Viking Jarl

by Griff Hosker

  When Haaken returned he too had found a small settlement of farms. “They have carts and they are in the fields loading them with grain.”

  The gods were smiling again. They approved my kind deed for the widow. “Then let us go amongst these Saxon sheep and fleece them.”

  Leaving the shipwrights to work on the hull of the captured pirate ship, we headed inland. We now had fifty warriors. We spread out in a wide half circle and moved towards the farms we knew were just ahead of us. The smoke from the huts marked them just behind the low ridge which ran from the sea. As we crested the ridge we were seen. There were screams as we were spotted.

  “Forward!”

  We ran at them. I know they were terrified. I could see it in the panic of their movements. Women grabbed children and looked for a way out of the trap. Men grabbed anything they could use as weapon. There was no one to organise them and they wasted time. The warriors who had no armour reached them first and they ignored the women and struck down the men who had weapons. The fight was futile. They could do little against trained warriors who were armed with a shield and a good sword. The ones who fought, fell. I saw that some of the men and boys escaped towards the west of the island. A few of the faster women followed but most of the women huddled, crying, with their arms around their children.

  Haaken had been correct. They did have sacks of grain ready on a couple of carts. There were other piles waiting close by. We had a good haul.

  “Jarl Erik, have your men escort the carts and the prisoners back to the boats and then return with the carts here. We will guard what we have.”

  He was smiling now. “Our luck has returned.”

  “Perhaps it is all meant to be, brother.” I pointed to the west of the island. “The problem will be if the Saxons decide to come here. We may yet have to fight.”

  Once the prisoners and the carts had gone I had my Ulfheonar stand guard half a mile from the huddle of farms. The flat land meant we could see far away to the west. We would know when they were coming. Rolf and most of his men stacked the sacks of grain while I took the others to search for any hidden wealth they might have had.

  We found, in the huts and farms, a few pots of slightly better quality than we normally found in Saxon homes. Some of them looked to be almost Roman in quality. They had some wool and woollen garments which we could use. None of what we found could be considered valuable but it was all useful. There were even some finely made bone combs and a few brooches. What we did not discover was any coins or jewels. It looked like these people relied on trade or kept their valuables elsewhere.

  Jarl Erik brought half his men back for the rest of the grain. “The pirate ship is almost repaired.”

  “Good. We need a crew for it and then the slaves and the grain can be put aboard. Have your men carry the spare bags of grain. We will give you the time to get to the ships and then we will follow.”

  “You will not wait for the Saxons?”

  He seemed disappointed. “If I can avoid a fight I will. There is still the western half of the island to raid. I want as many fighting men available as possible.”

  He nodded. I was the leader and it was my word which was law. He had only been gone a short time when Haaken and Cnut ran in with the Ulfheonar. “Saxons! There are about forty warriors and another forty armed men.”

  “How far away are they?”

  “Less than a mile.”

  Jarl Erik would need longer to reach and load the ships. We needed to buy him some time. The farms had a small fence which was used to corral animals. It would provide a barrier.

  “Forward to the perimeter of the farms. We will hold them there.” I pointed to Rolf, “You command the left.” He nodded and ran forward, “Haaken, Cnut, take the Ulfheonar and guard the right. I will be in the centre. We just hold them until we have loaded the boats.”

  This would be a test both of my leadership and the mettle of our opponents.

  Chapter 8

  The sunlight glinted on the mail of a few warriors who led the Saxons. Three of them rode horses. This was the first time I had heard of Saxons riding horses. They also had mail on their legs. They were three well armed warriors and they all carried a long spear as well as a strange metal club like weapon. I had not seen one before.

  The three riders seemed to be organising the warband which approached us. Unusually for Saxons they also had bows and they halted behind a wall of shields to shower them at us.

  “Ready shields!”

  The forty arrows thudded down onto our shields. My leather cover and metal studs coped well but I saw the warrior next to me, Oleg One Ear, look in surprise as one arrow came through the wood of his shield. They had good barbs and bows to achieve that.

