by Griff Hosker
"Save your arrows. Arturus, I will take the Ulfheonar to the gate. If we get the chance I will lead a sortie and destroy this bridge. If I do have half of your men support me with their bows while you and the others guard the gate."
"Aye Jarl."
I saw him glance at King Egbert who seemed resigned to waiting for an assault. Arturus shook his head. This was not the way for a leader to lead.
I took Haaken and Cnut to the western tower of the gate; the better to see where they were going to place the bridge. "There is no way we can stop them rushing across there in a wedge. I want Arturus to conserve the arrows we have. They will break through again and this time they will be quicker for they will not have to stand on top of a large tree trunk. We will use the same tactic we did yesterday. Arm every warrior with a spear and we form a wedge but we will stand closer to the gate." I paused, "I want to weaken the gate."
"Weaken it?"
"Aye Cnut. If we weaken it then they can break through all the quicker and we can then rush them. It will not be their best warriors who break in. They will conserve those. They will wait behind the shield wall until they break through the gate. Our best chance to hit those warriors will be when they try to cross the bridge. We will hit them there and drive them from the far side so that we can pull the bridge back and use the as a gate."
"But we will be on the wrong side of the fort."
"I intend to get rid of the other bridges too. That is why Arturus is saving his arrows so that they can support us."
"And how do we get back inside?"
"We do not. We make our way around the wall to the south gate and we board our ship."
Haaken laughed, "I hope we survive for this will be a glorious saga!"
We quickly made a wedge. Arturus' men formed up behind us. "When we charge the enemy your task will be to stop any from breaking through. We will bring the bridge back and you will use it to make a new gate."
"How?"
I shrugged, "You are young and clever you will find a way. It does not need to be permanent. It is just to keep them outside while we clear the ditch."
They nodded and I knew that I could rely on them. We heard their horns sound and their war cries roared as they rushed the bridges. Spears and stones would be thrown but they would be an irritation only for they came with shields held aloft. We took away some of the large beams which had been placed against the gate and cleared a path for us to run at it. We heard the axes as they hammered on the gate. We held our spears at head height. I did not have my seax in my left hand, instead I held the spear with two hands.
As I had expected the Danes quickly broke down the gate. They stood for a moment in surprise and exultation. It was a fatal pause. "Charge!"
We hurtled at them. They had been working individually; we were a warband fighting together. We were able to run on the hard parade ground of the old fort. Our spears struck them and swept them away. I heard their screams as the spears tore into faces and necks. Inevitably one or two spears broke. We kept running. The land dipped a little to the ditch and we struck the armoured Danes who were rushing to gain access to the fort. We were a solid mass of armoured warriors and we were moving quicker than they were. The ones who were not impaled on the last of the spears were knocked into the stinking wet ditch. There were still weapons and branches below and they pierced skin and armour. Men who fell in there would not rise.
We kept running on the other side of the ditch. Our wild charge had demoralised the attack but now Magnus Skull Splitter ran at me, swinging his war axe and surrounded by his oathsworn. We were no longer a wedge. We were a two deep arrow. My men had spread out as we had crossed the bridge. The remaining spears were passed back and I drew Ragnar's Spirit and held it aloft. It drew them all to me. The Weird Sisters are devious. As the Danes came towards me, in the centre of the line, they converged and banged into each other; more importantly they stopped the axe men from getting a good swing. You need space to swing an axe.
A young, keen warrior out ran Magnus and he triumphantly swung his sword over his head to strike a blow which would split my head in two. I deflected the sword with my shield and stabbed him in the middle of his body. I pulled the sword sideways so that his body fell to my right and tripped the second warrior up. Cnut's sword ripped through his body.
The huge Dane stood before me. "Now I shall take your sword, your helmet and your armour. Then the world will know that Magnus Skull Splitter is the invincible warrior who wields the sword that was touched by the gods."
