by Unknown
As Ulf had taught me, I stopped every fifty paces or so and listened. I also peered towards the river. It looked deep and clear of hidden rocks. The water was smooth. We could get much higher up the river and there would be no danger. We had travelled about four miles when I smelled people. It was a mixture of smoke, human refuse and food. I sniffed the air and pointed to my two scouts. They sniffed and they nodded. I made the sign to move even more carefully and led them forward. The path straightened out. I saw that the trees had been trimmed; perhaps for wood. The walls of Tui lay ahead.
I left the path and moved into the woods. My men followed me. I saw a hill rising before us and, as we reached the last tree, I waved them to ground. Peering around the tree I saw that there was a natural hill and they had made a palisade at the top. Tui did not look as large as I had expected. I heard a bell sound and looked up. I could just make out a stone tower. I guessed it was a church. There must be a service of some kind. I moved carefully towards the river, always keeping under cover and watching where I placed my feet. There was no one nearby but Ulf had taught me to get into the habit of moving silently. It had helped us many times.
When I reached the path again I saw that there was a stone quay. It looked ancient and would probably be Roman. A path rose to the town. There was a gate but it hung from wooden walls and not stone. I had seen enough and I waved my men back down the path. The sun would soon begin to dip to the west. We needed to be back at our drekar before dark. I had seen how we could assault the town.
We were halfway back and I had just stopped to sniff the air and to listen for sounds when I detected men. It was a smell. It was not our smell. There was a perfumed element to it. I sniffed again and detected horse. Lying down I put my ear to the ground and, in the distance, I felt the earth move as a horse walked towards us. I waved Knut and Beorn to either side of the path and I drew my sword. They copied me. They might not be scouts yet but the two men knew how to hide in plain sight. They used the bushes and undergrowth. I smeared earth on the backs of my hands and my face. They did the same.
I heard voices and the neigh of a horse. Without moving my head I swivelled my eyes to peer down the path. I caught the glimpse of some colour approaching. It was at least one man riding a horse. If I could I would let them pass. If it was more than a couple then we might have a problem. Ulf Big Nose had taught me to deal with each problem as it arose. I would do that. Keeping as still as I could I watched the horse and rider change to a horse, a rider who wore a mail shirt, and three men following. They looked to have weapons. I caught the smell of a dead animal and then realised that they had been hunting. I was relieved for I feared they had seen the drekar and would be coming to warn Tui. We would let them pass. As they drew closer I saw that two of the men carried a small wild boar on a spear.
The horse was a fine animal. It was almost pure white. As a horseman, I wanted it. He was passing me when disaster struck. It must have smelled one of us. It stopped, neighed and reared. The rider looked down and began to draw his sword. He had seen Beorn. Even as he opened his mouth to shout I lunged up with my sword. It went under his arm and emerged on the far side of his neck. Knut had quick reactions and he slashed sideways with his sword, ripping open one of the men carrying the boar. Beorn recovered and ran after the warrior who had turned and run down the path. I advanced towards the second boar carrier. He had drawn his weapons and was ready to fight me. Knut ended his life quickly with a thrust to the back.
I grabbed the horse’s reins. The last thing we needed was for the horse to drag the body into Tui. I spoke quietly to it as I pulled the rider’s foot from the stirap and his body fell to the ground. “Knut, take his mail and search him. Put the weapons and mail on the horse. When Beorn returns, you can carry the boar back to the drekar.” I tied the reins to a branch and, when Knut had stripped the body I dragged it the few paces to the river and dropped it in. The current would take it to the sea. I did the same with the other two bodies by which time Beorn had returned.
“He is dead. I am sorry he saw me.”
“Do not worry. It was wyrd. Help Knut with the boar. I will lead the horse.” I saw that the sun was setting. “Come, we must hurry.”
