by Griff Hosker
I took the steering board and watched Snorri closely. He would guide me. At the moment the river was wide but when it narrowed then he and Dai would become the eyes of the drekar. Haaken said, "What is the plan, Jarl Dragon Heart?"
"They will be waiting for the King to send men to rescue his family. He has chosen a hall which has no defences to tempt the King. He will, however, be expecting the rescuers to come by road, along the river. There will be an ambush. We will use the river to get as close as we can and we will not use the road. I am only taking the Ulfheonar and Aiden when we land for I wish to move silently."
Haaken nodded, "A Galdramenn is always useful."
Night had fallen by the time the mast was on the mast fish. Erik resumed his navigation and we moved as slowly as we could. There was little point in rushing for we did not want to run aground. I donned my armour. My men had already done so. I regretted now not sharpening my blade on the whetstone I carried. It was too late now for who knew if there were Mercian spies along the river. Although we would be hard to see in the dark, cloudy night, we could be heard. It was another reason for the slow oar rate. My men were barely making a splash with their oars as our dragon ship slowly slipped up the Sabrina.
Snorri's arm waved to the right and Erik put the steering board over. A few moments later he came down the central walkway. "There are men to our left. I smell their smoke and I hear their laughter."
"Mercians!"
"Aye, Jarl, that was my thought."
"How far does Dai say we have yet to travel?"
"He thinks a few more miles but he has not travelled this way before. He went by land."
"Then rejoin him and use your own judgement. Aiden, go with him and you can be messenger. We cannot afford to alert our enemies."
That was our one advantage. They would not expect a Viking drekar to sail behind their lines. The vegetation by the river would hide us from their view and, at night time, they would have no reason to go to the river.
It was, however, nerve wracking for all of us. The wide river began to narrow and I saw Erik looking anxiously at the two banks wondering if he would be able to turn his precious ship around. To occupy myself I applied the red beetle juice to my eyes. We would need all the terror that we could muster if we were to succeed. That done I looked astern. It was as though we were sailing in the bowels of the earth for there was nothing to separate the land from the sky and the river. Everywhere was black. It was as if the Gods were giving us a chance to complete this impossible task.
Aiden returned, "Dai says that this is close enough. There is a bend in the river and a small beach where we can land. He says it is but five or six miles from here."
Erik breathed an audible sigh of relief. I had already identified the four warriors who would guard Dai. Until we found the hall he had to be protected. The rest would remain on board with Erik. "You will need to hide the drekar. I know not when we will return. It should be by dawn but we all know that things can go wrong."
"I will be here, fear not."
We dropped over the side. I sent Snorri and Bjorn ahead, not to scout out the hall, that was Dai's job, but to see if there were enemies. There was thick undergrowth close by the little bend in the river and the shingle beach. I turned to ensure that the four warriors were closely watching Dai; they were. It was a mark of honour that I had chosen them for the task. Snorri and Bjorn came back.
Snorri spoke quietly, "We saw no one ahead but I could smell Saxons."
"Then when Dai scouts go with him. You make sure you are ahead of him at all times. I do not want to walk into a trap."
The seven of them set off and we followed in pairs. Dai had found a trail. As a forester he would know this better than the roads. The Mercians would keep to the roads. It boded well for us.
We had travelled, roughly two miles when Bjorn appeared from the darkness. "Jarl, there are Mercians half a mile yonder." He pointed to the north. "They are camped by the road. They have two sentries out. Snorri is waiting with the others."
"How many men are there?"
"Just fifteen or so including the sentries."
We hurried to Snorri. "We must be close to the hall." Dai nodded. "We cannot afford to have these warriors attack us while we are trying to rescue the King's family. Dai you stay here with these four warriors. We will rid ourselves of these Mercians before we rescue the family." The five nodded and we slipped off through the dark following the shadows of Snorri and Bjorn. I hefted my shield around my back to free my left hand and I took out my seax. This was sharp. We were Ulfheonar and we could move silently. Snorri was right; we could smell the Saxons. We dropped to knee as he waved with his left hand. He and Bjorn moved forward. There was the slightest of rustles from the leaves and then the two of them dragged the slain Saxons back towards us.
