The Land of the Northmen

by Griff Hosker

  The day before Eostre I made sure that the majority of the men rested. The smell of the cattle being cooked would drift over to the Franks. The noise of the children who played in Erik’s farm would confirm that a feast was taking place. As dusk fell we mounted and I led half of the horsemen while Bertrand led the other half. I had Gilles with me while Alain of Auxerre and his heavy warriors joined Bertrand. We waited in the woods. My two groups were more than a thousand paces apart. I wanted as much of my land protecting as fifty horsemen could manage. To the east, we heard the sounds of festivities. Eostre was a three-day festival. Our people did not celebrate a death as the Christians did, we celebrated new life after the death of winter. It would be just the women and children who would be making the noise. The men would be on the walls with bows, spears and swords at the ready.

  As we waited I thought of those warriors without wives and families. They now stood a watch on the walls of Valognes. If I was wrong, then they would bear the brunt of an attack by Henry of Carentan. I knew that Folki and his men, who were spread between the Haugr and Valognes, would not be happy if they were idle. If there was a war, then they would wish to fight it. The memory of their treatment at the hands of the Franks still rankled and they would seek even more vengeance than we had already extracted. I felt doubts assail me and I forced myself to ignore them. I had cast the bones. We would have to see how they lay.

  The smell of the cooking beef was suddenly overwhelmed by a more acrid smell. It was the smell of pine and turf burning. The Franks had fired a farm. I heard some of the younger warriors behind me as they spoke excitedly. “Silence! You are warriors now!”

  Ragnvald would be annoyed with his warriors. They might be barely men but he had high standards. To the north I saw the sky lighten as flames took over. It was Audun the Tall’s farm. They were coming. A second farm lay between Audun’s and Erik’s. I wondered if they would fire that first.

  Tadgh had good eyes and he tugged at my arm and pointed. I saw the white face of a horse as it headed through the trees towards Erik’s farm. Having seen one I saw the others. They were some distance away but we now knew where they were. Towards the rear of the men were warriors holding burning brands. It showed where they were. Alain and Bertrand would wait for me to begin the attack. I pulled up my shield and raised my spear. That was the warning to my men that we were about to attack. We were positioned so that we could attack their flank. Hidden from me were Bertrand and Alain. They were guarding the other flank. I saw men on foot. They had not brought solely horsemen. It soon became apparent that there were at least fifty men moving through the woods towards the farm.

  When they were forty paces from us I lowered my spear, and kicked Dream of Freya in the ribs. If they were any closer they would see us and the surprise would be gone. My horse leapt forward towards the Franks. In the time it took them to hear the noise and to look up my horse had covered twenty paces. Before me I saw a mounted scout. As he pulled his horse around to face me I stood in my stiraps and lunged at him with my spear. It struck his shoulder. His hands grasped the spear and he fell to the ground.

  “Vikings!” They knew who we were. Their leader should have shouted an order to his men rather than a rather obvious warning. We were among them. We were moving faster than they were and they were disorientated. We knew the woods and where the enemy lay. I drew Heart of Ice and brought it sideways across the head of a Frank on foot. I felt it jar into bone as he fell dead. Then I heard a clatter and a shout from the north. It was Alain and Bertrand. They were leading our better armed warriors into their rear. I looked to my right and saw Gilles there. It was where he had always ridden. We had but five mailed men with us and the rest were lightly armoured young warriors with throwing spears.

  I saw a horseman thrown from his saddle by one such spear. The enemy were confused.

  “Fall back! Fall Back! Reform on the road!” I knew where the road was. I shouted to Ragnvald. “Son, take your men and reach the road first!”

  “Aye father. Come!” His men were faster than we were and they knew the woods.

  That left seven but we just ploughed through the Franks. They were busy trying to retreat and reach the road. Inattention cost at least four their lives as they made the mistake of turning their backs on us. I knew how to ride and how to lean forward and down to strike a man on foot. I laid one Frank’s back open as he tried to escape. As we went further into the woods I saw Alain, Bertrand and their men appear. We now had more men. The six who followed me were no longer isolated. The enemy attempt to be secretive had worked against them. They had no cohesion. Vikings can fight that way but Franks are used to the comfort of a line. This type of war suited warriors who knew how to fight alone.

