by Griff Hosker
She turned and left leaving me fearful and apprehensive. I knew how to use a sword and I had killed our enemies, but I had never fought a mighty warrior and I knew that the men who guarded Sámr Ship Killer would be great warriors indeed. I ate the stew which was delicious despite the unusual taste. I then stood and took the sword from its scabbard. I had never seen the real sword and had nothing with which to compare it, but the scabbard and the blade were as different from my sword as my sword from a seax. As soon as I picked it up, I could feel the perfect balance. When I tried a sweep, it felt as easy as waving my arm. I took some practise swings as I had seen warriors do before a battle and it felt so easy that at first, I did not notice that Ylva had reappeared but when I saw her she looked different from when I had seen her in the cave. It was as though I could see the wall behind her and when she spoke it was not her voice but that of a warrior. It was a kindly voice and reminded me of Snorri Long Fingers, for it was gentle and reassuring.
“Thank you, Fótr. They call you Land Finder but when you have saved my land they will call you Fótr the Wolf.” I found it hard to breathe for the mouth and the face belonged to Ylva, but the voice was Dragonheart. I knew that even though he had been dead before I had been born. “The sword you hold is identical to the one which men feared while I was alive. It was powerful before Thor sent his lightning bolt to make it invincible. Swing so that I may watch you.”
I did as he commanded.
“I can see that you are not yet a warrior, but you have natural skills. Imagine that you are on your drekar and in the Great Sea. Use your legs to keep your balance and then sway. I have no sword, but I will use my arms as though they are weapons. Do not move your feet but block my arm with your sword and sway.”
“But I do not want to hurt Ylva!”
“And you will not for we are now in the spirit world and have neither form nor substance. What you see is Ylva’s spell.”
I did as I was commanded and, at first, it was hard not to step back but I managed to hold my ground and found that my leg muscles, which had stood me in such good stead during the storm, were stronger and I was able to sway away from the blows of the spirit arm.
“Good. Now you will not be using a shield. Take your own sword and use it as a shield. Holding the steering board of your drekar has made both your arms as strong as each other. You just need to use both weapons as one. Do the same as you did before.”
This time the spirit of Dragonheart used both arms and, at first, my left hand was slower than my right, but I persevered and eventually I managed to forget I had two swords and I blocked all the blows. I was tiring and the Dragonheart’s spirit must have sensed it for he said, “Now rest and while you do make yourself two scabbards to wear across your back.” There was a smile and it touched me, “I cannot thank you enough for what you are about to do. I know what it is to be alone and fighting for another. When I was young, in Norway, I fought and defended Old Ragnar and then the clan. It made me the legend I became. This will make you something greater than either your brother, Erik or your father Lars.”
Before I could say anything, the spirit had disappeared. I saw that there was leather, a bodkin and thin leather thongs by the fire and so I sat and worked on a double scabbard. By the time I had finished Ylva had reappeared. She looked tired but she beamed, “My grandfather is well pleased. Now sleep for we have another night to complete your training.”
This time, when I slept, I did not dream, and it was only later I realised that she had not given me the potion. When I woke, I asked her about that. She ladled stew into my wooden bowl and said, “The Spirit World can be dangerous, and the potion can change you. We need you to be alert. If you wish to dream one more time, then we will do that when you return. For now, let us concentrate on making you a wolf warrior whom men fear.” She took a helmet from behind her. “This is the helmet of the Dragonheart. It will convince the Danes, along with the cloak and the sword that you are the spirit of the Dragonheart. It will put fear into their hearts and slow their reactions. The witch will see through it but that is why you will have Bear Tooth. Now don the helmet for you will need to become accustomed to it. Then practise!”
The helmet did restrict my vision a little, but I liked the protection it afforded. I went into the routine I had developed the night before. When I had stopped my muscles had ached and now, as I began, they complained. I knew the experience for sailing a drekar across the ocean meant that I often had to work long beyond the pain barrier.