I waved our men forward. The warriors were lying in an untidy circle. Each of my men approached a sleeping Saxon. If someone had been watching they would have sworn that my men had rehearsed the killing but they had not. It was just that they had fought together so much that they thought as one. The would be ambushers all died. My men took their weapons and moved back towards me. I led them back to Dai.
Snorri said, as we deposited the weapons in a pile, "There were more of the men of Mercia on the other side of the road."
"I guessed as much but we will outnumber them. Is it far from here, Dai?"
"A short way. On the road it would be no more than a mile."
I nodded, "You four stay here and guard these weapons. When the alarm is given there will be fifteen warriors coming towards the hall. When they do I want you four to take these weapons and run back to the ship. You need not be silent. I want them to follow you. If they follow you then they cannot interfere with what we are about. If they start to catch you then discard the weapons."
Olaf the Fast said, "They are Saxons; the day I cannot outrun a Saxon is when I will sit before the fire and tell tall tales!"
I was confident that they would do as I asked and we moved swiftly through the woods. The attack had taken time and I now doubted that we would be able to reach the drekar by dawn. It would be more likely to be noon and that meant we would be in danger from Mercians hunting us. We would cross that bridge when we came to it. First we had to rescue the family.
I knew we were nearing the hall when we smelled smoke and our three scouts dropped to the ground. We could not afford any noise now and we used hand signals. Dai had a bow and I signed for him to guard our backs. Then we moved forward. The land around the hall had been cleared and there was a ditch but it was for drainage and not defence. From the position of the hall I suspected that it was now used for hunting. It was a round house as opposed to a long house like ours. That meant it had one entrance. It was a huge dwelling. I guessed it would hold up to thirty people. I hoped it did not for that would be too many warriors for us to handle.
Snorri pointed. There were two Mercians sleeping outside the door to prevent anyone getting in. Bjorn tapped me on the shoulder and I saw that there were horse lines and another four warriors were watching the horses. I waved for Haaken and five men to deal with the horse guards. The ten horses might mean the difference between success and failure. As they hurried off I signalled for Snorri and Bjorn to use their bows. When their arrows silenced the sentries I saw Dai nod his approval.
Haaken and his men returned. He nodded. Before we approached the hall we looked around to make sure there were no more guards. It was as well that we did. A sentry came from the far woods. He had been to relieve himself. Before I could give a command Dai's arrow struck him in the centre of his face and he fell backwards. Although he barely made a sound we could take no chances and we ran forward to reach the door before the alarm was sounded.
I was the first one inside the hut. I stepped over the bodies and thrust open the door. As I stepped into the hall I swung my shield around. There were sleeping bodies all around the inside. The light from the fire in the middle illuminated some. We had to
make sure that we did not kill the two young princes. I had no idea of their age. They could be youths or boys; I had no idea. I guessed that they would be close to the two women. I spied one woman alone as far away from anyone as she could get. Her back was to the wall and she had her back to the hut. Her eyes bored into me. I put a finger to my lips and stepped into the hut seeking foes.
At my feet slept a Saxon. He had a beard and I saw his weapons at his side. I swung my sword overhand and hacked through his neck. Behind me my men spread themselves out and began to slaughter the sleeping Saxons. Inevitably one woke up and shouted the alarm. There were more of them than I had expected but we had armour and were awake; they were not. Even as I fended off the blow from the axe and skewered the wielder I was looking around for the Queen and her princes. I saw a woman in the far corner huddled alone in her cloak. I heard a scream and saw a woman grab two youths who looked to be about twelve summers old. They had to be the Kings' family. In the recesses of my mind I took in that the woman on her own was the King's illegitimate daughter. She would be saved too.
