Wræcca

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Wræcca Page 6

by C. R. May


  Ahead of them lay the place they had chosen to lay up for the day. A long, low, sand dune ran parallel to the shore, topped by a line of scrubby bushes.

  Beowulf lowered himself from the bow and waded ashore, closely followed by the majority of the men.

  “We need half a dozen logs to use as runners. Six men go that way and six the other. We need three each, quick as you can boys!”

  Quickly two groups of men detached themselves and trotted off along the beach in either direction.

  “And stick to the surf as far as possible. We don’t want to leave any tracks!” he called after them.

  “Right, let’s get the ship as far up the beach as we can before they return. We need to get under cover as quickly as possible!”

  Ropes were attached to the prow of the vessel and the men heaved and strained as they inched the Raven across the shallow beach. Thankfully both parties soon returned with suitable lengths of timber for use as rollers. Usually they would be greased in animal fat to help the ship slide across them but Beowulf knew that both the time and distance to be covered were short and decided to dispense with it.

  Soon Beowulf and Heardred stood and watched as the stem post of the Raven slid from view behind the dune. The mast had already been removed and stored on the cross trees as the ship neared the shore and finally the beast head and stem posts were removed and bushes cut and placed before the stem.

  Beowulf strode down to the shoreline and looked for any sign of the ship. He was pleased to see that no trace of the Raven was visible from any angle. Once the men had finished scouring the beach of any tell-tale marks which might betray their presence he was satisfied that they had done all that they could to survive the day undetected.

  Once they had all eaten, the crew rested for the remainder of the day. They had had a hard night and could anticipate only a harder one ahead so they were eager to rest while they could. Heardred organised a small watch amongst the dunes and further inland but, in truth, they expected a day of uninterrupted relaxation. Beowulf and Heardred made sure that they both shared the first, most unpopular, watch between themselves.

  As expected the day passed almost without incident. A few small fishing boats came ashore further up the beach at mid morning and prepared a meal. The concealed guards looked on enviously as the crews shared a hot meal of fish stew and fresh bread. Fires had been banned in the camp in case the smoke gave away their presence and it had been a week or more since the men had tasted a freshly baked loaf.

  Later in the afternoon two draccas were spotted running west a mile or so out to sea. They gave no indication that they were doing anything other than running for home before darkness set in and gave no indication that they were searching for a missing Geat ship.

  It was late in the afternoon when Beowulf woke the men. They would need to leave very soon if they were to enter Swede Land at the best time. He planned to reach the mainland as close to dusk as possible. He hoped that most ships would be safely home by then, especially any serpent ships, and they would be taken as a late returning Swedish ship by any watchers on shore. The reeves were as likely as not safely at their ale by then so he hoped to be able to enter the river he had chosen with Gunnar’s help as the best route to Uppsala unchallenged.

  Fully refreshed by their day of rest the men had quickly returned the Raven to the sea. Once aboard they struck out north westward at a fast, steady pace. Gunnar had told him that the estuary which they needed to make before darkness once again enveloped them lay about sixty miles away. In the prevailing conditions Beowulf estimated that it would take men of their quality six hours to row that distance, which would bring them to land at an ideal time. If the wind did pick up they would use the sails to conserve their strength and bide their time near the coast until dusk began to fall.

  Once they were in the Swedish River system he hoped that they would be taken as Swedes. Twenty miles upriver of the coast lay the small town of Telje and a short distance beyond that the river opened up into the great lake of Malaren. Here they would rest on one of the many islands or in one of the hundreds of small bays which Gunnar had informed him were there, before moving north to attack Uppsala the following dawn. With luck they would be back at sea on the afternoon of the attack and on their way home.

  They rowed steadily throughout the remainder of the day. No breeze sprang up, much to the men’s disappointment as they toiled at the benches. After several hours there was a noticeable increase in traffic as they drew closer to the Swedish mainland, now clearly visible on the western horizon. As the wolf chased the sun below the hills it painted the underside of the high, wispy, clouds a deep, fiery red. It resembled the reflection cast from blazing buildings and the men hoped that it was a good omen.

  Fishermen stopped to wave as they hauled at their nets, clearly taking the Raven for a Swedish ship. It was another good sign and the mood of optimism in the ship increased even further as the fall in temperature brought the return of the sea mist which had hidden the serpent ship the previous day.

  Soon the beacons which marked the entrance to the fjord were being lit by the coastguard, further aiding their navigation. Just as all seemed to be going well an alarm was called from the stern.

  “Serpent ship, coming up from the South!”

  Beowulf and Heardred rushed to the steering platform and peered through the thickening mist.

  “Where, Gunnar? I can’t see it.”

  “It’s moving amongst those small islands and skerries, a hand’s width to the right of that tall island with the tree on top.”

  Beowulf squinted where Gunnar had indicated but still could not see the ship. He was about to accuse his man of seeing things when the serpent head appeared from the mist about two miles away.

  “He’s seen us too!” Gunnar added.

  As they watched, the head of the ship came about and pointed directly at them.

  “Shit! We were so close. Can we outrun them Gunnar?”

