by Griff Hosker
Glancing to my left I saw the horsemen who had mounted were paralleling my ride west. To my left I saw the shadow that was my men emerge from the mist. My men saw the enemy and they began banging their shields and chanting. The men who had seen me now faced not a lone horseman but an increasingly large line of warriors. They fell back.
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
That roused the Franks. They knew that it was not the ghost of a long dead horseman; it was that worst of terrors, Vikings. I could hear orders being shouted and ranks were being formed. My horsemen were on the left flank. As I wheeled my horse alongside Gilles and Alain I saw that my line of Vikings was less than forty paces from the Franks. They were the levy and the men who had lost their horses. There was little order to the Frankish line. Men just hurried to face this threat which had emerged from the mist. I saw the horsemen. Someone pointed a sword at us and they began to move towards us. We were the threat. The mist was clearing even as we watched and I realised I could see the walls of Valognes.
I pointed my sword, “Clan of the Horse, now is your time! Charge!” I had less than forty horsemen. We were in two lines but we had one advantage over the Franks, we were organized. They were not. We would meet them not as two lines of warriors clashing but one solid block smashing into individual horsemen.
I saw that Geoffrey of Thiberville led the Franks who had responded first. There were twenty of them and they were charging obliquely towards us. It was easy for us to wheel. We had practised this and we were riding so that Alain of Auxerre’s boot touched mine on the right while Gilles’ did so on the left. I had my spear held up and resting on my saddle. I saw that the first man whom I would meet had no mail. We kept together as they tried to turn to face us. The Frank held his shield up. I pinched my spear down and into his thigh. Blood spurted and he jerked his reins to the right presenting his back to me. I pulled back my arm and rammed the spear between his shoulder blades. He tumbled to the ground. My men had all found either flesh or mail and four other horsemen lay on the ground. Two others had been wounded in the initial clash and pulled away.
More horsemen had managed to don mail and mount their horses and they galloped towards our two lines which were now heading for the end of the Frankish levy who were reeling before the onslaught of Folki and my warriors. They were scything through them. It looked to me as though they were reaping wheat. Men fell before their spears and swords. It was a relentless march. They kept the chant going as they slew.
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
I changed my grip to an underhand one. I would be fighting a mailed warrior next. Geoffrey of Thiberville led the next warriors to charge us. These were mailed and closer together but still not boot to boot as we were. He came directly for me. I was happy for him to do so. There was bad blood between us. The Allfather wanted us to settle the blood feud. Our horses kept a straight line but those of the Franks had the chance to turn. As Geoffrey of Thiberville rammed his spear at me his horse turned his head to escape the spear of Gilles. When the blow struck my shield, it was weak. I thrust my spear at his shoulder. He raised his shield to deflect it. My arms were like young oaks. I had rowed when I was young. I struck his shield so hard that he reeled. My spear slid up and knocked his helmet from his head. He did not have a mail hood and he was bare headed. The falling helmet showed his broken skin. He shouted, “Pagan! That is my horse!”
I pulled my arm back and shouted, as I thrust again, “Then why did he choose me?”
This time I stabbed at his thigh. His shield was still held high and my spear broke through the mail and into his leg. I pushed harder until my spear struck his girth. His horse reared and tore the spear from my hand. As I drew my sword I saw that the Franks had broken through our line of horsemen. They had done so by dying. They had fallen so that we could no longer ride boot to boot. They had bought enough time for more Franks to ride and to fight us. Geoffrey of Thiberville was hurt but he was still capable of fighting. I would not take him prisoner. He would die. He thrust his spear at my thigh. I was ready and flicked my shield down. I swung my sword at his head, using my knees to shift the grey around. The Frank barely blocked the blow with his shield and, again, he reeled. I saw that, behind him, Folki and my men had broken through the Frankish ranks. I heard a cheer from Valognes as Rurik led his men to attack the rear of the Frankish camp.
I needed to end this combat and then try to capture Henry of Carentan. If I held him then the war would be over. I could keep him as hostage. Geoffrey of Thiberville threw his spear at my head as he drew his sword. I ducked behind my shield and the spear embedded itself in it. I swung my shield and the haft of the spear struck its owner’s shield before falling to the ground. I stood in my stiraps and swung my sword at head height. His shield came up but it was slow. It merely slowed down my sword. My blade took out his left eye and gouged a deep cut across his cheek. His shield came up to try to protect his head and that pulled his horse around. I pulled my sword across my body and backhanded the Frank across the throat. Half blinded and wounded, he did not see the blow coming. The blade hacked across his throat and half severed his head. His body fell to the ground. It was almost the last act of the battle.
I saw, ahead of me, that Rurik had joined with Folki and they were butchering the Frankish foot who remained.
Alain of Auxerre shouted, “Lord, Henry of Carentan and his men are escaping.”
