by Griff Hosker
There had been many warriors in the hall but they had risen, half asleep and without armour. The warriors I had brought were the best we had. Even as I turned the last threat was snuffed out.
“Erik, take the wounded back to the sea.”
“Aye my lord.”
“Take any treasure that you see!”
I saw that there were some mail byrnies and fine helmets. They were taken as we left. Once we left the hall I heard shouts from the northern end. Jarl Erik’s oathsworn had awoken. They would arm first. We had moments only. I saw my son, along with Snorri and Beorn. They were escorting the thralls. There were twenty of them.
“Take them back to our ships.”
They hurried them along. I saw that at least four of Pasgen’s people were with them. “Shield wall and let us move back carefully.”
There were now ten of us. The rest were either at the gate or hurrying down to the ship. As we walked backwards I heard the clash of metal on metal and saw Haaken stab a warrior who had emerged from his hut. Before me I saw a wall of metal approaching. I did not recognise all of the warriors. These must be Jarl Erik’s new men. All of them had mail byrnies on. There were fifteen of them. Behind them I saw archers. They were the immediate danger.
“Watch out for the archers.”
As we reached the gate we were reinforced by the four men I had left there. We now had four hundred paces to go to reach the sea where we would be reinforced by Sigtrygg and his men. Haaken only had one eye but it worked! “Arrows!”
We turned as one and held our shields up above us. It was like a shower of hail as they rattled into them. I heard a cry and saw one of the warriors I had left at the gate clutching his arm.
“Watch for the charge!”
Sure enough as soon as the arrows had flown the mailed warriors rushed at us. Had my men not been Ulfheonar I might have worried but each man lowered his shield and held his sword above. They came at us without order. Just wishing to get to grips with us every man had run as fast as he could. One younger, fitter warrior reached me and sliced his sword down as he threw himself at our shield wall. His sword cracked into the shield but he was thrown back for my wall did not break. As he struggled to regain his balance Ragnar’s Spirit darted out and pierced his throat. He gurgled his life away at my feet.
We stepped back as one. I almost laughed as the next warrior to attack fell over the dead body and was despatched by an exultant Cnut. Their leader saw the chaos and I heard a voice with a strange accent shout, “Stop and form a wedge! On me!”
I glanced over my shoulder and saw that the jetty was empty. Sigtrygg had done as I asked and sought the drekar. There were just Erik Dog Bite and the wounded.
“Arrows!”
Once again they tried to shower us with missiles and, once again we protected ourselves. This time, however, their attack had more purpose. Their leader who had a design with three red radiating legs came directly for me. I did not wait for the blow but instead punched with my shield. There were five arrows sticking from it and when I punched one of the arrows sticking from my shield scored a savage cut across his cheek while a second sank into his hand.
I stepped back as he screamed his anger. “No prisoners!”
I laughed. He assumed they might win. He did not know who he was fighting. As I swung my sword at his head I shouted, “Ulfheonar!”
My men all roared, ”Ulfheonar!”, as they swung their weapons. It took the mailed men by surprise. We were outnumbered and they expected us to retreat.
The leader took my blow and slightly turned his body to allow him a good swing with his sword. I mirrored his move and I found myself in his wedge with Haaken on one side of me. I was close enough to the warrior to smell what he had eaten the previous night. I hooked my foot behind his and, unable to use my sword effectively I punched and head butted at the same time. He fell over my foot. I stamped on his sword hand and stabbed down with Ragnar’s Spirit. His fellows all stepped back.
Cnut shouted, “We had best get to the ship, Sigtrygg has returned!”
I could see more warriors rushing from Duboglassio. “Back to the ship; bring the wounded!”
The arrows showered down upon us as we slowly marched back. The line of dead and wounded warriors slowed down those trying to reach us. When I felt the wood beneath my feet I halted. Those of us in the front rank would need to defend the wounded while they boarded. I felt a movement next to me and Sigtrygg was there. “Sorry Jarl Dragon Heart. They had a crew aboard and they moved her away.”
“It matters not you are here now.”
Erik Dog Bite’s voice sounded. “The wounded are aboard!”
We turned and ran holding our shields behind us. The overcrowded ship was just twenty paces away and we threw ourselves aboard. The sail was down almost as soon as Cnut, the last warrior, fell on board. Haaken and Erik sliced down at the lines which held us to the shore and we began to move away from the shore. We had enough warriors on board to give us a wooden wall of protection and the arrows thudded into wood and leather.
When we were out of range I looked to the shore. Jarl Erik had appeared. I saw the warrior I had fought. He was being supported by two men. He was alive still. He would bear the wound I had given him for the rest of his life.
I saw that the ship was being steered by one of Pasgen’s men. I could see that he had a patch over one eye. He nodded at me and shouted, “Thank you Jarl Dragon Heart. I owe you a life.” He pointed to the patch, “And I owe them an eye.”
I waved my arm in acknowledgment. “Our ships are around the next bay.”
We were dangerously overcrowded. The Hibernian built ship had a very low freeboard and there was a danger of us capsizing. I was pleased that it was Pasgen’s captain who was steering. He would know his vessel better than any. When we rounded the headland I was relieved to see our ships close to the beach. Arturus and the thralls had made it safely.
