by Griff Hosker
Bjorn looked at me and smiled, "Only six of them, Jarl."
Their leader had carved teeth and an enormous scar running down his body. He wore battle rings on his arms. "We have warriors enough outside. When I have the sword touched by the gods then we will enjoy your women!"
Just then there was the clash of arms beyond my hall. I smiled. It was my men and they were already falling upon the Vikings who had made the mistake of trying to beard me in my own den. "Did you think I was alone? Did you hope to creep in like an assassin, murder me and take my weapon?" I shook my head. "The gods would not allow that. The man who prises this sword from my dead fingers will be a great warrior and not a posing, preening warrior who carves his teeth, cannot afford armour and was almost killed by some Saxon." Part of my insult was guesswork but I must have hit a nerve for he launched himself at me.
His reckless charge played into my hands. I parried the blow from his sword as I spun and swung my sword horizontally. He was past me when my blade bit into the bare flesh of his back. I caught sight of Snorri and Sigtrygg as they charged through my door and fell upon the others. The leader turned and saw the blood dripping from my blade. His eyes narrowed as he realised that he had been wounded. It sometimes happens in the heat of the battle that you are struck and do not know it.
He roared and charged at me. I noticed that the strike he had made on my shield had bent his sword slightly. I parried hard with Ragnar's Spirit as I punched with my shield. The sword bent even more and he stumbled backwards. I brought my sword around in an arc and rammed it into his middle. He sank to his knees and he looked at me in surprise. I swung a third time and took his head in one mighty blow. It was over and the raiders were dead.
We had no one left to question for my men had outnumbered them. The fact they came from the east told us that Wiglaf's poison had done its work. We took their bodies and burned them on the beach. The Water would scatter their ashes into the depths. Bjorn took the poorly made weapons and melted them down. Their treasure was poor. Kara had nodded when she had seen their bodies, "They were poor warriors who saw the sword as a means of becoming rich and powerful."
I worried that more might come now whilst we were away. Scanlan and Rolf reassured me. "We can keep the gates shut from now on. It is a small inconvenience to open and close them each time someone wishes to enter. I have more men and boys I can use as sentries. The young see it as a way to become one of your warriors."
Kara had agreed, "I sensed danger but I said nothing. This is my fault, father. I thought that the danger was for you on your voyage. Fear not I will heed all the messages that the spirits send to me. I will not let you down again."
We left a day before Ein-mánuðr. The weather was good with a wind from the north east. It was a cold wind but it came from Ragnar's home in Norway and we all took that to be a good sign. It had also passed over our home and carried with it the good thoughts of our people. Best of all, according to Haaken, was that the Ulfheonar did not need to row. I was torn because Arturus was with his own crew on the "Josephus." It was hard to get used to the fact that my son had his own oathsworn. They were not Ulfheonar for they did wear the skin of the wolf, but they had proved themselves when they had manned the eastern fort and fought off Ragnar Hairy Breeches and Rorik. This would be their first raid. I knew that my son needed to stand on his own feet and lead his own men but the father in me wanted me close by to watch him.
I stood on the opposite side of the drekar to the steering board; from there I could see the "Josephus" and my son and his crew. Aiden came to me. "You had no father to watch over you when you led your first warband, jarl"
I shook my head as my mind reader did it again. "No, but I had Prince Butar and Olaf who were there to offer advice."
"And he has you. He is as a brother to me and he has strength within him. Never fear."
"Ah, but I am a father and there is something within me which will not let go."
"That is from your mother and the Warlord of Rheged. The spirits favour us on this raid. It will bring great success."
Inevitably the first part of the journey was always the most dangerous for we passed Mann. Once our home, it was now the haunt of the Dyflin Norse and the men of Orkneyjar. They were led by warriors like Sihtric Silkbeard who were treacherous and cruel. If they were what the world thought of as Viking then I did not wish to be called a Viking. We passed the two islands of Mann and Calf of Mann without incident and then round the island now called Angle Sey. They were not seafarers but they had closed their harbours to us. We were the wild men of the north who were to be feared and not to be trusted.
