by Griff Hosker
The Norns were having none of that and we heard the barking of dogs in the distance before the sun had begun to peep over the horizon. There were more trees around us now and we would see them before they saw us. Our scouts stayed on the road as we pushed on. They would watch for the Saxons and then catch us up.
“Sven, look for an ambush place.” He trotted up the road. We might be hidden in the dark but the hounds would smell us.
It was at that point that I saw the shortcomings in the Roman Road; it was straight and an ambush would be difficult to pull off. Although trees and bushes had begun to grow they were far too small for us to use for cover.
We moved more urgently now. I noticed my warriors slipping their swords in and out of the scabbards and tightening their shields. If we were surprised we would be ready for action, instantly.
There was a dip and Sven stood pointing to one side. I could see some rocks and scrubby bushes just thirty paces from the road. It was not much but it would have to do. “Tostig, take the horses and their riders up the road. Keep going and do not stop when you hear the sounds of battle. Save the horses and we will join you.”
Even in the dark I could see that he was less than happy to be leaving us but I needed someone I could trust and it to be one of the Ulfheonar who led the warriors. He nodded his agreement.
“You five bring those horses along. Take them off the road and walk along the verge.” He was using his head. The horses’ hooves would be muffled along the grassy sods.
“Haaken, take half of the men and find somewhere on the southern side of the road.” The nearest cover was some gorse bushes but they were sixty paces away. He pointed to the men he would choose and he trotted off in the dark.
I could hear the dogs and they were closer. “The rest of you come with me. Those with bows, string them.” I led them to the rocks and bushes and placed them where I wanted them to hide. Returning to the road I drew Ragnar’s Spirit. “Allfather and Ragnar guide me this night for we will need your help.” The followers of the White Christ would have called it a prayer; in my mind I was talking to an old friend and asking him to intercede with Odin. When I held the sword I felt closer to both the old man and the Allfather.
I heard footsteps coming down the road. I pulled my shield into position. Snorri and the other two scouts stopped before me. “There are forty or so warriors. They have dogs; the big Irish wolfhounds again.”
I had sent six warriors away and that left me with enough men to do the job. We needed surprise. “Wait here.” I ran to Cnut. “I am going to make the four of us bait. Wait until you cannot miss and then attack. Haaken will join in once they are engaged.”
He nodded, “Take care.”
I rejoined the others. “Erik, lie down as though you are injured.” He grinned as he lay down. “When they see us I will shout and we will run. Pretend we are afraid.”
The hard part was waiting but the dogs grew closer. Snorri said, quietly, “They are the big Irish Wolfhounds just like the ones you fought at Úlfarrston.”
Erik who was yet to become an Ulfheonar said, “If I kill one of those can I wear its skin, Jarl?”
Beorn snorted, “You can but it will not make you Ulfheonar. You need to kill a wolf for that!”
It is hard to wait when you know that you be fighting for your life within moments. I knew that I trusted the three young warriors who would be at my side. The first tiny sliver of light appeared over the hills. I could now hear the dogs at the top of the hill. “Ready to jump, Erik?”
“Ready!”
I heard a single shout from the hill as the sunlight lit us. “Vikings!”
“Now!” We were play acting no longer we jumped and ran quickly down the road. I knew that the wolfhounds would catch us and I had to time our turn perfectly or the ambush would fail. The sound of the dogs’ feet thundering on the road told me when they were close. “Turn!”
Just in time I whirled around as a beast the size of a small pony leapt at me. I swept the sword around in a circle and its head flew from its body. The spattering blood enraged the other five beasts. Beorn stabbed one while Snorri sliced through the throat of a third. Erik had slipped and a wolf hound had fastened his teeth around his forearm. I stabbed into its eye and my sword pinned the body to the ground. The last beast was despatched by Snorri and Beorn.
Erik prised the dead jaws apart and stood. The Saxons were now close to the ambush. “Stand close together as though we expect to die.”
Whilst it was play acting it enabled us to keep our shields close together. Only Erik did not have mail and we had him to the left where we could protect him. The Saxon hunters hurled themselves down the Roman Road. We must have appeared as stragglers and they were eager for revenge. They had almost reached us when the first of Cnut’s arrows began to fall amongst them. It did not stop them and we braced ourselves to receive the charge.
They struck us as Cnut led the men from one side and Haaken from the other. The light from the sun’s rays was behind the Saxons and we were all hidden in the darkness. Confusion reigned amongst them as they could not discern our numbers. I stabbed forward at the spearman who raced at me. He aimed his spear at my head and I brought up the shield. He impaled himself upon my sword. The two warriors with him also fell, one to Erik’s sword and the other to Snorri’s. Those behind turned to both sides to face the new enemies and it allowed us to attack the side of the warband.
We turned our attention to those fighting Haaken. They had no shields on our side and the first four warriors fell without realising that they had enemies on two sides. I hacked at the unprotected back of those fighting Cnut and it proved too much. Their leaders must have been at the fore and they had fallen. Fifteen or so turned tail and ran into the rising sun. I daresay they would tell tales of shape shifters and impossibly large numbers. How else could they explain the loss of so many men?
