by Griff Hosker
The man said something after Aiden had questioned him. “He says his name is Riderch and he is not afraid of you even though you have the eyes and skin of a wolf.”
“Good. Tell him I will not harm any here if he answers my questions.”
The man stood dumbly defiant. I sighed, “Ask him who rules at Alt Clut.”
The man looked confused. I do not know what questions he thought we would ask but that one patently did not seem to conflict with his honour. He spoke.
“Owen the Bald.”
I smiled and that seemed to confuse the man even more. He jabbered a whole sentence at Aiden.
Aiden could not keep the smile from his face when he told me what he had said, “He says that when Owen the Bald and his men return from Dùn Èideann then he will teach us who rules this land.” He tapped his charts. “It is over fifty miles from here and is on the east coast.”
“Good then tell him that we will be gone by then. They can return to their huts.” I turned to Eystein Finnison. He had fought with me before and was a sound warrior. “Eystein, I want you and the new warriors to guard these prisoners. I will take the Ulfheonar and scout this Alt Clut.”
He looked disappointed, “Aye Jarl.”
“Have some of your men search the church. See what treasures lie within.”
Just then we heard a cry from the woods to the east. A short while later Beorn the Scout appeared. “The priest from the church tried to fetch help. Leif Bjornson ended his life with an arrow.”
I frowned, “It was a priest! He could have been taken.”
“I know Jarl. I think he became over excited. Snorri has chastised him.”
“Aiden, stay here until we have found the castle. I will send Beorn for you when we have seen where it lies.”
We followed Beorn. I trotted off at the head of my warriors. We found Snorri and the young scouts. I could tell which one was Leif. His nose was still bleeding. I glared at them. “Go back to the village. Eystein commands.” They loped off eager to be away from my baleful stare. “Lead on Snorri.”
It was less than six miles to the castle and I stood in awe as I saw its position. It rose atop two huge mounds of rock. It seemed to me that the gods themselves had decreed that it should be built there. The two mounds both had dwellings and buildings on the top and were joined by a wooden bridge. I knew then that it would be able to withstand any assault. You would need to be a mountain goat to scale the sides and that left just the main entrance; a narrow twisting path which passed a wall and palisade. An attacker would have to endure arrows and stones before he could try the gate. Haaken shook his head, “That will not be an easy place to attack.”
“And we will not attack it. But we shall gain entry.” I saw that a road twisted its way up the side of the mounds. However I also saw that they had a wall which ran from the river along the side up to the top. If we could scale that lower wall, at night, then we could find our way in. “There, let us see if they have guards upon the wall.”
We made our way towards the wall. There was a large patch of undergrowth less than thirty paces from it. While the base was made of stone the wall above it was wooden. We could climb it. There was a tower at the lower end and a second one half way up. We were patient and we watched. There were sentries. It seemed that they walked the walls. I did not have Aiden’s hourglass but it felt like an hour between the visits of the sentries. We could easily slip over during the hours of darkness.
“Beorn fetch Aiden, Eystein the Rock and some food. We will rest up here and keep watch.”
It was a pleasant place to wait. We were shaded by the trees and, with our sentries out, we were safe from observation. By the time Aiden and Beorn returned we had confirmed the length of time it took for the sentries to move around the walls. I did not doubt that we could have got over during the hours of daylight but it did not seem worth the risk.
Aiden gave me some of the food he had brought from the village. “I managed to find out more information. Owen the Bald is returning in four days time. He was attending a wedding. He is not a king but he is related to those who are. We found some candlesticks in the church, fine linen and a holy book which we should be able to sell.”
“Good.” I ate and I drank. It gave me the chance to think about the castle above us. I could see through the trees that the stone parts were old. It looked as though the wooden palisades had been replaced. “Tell me, Aiden, what do you think we might find in this castle?”
“I am not certain. However it looks as old, if not older, than many of the Roman forts we have found and we always found treasure in those.”
“And this wizard; what do we know of him?”