“The helmet will seem a distraction at first, but it is necessary. The Danes must believe that you are my spirit.” The voice was that of the Dragonheart!
Once again, I jumped, and I knew that I would have to rid myself of such emotions if I was to succeed. I still did not believe that I would but Ylva did as did the spirit of her grandfather.
“This night I will teach you to use moves to go with the swaying motion you have mastered. When I fought, I tried to be unpredictable. If you use the swaying motion too often, they will anticipate it. I am teaching you to fight as I did and that will keep you alive long enough for your friend to slay the witch. Once she is dead then Sámr can be freed. Let us get into the rhythm of the combat. I will try to strike you and you must keep your feet planted on the ground.” This time, despite the weight and distraction of the helmet, I found it easier and my guide stopped it. “Now, instead of swaying, when I strike, I want you to step forward on your right foot, pivot and bring a sword around to my back. It matters not which sword you use.”
Of course, when I swung, I did no harm to the spirit and we spent, I know not how long using right leg then left leg, right arm then left, left arm then right, until my muscles burned. It was then he showed me how to strike below the shield of a foe into the legs which were not protected by mail or to stab at a foot. The moves we practised did not tire my body but they made my mind ache as I tried to take in the experience of a lifetime.
“That is enough. You could not stand in a shield wall and fight but, as Ylva will tell you, you do not need to do that on this quest. Once you are inside Hawk’s Roost then you must move as quickly as a striking serpent. Your aim is to get to Sámr and the witch before they know you are there. The few moves I have taught you, the helmet, sword and wolf skin are the tricks which will give you an advantage over the Danes. They have guarded Sámr for more than is good for warriors who must fight constantly to keep them sharp. These Danes will be dull!”
I took off the helmet and, at that moment, Ylva seemed to disappear. I replaced the swords in their scabbards and placed the helmet close by. Ylva reappeared. “It is daylight now. You will not sleep until night time. I have food to prepare. Go outside and climb Nab Scar. I am comfortable here, but you need the Allfather’s sun on your skin and to feel the land. From the top, you can see Windar’s Mere as well as Rye Dale Water and parts of the Grassy Mere. The water is your friend. You will not need to sail to Hawk’s Roost, but the Water beneath Olaf’s craggy gaze will help you.” With those enigmatic words, I turned to leave. Her voice was commanding, “Take the swords and wear the mail for you are now the warrior and not the sailor.”
Climbing the crag was not as easy as it had looked. Whilst it was not very high the path was steep with many twists and turns. Ylva was right. Each turn gave a different perspective and view. It helped me to think about people. I had hated Arne but that was because of my position; I was below him and he treated me badly. Erik was more of an equal and did not hate him as much. Gytha was his superior and she was able to dismiss his faults and appreciate his skills. I would need to use my judgement if I was to complete this quest and then lead my people. The last thought struck me when I reached the top and, turning, spied the three bodies of water. It was as I sat down that I realised I had thought of leading my people. I had said when we had sailed east, that I would relinquish the clan but now I saw that I could be the leader. Wyrd!
Chapter 9 Fótr
When I returned there was an enticing smell fr
om within; all the food I had eaten had been delicious. Ylva was smiling and looked pleased. For some reason that made me feel pleased too. She smiled, “You found the climb harder than you expected?”
I nodded, “My legs need more work. I think I sat at the steering board for two days continuously. My arms burned but my legs had little to do.”
She ladled food into my bowl and then, as I was eating, she began to interrogate me, “This Bear Tooth, what is it you called him?”
“A Skraeling. They are like us and have tribes and clans. He is now of the Clan of the Fox.”
“Do they all look the same?”
“There are similarities between clans, but the tribes look different from each other. The Penobscot shave their heads at the side and the top sticks up like a cockerel’s comb. They each paint their face differently. Why do you ask?”
“Bear Tooth now looks like a Viking, does he not?”
“He does. He has his hair in pigtails, and he wears breeks as we do. He wears seal skin boots instead of the mockasin.”