  We did not gallop. We might be new to fighting on horses, especially at night, but we knew enough to be wary of low branches and tree roots. The lightly armed youths attached to Bertrand now showed their skill. Their throwing spears plucked horsemen from their mounts. Not all were dead or even wounded when they were struck but when Alain’s men followed behind and hit them when they tried to rise, they were. It was not yet a rout. There were enough of them left to see their fellows retreating and to hope that they could reform.

  The trees had been cut back from the road and, as we neared it I could see the Franks as they formed a line. The men on foot presented their shields and swords. Behind them the horsemen had their spears ready. The enemy called us barbarians and wild warriors but, as we neared the edge of the wood my men all stopped. I gave no order. I did not need to for I had done so days earlier when I had anticipated a fight at night. My men began to walk their horses sideways to join me. I heard Bertrand shout, “You wolves, you know what to do!”

  “Aye lord!” Their collective shout made some of the Franks jump. They did not understand the words but the ferocity of the call unsettled them.

  I raised my sword. Suddenly a flurry of javelins and throwing spears fell upon the enemy’s right flank. I lowered my sword and Dream of Freya leapt into the roadway as I kicked her on. I saw Geoffrey of Thiberville. He was in the centre of their line. They were just twenty paces from us. As I neared them I stood in the stiraps and pulled back on the reins. Dream of Freya raised his forelegs and walked on his hind legs. He smashed his hooves down. One struck the Frank with the shield. I heard a crack and a scream as he fell. The second hoof caught Geoffrey of Thiberville’s horse. The stricken Frank on the ground had his skull crushed as Dream of Freya’s hoof smashed into it. Geoffrey of Thiberville could ride. Even as his horse fell he kicked his legs free and rolled away. He jumped up onto the back of the horse ridden by another of his men. He fled!

  I know not why he fled. They outnumbered us but his flight and the gap he and his companions created allowed us to break into their lines. With Bertrand’s light horse and Ragnvald and his men harassing them the rest broke. It became a race back to Ċiriċeburh. This time it was we who were hampered and not the Franks. They fled. It was every man for himself. When one of Ragnvald’s riders, Eystein Arneson, got ahead of the rest of us he paid the price for his impetuosity. Two Franks turned and hacked his horse’s head with a sword and then impaled the youth of thirteen summers with a spear. We did not have the numbers to pursue blindly. We had to stay together.

  When we burst out of the bush and tree covered ground we saw Ċiriċeburh ahead of us. The sun was coming up in the east. We would not be able to stop them all from escaping us. We rode down those on foot. Their horsemen tumbled through the gates and then slammed them shut. We slew the ones outside.

  Reining in I said, “Bertrand, take your men and Ragnvald’s. Ride back through the wood and help our wounded whilst slaying the Franks. Bring back Erik and the men. We can finish this.”

  I took off my helmet. With the new straps, it took longer than it once had. I slid the mail hood over my neck so that I could feel the cool morning air. I saw that Gilles and Alain had survived. I wanted these men with me for more of their men were mailed. I wanted those inside
to think that we had more mailed men than we actually did.

  “Alain of Nissa is dead. It took two of their warriors to end his life. He had a good death.”

  Gilles nodded, “It is wyrd .” Looking at me he asked. “How do we winkle them out of their shell Jarl Hrolf? The wood of their walls is new and they have made fresh ditches.”

  I pointed beyond the walls to the sea. “That depends upon Jarl Thorbolt and Jarl Sigtrygg. If they can stop the Frankish ships, then they will starve. They have many horses inside the stronghold. We all know how much food it takes to feed horses. Will they eat them? I do not think so. Besides this is only part of their plan. I think they will be advancing on Valognes.”

  “And Rurik?”

  “Unlike these Franks, Rurik has no horses and he has laid in supplies. If they choose not to come out, then we will besiege them. We have archers and they do not. I think hunger and thirst will be our biggest allies.”

