by Griff Hosker
I had the chance to examine the Frisian. It had a skull for a prow. I had never seen one like that before. Perhaps all of them did. This one had shields with a yellow skull. I took heart from the fact that all the crew were rowing. None were sending arrows and stones our way. It was slightly wider than our drekar which would make it slower. It explained why we were able to hold our lead. Once we turned it would be different. Our turn would, perforce, be slower.
Erik shouted, "Stand by to turn!" As he put over the improvised steering board he shouted, "Haaken's side row, Snorri's side ship oars."
It was little enough but it turned us quicker than using just the two sweeps. Snorri and the warriors on his side donned helmets and fitted their shields to their arms. Snorri asked, "How do we do this, Jarl?"
"He has more men but they may not expect us to put up much of a fight. I intend to use the Ulfheonar to strike and strike hard. We disable their steering board. Then we head for Hibernia. Their leader is clever. He uses this drekar to keep watch on us but if it cannot follow then we can disappear."
"In oars!"
Haaken and the rest of the crew began to prepare. The Frisian was closing rapidly with us. He had been able to turn inside us. I do not think it was intentional for he must have realised that the other two would be coming from the east. He had to sail to the west of us if he was to be a sheepdog! Our slow turn had taken him by surprise. He began to turn to the west.
"Erik, I want you to turn and lay us alongside his steerboard side as soon as he passes us."
"It is a risk, Jarl."
"If this works it matters not that we break your sweep; we can make another."
"Aye Jarl."
"Ulfheonar be ready to board. The rest of you stop them from boarding us!"
The Frisian had his men rowing and they began to overtake us. Suddenly Erik and Guthrum put the steering board over and we lurched to the west. Although it took the Frisian by surprise there was a crack as the improvised rudder broke but it had done its work. We slammed through the oars of the Frisian and into his hull. Snorri and Beorn threw the grappling hooks and pulled. Olaf and Rolf Horse Killer leapt recklessly over the side while the sea still swirled below us. Haaken and I followed.
Some of the steer board side rowers had been injured by the collision. One man held a shattered piece of oar which was rammed into his leg. Olaf and Rolf swung their axes to clear a path to the helmsman. Haaken and I sprang through the gap. I hacked across the middle of the helmsman. He fell in a bloody heap. Snorri rammed his sword into the Captain of the drekar. He fell too. "Get the steering board destroyed!
"Aye Jarl."
Haaken and I turned to join Beorn and Leif as we fought our way to Olaf and Rolf. None could approach our two axe men. They swung in rhythm with each other . Heads were shattered; limbs lopped. The deck was so slippery with blood that it was hard to keep a firm footing. We were seriously outnumbered but our numbers filled the hull and we had enough blades to hold them off while Snorri and Beorn did their work. A spear found a gap and scored a hit against the side of Olaf Leather Neck. His mail parted and I saw blood. Leif the Banner darted in and eviscerated the spearman. Snorri shouted, "It is done!"
"Back to the ship!" The steer board shroud was close to me and I hacked through it. The sail began to flap. Cnut Cnutson had boarded with us and he suddenly took off down the centre of the ship. It took everyone by surprise. He hacked his way down the ship and stood at the prow defying the whole of the crew. Haaken and I took two more warriors who tried to stop us leaving. It was brave but foolish. I shouted, "That is enough! Back!"
Haaken and I stood on the gunwale as our men jumped across. Arrows fell from our ship into the Frisians. Cnut seemed to bear a charmed life. He had taken everyone by surprise. He slashed through the stays. Until they were repaired the ship was going nowhere. Cnut then stood with his back to the prow as the crew advanced on him.
Haaken and I jumped aboard our ship. The ropes were cut and the wind forced us along the side of the drekar. Cnut slew two warriors as Haaken shouted, "Jump!" Cnut ran and leapt into the air. His father must have been watching over him. As 'Red Snake' came close Cnut crashed across the gunwale of our drekar. Einar Hammer Arm and Olvir Grey Eye pulled him to safety. His leg and his arm had been slashed but he had survived.
Haaken said, "I think Cnut the Eagle that you are now one of the Ulfheonar!"