“Then when you meet him, he must revert to the way he dressed when he lived in the west. Have him shave his head at the side and paint his face as the fierce tribes do. I want the witch to be terrified. You say he wears bear’s teeth around his neck?”
“He does, Erik gave them to him.”
“Then he should wear them too. And you, Fótr, will need to wear red cochineal on your face for that was how the Dragonheart was seen. When the fire is out we will cover your mail in the soot for the Dragonheart, when he could, fought in black mail.”
I had finished the stew and, putting the bowl down, I nodded, “And now, Ylva, how do we get into the stronghold for in my dream it looked to be an impossible task.”
She smiled, “Already you are more confident, Fótr, and you seek ways to succeed for when first you came you did not. You are right it is an almost impossible task. Sámr and his oathsworn, Baldr, laboured hard to make it difficult for an enemy to attack but they also made it easy for a friend to enter.” She went to the pool and took out some rocks which she placed along the edge. “You will know north from south?”
“I am a sailor.”
She smiled, “Good, then at the northern end of the Water there is the stronghold. The rocks represent the wall. At the point where the wall is closest to the Water, here,” she pointed, “if you wade in the water to your waist you will find a rock which was placed there by Sámr. Three men can move it and then slip inside under the wooden palisade. Two of your men must enter there, using the water for cover, while the rest wait by the main gate. The main gate will be guarded but at night time there will be just two Danes. You will need to stand in the trees which lie just forty paces from the gate. How you judge the time is up to you, but your men must be in a position to slit the throats of the two Danes when you use a light to illuminate yourself. You will say, through the helmet, ‘I am Dragonheart, come from the dead to seek my blood!’”
“But I do not sound like Dragonheart!”
“They have never heard his voice. The tales and the sagas describe him but not his voice. You must trust me that appearing like a wraith from the dark, appearing like the Dragonheart, will fix them and their gaze. Your men can kill them and let you in.”
“I will send in four men and that guarantees success.”
“See, Fótr, already you become the leader and you will become Fótr the Wolf.”
“Where will I find Sámr?”
Her face hardened, “They keep him in a cage which is exposed to the elements. It is between the main hall and the warrior hall. They have built a shelter for the witch who watches him at all times. They need no guards on him for he is bewitched.”
I nodded, “And Bear Tooth must kill her.” When I had first come, I had been sceptical but now I saw the threads of the Norns. It was clear to me that the Clan of the Fox, despite our lack of experience, were the only hope for Sámr Ship Killer. Even if we did not seek a land, we still owed Sámr for he had saved us when we had left Larswick. We might die in the attempt but if we succeeded then we had done something noble and worthwhile. I was committed. “When we rescue, Sámr,” I had to believe that we could do the impossible, “what then? We will be few in number.”
“There are men in Cyninges-tūn who can fight. When the disaster happened, I took the shape of a wolf and warned as many as I could to feign obedience to Finehair.”
“And that is why I wear the wolf cloak for I am to be the symbol of the clan.”
Ylva laughed, “You do remind me of Sámr when he was young. I read your thoughts and see how you have changed since first you came. Others misjudged Sámr because of his youth and I think they do that with you. Your father sired two great Vikings.”
“Arne was not all bad!” I said, defensively.
She nodded, “And you have only come to that conclusion since you stepped into this cave. On the road here you still harboured harsh thoughts of him.”
I looked up guiltily. She was right.
“Now let us blacken your mail. There is an old fire over there. Roll the mail in it and then put the byrnie in the fire which we used to cook the food. We will bake on the soot.”
“Will it harm the mail?”
“Quite the opposite, it makes it stronger. Just as the lightning strike made my grandfather’s sword more powerful so the fire and the soot will not only add to the illusion that you are the ghost of Dragonheart, it will also make the links harder to break.” When that was done, she waved me to the wolf fur, “Now sleep so that I may enter the spirit world and see where your warriors are. You will not dream, at least not one of my dreams but all dreams are sent to give us a glimpse of the past or the present. If you are lucky then you may see the future.”
