by Griff Hosker
We had no food left when we camped and so I sought a stream. I took my bow and I hunted fish. I managed to take two and I left some lines in the water with bone hooks. We ate the fish raw for having heard that the Penobscot used these waters I was loath to light a fire and draw them to us. We adopted the same positions that night as we slept. I was at the fore of the shelter, Laughing Deer behind me and Stands Alone behind her. The next morning Stands Alone even smiled at me although I still had not heard her utter a sound!
The next day, as we set off, I was convinced that I could smell the sea. As we were surrounded by woods that was impossible, but I think it was a yearning in me to be closer to that which I knew the best, the ocean. I wondered how the clan was doing. Had they got over the battle and who was their leader now that Arne and Siggi were dead? Fótr and Ada were ever in my mind as I still felt responsible for both of them and for my son and daughter. We had travelled, perhaps a mile, when we spied the river. It was too wide to ford for there were rocks and it was rough and wild. That was reassuring for it meant that the Penobscot could not use it.
The slopes on which the trees grew were steep and we were forced to walk closer to the river. That proved to be our undoing. We had just turned a bend and the river had quietened from the tumultuous roar when I spied the birch bark boat on the bank and the three Penobscot who were eating there. I held up my hand and Laughing Deer, seeing them too, stopped. Stands Alone did not and when she bumped into Laughing Deer she looked ahead and saw the Penobscot. It was then that she uttered her first sound and it was a scream. Even as the three Skraeling looked up and saw us I had dropped my gear and nocked an arrow, “Get up the slope! I will hold them off as long as I can!”
“No, we stand with you!” Laughing Deer’s hand drew my seax from my scabbard as I took aim at the nearest warrior who was fifty paces from me. Laughing Deer would not go back willingly to her captors and would fight for her freedom. The warrior who raced at me had a bone vest on, and his shaven head had yellow and white feathers hanging down. In his hand, he carried a long spear and a club.
I released my first arrow and nocked another. The warrior looked down in horror as the metal tipped arrow drove through his bone vest. It drove him back and I heard his head crack as his skull smashed into a river rock. His death made the other two slow and I was able to send a second arrow, this time flint tipped, into the shoulder of a second warrior. They both screamed in anger and, with stone clubs and bone daggers they ran at me. One of them was bleeding heavily from my arrow. My third arrow hit not the one I aimed at, the one who was closing with me, but the wounded one. The unwounded warrior jinked to the side and my arrow hit the wounded one in the eye. I hurled my bow to the ground and drew my sword.
The last warrior was fast and agile. He hurled his stone club at me and it hit my shoulder. It was only the fact that I had the sword in two hands that saved me. I swept the sword up as he slashed his bone knife at me. My sword tore through his bone vest and into his chest. That was what saved me for his knife did not rip across my throat as he had intended but my forehead. Even so, blood briefly blinded me. The Skraeling was like a berserker and although badly wounded he raised his knife to end my life. Laughing Deer slashed with my seax and cut his arm to the bone. The bone knife fell to the ground and I back swung, and my sword almost severed his head.
I turned, “Are you hurt?”
Laughing Deer shook her head and said, “But you are!”
“We will deal with the wound later. Stay here while I see if there are more of them.”
I sheathed my sword and wiped some river water across my face. I picked up my bow and, using the trees for cover, hurried down to the birch bark boat. I could see no sign of any more of them. The boat had paddles and they had left food. The Norns had spun and I would not spurn the opportunity the boat provided. I ran back to the other two and said, “Come, we will take their boat and sail down this river.”
She shook her head, “No, first I see to the wound!” She knelt and scooped some water from the river, “Stands Alone, tear Yellow Feather’s bone vest and give me the hide thongs which bind it together.”
As she did so I said, “You know him?”
“He is Angry Voice’s friend.” Angry Voice was the warrior who wished Laughing Deer as his woman. She bathed my head and then Stands Alone handed her the thongs. She fastened them tightly about my forehead and the flow of blood slowed. I had honey and some vinegar left with the gear I had brought from the camp. When we had the chance then I would heal the wound myself.
