by Griff Hosker
Chapter 11
As soon as it was dark we slipped away from the bank in the two Saxon ships. When the treasure and grain arrived they would be loaded on to our knarr. There would only be drekar left. I was not certain if the Saxons had seen the four ships which were not warships. We sailed downstream and towards the south bank as we left the shore. We knew that the captives would have seen us leave. They would be questioned and we did not want word of our journey east to reach the ears of the eorledman. Once again Raibeart led and we followed. It was easier this time for we had Aðils and Beorn with us and we were a little more experienced. We wore Saxon clothes. Our mail was below the deck in our chests. We knew that it would be an arduous voyage. We were sailing upstream and the wind was not in our favour. We had all night to travel the thirty-five miles to the heart of the Essex kingdom. The gods showed us their favour by making the wind switch direction. It must have been half way to our destination for it was still dark of night. We could sail faster and with less tacking. The bends and loops were still a challenge but our backs and arms were not as taxed.
When we reached Grenewic then we knew we were not far from our destination. I recognised it from our last visit. We saw more settlements on both side of the river. The wood smoke told us that people lived close to the river. We passed many ships both large and small. Some were moored next to the shore while others were potential navigation hazards as they were moored in the river itself. One more major loop and we would see, first, the Roman wall and then the mighty Roman fortress on the north bank. Dawn was not far away. The false dawn made the sky to the east seem a little lighter.
As we began the last long loop I said, “Remember our story. We all speak Saxon but we sound like Northumbrians. Let us use that. We are from Hwitebi. We have had a bad winter and we are here to buy corn. I am Garth of Staithes. I am captain and let me do the speaking. From now on we speak no Norse.”
Olaf Leather Neck shook his head, “This is not the first time we have done this, jarl.”
“Olaf, call me Captain. One use of jarl or Dragonheart could spell disaster. You say it is not the first time we have done this and yet you open your mouth and speak Norse.” I shook my head. “The clan is depending upon us. When Ragnar sails this afternoon and the Saxons realise he is heading for Lundenwic then we have to hold the fortress until he arrives. If we do not then our warriors will be slaughtered and our people will go hungry!”
Chastened Olaf nodded. He answered in Saxon, “You are right, captain.” I did not like to speak to him like that but Olaf was, in many ways, like a child. He thought he could blunder through life and his great strength would be all that was needed. This was one time where he would be, potentially, the weakest link.
As I turned the helm and saw the huge number of new buildings I was amazed just how much the city had grown since we had last been here. Then we had fled King Egbert taking Ragnar’s mother with us. We had barely escaped with our lives and that had been the beginning of the blood feud. Much water had flowed to the sea since then. We were all different people and the river showed evidence of that. There were large halls on both sides of the river. Some would be used to contain goods and grain. Others were the homes of wealthy men. If my plan succeeded then we could feed our people for a long time as well as taking back the treasure of Lundenburh.
Dawn had broken as we sailed past the fort of Lundenburh. Some of the stones which the Romans had used had been damaged and replaced by stones which had not been cut and shaped as well. Although it did not look as powerful it would take war machines to breach its high walls. I remembered that the ditch had not been kept clear the last time we had been here. I wondered if that was still true. I saw ships both small and large tied up to the stone and wooden quays. The ones closer to Lundenburh were all made of stone. They dated from the Roman times, Aiden was a great student of the Romans.
Dawn had fully broken by the time we passed Lundenburh. Although we did not stare I managed to study it. The fort was at the centre of the burh. Around it sprawled the buildings of those who made their living here in this huge city. Then there was a Roman wall. Beyond that were more buildings. The gates of the walls were open and had no sentries that I could see. The gates of the fort we could see three of them, were open but they were guarded. I saw four guards at the river gate and counted at least five men on the walls. There were no ships tied up close to Lundenburh. There had been the last time we had been here. I wondered at the reason for that. In contrast, the quay by Lundenwic was filled. That had been the case on our previous visit. We would have to sail further upstream. There were many churches further west and each had a quay. We pulled in at two empty berths east of Celchyth.
