Viking Slave

by Griff Hosker

  I did feel a little deceitful as we left. We had not told the truth but we had not lied. “You did not tell a lie, Dragon Heart. You said we would hunt and we will. We will bring back deer. We just might have some wolves too.” Haaken tried to make me feel better.

  Ejnar stayed with the boat as his wound would hinder us. There were just the four of us and we almost ran back into the woods. I found the spoor again and Cnut and I notched arrows. The other two would use the boar spears. I remembered when Ragnar and I had been attacked; the male wolf took as much killing as the boar had. The higher we went the less cover there was. We lost the tracks on some scree which lay below a ledge. We all looked at each other. That would be where the den was. As soon as we stepped on to the rocks they would make a noise and alert the wolves.

  Haaken and Cnut went to the right and edged along the last of the solid ground while Sweyn and I waited. Once they were in position they waved at us to move. As we had expected, the rocks skittered beneath our feet. Surprisingly there was no roar or flash of a wolf’s teeth and we edged up towards the ledge. I stopped. I smelled wolf. I knew that Sweyn had not. I could still remember the dead wolf bleeding on top of me and it was a smell so powerful that I would never forget. I touched Sweyn’s arm to halt him. It was just in time for the male wolf leapt from his place of concealment. Sweyn barely had time to jab the spear forwards. I loosed an arrow which struck him in his side and then Sweyn and the wolf tumbled down the slope. The female was close behind and I had no chance to fit another arrow I jabbed the bow forwards and she yelped as it pierced her eye. I reached down for Screaming Death as I held my left arm forward. Her teeth grabbed my arm which was, fortunately covered by deer hide. We, too, tumbled down the slope. I stabbed her in the side with my seax as we fell but her teeth sank into the hide and I felt them begin to puncture my skin. As we rolled over my arm came free and I stabbed her as hard as I could through her eye. Suddenly she went limp as the blade entered her brain and ended her life.

  I pushed the beast away and looked for Sweyn. He had also been bitten by the wolf but it was dead and he pushed it away from him. I helped him to his feet. He saw the she wolf. “How did you kill it?”

  I held up the seax. “With this.”

  He shook his head. “They are fierce animals and hard to kill. I am glad that I do not have to do that again.”

  Just then Haaken and Cnut rushed up. Haaken looked shaken. “I thought they would have fled towards us. Only one young male came that way and we killed him.” He looked at the two corpses. “You two did far better.”

  “Where are the others?”

  I pointed up the slope where three wolves led their cubs to safety. “They are a very clever animal and more cunning than we give them credit for.” I looked at the wolves. “You three have your skins. It is a shame we could not get one for Ejnar.”

  Cnut shook his head, “It is wyrd. This is how it was meant to be.”

  It was hard for the four of us, especially with our wounds, but we managed to get the three dead wolves down to the boat where the others were waiting. I am not certain what was worse, the attack from the wolves or the tongue lashing we received from Olaf. Fortunately the others had been as successful as we and they killed eight deer and captured some tame pigs from a farm. If they had not then I think we might have been left on the beach.

  Chapter 12

  While we received rebukes from Olaf, Butar and my mother, from our comrades we found ourselves drowning in a sea of praise. Our wounds were seen as marks of honour and poor Ejnar cursed his own wound which had prevented him from claiming his skin. The pigs were seen as our greatest triumph. We could interbreed the wild boars which had the best meat and the more docile tame pigs. Once our grain was harvested we would be able to withstand hunger far easier. We had made the whole island more likely to survive and added to our legend- the Ulfheonar.

  The women who brewed the beer had been busy brewing ready for the midsummer solstice and there was a yeasty smell in the village. Many young warriors were taking brides at this most propitious time of year. This was also good for the community; we would have more warriors when the children grew. Finally, the wheat was being used to bake bread and the animals prepared for the cooking. We would feast as we had never feasted before. That was certainly true for me. I had not really participated in one of these feasts before and I was looking forward to this one. Mother had made me a new tunic. The ones I had had in Ulfberg were now far too small for me. “I have seen enough of you dressed for war. Just for once I would like to see you dressed as my son.” I didn’t mind.

