Horseman (Norman Genesis Book 2)

by Griff Hosker

  "Hrolf the Horseman we ask permission to live here in this bay."

  Sigurd Einarsson was the elder of the two brothers. Their father had been a warrior. He had died in battle not long after we had come to the island. The two boys had taken up fishing to provide for their mother. She had died the year after Einar. Now the two were married with young wives. The brothers were pleasant and hard working. They had both been on raids with us as ship's boys but since we had our new warriors from Dyflin they could stay at home and fish. They both seemed to enjoy fishing more than fighting. Our clan had many parts.

  I nodded, "Siggi White Hair has told me that the Jarl has sanctioned this. I am happy but I ask that you build your huts closer to the sea. I have no doubt that the two of you and your wives will have children. I have horses and I hope to increase the herd."

  Skutal nodded, "That suits us, Hrolf for we wish to build our homes by the water. We know that the bay is quieter and we would be close to our boats."

  "I have fish traps there. You would need to avoid them."

  "We know." Sigurd smiled, "We sailed around during the winter. We think that we have a place in mind. It is on the opposite side of the bay from the ghosts. Our wives are fearful of the dead."

  "They have never bothered us but I understand their fear. I am afraid there is little turf there."

  "I know. We intend to bring some from the huts we now have."

  And so it was settled. The first settlers came to my bay. The small settlement became known as Hrolfstad. I did not name it; others did. They are always the best names for it shows that it is wyrd.

  Before spring had truly arrived the Jarl held another Thing. We all remembered the acrimony of the one when he and his brother had parted. It was for that reason that Siggi pressed me to attend. I had not attended one and it was seen as discourteous to the rest of the clan.

  "You may not give much thought to your title but it holds sway. Ulf Big Nose, too, has been made hersir for he now lives in the north of the island. Already there are two other families who wish to go with him for there is good pasture in the sheltered dells for sheep."

  "You should be hersir, Siggi White Hair. You are the one the people respect and listen to. The Jarl relies on you more than his hearth-weru."

  "And I will continue to advise him. I am happy living in the warrior hall. Ulf Big Nose likes to be alone as do you. I prefer the company of people. It is in my nature."

  "Then I will come and I will bring Mary and Gille. They have hidden away here long enough. I wish the people to know that they are my family."

  I told them both that we would be travelling the following day to the village. Surprisingly Mary seemed content. However I noticed that she spent most of the afternoon and evening preparing for the trip. She had a new dress she had sewn. She went to the sea and bathed and then used water soaked with rosemary and thyme to make her smell sweetly. She washed and combed her hair until it shone. When we were ready to go she rode Freyja while Gille walked behind. I rode Dream Strider. The three of us looked well dressed compared with those in the village.

  When we arrived I saw that Hallgerd was now with child and she had a large bump before her. She had not met Mary before and when we arrived she asked Mary about the clothes she wore. When Mary told her that she had sewn them herself then the two of them sat closeted together. Now Mary had two women in the village to whom she could speak, Brigid and Hallgerd. It made me happier.

  When all had arrived and were seated the Jarl began, "It does not seem but a moment ago when we stood discussing our raid and much has happened since then. I am married and to be a father. Ulf Big Nose and Hrolf the Horsemen are the first of my hersir. But amongst that joy is the sadness that I have lost a brother, most of his crew and some of my hearth-weru. So when I ask do we raid this year and if so where then I would have each man speak from his heart. Let no one keep silent."

  Lars Larsson was one of the new warriors who had joined us in Dyflin. He stood and spoke, "I care not where we raid so long as we do. A warrior needs to raid to show he has skills. Why not Cent? We all made much coin there."

  Siggi stood, "And do you not think that they will be watching for us? They were taught a harsh lesson last year. They will have more towers and guards."

  "But we are warriors!"

  Ulf Big Nose stood, "Look around and tell me how many warriors you see? We have one boat crew. We were lucky last year. Had not Hrolf the Horseman chosen to have us attack the gate then we might still be trying to gain entry and many more warriors would have died."

