by Griff Hosker
They were alone, nowhere to go
They fought in blood on a darkened hill
Dragon Heart and Cnut will save us still
Dragon Heart, Cnut and the Ulfheonar
Dragon Heart, Cnut and the Ulfheonar
I saw Cnut Cnutson stiffen with pride as we sang about his father. What a contrast he was compared with the pampered princes. The power of the river and our efforts soon enabled us to outdistance the horsemen. I watched Aiden as he worked on the wounded. Brigid had sat stoically as he had cleaned and stitched her wound. As my men were healed they returned to the benches to row. Snorri and the archers released fewer arrows. We had out distanced the horsemen but there were still watchers on the water.
As we neared the King's stronghold Cnut shouted, "I can see the Mercian army. There are hundreds of them. There are many banners."
I kept rowing. That was worrying. The Welsh did not have such large numbers. I hoped the King would not think to attack the Mercians. His strength lay in archers. He should hide behind his walls and let Coenwulf's men bleed on them. It was how we had defeated them in London when I had fought for Wessex. As I glanced into the Queen's eyes I wondered if Dyfed would be our ally once her husband heard how I had treated his sons. I could not change who I was and how I behaved. I had been shaped and wrought just like Ragnar's Spirit. The Allfather was my smith and he had forged the blade that was me. Perhaps we would land his family and sail home without his gold.
A short while later we saw the anchorage. I saw that my knarr and most of the other vessels had departed as we edged into the jetty. We would almost be alone by the water. The King and his cousin were there waiting for us. I daresay the sight of my wolf sail had been a welcome one. We had not had to row the last couple of miles and the two princes had retreated to their mother where they rubbed their reddened palms. If rowing a mile or two had hurt their hands then they would never be warriors. A warrior needed hands as hard as rocks. The two leapt over the side as soon as we were secured to the land. Llewellyn helped the Queen ashore. I saw the three turn and point at me. Their gratitude at their rescue was overwhelming!
I turned to my crew, "You have all done well. I will see if the King still wishes to hire us as warriors. Be ready to either fight or row. I will see the King." I looked down at Aiden and Brigid. "Is she able to be moved from here, Aiden?"
I saw them exchange a look and Aiden shook his head, "I would not have the wound reopened. I can rig a canvas shelter and she can stay here." He looked at her. I could tell that they had exchanged words before this. "If that is all right with you."
The King's daughter nodded, "I would stay aboard. And I would like to thank you Jarl for saving my life. I, at least, am grateful."
"You stay as long as you wish. I will go and speak with your father."
Her face tightened as I used the word. I do not think he had treated her well. I left my helmet and shield behind as I stepped ashore. "Haaken, you had better come with me."
We strode after the royal party who were climbing up the path which led to the stronghold. "We should just go home, Jarl."
"What, Haaken? It is not like you to turn down the chance to fight and earn gold."
"Let us just say that the King's family have, generally, disappointed me."
"I know what you mean. I would have taken the princes across my knee if they had been mine."
"If they had been yours, Jarl, you would not have needed to. Besides they are not children. We have warriors on board who are little older than they are." He was right. We brought our children up better.
There was now a more urgent mood in the stronghold. The proximity of the Mercians had made the Welsh scurry around like ants whose nest had been disturbed. We made our way to the King's hall. There was no sign of the Queen and the princes when we were admitted. The King smiled, "Thank you, Jarl. You have done exactly as you said you would."
"I told you, King Arthfael Hen ap Rhys, I am never foresworn. Your daughter, Brigid, remains on my drekar until she is ready to be moved."
He waved a dismissive hand, "She is my daughter no longer. My wife and my sons have spoken to me. She gave herself to those Saxons."
I took a deep breath. "She was taken by the Saxons and your sons did nothing to help her."
"Why should they have risked themselves? She was a servant."
"She was their sister."
"Her mother was a slave. She is not their sister. She is a walking accident sent by God to punish me. I have done with her."
