by Griff Hosker
Ragnar Halfdansson stumbled backwards with his shield up to block the blow which never came. His mouth was pouring with blood. "Trickster! I knew you could never defeat Halfdan the Black without such tricks. Tricks and magic! You are no warrior!"
"Then this will decide that!" I feinted with my shield and he moved his own shield to block the strike. The tip of my sword darted out and plunged into the flesh above his knee. I twisted the blade as I did so.
This time he screamed with pain and I was showered with gobs of blood from his mouth. I wanted him annoyed and reckless. I wanted him to try to kill me with brute force. He lurched towards me with a flurry of sword blows from his sword and his shield. I had to dance out of the way blocking as best as I could. Each blow weakened him for he was bleeding now from mouth and from knee. He had struck me with such fury that he had bent his sword.
It was time for me to go on the offensive. I did not strike at his shield; instead I made a sweep at his head. He brought up his own shield and swung at my shield. My strike was the first I had made with any force and I saw that it had hurt his arm. Because his sword was no longer straight it had little force behind it. It bent a little more when it struck my shield. He looked at the blade as though it had betrayed him and he threw it at me before reaching down and picking up an axe. The way he hefted it told me that he was a skilled axe man. He grinned and it almost made me laugh for blood oozed from the sides of his mouth.
"Dance away from this, Dragonheart!"
He brought the axe over his head with as much force as he could muster. I knew it would hit my shield and I angled it at the last minute as I stepped to the side. It slid down the face of my shield and caught on the boss. It stuck between the wood and the metal. As he tried to jerk away I lunged in with my sword. I put my whole force behind it and it tore though his mail. In his hurry to fight us he had not put on his leather byrnie and my sword found flesh. I twisted as I withdrew the sword touched by the gods.
Ragnar Halfdansson was hurt. He was dying but he could still hurt me. He swung again at my head and I was barely able to sway away from the strike. His weak knee and the power of the swing carried his body forward. As he tumbled towards me I brought my sword over and took his head in one swift move. I spun around and saw that the hall was a like a charnel house. The dead lay everywhere. Through the door I saw dawn breaking. In another part of the hall I heard screaming from the families of the Jarl.
"Take what you can and then back to the drekar." Fetch our wounded." I took Ragnar Halfdansson's axe and helmet. They would remind me of the Halfdan clan.
When I emerged the warrior hall was still blazing. My Ulfheonar formed a wedge around me for there had been other Danes living nearby and they were already gathering. They were wary of attacking us and they stood blocking our way to the gate and the river. Haaken said, "It looks like we will have to fight our way out."
Olaf Leather Neck had not had enough of death and destruction. He roared, "Come on you Danes! Taste my axe!" He swung it in a figure of eight and Rolf joined him. We made our way to the river. There were one or two heroes but they were swiftly slain by my Ulfheonar. We burst through and marched towards the river. Some carried treasure and trophies but of more value was the fight that we had had. We had defeated Jarl Ragnar Halfdansson and his oathsworn in their own hall. It would be a tale told by fires long after we were all dead and in Valhalla.
Aiden and the rest of my men had made a shield wall by the jetty. Erik and Olaf had tied up next to the Danish drekar. They had placed gang planks across them and I shouted, "Back to our drekar. We have done enough!"
Aiden waited for me. "We have soaked the Danish ships in seal oil and we have fire ready. They will not raid again."
I stood on the jetty until there were only Danes before me. I took a step forward and raised Ragnar's Spirit, "This is a warning to all Danes. Stay away from my land. I will punish all who dare to threaten me, my family or my land!" I pointed my sword at the glow from the burning hall. "This is the punishment for such transgressions."
I turned and walked slowly to my drekar. 'The King's Gift' was already pulling away. I turned as I stepped on to my ship and nodded. "Cast off!"
Using their oars my crew pushed us into the middle of the river. Aiden, Olaf, Haaken and Erik all hurled their burning brands into the drekar. With a whoosh the bone dry drekar burst into flames. The heat was so great that I felt it from ten paces away. As the sail was lowered we moved away from the doomed dragon ship. Ragnar Halfdansson had thought he could take on the Viking dragon. The flames of his burning hall and ships proved him wrong.