I left my warriors to despatch the wounded while I went to tend to Erik and his bite. It was not serious but the skin had been badly broken and he would have a scar for the rest of his life. I laughed as I bound it. “You hated the name Short-Toe we could rename you Erik Dog Bite.”
I had meant it as a joke but Erik, who was the youngest warrior we had brought with us nodded, “I am happy for that Jarl Dragon Heart for it will be a reminder of the first time I stood should to shoulder with Jarl Dragon Heart and fought an enemy!”
Two of our young warriors had died. We buried them close to the rocks where we had the ambush. There were plenty of stones to make a grave and then we covered them with turf. We buried them with their swords and I spoke the words to send them to Valhalla.
We made a pile of the Saxon bodies. We identified a chief from his torc and his silver cross of the White Christ. We took his head and placed it on a spear. It would be a warning to the Saxons of the treatment they could expect from us. We gathered their weapons and their armour. Much of it was inferior but there were some good spear heads and we could reuse them. Only one warrior had had mail and I gave that to Erik. He had stood bravely by us despite his lack of armour and he was training to be Ulfheonar.
Chapter 19
A week after we had returned from our successful raid the rains came. It was not a shower for one day and then soft autumnal weather; it rained for seven nights and seven days. Only Bjorn was able to be dry. The thin pieces of stone kept his smithy dry while we suffered the constant drip as the water permeated the turf.
Erika had had enough by the second day of the rain. “Tell Aiden I want a rock roof like Bjorn!”
Her tone told me that she would brook no delay and so I set off with Scanlan, Aiden, Arturus and some slaves to cut the rock for the roof. We took a horse and one of the carts we had captured. I was keen to see how Aiden would cut them. He had with him a hammer and a chisel. I would have thought he needed more.
It was a miserable march and we were soaked before we even made the trail to the Old Man. The rain had formed a low cloud so that it was almost like walking in a f
og. He stopped where there appeared to be a rock fall. He pointed to the thin rocks lying on the ground. “We can cut these to size back at the hall.” He pointed to the slaves. “Pick those that are this size and no smaller.” He held up one of the correct size in two hands.
While they did that he strode off and we joined him. He went to a piece of rock which was shiny and dripping with water. He motioned for us to stand clear and then he placed the chisel in a tiny crack and struck it with the hammer. Nothing seemed to happen. He took out the chisel and moved it up. He repeated it and I saw a definite shaking of the rock. He reached up and did the same thing at the highest point he could reach. There was an enormous crack and a piece of rock the size of four men slid down to the ground. It broke into pieces but all of them were bigger than the pieces the slaves were collecting.
He grinned, “Easy isn’t it?”
Scanlan stroked his chin. “With these we could roof the whole town and, perhaps sell them.” Scanlan had the mind of a trader.
Aiden broke the larger pieces into more manageable ones and we soon filled the cart. There were still many pieces of the rock lying around and Scanlan said, “I will have these brought over to the town. I think Maewe would like to be dry too.”
By the end of the day we had enough of this rock, which Aiden called roof rock, to roof the warrior hall too. The actual process meant a great deal of wetness for a short time while the turf was removed and replaced by roof rock. But when each section had been replaced there were dry areas where the rain could not reach. Erika’s forceful personality ensured that our hall was finished by dark!
We used the rain filled days to replace as many roofs as we could. It kept men occupied and the women were pleased. We used the turf from the roofs to make a low wall around the settlement. I had noticed, when we had been on the Roman Wall, that that was what the Romans had done. By sticking a few stakes in the top you had an instant wall.
It was when we were sitting in the warm warrior hall that Haaken and Arturus reminded me of the treasure of Rheged. “Why have you not sought the treasure Jarl Dragon Heart?”
It must have been on Arturus’ mind too for he added. “Now would be a good time to go.”
I ruffled his head. “We have much to do here and the treasure has lain there a long time. As we have the map then no-one else can get it and it will still be there next month.”
“What if someone has already found the treasure?”
Haaken rolled his eyes, “Then,” I said, “there is no point going to seek it anyway for it will be a wasted journey.”
Aiden smiled at his young acolyte’s mistake. “Besides which we have not explored that part of Rheged yet and we know not what to expect.”
He was right. We had been as far north as the Grassy Mere. The rest of the land was unknown. I would wait until the winter to make the decision. Part of me worried that I would get there and discover that the treasure had gone. The other reason I was delaying was that Erika was with child again and I was loath to leave her. She thought the child would be born in six months. How women knew this I did not know.
We had just finished roofing all of the houses and sent some of the roof rock to Windar’s Mere when we had visitors. A party of warriors marched up the long water to Cyninges-tūn. The day was filled with flecks of snow and a wickedly biting wind from the north east. The party of eight were spotted by some of the fishermen who were braving the water and they sailed over to warn us when they saw them at the southern end of the Water.
