Varangian

by Griff Hosker

  Ridley and I headed for Isaac as I was keen to know what had become of my comrades, Eric in particular. While on the road I had worried about the youth and, although I knew that Snorri and Ragnar would watch over him I still felt a certain responsibility to his father. The journey took much longer than on our previous visit; the people seemed happier and more optimistic. The streets were thronged and business in all of the shops and markets looked brisk. The threat from Roussel having been averted meant that life was easier. The name of Alexios was on everyone’s tongue. Now that we understood their language it was easier to hear what they were saying.

  Isaac’s premises were in the Pera, close to the other traders and merchants such as the Venetians and Pisans. Our last journey there had seemed swift and we were ready for the coolness of the interior when we arrived after the heat of the street. He was delighted to see us. “I have heard, my lord Droungarios, of your triumph. When you and your Saxons defeated the Normans there were great celebrations in the city.”

  I had forgotten what it was like to live in a civilised place where news could be delivered swiftly and one did not have to rely on hearsay. “Thank you Isaac and we may be back for some time now. We will be receiving our back pay tomorrow and we will return to invest it with you.”

  “I am honoured that you trust me so.”

  “Where are Eric and the others?”

  He smiled, “Eric is here, he works for me now in the mornings and he is free in the afternoon to continue his studies in the libraries of the city. Eric, come to the front! We have guests.”

  When Eric emerged from the back I almost did not recognise him. Gone was the Danish boy and before me stood a perfumed, Greek scholar dressed in fine silks and with oiled hair. He made a slight bow and then rushed to see us. He kissed us both on the cheeks. Perhaps because we were still road weary and soiled but he smelled overly perfumed; despite the changes he looked well. “No need to ask how you are doing, you have prospered.”

  “Isaac has been kind and with the money from the voyage we live quite comfortably.”

  “We?”

  “Ragnar, Snorri and I share a house.”

  “Snorri did not go back to war?”

  “No it was not for him. I do not think his heart was ever in it.”

  I could not understand that; Snorri had been one of the best warriors who had ever fought beside me. He was the equal of Aedgart and Osbert which was the highest praise I could give. “What does he do?”

  “He works with wood and Ragnar helps him. He is highly skilled and makes fine boxes and furniture which are much sought after by the rich of the city.”

  “And you Eric, how do you fill your afternoons?”

  “I spend my time in the libraries. I can now read and write in Arabic as well as Greek and I have begun to write poetry and histories of some of the Emperors from the past. It is wonderful here for there are many such as I who like poetry and song. It is different from home.”

  “But they had songs and sagas at your home in Hedeby.”

  He laughed and it was a high tinkling laugh which seemed to suit the perfume and the clothes he now affected. “No that was barbaric, with hairy men spilling their beer and chanting. Here it is more civilised.”

  I could see that Ridley was not convinced but the Norns had spun their threads and he was happy. Wyrd had sent him here. “We are here for a while. We will try to visit you.”

  He almost clapped his hands with delight. “Oh do. Come tomorrow evening for some food.”

  “Where do you live?”

  “Just off the Makios Embolas close to the tower which is the biggest landmark along that street. When you pass the tower ask for the shop of Eric and Snorri.”

  As we headed back to the barracks Ridley looked perplexed. “He has changed.”

  “I suspect we all have.”

  “No I mean, was it just me or did he smell like a woman?”

  I laughed. “I don’t know if you have noticed Ridley but many people in the east smell of perfume and they avoid us for I fear that we stink!”

  He looked indignant. “I do not stink! But he seems a different person now.”

  “Did you like him still?”

  “Of course but be seemed different.”

  “Do you remember in Jorvik, when you had your berserk moment?” He nodded. “Well I was busy fending people away from Reuben because they thought that he was different. We cannot all be the same and I would not wish it so. If Osbert met us now he would say we were different.”

  “Not me!”

  “Did you trim your beard, or comb your hair in Medelai?”