We needed no oars for we had the wind and we were moving downstream. Warriors were being tended to by comrades but I saw Aiden and Snorri. They were kneeling close to Beorn. It seemed like an age since he had been wounded. I hurried to his side.
"How is he?"
Aiden did not look up. I saw that Snorri had his hand held to Beorn's thigh. "He has taken a bad blow to his leg. I fear the blade has cut the bone. We must stitch it. We have no fire to cauterize it. We must stop the bleeding."
Snorri said, "He took a blow to the head too. He breathes but he is not in this place."
I could see that Snorri was concerned for his friend. The two of them were inseparable. "Aiden is a good healer. If he can be saved then Aiden is the man to do it and if not...it is wyrd."
"You are right, Jarl. None of us are getting any younger. We are now like Old Olaf and those older warriors with whom we first fought. We thought them old because we were young and full of life. Time has caught up with us and we did not see it."
"We are not yet ready to go to the Otherworld, Snorri. Beorn is a fighter. He will fight this."
We were aided by the fact that we sailed down a slow river. Erik had to navigate carefully and it meant the deck did not move overmuch. Haaken was watching the land as we passed through the land of Northumbria. "They are watching us, Jarl. Word must have spread for the signal towers flame. They are warning their men."
"Have the men ready to fight if we have to. Issue the bows."
My worry was not men on the shore with weapons; those we could deal with. It was the river. If they blocked the river with a chain or a rope then we might be stranded. Until we reached the confluence with the Humber then we were in danger.
"Jarl, fetch some water. Pour it over my hands and Snorri's. There is so much blood it is hard to see the wound."
I was grateful for something to do. There were buckets of sea water kept in case of fire. I knew that the salt in the water would keep the wound cleaner. I picked one up, "How is Beorn?"
"He is fighting Erik, as we all do."
"Aye we come into the world kicking and screaming and, if you are a warrior, then you leave the same way."
I stood over Aiden, "Just pour it, Jarl."
I did so and as the blood was washed away I saw that the wound was as long as my hand and I could see the white of bone. It was a bad wound. There was some water left and I poured it on his head. I saw that his skull was not depressed as Haaken's had been but it was another bad cut. This bled but not as fast as the one in his leg. "What about his head, Aiden?"
"It needs sewing but I have but one pair of hands."
He sounded irritated. "If you have a spare needle and gut we will see what I can do then eh, galdramenn?"
"Small stitches! No one will see his leg but his young wife will not want a monster to return to her!"
I had seen Aiden stitch enough men to know what to do. It took me some time to thread the bone needle but I managed. I washed away some of the blood and joined the two flaps of skin. I began to sew. It was fortunate that Beorn was between worlds for I am certain that my clumsy hands would have made him cry out and move had he been awake. I finished before Aiden did. I had tried to make the stitches as small as possible but I had closed the wound. He now just bled from his leg.
Eventually Aiden sat back. "I have done all that I can. It is now in the hands of the gods. We must watch
him and keep him warm. Snorri, try to get some ale into his mouth."
"I will, Aiden, and I thank you. You have done all that you can to save my friend. He is in the hands of the gods now."
Aiden stood and looked to the land. "How far have we come?"
Erik shouted, "We are half way to the Humber. We are not out of danger yet."
The bends in the meandering river meant that we travelled further than a man on a horse. We had to travel sixty miles on the river to reach Gulle but a horseman only had to ride twenty miles. A rider could have left Fulford and ridden to Gulle. The huge loop in the river formed a natural barrier around Gulle. It was a strong burgh. The lookouts reported that the walls were manned. They had been warned. We avoided scrutiny before by travelling in the dark but now we had bright day with which to contend.
"Put shields over the wounded. Get your bows and prepare to be attacked."
Erik said, "If we man the oars we can pass quicker."
"Is the river wide enough?"
"It will have to be." He pointed to the walls of the burgh. They were lined with archers and we saw the tell tale trail of smoke. They had fire arrows.