I stepped forward as he swung. Einar jabbed the spear from behind me and the movement distracted Magnus. I pushed up with my shield and struck his left hand. At the same time I stabbed forward and Ragnar's Spirit tore through his mail links and into his side. It came away red. I saw his face before me and I head butted him as I took another step and pushed with my shield. He was a big man but I knew my business and I heard his nose break. His eyes began to stream as his nose spurted blood. I was too close to use my sword effectively and so I punched the hilt into the wound on his side. He winced. I knew I had to end this quickly. Behind him I could see King Coenwulf's men as they raced towards us. When arrows flew from behind I knew that Arturus was protecting me. I punched again with my shield and, as he stepped back, lunged at him with my sword. His streaming eyes and blurred vision meant he did not see it coming and it plunged into his throat. He fell backwards dead. I knelt down and picked up his axe.
"Back. When I am across pull back the bridge."
I sheathed my sword and slung my shield across my back. I would use the axe to keep them at bay. I swung it before me, two handed, as Saxons tried to rush me. Two died bravely before they realised they would need spears or arrows to hurt me.
"Now jarl!"
I turned and ran. I felt a thump in my back which almost knocked me to the ground and then I was across the bridge. Half of my men formed a shield wall while the other half pulled back the bridge. I heard Arturus' voice from the ramparts. "Father! Ware left!"
I turned. I did so quickly and the movement made the spear which was stuck in my shield fall to the ground. I picked up the fallen spear and saw some of the warriors from the next bridge racing towards me. Two were struck by arrows as I threw my spear at them. I hit one and then ran towards them. I swung the axe and knocked one into the ditch. A second hacked at my side. I felt a rib crack and I grabbed his belt and threw him into the ditch. He screamed as he fell on the spear which had jammed into the bottom of the grey filmed, water filled ditch.
There were no more warriors before me but I could see the Saxons and Danes up ahead, crossing a bridge. I saw that my men had manhandled the bridge to the open gate. "Ulfheonar on me!"
They ran to join me. I saw that two wolf cloaked bodies remained close to the ditch. We had not had it all our own way. I handed the axe to Erik Dog Bite. "Take some men and destroy that bridge. The rest follow me." I drew my sword and we ran to the wall. The attackers had a couple of crudely made ladders and were trying to drive the men of Wessex from the walls. I raised my sword high. "Ragnar's Spirit!"
The men took up the cry and the man at the bottom of the ladder turned in fear. With shields held tightly we ran along the wall. The two ladders were destroyed and the warriors atop fell to their deaths as we crashed into them with our shields and our bodies. It was crude but effective. I swung my sword sideways at a warrior who lunged at me with a spear. I shattered the spear and I brought the blade back to disembowel him. I waved to Erik Dog Bite, "Take the last bridge!" There was one bridge remaining at this western side of the fort. This time it was Guthrum's men who were assaulting the walls. They were using shields held by their fellows to help them climb up.
"Wedge!"
It was only six paces between the ditch and the wall. We filled it with our small wedge and ran, like a human battering ram, at the warriors. We careered into them, knocking warriors to the ground and landing in an untidy heap ourselves. I was on my feet and swinging even before I knew what I
was swinging at. My sword hacked into the side of one warrior. At my feet I saw a Dane struggling to rise. I rammed the edge of my shield across his throat. I stood to get my breath as my men despatched the last of the ones who had survived. Erik and his men joined us. We manhandled the bridge sideways into the ditch.
"Do we go to the other bridges?"
I shook my head. I could see that they were reinforcing their last foothold on the fort side of the watery ditch. "We have tempted the Norns too much already. We will go around to the south gate. We can use fire to destroy the remainder of their bridges and hope that we have bought another day."
We trudged around the walls. We held our shields in our right arms for protection although the arrows which were sent after us were hunting arrows. They would not penetrate our armour at the range they were using them. As we reached the river I felt my heart sink. Our drekar had gone!
I had no time to speculate. We ran around to the gate which was opened by some of Arturus' men. I said nothing but ran up the stairs to the tower of the south gate. I looked at the river and then I saw them. They were heading towards Grenewic. "Do you know why my ships have left?"
