by Griff Hosker
My opponent had regained his composure and was advancing towards me more confident now that I had lost my spear. I held my left hand before me as a shield. It drew his eye. I kept Ragnar's Spirit horizontally behind me. I could see blood seeping from the slight wound I had given him. I knew where I would strike. I feinted with my sword but he was wise to that manoeuvre and he did not commit his axe. Instead he whirled it above his head and advanced. If he thought to intimidate me he was wrong. I spun around as though I was going to flee in the face of his attack. With an exultant cry he moved rapidly towards me. I had spun out of the space he was attacking and I brought my sword across his back, just below the shield he carried there. This was not the tip, it was the edge but the force made him cry in pain and more of the links were shattered.
I dived and rolled forward to take me away from his flailing axe. As I stood I saw four dead Danes and Snorri and Bjorn the Scout chasing the other three into the forest. There was just me and the Dane left. He was in pain. I must have broken a rib when I had hit his back. Certainly his mail byrnie looked the worse for wear. Its integrity gone it would not take many more blows to render it useless. Links hung down making him unbalanced.
He advanced on me more slowly now. His gritted teeth told me that he would either kill me or die in the attempt. He had the look of death upon his face. He held the axe in his right hand now and swung his shield around. I had taught him caution. He knew that I had skill.
"Before I kill you Norseman, tell me your name so that I can tell others of this fight."
"It is a name you would fear to hear Dane."
He laughed, "I am Cnut son of Guthrum and I fear no Norseman!"
"Then fear me for I am Jarl Dragon Heart and I bear the sword which was touched by the gods. I will see you in Valhalla!"
He had a mixture of shock at my name and joy at the opportunity of killing such a renowned Viking. He came at me and tried to punch with his shield which he had pulled around while he talked. It was predictable and I stepped backwards so that he punched into empty air. He would soon find that using a war axe in one hand was tiring. I reached behind me and took out my seax. His eyes flickered between the two blades. I was happy for him to wait. A Danish war axe is meant to be used in two hands and I could see the sweat on his brow as he held it in one. I feinted with my sword and he swung his axe at me. My left hand darted in and the seax I had taken from a dead Saxon ripped and tore into the hole made by my sword. The curved blade enlarged the wound and he screamed in pain. I twisted it as I pulled it out. He punched with his shield and sent me tumbling but it also pulled some of his guts with it. He was mortally wounded and I had to finish it.
I regained my balance and swung Ragnar's Spirit at his head. He brought up his shield to block the blow and I charged my shoulder into his chest. He tried to step back but he tripped over one of his dead warriors. His arms fell open so that he looked like the cross the Christians wear about their necks. "I will see you in the Otherworld." I plunged my sword into his bare throat and he died instantly.
I cleaned the blood from my weapons and sheathed them. I saw Snorri and Bjorn the Scout returning alone from the forest. Snorri looked angry. "They had ponies waiting. They escaped."
"We did well enough. The villagers were all within their walls too terrified to emerge. There were five villages lying dead outside the huts and I did not blame them. I spoke in Saxon. "You are safe now. I am a friend of King Egbert. I am Jarl Dragon Heart."
Gradually the braver ones came from hiding. One man was nursing a cut arm and he approached me. "Thank you Jarl. I thought that the Danes had us then."
"These are dangerous times my friend. I would build a ditch and erect a wall. What is the name of this place?"
"Willesdune."
"I will tell Eorl Edward what has happened here. You can keep the weapons and the mail although it will need repair." I knew that Snorri and Bjorn the Scout would have searched the bodies for treasure and we could not carry both the deer and the weapons back. This way they would be better protected and they would remember my generosity.
We retrieved our deer and headed back to Celchyth. "Did you find aught of value?"
Snorri grinned, "The young Dane you killed had a golden torc around his neck and the others all had either copper or silver rings. His axe was well made too. This was a profitable encounter."