A priest from the nearest church hurried over to us. A neat little man he looked and when he spoke, sounded officious. “These berths are reserved for those who are here to visit the Bishop!”
I smiled and stepped ashore. My men quickly tied the ship up. If we had to we would leave the ships there and disappear into the narrow streets of the city. We had finished with them. They had served their purpose.
I tried to look subservient. Little men liked that. “We have travelled from Hwitebi. There is great hunger there after the poor harvest.”
He nodded, “Did the Bishop send you?”
If I answered yes then he might ask his name and I did not know it. I shrugged, “I am just a sea captain, Garth of Staithes. The headman of the port, Oswald of Hwitebi asked me to come. The Bishop may have spoken with him; I know not. I have gold with which to buy the grain we need.”
His face brightened. “Then if you come from the Bishop you may moor here. It will cost four silver pieces for each ship… for each day!”
We were being robbed but it did not matter. We would take it back when we emptied the church. I appeared outraged, “That is an exorbitant amount. I shall ask Oswald to make representation to the Bishop when I return home.”
He was not put out and he accepted the coins and ducked back inside the side door of the church. “I will be here tomorrow to collect the next payment!”
Raibeart and his men joined us. I spoke in Saxon and I did so quietly. “Go inside the Roman walls. You will have to cross the small stream by the bridge but I do not think that it is guarded.” I took out the map and used it to illustrate what I meant.
“In twos find out where are the guards and how many men are armed in this place. We meet back here by noon at the latest. Raibeart, have two of your men stay on board with Cnut Cnutson to watch the two ships.”
One of Raibeart’s men, Pasgen, asked, “How will we know it is noon?”
“You will hear the tolling of the bells. They have services at that time.” As if to prove the point the bells began to sound. I had to raise my voice above the clamour. “They are the bells for the morning prayers.” I shrugged, “The followers of the White Christ spend a great deal of time on their knees.” They laughed. “Haaken and Olaf with me. Remember, Saxon!”
We headed up the cobbled road which ran alongside the river. The houses outside were mean and dirty. As soon as we passed through the Roman wall we saw evidence of prosperity. Some of the houses even had an upper floor! Although it was early we could hear the clamour of trade as merchants with barrows and carts set them up to sell their goods. More prosperous and established merchants opened the front shutters of their huts to sell directly. My men all had coins. We had taken them from the Saxons and they bore the face of King Egbert. We had to appear as ordinary seamen ashore. That meant the coins would be burning a hole in our purses.
Although I was watching what went on around me my mind was focussed on the battle we had fought. Even as we walked the streets the ransom would be being paid and the captives exchanged. I still thought that the Saxons might try something but we had beaten them twice. They would want rid of us. Ragnar’s plan was to pretend to sail east and as soon as the Saxons were hidden from view, by the river, turn the fleet and sail them along the southern bank of the Temese. It was wi
de. When the estuary narrowed there was a chance that they might be seen. Horsemen could beat the drekar but, with the wind behind and with oars, they would cover the distance three times faster than we had. I estimated that we had until the middle of the afternoon.
We were not fully armed as we walked through the thoroughfares. I had a seax in my seal skin boot and Wolf’s Blood in my belt. With our Saxon cloaks, we looked like seafarers. Prostitutes and doxies called to us from the whorehouses and taverns.
“Later, my lovelies! I need my belly filling before I fill yours! It will be worth the wait!” Haaken blew them a kiss. He enjoyed this part of our life. He was playing a part and he did it very well. The working women worked all hours. Their lives could be short and they made as much money as they could.
We headed down a side alley which led to the fort. The Saxons had wisely kept all buildings at least fifty paces from the walls. I saw a cart heading towards across the open ground. The wagon was overloaded and the horse was struggling to pull it. We began to catch the weary beast.
The carter, who was discovering that beating the animal did not result in speed, turned to us. “Captain, if you would help to push this cart to the burh then I will give each of you a two pound loaf.”
“Captain?”
