by Griff Hosker
Beorn looked around, “He was here with me and now…”
Aðils’ skills were such that I did not worry about him but I wondered what he had found. There was a shout from the woods. Our hands went to our weapons and we were alert instantly. Two figures emerged from the woods. One was Aðils and he had his sword in the back of a young Saxon. “I thought I heard something. He was watching us.”
“This is my master’s hall and he asked me to watch for Danes like you! I am not afraid of you!”
I laughed, “Then learn to recognise the difference. We are not Danes and we know your master, Alfred.”
He looked sullenly at me. “You are Vikings! The Danes are Vikings! You are lying to me!”
The humour left my face. “I never lie, Saxon. Where are the people who lived here?” He was silent. “Cnut, hold him. Snorri, take your men and find them. They will be close.”
The boy struggled but he was no match for an Ulfheonar. Cnut smiled, “There is little point in struggling. If you annoy me I will cuff you. You will not be harmed, Jarl Dragonheart has spoken.”
The Saxon recognised my name and he stopped struggling. He seemed to be appraising me. “You are the warrior who fought the Danes.” I nodded. “I have heard that you are the only man who has beaten the Skull Takers but you are of their race.”
I shook my head, “No we are not!”
I heard voices approaching. I saw that Beorn and Aðils supported Alfred of Stamford; he was wounded. There were twenty people following. Only four looked to be warriors. The rest were women and children.
“Alfred, what happened?”
My men laid him by the fire. He had a bad cut to his leg. “I was with Prince Athelstan when we met the Danes. You were right, jarl. We should not have fought them. Asser died protecting the prince. I had been wounded already and the priests were tending to my wounds when the banner fell.” He pointed to the four warriors. “My oathsworn brought me here. I would have died defending the standard otherwise.”
“Then they did well. A banner is of no use if its master lies dead.”
“Aye you are right. We came back here. We had a message that the Danes were burning halls and we fled into the woods. They found the hall and burned it. They took our animals but my family survived.”
“And they are better off than Asser’s family for all of those lie dead. You cannot stay here.”
“It is my land.”
“The Danes will come again. You have women and children.”
“Then they will fight too.”
I pointed to the horses. “We have taken some Danish horses. Take them. Twelve of you can be mounted.”
“We stay here.”
I could see that he was adamant. “Very well. We will try to help you.”
“What is it that you do, Jarl Dragonheart?”
“We have been raiding the Danish homes weakening them. We intend to attack those who lay siege to Eoforwic. Perhaps we can help Prince Athelstan’s people who took shelter there. He was our ally and I feel I owe it to him.”
He brightened. “Then my men can help you. Cedric and Oswald know the land well. They would like the opportunity to get back at these savages.”
It was a good idea. “They follow my orders though, thegn.”
“Of course.”
We shared our food with them and I told Alfred what we had done. I saw the young Saxon boy, Ethelred, taking in every word. “But how do you survive when you are so few. Prince Athelstan had a mighty army. I saw them march to war and they were slaughtered.”
“They did not fight them the right way. You need more than courage to defeat a Dane. You need a mind as cunning as theirs.”
Olaf Leather Neck added, “You need good armour and you need skill. Courage alone will not win you the battle. Your prince was brave but he was ill equipped to fight such an enemy.”
Ethelred looked at Olaf, “But you are?”
Olaf Leather Neck laughed. He held out his arm. It was festooned with warrior bracelets. “These came from the enemies I killed. We are killers, Ethelred the Saxon. If you fight us, then you had better make sure we are dead for we will fight on even though the odds are stacked against us.”
The next morning Ethelred wished to accompany us. I refused, “We need warriors and not boys. Stay here and learn to be a killer.”
Cedric led us to the eastern gate. It was the closest to Stamford. He said that there was a camp of Danes there. They guarded a bridge into the city. The Fosse river was a natural defence. “I think, lord, that they are there to stop the city being reinforced or those within escaping. They do not have ditches and they seem content to sit and drink.”
“How many are there?”
“Perhaps forty; some slept and one or two kept watch. Most were seated around the fire.”
An idea came into my mind. It was suicide for Alfred and his people to remain in the woods. They would either be found or they would starve to death. If we could eliminate these Danes, then they could enter the city. Five more warriors and the boy might make a difference. Cedric took us to a low rise overlooking the position. The Saxon was right.
“Cedric, I want you and Oswald to take our horses and return to your master. Fetch them here.”
“Here, lord?”
“Tonight we rid the land of this band of Danes and then you can take shelter in the city. You will be safe there.”
He nodded and left.
I turned to my men. “We have the afternoon to devise a way to get close to these Danes and, as soon as it is night, kill them!”
Snorri took his scouts and returned some hours later. “The trees and the bushes go to within thirty paces of them. We could have slit a few throats even now, in daylight. They are drinking.”
“Take your men and head west. See where the next band is. I am guessing by the next bridge. I need to know if they can aid this band or not.”
They returned shortly before Alfred and his people arrived, “It will be close, Jarl. There are fifty men there and they look as though they know their business. They are using arrows to harass the defenders and their leaders are vigilant.”