“I have read his name in many places. It seems he lived for over a hundred years.” I frowned. Aiden shrugged, “I know that seems unlikely, Jarl Dragonheart, but we both know that magic can be powerful. If he was so powerful then perhaps there is some remnant of it here.”
“You hope to find his writings!”
He smiled, “That I would. I have learned much but neither Kara nor myself have been trained by a wizard or a witch.”
“Do not necessarily wish for that. Remember Angharad!”
“That is precisely why I hoping for some writing. Angharad came from the same place as the Myrddyn. It was close to Wyddfa. If we were to find it then we would have more power.”
“But surely this Owen the Bald or whoever ruled here when Myrddyn was alive would have the writing, if it existed.”
“They might have it and not know of its significance. When we found that box with the writing in it last time it was hidden. The box was cunningly concealed below the ground.”
“You are hoping we have enough time to search.”
“If the Ulfheonar can capture and hold the castle then while you take the treasures I can search for my treasure; the book of magic which I hope lies within this castle.”
We were both silent. I had learned much about my mysterious ancestor but I still had the need for more. I knew he had died protecting the old sword which I had found but I did not know from whence the sword came. I had found the scabbard for the sword and I had found the tomb of the wizard. I still needed to discover why they had come to me. I was in no doubt now that the Norns were weaving their webs once more and I was the fly who was stuck in the middle.
As soon as it became dark we headed for the curtain wall. Asbjorn the Strong and Eystein the Rock held the shield and my two scouts leapt lithely, to climb the wooden wall. They disappeared and we waited. A low whistle told us it was safe and we all ascended. We had plenty of hands to haul up the last two. Of Snorri and Beorn there was no sign. They would have scurried along the wall to intercept and eliminate the sentries.
I led the way up the walkway on the wooden wall. The palisade sloped and followed the contours of the rock. Ahead I could see the lights in the hall. They were not bright but they gave us an idea of the distance we would have to travel. I almost slipped on the pool of blood which marked the place that the first sentry had died. When I reached the door to the castle proper I saw that it was open. With sword drawn I stepped through. A hand came to arrest me. It was Beorn. He held a finger to his lips and pointed. I saw, further along the internal wall, a shadow moving towards a sentry who was staring out to sea. Even though I was expecting it I was surprised by the speed with which Snorri despatched him.
The castle had a stone and wooden building attached to the wall. I could see no more sentries. We descended to the courtyard and ran for the main door. If it was locked then we were in trouble. It was not. As we stepped inside we felt the heat from the fires whose smoke we had smelled. We could also hear the sound of laughter. The garrison was enjoying the absence of Owen the Bald.
I stepped aside to let my scouts in first. This was where they excelled. We could all move silently but my two scouts could move like ghosts. I left Ulf Olafson to guard the main door and the rest of us headed towards the source of the noise, the hall. We came to some stairs and I wav
ed my hand for of two my Ulfheonar to ascend. The rest of us went purposefully towards the hall. Although I could not understand the words I understood what was going on. It was a drinking contest. We had similar ones at home. I heard the ascending voices as someone was drinking. When he had succeeded there was a cheer.
I had heard enough and I waved Snorri and Beorn forward. Haaken and I followed. As we stepped into the hall it was like a moment frozen in time. There were a dozen warriors around a table. Another six lay in heaps on the floor. They turned as we entered. We must have terrified them with our wolf cloaks and red eyes, our black mail and our long swords. Snorri and Beorn lunged forward and three warriors fell to their blades in as many strokes. I turned and hacked Ragnar’s Spirit through the middle of a stunned warrior. In less time than it took me to walk across the room they were all dead. They had been either drunk or asleep. They were paying the price for having poor sentries.
“Snorri, see if there is anyone else in the castle. Haaken, gather the treasure. Aiden…” My galdramenn grinned and hurried off.
We moved swiftly and worked together. Time was now of the essence. As I passed Eystein I said, “Go and find the main door which leads to the west. Have it guarded for us.”
