by Griff Hosker
I wandered over to Erik. "Take us between the two which are closest to us. With Olaf we stand a chance of destroying one of them. If it is two against two we might win."
"We will need an overhaul when we return home. We have taken damage already and three against two means we will suffer more."
"Then you believe that we will return home?"
"When I sail with Dragonheart I am always confident. It is when I sail with others that I clutch the wolf about my neck!"
Olaf was bringing his drekar up to the seaward side of us. It was a fast drekar. I went to the rail closest to him. "We will engage the two end Saxons. Tie your drekar to ours and we will destroy the one to seaward first."
Asbjorn waved, "Aye Jarl."
Aiden said, "This Dragon Fire is as dangerous to us as the enemy. I have a plan."
"Go on."
"When we fight the Saxon to landward you will attack with your warriors?" I nodded,. "Then I will follow with my four warriors and we will attack the other Saxon. He will do one of three things: support the ship you assault, attack your stern or attack your bow. Whichever he does we will attack with Dragon Fire. If it works that will be one ship out of the way."
"But?"
"But there is a danger that it may set light to the ship you attack and you will need to flee quickly."
"So be it." I turned to Rolf. "When Aiden goes aboard the Saxon ship your task is to guard him."
"I will, Jarl Dragonheart."
The Saxons were turning towards us now. They kept in a line to prevent us sailing past them. They could not know what we planned. "Now Erik, put the steering board over!" I turned and shouted the same to Olaf. Both ships turned, almost as one. We took them by surprise and the three of them tried to turn to stop us. They merely succeeded in stopping themselves. "Ready with grappling hooks!"
Erik shouted, "Take in the sail!"
As our bows touched the bow of the middle Saxon we started to slide down the side, "Throw!"
The four men who held the grappling hooks sent them across to hold the Saxon tight. On the other side of our drekar men tied us to Olaf's ship. I took out my sword and using the grappling ropes climbed up the side of the Saxon. Snorri and his archers sent their arrows into any who tried to cut the ropes. It was only a climb of an arm's length and as Snorri felled the Saxon who leapt at me I clambered on the deck. We had to clear enough space for Aiden and his throwers to reach the far side of the ship. Already the third Saxon ship was coming to the aid of the ship we were attacking.
The decks were filled with Saxons but most had no mail. I hacked at the middle of a Saxon who was too slow to bring his shield across. I gutted him and as I withdrew my sword I ripped it across the side of a second Saxon. Haaken and Olaf joined me and the three of us carved a path through the middle of the milling warriors. Had we not had the finest of armour, the strongest of shields and not the best trained warriors to walk the earth we might have died for we were assaulted on all sides. We took most of the blows on our shields and armour. They swarmed over us. A few spears were jabbed at our face but by turning my head I avoided them. Those who struck us died. Olaf took two men with one blow.
We reached the steer board side of the ship as the other Saxon nudged alongside. As the ships were the same height the Saxon warriors just had to clamber over the side. They had not seen Olaf and his axe. He hewed limbs as though they were trees. As warriors climbed over the sides their heads were smashed to a pulp. Their legs were hacked in two. Haaken and I used our swords to take those who tried to avoid Olaf's berserk attack. The Saxons moved to the bow of their ship to cross there.
Rolf appeared next to me. His blood spattered armour was testimony to his passage. Behind him came Aiden and his throwers. Olaf and Haaken stood on one side and I stood with Rolf. We held off any who were foolish enough to challenge us. Aiden had all the time in the world to light his Dragon Fire and hand them to his throwers. They threw them to the bow and the stern of the packed Saxon ship. The men who stood there merely lifted their shields. When the missiles struck there was a flare of flame which shot into the air. The shields which were ignited became infernos. The deck caught fire. One missile hit the sail and the flames raced up. Aiden had another eight deadly packages and his throwers plenty of time to spread their fire around the Saxon ship.
Aiden turned to me and his face bore a worried expression, "I would order the retreat, Jarl. This ship will be engulfed in flames by the time we return to ours."
