by Griff Hosker
We were, however, sailing a damaged ship. We went back to our oars while the wounded and the boys bailed all the way along the Breton coast. The Jarl took an oar. We had a saga to sing and stories to tell. We had to reach our island home. The archery, the combat and the rowing were taking their toll of me. My side ached and burned so much that I dreaded passing out. There would be much shame if I did so. I forced myself to concentrate on watching 'Sea Serpent'. I wondered about the wisdom of bringing such a small drekar with such an inexperienced crew. It had almost cost us.
As we headed up the coast I found my eyes drawn, not to the drekar, but to the land. Would my dream of a home in the land of the Franks ever be realised? The ones we had met had been defeated but there were so many of them. The horsemen near Angers were a warning of the numbers they could bring to bear to hunt us down. We needed more men but we needed experienced men.
"You did well today, Hrolf." Siggi's voice was quiet and measured. He was a different man when we fought but now he was reflective. With his white hair he could have been a grandfather.
"No I was lucky. The bow deserves a better bowman than I."
"You need to practise. You are better with a sword and shield now. In fact you are becoming one of the best. You just need to take the time to practise with the bow. It is a wondrous weapon."
I nodded, "It was expensive but worth it."
"You cannot put a price on a good weapon. That sword of yours; I would love to have had a weapon such as that. Mine is an iron bar by comparison."
"You should have had Bagsecg's father make you one."
He gave me a rueful smile, "When we were in Cyninges-tūn I was poor. It is only since you raided with us that I became rich enough. If we return then I shall have one made."
Chapter 14
The poor drekar barely made it to the island afloat. Water surged and sloshed around our feet. We emptied the drekar as soon as we could. Gunnar Thorfinnson's men and the slaves all helped. We then hauled the drekar out of the water and as close to the high water line as we could manage. It was only then that we could relax. I went with Siggi, Sven and the Jarl to look at the bow. It could have been worse. The strakes had not broken but the force of the blow had sprung them. Sven would need to hammer them back with fresh nails and then caulk the whole of the bow.
I rubbed the keelson into which the prow was fixed. "I am no ship builder but if Bagsecg could fashion a strip of metal thin enough it would help seal the front and give us added strength."
Sven rubbed his beard. "It would need to be both thin and narrow for we could not afford too much weight at the bow."
Siggi smiled, "We can ask him. A good thought, Hrolf. You should know though that Sven is very protective about the drekar. It is like his bairn!"
Laughing Sven said, "Then you should be thankful that my child has brought you safely home."
Jarl Gunnar said, "And we are. I will make a Blót on the morrow. Ran and 'Raven Wing' deserve it."
Erik had brought down Dream Strider. Nipper, inevitably followed. When I fussed and stroke my horse's mane Nipper jumped up also demanding attention. Siggi laughed, "And Hrolf's children welcome him too!"
I knew I was being mocked but I did not care. The two creatures gave me unconditional love and loyalty. I thought back to the two horses which had been slain and I shuddered. I would hate for my mount to suffer such a fate.
We had so much booty that it took a whole afternoon to take it to the halls. The animal pen we had built was almost over flowing and we would have to build a second. The store house groaned under the weight of barrels and sacks. We had much work to do but it was work we relished for it was a measure of our success. As we ate, that night Erik told me that they had seen ships come close to the island and then sail away when they saw the smoke and people. That worried me. I preferred to be invisible and not to attract attention.
"Did you tell the Jarl?"
"Aye as soon as he landed. He too was worried."
"And you Erik, were you bored?"
He gave me a shy look, "I have taken a woman." He nodded to Brigid the ale wife. She was bringing a fresh pail of ale for us. She smiled as she approached. They spoke not with their voices but with their eyes.
When she had gone I said, "I am happy for you."
"I tell you this for I sleep in the ale house now. I know she is plain but I have but one hand... Besides she has a good heart. Looks may fade but a good heart can keep you warm in the coldest winters."
