by Griff Hosker
“He should have asked permission to land!”
I shook my head, “A little difficult when you were skulking inside your walls! We have landed now. Do you have any objections?”
He tried to hold my stare but this man was no warrior and he lowered his eyes. “No, of course not. We welcome peaceful traders but you are Vikings.”
I gave him my wolf smile. “Sometimes we raid and sometimes we trade. Today is a fortunate one for you. We are here to trade. You would know if we were here to raid. Your women would be aboard our ships and you would lie in a pool of your own blood.”
He stepped back to the protection of his guards and looked fearfully at us.
The boats had tied up. I turned to Aiden and spoke in Norse. “Fetch some of the trade items. Haaken, have two of the Ulfheonar guard each ship. Tell them not to frighten the people too much.”
My men left and I turned to the two Saxons; Wiglaf and Osric. “We have woollen goods, weapons, jewellery, seal oil and spices.”
I saw the eyes of the two men widen. “You have traded with someone who has been to the east?”
I shook my head, “No, we have been to Constantinopolis and traded ourselves.”
Osric said, incredulously, “But the Emperor does not trade with the Norse.”
I smiled, “He traded with me. If the goods are not to your taste then we also have some gold but the iron will need to be of the finest quality for us to part with either the spices or the gold.”
I had Wiglaf hooked now. I could almost see him calculating how much profit he could make on the spices. He would not know that Aiden well knew the value of all of our goods. He was the master trader. After he had examined samples Wiglaf was more than pleased with the quality of all of the goods. “How much iron ore do you require?”
“As much as will fit in the holds of three knarr.” I waved at the boats tied up before us.
“It will take many days to get that much ore here.”
“Fear not we will wait.”
“And the fourth knarr? What goods will that take back?”
“That depends upon the range of goods you have for us to trade.”
“Come to my warehouse and you will not be disappointed.”
He led us through the crowded huts and into two huge halls which contained all of his goods. They were stacked and arranged by type. I saw Aiden nodding. We could trade well here.
The good thoughts in our heads were disturbed a little when the night watch reported Wiglaf sending a small fast boat out to sea. If the iron was to the south, why send a ship east?
Chapter 6
We found more of the pots the women in the settlement liked and we arranged for them to be traded. I left Aiden in charge of that. Wiglaf invited my men and me to dine with him at his hall. I feigned tiredness. I did not trust him yet. When we had the iron ore in sight and settled a price then I would be happier. We slept on the deck having cooked our own food on the stone jetty. Josephus and Erik spent some time with the other captains and seafarers. They were a close community and would talk more openly without us.
The two of them came back quite late and a little unsteadily. We put Josephus to bed and Erik told us what he had learned. “You are right to worry about Wiglaf, Jarl. He is in league with Rorik. There are rumours that Rorik has designs not in Frisia but here in Lundenwic. The war between Mercia and Wessex suits him. He has made many visits here. They appear to be partners of sorts. He has the protection of Rorik.” That explained his high handed attitude towards Osric.
“How far away are the Kentish mines?”
“A day’s walk.”
“And what of this Osric?”
“He is the younger brother of Sigered the King of Essex. I think he is not the most popular member of the king’s family and most people here do not have a good word to say about him.”
Haaken asked, “Perhaps we should just go to Kent for the iron ourselves.”
“We could just take it!”
I shook my head. Cnut was always the one for direct action. “No, as a people, we have a bad enough reputation. If we trade then we can always get more. We choose our battles and our wars, Cnut.” He nodded. You could always explain things to Cnut. “We will see what this Wiglaf brings. I will tell him tomorrow that he has but three more days to bring the iron. If it is only one day away then he should be able to fetch enough to show good faith.”
When we went to him, the next day, he first said that it was impossible. I had expected that and I stood, “Then thank you for your help but we will have to seek other sources.”
“No, Jarl Dragon Heart, I will send more men to bring it faster.”
“That will not affect the price of course.”
“You will not be disappointed, Jarl. The iron is of the finest quality.”
“And we know the true value but if it is here in three days then I will pay a fair price.”
When he had gone we arranged for a watch to be kept aboard the boats and then we went to explore Lundenwic. Haaken, Sigtrygg came with Josephus, Arturus, Aiden and me. Josephus was like a man newly born. He was desperate to visit as many places as he could. As we walked he spoke quietly to me.
“I wanted to thank you again, Jarl Dragon Heart for buying me and then giving me my freedom. I felt that I was to leave this earth before you came and now I cannot wait to see more of it. When I came here with Rorik I was chained to the boat to stop me fleeing. I am interested in the wonders of this ancient city.”
“You do yourself a disservice; without you we would be poorer in so many ways. Erik thinks the world of you and you have brought him on so much that I hardly recognise him.”
“He is like a grandson to me. It is good. What is the word you use all the time? Wyrd. It is truly wyrd. I have purpose in my life once more.”
He was right for Erik was experiencing what I had had with Ragnar. It had made me a better man and it would do the same for Erik.
