Viking Jarl

by Griff Hosker

  “It was overlapping pieces of metal.”

  Olaf and the Prince looked at each other. Olaf nodded, “There would be leather underneath too. It is a good combination. I have heard of it but never seen it. The Roman soldiers from the south used it. Some of the ships of the Rus which went to Byzantium spoke of such armour.”

  “How did the Saxons get their hands on it?”

  “They could be mercenaries.”

  “No Olaf, do you remember the legends?” Olaf looked puzzled and then nodded.

  “Legends?”

  “Aye, in the time after the Romans left and the Saxons came there were stories of a band of men on horses who were encased in armour. They protected the native peoples and defeated the Saxons many times but they died out and vanished into…well no one knows where they went.”

  “So you are saying the Saxons might just have found the armour of these warriors?”

  “Possibly and that might explain why they did not use them well. It was said that these horsemen trained from a young age to ride and use a variety of weapons. They were born to be horsemen. The Saxons are not.”

  I nodded and stared at the fire. My mother had told Prince Butar of her father who rode a horse and fought the Saxons. Could my grandfather have been the last of these warriors?

  “Will you return to this Anglesey then?”

  “I have left Rolf and Jarl Erik at the fort we captured and I will go back in spring. The land is rich in grain.”

  “I know the people sing your praises when they bake their bread. No-one will go hungry this winter and it is thanks to you.”

  “Had I had more men then I could have captured more and starved the Saxons out.”

  “It was not meant to be. You did well.” The two old men looked at each other and Olaf nodded. “We have young warriors who wish to go raiding. They seek the honour and glory you have. They are loyal to both of us and will not go with just anyone. Our days of raiding are gone. They are a distant though pleasant memory.”

  “Aye, that upstart Ragnar Hairy Breeches tried to persuade some to go but they would not. They were tempted but they swore an oath to the two of us.” Olaf spat into the fire. I think it summed up his opinion of Hairy Breeches.

  Prince Butar stood and stretched and turned his back to the fire to warm it. “Sweyn will not go raiding again. Tadgh might as well have ripped his heart out when he tortured our warriors. He will give his life to defend me and this isle but no more than that.” He looked intently at me. “We would have you take our warriors with you. They will follow you and it will make them less likely to leave.”

  “But my two ships are small.”

  “Pah! I will not be using my ship and I have my men building another. I am sure you can use ‘Ran’ too. Prince Butar will not need it.”

  “If you think I am up to it then I would be honoured.”

  They both burst out laughing so hard that I worried that they would have a seizure. “I can think of no other who I would trust with either my men or those of Olaf. Even Jarl Erik follows you. You are now the legend.”

  Later that night, when the children were asleep and Erika lay in my arms I told her of my talk with the two old men. “They have aged so much. I fear for them.”

  “I know. I thought that Eurwen would keep her father young but it was not meant to be.” She snuggled in a little more and nibbled my ear. “The servants say that he is better when you are close.”

  “You are saying I should stay here?”

  “No, but we are close enough for you to visit a few times a month. We will stay a few days this time and then if you return regularly it will lift his spirits.”

  I kissed her. “You are right and I am glad that the gods put you in my way.”

  I knew she was right as soon as I told my stepfather and Olaf that I would be staying for a few days. He brightened immediately and began to plan a feast. “I had thought to keep you to myself but I can share you with my warriors and offer them the chance of a raid. It will brighten their days as well as mine.”

  I felt like some sort of entertainer but when I saw the difference it made to the old man then I knew it was worth it. The feast was planned for Thor’s day but on Woden’s day we heard the alarm. I had not brought my armour but I strapped on my sword and ran out with the other warriors.

  “You stay in here with the children.” Erika nodded. She knew better than most the danger of strange sails.

  I reached the gate just as it was closing and I raced up the steps to the fighting platform. The sentry pointed to the east. I recognised the ships; it was Ragnar Hairy Breeches and his consort. I turned to Sweyn who was puffing and panting next to me. “Out of condition aren’t you Sweyn?”