Shaking my head I said, "You cannot know what the Norns plan for us. You are happy and she looks happy. It is wyrd."
He beamed, "Aye I know. My life changed the day 'Raven Wing' sailed into the harbour that day. I did not know it then but I have made a sacrifice to the Allfather to thank him. I did not expect to be happy after I lost my hand but now it does not seem important. My left is as useful as a right and I have a place here. I have a mind to ask the Jarl if he will allow us to sell our ale."
"He might but you would need to buy your grain from him."
He nodded, "I have coin. I did not spend my share of the treasures we have taken thus far. And I have some seed. I thought to sow some barley. When you were raiding I had the young boys help me to begin a malting floor for Brigid. It will help us malt the barley."
I nodded, "You sound like you have learned much already. I am impressed."
"You have many skills, Hrolf: you are a warrior and a horseman. I am limited. This is something I can do. We will make the best ale we can."
I toasted him and quaffed the horn of ale I held, "And this is good ale! I shall miss your company in the warrior hall but I am happy for your new position."
As I looked around the hall I saw that many of the returning warriors were now looking to the slave women. Even Arne and Rurik were casting their eyes over some of the females. From the looks in the women's eyes the feelings were reciprocated. The slaves had been here long enough to forget their past. That was oceans away. When the treasure and booty was shared out then the warriors would be rich. The slaves were only slaves until a man chose them. That was the Jarl's decision. He had taken the idea from Jarl Dragonheart where slaves enjoyed great freedoms. Jarl Gunnstein Berserk Killer still used slave pens. I did not think it was such a good idea.
That night many liaisons began. There were huddles of cuddling couples in the warrior hall. I sat with Siggi, Sven, Gunnar Thorfinnson and the Jarl. I was not sleepy.
"Is there no woman for you, Hrolf? Even Rurik One Ear is enjoying the company of a woman."
Siggi laughed, "Rurik has the advantage, Sven, that he can pretend he does not hear her! Hrolf here has sharp ears. Besides he has greater plans."
I did not like to talk about the future. The Norns might hear and so I changed the subject. "Erik One hand now lives with the ale wife. He wishes permission to begin selling ale."
The Jarl nodded, "Why did he not ask me?"
"He was a slave, Jarl. I have been one too. It is a great leap. He is a little afraid of broaching the subject."
"We will have to sell him grain."
"Aye, he knows. He has coin," I laughed, "seed money! He is also planning on growing grain."
Siggi frowned, "That is a big step. We came here to stay for the winter. Is this now our home?"
"It seems that it already is. I like it."
"Then we must protect it, Jarl." The Jarl and his brother looked at Siggi as though he had spoken a foreign language. "Sven here will need time to repair the drekar. Erik told Hrolf that there were small ships sniffing around the island. What if enemies come? We need to hold what we have. When we raid how will our home be protected? If this is a temporary base then it needs no ditch and no wall but if it is our home then we must protect it. We should know that!"
Gunnar Thorfinnson looked disappointed, "I had thought we would repair the 'Wing' and then raid again. We have great riches already!"
Sven shook his head, "Your steering board broke; were I you, I would have my crew make sure my d
rekar is seaworthy. Ours was damaged in action!"
There was an edge to Sven's voice. He was criticising the young warrior and the Jarl sensed it. He spoke quietly. Tempers were becoming frayed and that was largely due to the drink. Brigid had brewed a strong ale and most had drunk deeply. "Sven is right, little brother, as is Siggi. I know you are keen to continue to raid but we are only as strong as the drekar we sail."
His brother nodded, "Sorry Sven, you are right."
"Tomorrow we divide the booty. That should make everyone happier. I will make the Blót and then we shall see about our defences. What do you suggest, Siggi?"