It did not change my plans but it gave me added problems. When Alfred arrived, he frowned, “Can this be done and is it wise?”
“It is wiser than risking a winter in the woods with Danes all around you. You can take some of the Danish horses in with you. They will augment the food.”
He nodded, “Many of Prince Athelstan’s advisers did not trust you, jarl. They thought that you lied to the prince to inveigle yourself to his confidence. He always believed you would keep your word. I know not what will happen now but I will be your advocate. You have come to aid us here even though it appears a hopeless cause.”
“Do not think too well of me, Thegn, I came here to kill Danes and to weaken them. They wish to take my land from me.”
“I do not think they will succeed.”
“If they do then you will find our bleached bones where we fought to the last man. That is our way.”
We mounted all of the thegn’s people. His warriors took children with them and the older women doubled up with a man on each horse. We left them, as night fell, and slipped down close to the Danes. Those within the walls had not attempted to discourage the Danes and they were in a festive mood. We waited until they began to roast their food on the open fire and drink heavily. We moved into position. With just twenty paces to cover we were confident that we could manage it in the dark. It seemed to take an age for the sun to dip behind the castle walls. Once again I left my shield around my back. We would hit the Danes like a whirlwind. Aðils, Snorri and Beorn slipped in first. They were fast and they were silent. The four sentries who were talking closest to us died with barely a murmur. The fourth to die watched as his three companions grew another mouth and then he too fell.
The others saw nothing. With the city walls quiet it was another night to pleasure themselves. We burst in on them silently with flashing blades. I hacked across a D
ane’s back as I gutted a second. A third warrior looked around in disbelief as his two friends died. My sword took his head. It was barely a heartbeat into the attack and six of the forty had died. I saw Olaf’s axe as it took two Danes in one blow. Then the noise and the cries began. The first eight had died silently. Now men shouted, first in alarm and then in pain as swords, axes and seaxes ripped and tore through flesh. Two men fled west, towards the next Danish camp. Aðils had brought his bow. He had the fastest hands I had ever seen. The two arrows pitched them into the Fosse.
“Now Thegn! Ride!”
Already Cnut and some of our men were racing into the woods to fetch our horses. We stood back as the Saxons galloped over the bridge. We heard the challenge from the walls and then Thegn Alfred’s voice rang out, “Open the gate! We are friends!”
Cedric and the other warriors, along with Ethelred dismounted before the bridge and handed their reins to us. Ethelred said, “I will remember you Jarl.”
Cedric just said, “Jarl you are a true warrior. You are like Beowulf. I would follow you into any battle!” I nodded and clasped his arm.
Even as we mounted our horses I heard the clamour from our left. I threw my leg over the horse and, with Haaken and Snorri, rode towards the advancing Danes. They were a noisy shadow to the west. I heard a cry from the walls of Eoforwic, “We are safe, Jarl!” They were within Eoforwic’s walls and we could make our own escape.
I whipped my horse’s head around, “Ride! Ride!”
I saw the wall of metal and wood as the Danes raced along the Fosse in an attempt to get to us. We were mounted and we knew how to ride. I kicked my horse in the flanks and he took off east. We would ride back to Stamford where we would spend the night and the morning. I had already decided where we would head next. We would go north. We had one more raid to make and then I would head for the Land of the Wolf. We had risked too much already. I had to get home and then plan how to defeat these Danes.
Chapter 14
I awoke stiff. I was getting too old to spend nights sleeping rough. The constant fighting made my muscles and joints ache. I did not feel it when I fought but when I stopped and I slept then I knew. We left our camp in the late afternoon and headed north and east. I wanted the Danes to think we were heading for Hwitebi. That would make sense. I could have a drekar waiting. As we approached the small village of Mal’s Tun we headed north and west. The land was clear of Danes. They had scoured the land and slaughtered those Saxons who had not taken refuge in Eoforwic. I planned an attack on the north gate. The Danes would have a strong presence there. If the garrison fled for safety it would be north. We would have to use all of our skills to get close and to terrify our foes. Then we would head home.
We headed for the gate known as Gillygate. We rode cautiously for I knew that we would not catch the Danes unawares this time. They knew we were hunting. They would be expecting us to attack and they would have guards watching every direction. This would be a true test of the Ulfheonar.
We found a marshy area close to a wood and it was perfect. We could tether our horses in the woods and use the boggy ground as a defence for our camp. We rested there for half a day. This would be our last raid before we headed home. We had already done all that I had hoped and we had weakened the Danes. I wondered if it would be enough to make them think twice about attacking us. If we had done this much damage with a handful of men, then how much could we do with the whole clan? Even as the hope flickered through my mind I dismissed it. Baggi Skull Splitter and his witches would want revenge. Their warriors were expendable.
As dusk approached I sent my three scouts to inspect the Danish siege works. I prepared for battle. As I sharpened my blade I realised how weary I felt. There had been a time when I could have campaigned for months and felt fresh but my joints ached when I rose each morning. My body took longer to obey my commands. Had he still been alive I would have considered handing power to Wolf Killer but that hope had been snatched away by the Norns and my enemies. Now that hope lay with Ragnar and Gruffyd.
