The Norseman

by Jason Born

  Cnute made it over and soon several others. We formed a small shield wall and pushed forward. Method was important for it would rule the day. The more organized army usually won. Today, we were better organized and we outnumbered them. Our shield wall grew with men and we hemmed the enemy at the ankles and knees. We pierced their soft bellies with sharp-tipped spears. So efficient were we at killing those opposite the Boar that day, that when we were mid way through the hold, I shouted to my men behind us, “Spears and arrows to the next boat! Help the Midgard! Board it if you can!” And we inched forward.

  When there were fifteen of Haakon’s men remaining in the stern, I left the shield wall and let Cnute and the men finish them. There would be no surrender today. I climbed the prow to look down on the fray. The other two sets of platforms were just beginning to grapple together. The other ships of Haakon’s fleet were engaged in single combat with our own roving longboats or, to my amazement, were fleeing. I counted eight ships with sails hauled high making a run to exit the fjord. The captains of our stray ships decided the battle was here and did not pursue them. I looked around the fjord for Haakon’s longboat with its black raven but could not find it. Had it sunk? But how?

  I returned my head to the action and saw that the battle on our own platform raged wildly, with varying levels of success. The men with the now splintered prow opposite the Serpent had split into two groups and joined the crews on either side. They then jumped onto our boats and brought battle to our center. Olaf and the men from the Serpent fought to the sides. Crevan prayed on his knees in the Serpent’s stern on the steering deck. I was safe from my vantage point and decided it was time for target practice. I jumped down into the Boar and grabbed my bow and another quiver of arrows. I climbed to the top of the prow and balanced with one foot on each prow of the grappled ships. I let the arrows find their targets and let my hands do their work without the clutter of my mind. My bowstring hummed and my fingers bled from lack of archer callouses as the cord raked across their tips. Many of Haakon’s men died with arrows in their backs that day. One man crashed his shield into Olaf’s shield and knocked the warlord off his feet. Just as he raised his spear to kill Olaf, the point of my arrow entered his back and protruded through his chest. Olaf looked over the man’s shoulder and we made eye contact. I waved and was happy. Olaf clamored to his feet and again joined the battle. At the same time I noticed the colossal commander of Shining Sword, Einar Tambarskelver, mimicking me and standing atop the prow of his ship loosing arrows from the largest bow I had ever seen. He poured thick, iron-tipped arrows down into Haakon’s men attacking toward Serpent from the port side.

  “Halldorr! Halldorr! Halldorr!” called Cnute from below. When I finally acknowledged him he continued, “We’ve cleared the ship.” I immediately jumped down to him and our crew gathered around, staring at me.

  “Cnute you lead this half and move to the next ship opposite the Midgard and push the attack. Help them finish clearing her deck. Remember, keep the shield wall tight. Nothing stupid. This half, come with me.” We split up and I and my men jumped back to the Boar, then turned and climbed into the empty Midgard. Our next ship, the East, was empty too as their attack pressed aboard the enemy’s ship. And then we jumped another set of gunwales to the Vik and fell onto the backs of an unsuspecting and now surrounded enemy.

  The Vik would end up with permanently stained decks after that day, such was the blood. Haakon’s men were hacked from the front and back and we sloshed in blood. When the last man fell, I found myself face-to-face with Olaf. We looked at each other’s sweating, red-splattered faces and he grabbed my head and kissed me on the forehead and he laughed. His roar was infectious and we all laughed, despite the fact that men still fought and bled in pockets on our platform. But we would win. While he laughed, Olaf managed to sputter, “Halldorr must have been born of the old gods, he couldn’t be satisfied killing the men on one ship he needed more. Arrows can’t even stop him!” He laughed even more and the men were pointing at me now. I looked down at my mail and to my surprise saw what they were pointing at. I had no less than five arrows lodged in my mail sticking out in all directions.

  Crevan stepped over the gunwale onto the Vik and amidst all the roaring said to me, “Halldorr, I prayed to God for a mighty warrior to step forward for the good of Olaf and the faith. God chose you today.”