Ironically some of the men of Cymru were our allies. We had traded for iron with them although we did not need to do so any longer. After three days of favourable winds we had to navigate the Scillonia Insula. I always felt a shiver when we passed these low lying islands. It had been here where the spirit of my mother had come to me. A sorceress inhabited them and I was tempted to land and seek advice. I knew that the Norns did not wish it for they had directed me with storms and foes before. It did not do to try to cross the Weird Sisters. If they wished it then it would happen. When we saw them receding in the west then I knew that we would not be landing there.
Once we had passed the ragged rocks and boiling seas Haaken's face fell as he was forced to row. Although the wind still sent us south it was now coming across our bows and the crew had to row. Cnut set up the chant and the men rowed with vigour. It was a simple chant but it was unique to my boat. It spoke of the pride they felt in their status.
'Ulfheonar, warriors strong
Ulfheonar, warriors brave
Ulfheonar, fierce as the wolf
Ulfheonar, hides in plain sight
Ulfheonar, Dragon Heart's wolves
Ulfheonar, serving the sword
Ulfheonar, Dragon Heart's wolves
Ulfheonar, serving the sword'
The chant would be repeated until Cnut or Erik needed to change the beat. We would not need to do so for the seas were empty. The chant was almost hypnotic. When I rowed the chant seemed to give extra strength and my warriors told me that they could row for longer when they chanted.
Danger came when we neared Wessex. King Egbert was an ally. We had helped him defeat Mercian raiders. However, he was engaged in a bitter war with the men of Corn Walum. We were sailing to the south of the island called Wight when the five small ships appeared from the east. They were pirates from Corn Walum. I guessed, much later, that they had been raiding Wessex. It was unusual to meet another ship unless you were approaching or leaving a port.
As soon as I saw them I yelled, "Archers!" I donned my helmet and strung my bow. Half of the rowers left their benches and took up their bows. I hailed Arturus and pointed to the east. He waved and acknowledged the threat. "Danger!"
With only half the rowers we were going slower and, as the wind was coming across the bow's quarter it meant we were crawling along. The five pirates, all of them half the length of ours, were able to sail without using rowers and were travelling much faster. Aiden smiled, "The Allfather watches over us, Jarl Dragon Heart."
"Aye Aiden. We have a stable drekar from which to release our arrows and if they misjudge their attack then they will sail beyond us and have to turn into the wind." I was relieved that we had prepared for war and our shields were hung along the side. The rowers would be protected.
Haaken stood next to me. "Do the men of Corm Walum use bows?"
"They may do but I wager that they are not as good as my Ulfheonar."
"We will see."
I had the barbed arrows to hand. Only a fool wore armour in a sea battle. It was too easy to fall overboard and then you would be dead. We had twenty archers ready and we gathered at the bow. There the figurehead, hand carved by Bolli's father, would give us extra protection. I nocked an arrow and prepared to draw. They were just a hundred paces from us and their intention was clear. Each of our drekar would be attacked by two of theirs leaving the third
to support whichever was having the hardest time. These pirates had done this before for they shortened their sails.
"Release when you have a target!"
I did not need to tell them who to target for they were all experienced warriors. The three new ones rowed still. I allowed for the wind and I released. I aimed at the steersman and he ducked. Sadly for him he was struck by a second arrow, probably from Haaken. As he fell his dying hands tugged on the steer board and the small ship lurched to the steer board side. The wind caught the sail and, beam on to both the wind and the waves it heeled over. In their desperation they ran to the steersman and the extra weight capsized the boat, hurling the occupants into the sea.
The fifth boat now tried to close with us and we concentrated our arrows on the second of our attackers. We discovered that they did have archers but their speed and their small size meant that many of their arrows were wasted. We had four times the number of archers and the deadly missiles rained down upon their packed decks.