I yelled, "Fall back!"
We charged the angry Saxons and as they fell back to the other side of the ship we moved backwards and dropped down onto our own drekar.
"Cut the lines!"
There was panic on the Saxon ship as they realised that there was a fire ship next to it. A gap appeared as the fire ship drifted away.
"On to 'The King's Gift'!"
I led my men across Olaf's drekar. He had fewer men and I knew that he would be struggling. The Saxons had filled their ships with warriors.
As we tumbled over the side I saw that Eystein had led half of the warriors to take the bows while Asbjorn had taken the others to the stern. Eystein was having the worst of it. He was outnumbered and surrounded. I shouted, "Snorri, clear the bows. Rollo, Erik, Finni, with me!"
I brought sword diagonally across my head and it swept across the backs of three warriors trying to get to Eystein and his beleaguered warriors. I did not kill them all with the one blow but they were wounded and injured enough to be out of the battle. Rollo and Finni hacked and slashed at my side. Two warriors guarding Eystein fell and a mailed Saxon with three oathsworn fell upon my Ulfheonar. He slew one with a blow which took his head but then the other three attacked from three sides. Eystein fought courageously. I saw a wounded warrior reach up with his seax and hamstring Eystein the Rock. One leg crumpled and, as it did so the mailed warrior hacked at Eystein's shield arm. He managed to swing and hack into the mailed warrior's leg even as half his arm drooped. The other two fell upon Eystein and hacked him to death.
It was too much for me. I roared like a dragon and brought my sword down with such force on the warrior who had taken Eystein's head that I cut him in two, slicing through to the spine. He shivered as he fell. Rollo and Finni slew the mailed warrior and the last Saxon. The wounded warrior held up his hand and said, "Mercy. Spare me lord."
His treacherous blow had slain a great warrior. I brought my sword up and laid him open from the crotch to the chest. He was not dead yet but some time later he would die and in pain.
"Get Eystein aboard his ship. Fall back! Aiden, destroy this ship!" I waited until Eystein was carried to safety and then I backed away, daring any Saxon to face me. They did not. They were terrified. When I reached the side of the Saxon I turned and jumped down into Olaf's ship.
"Cut the ropes!"
As the ropes were severed Aiden had his men throw the last of the Dragon Fire high into the air. They landed together and the flames leapt high to set the mast and the sail on fire. We hurried back to our drekar and let loose the ropes which bound us together. As Olaf and Erik lowered our sails and pulled away I saw three Saxon ships burning. The two which raced towards us would pick up the survivors, that was all.
We watched, as we headed west, the efforts of the Saxons to save their comrades. The sea was on fire. There would be few survivors. "Well Aiden, the Dragon Fire worked."
Erik shook his head, "And I pray that our enemies do not get the secret for there is no answer Jarl, to this Dragon Fire. It spells the doom to every ship afloat."
We had left Eystein's body on his ship. Asbjorn had fought alongside him his whole life. He would find it hard to fight in the future. We, too, had lost warriors. There were homes in Cyninges-tūn which would wait in vain for their sons to return. It was not even as though we would be bringing home treasure. Any treasure was now at the bottom of the sea. All that we returned with was security and honour. Yet I knew that none of my warriors who had died would regret their deaths. They h
ad died for their families. That was all a warrior could do.
The day promised to be a stormy one. The skies were filled with thick black clouds. I went to check on the wounded. "How is Beorn?"
Aiden had just examined him. "He is asleep but he is not improving and the wound feels hot to the touch. I fear it may be infected."
"Can you do nothing for him?"
"Not at sea. If we were on land I could use fire or perhaps maggots but here..." His voice tailed away.
Snorri said, "Beorn would not wish us to take a risk landing. He would take his chances."
I shook my head, "But I will not. Tell me, Aiden, is there somewhere we could land?"
"This is Wessex, Jarl and it is filled with enemies."
"They should fear us! Find somewhere quiet. We have enough warriors to defend ourselves. I have spoken."
