by Griff Hosker
Slowly we began to edge towards the southern bank. The moon shone brightly. The ship's boys, the helmsman and the Jarl could see what we could not. They could see ahead. No shouts were made and orders were whispered by the ship's boys who ran up the middle. Inevitably, being at the bow, we were the last to hear the orders. We pulled in the oars and laid them silently in the middle. The helmsman, Sven, and the Jarl were both fine sailors and they used the river itself to bring us to a halt on the southern bank. As we did so I smelled the smoke from the settlement. I could not see it but I guessed that the Jarl had. As I waited for the order to leave I tightened the straps on my leather jerkin. There were a dozen metal studs on it. When I had the chance I would add more to it. The studs could catch a blade and stop it slicing into the leather of my byrnie. I fastened the leather long under my helmet. It was not a well made helmet. It was little more than a pot on my head. When I had money I would buy one with a nasal, or even, if I had enough money, a face mask.
The ship's boys were over the side in an instant. As I took my shield, wolf cloak and sword I prayed to the Allfather that I would not be left to guard the drekar. As a relatively new member of the crew that had been my task too many times. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw the Jarl speaking quietly to Erik and Olaf. Sven, the helmsman, handed each of us a spear. The Jarl was taking no chances. Ulf Big Nose was our scout. He had gained the nickname not because of the size of his nose but the fact that he had the ability to sniff out enemies. He loped off alone. He could move faster that way.
I was relegated to the rear. Siggi was often the last man. That was because he was dependable but I was next to last because I was young and unproven. We were moving through scrub and stunted trees. It was a well worn track. It would not be long before dawn. The Jarl liked to attack just as the first rays of the sun rose in the east. We attacked from the west where it was normally still dark. I liked to think that was the reason for our success rather than any luck which I might have brought.
The smell of the settlement grew stronger. It was a mixture of smoke, animal dung and the smell of people. These people smelled differently to those at home and those in the land of the Angles. It was a more exotic smell and, to my nose, a more pungent smell. Arne Four Toes, in front of me, stopped suddenly. When I bundled into him he turned around angrily. I shrugged apologetically. We began to move again and we reached Beorn Beornsson. He was standing at the top of the trail. We could see the wooden walls of the village. I spied a cross and a tower. Beorn pushed Arne, me and Siggi to the right and pointed. We nodded and began to move around the scrubby patch of grape vines. I doubted that this would make good wine for there were few flowers upon it.
We crept towards the wall. The moon had now set and it was dark. Soon the sun would appear. We had to be quick. I held my spear above my shoulder. I preferred my sword but the Jarl wished us to use spears. Siggi shook his head and laid his spear down. Arne shrugged and did the same. Who was I to argue? I was the newest member of the clan. I did so too. And, like the other two, drew my sword. Each time I grasped it I felt more confident as though I could face any foe. I had yet to sink it into the flesh of an enemy. Perhaps this would be the day.
Arne and I followed Siggi. He had been with the Jarl longer than any. When we reached the wall I glanced up and saw a watchman some twenty paces from us. He was looking west. I was the youngest and Arne and Siggi put their hands together. They wanted me to dispose of the watchman. I sheathed my sword for I would need both hands. I slid my shield around my back. Putting my right foot in their cupped hands I pushed hard and found myself thrust upwards. I used the top of the wooden wall to steady myself as I landed lightly on the wooden walkway.
The watchman must have felt the vibration from my feet for he slowly turned. I drew my sword and raced towards him, even as he opened his mouth to begin to shout. He would have been better drawing a weapon for I hurled myself, like a spear and impaled his throat with my sword. I fell on top of him. His warm blood spilled over my hands, my sword and my armour. I stood and withdrew my blade. It had embedded itself in the wooden walkway. I could not help smiling. I had killed my first warrior. I had been blooded. The rest of the clan would have to accept me.
