by Griff Hosker
"I do. He and his scouts were captured. Their eyes were removed along with their tongues."
He closed his eyes and then opened them. "I am sorry Beorn for cursing you." He shook his head. "It is fortunate that you came so quickly." He suddenly started. "My home! I left few guards there!"
"Fear not. Sigtrygg has his men there as well as a drekar crew of the men of Dyflin. Your home is safe." I was missing something. "Why do you worry about your home? The enemy are behind us."
"This is not all of them. Another band, with Frisians and Danes are heading there now. The Franks were to pin us down. The only hope we have is that they are afoot. We are mounted."
We reached Cnut just as Rolf shouted, "Jarl! Horsemen!"
We stood no chance on horseback against Franks. "Dismount. Form a shield wall!"
Riding around the rear of Cnut's double line I dismounted and pulled four men who just had leather armour from the rear of the line. "Hold the horses."
Handing my reins to one of them I pushed my way to the front of the shield wall. Olaf and Haaken joined me. We stood with Cnut in the front rank. Haaken said, "Your father's spirit will be watching us Cnut Cnutson. He would be proud."
We could see little ahead. Darkness was falling rapidly. We could, however, hear the hooves of their horses as they galloped up the road. My hope was that they could not outflank us. There was a ditch running along both sides of the Roman Road. When they hit us, however, it would be hard.
Olaf Leather Neck shouted, "Shields!" We locked ours at the front. Those in the second rank brought their shields over our heads and warriors did the same at the side. We were a solid wall of wood and metal. Those with spears poked them out, The ones in the second rank added their weapons to ours. Blades and spear heads bristled from the wooden wall. We were as prepared as we could be.
Once the shields were locked in place Olaf Leather Neck shouted, "Brace!" We all stepped forward on our left legs and awaited the crash when the horses hit us.
We saw a moving shadow at first which quickly became a line of horses. They had spears and long oval shields. What they did not have was armour on their legs. I saw a glimmer of hope in the dark of night. The Franks had stiraps. They could punch with their spears. We could do nothing for their spears were longer than our swords. The first ten hit our shields. I heard a scream as one of my men was speared. His shield had not been locked. It was a mistake but a costly one. The men in the front rank were largely the men from my home; they followed Cnut Cnutson. They were not Ulfheonar.
I heard Snorri shout, "Let me in!" as he took the dead man's place. The one death appeared to be the only one. Many of the spears had broken. The ones who remained tried to find gaps in the shields. We waited. Olaf, Haaken and myself had done this before. As the Franks before me poked their spears at the shields I took the opportunity to stab forward with my sword. The tip was sharp. It pierced the warrior's leg and went into the side of his horse. The man roared in pain and involuntarily pulled up with the reins. The frightened and wounded animal began to thrash. Its hooves clattered off our shields before it overbalanced and fell back against another two horses.
Olaf Leather Neck darted from the line and swung his axe. It hacked through the neck of a second horse. As its rider fell at our feet Cnut hacked off his head with his sword. In a heartbeat we had reformed. The Franks were in disarray. Two dead horses and three dead warriors now blocked their path. We heard another horn and the riders fell back. As they did so I shouted, "Ulfheonar, become the front rank. Wolf Killer, take your men and ride back to your home. We will follow."
One of the horses was not quite dead. Olaf stepped forward and slit its throat with his seax. "You died well!" We did not like horses to suffer.
I heard Wolf Killer's voice, "Take care Dragonheart! This enemy is cunning!"
I did not answer him. Already I knew that! We heard the hooves of our men recede into the darkness. I said, quietly, "Beorn, see where they have gone." I heard a whisper as he left the line. Feet shuffled and his place was taken.
Haaken said, "We will hear them if they come again, Jarl."
"You are right. Unlock shields but stand ready in case they come again."