When we grounded on the sand Snorri said. “One of the thralls did not come with us. The one with the patch ran to the sea.”
I pointed behind me. “He was the captain and he wanted his ship. It is a good thing that he did else we might have sunk. Are any of Trygg’s relatives here?”
A youth with a wicked looking scar on his face stepped forward. “Yes, Jarl I am Trygg’s brother Eystein and my cousin Olaf.”
“Good. Your brother will be relieved.” I looked at the others. There were women there too. They were obviously neither Trygg’s relatives nor Pasgen’s sailors. “You women will be freed when we reach my land.” We might be wolves but had gone to the island of Man for vengeance and not treasure. I hoped that Jarl Erik and his men had learned their lesson. We were not to be touched!
We sailed back to our home into the morning sun. The world felt more hopeful. We had lost warriors; we had been fighting our own people. They might be badly led but they were still warriors who trained and fought as we did. The only cloud on the horizon was the drekar which had escaped. It meant Jarl Erik could still raid although his drekar would be smaller than any of mine.
“The new warriors fought well. We will have to see if any could be Ulfheonar.”
Haaken shook his head. “You do not choose Ulfheonar, Dragon Heart, you should know that. They are chosen by the wolf as your son was. He may be the youngest Ulfheonar but he is a wolf through and through.”
He was right, of course. The fact that men wanted to join us made them fight harder. Sometimes that meant they died young. Wyrd. The three mail shirts we had taken would be given to those warriors who had excelled in the battle. That would be reward enough. There would be little else for my men. We would have to raid and trade now to recompense them for their service. We would do as Aiden had suggested and trade with the men of Gwent. His reading and his talks with Deidra and Macha had identified the area where we would trade for iron. We knew little of the people there save that they were at war with the Mercians. Therein lay our hope for we had fought the Mercians.
Pasgen was
grateful for our intervention and upset by our losses. “Pasgen, we are warriors. We fight and we die. Those who died will be in Valhalla now. They will be telling those who went before of our glorious victory.”
He shook his head. “We have the same bodies, Jarl Dragon Heart but there is a different beast within us. You are the wolf and we are the sheep.”
“No, my friend, you do yourself a disservice. You may not be wolves but you fight for what you have.” I pointed to the half finished stone tower. “There is a sign that you will not be attacked again.”
We spent a few days fitting out for the voyage. We needed water and supplies. The winter was now past and we had managed to produce enough to keep us during the voyage.
Trygg was also grateful and his family joined him on the knarr. They were as well armed as any of my warriors and he and Siggi were determined that they would defend themselves if attacked. It was a fine fleet which set sail south. With two knarr and two drekar there were few who would attack us. Aiden was on my ship whilst the trade goods were split between the knarr. I had the first of the swords made by Bjorn Bagsecgson. It was finely finished but lacked the decoration he would put on the later blades. I had decided to use it as a gift for the ruler of Gwent. It would not hurt and might cement an alliance.
As we sailed south we kept close to the coast. This was not for safety; we feared no man. We were seeking targets for our return. We wanted monasteries so that we could make beneficial trades in Frisia. Each one we identified was marked on the map by Aiden. The maps were now worth their weight in gold.
The rowers had an easy time as we had to sail at the speed of the slow moving knarr. Each night we pulled ashore to camp and to forage. The isolated farms and homes were our food store and we ate well. We were a day’s journey from Anglesey and we were using a small island just off the coast for our base when Arturus asked me the question which had been on his mind since Aiden had come aboard.
“When can I have a blade like yours or one such as that made by Bjorn Bagsecgson?”
Although he had grown much, sometimes he was like a child still. “You have treasure of your own do you not?”
He looked at me as though I was speaking a strange tongue. “But you gave the other Ulfheonar the wolf amulets. Aiden made them. I will have a sword instead of a wolf amulet.”
I laughed at his request. “And when there is time he will make them for the new Ulfheonar but I give no sword to any warrior. The blade must fight for you. I could have Bjorn Bagsecgson make you one but it would neither feel right nor fight well. You need to give something of yourself for the blade.” I shrugged, “Or capture a fine one in battle. That is why men always throw themselves at my blade. They desire to own it. Your sword will be part of you when you fight. Choose it carefully or let it choose you.”
He looked at Snorri for help. Snorri nodded, “Your father is right my friend. I took my sword from a Saxon. It is a fine blade but I will buy a better one from Bjorn Bagsecgson this winter. I will have him make one which I choose. I will then have two swords.”
Arturus had much to learn and much to take in. He might be the son of the jarl but he was just one of the Ulfheonar. I think that voyage helped him to grow up and know who he was. He would now go to war with a different purpose. He would seek his sword and his fortune. He was on the way to becoming a man and the heir to my land.
Chapter 15
The Sabrina was the biggest river I had seen, so far, in Britannia. The Rinaz was bigger but the power of this river meant we had to employ the rowers and the two knarr had to tack back and forth to make it towards the northern bank. Eventually we found a secluded beach where we landed. We knew that we were close to the iron but we had to be careful. We did not wish to upset the local leaders. We knew not if they were kings or jarls such as I was. We sent our three scouts to find the nearest town. I hoped that there was a port close by which would make loading of any iron easier but we had no idea of the land around this mighty river.