  “Well no. We were living in the wild.”

  “For the past few months we have been on the road but you have begun, as have I, to look a little cleaner.”

  “Well that is just because the other officers all do so.”

  “Exactly we want to fit in and Eric is doing the same. He is fitting in with the other poets and scholars. Change is not a bad thing Ridley.”

  He was silent for the rest of the journey. I knew Ridley and this was what he did. He ran the new ideas through his head and worked out the answers himself. He would see what I had seen but it would take him a longer walk to do so. Ironically the first thing we did back at the barracks was to go to the bath house and enjoy the rest of the afternoon in hot baths, cold plunge pools and then a massage and an oiling of the body. Andronikos had told us of the pleasures as had Egbert and Edward. I think Ridley was more impressed by the recommendation coming from fellow Saxons than the Greek but he enjoyed it none the less. That evening we were shown, by the men, to our officer quarters. Ridley and I both had our own chambers complete with bed and chests for our war gear while the others shared one room. This was different from the crude camp in the forests north of Medelai and was a reflection of our new status and role.

  The next day the Imperial Quartermaster came down to give us our back pay. It took time as the officious fellow scrupulously checked his lists. The cynical side of me thought that it was astute as they saved the money on those who died. We were, however, well paid and Ridley could not believe the purse he received. Edward explained that we received a bonus from the money levied from the captured cities and the ransomed knights; a totally different experience from that of fighting for your beliefs. We were given the rest of the day off as Alexios wanted to brief the Emperor before meeting with his officers. We decided to buy some clothes that were not for war; clothes which would be cooler in the hot streets of Constantinople. Isaac advised us and we returned in the afternoon to pay him our money. He also agreed to buy us some wine for our quarters. Much as we both enjoyed ale and beer, the east was not the place to find such drinks and so we followed the trend of Byzantium and drank wine.

  When we reached the new home of our old friends I was impressed with it. The stonework was fine and there was a wonderful mosaic in the entrance. Ragnar had not affected the Eastern style of dress and he knelt to kiss my hands. I raised him to his feet. “No Ragnar, we are friends now, old friends. I am no longer your master.”

  He mimed that I would always be his master and I shook my head. He and Ridley embraced and then Ragnar led us through to the courtyard which had a small fountain dotted around with lemon trees, olive trees and oranges. Before reaching Miklagård I had never even seen one of these exotic fruits and now my friends cultivated them! Even the functional and practical Ridley was taken with the serene qualities of this oasis in a busy city. I almost did not recognise Snorri when he emerged from the upstairs chambers with Eric. He had shaved his beard and his hair was cut in the style of the Byzantines with oil slicked upon it. He was dressed in flowing robes and, like Eric, heavily perfumed. His eyes had not changed and I saw in them the real Snorri. He strode over to embrace me. “My lord, I am glad that you have returned from the east with so much success.”

  “And I am pleased that you too have found success.”

  He embraced Ridley and then said, “Success, peace and happine
ss.”

  “You no longer yearn for the shield wall?”

  He laughed, “Yearn for heaving sweating bodies and the likelihood of death? No, my lord, I think not. Come sit and take some of this.”

  He poured us a drink chilled with ice and flavoured with lemons. It was refreshing. What a change from the lives all three of them had lived before they came to Constantinople and, as we sat at the table to eat I thought again about the Norns. I was happy for them to chatter on about their day to day lives while I thought back to the thread which bound us. Had I not fought with Calum, Earl of Fife and fled to Leith I would not have boarded the boat to Denmark. Eric would still be unhappy at his father’s court, Ragnar would still be languishing with the thralls and Snorri would be dead in the land of the Pechengs. One life, two if you counted Ridley as a separate being, affected so many others.

  Eric, who was always sensitive to others, sensed my distraction. “Come Aelfraed, what of your life and your adventures?”

  “You have probably heard much on the streets but it has been interesting.” I told them of our journey and Ridley added details which I had forgotten.

