Viking War

by Griff Hosker

  There was a thrall to watch over them. I took a piece of copper from my satchel and cut him a small piece from it. “If the horses are well cared for there will be another piece on the morrow.”

  The thrall’s eyes widened. He would normally receive a beating and not a coin for his troubles. He would watch over the animals for us. When we entered the round hut I could see that it was large. There were four posts which helped to support the roof. I had seen the remains of huts like this. It was the way the old people of the land had lived. There were a few other travellers already lying on their piles of straw. Aiden was at the long table where he was drinking a horn of ale. As we approached he pointed at me and said, “This is Osric of Dunelm.” I nodded. “Osgar knows of someone who may wish to buy a holy book if we can get our hands on one.”

  “Good. Where will he be?”

  The man called Osgar who was the nearest thing to a walking skeleton I had ever seen, smiled a toothless grin. “He is careful and he will come here.” He shrugged, “He does not trust many men and he would not wish to be robbed in his own home.”

  “I understand. If you could arrange a meeting then we would be grateful.” I gestured behind me with my thumb. “I did not know that there were Vikings here.”

  “They only arrived recently.” He lowered his voice. “They came up the river one night and slew the king’s men although in truth it was not much of a fight. They left us alone and we have prospered since they arrived. Many ships now come here from Lundenwic and Frankia. So long as we can trade then we are happy.” He spread his arm around, “Soon I will have two more tables in here and I can buy more slaves. I am only sorry that all of my women are taken tonight.” It was only then that I realised that two of the sleeping forms were, in fact, couples who were writhing beneath their blankets. I now understood how Osgar and his family had survived. They provided what warriors needed: ale and women.

  It was impossible to talk discreetly amongst others and we just slept. Aiden had paid for two nights in the hut. In the morning I went to check on the animals. They were our escape from Eboracum. I cut another sliver of copper for the thrall who nodded gratefully. While Haaken and I strolled down the river Aiden and Cnut went into the fort to visit the market. Haaken carried the holy book in a satchel whilst Cnut carried the jewellery we would trade.

  Haaken and I stopped before we reached the first drekar. It was a threttanessa. I did not recognise the warriors who guarded it but some of the shields along the side looked familiar. I had seen them in Rorik’s old haunt. We walked back to the gate leading to the market. There were two warriors on guard and they examined all who entered. Once again we did not recognise them but it would have been folly to risk entering before Aiden and Cnut had finished their scouting. Instead we counted the oars on the drekar in the river to ascertain numbers. I calculated that there could be as many as four hundred warriors available to Rorik. The good news was that he was here; a few days away from our home. With winter approaching I thought it unlikely that he would risk crossing land he did not know. He could sail but, as we knew, that was a long and hazardous journey. However I also knew that he was a cunning leader and he would send scouts out. We would need to capture those scouts.

  Aiden and Cnut came out of the fort but it was some time later. Haaken and I had begun to worry. We walked with them down the river bank to the boat we had seen the previous night. It meant we could talk without being overheard for it was the last one on the river.

  “We saw Rorik.”

  “And does he have golden armour?”

  “No but he has had bronze strips fitted so that it gleams like gold. His oathsworn now all wear mail too. He charges a high price for his services. I traded just four of the brooches I brought. There was little profit in them. We also saw Wiglaf. He looks prosperous. Perhaps the slippery eel brought his goods from Lundenwic to here and sold them.”

  “Our journey has already been worthwhile. We know the numbers of warriors and we know that Rorik and Wiglaf are here.”

  Cnut said, “Perhaps we are worrying over nothing. Why should Rorik bother with us? He is doing well in Eboracum.”

  “You may be right. We shall discover if he does have a desire to add our land to his in the winter. If he sends over his scouts then he will be coming.”

  Once back at Osgar’s we found that we were the only ones. The others had left. His four girls were sleeping. Osgar grinned his empty smile again. “The man who is interested in the holy book will be here after dark. He is cautious.”