Haaken began to organise the rowers. He used the men who had no bows. He took a bench along with Olaf, Rollo and Rolf. Every oar was manned although it was just by one man.
I took the empty bucket and ran to the side. I trailed it over and hauled up river water. We might need it soon. I donned my helmet. "Leif. get the dragon banner and go to the prow. Stand close to the dragon and hold up the banner. Let it roar!"
"Aye Jarl!"
It would have been better at night but I hoped that the effect would stun the defenders. I donned my helmet and picked up my shield. I took out Ragnar's Spirit. I would not be using it as a weapon but it gave my men confidence. The oars took us down the river much quicker and I saw more men man the burgh's walls. They had not released any arrows when Leif unfurled the banner. The speed of the drekar through the water created a natural wind and the dragon began to wail. I smiled as I saw the men on the walls look around for the source of the noise. It delayed the arrow storm which I knew would be coming.
"Snorri, we need your bow!"
"Aye Jarl."
Snorri and Beorn both had bows made by the Saami people. Snorri could send an arrow far further than the Saxons on the walls of the burgh. Within the walls someone must have taken charge for the hiatus of the dragon's wail was ended with a few ranging arrows. Most fell short and the ones that reached us were taken on our shields.
"Take in a couple of reefs on the sail, Thorir. If they have fire arrows then I want a smaller target for them to aim at."
"Aye captain." He and the ship's boys swarmed up the ropes to the cross trees.
I saw Snorri pull back on his powerful bow and release. The archer on the tower who thought he was safe from the drekar was plucked from the ramparts and fell from the walls. The rest took cover until the mailed warrior shouted his orders again.
We were as close to the walls now as we would ever be. The wailing dragon and Snorri's bow had bought us time but now they used fire arrows. A fire arrow is harder to use accurately than a normal arrow. The shaft has to be balanced just right. Twenty arrows soared but almost all fell woefully short. Some did not even make the river. Two struck the hull but the river's spray doused them. To do damage they needed to hit the sails or the dry deck.
The next twenty were more accurate but Erik's foresight meant that the ones that hit the drekar hit the deck. They were doused by Aiden and his pail of river water. I raised my sword, "The sword that was touched by the gods defies you Saxons!"
It had an immediate effect on my men. The rowers pulled harder and the rest cheered. By a quirk of the wind and the river the dragon's wail became louder and, once again, the archers on the walls hesitated. Their leader shouted and pointed at me. The next ten arrows were aimed at me. I held up my shield and felt the impact as four of them thudded into it. A fifth clanged off my helmet and four struck the deck around my feet. I felt the heat as the fire caught on the dry deck. There was a whoosh and a hiss as the flames were doused by three buckets. I took Ragnar's Spirit and chopped off the hafts of the arrows in my shield. The heads continued to burn.
Aiden said, "Jarl, your shield!"
"Let it burn a little longer. I want them to see that I do not fear them."
It had an effect for the arrows became fewer as we passed beyond their effective range. Olaf's drekar did not suffer as much for we had been the prime target. As we passed around the bend I allowed Aiden to put out the flames. When I looked at my shield I saw that fire had burned close to the mouth of the wolf which was painted upon it. It looked like the wolf was grinning.
As soon as 'The King's Gift' passed out of sight of the burgh my men all began cheering and banging weapons on the deck, "Dragonheart! Dragonheart! Dragonheart! Dragonheart!" It echoed down the river as we headed for the safety of the sea.
Chapter 12
Once we reached the sea the danger from the land was over but we now had to face the dangers from the sea. The waves were huge as we left the protection of the land. Erik had to sail on reduced canvas and we needed men constantly on the oars to maintain our position. If a wave had struck us beam on there was a danger that we might have broached. Aiden had all the wounded brought to the centre of the drekar and he had a piece of old torn sail used as a shelter. The motion there was less severe and they were protected by the rowers. Beorn had still not awakened but Aiden was happy that he was breathing easier and a little colour had returned to his cheeks. I looked down at him and Aiden said, "The gods send us sleep to heal us, Jarl. You have been in the land of dreams; you know that."
