by Griff Hosker
"You did it Jarl! You defeated the evil that was Hakon."
I nodded and that was an effort. I felt my eyes closing. I felt life leaving me, "Tell my son he is to rule after I am gone. Tell Kara she was right. There was a knife in the night and it has killed me." Then blackness took over and I saw nothing more.
Chapter 15
I dreamed or perhaps it was my journey to the Otherworld I did not know.
I seemed to float. I was not in this world but it did not look like the Otherworld. I heard no sounds and I saw no lights. All was darkness. I felt a cold like the coldest snow and ice. It chilled me to my heart. I had a sudden memory. I knew not where it came from; was this the same as those moments before I was born? Would I emerge like a new born babe in the Otherworld? I remembered I had sheathed my sword. I had not died with a sword in my hand! I would not go to Valhalla! I had no concept of this other place. I had expected to die and join those like Cnut, Prince Butar, and Rolf who had died before me. I would not be with my warriors! I would drift in an empty void. I would not enjoy stories of great battles and I would not see those like Ragnar and Butar.
Then I saw a light and I spied, not my dead wife Erika, but my mother. I had not seen her, even in my dreams, for many years. She was suddenly beside me and she put her hands on my wound. I felt it grow warm and I felt more comfortable. Her head came close to mine and she kissed my cheek and I felt warmth return. She leaned close to my ear and said, "This is not your time, my son. There is work for you yet. You must make your land safe. Make your land safe."
She began to fade and I tried to reach for her but I could not move. I tried to run after her but it was as though I was trapped in cloying mud. Then I saw Kara's face and all went black once more.
I opened my eyes and saw, not Kara, but her husband, Aiden. It was daylight. Where had the night gone? Aiden looked worried. I opened my mouth to speak and croaked rather than spoke. He smiled and poured water into my mouth. "He lives! The Jarl lives!"
I heard a cheer. I tried to rise.
"No Jarl, you were as close to death as any I have seen. You lie there until I say you move. Your warriors have granted me the power to order your life until we return home."
I closed my eyes and when I opened them again I spoke, "What happened?"
"The warriors all decided to support you. They had had enough of Hakon. When he refused to fight you they ended their support for him. Gunnstein is Jarl."
"Good. And have we lost many warriors?"
"Two, Sven from Langdale and Einar Karlsson. They died well."
"That is two too many. I will make amends with their families." I hesitated, "and will I live?"
"You will. Arne the Twisted almost ended you life. He found a place beneath your mail. It was a cunning blow and had he been able to point it down rather than up he would have found out if you truly had the heart of a dragon. As it is you have lost a great deal of blood. I do not want you to move for at least three days while we build up your strength. We need Kara to cast her eye over you."
I lay back and closed my eyes. I must have slept for when I awoke it was dark once more. Hrolf was seated next to me and he was staring at me. "Can I get you anything? Aiden said you needed food and ale to make you stronger. Which would you like?"
"Ale?"
He nodded and poured some from a ladle into a horn. "It is warmed honeyed ale with some spices and herbs. I thought it might be a potion but he told me it was just herbs and spices."
He held it to my lips while his arm supported my head. It was warming and aromatic. The smell alone made me feel better. I drank it all.
"More?"
"Not just yet. Let this begin to work."
He put the horn next to the cauldron containing the beer. "When I saw you fall I thought that my world was ending. You are not supposed to die. You are Dragonheart."
"I am a mortal, Hrolf and I can be killed. Many men have tried."
"But you cannot be killed in combat. I have seen you fight and you are better than any you have faced."
"That is because you have not see me face a warrior who is good enough. Hakon was a weak, fat coward. The Eorls I fought were old men or lazy men. When I face a warrior who is as good as my Ulfheonar then I will be given a test."
"Are there such warriors?"
"Aye, they are out there. I am just lucky that I have not met one lately. I have fought them but then I was younger. Each wound makes me a little weaker." I looked at him. "I will die one day and it will be in combat."