  Their leaders knew what they were about. As a second flight came towards us they ordered the rest of the warband forward whilst out attention was on the arrows. My choice of defensive position came to our aid. They had to fight us over a wooden fence. They came charging and running but in a line. The three horsemen were behind them. I saw our archers try to hit them but the arrows bounced off the metal protecting their legs and their body. I dearly wanted to examine the armour but first we had to defeat them.

  A spear was thrust in my direction and I fended it away with my shield. At the same time a sword came towards my head. I parried it away with a swing of my sword. I let the blade continue on its arc and it cracked into the arm of the spearman. He fell clutching his bleeding arm. I quickly turned to face the swordsman as he stabbed at Oleg. I managed to pierce his arm and the sword dropped. Some of Rolf’s men had fallen for the arrows still flew overhead and now they were hitting those warriors without mail. However we had hurt them. I judged the time right to begin our withdrawal. The problem would be the horses which could move faster than us. They would be able to sweep around our flanks once we moved. We were still some way from the beach. I needed to buy us some time.

  I shouted, “Rolf, pull your men back. Form another line half a mile away. Ulfheonar, form on me.”

  Rolf shouted his orders and, after a furious attack on the Saxons which made the Saxons recoil they suddenly ran back. I saw two men fall to arrows but they made good their escape as the Saxons had to clamber over the fence to get at them. Oleg had stayed with me and he was joined by Haaken and the others.

  “These are a little better organised than the ones we have fought so far.”

  “Aye, Cnut. If we can draw them to the beach then we will stand a better chance with Rolf and Erik’s men to aid us.”

  The Saxons had clambered over the fence and we were now in grave danger of being surrounded. Haaken’s question was a good one. “How do we draw them to the beach without being surrounded?”

  I saw that the warriors at the end were Tostig and Thorkell respectively. “Tostig and Thorkell fall back, the rest of you go back with them. We will make a wedge and retreat.”

  “An interesting idea.”

  As I stabbed a Saxon who was trying to climb over the fence and split my head at the same time I grunted, “We will find out. Retreat!”

  We stepped back. Haaken was to my right and Cnut to my left I saw that poor Oleg had fallen to two warriors but, even as he lay bleeding to death he swung his sword at the ankles of those climbing the wooden fence. He hit two of them and the others all descended upon him to hack his body to pieces. It gave us the breathing space to move further away.

  I heard the horsemen cursing their warriors and urging them forward. Oleg’s sacrifice had bought us the time to form a solid wedge. Once we left the village however, then the Saxons could overlap us. We had to move quickly.

  “Let us speed up the retreat.”

  I hoped that the warriors at the back were watching their footing for those of us at the front of this wedge had to fend off the Saxons who were now flooding over the fence and racing towards us. They were too hot and angry and now did not come at us in an organised line. It suited us. Ragnar’s Spirit flicked, slashed and stabbed at all who came wit
hin range. I felt and heard arrows ping off mail and shields but none pierced. All the time I kept my eye on the horsemen. They were the danger. They were riding bigger horses than the ponies we used and if they struck us we would know about it. They could bowl us over and we would be helpless then. I was just grateful that there were only three of them.

  “There is a ditch coming up!” Tostig’s warning was a timely one.

  “Halt on the other side of the ditch. It will give us a chance to catch our breath.”

  Our passage was marked by dead Saxons but I noticed it was not the ones wearing mail. Their leader was being cautious. I felt Sven White Hair tap me on the shoulder and say, “Ditch!” I risked a glance behind me. I took a larger stride and cleared it.

  The arrows were becoming less of a problem for they were running out of them but they were being formed up into a wedge of their own. They had enough men to make a boar’s snout which had two points of attack. They had a large number of mailed warriors yet. If they used the boar’s snout then we would lose.