I nodded, "We were meant to find them. The Danes now know we are here. They will have recognised our cloaks and their spies will discover our names. This is wyrd."
Chapter 5
There were walls on the hall when we returned. Aiden and my men had worked hard. I sent Snorri and Bjorn the Scout to tell Eorl Edward what had transpired. When Snorri handed me the torc Haaken shook his head. "Next time Snorri can make daub and I will hunt."
"If you were half as good a hunter as Snorri then I might consider it." We prepared the deer as I told them of the fight.
Aiden looked thoughtful. "The Eorl is right. They are intimidating those who might favour Wessex over Mercia. Do you think this Guthrum is their leader?"
"He may be. When Arturus joins us we will raid the Danish villages of the South Folk. It will please our allies and it might reward us with treasure."
It took another four days to complete the hall and to have it dry out. Eorl Edward came to visit us but this time just with his oathsworn and without the counsellors. He stood back to admire the hall. "You build differently from us. Why do you use turf for a roof?"
"It is the only material we have in Norway. At home we use stone for we have it in abundance."
"It is interesting." His face became serious. "But now you must tell me of the dangers from the Danes. Your warriors said it was Willesdune which they attacked."
"Aye. And that seems perilously close to Lundenwic. My men thought that it was an attempt to make the villagers change their allegiance."
"It would not take much. What the people want is to be protected from raiders." He gave an apologetic shrug, "From people like you."
"I am not offended and it is our way. It is for that reason that I tell you to make your villages less appetising for the Danes. Use ditch and wall."
"Do they stop you?"
I laughed, "No but we are Ulfheonar and nothing stops us. If we choose to take somewhere then we take it but they would have stopped the Danes we bested today."
"In another warrior I would take that as boasting but I know that you are merely speaking the truth. My father is happy that you are an ally for he would fear you as a foe."
"And I am happy to be Wessex's ally for you are far from my land. If Wessex ever cast covetous looks in my direction...."
Eorl Edward smiled, "I do not think my father would risk such a reckless act."
I led the Eorl to one side. "Some of your council are Mercians; you know that?"
He looked astounded, "I did but how did you know?"
"Aiden is a clever man. He keeps his eyes and ears open. Aethelheard is one but Aiden did not know the name of the other."
"Osbert. We know of them and we watch them."
I shook my head. "If they were my enemies then they would be dead already."
"My father hopes that they will lead us to other traitors."
"No, Eorl Edward, if you have poison then cut it out for it can spread." I shrugged, "This is your land and I only offer advice."
"I believe you are correct Jarl Dragon Heart but my father is king and it is his decision."
We were left to our devices for the next few days until a messenger came from Lundenwic to tell us that Arturus had arrived. We had managed to construct a simple jetty from the wood we did not need for the hall. It meant that he could tie up and our boats would be protected. "Snorri. Go to Arturus and tell him to moor here. It is safer."
"Aye Dragon Heart."
The men were ready for action. The work on the hall had occupied them but the raid on the port in Frankia had not been exciting enough for them. They all envied Bjorn the Scout and Sno
rri. We had fought Danes and we had won. "Haaken, have the weapons sharpened. We sail on the morning tide."
Arturus had had an uneventful voyage. The slaves had soon been cowed and Bjorn Bagsecgson was not a man to be crossed. They would be treated fairly but they would work. Scanlan would be their taskmaster as they toiled in the hills above Lang's Dale. Our miners would begin to extract the metal almost as precious to us as gold. We quickly gave an account of our time and, like Haaken and the others, he was envious.
"We have been able to bring another eight warriors for it was peaceful when we left Úlfarrston. There were no more raids at home, Jarl. Perhaps the news of our voyage has spread."
"No, Arturus, it is too soon. Word will take time to reach the odious Wiglaf. But I now believe that it was wyrd that brought us here. The Norns are weaving their webs. This is our destiny; for good or ill we need to be here until winter."