  “Good. Then bring us some food while we wait.”

  There was little to do but rest. When dusk approached Osgar’s hut began to fill up with other visitors and we settled into a corner to wait. We knew that the deal would be done before dark if the man was to return to the safety of the fort. Two armed men came in through the door and went to Osgar. They looked to be warriors although they wore no armour. Osgar pointed to us. One walked out of the hut while the other watched us, his hand on his sword.

  A small, neat looking man came back with the warrior and the three of them walked over to us. No one else appeared to take any notice of our meeting. He spoke Saxon but it was with an accent; I could not place his origins but there was something about him I did not like.

  “I understand you have a holy book of the White Christ for sale?”

  I had decided that Aiden would be the spokesman and he said, “We have.”

  “You are not monks. Three of you look like fat and prosperous merchants. Where did you acquire it?”

  “We bought it from some Norse who were desperate to leave Northumbria.”

  He frowned, “Osgar says you came from Dunelm. Could you not have sold it there?”

  It was Aiden’s turn to smile enigmatically and he said, “We said many things to Osgar. Who is to say which is true? You are a careful man and so are we. Let us just say that we acquired the book. If you do not like the book or it is not of the quality you seek then we will travel further south to sell it there.”

  The man shrugged, “I am merely curious. Show me the book then although I do not have high expectations of it.”

  Haaken took it from his satchel. The man’s eyes widened. “You actually have one. I thought this may have been a ploy to lure me here and rob me.” We said nothing. He began to turn each page. When he reached the end he said, “This is unfinished.”

  “It is still a book of the White Christ.”

  “It affects its value.”

  “As you have not told us how you much you are willing to pay for it we do not know what the true value is. If you offer less than we paid for it then we shall take it elsewhere.”

  I could see that he wanted it. Aiden was dealing with him well. The man licked his lips and ran his fingers over the first page. “I could give you five gold pieces for this. Of course I am robbing myself but…”

  Aiden closed the book and took it from him. “And you are wasting our time.”

  “Do not be hasty my young friend.” He suddenly seemed to notice me, “Do I not know you? Have we met somewhere?”

  I shook my head, “I doubt it. I rarely leave my home.”

  The man frowned and then said, “Ten and that is my limit.”

  “Fifteen.”

  “Twelve. Take it or leave it.”

  Aiden held out his hand, “You are robbing us but my friend here is anxious to get home to his wife.”

  The coins were counted out and the book exchanged. As he left the man looked again at me. Then they left. I nodded to the door and Cnut went to peer out. He came back in and said. “There were four more warriors outside. He was a careful man.”

  “I think he recognised me.”

  “How? I had never seen him before.”

  “I just have a feeling. We will need to keep watch tonight.”

  Haaken said, “I have done little so far. I will go to the fort and watch the gate.”

  When he had gone I still fretted about the potential danger. Aiden saw my f
rown, “We can leave this night if you wish. We have sold the book and discovered Rorik’s numbers. The horses are rested. There is nothing to keep us here. We could slip out and head north along the river.”

  Cnut shrugged, “It makes sense to me. I found it hard to sleep last night anyway. The noises of coupling were a little off putting.”

  That decided me. I too had an uneasy feeling which I could not shake. “Very well. Cnut, go and fetch Haaken back.”

  Aiden and I went to the stables. The thrall saw us saddling the horses. “Are you leaving, master?”

  “Aye, our business is concluded.” I cut him another sliver of copper. “Help us with the saddling eh?”

  He smiled, “I will, master, but I will miss you and your copper!”

  We had just saddled them when Cnut raced in. “Quick, Haaken is behind us. He is being pursued!”

  I clambered up into the saddle and we rode between the huts to the river. Haaken was running towards us and I saw some of the mailed oathsworn of Rorik behind with weapons in their hands.