  The preparations for the day started well before dawn. We had lit the fires in their pits during the night and before the sun rose we had lifted the carcasses on to the metal spits. The slaves would spend the day turning them. There would be no celebration for the thralls. Everyone stood to watch the sun rise in the east. This would be the longest day of the year and was something to celebrate. As soon as the sun fully appeared over the horizon the couples were married. There were ten couples and, while the ceremony was brief, each couple had to have the same attention.

  Then the feasting began. We had our wedding breakfast. There was no meat involved but we had freshly caught and cooked salmon and shell fish as well as sweet bread and cakes. I did not drink as much as my fellows. Ragnar had taught me well. It enabled me to watch the others and see how they changed when they drank. Eric just smiled more while Harald became more and more morose. Cnut became silly while Haaken began to play cruel tricks on his friends. I had the greatest time watching them all.

  After the wedding breakfast we all retired for a sleep ready for the games. We would have archery contests, axe throwing contests, wrestling bouts and, of course, the tug of war. The tug of war would be the last contest of the day and would be over one of the food pits. The Ulfheonar were a team and everyone wanted to defeat us. There was honour to be had from winning and pain if you lost. The ones at the front could be burned!

  After my sleep I went to the archery field. It would be the only contest, save for the tug of war, which I would enter. Some of my opponents were already in their cups and the contest was decided between four of us. After a hard fought contest I won and was awarded ten metal tipped arrows; it was a rich prize. I was happy to have won but I did not feel special. The majority of the archers were in no condition to loose an arrow. I spent the afternoon watching the other bouts.

  Eric and his wife sought me out. “Dragon Heart you promised to speak with Erica did you not?”

  I had remembered but now that it came to it I was getting cold feet. I sighed, a promise was a promise. If you were a warrior and said you would do something then you had to. I would have preferred facing a she wolf than speaking to a pretty young and unhappy girl. “I will speak with her now. Where is she?”

  Eric pointed to the beach where she sat forlornly alone on a rock at the water’s edge. I would rather have faced a warband again but I had given my word that I would help the Jarl and I walked over to her. I had seen her from a distance before but never close up. She was about the same age as I was. She was pretty with blonde pigtails. She looked so slender that I thought a strong wind would blow her over. I put on a smile I did not feel. She heard me coming and stood. “No please, don’t get up on account of me.”

  She looked beyond me. Her brother and his wife were anxiously watching us. “Oh I see, my brother has sent you.”

  I had never lied and I could not bring myself to do so now. “Yes, he is worried about you.”

  “And what can you do to help me? Will you fight a wolf for me or kill a hundred Saxons?”

  I felt confused and did not know what to say, “If it would make you smile then, yes, I would.”

  She suddenly laughed and when she did her face changed and became a summer’s morning. “I believe you would.” She gestured for me to sit next to her. “I admire you although I think your name is a little pretentious, Dragon Heart!”

  I blushed, “It was given
to me by Butar’s father and I loved the old man. My birth name was Gareth but no one could say it and the name the other children in my village called was Crow because they hated me.” I shrugged, “I answer to almost anything… even pretentious, whatever that means.”

  She laughed again, “I like you and I am pleased that you do not take yourself so seriously. My brother does. And yet you are a hero and not much older than me. It is remarkable.”

  “I have been lucky that is all.”

  “And I heard that you were a slave once.”

  “Aye, as was my mother. She taught me to make the best of what you are given. Perhaps you should be that way too.”

  “My husband was killed almost as soon as we married. You cannot understand that.”

  “True, I have never been married but I have lost and I have mourned. But I believe that you honour the dead by living as well as you can, and doing the best that you are able.”