  Eric nodded. “That is interesting, for Nicephorus, who returned last year told a slightly different tale. Oh do not get me wrong you and Alexios were given credit but the ideas, the strategy were claimed by Nicephorus Botaniantes.” I could not speak in Isaac’s shop for, although I trust him, there are others there in the pay of the various factions in the city. “Nicephorus is now a strategos and is close to the Emperor Michael who, it is said, tires of being Emperor.”

  I could not conceive of tiring of such power. “So you are saying he is more powerful than he was?”

  “I am saying that he is a good man to stay on the right side of for he may be the next Emperor or if not he will decide who the next Emperor will be.”

  “He was just one of the staff when we left and now he has been promoted.”

  “His family have influence and he is ambitious.” He shrugged, “When we read and study we also talk and many of the others have ears around the city.”

  “What happened, my lord, to your wish to serve with the Varangians?”

  “A Norseman called Olef, Snorri. He fought at Stamford and hates all Saxons in general and me in particular. I was told in no uncertain terms that I would be dead if he or his men found me!”

  “Will you be long in the city?”

  “I know not. We have a meeting tomorrow with the other officers and I daresay we will find out then.”

  “Well you are always welcome here. And if there is aught I can do for you…”

  “Thank you Eric, there is one thing, well two really. One is to find out how things are in England. I would like to know if my men still fight and I would know how Stig and the others fare.”

  “I will discover news of England but I can tell you of Stig. He is now an important leader. He has a hundred men who guard the boats. Jarl Gunnersson also commands more boats and they sail down the rivers together. Their success means that more merchants use them. They are rarely attacked now and that means profit for all.” I nodded, pleased. “A half smile played upon Eric’s lips. “They have a new powerful boat called, The Aelfraed and Stig calls his men, The Men of the Red Horse.”

  I was touched and, as I looked up at Ridley I could see that he felt the same. “When you see them tell them that I am honoured.”

  “They will be sorry to have missed you but I am pleased beyond words that you have graced our home.”

  Snorri and Ragnar both nodded. “For myself I can just say that this has been the most peace I have known for many a year, thank you.”

  The briefing at the palace, the next day, was for all the senior officers only and I left Ridley to check on the equipment of our men and to begin their training. I did not know when we would be needed again but the briefing suggested sooner rather than later.

  The strategos looked pleased with himself as he greeted us all. This time I was not the newcomer and all of the other commanders knew and respected me. We had fought together for over a year and you get to know the qualities of a man in that time. I had been close to Nicephorus but his early departure meant that I was now closer to the others. Andronikos, in particular, warmly greeted me. He had developed into a cunning commander of light horse and had made significant improvements to his men’s arms and armour. “Welcome gentlemen. It seems that our success has put us in great demand. Reports are coming in that there is unrest around Dyrrhachium and we are to be sent there to quell the insurrection.” He glanced around the room as the murmur of conversation rose. He held his hands up and the room became silent once more. His voice seemed quiet as he continued, “I am afraid, Andronikos, that your horse will not be as useful in the mountains as they were in Asia and we will not have the benefit of cataphracts, although I am not sure of how much use they would be in the mountains.” He smiled at me, “However I am sure that our Varangian Saxons will prove as resourceful there as in Asia.”

  I took his praise as a compliment but I was not sure how my men would cope with uneven terrain. A shield wall worked best when it was a continuous line on good ground but I also knew that my men were confident and, given time I could train them to perform individually as my warriors had in England in the woods above Medelai.

