by Griff Hosker
I moved Beorn out of the way and put my hands on the wood. I pushed. At first it did not want to move. Beorn and Aðils added their hands to mine and the trapdoor creaked and then popped open. I could hear noises, in the distance. People were shouting but they were not close. Beorn cupped his hands together. I stepped on them and he boosted me through the opening. I was in a cellar of some kind. There were barrels. Bronnen had been right. It was a cellar. The light I had seen was from the hole in the door at the end. I ran silently to the door and listened. The voices were clearer but there were so many of them that I only caught a few of the words.
“Attack.”
“Drekar!”
“Archers!”
I heard names shouted and then feet running. I turned and saw the rest of my men as they popped out of the trapdoor. The door to the cellar had no lock and I opened it. The noise from above masked any noises we might make. I looked down a corridor hewn from the rock. There other doors leading off. I now knew where we were. Bronnen had told us that there were cellars for storage below the kitchens. This was the beer cellar. The kitchens were above it and the main hall above that. The king would be kept on the first floor. We had three flights of stairs to negotiate. I drew my sword and stepped out of the door and into the corridor. Speed was vital and I hurried across to the stairs which I could see at the end.
The stairs had been cut, not for defence but access and they were straight. There were ten of them and I could hear, as I ascended, that there was noise from the kitchen. It was not Saxon. I saw Coen ap Aedh behind Beorn. I waved him up. I pointed to the door and made a sign for him to go first. They would be alarmed at any who came from below them but someone speaking their own language might make them less likely to shout. We would have to fight soon enough but the longer we could delay it then the better. He nodded and passed me. He put his sword away. That was clever. He reached the opening and stepped out. There was a pause and then he spoke. He spoke quickly and no one shouted. His hand waved me forward.
I entered the kitchen. There was an old man and ten women there. The old man was covered in flour. He was the baker. Coen spoke. “There are of Om Walum. They will not give us away. They say the guards know there is an attack and they are on the walls and at the gate. They have seen the drekar.”
“Then we have a chance.”
I waved my men forward and we ran out of the kitchen and up the stairs to the great hall. Our luck ran out there. As I stepped through I saw four men seated around a table. They had mail on. Why they were not on the walls I had no idea. They were ten steps away from me and I ran. Even as I did so, Aðils threw a throwing knife which hit one of the Saxons in the throat. The first one on his feet began to draw his sword and to shout. I brought my sword across him diagonally. My blade ripped through his face and head.
A third shouted, “Vikings!” as Beorn ran him through. The last warrior was the only one to swing his sword at us. It was futile for Einar Hammer Arm’s axe was longer. He hacked through his upper arm and into his chest.
Gruffyd and Einar Fair Face were fast and they had raced towards the curtain which Ebrel had told us led to the stairs. As they opened it a Saxon thrust at them with his spear. Einar Fair Face blocked the spear and Gruffyd struck him across the throat with the edge of his sword. Their young legs raced them up the stairs. Silence was unnecessary now.
I turned, “Cnut Cnutson and Einar Hammer Arm, stay here and keep our escape safe.”
“Aye Jarl Dragonheart!”
I followed Olaf Leather Neck as he hurried up the stairs. We were not far behind Einar Fair Face but, even so, as we stepped into the chamber which was above there was a dead Saxon laying in a widening pool of blood. Two sleepy guards were hurrying from a curtained portion of the hall and the four of us ran towards them. Gruffyd ducked below the swinging sword to hack the Saxon almost in two while Olaf’s axe shattered not only the sword and arm but the skull of the other hapless Saxon.
I tore the curtain open. I saw Brae ap Carey standing over the pale figure of King Mordaf ap Hopkin. The warrior I had met at my home had a heavily bandaged leg and left arm. Brae frowned, “Are you here to finish off the king?”
“No, we are here to take him to his daughters. Can he walk?”
He shook his head, “The doctor said he had healed him but he weakens day by day.” The king said something. The warrior smiled, “He says he can speak for himself.”