Aiden took out his precious charts and went to speak with Erik. Erik and he spoke for a while and then Erik said, "Tell Olaf that we will head inshore."
Haaken and Olaf joined us. "This is wyrd. We can honour Eystein with a Viking funeral!"
Haaken was correct. It was the right thing to do.
Olaf said, "And if any warrior of Wessex interferes then they will risk the wrath of Olaf!"
We headed towards the coast and Aiden and Erik spoke the whole time. Eventually both seemed satisfied and we headed towards a strange white rock with an arch which stood in the middle of the sea. I wondered had they gone mad until we passed it and I spied a beach with a steep path up a cliff. Once again they had saved us for we could guard the cliff top and heal our men while burying our dead. It was not an easy landing for the waves and the current were quite strong but when the ship's boys had secured us to the land we disembarked. The two ship's crews would affect repairs while most of my warriors would climb the path to burn the body of Eystein. Aiden would move the wounded to the beach and then begin to heal them. As I climbed the path I knew that I had done the right thing.
"Jarl Dragonheart, I will take some men and search for maggots. It may be the only thing to save Beorn."
"Rollo and Rolf go with Aiden and find maggots."
We laid our dead at the top of the cliff. We would gather wood to burn them later but first we owed it to the living to help them. Aiden had had Beorn brought ashore and he lay on the beach of the small cove. A warrior and four ship's boys watched him. Snorri was already building a fire. I had the men search nearby for maggots but there were no dead animals there; at least not recently dead. It would be up to Aiden to find the creatures.
"Gather wood and we will build a fire. We shall be ready to light it when Aiden and the others return."
There was a great deal of dead wood. There must have been a recent storm and broken branches were strewn everywhere. We placed the bodies of our dead on the top with Eystein, as a Hersir, in the centre. He had no sons or daughters but a young wife. I took the golden wolf from around his neck. She would have that as payment for his death and I would give her some of my animals. Eystein deserved no less. With his sword between his hands he was ready to meet Odin. Satisfied that we had done all correctly we waited for the return of Aiden.
We heard them as they hurried through the undergrowth from the north. "Have you found maggots?"
Aiden grinned. He looked, once more, like the young boy who had once followed me. "Aye Jarl and we found more besides. There is a settlement in the next valley and a monastery. The Norns directed us here. It is wyrd."
"Then you see to Beorn. We will light this pyre when we have raided the Saxons. The families of the dead shall not go unrewarded."
We were not dressed for war but a Viking is always ready to fight. We each had a shield and a weapon. It was all that we needed. Rollo and Rolf led closely followed by Asbjorn. There was anger within the heart of my jarl. It had been Saxons from Wessex who had hacked his friend to death and it would be Saxons from Wessex who paid the weregeld.
The monastery and settlement were not far away. We could smell the animals and the smoke from their fires. There would be no time to scout. We would just descend upon them. Rollo raised his sword and pointed. They had built the monastery on a hill and it was a hundred or so paces from the village which was lower down the slope. Since he had become a Christian King Egbert had built many such monasteries. I ran next to Asbjorn. "You take your men left."
"Aye Jarl."
I waved to Olaf, "You take half of the Ulfheonar and half of the other men and go right. I will lead the rest towards the centre."
He nodded and began tapping men on the shoulder and pointing. Soon I was left with just twelve warriors. Haaken was with me and I still had Rollo and Rolf. There was a sudden shout from the left. Asbjorn and his men had been spotted. It could not be helped. The palisade around the village loomed up and as we approached I shouted, "Break through!"
Rolf's axe soon hacked a gap wide enough for two men to get through and we burst into the village. I saw, in the distance, a hall which was raised up on a mound of earth. That would be the hall of the Gesith and his warriors. I ran towards it flanked by my Ulfheonar. The doors burst open when we were twenty paces from it and warriors appeared. From their mail this was a rich Gesith for four of them men we spied wore mail.
The leader stood on the step and shouted, "North Men! Sound the horn!"