Karl Karlsson came to me, “Jarl we are running out of food. The salted meat and fish we brought have been almost exhausted. We shared the horsemeat with the Saxons. Had we not we might have had enough for a few more days. We run out tomorrow.”
“Then we will have to tighten our belts, Karl. Have the men pick the early blackberries and crab apples.”
The scouts returned. Snorri shook his head ruefully. “This will not be as easy, Jarl Dragonheart. They are like an ant’s nest which has been disturbed. They scurry and prepare for an attack. They are looking outward, jarl as well as in.”
“How many are there?”
“There is a band of sixty.”
“And the ground?”
“It is flat and cleared. Even as we watched they were hacking down the elder and the blackberries which would have hidden us. The only cover now is a few deserted huts a hundred paces from their lines and they are astride the road to the north.”
“What lies north of the huts?”
“There is a cleared area that they farmed. It is grazing land and then the woods begin. If we travelled a thousand paces, then we would reach them. This is the same wood.”
I looked at the wood for the first time. The bog to the west gave us protection there. We had the road to the east for escape. I said, “Gather round, I have decided how we will attack these Danes.”
None had their helmets on but each of my warriors held a weapon in his hand. So long as we were in the land of our enemies they would be prepared for an attack. Others might be caught unawares but not my men. I saw that Aðils Shape Shifter stood to one side where he could both hear and smell an enemy.
“We will attack them.” None showed any surprise. “Snorri has told us that there are huts within bow range of the Danes. We use them before it is dark. Then we draw them into these woods after the sun has set. We make them risk the night and the Ulfheonar. We lead them in the woods to confuse them. If we are beset, then we disappear.” I pointed to the west. “The boggy ground there will catch them unawares. The trees here are our allies. When dawn comes, we meet back at the horses and then we go home. This will be our last night here in the land which is now the land of the Danes. Each warrior we slay this night is one less for our people to fight when they come.”
Haaken nodded, “And they will still come, jarl. We have hurt this Baggi Skull Splitter. He will be like a wild bear roused from a sleep.”
Olaf Leather Neck nodded as he stroked the edge of his axe, “And like a wild bear, while its attack might be furious and terrifying, it is wild. The wolves which hunt the wild bear use cunning and guile. They are cold and work together. I am happy, Haaken One Eye, for the bear to be wild and angry. I would not relish a cold and calculating foe. These Danes have already shown us that when they plan they can be dangerous. Sigtrygg found that to his cost. This is a good plan.”
“We work in pairs. Let us go now and be ready towards day’s last light.”
I took my Saami bow. I had ten arrows left. They would be enough. Haaken naturally came with me. We had fought side by side since we were young and he had two eyes. We filtered through the woods in our pairs. We were like afternoon shadows flitting through the dappled ground. The huts hid us from the Danes although those on the walls might have seen shadows emerge from the woods and scurry to the shelter of the four huts. With our wolf cloaks we would have been taken for animals. I saw, by the design of the huts, that they were Saxon. They were now deserted. Although there was no sign of those who had occupied them I guessed that they had either fled within the walls of Eoforwic or had been slain.
All of us knew our own range with our bows. Snorri had told us that the Danes were a hundred paces from us. I had risked a glance around the end of the last house and seen that the Danes had erected a crude barricade of stakes intertwined with brambles which would both deter and slow down an enemy in the night. They were close together guarding the road and the approach to the gate. These walls
and this gate had been built by the Romans and the Danes would not be able to take them without loss. After returning to the others I nodded and pulled back my bow. The others copied me. As I released so did they. I had another in the air even as the first plunged down. I heard the cries and shouts. The arrows coming from the sky would disorientate and confuse the enemy. I sent a third arrow. They would now be taking cover.
I went to the end of the last hut and peered around. By the light of their braziers and the last rays of the sun I could see that the Danes had their shields up. I held up my hand to stop the shower of arrows. It would be a waste of valuable arrows to continue. I had no idea how many we had slain but I knew, from the cries, that we had hurt them. I was close enough to hear their voices although I could not make out what they were saying. I saw a pair of Danes detach themselves from the shield wall and clamber over the barrier. I dropped my hand and my men sent arrows into the air. I dropped my hand as the arrows struck. Three arrows struck one Dane who fell across the barrier. As the other hurried back he was hit in the leg.
I glanced to the west. The sun was beginning to set. An orange glow lit up the walls of Eoforwic as though they were on fire. I heard more orders being shouted and a head appeared out of the shield wall. When the Danish sentry gave a shout, I knew that I had been spotted. I had my bow ready and I sent an arrow towards the sharp-eyed Dane. My arrow smacked into his nose and he fell back. They knew where we were. I raised my arm again. They would have to move their own barrier to get at me. I heard more orders and then the shield wall began to break up as they started to move the stakes and brambles. I dropped my arm and arrows showered them. My men were releasing blindly but they had the area well covered. The Danes were forced to work one handed with their shields held above them. It would tire them. I saw men struck. Some were slight wounds but I saw others crawling away. They would not follow us.