When we reached the body of the warrior Beorn had slain I dropped him into the river. The sun was a red glow to the west when we reached the island. I whistled. A whistle sounded in return and then the drekar began to cross the river. I took the saddle from the horse. It was tempting to take it back for it was a magnificent beast but I feared it might cause us too many problems. The wonderfully decorated leather saddle would have to be the only trophy I took home. The drekar pulled up and I said, “Give a hand to carry the boar and these weapons.”
Arne Four Toes said, “You had time to go hunting?”
As Knut handed him the weapons he said, “You ought to scout with the jarl, Arne. It would be an eye opener.”
While the boar was carried aboard I took off the halter and reins and slapped the horse on the rump. It headed down stream towards the sea. I suspected that it would eventually return home and I assumed that would be Tui. By then it would be too late to alert the men in the town. As we pushed off I went to the stern and waved for Harold to come to the bow of the knarr. “The river has no rocks. Stay in the centre. There is a stone quay. I saw but two small ships there.”
He waved and Sven said, “Is it far?”
“You were right in your estimate. It is just over four Roman miles.”
I went to don my mail as did Knut and Beorn. The rest of the crew already had their war faces on. By the time I was ready we had passed the place where we had ambushed the warriors. We sailed into darkness and Siggi Far Sighted kept a good watch. The bends were gentle ones. This was neither the Issicauna nor the Liger. I smelled the Moorish town to steerboard and knew that we would be close to Tui soon. I still did not know what sort of watch they kept. Whatever it was we would have to deal with it. I was confident in the men I led.
When Siggi signalled to head away from steerboard I knew that we were close. As we turned the bend in the river I saw the lights from the buildings. They were tiny but showed that we were close. I walked down the centreboard and one in every two men rose. The others would row until we reached the quay. The twenty who followed me would be the ones who would gain us entry into this border town. We ghosted to the stone quay. They had neither watch nor light. There may have been men on the two ships which were tied up but I could not tell. As soon as we touched the stone I leapt, with Siggi Far Sighted, on to the stone quay. While he tied up the drekar I ran towards the two ships which were tied up. Gilles and Bertrand were right behind me closely followed by Rurik One Ear and Arne Four Toes.
I ran to the farther of the two ships and leapt aboard. Two men rose, sleepily. They were Moors. I did not need help. In two blows they were dead. I stepped off the boat and saw that Arne and Rurik had dealt with the other. My men were waiting for me. I raised my sword and led them to the gate. There was a ditch but they had left the bridge over it. Einar Asbjornson and Erik Long Hair had brought their bows and they ran with me. I saw shadows moving across the top of the gate. We halted, in the dark, forty paces from them. Erik and Einar took aim and their arrows struck the two sentries. They fell, with a dull thud, into the town. We did not have long. The alarm would soon be given. We ran across the bridge. Bertrand and Gilles held Gilles’ shield for me. I stepped on it and they lifted me into the air. I grabbed the top edge of the wood as I heard a cry from within. The alarm had been given. I dragged myself up.
I saw that there were two men running towards me from the tower to my right. I swung my shield around and ran towards them. The fighting platform was just wide enough for two men but the two who ran towards me had no shield. I did. One swung his pike at me. My shield took the blow and I kept moving. He fell, screaming, to his death as my shield connected with his body. I rammed my sword into the middle of the other. His falling comrade had stopped his swing from making contact with me.
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bsp; I turned and saw that Bertrand and Arne Four Toes were leading Gilles and Erik Green Eye down to the gate to open it for the rest of my band. I clambered down the ladder and felt something strike my back. Whatever it was had been heavy. Luckily my shield had saved me again. I stepped to the ground and saw four warriors with spears and shields run towards me. Arne Four Toes appeared at my side. We locked shields as the four ran at us. One spear hit my shield while a second glanced off my helmet. I swung my sword across the faces of the four and they recoiled. Perhaps they had expected to be lucky with their blows. As they stepped back Arne and I stepped forward and lunged under their shields. I hit one in the groin. He fell wriggling and writhing to the ground. Arne’s caught one in the knee. He too fell. There was a roar behind me as Gilles and Bertrand opened the gate. The two men who were stood before us made the mistake of looking beyond us at the horde of warriors who emerged through their gates. They died.