  I drew my sword and galloped down the path. I had not fought on a horse before but I wanted to slow down Haaken’s pursuers and allow him to mount his horse. As he passed me I swung my sword at the two warriors who were closest. For some reason my horse took fright and tried to rear. I barely held on to the reins and only did so by grabbing a handful of mane and leaning forward. I almost took off one of the horse’s ears with my blade. The horse’s hooves did what my sword had not, it knocked one warrior into the river and made the others fall back. I whirled his head around and dug my heels in. Already frightened he took off. I felt something strike my back but I felt no pain and I carried on. When I glanced over my shoulder to see the pursuers I saw a spear hanging down from my armour. I sheathed my sword and reached around. The spear had penetrated my cloak, my armour and embedded itself in the leather byrnie. The lamellar plates had saved me once more.

  Haaken was mounted. I shouted, “Ride. They are just behind me!”

  Cnut and Aiden galloped ahead leading the two ponies. My mount was hurtling almost out of control it was so terrified. That saved us for the speed made the other horses hurry and soon we began to lose the warriors. Running in mail is never easy. When I saw that there was no one in sight I spoke gently to the horse to calm it and we began to slow to a canter.

  We rode until we reached the ford across the river and there we rested the horses. We dismounted. I had decided that fighting on horseback was a skill I did not have.

  Haaken came over to us. “When I reached the gate I saw the man who bought the book. He was talking to Rorik’s men; Wiglaf was amongst them. The book dealer seemed to be known to them. Perhaps he knew you from Frisia. When I saw him pointing down the river I knew he was sending them after us but he saw me and that is when I ran.”

  “You were right, Jarl Dragon Heart. You were recognised. “And that means that they will pursue us.” Aiden looked back down the river.

  Just then we heard, in the distance, the sound of oars in the water. “They are following us.”

  “They cannot get further upstream.” Cnut pointed to the ford we had just crossed. It would rip the hull from the drekar.

  “They do not need to, Cnut; they can follow us from here. We have not got as much time as we thought.”

  We mounted and urged our horses up the bank. The night was pitch black but I knew that they would be able to follow us. Horses left more of a trail than a man. We would have to conserve the strength of our horses if we were to get back. We had more than a hundred miles to go. The Norns did not like being mocked. We were going to pay the price for our insolence.

  The noise of our horses’ hooves as we thundered up the Roman Road hid the noise of any pursuit. We rode blindly not knowing who, if anyone was following us. We had to keep going while conserving our horses. When dawn broke we had just left the road to head west over the high divide. We stopped and dismounted to let the horses recover a little and to spy out the land. We had the advantage that the lightening sky lit the road and the east. We saw, less than five miles away a knot of warriors. There looked to be about twenty of them and six of them had horses. The ones who were running had to be fit but, more importantly, they could not be wearing armour. No one wearing armour could have run after us and kept that close to us.

  “We will walk the horses for a mile or so.”

  “That means they will close with us, Jarl Dragon Heart.”

  “Aye but if they do it means that they will have exhausted horses and men. The men who follow are fit but there is a limit to how far they can run. If they close with us then we stand. There are but twenty of them. If we have to then we can turn and fight. We have armour and we are Ulfheonar.”

  The other reason I wished to walk was to travel over more difficult ground. I wanted to make pursuit harder for Rorik’s men. The ground was rocky and also had boggy parts. We went in single file. If they wished to follow us they would have to do the same. After a mile or so we mounted and looked down the valley sides. They had closed to within two miles of us. The rising land made it easy for us to see each other. The sight of us seemed to spur them on and I saw their leader urging his men after us. For the next mile there was no cover and we steadily climbed the steep slope. Our horses had enjoyed the rest and climbed energetically. As we turned a bend on the path I saw that they were even closer; perhaps a mile away but their horses were lathered and the line of warriors on foot was spread further out. From the leading rider to the rear of the column was almost half a mile.