I ran at the two Saxons who were trying to get to the Queen. I brought my sword down on the back of one of them and split him open to the backbone. The other warrior heard the scream as I killed his companion and turned to face me. My sword was behind me and so I smashed him in the face with my shield. He crumpled at my feet and I sank my sword into his chest. I saw the terror on the faces of the Queen and her boys. "I am sent by your husband! I am here to save you. Asbjorn, Eystein! Guard the Queen and the princes."
My two warriors hacked their way to me and stood guard before them. Coenwulf's men had now awoken properly and were beginning to organise themselves. I ran towards the woman who was still alone and cowering against the wall. I had been tasked with saving them all and I would do so.
As I ran I heard her cry, "Look out!"
I managed to turn in time and blocked the spear which would have struck my side. The warrior was a large man and he put his arms around my neck as we fell to the ground. I let go of my shield for it was useless now. His face was in mine and he was snarling like a dog. His huge hands closed about my neck. His body lay on my sword and I could not move it but my left arm was free. As I felt myself choking I pulled my left hand free and felt the hilt of a weapon in the warrior's belt. I pulled it out and thrust it into his side. He grunted and squeezed even harder. I felt myself blacking out. I pulled out the knife and stabbed him again and again. My hand became slippery with blood and I struggled to hold on to the hilt. When his hands loosened a little I pushed hard with my right hand and rolled him off me. As he lay beneath me I ripped his own knife across his throat.
I rose and continued towards the frightened woman. She shouted again, "Look out! Behind you!"
I turned and saw a spear hurtling towards me. I managed to dive out of the way and then I heard a scream as it struck the woman. I swung my sword across the throat of the spearman and he fell dead. I ran to the woman. The spear had nicked her knee. She had taken the blow which was meant for me. Her knee was bleeding profusely. I tore the hem from the dead Saxon's kyrtle and tied it tightly above the knee to halt the bleeding. I hoisted her above my left shoulder and turned. The guards all lay dead. I saw that Harald Long Legs was wounded as was Siggi the Silent but we appeared to have lost no one.
"Asbjorn, take the Queen and princes from here. Haaken burn this place and let us get back to the drekar."
The woman I carried said, "I can walk."
"Not fast enough. I will carry you for you are no weight."I shouted, "Aiden, come and tend this woman!"
He ran next to me and helped me to carry her. Once outside I lay her on the ground while Aiden tended to her knee. Dai met us and said, "I heard a cry from the west. I think the other guards are alerted."
"I expected that. Asbjorn get them on horses." I looked at Aiden. "Well?"
"I have stopped the bleeding but I will need to look at it again on board the drekar."
I carried the King's illegitimate daughter, Brigid, to a horse and put her on the back. "Can you ride?"
She shook her head. "I know not how."
I nodded, "Then I will mount behind you. Get them on horses! Haaken, Snorri cover the rear."
"Aye Jarl Dragon Heart!"
As the Queen was mounted on the horse next to me she spat out, "You can leave that whore here if you wish! I have no desire to take her back with us!"
I turned and stared at her, "I was charged with rescuing four captives. I will do as I swore I would do. You just follow orders!"
"I am the Queen!"
"You are a captive and you will not be a queen until I return you to your husband so do exactly as I say!" She looked to me to be almost assaulted by my words. She nodded. "We ride but at the speed of the Ulfheonar!"
Dai was mounted and he and Snorri led us towards the river. To our left the dawn was breaking. We would soon be in even greater danger if we could not escape the warriors who would pursue us once King Coenwulf found that his bargaining chip had been stolen.
As we rode Brigid said, "Thank you for saving my life."
"You saved mine twice and I am grateful."
"What is a Viking doing saving a Welsh Queen?"
"Your father pays well!"
"My father feels guilty that his wife treats me like a slave. If she had her way then I would have been left to the Mercians."
She began to cry and turned her head to nestle into my chest. It would not have been comfortable for I wore armour. "You are safe now. Trust me I will let nothing bad happen to you."
"Nothing worse can happen to me." She raised her head, "Those Mercians took their turn with me and the Queen and her sons laughed while they did so."