  He became serious. “We have now lost all of our territories in Italy and Sicily to the Normans and I hear that Robert Guiscard is casting his greedy eye across the waters to Serbia. We need to ensure that the province is loyal and a buffer against the Norman threat.” I felt the cold shiver run down my back as the Normans were mentioned. The Norns were sending me close to my Nemesis and that made me even more determined to have the finest force I could. “We have three days. We will be taking wagons but we need no siege train.” I saw the disappointed look on Basil, the siege train commander’s face. I nodded sympathetically. It would be hard to remain behind while comrades were off fighting for we had all become close. Alexios gestured for me to join him as the others pored over the map. “It seems the commander of the Varangians has dismissed other volunteers from England. There are fifty more men waiting equipment and training.” I brightened. That more than made up for our losses fighting the Franks. “The title Varangian Inglinoi appears ever more appropriate now, does it not?”

  Ridley and my other officers had wasted no time in training and equipping the new men. I watched them for a while and then, as the noon meal break approached I asked my officers to join me. “We have three days to turn these into a fighting unit and we also need to train them to fight in smaller groups.” Ridley nodded, he knew there would be a way but the others looked sceptical. “Do not worry about their ability to do so. They are resourceful. How else would they have managed to make it all the way here from England? After they have eaten split them into Kontoubernia. We need one man to lead each unit; he will be the Dekarchos and paid accordingly. Choose your men well for they will need to be able to command on their own. We will then train them to fight in pairs. We need to be able to go from line to small groups, to pairs and back; but we need to do it quickly and while being attacked.”

  Edward looked puzzled, “In pairs, my lord? That seems a hard task.”

  “No I have been talking with scholars and the other officers. There were warriors in the ancient past, the Theban Band of Thebes. They fought as pairs, protecting each other.“ I pointed at Ridley. “Ridley and I have done so for years. Whenever the shield wall broke we protected each other.” I risked a jibe, “except of course when my friend went berserk once.” They all laughed for they loved that story. Ridley just reddened and I was pleased that he had learned to laugh at himself.

  “The Kontoubernia will then need to fight as shield wall.” I could see that they were uneasy. “We are going to fight in the mountains to the west. Ridley and I have fought in Wales which is similar but even that, apparently, is gentler than the terrain we will be facing. We will not have the luxury of even ground and the shield wall will not hold an
d the wedge will need to be more flexible. We have three days to train the men to move from shield wall to pairs, to small shield walls and wedges and back. Each of you may end up leading your own wedge if the occasion arises. I know that you can do this. All of you were trained as warriors and Housecarls; Ridley and I by the best, Sweyn, King Harold’s Housecarl and champion. You will succeed, I know it.”

  They left, happier. Ridley joined me. “You are right Aelfraed and they will see it; it just takes time for them to come to terms with a new idea.”

  “I know but there is one more change that affects you. You and I will need to be able to take charge of half of the men.” I pointed at the departing officers. There are five of them which gives them command of, roughly a hundred men. You will command two hundred and I three hundred so that we are more flexible. Our cavalry will not be of much use and the Thema at ten thousand warriors is too big. I can see us having our work cut out. We will need to fight out of sight of each other.”

  The men responded well to the training and the new officers were delighted with their extra pay. The new men enjoyed the new armour they were given and the hobnailed shoes which replaced a whole variety of footwear. Once in the mountains they would prove invaluable. We had no time to visit our friends again but as we marched from the city, out of the Adrianople Gate, I saw them in the crowds cheering us. I heard Snorri’s voice ring out, “Remember Senlac Hill!” When my men heard that they began banging their shields and I saw Alexios turn around and give me a wry smile. The Varangian Inglinoi were never quiet as Andronikos said, “You always know where the Inglinoi are whether in camp, marching or on the battlefield! They are the noisiest warriors I have ever met!”

  We headed west and, this time, our route was along better roads and was safer for we were still in the Empire and the lands which had been ruled by Rome and its descendants for over a thousand years. I explained to Ridley, as we marched along, what I had discovered about the area which was causing trouble. “It has only recently been recaptured and rejoined the Empire. The fact that it is close to the Normans in Italy is a cause of concern. Many of the people there are happy to be under Byzantine rule but there are men who seek power, a little like Roussel and take the recent losses at Manzikert as a sign of weakness.”