I went back to the others and, reaching down, helped Arne pull himself up. We both then helped Siggi. Siggi grinned when he saw the blood on my face and patted my back. He waved Arne forward towards the gate. We crouched as we ran. I saw other figures on the wall. We were no longer alone. I saw, below us, the small town. It was coming awake. The thin light of dawn was to the east and soon there would be people about. We had almost reached the gate when we heard a cry from the east wall. Someone had been discovered. Arne threw caution to the wind and ran as fast as he could towards the gate.
Siggi shouted, "Arne, secure the tower. Hrolf, down the steps and we will open the gate."
I was faster than Siggi and I slid down the ladder ignoring the wood burning my hands. Landing on my feet at the bottom I turned as I heard shouts. Two of the villagers ran at me. Both held weapons: one had a hand axe and the other a bill hook. I quickly slipped my shield around to my front. I did the only thing I could think of; I charged at them as I shouted. "Raven Wing!" I must have looked more frightening than I felt for the one with the hand axe hesitated. The billhook came towards me but I only had the one weapon to worry about. My shield was well made, Snorri the Scout had helped me to make it. I deflected the billhook and stabbed at the man with Heart of Ice. He wore no mail and my sword was sharp. It tore through him and I twisted as I pulled it out. The second man finally reacted and he swung his axe at my shield. It was a hard blow. I brought my sword over my head and swung down, blindly. It hit something and stuck. When I lowered my shield I saw that it was embedded in the dead skull of the axe man.
I had not time to ponder what I had achieved; Siggi shouted, "Arne, Hrolf! The gate!"
I turned and saw that Siggi was battling with four villagers. Like those I had killed they were armed, albeit with poor weapons. I hurled myself at them as they slashed and hacked at Siggi. I smashed my sword through the upper arm of a man with a pole axe. It grated on the bone. Pushing my shield hard into the face of a second I stood next to Siggi and guarded his right side. As soon as Arne arrived the last three were despatched.
Siggi White Hair turned and gave orders, "Arne, open the gate. Our wolverine here will guard your back!" He nodded towards my sword. "You are blooded now! Let Harald Black Teeth speak against you and you have shipmates who will have words with him."
I heard a crash as the bar holding the gate was thrown to the ground. "Watch out!"
We stepped aside as the Jarl led the rest of the crew through the gates. I wondered what had happened to the three Beorn had sent to the east gate. Siggi smacked me on the back. "Don't stand there daydreaming! We have a town to sack!"
The sun had finally broken and the streets were filled with the screams and shouts of the townspeople as they woke to their worst nightmare; raiders. I knew that we would not have long. We had to take as much loot and booty as we could. The Jarl headed up towards the church. Siggi White Hair led us to some prosperous looking houses on the opposite side of the town square. Siggi led and I brought up the rear. Suddenly a black giant emerged from a doorway behind Arne. In his hand he had a huge curved scimitar. I had never seen such a giant before. His black body glistened with sweat. I ran at him and plunged my sword through his side. He roared and switched his attention from Arne to me. Arne turned at the shout and looked in horror at the giant Moor.
The scimitar scythed down towards me. I barely managed to get my shield up in time. Even though I blocked the blow I could not keep my feet and I was knocked to the ground. With an exultant roar he lifted his arm to deliver the killer blow. I swiped sideways with my sword. It was a desperate act. I connected with the back of his ankle and bit into flesh. He dropped to one knee and Siggi and Arne both hacked and chopped at his neck and his back. I know not whose blow it was but one of them took his head
. Arne reached down to help me to my feet. "I owe you a life runt. Come. We have riches to gather!"
The door of the house was solid and it was barred. Arne ran back to pick up the axe he had seen and he smashed at the side of the door. It took two blows and we were in. There were screams from those within. A man ran up to Siggi brandishing a short sword. Siggi's sword took him in the stomach.
I recognised some of the words they were speaking. They were similar to the language I had been forced to speak as a thrall. I shouted, in Frankish, "Do not resist and you shall live. Your lives are worth more than your ornaments!"
Surprisingly they stopped. Siggi looked at me and shook his head, "What did you say?"
"I told them they would not be harmed if they obeyed us."