When I told Erika she began to make arrangements to house and feed them. I gave her a puzzled look. “They were not invited but we should not upset anyone. We can be polite and hospitable. You never know when you will need friends do you?”
She was of course correct and it would not hurt us to be hospitable. The land teemed with game and we had more than enough food for our people. The warrior hall was half empty as many of the warriors had recently married and were holed up in their newly built and roofed huts making sure that they had heirs to follow in their footsteps. The only ones left in there were the likes of Snorri, Beorn and Erik, the younger ones.
We watched them march along the water to the other huts. They were huddled forward trying to take shelter behind their shields from the biting wind which ripped through every chink in a warrior’s byrnie. They seemed to spend an inordinate length of time there and then they began the long slog around the head of The Water to our home. Before they reached us I heard the sound of hooves and Rolf rode in with Magnus, the ship’s boy from ‘Wolf’. Poor Magnus looked terrified after the ride and he gripped the reins for dear life.
Rolf dismounted, “Jarl Dragon Heart, four drekar are in the estuary. They have boarded the headman’s ship there.”
I glanced over to the other side of the water. “Have they attacked?”
Rolf looked up at Magnus. “Magnus here was sent by Alf because he did not like the look of them. They have not ventured up the river yet and our other boats are safe.”
I gestured with my thumb behind me. “There are Norse warriors walking here now. They may be connected.” I did not like this. If the ships were there in peace then why block the estuary? I would speak with their emissary but make my preparations.
“Rolf, get all the warriors and head down the Mere. Take two small boats with you. Do not let these others see you but be ready to defend our ships.”
“And Windar’s Mere?”
“Get Dargh to move there and protect it. I will speak with these and then send a message to you.”
Erika had been listening behind me. She turned to Aiden. “Go and tell Scanlan to find out what stores of food we have.” She saw my look and spread her arms, “This may be war. Let us be prepared.”
I kissed her, “I chose the best wife a jarl could ever hope for.”
As I pulled away she said, “I know.”
I put on my armour and my sword. I was not presenting a warlike attitude but showing them who I was. Arturus looked at me expectantly. “Go on then.” He ran off to don the Roman helmet and sword we had found. He now had a scabbard for the sword and it was well decorated. Aiden had helped him and worked strands of copper and blue stones into it. They had both taken my mother’s words in the dream to heart. I did not think the dream referred to this sword but it did not hurt for them to take extra care with it. When he returned I said go and tell the Ulfheonar to arm themselves.
The turf walls now had a wooden palisade and a gate. The gate was kept open during the day. The eight warriors stood in the gateway, surprised, I think, by the lack of guards. I strode over to meet with them. They removed their helmets and slid their shields out of sight to show their peaceful intentions. Six of my Ulfheonar appeared behind me. Haaken was clever. By keeping our numbers smaller than theirs he was showing that we did not fear them.
I strode over to their leader. He had had part of his nose sliced off at some time. It must have been before he acquired a nasal helmet. He was shorter than I was but quite broad. He had scars on his arms and when he smiled I saw he was one of those who filed his teeth horizontally to give himself a more fearful expression. The marks were now black and uneven.
“I am Jarl Dragon Heart. Welcome to Cyninges-tūn.” I held my arm out and the warrior with the filed teeth clasped my arm.
“I am Ketil Flat Nose and I bring greetings from my King, Thorfinn Skull Splitter.”
I kept my face expressionless but I was thinking that the last I had heard of Thorfinn he was just a pirate raiding Dál Riata. “Come inside my hall away from this biting cold.” It was not just for his benefit that I led him to the hall. The snow had begun to fall and lie on the ground. Winter weather was coming early. The Ulfheonar flanked the others as we walked to my hall.
“You have a good situation here this is well chosen but you have fewer men than we had heard.”
He was fishing for information. Was he a spy sent to scout out our defences? “We do not need more men than this. Who are our enemies? The S
axons are many miles from here and they bother us not.”
He smiled, “You are lucky then for it is a dangerous world and there are many treacherous enemies out there.”
Erika had some beer warmed with a poker from the fire and there were some warm cakes laden with butter and honey on the table. The smell was enticing. She must have had Seara and the thralls bake them as soon as she had left me. She gave a slight bow. “Welcome to our home.”
Ketil bowed and leered at me, “It is true what they say Jarl Dragon Heart you not only have a sword touched by the gods but a wife so beautiful she could be Odin’s bride.”
“You flatter me sir.” She nodded to me. “I will be about my business, husband.”
She left and it was then I noticed that the rest of the Ulfheonar were within my hall.
“Sit and take refreshment.”
They needed no urging and fell upon the food and ale as though they had not eaten for a week. I caught Haaken’s eye. He raised an eyebrow and I gave a slight shrug. I could not answer the unspoken question. I knew not why they were there but I did know it did not bode well.
After they had eaten I asked, “So what does your master, Thorfinn Skull Splitter wish of me?”
King Thorfinn Skull Splitter.”