The town had had organisation at one time but since the Romans had left buildings had been converted, destroyed or just taken over. It was also filled with so many different people that I thought I was in Constantinopolis. We all wore our armour and I saw people shy away from us. Rorik, perhaps, had the right idea. This place was ripe for the plucking. If I had chosen I could have conquered and held the town with just my boatload of Ulfheonar. I did not want it and it held no attraction for me but I could see why Rorik might want it. Here there was no Emperor ready to send in a fleet and an army. Here there were just bands of warring Saxons. They were so busy fighting each other that an adventurer like Rorik might come in and steal the prize from under their noses.
We had a good day. The food and the ale were interesting and, once again, when we returned in the evening, poor Josephus was unsteady on his feet. The ships were as we had left them and all seemed calm. It lulled us into a sense of false security.
The following evening we were watching the sun go down in the west when Wiglaf came to my ship. “The iron will be here on the morrow.” He pointed across the river to the east. There was a wooden jetty there and a handful of huts. “They will bring it to Suthriganaweorc. It will be easier to load rather than ferrying it across the river.”
I was suspicious. “And what of the trade?”
“Your goods are not heavy we can ferry those easily but the iron ore is heavy. The men have struggled to bring it this quickly.”
I smiled, “And I appreciate it, Wiglaf. We will have many more trades in the future.”
He brightened at that.
When I told my men what he had said Haaken and Cnut were both suspicious. “I like it not. What is to stop them taking what they want and fleeing south? We would never catch them.”
“You are right but we can do something about it. Firstly we will have ‘Heart of the Dragon’ close by and secondly I will land with some warriors tonight and we will make our way to this Suthriganaweorc and watch. We can land beyond the bend in the river.”
Arturus asked, “W
ill Wiglaf not be wary when we move?”
“No, for we shall tell him that we need to move the ship in order to turn the others around.”
It was dark when we moved and no one saw us. I had explained to the other captains what I planned. Erik took us upriver and landed us close to a hamlet called Lambehitha. It was across the river from a church of the White Christ. I hoped it was not an omen. We made our way east along the river. I could barely see my ship as she turned around and headed back to moor in the middle of the river.
I had Snorri, Sigtrygg, Beorn Three Fingers, Erik Dog Bite and Tostig Wolf Hand with me. They were my most experienced warriors. We skirted inland a little to avoid the village and found a small wood in which we waited. Snorri found a track which led south. I assumed they would come that way.
We took it in turns to sleep but we were all wide awake before dawn broke. I wondered if the carts would come as the sun rose higher in the sky. The river was hidden from us but it was a mere thousand paces from where we waited.
Snorri clambered up a tree and it was he who spotted the approaching carts. “I can see them, Jarl Dragon Heart. They are less than a mile away. They have guards and they have horses pulling the carts.”
I wondered if I had done Wiglaf a disservice. So far I could not fault his efforts.
“Do we go to greet them and escort them the last part of the journey?”
“No Snorri. We will let them pass and then follow them.”
“You are suspicious, Jarl?”
“I am careful Sigtrygg Thrandson, that is all.”
We stayed hidden and watched the carts struggling up the slight rise. The last part would be down hill. Once they reached the top my men would see them. I frowned as they passed for there seemed a larger number of guards than I might have expected. I saw the last cart trudging along when I spotted warriors such as us. They were hanging back. There were twenty of them. Half were mailed and all had the battle rings about their arms. There was something going on.
We allowed them to pass and then, when they reached the top of the rise, I led my men to the west. We would try to reach the river at the same time as they did. My warriors did not speak. Like me they would have known that the sight of warriors such as us was not expected. As soon as we reached the top of the rise I saw the ships. The three knarr were tied up at the jetty. The fourth was still in her original position and ‘Heart of the Dragon’ was in the middle of the river. It looked peaceful. Perhaps the extra guards were hired mercenaries. Then sharp eyed Snorri hissed, “Jarl, there are two drekar coming up the river!”
It was a trap. I could not identify the ships but I knew who it was; it was Rorik! The crew of my ship and the knarrs would have their attention on the trade and the bank. That was where the treachery would come. Rorik and his men would be upon my ship before they even knew. “Snorri, get to the ship and warn the crews. The rest of you we will attack these guards.” I saw the drekar. They were smaller than mine; they were threttanessa. They rode lower in the water than my ship and Rorik and his men would struggle to climb aboard if my warriors defended it.
This would be the first time we had tested our new armour and we would be fighting warriors trained like us. These were not farmer Saxons, these were killers and we could take no chances. The carts had reached the bank and I saw Trygg and Siggi as they stepped forward with Aiden and Arturus to examine them. Suddenly I heard a war cry and the guards from the carts and the twenty Norse charged my men.
If it had not been Aiden and Arturus there then it might have been a disaster but they both had calm minds and quick reactions. Arturus leapt forward and I saw his sword slice through the neck of the first warrior. Aiden hurried the two captains back aboard and then he yelled something. A flurry of arrows flew high in the sky. My son had bought us some time. We were less than fifty paces from our enemies. I needed to attract their attention and I yelled, “Ragnar’s Spirit!” It worked for the warriors stopped in their tracks and looked behind them. Arturus lunged forward and stabbed another of the guards before Aiden pulled him aboard the knarr. The three were trying to get away. I saw Snorri as he leapt aboard one of the knarr and ran to the other side. My ship would now be warned but would the warning be in time?
