by Griff Hosker
“This will make a good shelter while we seek the mine.”
I went to the door. “Come in here.”
When they entered Cnut said, “They had thrown the spoil down the mountain. The valley is treacherous but the mine is not there.”
“Aiden, clean this place up. We will use this for shelter. Tostig and Sweyn help him. The rest of you split up and look for the mine.”
Ulf asked, “What are we looking for?”
“A hole in the ground. There might be scrubby bushes in front of it but there will be no trees.”
I found myself with Olaf , Harald and Snorri. When I stepped from the building I looked to the valley where the spoil had been deposited. They would not want to carry the spoil far and so I walked towards the ground closest to the spoil. The soil appeared to be compacted and covered in a fine layer of ground up rocks and pebbles. I took out my seax and began to hack at the blackberry bushes which had grown up. They were always the first plants to colonise where man had disturbed the land. The thorns were as painful as some wounds I had suffered.
It was Snorri, with his sharp eyes, who first saw it. We had been hacking around without much luck. I was beginning to think we would have to search elsewhere when he shouted me over.
He pointed to a hole in the side of the rocks. It looked to be just as high as a man’s arm and could not be the entrance to anything. It was far too small. It looked to be the size of a large baby. An elderberry bush had sprung up just in front of it. “It is just a hole in the ground is it not, Dragon Heart?”
“I don’t know. Olaf, Harald get rid of this bush for me.”
I think the two of them were frustrated with the task in hand and they ripped the whole bush out, roots and all. Suddenly the soil gave way beneath Snorri’s feet and he slid down into the mouth of the mine. Olaf and Harald laughed at the young warrior. They thought it was highly amusing.
“Help him out!” I turned and shouted, “Ulfheonar!” Every warrior was there within moments. “I think this may be the entrance.” I pointed to the rock above. You could see where there had been soil once. “I think they had an avalanche here just like at our mountain. Thanks to Snorri we may have found it. Let us clear the soil. Well done Snorri, now go and bring Aiden we may need his reading skills soon.”
We used warriors in the hole to pass out the soil while others deposited it well away from the entrance. It took some time but soon we had the entrance cleared. It was slightly smaller than the height of a man but three men abreast could enter. Cnut made a fire and we began to make torches.
“Aiden you come with me. We will see if this is the mine before we go any further.” I could see the disappointment on Snorri’s face. He would have his chance yet.
I held the torch and entered first. The walls looked to be smooth as though worked by man. It reminded me of the wolf cave. It was cool inside and we moved further down what was obviously a shaft. I was convinced that this was the mine of the blue stones but I had to be sure before we investigated further. I had a nagging doubt at the back of my mind.
“Hold the light there my lord.” I stopped and turned. Aiden was peering at some marks on the wall. I moved the light closer as Aiden said, triumphantly, “It is writing. Men were here.” He pointed to the letters and I could see that they were indeed writing: DAFFYDD. We had found the mine.
“Bring the torches and the tools we have found the mine. Well done Aiden, now go back to the workshop and begin working on the map and then prepare some food.” He looked disappointed. “It will be crowded enough here as it is and my warriors are stronger than you. Yours is work of the mind. This is work of the back.”
He went, reluctantly. I noticed that as he left Snorri took his place. Snorri was still the youngest of the Ulfheonar and, good warrior though he was, he still behaved like a child occasionally.
We walked ahead and I could that there were three tunnels before me. We had a choice to make. As I examined them I saw that the miners had only widened existing caves. “Haaken, you take the one to the left, Cnut, the one to the right. I will take the middle. Call when you see the stones.”
Cnut asked, “How will we know when we have found them? Will they be like those around the building, small stones?”
Possibly or there may be a seam.” In truth I had no idea but I had had no one to ask. “Just look for something which might be stones. If we find nothing then so be it. Wyrd!”
I took my torch and headed down the middle shaft. The walls were damp and water dripped down to puddle at the bottom. I had to walk with my head bowed to avoid cracking it and I wondered at the wisdom of leaving helmets on the boat. Snorri followed me, much to the annoyance of Harald and Olaf. I think he was determined to be part of whatever adventure I encountered. The tunnel suddenly went down. “Watch your footing here.”
I kept on going. The floor was slippery and was uneven. This did not feel manmade. I touched the walls and they were rough to the touch. I saw that the tunnel turned to the left and I began to make the turn. I heard a shout, “What is it?”
“I just slipped, sorry my lord.”
I heard, and it seemed as though from a great distance, Olaf shout, “Hurry you young fool we are losing the jarl!”
I smiled, where could I go and who was there in this cave to hurt me? I was immediately answered when Olaf shouted, “Watch that hammer, you will hit the…”
The words were drowned out by a rumble and a crack. The noise seemed to reverberate in the confined space of the tunnel. A wall of stone and dust flew down the tunnel after me. I found myself coughing and then I realised my predicament. I turned and running back, reached the bend. The ceiling had collapsed. I was trapped. I was underground in the world of the goddess Hel and I was alone.