I pointed with my sword, “Arne, take men left!”
“Aye jarl. You ten, with me!”
“Rurik, take men right!”
“Aye jarl, you with me!”
“The rest follow me. There is a church and, I am guessing, a hall. They are our targets!”
Tui was not large but they had some buildings which had two stories. When people began hurling things at us I said, “Asbjorn Sorenson. Take two men and clear these houses.”
The warriors who had fled us had joined others and were now standing outside the church. There were no openings through which they could hurl objects but there were six men at the top of the bell tower. They had bows and sent arrows our way.
“Shields!”
We held up our shields as we ran at the men standing before us. They had spears and shields but no mail. Gudrun Witch Killer led ten of my newer warriors and his oathsworn to attack them. I looked around the square. There was a hall but the door gaped ajar. The warriors had come to defend the church. As the last of the defenders was slain I shouted, “Now, Gudrun! Break down the door.”
Karl Anyasson and Beorn Tryggsson both had axes and they ran at the barred door. They began to hack at it. Suddenly something was thrown from the top of the tower. It was boiling water. Had my men not been wearing helmets it might have caused mortal wounds. As it was the liquid scalded both their hands and their faces. Erik Long Hair and Einar Asbjornson appeared and sent arrows at the tower.
Gudrun was angry and he took the axe dropped by Karl and began to hack at the door. In five blows it gave way and, brandishing the axe, he led his men inside. I said to Karl and Beorn, “Get back to the ship. Sven has some of Aiden’s salve. It will ease the pain.”
“We can still fight!”
“No, you cannot! Now obey orders. You can help Sven and Harold.”
Even as they left two bodies were pitched from the top of the tower as an enraged Gudrun wreaked revenge on those who had scalded his oathsworn. I entered the church. It had linens and candlesticks as well as fine plate on the altar. I now knew of such things from the church of my wife.
“Take those objects back to the ship. Bertrand and Gilles, come with me.” As we left I saw the priest’s butchered body on the floor. His head had been severed by Gudrun Witch Killer. Rurik and Arne appeared with their men. Their swords were bloody. “Many escaped through another gate. They have fled north.”
“Then we can expect company. Rurik bring your men with me. Arne, you and your men search the houses. Gudrun and his men are dealing with the church.”
Once inside the hall I could see that the lord and his men had left it suddenly. I had not seen a lord amongst the warriors who were fighting. He must have fled. My men knew how to search. While some checked the contents of chests others went to less obvious places such as hidden cavities beneath the wooden floor. I knew that we would not find a great deal. Neither the lord nor his lady were to be found. They must had left as soon as the alarm was given.
I turned to Rurik, “Did you find any horses?”
He shook his head, “No, jarl, the stable was empty.”
“Come, let us take what we have.” I was about to order them to set fire to the hall when I realised that would alert other enemies nearby. We needed to escape before help came. “Gilles, Bertrand, round up the men. Head back to the ships.”
It took some time for my two men to find all of the warriors. The now empty town was looted. Warriors returned laden with pots, pans, fine clay pots and all manner of cooking utensils. Others had hams, cheeses and even a couple of fowl. By the time we were ready to sail, it was almost dawn.
“Harold Fast Sailing, sink these two dhows.”
“Aye jarl. They were laden with copper and iron ore. We have loaded it on the knarr. Bagsecg will be pleased. There was also a chest of silver.”
With what we had taken from the church we had a fine haul.
“Let us leave!”
The current and the wind would take us down stream. My men would not need to row. They took off their helmets and opened the jugs of wine they had found. There was just enough to go around and not enough to make them drunk.
Sven shouted, “Siggi Far Sighted! To the mast head. Keep a look out ahead.”
As the agile ship’s boy leapt up the sheets and stays Sven said, “I would not have us ambushed by ships downstream. This raid has gone well, jarl, and we both know how the Norns like to spin.”
“You are right. Until we see the Haugr let us be cautious.”