There was a puddle of foam on the table and Siggi used it to draw out his idea. "Had we known we were going to make our home here permanently then we might have thought about our halls a little better. We have made them low down to make them harder to find. We will have to use that." He drew a circle in the foam. "We dig a ditch just below the high part of the ridge and pile the soil on top. If we build a wooden rampart all the way around it will slow up an enemy."
Sven said, "We have little enough wood on the island."
Siggi pointed beyond the wall. "We use the captured fishing boats and hew them from the mainland. Wood floats; we tow them back."
"That would take a long time." Gunnstein Thorfinnson preferred action to labour.
"Aiden, Dragonheart's galdramenn, told me that the Roman warriors would erect a small fort each day when they marched and then take it down at night. We could do that. Make each oar responsible for one section. We could not do it in one day but the sooner we start the sooner we finish."
"Hrolf is right. The Romans could build a mile of road a day."
I had a sudden thought. "If we brought some of the stones and cobbles from the beach then we could make a strong gate. We would only need one."
"Do you know how to make such a gate from stone?"
I shrugged, "Grind up stone and mix with sand. If we use water then it might make a paste to hold the rocks together." I could see they were not convinced. "In the bay there is a rock which when worn away mixes with the sand. I have seen some above the waterline and it was set like stone."
"Then we leave the gate to you. We will make a wall."
Sven said, "And another store room. The one we have has too much in. Food will waste and rot."
And so we spent some time being not warriors but men. We wore no armour and carried no swords. We repaired the ship and we dug ditches. Siggi chose four of us to go with him to the mainland for the trees. He asked me to take my bow as it had proved so useful in the sea battle. He still worried about Arne Four Toes' head and so he took the Eriksson brothers and Rurik. The Eriksson brothers might not be the cleverest of men but they were strong and could wield an axe.
We sailed to a quiet spot well away from any houses. There was a stand of thin trees which would be perfect for ramparts. I was sent as scout and as sentry while the four of them hewed trees. The hewing was not difficult. The ones we wanted were as thick as a man's leg. The hard part was trimming them so that they were manageable. I went through the wood to watch from the far side of the trees. There was farmland to the east but I saw no one. A few sheep grazed on scrubland. It looked as though the wood had been more extensive at one time and had been cleared.
My time with Ulf Big Nose had not been wasted and I found that I could use my ears and nose far better than I used to. When I was satisfied that there was little danger of someone stumbling upon us I headed back. My nose caught the scent of an animal on the breeze. I knocked an arrow and I waited. Ulf had taught me patience. It paid off. A small herd of deer came through the woods, grazing as they came. I was still learning how to use the bow and I wanted them as close as possible. There was a large stag. I would leave him. Ullr would wish it so. Instead I chose a large female. She looked older than the hinds she was with. I pulled back and aimed at the chest of the beast which came towards me. As soon as the stag's head came up I released. He had scented me and he took off. I was so close to the female that I could not miss and my arrow plunged deep into her chest. She tumbled for a few paces as the herd fled and then she fell, almost at my feet. Slinging her across my shoulders I headed back to the others.
Ketil was standing with his hands on his hips. They had chopped down twenty trees and stripped all the small branches from them. "How do we get them back? The boat is too small to carry them."
Siggi shook his head, "It is a good job you have a broad back, Ketil for you have naught between your ears. Haul them to the beach and I will show you." He saw what I had over my shoulders and said, "Put that in the boat and then help us."
I hurried down and threw the carcass in the bottom of the boat. I passed them each hauling a log. The longer poles had been cut into two. I grabbed one and headed back. I estimated that if we split them we could manage half of the ramparts we needed. Siggi had not returned for more. He was tying the logs together into a raft. I saw the wisdom of the plan. They would be buoyant and easier to tow. As I dropped my log he said, "We will have the Erikssons paddling this across."
When the logs had been brought Siggi said, "Now fetch the branches too. The smaller ones can be used to make charcoal. Bagsecg needs those and the rest can make supports."