  We dismounted and Alain had his men take the horses, in relays, to be watered. We watched the walls for I was anxious to see how many men he had to garrison his stronghold. Erik Green Eye and his farmers arrived. Audun the Tall was all for attacking the walls and wreaking revenge for the loss of his farm. He had not lost animals or family but there were things in the home which were irreplaceable. The other farmers were equally outraged. They knew that it could easily have been their farms.

  “Be patient, Audun. We will have vengeance for this unprovoked attack.”

  A chastened Ragnvald and Bertrand returned. Ragnvald had lost two of his young warriors. He saw now that this was not a game. From that moment, he listened far more than he had done before.

  “Bertrand, have one of your young riders return to Bárekr’s Haven. If they can see the drekar I want them to close with the port. This is war.” He turned and shouted an order. “The rest of us, we make camp here and make it hard for them to escape. Dig a ditch before our camp and take the cobbles from a section of the road.”

  In many ways I hoped that they would try to escape and get to Valognes to join their Count. We would then have what we wanted, a stronghold on the northern coast. We would have a shorter journey to raid Wessex and we would have advance warning of any raider from the south.

  The rest of the day and the night were quiet. The rider returned from Bárekr’s Haven to tell us that the drekar had sailed north during the day. I hoped they would use their initiative and attack every Frank they could see. The women from Erik Green Eye’s farm brought us the food from the feast. The slow roasted beef which had been soaked in ale to keep it moist was a treat. With freshly baked bread made by Acca, Erik’s wife, it felt like we truly had a feast of Eostre. Normally we ate badly after a battle. We were lucky, we feasted. I suspected that the garrison would be on short rations.

  At noon, the next day, a rider arrived from Valognes. It was one of Folki’s folk. “Jarl, the Count of Carentan has attacked Valognes. He has brought a large army. It is surrounded.”

  I nodded, “You say large; how many mailed men and horses did he bring?”

  “We counted fifty mailed men. There were two hundred warriors who marched and did not ride horses. I think they were the levy. They are digging ditches around the walls.”

  “Good then you can join us. We will go to their aid in a day or two.”

  Erik Green Eye said, “But it might fall.”

  Pointing to Ċiriċeburh I said, “It may. But this has less food, fewer men and more horses. Ċiriċeburh will fall first. Tonight, I intend to go around to the seaward side. I wish to see if there are any ships in the harbour.”

  I took Erik Green Eye and Gilles with me. I knew I could rely on them to be as silent as I was. We rode a large loop, well away from the walls, so that we could approach from the west. We dismounted by a small headland some hundred paces from the walls and the harbour. We tied our horses up and then made our way closer. As we climbed the small slope I spied the three ships which were tied to the quay. I saw now what they had done with the stones from the buildings. They had dropped them into the sea to build a new quay. Covered with rough timbers it was an effective use of old stones and new wood.

  Even as we watched I saw men and horses boarding. Geoffrey of Thiberville was fleeing. The stronghold could be taken easily. Then I realised that was not what I needed to happen. They would join the Count of Carentan and we would have to fight them again at Valognes. We could do nothing. By the time I returned around the other side of the stronghold for my men, the enemy could be gone.

  “Jarl, look to sea, what do you see?”

  I looked to the north. There was no cloud but it looked as though a shadow was moving across the water. Then the one shadow became two and I realised what it was. My jarls had decided to attack the ships from the sea. It was bold!

  “Come, let us see if we can help them.” Grabbing our shields, we began to scramble down the rocks towards the walls.

  Suddenly there was a shout from the quay as the two drekar were spotted. That helped us for the attention of the sentries was now out to sea. The rocks were slippery with weed and it would not be a quick journey. I kept glancing up at the drekar. The Franks had a few bows and they sent a handful of desultory arrows at the drekar. Now that they had been seen they were chanting. It was my chant. They were now part of the clan.

  Clan of the Horseman

  Warriors strong

  Clan of the Horseman

  Our reach is long

  Clan of the Horseman

  Fight as one

  Clan of the Horseman

  Death will come

  It made me even more determined to help them. Geoffrey of Thiberville panicked. I saw men fleeing back inside the walls. The horses which had yet to be loaded were unloaded as they tried to get them inside the sea gate. They did not know how fast Vikings could flood from the sea. Even so I feared that the gates might close and we would lose this opportunity sent by the Allfather.