"What the witch said, about me finding another jarl, I do not wish to."
"I thank you for that but it is not your decision. It is the Weird Sisters who decide. Your destiny lies in Neustria. You must find a jarl who seeks riches there. You must learn from him so choose wisely. As you saw from Hakon the Bald there are poor jarls."
"Do I need to decide now?"
"No, we have a winter to endure and to reflect upon the deeds we have done. Come the time of the new grass I will take my ships and I will aid Gunnar Thorfinnson to extract retribution from the men of Man. You will still be with us and there may be a jarl looking for someone like you; a young warrior who is favoured by the gods."
"I am favoured?"
"The witch seemed to think so and the Norns have been kind to you. "There is treasure for you in Cyninges-tūn."
"But I was a slave, I did not expect you to honour your promise."
"I am Jarl Dragonheart and I keep every promise that I make. Besides I , too, was a slave once. We share a past."
Aiden returned, "You are awake. Has he drunk?"
"Aye."
"And eaten?"
"Not yet."
Aiden turned, "Come Ulf and Erik, we must help him to his feet." My two Ulfheonar entered and grinned when they saw me.
"Why?"
"You need to make water. I do not want you standing unaided. When you have made water you will want to eat."
"How do you know?"
"I am galdramenn." He laughed, "And I have read it in the writings of the priests."
He was right and I did manage to eat. Three days after I had been wounded I was helped to my drekar. I refused to be carried but it was harder than I had thought. My legs felt as though they would not support my body.
I sail with Erik Short Toe. Sitting by the steering board I spoke to him about Olaf Grimsson. Snorri joined as we spoke, "What think you of our new captain. Did he sail well?"
"From what I saw he did but Snorri can tell you more. He was aboard with him."
Snorri nodded, "He has an affinity with the drekar and the sea. Captains like Erik and Olaf are rare. He does not panic. When we were damaged in the storm he spoke calmly to the crew and knew how to sail her so that the damage did not worsen. I can think of others who might not have saved her."
Erik nodded, "I have followed him and he knows how to get the most from the sails and the hull. Why the questions, Jarl Dragonheart?"
"We have the drekar we captured from the men of Man. It is larger than the threttanessa. Could he handle it?"
"Easily. He would need a good crew."
"We will get him one."
"And 'Red Snake'?"
"I have plans for her," I added, enigmatically. I ignored their questioning looks. The Norns were not the only ones who could weave threads. I knew the people whom I led. I would make the best of their abilities.
When we landed Snorri found the most comfortable horse which Coen had in his stable. We rode back to Cyninges-tūn at a snail's pace. None of the men left us. They were determined that we would all arrive back together. We had treasure but not as much as we normally had. The warriors we had slain had yielded arms, armour and gold. Gunnstein Berserk-Killer insisted that I have the coins from Wessex which Hakon had had about him. He called it weregeld, blood money and he would have none of it. The treasure we found in his chambers we shared.
Our delayed return must have worried our families. That and the fact that we rode back north through the
first of the winter blizzards. When we were detected riding slowly up the road they met us a mile from our gates. Kara and Brigid were well wrapped in fur cloaks but I was angry. My wife was carrying our child. Before I could express my anger I saw that Brigid was weeping, "You are wounded!"
Aiden said quietly, "Kara is a volva, Jarl. I suspect she dreamed of the danger."
I nodded and instead of a scowl I gave a smile, "And it is nothing. Aiden has healed me. I have lost no limbs and no eyes. There is no metal plate in my head so do not cry!" Brigid began to open her mouth to speak, "And this is not the place to discuss my health or yours. We go to my hall and we will talk there."
Kara followed and she put her arm around Brigid. Before I had met Brigid I had not had this fuss. I was a warrior and we gained wounds. Once in my hall Kara and Brigid set to making me comfortable. They would not allow me to do anything. Kara examined the wound and questioned Aiden to within an inch of his life. "Aiden saved my life. Let him alone!"