I had no time for such thoughts. We had to destroy these warriors before we could rejoin our comrades who would soon be outnumbered and surrounded. I took the spear from the first warrior on my shield and brought my sword around horizontally. His shield deflected it. I kept my speed up and threw my head at his. I had my mail mask on and my helmet was strong. I heard a crack as his nose broke and I was showered in his blood. As he stumbled I stabbed down with my sword and pinned his wriggling body to the ground.
I sensed movement to my right and I spun around. The new armour was so light that it was effortless but, even so, the sword wielded by the warrior struck my shoulders. If I had worn the old mail then links would have been severed. As it was the blow hurt but the metal held. The surprised warrior lifted his sword for a second blow but I hacked across his middle before he could strike. Ragnar’s Spirit was sharp and the blow went through his poorly made mail and ripped across his stomach.
Two warriors were attacking Beorn. Like me he was saved by his armour but I made it more equal by stabbing through the back of one of his opponents. I looked up and saw Rorik’s ships as they closed with my drekar. Trygg’s knarr with Snorri, Aiden and Arturus was close by and the crew were preparing to sell their lives dearly. I was angry. When you are angry you do foolish things. I roared like a wolf and leapt at a knot of warriors who stood between me and Siggi’s knarr. There were five of them and I should have perished but it was not meant to be. I began swinging my sword as I ran at them. They stood and waited. The blade ripped across their front. I saw the throat of one erupt in a fountain of blood as I smashed my shield into the face of another. I jabbed forward with the hilt of my sword and it crashed into the face of another. He fell backwards clutching the remains of an eye.
One lunged at me with a sword. The lamellar armour proved its worth. The blade slid along the overlapping links. A second warrior stabbed at my face. I could not get out of the way but the blade became entangled in the links. I whipped my head around and the knife came out of his hand. I was now free and I brought Ragnar’s Spirit over my head. It split the helmet and skull of a warrior in two as Sigtrygg ended the life of the other.
“Jarl, the drekar!”
I looked and saw warriors swarming from the two enemy boats over the sides of mine. I could see Haaken directing the fighting. We ran to Siggi’s knarr. “Get us to the enemy ship.”
“Aye Jarl.”
I hoped that we would be in time. The tubby little boat seemed to crawl. The disaster was unfolding before my eyes. I saw Erik Short Toe desperately fending off his enemies as he tried to hold on to the steer board. Even as we closed I saw a warrior lunge, with his spear, at Erik’s unprotected back. Suddenly Josephus hurled his body between them and the old man sank to the deck. Then the side of the drekar hid us. The men on board were too concerned with trying to get aboard my drekar and did not see me and my six men leap aboard. Vengeance was in our hearts and there would be no mercy that night. I had put a dagger in my left hand as we had rowed across and, as I stabbed one attacker in the back with my sword, I plunged my dagger into the side of another. There was a wail from the crew as they realised they were being attacked from the rear.
I heard a cheer from the bow of the ship and saw Arturus and Aiden leading five of the crew of Trygg’s knarr to attack the warriors at that end of the drekar. It was too much for some who flung themselves into the sea to avoid the wrath of the Ulfheonar. We scythed our way through them until we reached my ship.
“Arturus, hold this drekar!”
I heard the joy of battle in his voice as he shouted, “Aye Jarl.”
I leapt aboard my ship and brought my blade down across the back of the warrior who was about to despatch Erik. The blade sliced into him and cut his spine in two. Er
ik was wounded but it looked as though he would live. He saw Josephus’ body lying there impaled by the spear. He looked distraught. “There will be time for tears later, Erik. Secure the ‘Heart’.”
“Aye Jarl!”
“Ulfheonar, let us end this now!”
My men all roared and we surged towards the men aboard our drekar. We were still outnumbered but they had expected an easy victory. This was not it. As I hacked through the thigh of one of them I looked for Rorik. He was not with them. I punched another with my shield and he tumbled, in his mail, to die in the waters below. The rest took flight and jumped aboard the remaining drekar. Whoever commanded decided to cut his losses and it began to pull away downstream. I turned to the warrior whose thigh I had cut. He was bleeding to death.
“Where is Rorik?” The man was in shock and trying to staunch the blood from his fatal wound. “Where?”
He looked up at me as though I was an apparition. Later I realised that the mail mask I wore made it look as though he was talking to a wraith. “He is waiting at Grenewic, he…” Then he died. My men were despatching the rest of the attackers and I took off my helmet and my mail mask. I had two men to pay back now, Rorik and Wiglaf. They had killed many fine warriors and ended the life of poor Josephus.
I cupped my hands and shouted to the last knarr on the other bank. “Get over here now!” I went to the other side of the ship. “Siggi, Trygg, get the iron ore loaded while we can.”
“We will be overloaded!”
“Put some aboard our new drekar!”
Haaken came up to me and clasped my arm. “You came just in time, Dragon Heart.”
“How many have we lost?”
“Eight Ulfheonar died but we killed more than forty of these pirates.”