"Let us get out of this predicament before we begin to congratulate ourselves! Take to your oars and I will direct you again until the sweep is repaired."
The men complied. They did not bother to take off their helmets. We were three boat lengths from the stricken Frisian and we needed to make ourselves invisible. Guthrum and Erik had learned from their first effort and by the time the Frisian was a mile away they could steer again.
Erik looked worried, "Jarl, I would make for Dyflin. The wind may be against us but I would not risk Man. The wind would take us thence."
I nodded, "Make for Dyflin."
We were in a sorry state. When Arne Eriksson wriggled back from beneath the deck his face told the story. "We are taking on water."
Erik Short Toe nodded, "When we struck the Frisian it was too much for her. Son, have the ships' boys go below with you. Guthrum you stay deck side. Use the empty beer pail to bail. Jarl, I need you here with me!"
I joined him and soon realised why he needed help. A steering board moved the ship easily. This improvised version was something you fought. Soon we were both bathed in sweat as we tried to keep the drekar on course. The water kept coming from below. It was a race against both time and the sea. The sea was winning.
The thin line ahead told us that the coast was getting closer but as we began to get our hopes up they were dashed by Haaken, "Jarl, our two friends have caught us up. They are coming at us from two different directions. They intend to outflank us."
I looked at Erik, "There is no point in stopping rowing. We get as close to the shore as we can."
"You are right Jarl but the excess water is making us slower. They will catch up with us before we reach the coast."
"We do not give up! That is not our way!" I gripped my dragon, "May the spirits of my ancestor and the Allfather come to our aid!"
Haaken began the chant. My men were exhausted but a chant helped them and revived their spirits.
'Ulfheonar, warriors strong
Ulfheonar, warriors brave
Ulfheonar, fierce as the wolf
Ulfheonar, hides in plain sight
Ulfheonar, Dragon Heart's wolves
Ulfheonar, serving the sword
Ulfheonar, Dragon Heart's wolves
Ulfheonar, serving the sword'
I let Erik watch the shore. I held on to the oar with him but I watched astern. The larger drekar was the one captained by the mysterious Jarl. It was to the east of us, cutting off an escape to our home. The other was another with sixteen oars on each side. It was smaller and faster. It was beating up to stop us reaching the shore. "Erik they will catch us long before we reach the shore. The one which will catch us is easier to defeat. When they come alongside I will board him. You and your ships' boys join us. Better we die together than get picked off."
"Aye Jarl, but we will bail until we touch. I will not abandon this drekar so easily. She is brave and has spirit! She deserves to live."
"Stop rowing and arm yourselves. Arm the wounded. We die with our swords in our hands!"
The cheer from my depleted crew gave me hope. The sight of the nearest Frisian, just four boat lengths away filled me with despair. The larger one was further back.
"Get your boys on deck and arm them, Erik Short Toe. This is a good day to die!"
I donned my helmet and hefted my shield. We would be fighting overwhelming odds and I needed all the help I could get. As the bow of the drekar came abeam of us Erik and I pushed the makeshift steering board hard over. It was a violent move and it shattered the sweep but it took us across the bows of the drekar. The skull prow rose
over our gunwale and seemed to bite into the mast. We had no need to throw ropes and my men hurled themselves over the prow. It gave us a chance, albeit slight, for the Frisians were gathered on the steering board side.
Olaf Leather Neck inevitably led the way. His wound did not slow him down. He swung his axe before him. It was lightly armed men who met him. Their spears seemed not to bother him. His axe smashed heads and arms. Those that hid and survived his onslaught were felled by Rolf Horse Killer.
Haaken and I led the attack down the other side. I held my seax behind my shield and wielded Ragnar's Spirit. We fought together as we had done since we were boys. I blocked a skeggox and slashed my sword under armed to rip open the Frisian's belly. Haaken smashed his shield into the face of one warrior as he casually took the head of a second. It seemed we were doing the impossible and beating the Frisians. However sheer weight of numbers slowed us down. Rolf and Olaf were finally stopped by the mast. Wounded Finni and Erik Eriksson joined them. They had fought together for the longest time.