I felt Haaken's hand tighten on my shoulder. I gave the briefest of nods. "And have you done with us too? "
He looked surprised, "Done with you? Why, no. I still need your warriors to fight for me. You said you would."
"And you said that you needed me to bring back your family. We will fight for you but it will cost you gold." If he thought the one payment was enough then he was wrong.
I wondered if he would object but he just nodded. He waved his hand and his steward disappeared. "How do you think we should fight them?"
"From behind these walls. We have seen their banners and they are a mighty host. They have horsemen. Your archers are your strength. Make them bleed to death. If your archers thin out the ones who do not wear mail then we and your mailed warriors can deal with them when they reach the walls."
"There is little honour in hiding behind walls and sending arrows towards your enemies."
"There is less honour in having your family enslaved and your warriors slaughtered and that would be the result if you faced them in the field."
I saw Llewellyn nodding. "He is right cousin. If we had an army of Vikings then we could face them beard to beard but we have already lost many of our best warriors."
I had not known this. "You have fought them recently?"
"While you were away the King's young brother, Gwynfor Ap Rhys, could not wait for your return and he took our best warriors to attack the Mercians. He thought to catch them unawares and he took all our best mounted and mailed warriors. They were caught on the wrong side of the Sabrina and slaughtered. That was when they captured the Queen. They crossed the Sabrina and found the royal party who had been on a pilgrimage to Buellt. Their guards were all killed. It was a disaster."
The King shrugged, "My little brother was headstrong but he had a noble death. You as a Viking should understand that."
"There is an honourable death and there is a pointless death. This seems to me pointless as nothing was gained and much was lost. Had he died defending the land then it would have been an honourable death."
"But your men fight here for gold; where is the honour in that?"
"There is none but your gold makes us richer and means that we do not have to hire our blades out as much. When we have fought King Coenwulf then we return home."
"You will not stay?"
"Our home is many leagues to the north. We fight until the Mercians retreat and then we go home." I could see that I had not pleased the King with my words. "If that is not satisfactory then we shall leave you your gold and return home."
Llewellyn shook his head and the King smiled, "No. I understand your words Jarl Dragon Heart. You fight until the Mercians retreat."
"And now I shall go and fetch my men. We will be fighting ere long and I need to have my drekar made safe."
The chest of coins took two of us to carry. "If the best warriors of this land are dead then we will struggle to hold this town. The Mercians are cunning enemies."
"I know, Haaken, and we will need to be even more cunning."
Once we reached the drekar we secured the chest in the hold. Haaken marched the Ulfheonar and all but six of my warriors back to the stronghold. They took the weapons we had captured as well as our own weapons. I addressed the warriors, the crew, Aiden, and Erik. "We are to fight for the King. I suspect that this will become too dangerous for you to stay. Take the drekar west along the coast and find somewhere to wait. I will send a rider when we are ready for you."
&nb
sp; "And if no rider comes?"
"Then, Aiden, you take the gold and give it to the families of the dead and tell Wolf Killer he rules my land."
Aiden nodded.
The King's daughter looked up at me, "And what of me, Jarl? Am I to be taken and used by your men? You have not spoken of me and yet I am here in plain sight."
"I have not yet spoken to you for I wished to speak with you privately." I shook my head, "I am neither your father, nor his wife and I am certainly not your half brothers." I led her to the side away from the others who were preparing the drekar for sea. "Your father has finished with you. I can take you either to my land or to your mother. I was paid to save you and I have done so but I will not leave you in further peril."
"My mother died. I have no home. Here I was a slave. I will be just as well off as a slave in your land."
I was beginning to tire of this. "Do you not hear my words? I have said that I am not like your family. My sister is a volva and has a house of women. There you can be free and do as you choose. You will not be harmed by any of my men! Do you understand?"