  I was suddenly aware that there was just one horseman behind the boar’s snout. I looked around, almost in panic and then I saw the other two; they were leading twenty mailed warriors off to our right. They were going to attack from two directions. We had to move quickly before they charged us.

  “When I give the command we turn and run. I want us to get to Rolf and his men before we are outflanked.” I paused as the Saxons readied themselves. “Now!”

  We took them by surprise. The short rest had helped us and we ran. I kept my eye on the horsemen. I heard, ahead of us, Rolf shout, “Keep coming! We will leave a gap!”

  I heard a wail from behind as some of the Saxons fell into the ditch. It broke their formation but I had no time to feel pleased for I heard hooves to my left. The two horsemen were charging us and the mailed warriors were following. We were in danger of being caught between the boar’s snout and the better armed warriors. I needed to do something or all of my men would be slaughtered. I had to risk myself to save them. I turned and shouted, “Ulfheonar!” I ran directly towards the leading horseman.

  I had heard that a horse would not deliberately hit a man but would try to avoid him. I was about to test that theory. The horseman’s spear jabbed at me. I half turned my shield to deflect it and then slashed across the horse’s front. As my blade ripped through its throat it half reared. I dropped to my knees and held my shield above my head. I felt a hoof slide along the metal studded shield. The hoof cracked on my shield and made my head ring and then the dying beast crashed next to me. I stood and saw the rider lying trapped beneath his dead horse. I saw a gap below his helmet and I stabbed down. His blood spurted all over his shining armour as he died. I would dearly have loved to take some of the armour or his weapon but I had no time. The mailed Saxons were almost on me and I heard Cnut shout, “Run, Dragon Heart!”

  I turned and ran in the direction of the voice. Four arrows flew over my head and struck the second horse. The rider wheeled it away from the arrows leaving just the mailed warriors. Cnut and Haaken led my Ulfheonar in a desperate attack. The dead horse and rider provided an obstacle and the Saxons were beaten back.

  They quickly withdrew but I could see that Einar and Beorn both had wounds and Sven was limping badly. Rolf was next to me. “Jarl Erik is on his way. Let us move backwards, my lord.”

  “Keep the line straight and move backwards steadily.”

  The two horsemen had now reorganised their men and they were advancing once more. I heard the sound of the sea and I almost cheered with relief. Then I heard the sound of swords on shields and the chant of “Dragon Heart! Dragon Heart!” over and over.

  We kept moving until I was aware that I was walking on sand. We had reached the sea. The Saxons waited. I looked behind me and saw that we slightly outnumbered them. I did not know if I ought to risk an attack and win once and for all. Perhaps Rolf read my mind for he said, “We have many wounded, my lord. Let us take what we have and return another day.”

  I looked at his older and wiser face. He was right. “Get the wounded on board.”

  We were allowed to leave. We had not won but we had not lost. As the four boats pulled away I heard the Saxon slaves screaming for their men folk to rescue them. I watched as the two horsemen restrained the anguished warriors watching their families taken into slavery. Like me the two horsemen realised there would be another day.

  I took over the steering board from Erik Short Toe and Aiden took off my helmet. I heard a gasp from them both. “My lord you have been wounded. Your head is bleeding.”

  “It is nothing, just wash it and bind it. I will live.”

  Haaken was rowing quite close to me and I saw him grin as he said, “Attacking a horse! Now that is a new tactic!”

  I sniffed, “It worked didn’t it?”

  We sailed back along the island to the fort. I had no idea what the Saxons would do but one thing was certain; they knew there were Vikings on their island and they would want to see us removed. Having come so close to disaster, I could see that we would have to find a way to defeat these new Saxons. They were better organised and armed than any Saxons we had met before. My plan to empty the island of food would not work. They would suffer this winter but they would not starve. I had much to plan.

