erik and he will do the same for you. It is our way."
There was a sudden shout and clamour from on board 'Heart' we ran to see what it was. Gryffydd lay on his back and his nose was bloody. Sven Eriksson who was a little older than him stood over him. Erik Short Toe shouted at his son, "What have you done? This is the son of the Jarl!"
Sven pointed a finger at Gryffydd, "He said this was his ship and he would be captain. I said it was mine and he hit me. I hit him harder."
I saw Erik ready his hand. "Stay your hand Erik Short Toe. My son is at fault." I helped him to his feet. "If you strike someone you should either be confident that you will win or suffer the consequences." I took a leather water container and poured it on Gryffydd's face. "There the blood has gone. Now can you play or would you stand with me and wait?"
"I will play."
"Good. This is how you learn to become a man."
Erik said, when we were back studying the charts, "I am sorry, Jarl."
"Do not be. My son has to learn to take blows. This is my fault. I have not toughened him up yet. He has spent too much time with his mother. She is teaching him to read and he should be learning to fight. This lesson will be valuable and I am pleased that he went back to playing. I would have been disappointed had he walked away."
We headed back in the afternoon. The bleeding had long stopped but the congealed blood was still in his nostrils. We rode in silence until he said, "Is that your drekar, father?"
"It is but Erik is my captain and he spends longer on the drekar than any. It is his too. If you are going to pick fights then there are two things to remember: be in the right and make sure that you can win."
"But he was bigger and older than me!"
"I have fought much bigger men. Use your mind to defeat bigger enemies and if you are going to hit then do not hold back. A man, no matter how big, cannot fight if he has no wind. You hit to the gut. If you hit to the face then you hurt your hands. Look." I pointed to his grazed knuckles. He must have hit Sven Eriksson in the teeth. "It is the same with a sword. Unless you have a good blade then you will gain little from striking at mail. Better to strike flesh. That is some time off but you must use your mind. If you do not then you will not survive as a warrior."
I saw him looking at the knuckles on his hand as we rode back to Cyninges-tūn. It pleased me that he was thinking. I knew now that I had to let my son experience more of the rough and tumble of life in a Viking Stad. He could no longer be cosseted in my hall. I sighed, I would have a battle with his mother.
Brigid did not spy the damage until the next morning. I suspect one of her servants told her. "What happened to our son?"
"He got into a fight and did not win. He will do better next time."
"He is the son of a jarl. He should not be fighting with other boys."
"He will not become jarl if he does not know how to defend the land and before he can do that he has to learn to defend himself. He must become tougher."
"But he is a child."
"Ulf Olafsson had boys little older than Gryffydd and they stood a watch on the walls. They hurled their stones at the pirates. You know as well as any that an enemy will not spare Gryffydd be
cause of his age nor his size. Better to die fighting than accept death."
Both of us knew that I was talking about Christianity. The priests told them to turn the other cheek and not take a life. They promised them eternal life if they behaved. We wanted life on earth and, if we died well, then we would have just as good a life in the Otherworld.
She nodded, sadly, "I knew you for a pagan when I married you. I suppose I cannot complain that you wish to bring our son up as one too."
When I gathered the Ulfheonar to tell them of the raid I had my son seated at the table next to me. I told him to listen, not fidget and not fall asleep. The last would be the hardest for him. "Tell your families that we sail before Yule and we will be away for a month. I intend to end this feud with the Halfdan clan."
Vermund's death was on their minds and they all nodded their agreement. Erik Ulfsson asked, "Do we risk incurring the wrath of the other Danes?"
Olaf Leather Neck laughed, "I do not care if every Dane in the land wishes to fight me. Let them come."
"Erik is right, Olaf. The Danes are becoming like fleas. If we can end this with one battle, Erik, then so be it but if more wish to come then we will have to make them think twice about doing so. We have had a good year thus far and we are all richer. We fight to hang on to what we have."
Snorri asked the question which was on everyone's lips. "Do we replace Vermund?"
"We do but if we take someone with us to fill Vermund's oar then it will be a trial. The warrior will need to hunt the wolf after Yule."
"Then let us find four or five who wish to join our ranks. There are many who wish to do so."
"Then Haaken One Eye, I leave that task to you."
After they had gone Gryffydd asked, "Will I be an Ulfheonar? Wolf Killer is one is he not? He hunted the wolf when he was young."
"You will have the chance but it is more than just killing a wolf. Snorri will test the men's skills in scouting and hiding. Olaf Leather Neck will see if they have the skills with a sword or axe and then all of the Ulfheonar will decide if they wish to fight alongside them. We are all oathsworn. We never leave a man behind."
He thought about it and then nodded, "I will learn those skills. Perhaps, when Gói is gone I can spend time with my brother and he can teach me."
"I am sure that Wolf Killer will enjoy that and you can get to know your cousin, Ragnar." Ragnar was a little older. Soon he would accompany Wolf Killer on a raid. He might even do as I had done and be a ship's boy. Being the son of a jarl allowed few privileges.
Bjorn finished the dragon sword and the repairs on my dented helmet about the same time. I saw, when he handed me the helmet, that he had added two large eyebrows. They made the helmet look more like a dragon's head but, more importantly, they added more protection above my eyes. "Thank you Bjorn. It is an improvement."
"Each time it returns to me I see something else which needs doing. I have ideas for your mail too but let us not tempt the Norns. I will say no more." Gryffydd looked barely able to contain himself. Bjorn was a grandfather and he knew how to tease. "Now young warrior, what do I have here for you?"
I thought my son would burst. He was so excited he could barely speak. He just shook his head. Bjorn flourished the short sword like a conjuror. Gryffydd's eyes widened and I confess that I was envious. The engraved and etched dragon was a direct copy of the one I wore around my neck. It was so highly polished that I could have shaved using it. The detail was impressive. He had used oak for the grip and finished it off with a blue stone; a smaller version of mine. That would have taken as long to make as the rest of the sword for it would have been drilled by hand.