Snorri, Beorn, Leif and Rollo Thin Hair stood behind Haaken and me. The press of our enemies was so tight that we could barely swing our arms. I head butted the nearest Frisian so hard that he tumbled over the gunwale. That gave me the chance to slide my sword into the side of another. A sword clanged against my helmet. Arrows came from behind us. A warrior who was about to stab Haaken fell backwards with an arrow in his eye.
It seemed to energise Haaken. He shouted, "Come on, warriors of Cyninges-tūn! Push these scum over the side. They are not warriors they are bandits!"
Leif the Banner, Snorri and Beorn pushed against us. I ripped my seax sideways and opened the entrails of a warrior. The deck was slippery now with blood and gore but we were winning. We pushed them back. Haaken and I had enough room now to swing our swords. With Snorri next to us the three of us scythed our swords towards the fearful Frisians. I began to think we stood a chance when I heard a cry from behind. It was Sven Svensson. "Jarl the other ship is here. We are surrounded!"
"Then let us make a shield wall and make them pay dearly for our lives."
My men all locked shields. Rollo Thin Hair hacked a Frisian who was coming at my left side and joined his shield to that of me and Rolf Horse Killer. I jabbed my sword over the top of the shield. The Frisian who stood there recoiled. Had there been just this one drekar then we would have won but the second had over sixty men on board. As soon as they clambered over the deck of 'Red Snake' then the slaughter would start. I felt a movement behind me. I risked looking to see if it was danger. It was the ship's boys led by Guthrum. They had cut the stays of the enemy ship and swung across.
Guthrum had been cut across his cheek and his eye but he grinned, "I will tell my grandchildren of the day I fought with the Dragonheart!" He pulled back and sent an arrow to smash through the face of the Frisian chief who was rallying his men.
Then the dying began. Bjorn Eiriksson and Sven Svensson fell one after the other. It took six blows to kill Sven and he took three more men before he died. When Beorn took the last spear in his stomach he grabbed two men and took them over the side with him. They died well. Snorri suddenly dropped to one knee as his other was hacked by a Frisian sword. I chopped across the side of the warrior's head. I smashed his skull open and his brains spurted out.
I helped Snorri to his feet. "Come, my friend, rest on me."
"I am sorry, Jarl. I must be getting old!"
"Never! We are just getting our second wind!"
Haaken began to sing.
"Around the mast the oathsworn stood
Deep in gore, deep in blood.
Brothers in arms they fought as one
They fought when hope had all but gone.
Ulfheonar never forget
Ulfheonar never forgive
Ulfheonar fight to the death
Remember this fight at the end of days
Warriors dying but hopes still raised
Oathsworn all and the Dragonheart
They died together were never apart
Ulfheonar never forget
Ulfheonar never forgive
Ulfheonar fight to the death"
It was a strange experience as Haaken's voice rang out. He always had a fine voice and to have created his own death song in the midst of the battle was truly wondrous. All those who stood and breathed chanted the chorus and perhaps the gods heard for Arne Eriksson, who was clinging to the shrouds suddenly shouted, "'Heart of the Dragon', 'Crow' and 'Odin's Gift'! They are come!"
When all hope had gone the gods sent us help. We redoubled our efforts and the Frisians either threw down their weapons or threw themselves over the side. We had survived.
I quickly tied a cloth around Snorri's leg and then touched the dragon amulet and thanked the spirits for our salvation.
Epilogue
Three weeks later the last of the wounded left Kara's hall. We had lost twelve warriors but the eight who had been wounded all survived. Men did not mourn those who had died because the fight was worthy of retelling. The mysterious Jarl had disappeared when our ships had approached. 'Red Snake' was too badly damaged to be left and so she was tied between 'Crow' and' Heart of the Dragon' and brought home with four sets of ships' boys bailing. 'Odin's Breath' followed the Frisian until it disappeared beyond the wild islands of the north. I would meet the Frisian again; of that I had no doubt. The survivors whom we enslaved were just poor warriors. They only knew his nickname, 'The Skull'. We did have a description. He had no hair at all and red eyes. As Haaken said, 'If we can't find him then we are poor hunters!"