Aiden suddenly shouted, "Jarl! The last one is closing." I glanced to the side and saw that the last of the ships of Corn Walum was almost alongside us. The leader must have been aboard and he had risked more sail to close with us. It had worked and our attention had been on the other ship.
"Snorri! Take half of the archers and keep the other ship at bay. Haaken and the rest come with me. This is sword work. Let us show these pirates how real warriors fight!"
The rowers suddenly began chanting "Ulfheonar," over and over. I felt the blood surge through my veins. I loosed a last arrow and dropped my bow. Aiden would pick the dropped up and take them to the stern where he would guard, along with the boys, Erik Short Toe. Our captain was the most important man on my drekar and that included me.
I drew my sword and felt its power rush into my arm. As the first hook snaked over the side I roared a primeval cry and leapt to the side. I saw a hand grasp the side and I was swinging before I even reached the pirate. My blade ripped across the man's head and into his hand. It severed his arm, the rope and opened his skull. He fell back in a heap. More ropes were now joining us but the pirates were struggling to climb our higher sides. I brought Ragnar's Spirit down on to the skull of the next pirate and this time his whole skull was split asunder. Those around him were showered with the grey, slimy contents of his head.
Suddenly I heard a warning shout from Aiden. Their chief had boarded us with three of his men. He was a huge half naked barrel of a man with an old Roman helmet and a long sword, the kind the Romans had called a spatha. He made straight for me and swung the long sword. It had a longer reach than mine but the deck of a pitching, rolling drekar is no place for such a weapon. I ducked beneath its swing and, holding his arm with my left hand I plunged my sword into the vast chasm of his stomach. When my hand touched his flesh and the blade ground on bone then I knew I had severed his spine. His body shook and then he fell backwards into his boat.
That was enough for the men of Corn Walum. The ones who had boarded with their chief now lay dead and the half empty boat drifted south. I ran to the other side and saw that Snorri and his archers had driven off the second attacker. I fearfully looked north and felt relief when I saw that 'Josephus' was alone. My son and his crew had driven off their attackers.
"Well done Ulfheonar! The pirates are no more."
Haaken clapped me on the back. "And he was a big one, Jarl. I wondered how you would get through the layers of fat."
Tostig Wolf Hand wiped the blood from his sword and said, "How did we sink a pirate, drive off four others and only have four wounded men."
"It was the sisters, Tostig. It was wyrd."
Anglo Saxon London
Chapter 4
We hove to in a little bay half a day's sailing east of the island of Wight. We had maps which Aiden had been making. They had begun life as old maps we had found in a chest. They had been made in the time of the Warlord and in the times of the Romans. Aiden could read Latin and the old language; he had transcribed them for the originals were too fragile to risk at sea. The old Roman port of Gesoriacum had long since vanished and in its place was a small fishing village called Bononia. It was clearly marked on the old maps. I had chosen it as I assumed and hoped that its small size would mean it would be overlooked by raiders seeking treasure. We sought not treasure but people. Fisher folk were strong and hard working. They could be trained to be miners.
We decided that we would sail across under cover of darkness and strike in the middle of the night before the fishermen went to sea. We would be well to the south of any ships which might contain armed warriors such as the ones we had met in Frisia. It was the mouth of the Rinaz which was filled with such ships. As the two drekar bobbed up and down on the waves which lapped the shingle beach I tried to sleep. I knew that it was impossible. My mind was racing with the dangers and rewards of what we were going to do.
We left as the sun set and we rowed, for the wind had veered during the day to become a headwind. The mast was removed and laid on the mast fish. It made us harder to see and we were faster without it. Erik and the men we left on board could replace it while we raided. We had prepared for war before we sailed. Our eyes were lined with red and black and our weapons were sharpened. We shunned our armour for we did not expect armed opposition. We wore our leather byrnies and our wolf cloaks. They would be enough. It took some time to row across the short channel to Bononia. The headwind did not help but it was relatively calm and that was a good thing. Aiden navigated us to a beach which was close to the village. We passed the village on our way north. The smell of wood smoke drifted on the breeze as we approached but the place was in darkness. They kept no watch. They would pay for that mistake; it was a harsh world in which we lived.