Arne said, "They can keep their women. They are too dark skinned for me."
I went upstairs, for it was a two storied building. This was indeed a rich house. I remembered that the rich who lived in Neustria had kept their precious goods hidden away close to their beds. When an older woman tried to stop me then I knew that the treasure would be upstairs. I pushed her away. The stairs were narrow and I had to sling my shield around my back to allow me to climb them. A candle burned on a table and I saw that those who had been in there had left quickly. The bed was made of wood and I picked it up. There was a small trap door in the floor. I put my seax under the edge and prised it up. It was a small chest the length of two of my hands and one hand wide. It felt heavy. The candlestick was also made of metal. I guessed it was lead. I took that too.
When I reached the bottom Siggi and Arne had collected the good pots and linens. The woman's shoulders sagged when I emerged. I held up the chest. "This feels like it was worth the effort!"
We reached the square and the Jarl was organising the men. He spied the chest immediately. "You have done well. You and Arne take them back to the drekar and then return here. We are still collecting."
"Aye Jarl."
As we made our way back through the gates and down the trail to the river Arne said, "How did you know there would be a chest of treasure?"
"It was a rich looking house. How many two storied houses do you see? That was why Siggi chose it. There are few such houses in any town. When I was a slave I served people who lived in such a house. That was where they kept their chests and riches."
"You might be a useful addition to the crew after all."
I was silent for a while and then I asked, "Why would I not be useful?"
Arne turned and gave me a sad smile, "Hermund the Bent said that Dragonheart's galdramenn had enchanted the Jarl so that he would get rid of you. He said the Dragonheart wished you gone. Hermund the Bent said you brought bad luck."
"Why would he say that?"
"Why else would anyone leave the service of Dragonheart? He is the richest Jarl this side of Miklagård."
We had reached the drekar. I turned to him. "We met a witch and she told me that my destiny lay with Jarl Gunnar Thorfinnson. Jarl Dragonheart understood."
Arne nodded, "Wyrd. I have misjudged you. I did not know that and to be truthful I now see that Hermund the Bent lied. We have lost no warriors since you joined us. We will start anew."
We handed the treasures to the ship's boys and set off back up the trail. The sun was warm now and I regretted wearing my wolf cloak. I knew why I had chosen to wear it. It made me feel like one of the oathsworn of the Dragonheart. Those who served him had to kill their own wolf unaided. I had managed that feat. The cloak was, like my sword, a link with my past. As we crested the rise close to the town walls my eyes were drawn to the south.
"Arne!" I pointed south as he turned. "Riders!" There were horsemen a mile or more away. They had spears and helmets. Horsemen could hunt us down.
"You go and get the spears. We will need them. I will tell the Jarl."
I ran as fast as I could over the hard ground to the place we had discarded our spears. I was fortunate this was not the land of the Angles. There it was so verdant and lush that a man risked tripping over long grass and snaking bushes. Here it was sparse vegetation and hard baked soil. The horsemen were riding quickly and it would be a race to see if I could reach the spears before they were close enough to catch me. I heard a shout as they saw me. It spurred me on and I reached the three spears and ran down the wall. I heard the hooves closing with me. Glancing over my shoulder I saw that they would catch me. A warrior holding a long spear and with a plumed helmet pulled back his weapon as he prepared to kill me. There was but one solution. I threw myself to the ground. Haaken One Eye had once told me that a horse will not deliberately step on a man. That may be true normally but this warrior's horse stepped on me. Luckily its hoof struck the boss of my shield. The shallow ditch which surrounded the town was next to us and the horse and rider slipped down the bank. I heard a cry as the rider's head smashed into the stone wall.
I lay still as hooves clattered past me. The other riders thought I was dead. I heard shouts as the crew emerged from the walls, alerted no doubt by Arne, and met the horsemen. I stood. The horse lay in the ditch. It was dying. The black faced horseman was dead already. I lay the spears down and went to the horse. Taking my sword I slit its throat, "Go to the Allfather." I grabbed the warrior's spear and his curved sword. Around his neck he wore a golden necklace. I grabbed it. The warrior's spear was longer than the other three and might be useful.