And I did dream but it was nothing to do with war or fighting nor was it of Erik. It was of my wife and son and I saw a blond-haired bairn. I had a daughter. I saw myself tending my fields overlooking the sea as the sun set over it. When I awoke, I wished that I was back asleep for the dream had been the most restful I had had for some time. Did the dream mean I would live once the quest was over? I dared not ask Ylva in case she had dreamed my death. It would be better if I just tried to do what I had been asked and hope that I survived.
There was food waiting and Ylva looked almost fondly at me. As I sat eating my food she stroked my hair, “Mine is a lonely life, Fótr, and your arrival has been a most welcome one for it has allowed me into your world and I envy you the simplicity of your life. Sámr and I have borne the weight of the clan since my grandfather died. When you have brought Sámr back here then I will leave this world. I am not sure that we shall meet again. This is for your daughter when she is born.” She took, from around her neck, a necklace and from it hung the most well-made golden wolf I had ever seen. “I was named for the wolf and this was given to me when I was but a babe by the Dragonheart. I no longer need its protection, but your daughter might.”
When she handed it to me, I said, “But this is gold! It is too rich a gift!”
“Fótr, you offer me all in doing this quest and you risk your life and that of your clan. This is a beautiful piece of work, but it does not measure up to what you are about to do for us.” She smiled, “And I am being selfish for I shall see the world through your daughter’s eyes and be part of your world. I will have a taste of a life which my power denied me.”
I nodded and fastened it around my neck.
She then handed me two pieces of woven material. “This is for you and for Bear Tooth. The witch will have no power over Bear Tooth but if he wears this in his hair then the witch will know I have woven a spell for him and will guarantee that she is defeated. You know the plan and that you must attack at night. Once you rescue Sámr and free him from the curse then he will give commands. We have a land to recover.” She then picked up a red fletched arrow and I saw that the arrowhead was covered in hessian. “This is the arrow which Bear Tooth will use. Keep the head covered until he is about to use it for t
he potion is powerful. Now let us prepare you for war.” I stood. She placed a padded byrnie over my tunic and then helped to put on the mail. She handed me the cochineal with instructions to don it just before we attacked. She placed a head protector on my head and then the helmet. Finally, after she fastened the swords across my back, she fitted the wolf cloak over my helmet and fastened the wolf clasps. She stepped back and shook her head, “Even I am taken in. You are the Dragonheart! May the Allfather watch over you. Until the witch is dead, I cannot help you but when she dies listen for my voice in your head for the potion I put in your food each day has tied you to me, for a while, at least. Now go, your men await you at Egge’s farm. Tell Egge I said that he should guide you to the Water at Cyninges-tūn.”
She kissed me and I turned to leave the cave. I had entered fearfully not expecting to leave alive and now I felt sad for it had felt like home. Now I had to live up to the expectations of the most powerful witch and the spirit of the greatest of all Viking heroes. I dared not turn for I knew I would try to return. I had a quest and I would fulfil it not only for my clan but the greatest of clans, the Clan of the Wolf.
I had only travelled the path once, but my footsteps never deviated from it; it was as though I had walked it my whole life and when I saw the smoke rising from Egge’s cottage I was but half an hour from the cave. I could not resist testing my new powers and I did not approach from the road. Instead, I headed up to the small wood to descend from behind the hut. I heard and recognised the voices: Ebbe, Bear Tooth, Egge, Æimundr Loud Voice, Eidel Eidelsson, Sven Eidelsson, Danr Gandalfrson, Gandálfr, Galmr, Mikel Finnbjǫrnsson, Folkman and Ǫlmóðr Ragnarsson. I stopped and listened; they were debating how long they should wait and Ǫlmóðr Ragnarsson was all for going to the cave. Egge began to speak of the terrible power of the witch. I walked slowly from behind the hut. The dog barked and alerted them but when Egge saw me he dropped to his knees, “It is the Dragonheart! His spirit walks this land.”