The young warrior had a grin on his face. He pointed to Grenewic and my ships, "It is the rest of the army. Can you not see their banners?"
I shaded my eyes and saw, indeed, the banners of Wessex. Erik Short Toe had used his initiative and he was ferrying them across. We needed to hold just a short while and we might be saved. Even though I was exhausted I ran to the north east corner of Lundenburgh. The enemy still had bridges standing. I needed to give hope. I saw men at the top of the wall. I drew my sword and I hoped that my Ulfheonar were with me yet. I saw a Mercian plunge his sword into the chest of a young Wessex warrior. I ran and swung my sword as the Mercian stood on the stone ramparts. My sword sliced through both legs and his maimed body crashed on to three warriors at the foot of the wall. "Hope is here! King Egbert's army comes! Hold on for just a little while!"
I saw Eorl Edward and King Egbert turn. "Is it true?"
"My ships have gone to Grenewic to pick them up. These are the only three bridges left."
"Then we will hurl them back from whence they came. Men of Wessex show these dogs how we fight for what is ours!"
I saw that Bjorn the Scout was wounded, "Bjorn the Scout go to the south east corner and tell Erik to land the army to the east of the fort. We can trap these warriors and then get to Aiden."
"It is but a scratch."
I shook my head as he headed off. I had seen the blood and knew that it was far more than a scratch. "Arturus, fire arrows." I turned to Eorl Edward. "Is there any fat or oil left?"
"A little."
"Then bring it to the bridge at the west. We can trap the Mercians between the walls and your father's army."
There was just one amphora of heated pig fat and the bridge was thirty paces away. We could now use it. Suddenly Arturus said, "Put it down on the floor." It was so hot we could see it smoking. It would not take much to ignite it. He took a length of cord from his waist and tied it around the neck of the jar. "Snorri, have the arrow ready." He carefully lifted the jar to see if it would hold the weight and it did. He whirled it around his head a couple of times to gain speed and then released it. It looked as though it would miss but it smashed against the side of the head of a Dane standing on the bridge and shattered. The flaming arrow flew straight and true and ignited the pig fat. The writhing Dane spread both the fat and the flames. Soon the bridge was an inferno as warriors fled away from the danger.
"Use every arrow we have left on the last two bridges! Clear them. Arturus, let us take our men and sortie from the eastern gate."
We ran down the stairs and flung open the gate. We had no order and there were Danes outside but we had victory in our sights. I punched the first warrior with my shield as Haaken took the head from a second. The warrior I had hit fell to the floor and Arturus plunged his sword into his chest. The arrows from above were clearing the bridge and our sudden assault made them flee. We were exhausted beyond words and our arms ached but with victory so tantalisingly close we could not stop; we dared not stop. We marched forward slaying all who stood in our way. The men we faced were not Vikings they were Mercians and they had no stomach for such fighting. We were relentless. Our shields and armour made us hard to hit. Even when their swords managed to hit our mail they were rarely good enough to penetrate Bjorn's armour.
I glanced up and saw that the first warriors had disembarked from our two drekar and they were beginning to finish off the survivors who had fled our ferocious charge. We had won. The day was ours and the Weird Sisters had spun their webs.
Wyrd.
Chapter 10
We searched the field for our own dead and took them to the river to send them to the Other World. Four Ulfheonar and two of Arturus' men had died although many of our men had wounds. When I removed my armour I discovered a broken rib as well as a couple of slight wounds where blades had penetrated the armour. We had been lucky. We laid out the dead and then returned to the field to despatch any of the Danish dying. Most of the Mercians were Christian. King Egbert could deal with those. Those of our men who were unwounded collected the treasures from the dead. The Danes of Guthrum were the richest and my men all did well from it.