I looked and saw that the leader of the Frank army and twenty of his lords were galloping down the road. Between him and us lay the dead bodies and the wounded of those who had fallen in the main attack. The only warriors close were my son and his men. I saw them, bravely charge the mailed horsemen. It was heroic but it was futile. They barely had eight javelins and spears between them. They threw them anyway. Although two warriors fell, the rest escaped. For a heartbeat, I thought that my son would lead his twelve riders to attack the Frank but, thankfully, he reined in and they stopped. He had learned. My son was growing,
I looked around. Alain had lost another couple of men and two of Bertrand’s warriors would go to war no more. I urged Allfather’s Gift towards Rurik, Folki and the rest of my men. I dismounted and Rurik threw his arms around me to embrace me, “I knew you would come. Some of those who were born Franks feared that we would be captured. They have learned now to trust the word of the jarl of the Clan of the Horse. A great victory!”
“It would have been had we captured Henry of Carentan but I will take this. The war has just begun. We will be safe for a while, Rurik, but we cannot relax. We must be vigilant.”
Folki pointed south, “We can now raid the Issicauna and the land of the Frank. The peace is over and now they will see the teeth of the wolves from the sea. This is wyrd .”
“It is indeed.”
“Here comes your son, lord and with him ride my boys,” Gilles shook his head. I thought I saw them riding with your son! They have disobeyed me and you! I will whip them within an inch of their lives!”
“No, you will not, Gilles. You and I would have done the same and they both live. You can chastise them and you can punish them but do not discourage their courage. We need more young warriors like that.”
“You are my lord and I owe you all. I will obey you.”
My son reined in.
He shook his head. “I was going to charge them, father. Blood rushed around my head and I thought I was invincible and then I saw their mail and knew that we could do nothing to hurt them. I stopped for I did not want to waste my men.”
“You did right, my son, I am p
roud of you.”
“It has just made us all more determined than ever to become better horsemen. We too will wear mail and ride bigger horses. We will learn to be as you and your men. Next time we fight you will see a change!”
“Aye, my son, and this war will last a long time. When we have finished all of the land to the south of us will be ours. First we take the rest of the Cotentin!”
Chapter 14
We spent three days clearing the battlefield. The enemy had left so many dead that, when we had burned them, the pile of bones and ash were like a barrow. Rurik had his people spread them over their fields. The deaths would give better crops. Our own dead were placed in a barrow. Folki, Erik Green Eye, Arne Four Toes and I had all lost shield brothers. It was a sad day. These were men who had sailed the seas with us. Some had been on Raven Wing Island and now their bones lay beneath a barrow in our new land. I sent all of my warriors, except for Alain and Ragnvald’s men home to work their fields. Summer would soon follow this spring and we needed crops and animals which were well tended. My mounted men would patrol the borderlands and I would scout the land I intended to take. I would allow the Franks to farm over summer and think that the war was over. When their crops were collected in then we would strike.
I made sure that my horsemen did well out of the battle. They all gained a second horse and they had their choice of mail and weapons. I also ensured that the people of Valognes, who had endured the siege, were compensated. On the night before I left I sat with Alain and Rurik.
“Alain of Auxerre, you and your men have earned a place of honour amongst my people. You were captain of my horse. I would make you lord. As yet we have no burgh for you but you have few warriors anyway. We will remedy that. I would have you remain here in the south. You have spare horses. There will be young warriors here in Valognes who could be riders. When Haustmánuður comes, we will begin to conquer any settlement which lies between here and the sea. Until that time I would have you and your men scout them out. Detect their strengths and weaknesses. One will be your land and you will rule it for the clan.”
“I am honoured, Jarl Hrolf. I have no doubt that when word spreads to the lands of the men of Burgundy then other riders will come to seek their fortune here. I am content. We have mail and fine horses. I am happy to be a miles but the title will please my men.”
Rurik frowned, “What is a miles , Alain?”
“It is a warrior. In my land we still use some of the Roman words. A miles was a horseman. Most were noble. Thanks to the jarl here I feel as though I am a noble now.”
The next day I left with my son and his men. I took spare horses, mail and weapons to Bertrand, now Lord of Ċiriċeburh. He was fully healed. He and his men had worked hard to make the port habitable. Their families had come from Bárekr’s Haven. Some of those whom we had found, all those years ago, had also chosen to return home but the port still had an empty feel.
Bertrand was optimistic, “I will encourage others to come here, jarl. I would have it as busy as it was when Matildhe and I lived here.”
“And I give to you title of Lord of Ċiriċeburh. You will keep this land for the clan. You will be responsible for guarding the walls and the ships which will call here. It is a better port than Bárekr’s Haven. We will not lose it without a fight. When we begin to take the rest of the land to the south then I will call upon you to help me conquer that land.”
We were seated in the hall that Geoffrey of Thiberville had built. It had been built for a large number and there were but twelve of us seated around the table. My son spread a hand around, “Where do we stop, father?”
I was confused; I wondered if he meant the hall. “Stop what?”
“We do not fill this hall. Yet you would have us take land which we cannot hold.”
I smiled, “We can hold it. I did not say we would enslave the Franks who live here. We will let them live under our protection. Our ships will guard the seaways and our horses the land.”
“We only have three drekar!”