The gods watched over us for it was low tide when we approached. Six men from each boat were chosen by lots to wait with the boys and captains. Four of them were the warriors wounded in the sea fight so this time it was only two disappointed warriors we left behind. While we were away they would step the mast and then sail the drekar around to the port. It was the reason we had landed to the north so that the breeze would do all the work for the two drekar.
I jumped ashore and smiled as I did so. I remembered when I had been a ship's boy and it had been my job to take the rope and secure it. Old Olaf the Toothless had been an unforgiving captain. Once my feet were on the sand I began to trot, knowing that my men would soon be behind me. I raised a hand and Snorri and Bjorn the Scout sprinted ahead. They were our eyes and ears. Once they disappeared from view I slowed a little to allow the rest of my men to catch up with me. Arturus appeared at my shoulder. We said nothing for sound travels long distances at night but he nodded and grinned. It was still a game to him. We moved forwards towards the village we knew was over the headland.
Snorri rose like a wraith from behind the rock. He pointed ahead and I could see the huts. There were ten of them. They should contain at least twenty who could be taken as miners. I had already told them that we would only kill if they resisted. I hoped that our wild and fierce appearance would drive all such thoughts from their terrified minds. I waved Arturus and his younger warriors to the far side of the huts where I knew Bjorn the Scout would be waiting. I led my Ulfheonar to the heart of the village. Each dwelling was surrounded by five warriors. They were all watching for my signal. The Gods were smiling as the moon appeared and bathed the beach and the village in a beautiful blue light. I raised Ragnar's Spirit and we stepped into the huts.
After the brightness from the moon it seemed incredibly dark in the hut. There was just a glow from the embers of the fire. There were six people in the hut. An old couple, two children and a man and woman. I had my sword at the man's throat even as he was waking. Tostig picked him up and bound his arms. The movement awoke the others and they screamed.
Einar asked, "Do we take the children and the old man?"
I looked at the old man. He might not even survive the voyage and the children were less than six summers
old. It was not worth the effort. "No. Just the man." They stared at us not understanding a single word but obviously terrified.
The old man struggled to his feet and tried to grab Tostig's arm. Einar drew his sword but I restrained him. I looked at the old man and I shook my head. He said something I could not understand. I pushed him to the floor. He reached into his tunic and pulled a knife. I stamped on his hand and took the knife. I knew he would not understand my words but I said them anyway, "Stay here or you die!" To emphasise the threat I drew my hand across my throat. The old woman seemed to understand and she threw her arms around him to prevent any more foolishness. The woman and the children were sobbing.
"Take him out. 'Heart' should be here soon."
The beach and the village were still bathed in light but it was no longer peaceful. There were screaming women and struggling men. It was a futile struggle. We outnumbered them. They were like helpless sheep and we were the wolves. Such sheep needed a dog to protect them and these had paid the price for having none. I saw that the two drekar were off shore. Their masts were now stepped. "Arturus!"
He ran over to me. "No injuries, Jarl."
"I would have been disappointed if there had been. Take the slaves back to Cyninges-tūn. Then return and meet us at Lundenwic."
"Are we not finished here yet? Why do we not both return home?"
"I wish to advertise our presence and draw the hunters to us. Lundenwic has many traders and is close to the Danes who live amongst the East Angles. If they know where I am they may come south for me. I would rather we fought far from our home and keep our people safe."
"You will wait for me?"
I laughed, "Make a speedy voyage and you will miss nothing. I am hoping to meet with King Egbert and see how his war with Mercia is faring. We can trade a little while we wait for you."