Chapter 19
I heard Olaf’s voiced as though from far away. “Lord Dragon Heart, are you there?”
“I am safe what of Snorri?”
“He was struck by a rock but the fool lives. We will get the others and dig you out.”
“Very well.” My answer sounded lame but I could in truth, do nothing. The walls appeared to be closer than they were, or was that my imagination? My chest felt tight as though I was having trouble breathing. I shook my head and gripped my amulet. It was in my mind. I closed my eyes and said a prayer to the goddess, Hel. ‘I pray you watch over me while I am in your domain.’
When I opened my eyes I noticed the flame on my dying torch was moving as though there was a current of air from below. I could do nothing to aid the others and so I set off. Perhaps this tunnel ran into one of the others. It became steeper and more slippery as I went down and I took out my seax to use as a means of slowing me down should I fall. I noticed that these walls were smoother than before; they had not been marked by man. This had been a watercourse at some time and that had worn the rocks shiny and slippery. Just when I thought my light was going to burn out I saw its flame reflected in water. I dislodged some stones and I heard them plop in the water. I had reached an underground lake. Just before my torch went out I saw that it stretched the length of my ship in every direction. Then the flame went out… I could still see. There was light but how could that be? I looked up and saw, high above, the moon shining. Its beams pierced the dark and gave the cave an eerie blue colour. There was a chimney of stone leading to the skies. Even as I thought I might escape that way I dismissed the idea. I could not climb that far and if I fell then the rocks below would claim me.
I sat and stared at the lake. It was black as night, with just the light from the moon sparkling off the ripples from the dislodged stones on the dark blue lake. It was mesmerising. I found the dancing moon to be hypnotic and the next thing I knew I was asleep. I knew I was asleep for I began to dream and I was walking across the water.
I saw a man dressed much as the Saxon horseman had been but his helmet was golden. He held a metal club in his hand and on his shield was the face of a wolf. His horse was jet black and it too was mailed. It seemed to breathe fire from
its nostrils and its eyes burned red. The rider smiled down at me and put his hand out for me. When I touched it the mail fell from the flesh and then the flesh fell from the bone and we were both tumbling towards the water. The horse had disappeared and then we hit the water. I found myself alone and unable to swim to the surface; I was being dragged down to the bottom.
From nowhere appeared a white spirit and it was my mother but she split into two and there was another woman with her. She looked like my mother and yet she was not. Each took an arm and I thought that we would swim to the surface but we did not; we swam deeper to the bottom. I saw sand and stones. I saw a blue stone in the sand. Even in the dark it seemed to reflect light and yet that was impossible. I reached out to touch it and it was as though I had been struck by lightning. My hand came away with a jerk. I was alone and the spirits had gone. I looked again and saw the movement had disturbed the sand and the jewel was on the pommel of a sword. I reached out to grab the sword. Once again I felt my body charged with power and the sword flew upwards towards the surface and I kicked hard to reach after it. We left the water and headed for the impossibly high chimney of rock I had seen. I was flying through the air! And then we were out of the cave. The sword took me over the mountain and towards Wyddfa. I saw my warriors on the walls of the fort. I saw Thorkell and then we flew across the sea. There I saw Duboglassio and it was burning. I could hear the screams and I wanted to go to help. I tried to make the sword land but it would not instead it took me higher and higher up towards the moon and then it vanished. I grabbed helplessly at the hilt but it was gone. I seemed to hang in the air for an instant and then I began to tumble over and over as I headed towards the black and empty sea. It grew closer and closer. The water looked dark and threatening. I braced myself for the landing and my death.
I awoke.
I felt my clothes. They were dry. It had been a dream. I could hear noises coming from the tunnel. My name was being called. I was about to shout to them when I realised that I could see clearer than when I had fallen asleep. When I looked up I saw that it was daylight outside and it was the rays of the sun illuminating the lake. I remembered the dream and I walked to the waters, now no longer black but a sort of translucent grey. I looked to the middle and saw, deep in the waters, a blue stone. I did not hesitate; I stepped into the water and found that it only came up to my knees. I waded across. The mud beneath my feet began to suck me down but I pushed on. I had to find out if this was a sword. The lake rose up to my waist when I reached where I had seen the stone. I reached down and felt in the mud. I had to put my head into the water to do so. Just like in my dream I felt a charge as I touched the hilt and I grabbed it from the mud. It almost flew out of the water. As I held it with the water dripping from me I heard my companions enter. They stood there with mouths opened as I held aloft the sword used by the Warlord of Rheged. It was the sword from the painting.
I saw that they were all kneeling. Haaken said, “We thought you had died. When we saw you beneath the water we wondered what had happened.”
I began to wade back to them. “I am safe. How is Snorri?”
Olaf snorted, “That clumsy oaf is fine but we left him with Aiden.” He smiled, “It is safer for us.”
“Come, Dragon Heart, there is more to this than you saying you are safe. Tell us, what happened to you?”
I nodded, “When we are on the surface I will tell you. I do not wish to risk the ire of Hel!”