The man next to the Gesith blew hard on a horn. It was as loud as any I had heard before and it echoed across the countryside. It was summoning help. Before I could worry about that we had to deal with these warriors. We charged them and that took them by surprise for there were but four of us and I saw that there were ten warriors who were preparing to meet us.
Rolf's axe swung horizontally and it hacked through the legs of two men. I took the blow from the warrior with the horn on my shield and rammed my sword up under his byrnie. The stroke ripped him open from the crotch to the chest. The Gesith realised that being above us gave him no advantage and he shouted, "Kill these pirates!"
As he jumped down he swung his sword. I blocked it with my sword and they rang together. I was wide awake and I had fought more often than this Gesith who had just awoken and looked a little rusty. I brought my hand back and feinted towards his middle. He brought his shield around and I flicked the tip of sword towards his face, It was not a full helmet and my sword tore across his nose and cheek up to his forehead. I saw bone. He reeled and as he did so I punched with my shield. I hit the back of his sword hand. He held on but I knew that his hand would be numb. I brought Ragnar's Spirit around in a wide sweep. The blood from his face running down across his eye made it hard to see. He made the mistake of trying to wipe it and raised his shield arm. My sword struck him in the ribs. His mail was good and I did not penetrate the links but the blow had been so hard that I had hurt him. I brought my hand back and this time lunged towards the bloody mess that was his face. It came out of the back of his skull.
The warriors were dead and, as I glanced around I saw that we had taken the village. I reached down and took the horn from the dead warrior. I placed it around my neck. "Hurry they summoned help. Let us take their mail and arms. I will go in the hall."
I ran up the steps and found six thralls cowering in the corner. "You six come with me." They hesitated, "Obey me and you shall live!"
They stood and followed me.
"Pick up the mail. Rollo, take this back to the ship and then let the thralls go."
"Aye Jarl Dragonheart."
"Come Haaken, let us see what else we can find. Rolf go and find Asbjorn and Olaf. Tell them that help comes and we need to return to the ship. Asbjorn can fire the pyre. There is no cause for secrecy anymore."
"Aye Jarl Dragonheart!"
There was a sconce inside the hall and I grabbed the brand from it. As we moved silently through the hall I heard sobbing from a room off to the side. We moved towards it. Haaken tore open the hanging which acted as a door and we saw a woman and three children. The woman guarded a box."Who are you?" I spoke in Saxon but she saw just a
warrior dressed as a wolf. The children looked terrified. "Answer me and you may live. Remain silent and you will not." It was a bluff. I was not the kind of warrior who killed women just for the pleasure of it.
The woman was not afraid of me. I could see that and, when she spoke, I heard iron in her words. She spoke with authority as though she was used to giving orders and having them obeyed. "I am the Lady Maud, wife of Ethelfrith, Thegn of Radipole. I am precious to King Egbert. Harm me at your peril."
I laughed, "I do not worry about upsetting Egbert." I leaned down to take the box. " She gripped it and darted hatred from her eyes. "Whatever is in the chest is not worth your life is it? I give you my word that if you give me the box then you and your children shall live." She hesitated, "You have the word of Jarl Dragonheart and even King Egbert knows that I honour my word."
She released the box and her mouth fell open, "You are the Wolf Warrior?"
I nodded as I took the box. "I am."
Haaken said, "Jarl, enough of the pleasantries. Time is pressing and they have summoned reinforcements."
"Farewell." I saw that she gripped her crucifix as I left and her lips moved. Was it a prayer or a curse?
Clutching the box, which seemed heavier than it should, I followed Haaken. My men had fired the village and the monastery. It would draw those sent to find us and buy us time. We had less than a mile to run to reach the cove. As we passed we saw some of the younger warriors from Cyninges-tūn who were still seeking treasure. Haaken shouted, "Leave that and follow us. If you stay then you die!"
No one argued with Ulfheonar. As we neared the cliff top I saw the glow of a fire. Asbjorn had lit the funeral pyre. Haaken's hand held his sword and he pointed to the north. "Jarl look!"