The king looked up at me. He had pale rheumy eyes and his skin looked thin. I waved Aiden forward. The king said, “I am guessing you must be the Dragonheart. Before I breathe my last I would like to thank you for caring for my daughters. It has been a comfort to me in my time of troubles.”
“Let us talk of that on my ship. Brae you and Aiden help the king.”
King Mordaf ap Hopkin pointed to a chest, “That chest! Egbert must not have it.”
It was large. The last thing we needed was for one of my warriors to have to lug around a chest but I could see that the king was becoming distressed. “Coen ap Aedh, carry the chest. Now let us go.”
I could hear the sound of combat from the hall below. As we passed the dead Saxon, Brae picked up the sword. “We will never get over the bridge. They will cut us down!”
“We are not going that way, Brae ap Carey. We are going down the stairway you have all forgotten about.”
“Stairway?”
“You will see. First we have to escape to the kitchens.”
The hall was a maelstrom of swords, daggers and shields. I saw that Einar Hammer Arm had fought his last battle. The blood and the wounds showed how hard he had fought and around the two of them was a sea of bodies. Cnut Cnutson was still standing over the body of my Ulfheonar. Olaf Leather Neck and Rolf Horse Killer were swinging their axes in wide arcs to clear a path to the door to the kitchen. More men were arriving from the gate. A spear came towards Brae ap Carey and I flicked the head up with Ragnar’s Spirit before plunging Wolf’s Blood into his gut. We needed to hold them to allow Aiden to get the king to safety.
“Ulfheonar, on me! Gruffyd, you and Einar Fair Face protect Aiden and the king. Take Einar Hammer Arm’s body with you! Coen, go with them!”
“Yes Dragonheart! May the Allfather be with you.”
All the years of fighting together came together in that moment. As I turned to face the door through which the men of Wessex ran, my men formed up on each side of me. We had no shields and the men of Wessex did. Their leader, who wore mail, shouted, “Lock shields!” They moved towards us purposefully. I could see, in their eyes that they thought the outcome inevitable. They had shields and we did not. They outnumbered us and they were driving us towards a kitchen where we would be slaughtered.
They came in a line and that suited me for every moment that they fought us would allow my men time to escape. There were just eight of us but we faced them anyway. The leader led them towards us. Holding his shield up he swung his arm overhand. It was a mistake for he was a tall man and it caught on one of the beams above us. As he pulled it down I grabbed the edge of his shield and pulled it forward. Holding Ragnar’s Spirit horizontally I rammed it into the open mouth of the leader whose sword was still coming down. As I pulled the bloody weapon from his face his dying body slid to the ground. There was a warrior behind and he stepped forward. Wolf’s Blood whipped across his chest and throat. Bright blood sprayed the men next to him.
Rolf and Olaf began swinging together with their axes. They began to move forward. It was a mad idea but I saw a way for us to escape, “Charge!”
The eight of us ran at the fifteen men of Wessex who had entered the hall. They did not expect it. I blocked one sword with Wolf’s Blood as I slashed at the warrior’s leg. We were pushing them back. I saw Haaken One Eye fighting like a youth again as he parried stabbed, slashed and whirled. He belied his fifty-five years. As we reached the door I saw that we had shocked them but I could hear more men coming.
“Let us leave, we have done enough.”
Ola
f Leather Neck said, “Rolf and I will watch the rear. Go!”
We poured down the stairs to the rock hewn corridor which led to the kitchen. As we entered I saw that the slaves and cooks still cowered in the corner. We tumbled down the steps to the darkened tunnel which led to the cellars. It was as black as night. Behind us I could hear the sound of pursuit. The door to the beer cellar was open and the cellar empty. That was good news.
“Get through the trapdoor! Hurry Olaf!”
When Olaf arrived, he said, “They will catch us in here, Jarl.”
“They will if we talk. Get down the tunnel.” Already Beorn, Cnut, Aðils and Rollo Thin Skin had descended.