“Aye Jarl.”
There were some treasures to be found in what I assumed was the chamber of Owen the Bald. He had a richly decorated sword as well as a small holy book. Although the book was small it was richly decorated. I had an eye for such things and I put it in the leather satchel I found. There were other, smaller items such as two daggers and a small crown. It looked too small for a man and I wondered if this Owen the Bald had had a wife. He had some well made clothes which looked to have come from the Holy Roman Empire.
There being nothing left of value I returned to the hall. My men had gathered the treasure from the chamber and my other men had returned with goods taken from the upstairs chambers. I handed the satchel and the clothes to Asbjorn. “Take these. Haaken, lead the men back to the village. I will fetch Ulf and we will find Aiden.”
Haaken nodded, “A good haul, Jarl Dragonheart, but not the fantastic treasure such a castle suggested.”
I nodded, “You are right but we have suffered no losses and we have found Magnus’ lair while travelling here. It is good.” They left and I shouted, “Aiden!” I received no reply.
There was no hurry and I returned to the gate we had used to gain entry. Ulf was hurrying towards me. His voice was urgent when he spoke. “Jarl. There are riders approaching. I heard them and I ran to the wall. It looks like this Owen the Bald has returned early. The gate to the east is still barred and it should take them some time to climb the walls.”
“We need to find Aiden!”
We both ran inside shouting, “Aiden!” at the top of our voices. There had been no hurry but now there was.
“Ulf, bar this door. It will delay pursuit!”
While my Ulfheonar barred the gate and placed a table behind it I ran down the stairs to the lower floors. It was the only place I had not seen and I assumed that Aiden was there. I stood at the top of the stairs which led to the lower levels and shouted, “Aiden, we must leave! Now!”
He came hurrying up the stairs clutching a small wooden chest. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It was like the bone we had found in the hidden room in the Roman fort. “I have found it I…”
“Tell me later! The Scots have returned.”
The three of us ran to the main gate which was wide open. There was little point in shutting it and we ran towards the village as fast as we could. When I was younger I would have found this easy. Even a year or two earlier and it would not have been a problem. Now I was older and I had suffered many wounds. I was the one who was holding them up. I knew we had over ten miles to go. I wondered how long it would take our enemies to break in. It would take time to get into the castle and then the main hall was barred. I thought that we had, at most, half an hour. Then they would have to get their horses through the castle and find us. The gaping gate told them our direction. They would catch us just beyond the village.
My armour weighed down heavily upon my shoulders. My shield seemed like a body on my back. Even my wolf cloak felt like it was dragging me back. My legs burned and I found it hard to breathe. I had not practised enough over the winter. I had enjoyed the company of Brigid too much. I was paying the price for a comfortable winter. When I smelled the wood smoke from the village I almost cried out in joy.
Haaken and the others had puzzled expressions on their faces as we ran in. I said, breathlessly to Aiden, “Tell the villagers they are free and if they wish to live they should run to the castle!”
He opened his mouth as though to question me and then smiled. He nodded and began shouting to the villagers. Haaken was equally surprised. “Have you lost your senses, Jarl?”
“We are being pursued. Our enemies came back early. Perhaps the villagers knew that he was due back to today. This way he will have to stop and question the villagers. It will buy us a little time.”
Riderch shepherded his people along the road. They had women and children with them and they did not run. That suited me. We now had all of my boat crew and, if we were caught we stood a chance. We ran but this time we did not run flat out. We kept a measured pace. I was still the slowest but this time I found I could breathe. I glanced over to Aiden who ran next to me. He clutched the wooden chest as though his life depended upon it. I hoped it was worth it. If we were caught by horsemen before we reached the drekar then we would lose irreplaceable warriors.
I heard the distant sound of hooves pounding along the greenway. They were coming. They would catch us. I could see the ship but it was some distance away. It was just the mast which I could see and the ship’s boy’s shape on the cross tree.