“And how many did we have last year? One! Other Norse will come here. If they are like Folki, Sigtrygg or Thorbolt then they will be welcome and we will have more men to guard the stad and to sail the seas. It is up to you, Bertrand and Gilles to raise horsemen. The Allfather sent us a fine herd of horses. I would not waste them. After we have taken this peninsula we will look to take the land between here and Carentan.”
Ragnvald grinned, “I ask again, where do we stop?”
“And I answer, how wide is the world?”
We spoke long into the night of my plans. Before I spoke with Bertrand and my son my ideas had been vague. I realised that they were both young and they had a world before them. I had been a slave who now ruled a county. With drekar and horsemen we could achieve anything.
After our travels, we eventually reached the Haugr at the start of Skerpla. My wife was most annoyed that we were the last to return. I had sent animals, food, gold and the pots we had taken but she had wanted her son and husband home.
I tried to explain to her, “I now have a larger estate over which I must ride. We hang on to this peninsula. I would not have us lose it through a lack of vigilance. Our son will train more men and then he will ride the borders of our land. You will see little of him. He will be the eyes and ears of the clan. I will raid again at the start of Sólmánuður.”
I saw impatience cross her face. She wanted a simpler life with me in my hall. “But why? We have all that we need.”
“We do not. When every warrior has a home like ours then we have all that we need. Do not judge by our standards, wife. Have you forgotten the tiny hut we used on Raven Wing Island? Have we travelled so far that you can forget it?” She shook her head. “Besides the Franks wanted war. I will now teach them the penalty for an unprovoked attack. Erik One Arm told me that my two jarls took great quantities of slaves and treasure. The land to the west of Caen is a wasteland. None live close to the coast any longer. I intend to raid the Issicauna. I want Philip of Rouen to rue the day he appointed Henry of Carentan.”
And so, we prepared to raid. Siggi Far Sighted had the drekar prepared for sea. We had not sailed her for a while and she needed repairs. The raids on the Franks also necessitated repairs on ‘Cold Drake’ and ‘Wild Boar’ . We had all those who could be spared from the farms helping. I, too, was stripped to the waist as we caulked her hull.
The lookout in the tower shouted, “Sail, to the north!” We were ever cautious and men grabbed weapons. Even when he shouted, “She is Breton!” We did not relax our guard.
Siggi wiped his hands on a piece of old canvas as he walked over to me. “This may be the emissary from the Count of Vannes.”
Erik Long Hair said, “We need no alliance now, jarl. What is to stop us taking their land too?”
“We have had one victory, Erik. We do not have large numbers of men. If we can help to foster pressure from someone else, then it cannot harm us.”
The men who stepped ashore were not mailed although I did see warriors on board their ship. There was a priest and two well-dressed warriors. They had find swords. One warrior was older than I was and the other younger. From their faces, I guessed that they were related.
When they looked around us, in confusion, I realised that they did not see me as the jarl. I wiped my hand on the piece of canvas and donned my kyrtle. “I am Jarl Hrolf and this is my land.”
The older man looked surprised and the priest shocked, “We did not expect a lord to be labouring.”
“If I sail in a ship I like to feel that I have helped to make her seaworthy. Are you the emissaries from the Lord of Vannes?”
“We are. I am Robert of An Orient and this is my son Stephen.”
“Come we will go to my hall.”
As we walked towards my citadel I saw them taking in the two towers and the deep ditches. “You have built a fine stronghold.”
“Many would wish to drive us into the sea. We are comfortable there but we like the land t
oo.”
Before we reached my gate I called out, “Tell the Lady Mary that we have guests.” One of the boys who was watching raced down the ladder and hurried to my hall. I would still be in trouble for not giving enough warning but it could not be helped. I walked slowly to my hall showing our guests what we had done. I told them of Father Michael and his engineering prowess.
My wife was a miracle worker. As we walked into the hall she had slaves with bowls of water and cloths for us to wash our faces and hands. I saw, on the table, wine, cheese, bread and ham. “Welcome gentlemen. I was not expecting guests.”
The elder Breton bowed, “I apologise, lady. It is rude of us.” He turned to me, “You did not tell us, Jarl Hrolf, that your lady was so beautiful and so charming.”
I nodded as I sat down, “Most people do not expect a barbarian to have such a wife. We have a habit of surprising people.”
“Indeed. Your message requesting a meeting was one such surprise.”
“I thought that it had been forgotten.”
“Our Count wished to debate it.”
I broke off a piece of bread and began to smear it with butter, “Of course the fact that we have just defeated the Franks had little to do with your arrival, eh, lord?”
He laughed, “There you have us. My son here frowns for he would keep a diplomatic face. I have fought the Franks and fought your people. We came to take your Raven Wing Island many years ago and left fine warriors there. I, for one, do not underestimate you. I find your honesty refreshing. You are right. You did something we admire. You defeated Franks using horses. That is unheard of. What we need to know is what you require of us?”
“Firstly, we have no desire to conquer your land. Your coast is rugged and treacherous. The land of the Franks to the east of us is benign with sandy beaches and rich pickings.”
“Would you have us fight alongside you?”