  When we reached the fort we shackled and tethered the slaves but we left the grain and other treasures on the pirate ship which had a useful hold. If the Saxons came then I wanted to be able to leave in a hurry. After the wounded had been attended to and we had been fed I met with Rolf, Jarl Erik, Haaken and Cnut. We sat in the Great Hall and talked.

  “They were well armed warriors.”

  “Our arrows bounced from the armour of those horsemen.”

  “Where did they get that from?”

  Rolf was the most well travelled of all of us and he said, “I have heard of amour and weapons like that. They are called cataphracts and they serve the Byzantine Emperor. How the Saxons got the armour I do not know.”

  “I would like to get my hands on some of that.”

  Haaken laughed, “You nearly did Dragon Heart!”

  I shook my head, “My plans to stay here for the winter now seem a little ridiculous. Perhaps we should return home with what we have.”

  There was silence as they all thought of the implications. “If we leave this stronghold then we shall never get it back. They will fortify and put in a decent garrison this time.”

  “Cnut is right.”

  Rolf stood and threw a log on the fire. “My men and I have served you, Jarl Dragon Heart, but we have not been in as much danger as you have. Leave me and my men here and we will guard this place over the winter. I have enough men for that.”

  Erika’s brother suddenly brightened, “I could stay too. I told you once before, brother, that I wanted a land of my own. I would stay here with Rolf in your fort so that next year I might conquer the island.”

  I looked at the two men and I saw the disappointment on Rolf’s face. “I am of a mind to agree brother but this fort is Rolf’s to rule. You can help him but he commands.”

  Jarl Erik made it easy for he smiled, “I am happy to obey your man. I told you I serve you.”

  Cnut nodded too. “And that means that we will have two boats here. One could always return to Man if help was needed.”

  “It seems you have convinced me. I will return in the spring and we will have more warriors.” I smiled, “I intend to put our newly acquired riches to good use. We need another forty warriors.”

  I left the next morning. ‘Wolf’ was undermanned as I needed a good crew on the pirate ship now named ‘Serpent’ for the Hibernian prisoners were like snakes; you had to watch them constantly. Megan and her family were aboard my boat along with the slaves. I threatened all of them before we left the protection of the mountain.

  “If any of you give me trouble on the way home then you will feed the fishes. I promise you that you will not be abused by my people but make no mistake. Y
ou are now the thralls of Dragon Heart.”

  It must have worked for there was no trouble all the way home. They cried and they wept but they made no attempt to escape. I think they thought their god, the White Christ, would save them. They were wrong.

  My wife, Erika, was both surprised and pleased when we sailed into the harbour at Hrams-a. She had not expected me back before Yule. Arturus was even more delighted; not only was I home but his playmate and guardian, Aiden was there too.

  “Scanlan, see to the slaves. There is grain aboard the second ship.”

  Seara had Kara and so Erika linked my arm as we walked to my hall. “No wounds this time?”

  “None worthy of comment.” She would chastise me when she found out that I had needed attention.

  “Are you home for long?”

  I told her of the last battle and her brother’s decision to stay with Rolf. “We have a toehold in their land and they cannot move without our knowledge. I shall return in the spring. By then we will have trained more Ulfheonar and recruited more warriors.”

  When I had removed my armour and bathed, Maewe fed me and I began to feel I was home. I told Erika of the mountain and my dream. She nodded for she was fey herself. “I feel your mother, too. She had magic within her. She had the magic that does not die with the body.”

  Aiden knocked on the door. “My lord, I have those things you asked me to bring.”

  “Thank you Aiden.”

  Arturus was hovering nearby. “Can Aiden show me how to fight?”

  “He is tired, my son, he has been travelling.”

  “No, my lord. I enjoy it and besides I need the practice myself.”

  I unrolled the map on the table. I lit and placed four candles at the corners to both illuminate and hold down the vellum. “I found this and I believe that the blue stone from my wolf amulet was mined here.” I used my seax to point to the blue spot. “God appears to be here.”

  She had a quick mind, “You intend to go there.”