  “Come, we must hold the gates for them!”

  I realised that the hard part was over. The Franks had not put a ditch on this side and relied on the sea for protection. We were able to run. I saw the two drekar’s prows as they struck the Frankish ships. There was a roar and I saw the two jarls leading their men over the sides of the Frankish ships. The crew and the warriors who were still on board began to fight back. We were less than fifty paces from the gate when we were seen. All that they saw were three Vikings. We ran as hard and as fast as we had ever run. I began to outstrip the other two. Ulf Big Nose had trained me to run and I knew how to breathe and run through the pain.

  It was the horse which saved me. I was twenty paces from the gate and the last horse they were trying to return to the stronghold was being led through. It was a magnificent white horse; the Franks called them a grey! It baulked and began to rear. No one stays near a rearing horse unless he has a death wish. They moved away and the horse, a pure white beast, stamped in the gateway. I reached the open gate and, with sword in hand, leapt through. Eight men faced me but I did not fear them. I had two oathsworn behind me and the crews of two drekar who would move heaven and earth to be by my side. I did not wait for them to attack. I slashed sideways at the warrior to my right. He had neither mail nor shield and I gutted him. I blocked the blow from the sword which struck from my right and, swinging from over my head, brought my blade down across the head of the swordsman I faced. A spear rammed into my side. Bagsecg’s armour held and Gilles slew the Frank who had dared to hurt his jarl.

  There was a roar from my left as Jarl Thorbolt led his men through the gate. They simply bowled over and slaughtered the Franks who stood there. Looking inside I saw that the Franks had fled. They were heading for the southern gate. If Alain and Bertrand had their wits about them then we could stop them as they tried to escape. Victory was almost in our grasp. I turned to look at the white horse which had enabled us to take the gate. It stood as though waiting by the gate. I knew then that this was not the work of the Norns. This was the Allfather
.

  Chapter 12

  Jarl Thorbolt stood next to me. “I know not how you came to be at the gate, jarl, but it was timely. Had you not held it then they would have closed it.”

  I pointed to the white horse, “The Allfather sent that horse. When this is over, I shall make him mine for had he not reared when he did we would still be outside these walls.” I turned, “Come fetch your men. We will try to find as many of the enemy as we can. Alain of Auxerre and Bertrand are without. They will hold them.”

  Jarl Sigtrygg and his men ran up. I saw that he had a bloody blade, “A great victory already jarl! What treasures await us eh?”

  “I suspect it will just be mail and weapons. Have your men search the buildings in case any are hiding. We will head to the main gate.”

  We ran. The roads were dirt with a covering of sand and shingle. They were empty. None waited for us. The new town was much smaller than the old one had been and we soon reached the wide-open gates. As we burst out I saw a furious battle was taking place. It was a confused scene. Even as I looked I knew that men would escape. Bertrand and Alain had not kept a tight line. There were gaps and I could see a hole where the Franks had butchered men who were not wearing mail and they were flooding through.

  I raised my sword, “No quarter! Slaughter them all!” We ran at them. I saw that few of my men were mounted. We had been caught at camp. Instead of being alert they had relaxed. A group of Franks turned to face this new foe. They had swords and shields. I suspected the spears had all been shattered already. They had shields with two yellow stars. They were part of the retinue of Geoffrey of Thiberville. From what Father Michael had said, these were veterans.

  Gilles and Erik flanked me. I held my shield before me and began to swing my sword over my head. The grizzled Frank who met me raised his shield to meet my blow and then slashed at my leg. It was the strike of an experienced warrior. I had quick hands and I flicked my shield down to block the blow. I knew what was coming. He punched at me with his shield for my own shield was lower than normal. I braced my left shoulder and dropped my head and left leg. The shield hit my mail. It hurt but had it struck my face then I might have been knocked out. Springing forward from my right leg I rammed the top of my helmet into his chin. He was not expecting that. Had I not lowered my head it would have been impossible. He fell backwards, his arms flailing and I brought my sword across his falling body to tear into his throat.