  I wasn’t sure what he meant about being chosen so I just turned to Olaf, “Lord, if you are to be king we must find Haakon. His ship with the raven has vanished.” With that, Olaf’s laugh stuttered to a chuckle and he shook his head. After he patted my shoulder he surveyed the battles raging throughout the fjord. The lopsided fights on the platforms were going in our favor and the individual skirmishes were drawing to a close. We had won. But where was Haakon?

  When the last man in Haakon’s floating army was killed we pushed the bodies over the gunwale and out of the way. The men with mail were stripped first and any valuables taken. Hundreds of dead floated in the still waters of the fjord, a blood slick expanding out around them. The ropes lashing us together were untied in most cases, but in others hacked with a battle axe. When the enemy’s ships were unlashed, the middle boat that splintered due to the iron beard on the Serpent, promptly sank to the bottom of the cold water. I sent four men to sail my new vessel opposite the Boar. I decided to call it the Goat after that same indifferent goat still watching me from the rocky hillside. Our wounded and dead were transferred to the new boats and the Goat certainly carried its share. Of the forty-two sailing on the Boar that morning four had joined Odin in his hall. Odin’s hall seemed a more fitting place to spend eternity for men killed in battle than what I had heard of Jesus’ paradise. Another four were wounded badly but, if they survived the next week, would likely heal completely.

  Olaf called a short meeting of his commanders where he ordered thirty of our original boats to stay in the mouth in case reinforcements came from the sea or in case Haakon eluded capture and tried to leave. It would be up to those captains to decide how to organize a sea patrol as Haakon had done. Our new boats would follow us deeper into the fjord until we found a place suitable to drop them ashore. Our fleet now numbered two hundred longboats!

  We hoisted our sail and allowed the wind to push our ships deeper into the quickly narrowing fjord. Spears and arrows jutted out from the Boar’s mast, gunwale, and deck just like the arrows from my mail shirt. As we began moving I tried to pull the arrows from my mail, but found they were lodged in tight. I gave the rudder to Cnute who chuckled as I wriggled my way out of the heavy shirt. Two of the sharp arrow heads cut me while pulling it over my head. I checked my body over where the arrows had penetrated the mail and found that I did not have so much as a scratch. Crevan must have been right that my new Christian God did favor me today so I said a silent prayer to him. I turned the shirt inside out and pulled the arrows out head first. When I slipped the mail back on I indicated to Cnute that I was heading to the prow. I walked past our men who mostly sat and ate their stale bread and drank ale, resting. When I made it to the prow I stepped on something soggy and looked down. It was the kidney we had torn from the man’s back during the attack. I picked it up and studied it for a moment. I had no idea what it did in the body. Maybe it held the man’s soul. Maybe he wouldn’t be able to get into Odin’s hall without it. I decided I was asking too many questions and tossed it overboard.

  Serpent sailed to my port and I saw Olaf standing in her prow scanning the fjord. It would be difficult to find Haakon in the fjord unless we could get sight of him on the run. This inlet seemed to be typical of many in Norway, containing thousands of small nooks where one ship or several ships could hide and be overlooked. If we didn’t find him in the first few hours, we would have to organize an exhaustive, methodical search. We sailed through the narrowest section of the fjord we had traversed thus far; it was about five miles across. Then the waterway split into multiple tentacles curving to the right, left, and straight ahead. Which way to pursue
was anyone’s guess and Olaf would have to rely on Crevan for some inspired choice. While we maintained our heading, I scrambled up the Boar’s prow again as I had during the battle. It bobbed vigorously so I sat on my ass and held on tight. I used the higher position to increase my view, squinting my eyes to see across the water. The channel to the right narrowed quickly and looked like it split again a short distance in. Straight ahead were many small inlets and islands and a larger passage that went where I didn’t know. Olaf shouted that we should all turn to starboard so I grabbed tighter as Cnute would begin the turn. As we turned I finally scanned to the left. It was the longest, widest direction available to us. Something flashed in the sun! We were turning rapidly now and I had to spin on my seat. I let go with my hands and cupped them around my eyes to block the sun reflecting off the water and saw the yellow sail and the raven heading in the opposite direction to our new course.