"There, your first sword. I have not bathed it in blood for it is your first and you will not use this once you are a man but I have put the fire of the dragon into its heart and it is tempered so that it is as hard as any sword I have ever made, saved that touched by the gods. Your father will help you to make the scabbard. That is a task for a warrior."
My son was silent. "What say you to Bjorn, Gryffydd?"
He could not speak and he threw his arms around the mighty leg of the smith and hugged. Bjorn was touched, "That is enough. He needs say no more."
I reached into my purse for payment. Bjorn shook his head, "Jarl let me do this for you and my oldest friend. There are just three of us left from those days in Hrams-a. It is a gift."
I clasped his arm, "And a better gift I have yet to see."
"There is one more thing, Jarl, I would like to name it."
"You are the maker, it is yours to name."
"Then I would name it Dragon's Tongue. It came to me as I was making it. The sword is sharp as a tongue and fast enough to flick out. More important, when it speaks then others will listen. When your son is older and I make him his man sword then it will be called Dragon's Breath but this will do until then."
Gryffydd grinned, "I like the name, Dragon's Tongue!"
We returned to my hall and he clutched his sword as though it was made of gold. "What did Bjorn mean about the scabbard, father?"
"We must make a scabbard. It protects the blade and the wearer. You will have to help me make it for a scabbard made by another may take away from the power of the sword." I held up my scabbard, "I made this one when Bjorn first made my sword and Ragnar's Spirit has never let me down."
It took two days to make it. I did those things which he could not. I cut the wood and I gathered the materials but he, under my supervision, made it. He lined it with sheep's wool and he joined it together with horse glue. He looked at it proudly and went to get his sword.
I shook my head. "It is not yet finished. You need to cover it with leather or the wood will rot and you should have a design upon it."
A further two days work saw it finished the satisfaction of us both. He was pleased with his efforts but his mother looked disappointed. She liked the effort it had taken and the detail but it was the function of which she did not approve. I shook my head, "Our son will be a warrior. It is in his blood."
" I know but I have seen too many widows and grieving mothers."
"That is why I will train him. You have to trust me. Our son will grow to be a man and will defend this land." Even as I said it I wondered if the Norns were listening. The Weird Sisters could be spiteful.
It was coming towards harvest time when the Danes returned. It was not a warband but it was a war party. Wolf Killer sent word that his hunters had found signs of men in his woods. When Wolf Killer examined the camps that they had used he determined that they were Danes. While he and his men continued to search for them he sent word of their numbers. There were ten of them. As soon as we discovered the news I sent riders to each Jarl and then sent out Ulfheonar with two or three warriors. It meant we had fifteen parties out seeking these intruders. Karl One Leg ordered our gates closed and we doubled the watch. I went with Rollo Thin Skin and Harald Einarsson. Against Brigid's wishes I took Gryffydd. It was a risk but you learned by taking risks.
We wore no mail for we were hunting. When we found them then we would return to don mail and we would kill them. It would be a good lesson for Gryffydd. It would show him how men scouted. We took a quadrant of land from the road to Úlfarrston and the road to Windar's Mere. If we did not find them there then we would widen the search.
We used a raft towed by two fishing boats to sail down to the bottom end of the Water. It would save a long journey over land and, with the wind from the north was quicker. Olaf and his two men headed due south. Snorri and his two due east and I went between the two. Haaken had ridden down the water and he would complete the search to the south. Both Haaken and I believed that would be where the danger would be.
Rollo had good eyes and he had grown in stature, as a scout, in the last two years. We headed into the midge infested wasteland where no one farmed. It was the time of the biting insect and there were many of them. We had found spies using this land some years earlier. As it had no people our enemies could freely move around. We searched for
some time and saw no signs of humans. The animal tracks told us that this would be a good place to hunt if a man could fight the insects. Rollo and Harald asked if they could come back to hunt. There were many signs of game. "Aye that might be good but let us wait until the winter is come. The insects are less numerous then.
We reached the southern limit of our search and I said, "Let us head to Satter's Waite." This was the only farm for miles around. Old Satter might be able to tell us if he had seen anything untoward. We turned our horses and rode north east.
Satter was an old recluse. He and his wife farmed the most inhospitable part of my land. I had no idea how he made it productive but he did. They had lost both sons when the Danes had come over to raid many years earlier. We had defeated them but they had left a trail of dead behind. Satter's two sons had been amongst them. Satter and his wife had been at Cyninges-tūn buying that which they could not grow. They never left their remote home again. He knew that part of the forest better than any. They were almost part of the forest. Both were like old gnarled trees. I would ask what he had seen. If he had not seen any then we would have to search to the north of my land.
The sudden cacophony of squabbling magpies and chuffs alerted us to danger. "Gryffydd, take out your sword and stay close by me."
I tightened my grip on my spear as did the other two. I waved to the left and right. The two warriors separated. We moved slowly towards the clearing. As we emerged the birds took flight, noisily. I saw that they had been picking over the corpses of Satter and his wife. They had been slain. I saw that they had been eviscerated and the birds had widened the wounds to feast on their flesh. The relatively untouched faces told me that it was recent. They had yet to begin on the eyes. We moved cautiously through the farm.
Rollo dismounted while Harald and I kept watch. I held my hand up to stop Gryffydd. Having examined the ground Rollo went into the hut Satter and his wife had lived in. While he searched within I looked for any sign of the Danes. It was obvious to me that it was they who had done this. If the bodies were fresh then that meant they might be close. I began to regret bringing my son. He sat, white faced, on his pony.