Haaken said, “Let us roll a barrel behind the door. It may slow them.”
The four of us sheathed our swords and we rolled the barrel to the door. I saw that Brae’s wounds had burst and his bandages were bloody. He would not be able to help. The barrel would hold but not for long.
“Now down!”
Brae said, “I will hold you up. I will come last.”
I shook my head, “The king will need you.”
“And I must fulfil my oath. I am the last of his oathsworn. The rest lie dead at Hingston Down. Had I not been laid low from behind I would lie there with them. This is wyrd . I am able to help my king. You are a warrior Viking, you understand. If I can I will follow if not,” he clasped my arm, “take care of the king and his daughters. This was meant to be.” He looked at the trapdoor and shook his head. “All my life I never knew this existed. Now go!”
“You are a brave man. I will see you in the Otherworld.”
The rest had escaped through the door and I descended. If the cellars had been dark then here there was no light whatsoever. I reversed the route we had taken to reach the trapdoor. After turning the corner, I saw the light of the end of the tunnel. When I reached it, there was Gruffyd waiting for me.
“I told you to go!”
“Do not worry father, the king is safe.”
“Then go down the rope and I will make sure they cannot follow down the other.”
“Brae?”
“If he comes he comes.”
As Gruffyd turned to walk down the cliff I slashed through the other rope with Ragnar’s Spirit. The rope tumbled to the beach. I heard noises as the Saxons came down the corridor. Brae had held them but briefly. They were coming more slowly than I had.
“Come!” I looked down and saw that Gruffyd had reached the bottom. He beckoned to me. My Ulfheonar were waiting. I sheathed my sword and turned around. Holding the rope, I began to walk down the steps. It was much easier than the ascent. I was concentrating on keeping my feet from slipping.
“Watch out!”
I looked up. Two Saxons had emerged. One hurled a spear at me and I saw the second, with his sword as he swung to slice through the rope. As the spear struck my helmet, my feet slipped and I began to spin. Even as I spun I saw an arrow blossom from the chest of the Saxon with the sword and his body tumbled to rocks below. His companion followed a heartbeat later. My swinging smacked me into the rocks. Once again I was saved by my helmet. I began to lower myself using my hands. I was still dizzy and did not trust my eyes. The weight of my mail began to drag at me. I wondered if I would reach the bottom. When I felt hands grab my sealskin boots, then I knew I was safe.
Chapter 17
The bows of Aðils and Beorn ensured that the Saxons could not use the one remaining rope and we boarded the ‘Heart of the Dragon’ . As the crew pulled us away from the shore I saw the skill of Aiden and Erik. The rock platform was the only place a ship could land. All around were the sharp teeth of rocks ready to rip out the keel of an unwary drekar. The Allfather had watched over us.
Aiden was treating the wounds of our men. Without shields my Ulfheonar had suffered cuts to their hands and arms. King Mordaf ap Hopkin looked up at me. He was wrapped in a cloak and covered with a wolf skin. “Brae ap Carey?”
“He has fulfilled his oath, King Mordaf ap Hopkin. He died well.”
The king closed his eyes. It must be sad to lose the last of your men. I looked at the body of Einar Hammer Arm. I felt badly enough about losing one such faithful warrior.
I looked at Gruffyd, “Thank you for waiting, son.”
He shook his head, “Mother is right. You and Haaken should be at home bouncing Moon Child and Sámr on your knees. Why do you put yourself in such danger?”
Haaken One Eye answered, “Because he is the Dragonheart and you are his son. One day you will be as he is and your son will say the same thing. It is in your blood.”
We had cleared the headland and Erik Short Toe had just shouted, “In oars! We have the wind.” When there was a shout from the mast head.
“Saxon ships, four of them!” We looked up to the tiny figure of Leif the Lucky sitting atop the yard.
“Where away?”
He pointed north, “They are setting sail from the bay beyond the headland.”