I laid my shield on the ground grateful that I no longer had to hold it. I kept Ragnar's Spirit in my hand. Stepping forward I cleaned it on the cloak of the dead Frank who lay before me. He had been crushed by the dying horse. His face showed the agony of his death. I took his sword from his scabbard. It was longer than mine. It felt well balanced. I unclasped his baldric and strapped it around my own waist. I sheathed the sword. Who knew when I might need a second weapon?
Haaken said, "Should we call you Garth Two Swords now?"
I laughed. It released the tension I felt. "It might stop me being singled out for death by my enemies."
Olaf Leather Neck said, "They do not need your name to single you out, Jarl. They see you and they know you. All of our faces are marked. As soon as a warrior dons a wolf cloak then he becomes the target for ambitious young warriors. It is why that Saxon, Coenred, challenged you. He wished the glory. All know that a Viking cannot refuse a challenge."
A short while later Beorn ran back. "They have gone to the burgh and they are fortifying it." He lifted a skull from behind his back. "I took this from one of their sentries." He took a spear from the ground and jammed it into the side of the road. He placed the head upon it. Then he went to the dead warrior who had had his head taken by Cnut and did the same on the other side of the road. "They may be Christians but I doubt they will wish to cross such a warning."
"Well done, Beorn. Mount up. Those who do not have a horse, ride double."
We headed west, following my son's path. We would not reach Elfridaby until dawn. The horses and the men were weary. Wolf Killer would be there soon enough. If Ragnar Ruriksson attacked there would be a garrison.
"Beorn, how many Franks were left?"
"Hard to say but I estimate sixty or seventy. Most had horses."
I rode in silence wondering how many Frisians and Danes they had. The Franks were obviously from Neustria. It explained why they had boarded at Boulogne. They had brought their horses by the shortest sea crossing they could. They must have needed twelve rather than ten ships. It also gave me a little hope for it meant they had fewer Frisians. The Frisians were fierce warriors. If the Danes came from Eoforwic then the slightest obstacle might send them racing home. The Frisians, however, were more likely to fight to the death. I did not want to lose any warriors.
"You are quiet, Jarl. Is there something on your mind?" I remained silent. "You should be relieved."
"How so, Haaken One Eye? What can you see that I cannot?"
"Before they came you worried that you did not know where they would land. Now you do. Raibeart can bring his men over and join us. We have a larger garrison in the burgh than we had before. We just have to work out a way to defeat them."
"There are Frisians, Haaken! They take some killing."
Olaf Leather Neck spat, "And we are the ones to hew necks! Fear not, Jarl. It will be a bloody day but the men of Cyninges-tūn showed today that they can stand in a shield wall and face charging horsemen. I have known other jarl's oathsworn who could not do that."
It took us longer to reach Wolf Killer's home than we expected. We had wounded and we had to tend to their wounds. Our horses had also suffered and it was mid morning before we viewed Elfridaby. It was surrounded! I saw Wolf Killer's banner flying from the tower and knew that Wolf Killer and my grandson Ragnar had made the safety of the walls. They were, however, surrounded. The camp fires of the Frisians and the Danes were dotted haphazardly around them. I could see that Elfrida had released the water from the dams and there was a veritable lake around the stad. I relaxed. There was no way that Ragnar Ruriksson could breach the walls before the waters had subsided.
"Snorri, ride to Úlfarrston. Fetch Raibeart and his men. Beorn ride to Windar's Mere. I want every man they can spare. We meet at Underbarrow."
"Olaf. We will camp here. Send scouts out to gather food. Have a ditch dug."
He asked, "We wait here?"
"Do you think that they can capture the stronghold any time soon?"
He smiled, "No lord. It would take weeks."
He left and I dismounted. I felt the weariness in my legs and my back. I was too old to campaign. I dared not take off my mail. We were still in danger. I handed my reins to Leif. I found a patch of shaded earth beneath a chestnut tree. Taking off my helmet and my weapons I lay down.
Haaken approached, "Any orders, Jarl?"
"Aye. Take charge until I wake. I am weary!"
I was asleep before I knew it. Perhaps it was my weariness of the Norns, I knew not, but I dreamed.