Brigid rounded on me, "Saved your life! I thought it was a scratch!"
I knew I should have kept my mouth shut but eventually Kara seemed satisfied. "It is good that you do not raid for the winter. It will heal well."
"Perhaps you should give up raiding."
I was beginning to become cross, "Woman! Know your place. I am Jarl Dragonheart and I will do what I will do!"
A flood of tears ensued and she rushed from the room. Kara wagged her finger at me, "Your wife is carrying your fourth child and yet you seem to know nothing about women. She is upset and she worries about you!"
She left to comfort Brigid. Aiden began to dress me. "They are strange creatures, Jarl. They speak and they move much as we do but they are different in so many ways."
It took a whole moon for me to heal sufficiently to be able to exercise and practise with my sword. Brigid would have made it longer but I was determined to get back to the warrior I was. Time had been I would have healed in a week but age was catching up with me. The first thing I did was to visit Bjorn Bagsecgson. I took with me the small bag of stones I had taken from the Saxon eorl.
"It is good to see you up and about Jarl Dragonheart. We were worried."
"Aye, Bjorn, enemies who face me sword to sword I can deal with, treacherous snakes I cannot."
"I heard. I asked for your byrnie and I had been working on it. I have lengthened and tightened the mail around the upper arms. It will be a snugger fit."
"If it restricts my movement then I want it not."
"It will not. You arm will still have free movement but it should be impossible for a man to get a weapon between the mail and your flesh."
"I thank you. I have a commission for you." Before I could continue Aiden came into the smithy. "This is timely. I would take your advice too, Aiden."
"Aye Jarl. Is it to do with Hrolf?"
I laughed, "Reading minds again eh?"
"No but I know that grow close to him as you grew close to me. He is on your mind. And he will be leaving us soon."
"You have dreamed?"
He nodded, "Aye. He will follow another after we raid Man."
"That is good; it is wyrd." I took out the pouch of stones and placed them on the anvil. "I would have a sword made for Hrolf. I know I gave him a short sword but he needs more. He needs a special weapon. The Norns have twisted our threads together. A man's sword which he can keep throughout his life. It will remind him whence he came and where he is bound."
They both nodded their approval of such a gesture.
"You wish the stone in the pommel?"
"I do but which stone?"
Aiden moved the two small red ones to one side. "Not those. They are too much connected with Wessex and the colour will make enemies desire it. I think they are what was termed wizard's stones. They can only be owned by a wizard who can control them."
That left the two green and the smaller one which was a blue so pale it looked like a piece of ice. Aiden picked the three up in turn and rolled them around his hand. He had great skill in the making of jewellery and he knew stones better than any man. He put the green ones down.
"I would choose this one. It is a paler version of your blue stone and it speaks to me. The sword would have a name, Heart of Ice."
Bjorn grinned, "I like that name. It sings to me. I can see the sword already." He frowned. "But how would we fix it in the pommel?"
"I would make the stone have ten sides; one for each of the Ulfheonar. If Bjorn could make the pommel have the same number of sides I could melt one of the Wessex coins to seal it."
"Good. I like that. It is fitting."
Aiden fingered the stone and rolled it around. "Did not Hrolf dream of being a horseman?"
"Aye he dreamed that he led warriors who were mounted."
"I have read of a way of using acid to etch a design on a weapon. I could make a horse on the blade."
Even Bjorn was impressed. "If you could do that then it would be a mighty weapon."
"I would need an old one on which to practise."
Bjorn waved to the corner. There was a pile of Saxon blades there. "I am going to melt them anyway. Practise all that you will."
This was wyrd. "I would have it ready to give him at Yule."
Bjorn shrugged, "I can have it ready in a week."
Aiden said, "It will be ready."
"Good then let us keep this our secret eh?"