  She took my hand and held it between hers. “I apologise, Gareth. I misjudged you. I thought you were like the other young warriors so full of themselves and their glory that they saw nothing else. You are different and I would talk with you and learn about you.”

  I smiled back and held her hand in mine, “And I am not like the other young warriors. Saxon blood flows in half of me and the other half is from the old ones from across the sea, the Welsh. I have learned to be like your people but that was because of Ragnar.”

  We then sat and talked. She told me of her husband whom she had barely known. I think that was part of the problem. She felt guilty because she had not loved him. She had not had time to love him. I told her about my time with the Saxons and Ragnar. I never mentioned any of the fighting. There was no need. She had heard that already. We talked so long that we were not aware of the passing of time until I was aware that it was becoming slightly colder and the sun was setting. Something made me turn and the people of the village were all there looking at us. I had no idea why. We both stood, suddenly aware that we were still holding hands. We disengaged. My mother came forwards and she was smiling.

  “I am sorry mother. I did not mean to keep Erica from her family for so long.”

  She shook her head and I saw tears coursing down her cheeks. “No my son, the gods have touched you again. We came to say goodbye to the summer sun and your heads were surrounded by a golden halo. Those who follow the White Christ would have taken a meaning from it but for us it is symbol of the future.” She came and put her arms around us both. “Come let us all celebrate with the gods for this has been the best longest day ever.”

  She held our hands as she led us away and everyone cheered and shouted. Erica and I were confused but we smiled and, blushing, went to the others. The Ulfheonar were all drunk but they crowded around me and slapped me on the back. Eric shook my hand and said, “Thank you Dragon Heart. What a change you have wrought in my sister.”

  Butar slapped me on the back and said, “Gods but my father was right! There are more layers to you than an onion. Just when you think you know all there is to know your surprise us. Come let us eat.”

  I wondered if they had all eaten of the magic mushroom while I talked with Erica or perhaps this was a dream and I would wake up. I did not know but the rest of the evening passed in a blur of sagas and songs, eating and drinking until, at some point I passed out and the day ended for me.

  I awoke in my own bed with a thumping head. I could hear a wailing which sounded like a creature from the Otherworld until I realised that it was my sister. She was crying for attention. I opened my eyes gingerly and prepared to face the day. The events of the afternoon and evening came flooding back as I dressed. It was not a feast day and I did not wear the fine linen. Instead I wore my warrior clothes. I would return to the warrior hall this day for it was back to the life of an Ulfheonar.

  My mother and Butar were at the table eating when I entered. Mother was feeding my sister. Butar shook his head but there was a smile upon his face. “It is the first time I have seen drink defeat you. Have you learned a lesson?”

  “Aye, I have. I do not know what possessed me to do so.”

  They exchanged a knowing look and my mother said, “Midsummer madness perhaps. It strikes just once a year but the effects can last forever.”

  It sounded enigmatic as though there was another meaning but I was in no mood for riddles. “Well my madness is over now and I shun powerful drink.”

  “Eat, my son. It is the best cure. You will not feel like it but it will do you good.”

  I did not want to eat but I heeded my mother’s words and forced the honeyed porridge down. When it stayed down I did feel better. “I will return today to the warrior hall and give you your life back again.”

  “You are always welcome here.” Mother looked sad that I should want to leave her again.

  “I know but I am a man now and should live with men.”

  Again they exchanged a look which I did not understand. I took my belongings and trudged back up the hill to the citadel. The bright sunlight brought my thumping head to the fore. I wondered how long it would take to disappear. When I reached the hall, my comrades were asleep. I could see the signs that they, too, had had too much to drink. Had the Saxons had their wits about them then they could have walked in and captured all of us for there was none in a fit state to fight. The exception was Bjorn who was awake and sharpening his sword.

  “I see you have risen.” He waved a hand at my comrades. “We will get little work done today.”