I was on my drekar and I sailed west. No matter how much I turned the steering board I could not change our course. Wolf Killer cried out to me to turn the drekar and I could not. I saw the edge of the word and it raced towards us. Its savage teeth seemed to champ and to grind. Suddenly we reached it and the drekar plummeted over the side. We fell. We fell a long time and yet we did not reach the bottom. We landed in the middle of a forest. I was alone. I heard my son crying out for me and I ran. No matter how hard I ran I could not reach him. I discarded my helmet and my mail and forced my feet to move. Then I saw him. He lay on a table and a warrior with a full face mask stood over him. The warrior turned to me, laughing and then swept his sword down to take my son's head. I leapt forward with Ragnar's Spirit drawn to avenge him and I found myself falling into a deep, black hole.
"Jarl! Jarl! You were shouting!"
I looked up into Rolf Horse Killer's face. It was late afternoon. The young warrior could face down charging horsemen without flinching but after hearing my ranting he looked terrified. I smiled, "I was dreaming, that is all!" I put my dream from my mind. I could not afford the luxury of working out what it meant. That would have to wait for Aiden and Kara. "Have the reinforcements arrived?"
Rolf pointed to the three new camps. "They arrived just after noon."
"Fetch my Ulfheonar, Asbjorn, Arne Thorirson and Raibeart to me."
"Aye Jarl."
I made water by a large tree. I had noticed that I needed to do so more frequently these days. Age. I walked down to the small stream and threw water on my face. It felt better and I headed towards the camp again. I saw that it had been well organised. It was neat and ordered. Bushes and young saplings created a natural looking barrier around us so that we would be hidden from our enemies. Of course a close inspection would reveal us. In a few days the leaves would die and we would not be hidden. However, by that time, this would all be over, one way or another.
I gathered my Ulfheonar around me. I nodded to Raibeart, "How many men did you bring?"
"Forty of my people and then the men of Dyflin."
"It is not enough. Arne?"
"Another fifty although only ten are shield wall warriors. The rest are brave and willing but..."
I nodded. They were sword fodder. "Have they brought their bows and slings?"
"Aye lord."
"Good. That will suffice. Snorri, have you scouted our foes?"
"Aye Jarl. There are almost two hundred of them. The Frankish horsemen arrived during the morning. The Frisians are hewing saplings and brushwood to make a causeway across the water and the mud. Your son's archers are slowing down their work. If they continue through the night then they will be ready to attack the walls by noon tomorrow."
"We are too few to attack the whole camp. Raibeart, send a rider to Ketil and to Ulf Olafsson at Thorkell's Stad and then you will take charge of the camp. I need the men from the north. We need to whittle down their numbers. Asbjorn I want you to rejoin the Ulfheonar this night. The Franks and Frisians do not know us. Tonight we become wolves. We will spread terror in their camp. I hope it will slow down the work on the causeway. As soon as Ketil reaches us then we can begin to take the battle to our enemy."
"Ulf will take longer to reach us."
"I know Haaken but they will be reinforcements. Our enemy has none. That is why we slaughter as many as we can. Snorri and Beorn I want you two to hamstring as many of the enemy horses as you can."
"Jarl, it might be better if we drive them off or capture them. Horse do not like the smell of blood; especially their own. If we start to hurt them then they will make a noise and panic. This way we weaken the enemy and we gain horses."
"You can do this?"
"It will be easier than cutting them. We kill the guards, untie the horses and then drive them west."
"Then drive them to Cyninges-tūn and bring back any men you can... and Aiden." I saw the relief on the faces of my men. They were always happier when we had the wizard with us. "Now we eat our rations and prepare for the night. Raibeart keep the fires burning brightly and I want one man in four on watch."