“I saw you at the quay when you paid the blood sucker in the habit.” He smiled, “You gave orders or am I wrong?”
“No friend I am captain. But tell me why do you need to take bread to the burh? Do they not have bread ovens there?”
“They do but with Vikings and raiders about they do not want to risk a fire. They fear that Vikings may send fireships. There is a story that they did that the last time they came here. I know not if that is true but they are taking no chances. Most of the garrison marched east to defeat them two days since.” He rubbed his hands, “When they come back that will be more profit for me! What say you?”
“Aye, your bread smells good!”
With the four of us pushing wagon moved easier. As we closed with the gate I saw that this gate just had two guards. They were seated on two half barrels. One of them stepped forward, “What is your business, carter?”
“Bread for the kitchens, unless you would like me to take it back.”
The other one did not bother to get up. He waved an arm, “Let them through, Osric. We starve without this! The Eorledman took most of the food!” The other guard waved us through.
As we pushed it through the gate I realised that this was a chance sent by the gods and we could not take it. There were just three of us and we had no swords. However, we could use the opportunity to our advantage. It would allow us to scout and we would have a better idea of the layout and the defences.
I saw that the gate had a small gate house above it. It was unmanned. Inside it was like a village. There were barracks and a building Aiden had told me was called a praetorium. There would be treasure there. Granaries bounded the walls through which we passed and, set against the north wall, with no other buildings nearby, were the bread ovens.
The carter said, “Over there by the east wall.” he laughed, “Where that cook is waving like a drowning man!”
As we neared him the cook shouted, “Where have you been? I have been shouted at since dawn by the captain of the guard! I have eighteen men to feed!”
“I am sorry, the streets are crowded and I have but the one horse. The other was taken by the Eorledman’s men.”
The cook wrung his hands, “No wonder the streets are crowded, those barbarians have been massacring people to the east of us. If Lord Aethelbald took your horse be grateful for he is the only thing which stands between us and men who would gut you for looking at them the wrong way.”
“Aye you might be right.”
The cook ducked his head inside the kitchens, “Right you lot, get this bread inside and look sharp about it!” Three emaciated slaves emerged. They looked like Frisians to me.
The carter handed us a loaf each, “Thanks captain!”
I sniffed the bread, “If this tastes as good as it smells then we are even!” Chewing the crusty end of our loaves we strolled slowly back out to the main gate. Here I had seen four men. I glanced up at the gatehouse and fighting platform. There were three men there. This was where they saw the danger. If Vikings came it would be up the river. One of the guards looked at us suspiciously as we headed towards the gate. “Hey, where did you come from?”
With a mouthful of bread, I pointed behind me. “We just delivered your bread and we want to get back to our ship. Is there a problem?”
I was bigger than the man. Olaf Leather Neck and Haaken One Eye loomed up behind me. As Olaf towered over me the Saxon must have felt like a dwarf. He stepped back, “Be on your way. We are on a war footing! You will be begging to get inside these walls when the Vikings come! Big as you are they will cut you down to size.”
Olaf turned as he passed him and roared in his face. The man scuttled back. His companions laughed at him, “That’ll teach you Æbbe. Only a fool takes on a sailor. Men who are tough enough to sail seas filled with pirates and barbarians won’t be worried by a runt like you.”
Once out on the road we turned back to head to the ships. There were other ships tied up but none were close to the walls of the fort. They were taking no chances. The other ships all had a single man on watch. Most were asleep. An idea began to form in my head. By the time we were aboard our ship it had crystallized. I would wait until the others all arrived to tell them my plan. They soon began to appear. The last two to return were Aðils and Beorn the scout.
I was about to speak with them when the carter appeared. He waved cheerily. “Even more profit for us tomorrow! The army is on its way back. They must have defeated the Vikings! I will be able to buy two more horses! Thanks again, captain!”