  “And for that I am grateful. But is not our work finished?”

  “No, my young friend. We need food for the winter. The next two months will see us raiding to fill our larders. Olaf was not idle when you went hunting and he has found us a couple of settlements of farmers we can raid.”

  “And what of Aella? I know that Harald is a little impatient but I agree with him. We should scotch this snake quickly before he tries another sneak attack on us.”

  “Butar is right but Olaf will be taking the ‘Ran’ to see how many men he has left. Jarl Butar is not reckless. If he feels Aella is a threat then he will be quashed.”

  I was still not convinced. We would be looking over our shoulders the whole time. We would be waiting for them to attack again. I thought it would be better to risk losing men and rid ourselves of the threat. I was one of the rowers selected by Olaf to take out the ‘Ran’ the next day. Some of the warriors had still not recovered from the excesses of the feast. As we rowed I was teased incessantly by Haaken and Cnut.

  “So, our Dragon Heart has found a flower to pluck.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Do not try to fool us. The whole town saw you holding hands and whispering to each other on the beach.”

  “Oh Erica, I was just talking to her as her brother asked. I believe she will be happier now.”

  They both burst out laughing as did the rowers around us. “I can guarantee that for she has her heart set on a Dragon Heart. That is clear to everyone.”

  They were wrong. She was just a friend and I had had precious few of those before. “You are being a fool now, Cnut.”

  “I will make a wager then brother. I wager my throwing axe against Screaming Death that you will be married before the year is out and it will be to Erica.”

  I laughed, “I will take that bet for the throwing axe you have is a fine weapon and I will learn how to use it for the contest next year.”

  “And I will make a new belt for my seax. It will be an excellent second weapon.”

  Olaf had heard enough. “If you can talk then you are not rowing hard enough. Let us up the beat.” The rate increased until ‘Ran’ flew across the water. If he thought he was punishing us he was wrong. I finally sweated out the last of the ale from the feast and I felt that satisfying burn from my arm muscles. I felt better than I had in days.

  The last Saxon settlement on the island now had a wall around it. There were ten or so fishing boats in the harbour but nothing larger. Olaf took u
s really close so that we could see as much of the inside as possible. Twenty warriors marched down to the harbour wall. They had bows but it was unlikely that they could hit us. Half of the Saxons had mail. They were oathsworn of Aella. He still had formidable warriors left. We rowed slowly off shore so that Olaf could see how many men there were still.

  When we reached Hrams-a, Butar greeted us. “Well Olaf, do they still remain.”

  “They do Jarl Butar. They have increased their defences and look set to stay.”

  “We need to know what is going on inside there. I thought that they would be becoming weaker by now.”

  “They are still getting fish. We just wait until winter strikes them then they will hurt.”

  “No Olaf. I want a peaceful winter for us this year. We were hungry when we first arrived. I would have our people happy.”

  Jarl Butar was not the same leader he had been. There would have been a time when he would have heeded Olaf’s advice. I knew what it was; it was my sister, Eurwen. She had changed Butar and he was now less a warrior and more a family man. I knew that I could help to change his mind. The idea popped into my head. It may have been Ragnar; I was no longer sure when it was my own thoughts or Ragnar’s. “Send me into the settlement.”

  “Send you? Why?”

  “I can pass for a Saxon. I can pretend to be an escaped slave and find out what they are doing.”

  “How would you escape?” Olaf could see the possibilities.

  “He is not going!”

  “Jarl Butar, I am Ulfheonar and I am happy to do this.” Even as I was explaining my idea I was working out how it would work. “The other Ulfheonar could chase me to make it look as though I was an escaping slave. They would not suspect anything.”

  “But you have fought them.”

  “I fought them with a face mask. I will not have weapons and not have armour. They will ask me of your settlement and I can tell them untruths.”

  “You mean lie.”

  That did not sit well with me. “I will tell them just enough to frighten them without lying.”