Raibeart and Arne Thorirson had both brought supplies with them. We ate dried fish and cheese. The ale skins were soon emptied. We prepared for the night attack. I laid down my shield. I would not need that. I took off my new Frankish sword. It was too long for what I had in mind. I sharpened my dagger, my seax and my sword on my whetstone. When I was satisfied with the edge then I put them in their scabbards. Some men did not bother with scabbards or sheaths. It was a mistake in my view. This way our weapons kept an edge longer and there was no risk of metal scraping on metal when they were drawn. We needed silence. Finally I donned the red cochineal around my eyes. Once my helmet was on I would be almost invisible. If I was seen in a flash of firelight then I would be an apparition from the underworld!
I headed towards my men who had gathered in the centre of the camp. "Work in pairs. If one falls the other brings the body back."
They nodded and Rollo Thin Skin said, "We howl?"
"At the first cry from the enemy we howl. When the horses run away we howl and then we disappear. There are too few of us to throw our lives away." They nodded and each one touched the golden wolf I had given them and which they wore around the neck. I touched my dragon. It had not been made; it had been sent and as such was as valuable to me as my sword.
"Haaken you will be with me."
"Of course! Where else would be your finest and oldest oathsworn?"
The others smiled at his arrogance. They knew it was banter.
We headed down the valley towards the river which led to my son's stronghold. The enemy were on the far side but we would be hidden from sight. As we wore our wolf cloaks and moved silently I did not fear them seeing us. Their eyes would be on the walls of Elfridaby. I had no doubt there would be sentries which was why we moved in pairs and we kept as low as we could. Our wolf cloaks and black armour made us hard to see. My sword was sheathed but I carried my seax. The shorter blade was easier to use for what we intended. We walked in the river shallows. As we approached the camps we heard the mumble of chatter. Drawing closer we heard the work on the causeway. There was an occasional shout and cry as one of the defenders managed to strike one of those toiling in the swamps with a well aimed arrow. Wolf Killer had plenty..
Snorri and Beorn kept going. The horse herd was to the east of the camp. They would have the furthest to go. Rollo and Rolf Horse Killer were the youngest and they followed. Haaken and I found ourselves alone. We crossed the river. The water, in the middle, came up to our chests. It was cold. As we reached the other bank I heard conversation. I did not understand the words and I guessed it was either Frisian or Frankish. Either way it meant there were men ahead.
We flattened ourselves into the bank and began to crawl up the side. As we peer
ed over the edge we saw, just four paces away, two sentries. The two were being lazy. They sat and they did not watch the west they looked out over the camp. After taking in that they sat on their shields and had their cloaks wrapped tightly about them I looked beyond to the flickering fires of the camp. There were many men. Most appeared to be sleeping. I could hear the work on the causeway. That was five hundred paces north of us. We were on the edge of the camp. Already the fires were dying to a glow. Soon we would be able to move among them, bringing death.
First we had to eliminate these two sentries and take their place. The fact that they were seated made it easier. I nodded to Haaken and we crept forward. The art of such movement is to make it smooth and slow. It is sudden disturbances which catch the eye. Sometimes, if you move slowly enough a man, can look at you and not see you. You are a shadow. We were shadows. I had fought alongside Haaken so many times that we did not need to speak. We both reached up at the same time. I pulled back the Frisian's head and stabbed my seax up through his throat into his skull. He died instantly and there was little blood. I laid him to one side and then sat upon his shield. Haaken did the same.
It had happened so quickly that it was impossible for any to have seen us. We became the guards. Any conversation we had would be a mumble to those below and would be expected. Haaken whispered, "There are many fires."
"Aye." I nodded to the nearest. It was almost eighty paces from us. There were four men asleep. "We take those four first. We will stand when the fires are dampened a little and don the Frisian cloaks."
"Frisian?"
I nodded, "I recognised one of their words. It is the same as fret. We share some words with them and none with the Franks." I turned to untie the cloak from the dead Frisian whose body lay behind me and a little way down the bank. When I tugged it free I put it, loosely, around my shoulders. As I did so I saw his purse. After donning the cloak I took out the coins. It was hard to see but I could feel that there was a face on them. That made them Frankish. Their Kings liked to do that. When this was over the Neustrians would pay for this raid.