That news meant we had less time than I had thought. I gathered my men around me. “I have a plan. Raibeart I want you and your men armed. Head to the ships tied up east of the fort. The wind is in that direction. It looks to me as though they have a single man on watch on each ship. I want you to take control of the nearest three ships. Hoist their sails and set them alight. They will sweep downstream towards the other ships. The current forced us close to the fort when we came upstream. I want to cause panic. They are afraid of fire. That is why they bought bread and why they have forbidden ships to tie up close to the fort. As soon as the men at the gate rush to douse the fire we will enter by the west gate. We can close that one and the north gate before they have realised what we are about. You will bring your fire starters to the east gate. We will make sure that the gates are open.”
Raibeart looked doubtful. “We counted fifteen men inside the fort and we saw no leaders.”
“There are nineteen and one is a cook. There are also three Frisians. We can use them. They are slaves and we offer them freedom. When all the gates are in our hands and the garrison dead then we wait!”
Haaken laughed, “Now this will be a tale!”
We went below decks to don our mail. I intended to cover it with the cloak. We would not have the luxury of shields and helmets but we would have swords. None of the sentries had mail. They had helmets, spears and short shields. The Ulfheonar would make short work of them. The problem might lie in the three we had not seen. The captain would be mailed. He and the other two were probably a little more warrior like than the sentries we had hitherto seen. As soon as we were ready Raibeart and his men set off. They went to the market first to buy four pots. Then they went to buy some coals from the smith. They said they wished to cook. With faggots over their shoulders they set off down the river road.
We gave them a good head start and then the rest, all eight of us split up and made our separate ways towards the walls. We did not hurry. That would have aroused suspicion. Cnut and Olaf went down the river road. Rolf and Rollo went towards the north gate and the rest of us meandered towards the east gate. Aðils and Beorn hung back. Both had bows beneath their cloaks. Osric and his friend leaned on
their spears as we approached. They recognised us.
“What now, captain? Looking for a cargo?”
I smelled smoke. It was coming from downstream. The sentries looked over their shoulders. They had smelled it too. “What is…”
They got no further. Haaken and I raced up to them and slit their throats with our seaxes. We needed silence. Two arrows flew and two sentries fell. We raced inside. The four deaths had not been noticed for there was a cry of, “Fireship!” Haaken and I ran towards the river gate while Aðils and Beorn slammed the gate to the settlement shut.
The guard called Æbbe just stood there frozen. One of the others turned to run to the Praetorium while the other two ran to the river. Olaf and Cnut slew the two guards at the river. The sentry running towards the praetorium saw us and yelled, “Treachery!”
Cnut and Olaf ran to the gate. The two guards on the fighting platform pulled back on their bows. An arrow hit my mail but it was a barbed head and stuck there. As Haaken sliced his sword across a still shocked Æbbe I heard fighting by the east gate. Raibeart and his men had arrived and that meant we had a chance. We now had more men inside the fort than the Saxons. I left the others to deal with the men on the platform and the gate. Aðils and Beorn were already running to help Rolf and Rollo at the north gate. Even as I ran the door of the praetorium opened and the captain of the guard, with two warriors emerged.
I was running past the empty barracks when I was seen. Sending his two men to the east gate the warrior ran at me. He was enormous. The scars on his face and forearms told me that he had fought often. He had a shield and a sword. With a full byrnie and a helmet, he would be no easy victim. I heard screams from the kitchen. It slightly distracted the captain who glanced to the side and saw the three Frisians emerge. One had a sword and one a meat cleaver. Pulling out Wolf’s Blood I shouted to them, “Help close the gates and you shall have freedom!”
My words enraged the captain of the guard who hurled himself at me. He swung his sword over his head as he punched at my head with his shield. I had no helmet upon my head nor did I have a shield. A blow from his shield would render me unconscious. I did the unexpected. I stopped and dropped my shoulder. His speed was such that he could not stop. The shield, aimed at my head, hit fresh air. His sword was on its way down as his legs and lower body hit my shoulder. As he tumbled over, his mail scratching and tearing my face, I slashed upwards blindly. I struck flesh for my head and upper body were splattered with his blood. I stood and turned. He was a younger man than I and he was on his feet in an instant.