We used some of the gold we had collected to buy a small boat from one of those who had hidden in Lundenburgh. We paid a fair price but the man was keen to win our favour. We laid our dead within it on top of kindling and some of the better weapons we had collected. I placed the axe of Magnus Skull Splitter on the top. Finally we hoisted the sail and loosed fire arrows into it. It sailed downstream back to the sea. Ran must have looked kindly on them for it did not sink immediately. We saw the smoke still when it was well beyond the bend at Grenewic.
I had decided we would clean ourselves up and sail home but a messenger came from King Egbert asking me to attend a celebratory feast. Arturus was to come too. Aiden, who had just returned from his healing, saw the look of doubt upon my face.
"You should attend, my lord. We can leave in the morning. They will all want to see you. Everyone said that it was you and our warriors who won the battle for the king. They want to show you their appreciation."
"I do not want to but you may be right. Erik, prepare the drekar to sail. We sail on the next high tide! Haaken and Cnut take the treasure and the weapons to the drekar. We are going home!"
They all gave a cheer as they marched from the fort to the two drekar. I saw that Tostig had a barrel of beer held on his shoulder. They had used some of the coins already.
We washed and put on the fine clothes we had brought back from Byzantium. They were beautiful silken tunics. We rarely wore them for they were too good to damage but all of our other clothes were bloody. We washed and oiled our hair and we trimmed our beards. There would be ladies present and we all knew how terrifying an unkempt Viking could appear. I strapped on Ragnar's Spirit only because I knew it would be expected of me. Arturus put his new sword into his old scabbard. I was proud of my son. He was a handsome young man. He would soon find himself a wife.
We had buried our friends and taken some time to prepare ourselves. We were the last to arrive in the hall for the feast. Embarrassingly we were greeted with tumultuous applause and the banging of beakers on the table. I had thought it would be just the king and his family but there were fifteen eorls present too. Some of them had women with them. There were two places for us next to a girl who looked to be a little younger than Arturus. I wondered if it was Egbert's daughter. I could not see his wife and I assumed that the journey had been too much for her. I allowed Arturus to sit next to the young girl while I took the chair next to Eorl Edward. He looked to be the only one who was still reasonably sober.
Before I could sit, King Egbert raised his beaker and said, "Long life to Jarl Dragon Heart and his Vikings. They are our allies and they did us a service today."
Every toasted us and cheered. I was glad when I coul
d sit down. I swallowed half of the beaker of ale without even tasting it. The slaves brought in the food. I said quietly, "Edward, where is the king's wife? Was the journey too much for her?"
He lowered his voice, "She is the one seated next to Arturus, Elfrida. They married six months ago." My mouth must have dropped open. He smiled, "His other wife, Ælfthryth, decided to enter a convent and serve God."
"Truly?"
He shrugged, "It is the story we were told and who would argue with the king?"
"But she is so young."
"That is the way he likes them. My mother was but thirteen summers when he bedded her."
"Where is she now?"
"She died in a Viking raid."
"Sorry."
"It was not you and I have come to learn that not all Vikings are the same." He ate some of the food. "You were right, Jarl, we should have heeded your words more. We wasted too many arrows. It nearly cost us dear. If we had had more arrows then they might not have been able to cross those bridges they made."
"You learned and I believe that Coenwulf and the Danes will leave now."
"And you?"
"I would be gone already if it were not for this feast." I ate some of the venison placed before me. It was old and it was tasteless. I suspect it had been salted and then washed clear of salt. I was suddenly not hungry. I drank some more of the ale. As I did so I glanced at the girl. She looked happier now that she was talking to Arturus and the two of them were becoming quite animated. Egbert asked her something and she looked suddenly sullen. "She looks unhappy about something."
Edward's voice became almost a whisper, "I do not think she is happy with a marriage to a man three times her age." He looked worried, "You would not say anything would you?"
"Eorl Edward, you are the one friend I now have in Wessex. Your words are safe with me."
We were interrupted when the king stood. He was drunk. Some men can be funny when they are drunk, Haaken was one. Others can be nasty and mean. King Egbert was both of those and loud too.