As we went along the passage to the rock fall I noticed that Olaf was in front of me and Harald behind. They were taking no chances with my life. They had only excavated an opening big enough for us to scramble and crawl through and Olaf took the sword from me as I clambered over the rock fall.
When we reached the daylight I felt as though a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. The fire was still burning and I went to sit beside it with the sword across my knees. Aiden and Snorri came running from the building. Snorri abased himself before me, “I am sorry my lord, I nearly got you killed.”
I smiled and raised his chin, “But you did not and it was meant to happen. See what I found.”
Aiden’s eyes almost popped from his head, “It is the sword from the painting in the cave!”
“Aye it is.”
“Now we are above ground and Hel will not bother us tell us your tale before I burst.” Haaken was desperate to find out what had happened.
Olaf handed me the water skin and Harald carved me a piece of meat from the sheep they had roasted. I nodded my appreciation. The water tasted sweet and the mutton was what I needed. I ate a few bites and then spoke. As I did so I examined the sword. When I had gathered my wits I told them of my dream and then of waking, just before they entered.
“The rest you know.”
I saw that the sword had suffered during its immersion in the water. There were some smaller jewels missing from the hilt and the edge had suffered damaged. It had probably struck the sides of the rock chimney when it had been thrown. It would never be used in combat again but this was a link to not only my past but to the times before the Romans came. It was no wonder I had felt the charge of power from within.
Cnut started, “What is it, Dragon Heart?”
“Why?”
“You suddenly stiffened then when you touched the hilt of the sword.”
“Did I?” They all nodded. “Remember when the lightning touched Ragnar’s Spirit. The sensation when I touch the hilt is like that. We must watch over the sword.” I saw the bandage around Snorri’s head. “You and Aiden can guard the sword whilst we seek the stones.”
Cnut said incredulously, “We still seek the stones? Yet you have found a greater treasure!”
I shook my head, “The stones, too are not only a link to the past but to the future. They have a power about them that can only aid our people. Besides we are here now.” I looked at Cnut. “Did either of you find the seam?”
Cnut nodded and pointed to Haaken, “Aye, Haaken had just found it when we heard the rock fall and the shout. It is closer to the surface than your hole.”
“Good then let us become miners and then we can return home.”
Shaking his head Haaken rose, “Let us get on with it but I shall stay as close to Dragon Heart as you two ugly buggers!” He pointed to Olaf and Harald. “The next time he goes underground I would like to be there and see if I can benefit.”
“Before we go we make an offering to Hel. We were remiss before.” I took a handful of small silver coins from my leather pouch. Returning to the entrance of the mine I walked towards the shaft we would be using and I placed them on the ground. “Take this offering mighty goddess that we may work, briefly in your world.”
The air felt lighter and I was happier. “Now let us find this seam.”
They were right, the seam was no more than thirty paces underground. This looked like a place worked by man. The rock showed clear evidence of chisels. The blue stone was quite clearly visible. The blue was not the same hue as the polished stone on the sword from the lake but it was obviously the same stone.
It was Tostig who worked out the best way to get it out. “We chisel holes here above the blue stone and then here below. When we have done that we put the chisels back in the holes and all strike at the same time. The stone should fall out.”
Carl snorted, “Are you sure that will work?”
I looked at him. “And you have a better idea?”
He shrugged and so we began. We found that it was too confined a space for us all to work and we split into three teams. Later we realised the wisdom of the decision for it was hard work. The rock was hard and it took much strength to make the chisel penetrate. It would have been easier had we had some wedges made but Bjorn was back at Hrams-a and there was little point in wishing for things you didn’t have.
By late afternoon we felt we were ready. I was summoned to be part of those who would strike the blows which would make the stones fall from the rock. Olaf and Haaken flanked me and Haaken and Cnut fla
nked them. At the end of the line were Tostig and Ulf. Tostig had deemed that blows struck at the same time would have the best effect. Our training and fighting in close proximity to each other made the task slightly easier but we all had to bend at an awkward angle and swing at the same time. Cnut, our oar master, chanted the orders and we all struck at the same time. The noise in the confined space almost deafened us but the seam still remained intact. We struck again and there appeared to be no movement.
“This time put your backs in to it! Imagine you are killing a dragon!”
They were only words Cnut used but they worked. As we struck the wall, a long piece of rock as long as two men and as wide as a leg, crashed to the ground making us jump back. At the same time some of the smaller rocks from above cascaded down.
“Enough Hel! We will take this stone and we will leave. You can have your world to yourself and the dead once more.”
We wasted no time in smashing the rock into manageable chunks and then we hauled it out of the cave. Beorn and Einar went back to pick up the useable pieces of blue stone from the floor. We celebrated by drinking the last of the ale. We had all had enough of being underground.
The rock around the blue stone was hard. It took us the next two days to extract the stones. We noticed that the stone was mainly six sided. That intrigued Aiden who puzzled over it. Snorri sniffed, “What does it matter?”
“It is important because we do not know why.” He looked at me. “I still have much to learn from the nuns of the White Christ.”
“I am not sure that they can help you with this. Perhaps it is as Snorri says and no one knows.”