It was late afternoon by the time we headed back to our island. Arne Four Toes watched from the haunted farmhouse and he gathered some men to carry our precious cargo to the ditch. It did not take us long and I was impressed with the size of the ditch and the mound. By using an existing dip and a small ridge we had a formidable barrier. Ulf Big Nose was in the bottom of the ditch and only his head was showing. When he saw me he pointed to the gap where the gate would be. "And tomorrow I will enjoy watching you conjure stone pillars from the beach."
As I headed for the store I wondered if my hands could deliver what my mouth had promised. Siggi gave me Erik, Rurik and Ulf Long Nose to help me. We used Dream Strider and the cart to haul up the stones and the sand. I found the white stone which seemed to act with the sand to make something harder and we took that up later. The three of them looked at me expectantly. How I needed Aiden and his books. I was certain there was some way of finding out how to make it as the Romans did.
Erik said, helpfully, "We could use animal dung and hay such as they use on huts."
"Aye and it might come to that. Let us spend the rest of the day seeing if this works." I tipped out the stone which I wanted ground down. It was a type of limestone. "Grind this down. I have another idea." While they pounded the stone into dust with hammers I groomed Dream Strider. The horse hair would make the set stone stronger.
When we had a large pile I went to the gate posts. We had dug holes and there were two large trees from the island. They were the same girth and height. We had packed stones around them already. There was no getting away from this. I had to try something. I had my ingredients: stone powder, sand, pebbles and horse hair. We had less of the stone than anything else and that decided the proportions. We added water to make a very thick paste and then I added the horse hair. It felt too thick to use and I added a little more water.
Ulf shook his head, "What will this do?"
"When I saw it on the beach it had set. I hope this will. Shovel it over the stones in the holes."
The mixture did not go as far as I would have wished and the very top of the stones we had used for packing showed. I was disappointed. As we headed back to the hall for our meal Erik tried to cheer me up. "It might work."
Ulf snorted, "Not in this lifetime it won't."
I was restless during the meal and drank little. Had I allowed my mouth to make a fool of me? It would not be the first time. I wandered out of the hall while the rest were enjoying some of Brigid's fine ale. I went to the gate posts. The slurry we had poured in still looked wet. It had not worked. I went to Dream Strider and, without putting a saddle on him, rode him. I was no Aiden but I could ride and I could ride like the wind. I rode my mount as fast as I dared and when we returned to the stalls he w
as leathered and it was dark but I knew that I would be able to sleep. In the morning I would face the derision and mocking of my crew mates and I would deserve it.
I woke before dawn and went to the gate. To my surprise and delight where it had been a wet sludge was now a solid rock. It had worked. As no one else was up I fetched Dream Strider and groomed him. I would need more horse hair. When they woke the others were as pleased as I was. The problem I had was to remember the proportions. We spent the morning gathering the materials and then we began the construction.
"We will make a layer of this sludge and place stones in it. We must choose the largest stones and the flattest stones. The bottom has to be stable. Now that we knew how it worked we were able to use that knowledge. It would take all night to set and so we had plenty of time to arrange the stones. The stones made the slurry rise and we had to put wood around the sides as we worked. We were learning as we did it. We only managed to build up to my knee. It would take many more days to build a gate post high enough to carry the weight of the wooden gates.
Erik had become more confident. He had built a malt house for his wife and he knew about construction. "If you put metal pins in the stones as we build then we can use them to hang the gates."
The four of us became a team. It was new to us all and there was no master, no expert. We all had something to contribute. Siggi and the others had finished the ramparts days before we had the gatehouse ready but there was no mockery. They stood and watched as we laboured. We had learned to do things quicker and the last half of the building process was the fastest. We built a wooden frame which held in the slurry and the stones. We had discovered that the wood peeled away from the stone.
The Jarl came as we were putting the last stones in place. We had to use ladders for that. "If we built four of these with a wall between then we would have a tower."