“Come, let us go while we can.” I shaded my eyes and saw that the sun would soon set, and I wished to be on the water when that happened. They picked up their belongings and then Stands Alone did something which surprised me. She picked up Yellow Feather’s bone knife and, pulling down his breeks, she took his manhood, spat on it and hurled it into the river.
Laughing Deer looked sad and she put her arm around her sister, “Yellow Feather was one of those who hurt her!”
I nodded, the Norns threads appeared to have bound Stands Alone too.
I put my belongings in the bottom of the boat where I saw some bags of food and two stone-tipped spears along with the fur of an animal; I did not recognise what kind of animal it was. It was more than big enough for us and with a chilly night on the river ahead of us it might prove useful. Laughing Deer placed Stands Alone in the middle, covering her with the fur, and then she sat in the bow. I lifted the stern and walked the boat into the river. I did not wish to risk ripping out her hull. I clambered aboard and the river took us. “Do not paddle. I will use this one to steer. Watch for rocks and tell me if you see white water.”
I needed to learn to steer this strange vessel quickly. I found that it responded well to the paddle. A wide movement made an exaggerated turn and I was soon confident that I could navigate around larger rocks. The three Skraeling had been looking for us. Perhaps Angry Voice had sent out many of his warriors in small bands to try to capture us. We had been lucky. Now we had to use that luck. I tossed my cloak to Laughing Deer. “Take the two spears and fasten them with leather thongs to make a cross. When that is done see if you can fasten the cloak to them.”
“Why?”
“If we have a wind then we can use it to become a sail and if we have rain it will provide a shelter.”
“A sail?”
“Like the one on my ship, the one which sailed away.”
“Where will you fix it?”
That was the problem for it would not be secured. “It will have to be held but if we have a strong enough wind then it will move us faster than paddles alone.” I was really doing all that I could to affect an escape. I knew that the three bodies would be found and, even if there was a delay, Angry Voice would have others out looking for us and the wild water upstream would tell the Penobscot which direction we had taken. I had been lucky with Yellow Feathers and his companions. I could not count on such luck again. When she had finished, I said, “Now fold it up so that it will fit along the side of the boat. Laughing Deer, do the Penobscot fight at night?”
“Not unless they have to, and they do not like to travel at night.”
“Then we can keep on down the river.”
“We could but is that not dangerous?”
“Is it not more dangerous to make a camp and then find ourselves captured? Trust me, Laughing Deer, I am happier in a boat, any boat!” I could see that Stands Alone was afraid for she clung to the sides of the boat. “Fear not, little one, for these are well-made vessels and I know the water. I sailed a ship for more than thirty days without sight of land. I can sail along a river.”
It was arrogant, of course, and I meant only to make the child less fearful but the Norns heard my words, perhaps the Allfather decided that I had grown too big for my boots but, as the sun set, the river spilt into a water which was a like a small sea and I was forced to stop.
Laughing Deer turned, “There are many such pools of water. Some are so large that
they can take a day to cross.”
I nodded, “And we cannot hide, can we?” I put my hand in the water and I felt a current. “This one must have an outlet. We will let the current take us there, but I will not leave this sea until I know there is neither a waterfall nor a shoal of rocks at the far end. You can both sleep for a while and I will wake you if I need you.”
“I can stay awake!”
“Sleep. There is a full moon tonight and I will know when we near the outlet.” She said nothing but soon I heard the gentle sound of her sleeping. I was content for I was on the water once more. This was neither ‘Jötnar’ nor ‘Njörðr’ but it would do. I put my steering paddle over so that we could close with one bank. If there was sudden danger, I wished to be close enough to land to escape it. It was cold and my breath appeared before me but Laughing Deer and Stands Alone would be warm beneath the fur. I saw the trees looming up and straightened her up. I had something to guide me in the absence of a compass. I kept the moon to larboard and knew that the water ran north to south. The current was not strong, and the motion was a gentle one. My passengers would be comfortable. Indeed, I was comfortable. This was even easier than sailing the snekke. The moon was the only indication of the passage of time. It rose and then dipped as it began to set. It was then I heard the sound of water ahead and felt the birch bark boat pick up speed.