Aiden had not been idle and had won the ear of the ale wife. With so many sailors passing through her house she had a great deal of news and gossip at her fingertips. Aiden was adept at eliciting such information. He had discovered that there were a number of settlements along the east coast. The easy one to attack would be Lothuwistoft; the most heavily defended was Here Wic. Naturally we chose Here Wic. It had a wall and a garrison. If Guthrum did not live here then he valued its importance for he had a warband within its walls. It was not as risky as it sounded for we would probably have more men than in the garrison. It would be enough to protect the walls from most; not the Ulfheonar.
Aiden found an old widow who, for a few copper coins, watched our hall for us. She was there to keep the vermin outside and to keep a fire going. The daub walls were still drying as was the timber. Arturus had also brought more arrows from home for we had used many during the sea battle.
We slipped out in the darkness and we sped seawards on the receding tide. We would sail north and identify the port and then wait offshore until the hours of darkness returned. We stood far enough away from the coast for us not to be a threat but close enough to identify where we could land. This was a low lying and marshy coast. The fishing ports were perched precariously on little banks which looked as though an unusually high tide might wash them away.
It was mid afternoon when we first saw Here Wic. It was a fort which guarded a fine harbour and estuary. I could see why it had been chosen for it was the highest piece of earth we had seen so far. Within it we saw the masts of at least three drekar. We continued north as though we were raiders heading back to Norway. Aiden's sharp eyes and the old maps we had helped us to deduce that we had to land to the south of the port for the estuary was a death trap. We would be seen and could be attacked by the crews of the drekar. Instead of a direct attack we would march over the dunes to reach the fort. I felt confident. It was a strong defensive site but that very strength gave it its weakness. They would not expect to be attacked, especially not from the landward side. We could only do this once for they would be ever watchful after but we had a chance and it would draw the glory hunters south to find this impudent Jarl Dragon Heart who attacked a Danish stronghold.
As darkness fell we lowered our sails and rowed in to the shore. The lots drawn, the twelve warriors who would be aboard the ships took off their armour. They would not need it. They would be there to help Erik to move the drekar and to fend off any attacks. The sea, sky and the dunes were black when we reached the surf. Two of the boys jumped in to ascertain the depth. We were able to edge in just a little further when they found that they had to swim.
"Erik. Stay off shore and watch for our signal to close with the beach. The closer you can get to Here Wic the better."
"Yes, Jarl. What will be the signal?"
"Watch for fire. It will be a big fire and not just a signal fire. We will escape when there is confusion and mayhem."
Snorri and Bjorn the Scout jumped into the sea first. They would scout ahead. We followed and landed in waist deep sea. The water was still cold. It would be some time before the summer sun warmed it. Half of Arturus' men had bows. They would rid us of anyone who interfered with our plans. My Ulfheonar had other tasks to perform.
We headed north. We had seen our scouts disappear and we followed their line. Once we had crossed the dunes then we moved through thin and spindly pines and sand. The land was flat hereabouts and the fort could only be dimly made out but Snorri waited for us. "It is less than a thousand paces from here. Bjorn the Scout is waiting beneath the walls to the west."
"Arturus, take your men and go to Bjorn the Scout. You know what to do?"
"Aye, Jarl Dragon Heart."
"Make sure that you light the fire as soon as the sentries are dead. That is the crucial part of the plan."
He cocked his head on one side. "I am a man now father and I lead my own oathsworn. Trust me to do this well."
I clasped his arm, "To me you will always be a son and I cannot help worrying about you." He nodded and led his men off at an easy lope. Snorri led us east towards the tower at the end of the fort.
As we neared it I could see that it was not Roman. It had not been built of stone. Therein lay its weakness. It was wooden and the ditch was too shallow. It would not deter a child. The towers did not jut out which created many blind spots. I intended to exploit those.
The flaw in my plan was that there was no way of coordinating our two attacks. I just hoped that we would confuse them. It was likely that one of our two attacks would have to bear the brunt of the Dane's ire. I hoped that it would be us.