I stopped, “Turn. We will ambush them.”
My Ulfheonar knew what to do but some of the newer warriors looked confused. Snorri and Haaken quickly pushed them into position along the side of the track. “Aiden, get to the ship!”
He nodded, “I will, Jarl. This is worth it, believe me.”
“I hope so.”
I forced myself to breathe more slowly. I took out my sword and swung my shield around to the front. I could hear the hooves louder now as they thundered towards us. I was in the middle of the line. Asbjorn and Eystein were at the farthest end. They would attack when the horsemen neared them. It meant we would all attack together.
The Scots were so intent on catching us that they galloped hard and recklessly down the greenway track. I saw that they did not wear mail but all carried a spear and a shield. Everyone wore the same style of helmet. These were the best warriors that Owen the Bald possessed. Was he with them I wondered?
I heard a shout and a scream from my left and a horse whinnied. “Now!” Stepping forward through the bushes I swung my sword at the nearest horseman. His small round shield did not stop my sword from hacking deep into this leg, to the bone. He fell screaming and was trampled beneath the next horse. I just managed to turn and take the spear from the next rider on my shield. Ulf Olafson brought his axe down and it bit into the shoulder of the horseman. Some of my men had slain horses and the track was filled with fallen horses and men. Other riderless horses milled around.
“Keep at them!” We had the advantage that we had mail and when their spears did strike they did not kill. As a horse reared I lifted my shield and ran beneath his flailing hooves. I rammed my sword deep within him whilst pushing with my shield. The beast toppled backwards mortally stricken and the rider fell to his death. I was covered in its blood and intestines. A fallen warrior tried to rise. I swung Ragnar’s Spirit sideways and my blade bit into his neck.
I heard a trumpet and the horsemen retreated. I suspected it was to give them time to reform. “Back to the ship!” We had some way yet to run. If we had to we could turn again but this time we would not be able to ambush them.
As we ran the trees and the bushes began to thin. I saw the w
ater close to our left. Then I heard the horn behind us. It was a different call from the previous one. They were coming. We had not made the ship. When I heard the hooves thundering I shouted, “Turn! Shield wall!”
The Ulfheonar gathered and formed a wedge behind me. The newer warriors waited behind them. I heard Snorri shout, “Archers, have your bows ready!”
The horsemen would be ready for us this time. I saw them appear. They were four abreast and were coming a little slower. They were keeping tight together and they held their lances before them. This would not be easy. The narrow lane meant that we had six of us in the front rank and I felt the reassuring press of the shields of those behind us. I was mindful of the spear which had found a chink in my helmet and I pulled up my shield so that just the top of my helmet and my eyes peered over the top.
I saw the tips of the enemy spears wavering up and down as they came towards us. I realised that they had not fought this way before. “Brace and hold!”
The spears struck but with not as much force as I had expected. I saw why. The horsemen of the east, the ones who served Miklagård, used stirrups. These did not and the men were thrown from their saddles. The horses banged into our shields and we were pushed back a little but then they stopped. I yelled, “Push!” and the sudden weight of heavy mailed men against the small horses made them turn in panic and run towards the other advancing warriors. As I stepped over a fallen horseman I stabbed down with my sword. Then we heard the clatter of arrows as they fell into the disorganized horsemen. Shouts and screams told us that they had found their mark.
Suddenly I was aware of a dark shape to my right. I glanced over and saw that Erik and Aiden had used the wind to bring down my drekar. Arrows now flew from the decks too. It was too much for the horsemen who fled.
“Check the Scots for weapons and treasure!”
All around me my men, new warriors and Ulfheonar alike, ignored my words and began banging their shields with their swords and chanted, “Dragonheart!” over and over. We had defeated horsemen and, as I looked around, saw that none of my men had died although some sported wounds. I raised my sword in acknowledgment and they all roared a cheer. I had no doubt that the departing horsemen rode faster fearful that we would follow and wreak even more revenge upon them.