  Erik Long Hair asked, "Hrolf, will you give us your views? I would be interested for it seems to me that you never do anything which is not well thought out."

  I stood. I knew that as hersir I had responsibility but I preferred to listen. "I will Erik but I ask the Jarl a question first. What does the clan need?"

  He looked surprised, "Need? We need to be richer!" Some men began banging their shields.

  I shook my head, "I have been on every raid and I have gold and silver enough. I thought |I needed coin but this winter has shown me that I do not. I can only wear one byrnie at time and I have enough coins to pay Bagsecg to repair my helmet and mail. We took enough grain last year but we will need some more. It is not gold we seek, Jarl Thorfinnson, it is women." I waved a hand around the gathering. "How many men have a woman? Not enough. Lars Larsson would like us to gain some glory by attacking somewhere big. To do that we need another drekar and we need more men. We can buy a drekar but we all know we cannot buy men. At least we cannot buy men we can rely on."

  As I sat I saw people nodding. Eiril Jorgesson stood. He too was a warrior from Dyflin. "I think that raiding for women is necessary but I still wish to try my sword against an enemy."

  The Jarl stood and nodded to me, "You have come up with a good suggestion, Hrolf the Horseman. I will ask now, who knows of somewhere that we could raid to get women and let our warriors prove their worth?"

  It was Sven the Helmsmen who came up with the answer, "The land of the Cymri. The women there are as tough as those from Hibernia and they have grain. We can raid the Sabrina or Ynys Môn. They are further away than Cent but they do not have burghs." He smiled, "They do have fierce warriors and they have archers who will test your armour, Eiril Jorgesson."

  Lars Larsson stood, "I have heard of the men of Cymri although I have never fought them. I think this is a good suggestion."

  We all looked at the Jarl. We had debated but the decision would be confirmed by him. He stood, "We will raid the land of the Cymri. We will try the Sabrina first for it is close." He smiled at his wife. "Soon my son will be here and I would hold him in my arms, arms which are covered in Welsh gold! We know that they have women but there are gold mines in that land. The Dragonheart found much."

  The mention of the Dragonheart was a cause for nods of agreement. He was seen as the one chosen by the gods. If we copied his actions then we could not go wrong. The announcement was a cause of celebration for almost all. The exception was Mary. She did not flee in tears but her face was clouded and covered in frowns.

  Sven raised his arm, "First we need to overhaul the drekar. We will do that at Hrolfstad. We can pull her from the water. Tomorrow I will sail her around the island just after dawn." He looked at me and I nodded.

  Siggi put his huge arm around me. "We will bring the beer and the bread. You will not have to feed the army which will descend."

  I said, "But I will need to travel back now for I will have to warn Sigurd and Skutal. Their homes are close to the beach and the wooden quay."

  "I had forgotten. You take your duties as hersir seriously then?"

  "I cannot let the Jarl down. He did me honour with the appointment."

  I went to fetch Mary. She was still talking with Hallgerd. I had never seen the Jarl's wife so happy. "I have told Mary that I shall be coming tomorrow. I am anxious for her to make me some fine clothes such as she wears."

  I bowed, "We would be honoured to have you
as our guest."

  We headed for Gille who had already saddled the horses. As we walked he said, "Will I be coming with you on the raid?"

  "I think not. The horses will need all of your attention until the foal is come. Would you wish to come?" He hesitated. "Be honest with me Gille as I am with you. I will not be offended whatever you say."

  "Then I would rather stay here. I will defend this home with my life but I am no sailor and the thought of sailing close to the edge of the world frightens me. I will guard our home."

  I was quite touched that he said, 'our home'. I had tried to make it so.

  "And you Mary? What are your thoughts?"

  "I would have you home safe and without an arrow in your body."

  I laughed, "That was blunt. This will not be as dangerous. We will choose somewhere which is undefended by walls and I will have my armour."

  She smiled, "You will have more than armour!" Enigmatically she said no more.