Daylight came and we saw the town of Constrasta to larboard. We had passed it in the dark when we had headed upstream and now I saw that we would have been foolish to try to take it. This had a well defended stone wall. It did, however, look to be a better target than the one we had taken. The current was sluggish but I did not want to have my men row. Who knew when we might need them again. The other reason I did not use the oars was because the knarr was behind. It was barely keeping up with us as it was.
“Jarl what about this boar? Do we eat it?”
“Raw?” I know you like your food Gunnar Stone Face but let us wait until we can cook it. If it bothers you then skin and gut it. When we stop this night, it will be ready to cook.”
He happily began to skin the beast. It was not the largest boar I had ever seen but we would all have hot food. Others gathered around to offer Gunnar advice. “The jarl has appointed me as butcher! Let me do it my way!”
Siggi suddenly shouted, “Jarl. On the bank. I can see laden donkeys.”
He pointed to the Cordoban bank. We ran to it. As we turned a bend I saw eight donkeys. They were escorted by four drovers and ten soldiers. They were Moors. At the rear were eight men. They looked to be Franks. They were chained and were guarded by two enormous warriors. As we passed the Moors turned and pointed at us.
“Siggi, tell me what they do!” As we turned another bend they disappeared from view. “Sven, take in some sail. I would have us stop soon.”
He looked to question me but thought better of it.
“Jarl they keep coming.”
“Good.” I turned to my men. “We can add to our gains. We will ambush these Moors. There are but twelve warriors. I know not what is on the donkeys but if there are ten guards then it must be worth guarding.”
By the time we had slowed enough to pull into shore we had travelled some distance. Harold pulled the knarr in ahead of us and we disembarked. I took twenty warriors, deeming that to be enough. The rest were left aboard to guard the ship. The eastern bank was almost exactly the same as the western bank. There was a trail passing through the trees. The difference was that here they had cleared some sections of wood and that had opened the river in places. We waited beyond one such opening. My men were spread out on either side. I had Beorn, Arne Four Toes and Rurik leading the men who would fall upon the guards at the rear. I kept the rest with me. I wanted no one to spring the trap prematurely.
I could not understand their words but I heard the guards talking as they headed towards us. I would have gambled a gold piece that they wer
e talking about the dragon ship. I doubted that any would have seen such a vessel before. I could also smell them. They did not smell like Franks nor did they smell like us. Ulf had said that the way a man smelled depended upon the food he ate. He had the ability to differentiate between Frisian and Dane, Saxon and Frank. My sense of smell had improved but Ulf had left us too soon. I still had much to learn.
We were all well-hidden. I had a branch and leaves before my still face. I still had a blackened face from the previous night and I stared down the trail, confident that I would be hard to see. Four warriors now led the column and the rest were spread down the flanks. Obviously, the sight of our drekar had alarmed them. The guards had helmets and a mail vest. Their arms were bare. Their helmets had a nasal and a plume. Their shields were smaller than ours but each had a point sticking from the boss. Four of them, the ones who led, were as black as night while the others, from what I could see were of a lighter hue. I did not know whence these warriors came.
I waited until the first four were level with me. I was swinging my sword as I stepped out and took the two paces to the trail. Bertrand and Gilles were with me. For a big man the leader had quick hands and his sword was out in an instant. On the other side Sigtrygg Rolfsson also stepped forward and swung. My sword was aimed at the Moor’s middle but his shield came between us. His own sword lunged at my face. I brought my shield up and then punched. The Moor reeled. I heard a shout as Sigtrygg was wounded. Bertrand’s blade found flesh and the second warrior crumpled to the floor holding his stomach.
Without turning I said, “Leave this one to me! Get the drovers and the other guards.”
My opponent roared and brought his sword overhand. He was a bigger warrior than I was and I dropped to my knee. My move confused him. He was committed to the blow but I was not where he aimed. He hit my shield and continued to fall. My right hand reached the ground and I left it there as he fell forward and impaled himself upon my blade. He was such a large man that it was his own weight which killed him. I pushed his body from my sword and stood.