As I clambered out of the ditch I grabbed the three spears. The noise of battle was ahead of me. The horsemen were driving the crew towards the river. I hurried after them. I was now isolated. I had to tread warily. When I reached the track which led down to the river I spied a white head. It was Siggi White Hair. I put down my spears and the curved sword and clambered down the slope. His body was lying against a tree. It had stopped him falling down the bank to the river. As I touched his arm he moved. He was alive. I put my hands under his arms and began to drag him back up the slope.
As I flopped down at the top he opened his eyes, "Hrolf?"
"Where are you hurt?"
He held his hand to the back of his head and it came away bloody. "One of those horsemen used a club. Where is the Jarl?"
"They have gone down the trail." I helped him to his feet and handed him two of the spears and the curved sword. His shield and his sword were gone.
He nodded, "Thank you. I owe you a life. Come we will follow but be careful."
As we descended the trail we found the bodies of Harold Svensson and Alf Alfsson. Both were clearly dead. We had not time to do anything for them save asking the Allfather to take them to Valhalla. They both had their swords in their hands. It had been a good death. As we hurried so we heard the noise of battle. I had been up and down this trail four times now and I knew we were approaching the drekar.
"What do we do Siggi?"
He grinned, "We attack whoever we meet. We are Vikings. If you stand up to a horseman he will back off. The bastard who got me was lucky. I was slow to turn else I would have had him. Just keep running and fighting until you get to the ship. If you find it has gone quiet and you feel no pain then do not worry. You will be in Valhalla. You are now, truly, a warrior, Hrolf!"
We turned a bend and saw the drekar. Between it and us was a whirling mass of horses and men all fighting. There was no apparent way through. The nearest horses were twenty paces from us.
Siggi said, "We both throw one spear and then charge with the other. I will lead. You have your shield on your back; you follow. If I fall then leave me. Get to the ship!"
I nodded. We pulled back our arms and hurled our spears. The horsemen had metal shirts which covered their fronts but their backs did not. Both spears plucked their riders from their horses. Siggi roared, "Odin!" and holding the long spear ran towards the two horses.
I held my spear in two hands and shouted, "Dragonheart!" as I followed him. The two riderless horses panicked and they reared and flailed around them to escape the two monsters who were behind them. A rider turned and Siggi rammed his long s
pear under the nearest warrior's arm, pitching him from the back of his horse. A warrior turned his horse and raised his spear to stab down on Siggi. I just ran at him and his horse. I stabbed forward and my spear rammed into his leg and into his horse. The horse screamed as the head of my spear broke off inside him. He fell on to a second horse. Siggi was past the horsemen now. I took the broken haft of my spear and used it as a club. I felt something crack into my back but my shield took the blow.
Then, to my horror, I saw Siggi leap on board the drekar as it began to pull away from the river bank. I would not be a slave again. There were two warriors before me. I threw the broken half of the spear at one and then leapt up behind the second warrior. 'Raven's Wing' was now thirty paces from the shore and the current was taking it down stream. I pulled out my seax and ripped it across the black warrior's throat. Hurling his body to the ground I kicked the horse hard and it leapt into the river. I felt another blow to my back but I ignored it. The horse began to struggle under my weight and so I lay flat and held on to its mane. It began to swim. Its natural inclination made it want to go to the shore but I kept pulling the mane to the right to take it towards the drekar which was drifting on the current. I would not make it. I put my face down and used my legs to kick.
"Hurry Hrolf!" I looked up and saw that the Jarl had the oars backing water. It was no longer moving away from me. When I was ten paces from it I let go of the horse's mane and kicked hard towards the drekar. I was lucky. I had no mail and the wolf cloak I had regretted wearing trapped enough air so that I was able to swim to the rope which snaked towards me. I was hauled unceremoniously on board and flopped like a fish they had caught on the deck. Arne Four Toes, the Jarl and Siggi White Hair stood over me.