  He grinned as he tried to catch his breath. He had been an Ulfheonar but he knew his limitations and chose instead to guard my stepfather. “I don’t have the energy I once had but I can still fight.”

  “We may not have to fight today. This is Ragnar Hairy Breeches and the last time I saw him he came in peace.”

  “We will see.” He turned as Prince Butar struggled across the courtyard.

  The ships came in slowly and, when they lowered their sails only Ragnar and two warriors disembarked. He limped as he came over. I said to Prince Butar, as he watched from below, “We can let them in there are only three of them and I know one of them.”

  The gate was opened and I joined Prince Butar to greet the erstwhile conqueror of the Saxons. He smiled when he saw me, “Ah, the Dragon Heart. I had been told this was the home of Prince Butar.”

  “I am Prince Butar.”

  “And this is Jarl Ragnar Hairy Breeches.” I saw the bandage around his arm. “I see you have encountered the Saxons.”

  He looked around him and said, “It is a little public here and a little dry too. Is there somewhere we could sit and talk?”

  Prince Butar understood the protocol involved. “Come to my hall and we will talk there.”

  As we walked Ragnar said, “So you did not raid as you said you would.”

  I ignored the insult, “I did. I have just returned from Cymru and Anglesey.”

  He gave a knowing smile, “Did you meet the horsemen?”

  He had known of the mailed men. I nodded, “We did and I slew one.”

  For the first time he was taken aback. “You managed to slay one? That was some feat. Why did you not stay?”

  “I wished to see my family.”

  We entered the hall. “Aye if I had a pretty bird such as your wife then I would not leave the nest as often.”

  I saw Prince Butar frown. He did not like to hear women spoken of in such terms. “Please sit.”

  His steward appeared with a bucket of foaming ale and some horns. Ragnar was, indeed, thirsty and he scooped a horn full and quaffed it down in one swallow. “Good beer. I found none in the land of the Dee.” We filled our horns and waited as he downed a second and then wiped his beard with the back of his hand. “You were right about the Maeresea, Dragon Heart, and I thank you for that. It saved us, let me tell you. But the Saxons have learned from your raid and the fort has been strengthened. It seems their new king wishes to hold on to what he has. I lost some good men when we tried to attack it.”

  I knew then that he was not a good leader. You did not waste your men in fruitless assaults. When you attacked you made sure you knew what to expect. I nodded sympathetically.

  “We raided the lands close to their fort but they were piss poor villages. They had fled to the fort with their animals and coins. We lost few men but they were not a rich people. We crossed the Dee and found much better places to raid but they had built protective walls around them. We took them and their riches but men were lost. When the men from Caestre came for us we escaped to the Maeresea and we fled.”

  It was a sorry tale. I got the impression that Ragnar was blaming me in some way. Prince Butar glanced at me and rolled his eyes. “So Jarl Ragnar, how can we help you?”

  He pointed to me with his horn bef
ore refilling it. “I asked this young jarl to join me in a raid but he had other things on his mind. I have heard that you have doughty men too, Prince Butar. Would you and your warriors return with me to the Dee? I was close to capturing that fort of theirs. If I held that then I could winter there.”

  Prince Butar shook his head. “I am sorry, Jarl Ragnar but my step son and I are planning something else for the spring and I will need all of my men.”

  He looked disappointed but I do not think it was a surprise, “Then I will return to Orkneyjar and recruit from my people.” He looked at me. “Did you take the monasteries?” I nodded. “And the forts?” Again I nodded. “You are indeed favoured by the gods.” He looked almost disappointed.

  After he and his ships had left Prince Butar and I talked. “I do not like that man. He seems to me a lazy and a poor leader. He wants to raid with other men’s warriors. If he was any good then warriors would flock to join him as they do to you.”