  Just as I shouted to Olaf, my momentum carried me right off the prow and into the cold water of the fjord. Under normal circumstances I was a strong swimmer, but my chain mail shirt weighed forty-five pounds and immediately dragged me toward the bottom. I flapped my hands and legs to reach the surface but couldn’t counteract the weight. Struggling, I drew my saex and cut my belt. My beautiful sword and scabbard sank to the bottom. I held my saex in one hand and fought my way out of the armor. My lungs began to burn for want of air and still I struggled. I now had one arm out with the mail massed around my neck. I switched the saex to the other hand and struggled out of the other arm. Still I sunk. My lungs screamed for me to open my mouth, but my mind remained defiant. My other arm was free and I pushed the pile of mail over my head off my neck. The mail fell like the weight it was, and my flapping started propelling me to the surface. The seconds seemed like hours as I reached for the light above the waves. My head shot out of the water and my now open mouth drew in enormous, repeated breaths. I started to tread water with my saex in hand and saw that both Serpent and the Boar were turning to pick me up. The rest of the ships had continued on the turn to starboard.

  I grabbed a rope thrown from Serpent when they came near enough and they hauled me in. My saex, I placed between my teeth with the blade edge facing out so I could hold onto the rope with both hands. When I reached the deck I spit the blade out sprawled onto the planking to catch my breath while Olaf and his crew looked down at me. My chest heaved and Olaf asked, “What are you doing?”

  In between deep breaths and licks upon my face from Olaf’s dog I said, “To port. We need to turn to port because I saw the raven sail.” Olaf and his crew looked at me curiously and then for the second time that day began a round of raucous laughter.

  Another ten ships were left to patrol this area of the fjord and we tightened our grip on Haakon. I stayed on the Serpent to prevent further delays that would have come from me transferring ships. Olaf was next to me on the high deck of the prow and Serpent seemed to almost bound after her enemy. Olaf had his hands cupped behind his back, looking ahead, and tried to make small talk. “How is it that you saved that worthless saex and let that expensive sword sink?”

  I had never had to tell anyone about my saex before since they were so common among men. I lied, “It was the first thing I grabbed when I hit the water. I didn’t think of what it was.”

  “That’s not like the Halldorr I know. I think you’ve instructed me that life is about profits and wealth. You would have chosen the sword if that saex was just another tool. What’s the real reason you stand dripping wet on my deck and the only thing you have left in your hand is a common saex?”

  He knew me like a father would know his son, “It was my father’s. It’s the only thing I have that came from him. He was killed when I was young. Leif’s father took me in and avenged his death. Erik killed my father’s killers and raised me like his own. Until he had to banish me for a crime I didn’t commit.” I still don’t know why I told him all that.

  We sailed in an uncomfortable silence for a while. His beard curved around him in the wind and I noticed that it had interspersed within it several more white hairs. Unconsciously, I looked down at my own beard clinging to my wet leather shirt. Still no white. Olaf said, “I thought I lost you.” When I didn’t respond he continued, “Back there when you went into the water, I thought I lost you.” He sighed, “I’ve buried two wives and I don’t think I could bear burying a son.” I couldn’t believe what I heard. A tear formed in my eye and ran down my cheek. I was thankful that I had water dripping everywhere so that none of the men would know I stood there weeping next to the future King of Norway. Olaf turned on his heels, flashed me a knowing smile, and shouted to his crew, “Now get me some more sail cloth so we can finish our killing and claim a kingdom.” He strode aft and left me standing on the prow watching my third father captain his ship and lead his army to become a king.

  We pursued Haakon’s ship for another three hours from one branch of the fjord to another. Along the way we gained on him slowly so that he ran only one or two miles ahead and we could easily follow him.

  His ship skidded onto a beach at the end of a particularly wide branch. A river emptied into the fjord north of the beach and flat, rich farmland lay beyond. Men poured over the sides of the raven ship, complete with battle dress and carrying weapons. They scurried to the crest of the beach and formed a small line of about fifty armed men. It would be at least ten long minutes until we reached the shore while they stood waiting for certain death.