I left and walked to the Water. I had many secrets now. I knew that I had upset Brigid mightily and I had been looking for a way to make it up to her. Yule was a time when the followers of the White Christ celebrated his birth. There had been a story in their Holy Book about wise men bringing gifts. I was no wise man but I would give gifts. I would give the green stones to my daughter and my wife. The red ones would go to Aiden; I suspect he desired them. Hrolf would have his sword and Olaf the new drekar. I had rewarded my Ulfheonar enough times in the past. We would make this a new tradition. It would be our tradition, the people of Cyninges-tūn.
Before Yule I had a visitor. It had been some months since I had sent him on his mission but Raibeart ap Pasgen had not been idle. He rode, with his brother and Erik, Siggi and Olaf, my three captains. It looked like a delegation. Uhtric took their horses and Brigid welcomed them inside. I smiled, "Quite a conclave! What brings you all here?"
Coen pointed to his brother, "When Raibeart returned he had news for you but it concerned us all. I hope you do not mind our visit."
Brigid said, "It is good to have visitors who do something other than fight!"
I rolled my eyes as she went out to organise food and beds. I waved my arm, Sit, please. "Was it successful? Your voyage I mean."
"It was and it was most interesting too, Jarl Dragonheart. Thank you for this opportunity. It has brought excitement and adventure into my life."
Brigid and Uhtric returned with ale, bread and cheese. She looked a little shamefaced. She came over and whispered, "I am sorry for my outburst. The baby!" She kissed me on the cheek.
"I didn't mind."
After she and Uhtric had gone I poured the ale. "Help yourself to food. We stand not on ceremony here. Tell me your tale when you have eaten."
I could see they were hungry. The journey from the sea is long enough at the best of times but in winter it seemed interminable. For some reason the wind always appeared to come from the north and was frighteningly cold. Men called it a lazy wind. It did not go around you but through you.
"I did as you bade me, Jarl Dragonheart. My crew and I adopted new identities. Our strange accents helped. They could not tell if we were Scots or the old people of this land or Saxons who had lived apart for some time. We could have traded all of the iron in Wessex. There is a great need for iron. Weapons are being made in every kingdom. We made a huge profit. Your share is in the chests we brought." I nodded. The coin was of little interest to me. The information might prove to be invaluable. You were right to keep you knarr here. Wessex has put a price on every Viking ship and on every Vi
king warrior. Your head is worth a thousand gold pieces, Jarl."
"I am flattered."
"We sailed as far as Jorvik, the place the Saxons call Eoforwic. We used that name there and it appeared to allay suspicion."
"Suspicion?"
"They are wary there of all strangers. Your name and that of your warriors was on the tongue of everyone on the river. When we visited the ale houses it was the sole topic of conversation."
"Should I fear that more Danes will come to claim the reward then?"
Raibeart laughed, "Just the opposite. They fear you. The survivors of their attack are broken men who hide in the bottom of a beer barrel. The blood eagle terrified them. Harald Iron Shirt's death was spoken of in every street."
"But the blood eagle is well known. Others have performed it."
"Not for many years. They think you ordered it and they fear you for it. When we mentioned King Egbert's bounty none fancied the prospect of facing you. It was in Eoforwic that we made the greatest profit. There they make weapons to defend themselves from you."
"You have done well, Raibeart."
"I have not yet finished! We had some fine daggers Bjorn had made and some jewellery made by Aiden, we traded them in Lundenwic. There we heard the King Louis has fortified his towns and his ports. He also fears you and your raids."
"And has he put a price upon my head?"
"Aye Jarl, two thousand gold pieces." He pointed to Erik and Olaf. "And five hundred for each warrior and drekar captain."
"Then we can expect hunters to come for the reward."
"They have few ships, Jarl and the water between us is dangerous. The reward is offered should you venture there again." I nodded, "And finally we called at Man."
"Did you have anything left to trade?"
He shook his head. "We called in to see they had anything we could buy to trade. They did not. They have but two drekar left. You destroyed their best one and took the second best. The two they have left are little bigger than 'Red Snake'."