When she began to weep I realised I had been shouting. She looked at me through tear filled eyes. "I am sorry, Jarl Dragon Heart I thought… I thought you were as other men and…"
"And I am sorry that I shouted. It is some time since I spoke with a woman such as you. I am more used to speaking with my men and they are accustomed to my outbursts." I put my hand on her shoulder and stroked her hair, "Fear not; Aiden and my men will protect you. They are my oathsworn. I must go for I have a battle to fight."
She suddenly kissed me on my cheek, "You are a good man. I am sorry that I misjudged you." Her sudden smile made her face glow and she looked much younger in an instant.
"You will be safe."
I hurried up the ramp to the stronghold. As I reached the gate I saw the drekar heading west along the coast and, to the east, I saw the banners of Mercia advancing steadily towards us. Coenwulf had come.
The walls of the stronghold had a stone base but were made of wood. The ditch was adequate but no more. This was not a stronghold which was intended to stand as a rock. It was a refuge only and it had to now face a tidal wave of warriors. The Welsh had withdrawn their bridges after the last of those without had entered. A thin line of refugees headed west to safety. Apart from the Royal family there were few women and children left. It was warriors who remained. King Coenwulf could have avoided attacking King Arthfael Hen ap Rhys if he had chosen. He could have headed directly west across the hills and cut him off. He was coming to defeat the Welsh King and conquer the land of Gwent. Equally King Arthfael Hen ap Rhys could have withdrawn west but that would have meant giving up control of the mouth of the Sabrina. Both kings wanted this valuable piece of land. The battle would be here.
My warriors awaited me. They would not take orders from any Welshman. I nodded to Haaken who followed me to the gatehouse. There were two small towers on each side and they were filled with archers already. Llewellyn was there too. He looked around as I arrived. He said quietly, "I am pleased you are here. Had the King's brother not wasted our finest warriors then I would not have needed you. The men who died were the men of Gwent and they were doughty and cunning fighters."
Haaken asked, "Then how did King Coenwulf slaughter them?"
"The King's brother charged the Mercian shield wall and the Mercians surrounded them with horsemen. They trapped them and assailed them from all sides."
"We need to make them hurt so much that they withdraw."
"That is easier said than done."
"It depends upon Coenwulf's strategy. He has many men. He may choose to send his weaker warriors first. If he does then when we slaughter them it will dishearten the rest. If, on the other hand, he sends his best warriors first then we may struggle for they will have mail and your archers will not be able to kill as many. This battle will depend much upon the cunning of King Coenwulf. I will place my men here, at the gatehouse. This is the place they will attack. I can see where they are needed then. Where will the King be?"
"He will consult with his advisers."
Haaken said, incredulously, "He will not be on the walls?"
"He is not a warrior king; that would have been his brother."
"Then who commands?"
"I do."
I nodded. That was better news for this Llewellyn looked to know his business. I had seen his men look at him with pride in their faces. He was a warrior and a leader. "Then hurt them in their first attack."
We watched as the enemy ranks swelled. They halted out of bow range. They had horsemen but we did not see them which made me think that they had gone to the west to prevent our escape. It is what I had done many times. Lines of spearmen stood before smaller lines of mailed warriors. I saw King Coenwulf, his banners and his eorls standing on a piece of high ground to the east of us. They definitely outnumbered us but it was never easy to assault a fort; especially one defended by archers. The men of Gwent were renowned for their skill in archery. However as I looked along the walls I saw that only a handful of Welshmen had mail. Some did not even own a helmet. If the Mercians broke through the shower of arrows which would assail them and breach the walls then it would be a bloodbath.
I saw the banner of Mercia wave and a gap appeared in the Mercian ranks. I saw men pushing a ram. They had not wasted their time while they had been gathering their forces. The ram had eight wheels on and there was a wooden roof to protect the men pushing it. This was a well made war machine. I would be interested to see how they manoeuvred it over the ditch.
"What do we do about that, Jarl?"
"Nothing, at the moment. I cannot see how they can bridge the ditch."