“Laughing Deer, it is time to watch. Laughing Deer!”
“I am awake. Have I slept long?”
“I have not needed you before, but I do now. If you see bubbling water, then tell me for there may be rocks. Use your hands, along with your voice if you see any.”
I watched her lean over the bow, and I prepared for a rough ride. In the event, the rough water only lasted for forty paces and although it was white tipped there were no rocks. I saw her beaming face turn to me and knew that we were through. I was in familiar territory and I had done this before. I was able to watch dawn from its first lightening to the warm glow from the east and then the bright light as it climbed over the trees to our left. I saw the river as it twisted and turned. I was able to gauge its size. It had grown and was now forty paces wide. I was desperate to make water but did not wish to risk landing.
Laughing Deer must have had the same need for she asked, “Can we not land for Stands Alone will need to make water?”
Reluctantly I put the paddle over and headed for the larboard bank. The river had a curve and where it had slowed it had deposited sand; it would do. I jumped out of the water and, lifting the stern, pulled the boat up. I held out my hand and, to my amazement, Stands Alone took it almost without thinking. Laughing Deer beamed as she climbed out too. They disappeared into the trees and I just dropped my breeks and used the river. I went to the improvised sail. The two spears were little bigger than Laughing Deer and it was not much of a sail. I saw that where Stands Alone had slept was a thwart made of a cross piece of timber. While I waited, I used my seax to make a hole in it. It took me until Laughing Deer and her sister returned to break through the wood and complete the task.
“I am going to try to make a hole for the spear to go through and to make a sail. You will need to place Stands Alone in the bow for when I ask you will need to fit the sail. Go into the woods and find berries to eat and climbers.” I handed her my seax. “Cut them. They will need to be twice as long as me.” I took out my sword. It was still sharp, and I used it to twist and turn. It bored through the wood. When I was satisfied, I tried the spear. It was a tight fit, but it held. I shouted, “Laughing Deer.”
They returned and I held the boat pointing downstream so that they could board. I took the climbers and placed them by my feet. Stands Alone smiled as she placed a large leaf with a selection of berries on the thwart next to the stern. She was warming to me. This would be a clement day with a hot sun and I was grateful for the breeze which helped to move us along. I might have considered trying out my improvised sail except that the river still twisted and turned. I had decided that I would only use it once we reached the sea and had to contend with waves. I remembered how Bear Tooth’s people had suffered when they had tried their boats in the open sea.
It was when I began to hear the sea birds that my hopes were raised. Laughing Deer looked up as they screeched in the sky above us and then her look of happiness was replaced by terror. She pointed upstream and, turning, I saw five birch bark boats and they were manned by the Penobscot. Angry Voice had found us!
“Paddle! Stands Alone get beneath the fur!”
I now had to paddle and to steer. Even as I dug in with the paddle, I knew that it was a race I could not win. The sea might be close but, as I glanced behind, I saw that they had five Skraeling in each boat and they were gaining. We were lighter but they had twice the power of Laughing Deer and me. We had to risk the sail.
“Laughing Deer put up the sail!”
She nodded and made her way back to the sail. I used the river to help us. I steered to the banks where the current was swifter and the river shallower. It was only a slight risk for us but it slowed down the progress that the Penobscot made. I had to watch ahead and behind. I saw that they were still inexorably gaining. Had they wished to kill us they could have used their bows, but they wanted us alive and that gave us a chance.
Laughing Deer struggled but she eventually managed to put the spear in the hole. As soon as she did, we leapt forward but the sail was not secured and I knew that the hole would soon be worn wider and the sail rendered useless.