  It was true. Ships arrived from the islands and from Norway to trade with us and they left warriors eager to fight for the Jarls of Man. They were men who wished to go a-Viking but had no leader they felt they could follow. I knew that Erik, Olaf and Prince Butar had recruits such as I had. The difference was I had greater numbers.

  We soon forgot Ragnar Hairy Breeches as we prepared for the feast. Erika insisted on organising it. “I know you mean well, Prince Butar, but this is not a raid on a Saxon village. This needs someone who can arrange such things. When Eurwen grows she can take on such tasks but until then I will have to mother you all! Now out of the hall while I arrange things.”

  Neither the prince nor myself took offence at her words. My mother had been of a similar nature. We went to the beach where the new ship was being built. We both knew the importance of seeing the ship take shape. A good warrior knew how his ship was constructed. The wood had been taken in one of the raids on the mainland. We had poor trees but the lands we had raided proliferated with oak and that made for good ships. The long piece of oak which formed the keel would be strong enough to stand the fiercest storms in the Poisoned Sea. Even though it was a skeleton we saw that the carpenter was busily carving the most important part, the dragon prow. He would take as long on that as they did on the hull. It would not be a drekar without a well made and decorated dragon prow.

  When we finally returned we saw that Erika and her women had cleaned the hall and that great fires were lit. Somehow it looked homelier and yet it was the same building. Every warrior in Duboglassio was there. It was just a handful of old men who watched from the walls that night. Thanks to my wife we ate and drank well.

  Once the food had been finished, although that was never completely true as some of the men with huge appetites would continue to nibble and gnaw all night, Prince Butar stood. I noticed he was a little unsteady and I could not work out if that was his age or the drink. His men loved him and they did not mind.

  He got their attention merely by standing, smiling and then, gently waving with his arms. “My warriors I have let you down as a leader.” There was uproar as they all shouted their denial. He shook his head and raised his voice a little. “I have not led you on great raids as I should have. Because I did not want to leave my home any longer I have stopped you from doing so. That ends now!” He raised his voice just a little and they all subsided. I could see that they worried what was coming next. Only Sweyn and Olaf had a calm look about them. They knew what he would say.

  “My son, the mighty warrior Dragon Heart,” he paused for he knew the effect that would have. They all cheered and banged the table with the hilts of their daggers. “Dragon Heart will be leading a raid against the Saxons of Anglesey in the spring and I am letting him take ‘Ran’ as one of his drekar.”

  Warrior looked at warrior in keen expectation. Prince Butar milked the moment and took a drink of his ale. “Any warrior who wishes to go has my blessing but you must all know this; the jarl who leads is Dragon Heart and his word is law.”

  They did not care. They had the chance to go on a raid and they were beside themselves with excitement. When he sat down my step father said, “Well that went well. As I knew it would.”

  “What of the defences of your town?”

  “It is only one drekar. Even fully manned it will leave me with twenty warriors. That is more than enough.” He glanced at me. “How long will you be away?”

  This was the difficult question I had been dreading. “To consolidate the island and capture all their grain and their treasures? A month. The warriors can then return to you but I intend to take my drekar and sail south to find the mine of the blue jewels and the river of gold.”

  He looked at me sceptically. “They exist?”

  “I took a map from the monastery. It looked to be from the time of Rheged and both the river and the mine were marked.” I pointed to the ring Erika wore. “We found those rings in the monastery. I took it as a sign.” He nodded. “I will only take Ulfheonar. There look to be few people there and I need no more than my oathsworn.”

  He smiled, “If I were younger then I would join you on one of these adventures. Just hearing them makes the blood course through my veins once more.” He patted my arm, “Live now and do all that you can for the time will pass quicker than you can imagine.”

  His words echoed my own and confirmed my decision. I would strike while I was young and powerful.

  A few days after the feast, Prince Butar summoned me to his hall. “You have done your duty Dragon Heart. You have cheered up an old man now return to your home and prepare this raid in the spring.”