We had picked an isolated part of the river and estuary for no one seemed to be close to us. It was three days before our scouts returned.
“The king of this land is Selfyn Ap Cynan. He is close to Offa’s Dyke at the moment fighting the Mercians. There is a port some ten miles west of us. I know not how we missed it and the iron workings are in the hills to the north.”
“The three of you have done well.” They would each gain a greater share of any reward we might have. I had a dilemma. Did we just go and take their iron? If the king was away and fighting then we would be able to easily. However we had enough enemies at the moment. The Northumbrians and Hibernians were not well disposed towards us and now we had alienated our nearest allies, the men of Man. I walked to the river to let the spirits speak with me.
Strangely they were silent. Perhaps I was not near a holy place and that was why I had silence in my head and I wondered what we ought to do. Arturus appeared next to me. “The people here are poor, father. The ones we spoke with had no weapons and looked hungry.”
“You were not threatened?”
“If we chose to I believe that we could conquer this land with just our warriors from our ships.”
“But should we do that?”
My question was honest for I knew not what the Norns wished me to do.
“No. We have a fine land and we should not be greedy.”
“Then we should trade?”
He looked at the river and then nodded. “Aye, and perhaps help this king for the Saxons are no friends of ours.”
It was at that moment that I made my decision. “We will sail to this dyke and offer our help, if he will have it, to this king.”
My men were quite happy to follow my lead and we sailed further up the river. We passed more settlements closer to the river and many had wooden walls. The river narrowed and steep cliffs rose on both sides. When we were beyond them we saw more signs of war. In the distance were plumes of black smoke. When we found a reasonable anchorage we stopped. Once my men were ashore I left Trygg to guard the four ships with his men and ten extra warriors.
“At the first sign of danger anchor in the river. The ships should be safe there.”
“Is this not dangerous, Jarl Dragon Heart?”
“Getting up in the morning can be dangerous. I am gambling. I hope that we gain iron and not just blood but we are in the hands of the Norns and this Selfyn Ap Cynan.”
Although we armed I had my men sling their shields on their backs and keep their swords sheathed. We marched towards the cloud of smoke.
Snorri and Beorn ranged far ahead. I had Arturus watching our rear for we could be attacked as intruders and I wished to have some warning.
The warning came from our fore. Snorri and Beorn raced towards us. “The men of Gwent march towards us. They look as though they have been defeated.”
I removed my helmet and strode to the head of my column. “Keep your hands from your weapons. We have retreated ourselves and know what it is like.”
One of my men shouted from the rear, “Aye but that was when Ragnar Hairy Breeches led us!” The men all laughed and I knew that they were in good spirits.
The road we marched on was an old Roman one with few bends. We saw the retreating Army of Gwent some five hundred paces up the road. They halted. “Haaken and Cnut come with me. Sigtrygg, take command.”
As we walked towards the waiting warriors Haaken said, “Life is always lively near you, Dragon Heart. It is never dull!”
“That way we know we are alive my friend.”
I could see that they had been in battle. There were twenty warriors on horses. They looked to be the nobles while the rest were a ragged band of men with shields and spears forlornly following. The shields were not the best I had ever seen. Three of the riders rode up to us and held their spears before them.
Their leader spoke to me and I understood him, just. “Who are you and why do you come armed to the land of Gwent?”
I could see that he had fought for t
here was blood on both him and his mount. “We come in peace. We are from a land far to the north. We would speak with your king.” I had no idea if they had a king or not but it would do no harm to assume so.
He looked at his two companions. I knew their dilemma. They had fought in a battle which I assumed they had lost. A fresh band of warriors was a problem they could do without.
“Take us to your king. I swear I will not use my weapons. We come in peace.”
“But you are Norsemen!”
I laughed, “We do not always kill. Sometimes we talk.”
It may have been the laughter for a smile touched his face. “Come. Three of you cannot do much harm.”
He rode behind us and I knew that their spears were close to our backs. I did not mind. We had our shields there and it would take a mighty blow to get through a shield, a mail byrnie and a leather one.
I saw their leader. His mail was torn and I saw blood too. He had not done well. I bowed, “I am Jarl Dragon Heart and I come in peace.”
He too took off his helmet and I saw blood where he had been struck. He was a younger man than I was and he looked tired. “You bring armed men in peace then! I am King Selfyn ap Cynan. What would you have of us?”
“We came to trade for we have find goods and we need iron ore but we would fight for you against your enemies in return for iron and we will trade also.”
The man I had first spoken with laughed, “I did not expect that from the one who wields the sword touched by the gods.”
“You have heard of me.”
“I have.” He looked seriously at his king, “This man may be many things but a liar is not one of them. If he says he will fight for us then I believe he will. I would take him up on his offer, your majesty. The Mercians will be coming soon. His Norsemen could make all the difference.”
“I value your advice Iago ap Griffith but are we in any condition to fight?”