  We reached the top of the ridge and followed the ancient track west. The high divide was looming up ahead of us. It was a long slow slog up its back. It would test the endurance of all of us. The track took advantage of the terrain and it twisted back and forth. A few of the warriors who were chasing us came directly up the hill. They tugged themselves up using the tufts of long grass and bracken to do so. Four of them were closing rapidly. It was an attempt to slow us down and allow the riders to catch us up. They were almost ahead of us.

  “Time to go faster, Ulfheonar.” I kicked hard and my horse moved more purposefully. The four warriors saw what we were doing and they tried to hurry too and cut us off. One of them slipped and as his hand lost its grip on the bracken he tumbled down the slope. The gods were on our side for there was no way he could stop himself. He would end up below his comrades. This was our chance. I drew my sword and leapt from my mount. I did not want to risk him rearing again. If it did then I would end up at the bottom of the hill with Rorik’s man.

  The three climbing warriors who were the nearest were using both hands to pull themselves up. They were weaponless. I swung Ragnar’s Spirit. The blade ripped up and into the throat of the first warrior. I reversed the swing and hit the second on the side of the helmet. The two tumbling warriors took out the last of the climbers. I remounted and we continued our climb. We had bought some time. The men who had survived would have to climb the hill again.

  The chase went on until the rain began. The low cloud and the rain made it impossible for us to see behind us. I hoped that it hid us. It felt like we were walking through mist. We dared not stop in case they were closer than they had been. Even though we and our animals were exhausted we climbed. As darkness fell we reached the high point. It was wild and it was wet. The drizzling rain made the visibility almost nothing and we had to stop.

  Cnut found a depression between four huge rocks and we camped there for the night. We could watch from between two of the rocks and, hopefully either see or hear any of Rorik’s men who approached us. We all needed some sleep and I let the others sleep for an hour before waking Cnut. This way we would all get at least three hours sleep.

  When we woke and looked east we saw no-one pursuing us. The low cloud had gone although the day was still overcast and threatened rain. Our dell had protected us from the cold and prying eyes. Our horses looked the worse for wear. “We will walk them for a while. The land still climbs and we are a heavy weight
.” I laughed, “Except, of course, for our galdramenn.”

  “Only because I wear no armour.”

  We walked and spoke of Eboracum. I had only viewed it once before and then it had been a huddle of huts around Roman walls. It now looked like it could grow into a Lundenwic. Like Lundenwic it was on a mighty river which wound its way well inland and like that southern city it was surrounded by swampy ground. Rorik had taken it easily but I could not see anyone taking it from him in a hurry. He was a careful warrior as he had shown in Frisia.

  Kara was the one who spoke with the spirits but I must have inherited something from my mysterious ancestor in the cave for I felt the back of my neck prickling. I felt like someone was behind me. When I saw Aiden turning around too I knew he felt the danger.

  “What is it, Aiden?”

  “I am not certain, Jarl Dragon Heart but I feel that there is someone following us. My eyes are good but I cannot see anyone. Perhaps it is my mind playing tricks.”

  That confirmed it. “Then my mind is doing the same. Someone is following us.”

  Cnut asked, “How? We can see for miles down the Roman Road and there is no sign of anyone.”

  I pointed to the south and north of the road. “But there are dells and hollows on both sides. We stand out here for the Romans built the road to be above everything else. The road is designed to spot an ambush. They are following us still. They are not trying to catch us. We are leading them. Our pursuers want to know where our home is.”

  “But we are not hidden. Our homes are on the Water and the Mere.”

  I laughed as I mounted my horse, “Remember when we first found Cyninges-tūn? We came upon it by accident. It is not marked on maps and I doubt that Rorik has maps. All that he knows is that Cyninges-tūn lies to the west of where he is. He knows there are mountains and there is water. That is all. He cannot sail with his drekar and scout it out. He is sending his six horsemen after us so that he can find us with his warband. He is doing what we have just done. He is finding his enemy.” I tightened the girths on my horse and made sure my cloak covered my body.