I did but that did not stop me from worrying.
The stormy weather continued all the way down the east coast. It was night as we did so and I wondered how Erik could steer and navigate when the coast was hidden from us. We passed the Saxon Kingdoms but we were safe for none but a fool would have ventured out in such weather. At dawn the unpredictable wind took us too close to the Tamese for my liking. I knew that we were seen from the burghs one on the , bank and, some time later, the one on the southern bank. Egbert and his warriors would know that we were abroad. Erik managed to drag us away from the shore so that we rounded the dangerous coast of Kent from a safe distance. I kept peering behind at Olaf Grimsson in 'The King's Gift'. It was a smaller drekar and suffered more in such weather. My young captain appeared to be coping well. While we had lost warriors in the battle of Fulford, his boat had been lucky and he was still with a full crew. It helped.
When we began to head west the weather eased. The wind came from the south east and Erik took the decision to stop rowing and rely purely on the wind. "We still have Corn Walum and Syllingar to contend with. There we will need rowers. They can rest along this stretch." Erik smiled at me, "And I think that you should rest too, Jarl."
Aiden had just finished examining Beorn. "Erik is right Jarl, you should rest. Beorn is sleeping and there is no change."
I nodded. They were both right and I did need the rest but I feared sleep for I feared my dreams. My mother's words still haunted me. 'All of our family know when they are to die. It is a gift and a curse. You will dream your death ' I wondered if I would ever enjoy a pleasant sleep again. Her words appeared to have murdered sleep. However I lay down and covered myself in my wolf skin. I held my dragon as a protection against the dreams which I feared.
I awoke and could not remember a dream. I had not dreamed of my death nor any death and I found myself smiling with relief. Behind us I saw the first hint of dawn. Thorir was in the steering board. "That is the Isle of the Wights ahead. Captain Erik told me to steer well to the south."
"A wise move." I picked up the ale skin and drank deeply. Most of my men, including Aiden and Snorri were asleep. I went to the stern to look for Olaf. There he was, two lengths behind us. He knew how to obey orders. Like us he was just under sail and I guessed that most of those on board his d
rekar were sleeping too. I went to the rail on the steer board side and leaned over. That was Wessex. We had cowed the Danes, at least for a while but I wondered if King Egbert had forgotten our raid on his prized Lundenwic? I was about to turn away when a movement caught my eye. It was a sail. It was ahead of us. Just then the ship's boy on the crosstrees shouted, "Saxon ships to the north!"
Erik was waking up as I shouted, "To arms!" I ran to the stern and cupping my hands shouted, "To arms!" Even as I looked astern I saw another two Saxons heading for Olaf. They had learned from their mistake. There were five Saxons and they had us between them. It was an ambush. The three ahead could cut us off for the wind was still from the north east and favoured them. We might escape but I knew that there would be no chance for Olaf. I would not desert my men.
"Erik, steer towards them!"
Thorir said, "Towards them? That is suicide."
Erik snapped, "You still have much to learn. By sailing towards them we take the initiative. There are two more coming astern of Olaf. With Olaf it will be two against three and that is better odds than five against two."
Haaken and the men were already armed. I looked to Aiden. "You had better prepare Dragon Fire. Choose four men. That is all that I can spare. Snorri, organise archers and wait until I decided which shall be your target."
The three Saxons ships were all smaller than my drekar but they were bigger than Olaf's threttanessa. They were tubbier than a drekar and rode higher in the water. Most importantly we had many oars and, when we needed to then we could escape quickly.
I went to the stern. "I want your drekar next to mine! Fighting platform!"
I saw the warrior at the prow, It was Eystein; he waved and he hurried aft. If 'The King's Gift' was next to us then neither of us could be taken by two Saxons. As I looked astern I saw that the two Saxons were already losing ground as the swifter drekar flew through the water. They sailed reasonably well with the wind astern but this was from their quarter and they were as slow as a knarr. I donned my helmet and picked up my shield. The blackened wolf still grinned at me. "Leif, let us try the dragon again. If it worries them for but a moment we can take advantage."