There was a ditch which ran beneath the ramparts. However the driving sand had filled in most of the ditch. It might have originally been built deeper but it had not been maintained. The complacency of the garrison would come to haunt them. Half of the Ulfheonar approached the walls. Snorri and Bjorn the Scout had bows strung and arrows nocked in case the sentries showed an interest in the landward side. They seemed more concerned with the seaward side and that suited us. Cnut waited with half of the men while Haaken and I led the other half. We sank a little in the damp, sand filled ditch but it was a minor inconvenience. Tostig and Erik Dog Bite held their shield for me and others did the same for Sigtrygg, Haaken and Bjorn Carved Teeth. I stepped on to the shield and they raised it to their waist. My shield was upon my back and I held Ragnar's Spirit in my hand. The sentries were still at the tower which overlooked the sea.
I nodded and I was thrust upwards. I grabbed the top of the ramparts with my left hand and sprang on to the walkway. I must have landed silently for no one sounded the alarm. I did not wait for the others but moved towards the tower. I was almost at the tower and the guards when I heard a piercing scream from the western end of the fort; Arturus and his men had struck and been seen. One of the Danes came rushing from the tower and ran into my sword before he even saw me. I thrust him to the courtyard before me and stepped into the tower. There was a brazier burning. The four Danes must have had a shock when they looked up and saw a monster wearing a wolf cloak with burning red eyes. I swung my sword horizontally and was sprayed with the warm blood of two of them. I punched them with my shield and they fell in a heap. One was mortally wounded but the other three tried to get to their feet. Haaken and Bjorn were behind me and all three fell dead.
We could hear the noise of battle at the main gate. All was eerily quiet where we were. After helping the others over the ramparts we clambered down the ladders into the heart of the fort. The Danes were leaving their warrior hall and running to the gate where they perceived their danger. Sigtrygg stabbed a surprised Dane in the back as he stepped from the hall. He pulled the body away and stepped inside. "Haaken, Cnut, keep at their backs." I stepped into the warrior hall. Half of the Danes had already left and the ones who remained were struggling to rise. The evening's drink had weakened them. "I am Jarl Dragon Heart and I wield the sword touched by the gods! Fear me and my oathsworn!"
Normally I would have just attacked but I needed my name spreading. The bait would have to be laid thickly if I was to d
raw the danger towards me. Sigtrygg and I slew four warriors who lurched sleepily towards us with just their swords. Their blows bounced harmlessly off our weapons and armour. They died. Sigtrygg ran to the fire and used his sword to stab a burning brand. He hurled the brand high and it fell against a wall. The dry interior soon began to burn. Erik Short Toe would have his message. He would be able to head in and pick us up.
We hacked our way to the door as the ones who remained inside tried to beat back the ever growing flames. Outside the hall we saw that Arturus and his men had set fire to the gate and were driving Danes towards us. We had them surrounded. Had they had a leader they would have formed a shield wall but there appeared to be no one left to organise them. Snorri and Bjorn the Scout ran to my side. "Our ships are coming."
"Good. I want a prisoner. Get one."
"Aye Jarl Dragon Heart."
"Sigtrygg, take a dozen men and burn their ships."
I saw him run towards the water. Haaken and Cnut took their places next to me. We began to hack, slash and stab our way to Arturus. It was not that the men we fought were not brave. They were, but we had better weapons and armour and my men had a leader, they had me. The warriors broke before our ferocious attack. Those that could, disengaged and ran towards the walls. Others tried and were slain as they ran.
My men began to bang their shields and chant, "Jarl Dragon Heart" over and over. The ones who survived would take the stories of the wolves that appeared in the night and brought death to them. Wiglaf would soon discover where I was and my enemies would come for me.
I greeted Arturus, surreptitiously checking that he was unwounded. "You did well, my son."
He frowned, "I lost six warriors."
"They died as your oathsworn with swords in their hands. They are in the Other World now and they are happy. Come let us get to our boats."