  When we reached the farmstead Gille and I saw to the horses and Gille fed and watered Gerðr. "I will go and speak with Skutal and Sigurd."

  The two young fishermen had already been fishing and they were salting some fish. Their wives were both with child and they were gutting a second batch of fish. I guessed that would be cooked fresh.

  "We have spare fish lord, if you want some?"

  I spied some octopus which lay on the rocks. "What will you do with that?"

  "Use it for bait. We do not like the taste nor the texture."

  "Then I will have it for I am partial to it."

  "You are welcome lord and we will save any more we find for you. We normally throw it back. This bay is rich enough with fish, crabs and shellfish. A man wants for nothing here."

  "I have to tell you then the Jarl is bringing 'Raven's Wing' here on the morrow to clean her hull and repair her."

  "That will not bother us. Besides there is another small bay to the west we thought to fish. It might be a good thing to let the fish in the bay alone for a day or two. They will be easier to catch when we return to them."

  When I reached my home Gille had his bow in his hand. "I thought I would see if I could hunt some game for the pot." He spied the fish I carried. "Although you have our meal I see."

  "This is not substantial. Whatever you have will augment the pot. Besides this is good practice. If you can hit a sea bird or a pigeon then you can kill a man."

  He loped off west. I took out the sac with the black liquid in and put it to one side. I removed the beak and then chopped up the flesh. I put it in a bowl and went indoors. Mary had a pot already on the fire. I handed the bowl to her. "This can go in the pot with the greens. I have left the sacs on the rock."

  She brightened, "Thank you! The Jarl's wife can have colour now upon her new dress. She likes colour." She put the octopus in the pot and then wiped her hands. "I have something for you. I made it over the winter." She went into her chamber and returned with a short kyrtle.

  "What is this?"

  "One of the lords who visited us when I was free had one. It is worn beneath your byrnie." She held it towards me. "See I have put wool here between two pieces of cloth and sewn them so that they cannot move. It will be padding under your mail. It will not stop a sword but it will cushion you from a blow and may slow down an arrow. I know that you will still be taking risks. This way you may have more chance of returning whole."

  She had made me a thinly padded kyrtle when she had first arrived but this was much more substantial. A great deal of work had gone into it and the wool would not shift. I took the garment and smiled, "Thank you. This is a good idea."

  "If it works it is!"

  Gille returned when dusk was falling. He had a wild duck with him. They sometimes flew over at this time of year as they headed north. He had done well to hit one. "Well done. Be careful when you pluck the feathers for they can be used for our arrows."

  Our meal, that night, was filled with interesting tastes. I had learned that anything which stopped food tasting bland was to be appreciated. The octopus went surprisingly well with the duck and we did not even notice the nettles and the greens.

  It was a pleasant evening and the wind had died. We sat outside with a fire before us. We watched the moon rise. Mary asked, somewhat shyly, "When you raid the Welsh will you be looking for a woman, lord?"

  I shook my head, "The woman I take to my bed will be free and she will come there because she wishes to be the one who will bear my children. She will not come to my bed because there is no one else."

  She seemed satisfied with my answer. They both went inside and I stayed there with Nipper watching the fire die. The land to the north of me drew my gaze. One day I would live there. That would be where I would find my woman. I knew that she would be a Frank. My whole life was bound up with the Issicauna, the Franks and horses. I could not escape that. Mary's words had made me focus on that. It was wyrd.

  Chapter 13

  Mary was up in the middle of the night preparing the bread. I awoke before dawn drawn by the tempting smell of fresh bread. I went down to the bay. The Einarsson brothers were also up. They waved to me as they pushed off their long fishing boat. They were used to my naked bathing. The sea woke me up and cleansed me within and without. By the time I had dressed and walked up the slope to my home the sun had risen. Gille was returning from the pen where he had taken the horses. He had a smile upon his face. "What is it Gille? Has Nipper done something to amuse you?"

  "No, lord but we have a second foal. Dream Strider must have covered Freyja last month for I felt the foal's heartbeat when I groomed her."