The dead were buried with honour at Cyninges-tūn. It was a place of reverence and contemplation. Warriors went there to remember what it was to be a warrior. I was sad that Karl Karlsson had died. A fine ships' boy, we had had hopes for him. Erik Short Toe had lost an eye while his son, two fingers. Guthrum had a scar to the end of his days but none would change their wounds. They were all badges of honour.
I sent Beorn to Jorvik. He discovered that Hermund the Bent had fled there and was hiring men to raid Jarl Gunnar Thorfinnson. I sent Raibeart in 'Weregeld' to warn him.
I sat in Kara's hall with my whole family around me. Elfrida had come with Ragnar. We had spoken of many things but not the most important. Kara was never afraid of broaching difficult matters and she asked outright, "Was it worth it, father?"
"What?"
"The treasure you took; was it worth it?"
She was not being critical but she had to ask the question. Since my return I had wrestled with it. I had been at Erika's grave and begged forgiveness. I had travelled to Olaf's peak and sought the spirits. None had given me solace. Kara was right to ask me. Every face turned towards me.
"Was the treasure worth the death of my son and grandson? Was it worth the death of warriors like Sven Svensson and Bjorn Eiriksson and young boys like Karl Karlsson? The answer is no. And that is obvious to all in this room but if you ask me would I do it again then the answer would be yes, as you know my daughter for it was meant to be. It was wyrd. The Weird Sisters willed it so. A man cannot escape what must be but I tell you this I now realise the true measure of a Viking's treasure. I understand what it is." I saw Ragnar and Gruffyd lean forward eagerly. "It is his blood, his family and it is his oathsworn. That is the true Viking treasure. It is not my sword nor my jewels. It is not gold. It is something which cannot be weighed and it is in here," I patted my chest, "in the Dragonheart."
The End
Glossary
Afon Hafron- River Severn in Welsh
Alpín mac Echdach – the father of Kenneth MacAlpin, reputedly the first king of the Scots
Alt Clut- Dumbarton Castle on the Clyde
Balley Chashtal -Castleton (Isle of Man)
Bardanes Tourkos- Rebel Byzantine General
Bebbanburgh- Bamburgh Castle, Northumbria Also know as Din Guardi in the ancient tongue
Beck- a stream
Beinn na bhFadhla- Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides
/> Belesduna - Basildon
Blót – a blood sacrifice made by a jarl
Blue Sea- The Mediterranean
Bondi- Viking farmers who fight
Bourde- Bordeaux
Bjarnarøy –Great Bernera (Bear Island)
Byrnie- a mail or leather shirt reaching down to the knees
Caerlleon- Welsh for Chester
Caestir - Chester (old English)
Casnewydd –Newport, Wales
Cephas- Greek for Simon Peter (St. Peter)
Chape- the tip of a scabbard
Charlemagne- Holy Roman Emperor at the end of the 8th and beginning of the 9th centuries
Celchyth - Chelsea
Cherestanc- Garstang (Lancashire)
Corn Walum or Om Walum- Cornwall
Cymri- Welsh
Cymru- Wales
Cyninges-tūn – Coniston. It means the estate of the king (Cumbria)
Dùn Èideann –Edinburgh (Gaelic)
Din Guardi- Bamburgh castle
Drekar- a Dragon ship (a Viking warship)
Duboglassio –Douglas, Isle of Man
Dun Holme- Durham
Dyrøy –Jura (Inner Hebrides)
Dyflin- Old Norse for Dublin
Ēa Lōn - River Lune
Ein-mánuðr - middle of March to the middle of April
Eoforwic- Saxon for York
Faro Bregancio- Corunna (Spain)
Ferneberga -Farnborough (Hampshire)
Fey- having second sight
Firkin- a barrel containing eight gallons (usually beer)
Fret-a sea mist
Frankia- France and part of Germany
Fyrd-the Saxon levy
Garth- Dragon Heart
Gaill- Irish for foreigners
Galdramenn- wizard
Gesith- A Saxon nobleman. After 850 AD they were known as thegns