"They are dead now."
"They did not suffer enough."
There was nothing to say to that. Suddenly Snorri shouted, "Saxons!"
"Take the reins and whatever you do keep on the trail. Even if I leave you keep on the trail. My ship is ahead!" She nodded. "Aiden watch for the woman!"
"Aye Jarl!"
I dug my heels into the horse and drew my sword. I could hear the sounds of battle ahead. I suspected that some of my warriors had not made it to the drekar. I saw Sven the Slight on the ground and a Mercian was raising his axe above his head. I leaned out and swung my sword at his back. The speed of the horse and my blade sliced him in two but the blow threw me from the horse. "Ride to my ship!" I bounced along the ground and rolled. My shield took the worst of the fall and I jumped to my feet and stood over Sven. He was wounded but alive. "Get to your feet, Sven. Follow Aiden and that horse with the woman. Protect them."
"Aye Jarl." I just managed to swing my shield around as three warriors ran at me. I took the blow from a sword on my shield and stepped forward to ram my sword into the second warrior who charged at me. The third warrior's sword struck my mail but the metal plates stopped it penetrating and I shoulder charged him. The three had expected me to be on the defensive and now one lay dead, one was winded and the third was surprised when I charged him, swinging Ragnar's Spirit over my shoulder. I hacked him across the shoulder. The spurting blood told me that he was dead. I spun around and brought the edge of my shield down on the throat of the third warrior. I broke his neck.
Looking around I saw that the last of the Mercians had died. Oleg Svensson lay dead. "Bjorn, pick up Oleg and bring him with us. We will not leave him here."
"Aye Jarl." Bjorn hefted the corpse onto his shoulder and I joined the rest of the Ulfheonar as we ran the last half a mile to the drekar.
I was relieved to see that the King's family had made it safely. Aiden was helping them on board. Dawn had truly broken and it would be a fine day. "Erik, we will need the mast and the sail!"
"Aye Jarl!"
I waited until all were aboard before I slapped the horses away and clambered aboard. Every warrior began banging his shield and chanted, "Dragon Heart! Dragon Heart! Dragon Heart! Dragon Heart!"
I raised my sword in the air
and shouted, "Ragnar's Spirit! Ulfheonar!" We had succeeded. The Gods favoured me still!
Chapter 13
Cnut Cnutson shouted down from the mast head, "Jarl, there are riders to the north!"
I looked to the northern bank of the Sabrina. The trees and undergrowth hid the numbers but I saw the tip of a banner. We had been spotted.
"Snorri get every man who has a bow on the steer board side. Everyone else take an oar."
Aiden was dealing with the wounded. I sat next to Haaken and took his oar. I noticed that the two princes were standing and watching. I snapped, "And you two can row too!"
One shouted, "We are princes! We do not row!"
"If I have not come to fetch you from the Mercians then you would not in a position to row! Row!" My voice brooked no argument and the two joined my warriors. Perhaps it was my fierce appearance or my voice which demanded obedience.
One turned to me and said, "My father will have the skin from your bones for this!"
Olaf Leather Neck who was seated next to him said, "Behave yourself or I will take what passes for your balls and make you eat them!"
Olaf Leather Neck had no front teeth and he was frightening to look at. When he glowered at him I thought that the prince would burst into tears. I saw Snorri and the archers release their arrows and I concentrated upon rowing down the Sabrina. The river was with us and so was the wind. I knew that if we could just make the next bend we stood a chance of outrunning the horsemen. It was many years since I had rowed and there is a rhythm you get into. All thoughts of tiredness went as we rowed with a purpose.
Haaken began the chant.
The storm was wild and the Gods did roam
The enemy closed on the Prince's home
Two warriors stood on a lonely tower
Watching, waiting for hour on hour.
The storm came hard and Odin spoke
With a lightning bolt the sword he smote
Ragnar's Spirit burned hot that night
It glowed, a beacon shiny and bright
The two they stood against the foe