I looked back and saw the smoke rising from the beacon at Tintaieol. We had escaped the guards but there were other Saxons waiting nearby. It made sense. King Egbert needed to keep a close eye on his reluctant ally.
“To arms. Break out the bows.”
The king looked up, “It seems I am much trouble to you, Viking.”
“This is no trouble for it is King Egbert’s nose we bloody! That is what we call sport!”
I shook off my wolf cloak. I would not need it and I removed my helmet. My Saami bow was in my chest at the stern. I took it and a handful of arrows. I saw King Mordaf ap Hopkin try to rise. Aiden held his shoulders, “You can do nothing. Stay where you are. This is for the warriors. We will just watch.”
“But there are four Saxon ships!”
Aiden nodded, “And they are about see why one Viking drekar fears no enemy!”
I saw them now. They were more than a mile away. We had the wind but it also served them. Erik Short Toe moved the steering board so that we headed north and west. He wanted sea room. If we were close in to the shore then there was a chance that they could trap us. It was a slim chance but Erik would not risk his ship unnecessarily. The four ships spread out. They were using the fox and geese tactic. They could cut off our advance or our retreat and if we fled then they would follow, gradually cutting off our possible escape routes. That might have worked with Saxons and Frisians. It might even catch a novice Viking but Erik and I were too experienced. Fox and geese relied on the goose being afraid of the foxes and moving away from the danger. When we had sea room then we would turn to savage one of them.
I saw Cnut Cnutson looking at the cloak covered body of his shield brother, “There were just too many of them for him, Jarl Dragonheart, and he had too much courage. One managed to hamstring him. My knee slowed me down, as you said it would. If they had not then he would have killed them all. They were like a pack of wild dogs darting in to strike and slash at him. His sword slew eight of them and I thought we would survive and then one, he thought dead, rose and stabbed him between the legs. Even then, dying, he managed to finish off the Saxon.”
“Your wounds speak of your courage.”
He shook his head, “I am only fit to hold your standard lord. My knee stopped me from moving freely. I fear I have stood in my last shield wall.”
Erik Short Toe shouted, “We have clear water, Jarl Dragonheart.”
“Then let the wolf go amongst the sheep! Steer between the middle two!”
Haaken burst out laughing, “I would love to be aboard their ships when you do that! That is the last thing that they will be expecting!”
“I hope so. Ulfheonar, to the larboard side. The rest to the steerboard. I want the sterns clearing of Saxons. Erik, when we are between them then resume the course north.”
I noticed that Gruffyd and Einar Fair Face joined us in the larboard side. I did not reprimand him. He had shown that he had courage. They had both earned the right. Four of us had the Saami bow. We would be in range before the rest.
T
he Saxons saw our change in course and I saw confusion. The closest ship to us turned to larboard, leaving a gap between her and her consort. The next one did not change her course. The third and fourth turned to steerboard. No one had taken charge of the four ships and already they had lost. The second Saxon ship was now isolated. We were closing with her. I knew that the crew, no matter how large, would be worried about the prospect of a warband of Vikings boarding her. Their helmsman took them further south towards the first ship.
The target of the Ulfheonar, their ship, was now in range of our Saami bows The four of us pulled back. With the wind behind they would fly further than they normally did. Three of them plunged into the men at the stern. The fourth struck the sheerstrake. One Saxon fell overboard and another fell to the deck. We released again and this time shields came up as they tried to shelter. Our speed was such that the other bows were already in range. Ten arrows fell onto the steering board. A warrior can protect one, perhaps two men with his shield but not three. When one of those with a shield was hit in the leg by an arrow he dropped to the deck. Two arrows hit the steersman and the steering board was pushed to steerboard. It brought the ship into the wind and she stopped dead.
Guthrum, at the prow shouted, “Captain! Larboard!”
Erik put our steering board over. The ship disappeared from our view but brought it into the range of the men on the other side of our drekar. This time it was thirty arrows which fell amongst them. I heard the screams, shouts and cries as the Saxon ship became a charnel house.