  After an eternity, Serpent skidded into the beach with Cnute piloting the Boar in next to her. I jumped into the shallow water, tossed my saex into the hands of one of my crew on the Boar, and yelled, “Stow that with my gear. Get me my bow and a quiver.” His head disappeared for a moment and he quickly returned tossing me the bow and arrows. We all walked ten paces up the shore then halted. Hundreds of men were landing around us. Thousands more began to anchor behind. Haakon and his band of men would not long survive.

  Olaf shouted to the defiant men on the hill, “Haakon, you and your men fled a fight and so could be called cowards. But you stand before us as bold men. If you surrender. . .”

  Before Olaf finished a young man stepped forward and interrupted him. “I am Eirik Haakonson.”

  Then another young man stepped forward to Eirik’s right, “You must be Olaf the Thief, Olaf the Rogue. We had spies tell us you were skulking about. I am Erlend Haakonson and my brother and I will never surrender to the likes of you. My father is King of Norway and he is of the divine lineage of Saeming, son of Odin. My father flies on wings ahead of you and you’ll never catch him. We will be glorified to fight you in. . .” This time he was interrupted as one of my arrows slammed into his face. Erlend’s blood splattered the clean tunic of his horrified brother Eirik.

  Now Olaf continued, “As I was saying, you and your father’s men will be spared if you surrender and convert to the true faith. I cannot promise your father’s fate since he appears to be absent at the moment.” Eirik was silent. “What is your answer? I do hope you agree to surrender because it will take a long time for my friend to kill you one by one with his bow.” Men along Eirik’s line threw down their swords, spears, and axes. Shields clanged as they formed a pile on the ground. Eirik waited in defiance, but seeing each of his men had agreed to surrender, finally threw down his weapons. “Father Crevan, see that these men are brought to the faith with a proper, cold bath in the fjord. Halldorr, let’s organize a search for the coward Haakon. And doctor, see that the ships with the wounded are brought to shore and the men taken care of.”

  We were told by his men that Haakon fled inland with his thrall Tormod. They had headed east across the open farmland. Olaf led fifty men in pursuit, including Cnute, me, and a man named Runi, who was renowned in the fleet as a tracker of all things on land. The recent rains made it so that even I could have tracked them across the muddied fields. But when the muddy, tilled fields gave way to those already showing growth of barley or wheat, which they were I couldn’t tell at thi
s stage of the plants’ growth, Runi took the lead. He crouched to the ground looking for anything like a bent grass or turned stone. Every time he found one he would run ahead a ways and then crouch again, repeating it over and over. A dense forest sat to the south and I wondered why the fugitives didn’t enter it to get lost in its darkness.

  After a mile of walking east we came to the river that emptied into the fjord where we began. The river had curved around and here flowed north before it would turn west to empty into the inlet. Runi said they didn’t cross and led us upstream to the south. Olaf and Vigi kept us moving quickly and we pushed hard all day on their trail. Occasionally we would see a boy tending a flock of sheep in the distance. They would always run into the woods when they saw us.

  When the sun was approaching the western horizon, Runi announced they had turned away from the river, heading west. We crossed the flat plain of farmland and within an hour came to rocky, tree-covered foothills. The sun fell behind the distant mountains; we would lose all our light in a matter of minutes. Olaf exclaimed, “Shit! I smell pig shit.” And he was right for ahead about five hundred feet and up another five hundred feet of elevation was a small farm. Olaf told us to bed down there for the night and we made our way up the gentle ascent. An old man poked his head out the door of his shabby hut as we clattered up the hill. His eyes widened and he slammed the door shut. It opened a moment later and he ran out into the surrounding woods with his old wife in tow. Olaf waved them off and said, “Let them go. They can pay tribute to their new king by donating two hogs for a dinner feast tonight. Halldorr,” he called and I knew what would come next, “fetch the pigs. Runi get us a fire going and a spit.”