“Tie the climbers to the bottom of the cloak and fasten them to the thwart.” I did not know if she would be able to manage to tie them to the top corners of the cloak, but the bottom would have to do. Looking back, I saw that although we had made a gap the Penobscot were now working harder to close the gap and then I saw the sea. At least, I saw the islands in the middle of the estuary and saw the waves so that I knew the sea was close. It would be dangerous to risk it with my two passengers, but that danger was less than the risk of being captured.
My slight inattention almost brought us disaster as I hit an oncoming wave, not head-on but at an angle and Stands Alone screamed. “Go to your sister, Laughing Deer, and keep her close to the sail! Pray to your gods.”
She nodded and shouted, “I trust you, Erik, and I trust this magic!” She pointed at the sail. It was only a cloak, but it billowed and pushed us on. I was not certain how long it would last but if it could take us away from the Penobscot then it would have served its purpose.
The wind was from the north and west. If this was the snekke then I could have used the sheets and stays to help me steer the boat. I peered under the sail and saw, far ahead, the open sea. There were still islands dotted in the distance and I vaguely recollected where we were. When we had sailed to the River of Peace, I had seen some rivers with similar islands. Which one were we in? I had to concentrate on steering us so that we hit the waves straight on and not at an angle. The fact that the weight of the boat was in the middle and stern helped us as the bow naturally rose. I glanced behind just as one of the Penobscot boats hit a wave badly and the boat and crew disappeared. We were now extending our lead but if Angry Voice truly wanted Laughing Deer then he would keep going as long as he could. I risked taking us to the south and east a little. It was only a minor adjustment of the paddle, but it meant we used the full power of the wind and we leapt forward. The next time I turned back the Penobscot had given up. I held the same course until we had left the river. I saw nothing behind and so I headed for the last island which lay ahead. It was a good half-mile from the nearest piece of land, and I would risk landing. The air was cold for it was still relatively early in the year and the sea had yet to warm up. We needed the fur more than ever. I needed to secure the top of the sail. I sailed until we had passed the island and, when I turned the paddle and we lost the wind, we stopped dead. I jumped into the icy sea and lifted the boat onto the beach. We had escaped the Penobscot, now we had to battle the sea! This would be a true test of Erik the Navigator.
After I had helped the other two from my boat I ran to the highest point on the tiny island. There were no trees and just a couple of hardy shrubs. Lying flat I peered north towards the river mouth. I saw nothing. I watched for what seemed like an age for I needed to know if we were being pursued. We were not and I returned to the boat.
“We will eat and then I will try to make the sail work better. See if there are shellfish. I do not think that there is wood for a fire but if you can find some then I will light one.”
I went to the boat. I had work to do. I really needed nails but the nearest ones were on Bear Island. Instead, I used the stone heads of four arrows. I broke the shaft off and then used the hilt of my seax to hammer them into the sides of the boat; the barbs helped to dig them in. I then took four leather thongs from around my sealskin boots and made loops. I passed the honeysuckle climbers through the loops. It would allow me to move the sail to steerboard or larboard. I could use the wind rather than the paddle to steer. Here, we were in the lee of the small island but as soon as we left it then the wind would take my improvised sail and make us fly
Laughing Deer handed me some shellfish and I used my seax to take the meat. I still had some fishing lines and hooks. I would trail them from the stern. “We will not stop again until we find an island or a safe beach and that may not be for a day or so. I would stay here but the Penobscot are still close and they may seek us out. Make water now and do whatever else you need to. When we are at sea you either hold it in or go over the side.”
Laughing Deer nodded, “And what of you? You need to sleep.”
“If I can find an island between here and Bear Island then I will but do not worry about me. I am a navigator.” As soon as we were aboard Laughing Deer and I paddled. We did not have to do it for long as the wind caught us, and we sped across the water. I had Laughing Deer and her sister move along the boat until we were well balanced. It had not mattered much in the river but now that was crucial. I looked at the sky and saw that it was clear. The Allfather favoured us. So long as the skies were clear, and we had the wind then we had a chance. If a storm blew up or we had heavy rain, then I would have to attempt to head to the coast and that would not be easy.