  "Then this is a good day." Mary brought out the still warm loaf and the sheep's cheese. It was wrapped in dried nettles and vinegar. "And now it gets even better!"

  When Mary heard the news she was delighted as we were. She was very fond of the horses. When they had been part of her father's herd they meant nothing to her. Now she had helped to groom and feed them. She understood them now.

  The clan arrived before the drekar. They had pulled carts with the beer, tools, timbers and bread upon them. As we waited for the drekar to appear we toasted the day and asked the Allfather to look kindly upon our efforts. When the prow edged around the headland we stripped to our breeks and went down to the shore. We laid the timbers so that we could haul the drekar out of the water and on to the shingle beach. It was the main reason Sven had chosen my bay for the work. There were more sharp rocks in Raven Bay. Once the mast had been placed on the mast fish we began to haul her sideways on to the timbers. We had greased the timbers with pig fat and sea weed. It made it easier. We pulled until her steering board side lay pointing to the heavens and then we spread out and began to scrape the green weed from the hull.

  We sang as we worked and we worked together. The same rhythm which helped us row helped us to scrape and we soon had the weed removed from one side. We wandered up to the haunted farmhouse to have bread and ale while Sven and his ship's boys coated the newly cleaned side of the ship with the concoction Aiden of Cyninges-tūn had devised. It did not stop the weed and the sea creatures from attacking the hull but it kept it a little safer. We did this each year. Many jarls did not bother. They were the ones who disappeared in the vast reaches of the ocean. We then had to lower the drekar into the water, turn her around and do the same on the other side. We had finished by the middle of the afternoon. It was hard work but none shirked their duties. Even the Jarl and the hearth-weru slaved with the rest of us. The Jarl's wife, along with the other women, brought us ale. Most of the clan returned home at the end of the day while a few of us stayed with Sven to help him raise the mast. There were still tasks to be done on the drekar but Sven could complete them in the bay.

  My wound ached by the end of the day. I had used my left arm and side more than usual. It was good though for it would strengthen it. I had to be able to use a shield again. I was a warrior and a warrior with a weak side would not last long in combat. I knew that the voyage north would strengthen it
too.

  When everyone had departed it made my home even more special. We had shared it with the clan but now it was ours once more. We groomed the three horses taking special care of the two mares and spoke and sang to them. They enjoyed the songs which Gille made up. Afterwards we sat outside again with a fine fire. We watched the mainland become darker until it disappeared. To all three of us our home was over there. We each kept our thoughts hidden but the moment was shared.

  We left six days later. Ulf and I took our bows for we would be scouting. The drekar had fewer men on the oars. Sigtrygg Red Hair had not been the only warrior to fall. As the year progressed then more young men would be able to come with us and learn to row but it would be at least a year until they were ready to be given their shield and to take their place as a member of the clan.

  The seas at spring time are unpredictable. It can go from a flat calm to a wild storm in the blink of an eye. We sometimes rowed and then a pleasant wind would take us where we wished to go. Just as suddenly a storm would erupt from the depths of the sea. The voyage was a lively one. As we had made enemies in Cent, Sven took us north west across the open sea. We hoped to avoid the isles of Syllingar. They all knew that a witch lived there for my journey into the underworld with Jarl Dragonheart and his galdramenn was told to young children to frighten them. I had not felt fear but I was loath to revisit the islands in case I heard something I did not want to hear. The result was a longer voyage as we stood well out to the west before turning north east and heading up the coast of On Walum. It was tempting to raid On Walum but the coast was treacherous and the people there had citadels on high cliffs. I knew that the Dragonheart had fought there and won but Jarl Thorfinnson was not Dragonheart.

  The Sabrina is a wide river but it is possessed by the goddess after whom it was named. We pulled in to the northern shore of Wessex. It was an empty beach and there were no settlements close by. We left a strong guard aboard and then took the lamb we had brought with us. The sea here mixed with the Sabrina and the Jarl made a Blót. The corpse of the slain lamb was thrown into the estuary with a prayer to Sabrina to make our venture a success.