  Chapter 10

  When I told Haaken and Cnut of the prince’s offer they were delighted. “We will have more new warriors and we can garrison the fort.”

  I was happy that they were enthusiastic but it would not be easy for us. “Remember some of our warriors wish to stay there. They are warriors like Thorkell the Tall. While it would give us men to control the land it would take from us irreplaceable warriors.”

  “Do not be such a pessimist. I have at least four warriors who could be Ulfheonar and all the rest are good enough to defeat any Saxons we may find.”

  “And the boys show great potential. Your gift of the blades was inspired.”

  “But they cost me little.”

  “It is not the price of the gift which is important but what it symbolises. In this case it means they are your men.”

  I suppose I knew that it would have that effect when I gave the gift but I wondered if it lacked honour. Had I done the same with the arm rings? Would the gods, even now, be frowning on my actions? It was hard to know. My only comfort was that the voices in my head had not criticised me as yet.

  “We need to fully crew ‘Wolf’ this voyage. Choose the best from those you are training.”

  Cnut glanced at Haaken. “We wanted to sail before Yule to enable the warriors who wish to become Ulfheonar get their cloaks.”

  This was the first time when my two oldest friends had been so wary of my reaction. Was I changing? I did not think so but perhaps I was. “I think that is a good idea. We can take some supplies for Rolf and Jarl Erik too.”

  “We? You are coming?”

  “Aye, just to see how the land lies. Besides you will not be there for long will you?”

  “Five days, seven at the most.”

  Erika was philosophical about it especially when I told her I would take Arturus. “It will do him good and, I assume, it will be safe for him?”

  “It will. The fort is strong and we have two crews there. They will not allow anything bad to happen to my son.”

  He, in turn, was delighted. At last he would sail with his father. I kept telling him we would not be fighting but he was convinced that I was not speaking truthfully.

  I charged Aiden with the task of watching my son for I needed to watch the warriors who had chosen to make this most perilous of quests. Only Cnut and Haaken accompanied me; the rest were all new men. It was a deliberate ploy. We wanted
to see how they rowed and how they got on. Although each warrior sought a wolf cloak they would have to work together to do so.

  We did not assign benches and I watched where they sat. As I had expected friend sat with friend, young warriors with their peers. However they all seemed to get on and Snorri bantered with Ragnar Siggison. It was a good sign. It showed they were a happy crew. Haaken and Cnut would be passengers with me. This voyage would let them see their charges row.

  I allowed Erik Short Toe to steer. He was more than competent. I had learned that he wished to continue as steersman even when a warrior. Snorri had seen the role of ship’s boy as a means to a shield and a sword. Erik liked the sea. I would gradually increase his turn at the steering board and see how he developed. It was how I had learned to steer under the guidance and tutelage of Olaf the Toothless.

  It was a grey dank day when we sailed east. The wind was precocious and it tested both the rowers and Erik. The gods were favouring me again. It put an obstacle in our way but my men overcame it. Cnut Sweynson clung precariously to the mast head but he had good eyes and would warn us of an attack.

  By the time we saw the mountain loom over the horizon we had seen enough of the men to make a judgement. All would make warriors but we had closely observed five or six of them who could easily be Ulfheonar. It took more than the skin of a wolf to join my oathsworn elite.

  As we neared the island a wall of cloud drifted from the west and soon both the island and the mountain were shrouded in cloud. They had an eerie look to them. The new warriors had never seen them before and I saw one or two giving each other worried looks. The mountain was mystical and the gods were dressing it well for our visit. In a way that pleased me for they were the ones we had identified as not being suitable as Ulfheonar. The ones we had already identified merely watched with curiosity. The two drekar were still tied up and I saw the sentries give us a wave. I took over the steering board as the beach and wooden dock loom up. The rowers were not quite as efficient as my Ulfheonar were but they did well.

  Rolf and Jarl Erik strolled down to meet me. Neither wore mail and I took that to be a good sign.