Snorri's sharp eyes came up with the answer. It was the same trick they had used in Wessex. They had men carrying bound logs. There were three of them. They were heavy and it took four men to carry them. This time, however, they had warriors with large shields protecting them as they hurried alongside the ram. Gradually they overtook the lumbering wooden machine but they kept a steady pace so that they were protected by their shields.
I pointed to them. "I would have your archers slay those men. They are making a bridge to enable the ram to strike your gate. Perhaps you can use fire or heated sand if you have it."
Llewellyn shook his head, "We have sand aplenty but it is not within the fort. I will get fire."
He shouted to his archers on the towers and they loosed their arrows. Their first flights were the most successful for the men with the shields were not tight enough to the men carrying the bridges and three men fell. They had to halt while three replacement warriors ran up. Two of those were hit before the make shift bridges were manned once more and they could progress. The archers shifted their aim to the men with the shields. One was so keen to protect his charge that he moved the shield too far and an arrow plunged into his head. As he fell three more arrows struck the man carrying the bridge. The others dropped that bridge and ran back. We had eliminated one of the bridges but two more remained. The other two had learned their lesson and there was no gap for arrows.
The last two bridges were now moving very slowly for they were close together and were giving each other mutual protection. "Asbjorn, can you hit them with your spear?"
"I could give it a try. Is my target the man with the shield or the man carrying the bridge?"
"The man with the shield."
He stood. There were a few Saxon archers behind the ram but the range was too great and when the arrows they released fell perilously close to their own advancing men they stopped. The bridges were just twenty paces from the ditch and fifteen from the walls. Asbjorn chose his moment and hurled his spear. There was not much of a gap but he found it. An arrow might not have succeeded but the heavy head of the spear struck one of the men with the shields in the cheek. It went through his head and he fell to the floor. As soon as he did then the archers sent their arrows at the exposed warrior. When he fell the bridge tipped and another of
the carriers was slain. They dropped their load and ran. Three were struck in the back.
The men carrying the last bridge took advantage of the archers' attack on their comrades and ran to the ditch. They dropped it in position. Llewellyn shouted, "Kill them!"
Six of the eight men died but the bridge was across the ditch. It was barely wide enough for the ram but if they were careful then it could cross and we had nothing else left to stop it. Ominously the ram began its journey towards the gate. The archers could do nothing about the ram. Our spears could not harm it either. Only fire would work. We had one thing in our favour; the bridge they had made was not directly in line with the gate house. It was some paces to the right. They would have to come at an angle.
Eystein suddenly said, "I have an idea, Jarl."
I waved an arm, "Make it happen."
He turned to the nearest warriors, "Siggi, Snorri, come with me."
I wondered what my latest Ulfheonar had in mind. Until the fire was ready we had nothing to attack the ram. It took some time for the men pushing the machine to reach the bridge. They had to move slowly for the bridge was not securely in place and the crudely fashioned wheels were running along the edges of the log bridge. They would have to edge slowly over the temporary structure. The men with the lighted torches arrived and Llewellyn ordered them thrown. Three of them landed on the sloped roof of the machine. Still the ram came on and the torches had no effect. They had soaked the roof in water. It would never burn.
Just then my three Ulfheonar struggled up the ladders. They were each carrying a large jute sack. I wrinkled my nose at the smell. "It is horse dung, Jarl. Sawdust would have been better but this will have to do."
"What will you do with it?"
"Watch." He picked up the sack and threw it, not at the ram but some paces before it. He repeated the same with the other two. He was a strong man and he managed to throw them in a line so that the wheels of the ram would have to cross them.
"How does that help?"
"The ram is heavy and will press into the horse dung. They will find it hard to push. When the first wheels do get over the sacks they will tear it and it will become slippery underfoot. The only way to avoid them will be if one braves our arrows to remove them." He pointed. "They are too close for our archers to miss if they try to do so."