  “Not a chance, lord. Even with a fresh crew they are twice as fast as us over a short distance and our boys have been rowing hard for hours,” he answered sadly.

  “Subtly bring her over to steerboard Gunnar. If we can delay them intercepting us long enough they may give up rather than get caught in this mist.” Heardred suggested.

  To their surprise and relief the ruse worked. Unable to overhaul them quickly in the worsening weather conditions the serpent soon gave up the pursuit and made for the mouth of the fjord.

  “Tuck in behind them, Gunnar,” Heardred advised. “Let’s act like we belong here.”

  Gunnar brought the Raven smartly over and ran in a half mile astern of the serpent. Soon they were inside the mouth of the fjord and making their way inland. They rowed, unhurriedly, past the serpent ship as it began to tie up for the night. Nearby was a hall which clearly belonged to the reeve of the port, around which lay the halls which served the garrison and crews of the serpents. It was a formidable obstacle to their progress and Beowulf noticed that his warriors were unconsciously fingering their lucky talismans as they rowed at their station.

  The crew of the serpent were still taking an unhealthy interest in the Raven. It was clearly too fine a ship to be a merchant and the crew were obviously seasoned warriors. Beowulf could see them trying to recognise any members of his crew. When they failed to do so they would investigate further, he was sure of it.

  He smiled weakly and waved as his mind raced. Any moment now they would issue a challenge and he would be unable to supply the appropriate answer. It seemed that they were about to lose their gamble.

  “Eirik!...Eirik!”

  Gunnar had rushed to the side of the ship and was grinning widely and waving at the stern faced warriors on the serpent. Beowulf quickly grabbed the tiller to prevent the Raven from veering across and ramming them.

  What was he doing?

  Suddenly one of the Swedes seemed to recognise him and waved back happily. Beowulf watched as the Swedish crew relaxed and continued to se
cure the ship for the night. With a last wave to his friend, Gunnar made his way happily back to the steering platform.

  “Allfather, that was close,” Beowulf gasped. “I was sure that we were done for there!”

  “Thank the gods that you knew one of them Gunnar. I could see them starting to reach for their weapons,” Heardred added with a look of relief.

  “Oh, I didn’t know any of them lord,” Gunnar smiled mischievously.

  Beowulf and Heardred looked at him in confusion.

  “But...”

  “Half the men in Swede Land are called Eirik, lord.” Gunnar continued. “There had to be at least a dozen of them on a ship that size. I just hoped that there was one stupid enough to think that I was calling to him.”

  Beowulf and Heardred exchanged a glance before they laughed and hugged Gunnar. Heardred planted a kiss on his forehead.

  “You choose your companions as wisely as your cousins kinsman!” he exclaimed.

  Beowulf removed a gold neck ring and handed it to his hearth warrior.

  “You never cease to amaze me Gunnar. You saved us all with your quick thinking. Well done!”

  Gunnar proudly secured the ring around his neck as he steered the Raven deeper into Swede Land.

  “How long will it be until we reach the Lake, Gunnar?” Gunnar studied the surrounding banks and bit his bottom lip as he pondered the question.

  “We have come about five miles from the mouth of the fjord. That means we have a further twenty miles or so to go. At this speed we should be there in about four hours I would guess. There is a small town which straddles the river about five miles from the lake called Telje. It is very narrow there, that could cause problems too.”

  Beowulf looked up at the rapidly darkening sky. There was no way that they would make it during daylight hours at this time of year. Already the first signs of autumn were slowly beginning to appear. The first of the harvest was already safely gathered in as the days began to grow noticeably shorter. Soon the fruits would be ready for picking and the first of the autumn storms could be expected.

  “Is there a place nearby where we can lay up for the night, somewhere we are not likely to be disturbed?”

  “About ten miles ahead there is a bay off to our right, we could stop there. I doubt if we would see anyone there, especially at night, lord.”

  “That sounds perfect. We should be able to see enough to navigate our way before the night is fully upon us. Take us there.”

  Beowulf walked along the centre of the ship, explaining his plan to the men. It was one of the things which had always been stressed to him by both his father and Hygelac. Warriors, especially warriors of the calibre which he had under his command on this trip, were not mindless sheep waiting to be instructed what to do. They were usually men of above average intelligence who took pride in their craft. They needed, and expected, to be included in the plans which were made by their lords on their behalf.

  It still chipped away at his conscience that he had had to keep the plans for the attack a secret from the men for so long, but with the obvious lack of secrecy which had blighted the original plans for a full scale invasion he had felt the need to conceal his plans even from his own hearth warriors, his most trusted companions. Now that they were committed to the attack he was relieved to be able to include the men in his decision making once again. In fact, he reflected, had it not been for Gunnar’s quick thinking it was very likely that his head would mounted on a pole at the entrance to the Fjord alongside those of several other ‘pirates’.

  After an hour of steady rowing the Raven veered off of the main course of the river and swept into the bay. A mile ahead it looked to be all but enclosed by a tree lined peninsula which cut across from the right hand bank.

  “Beyond that promontory the bay opens out into an inner bay, lord. I will take us in there. If I remember correctly there are only a few inhabitants up there and we won’t be disturbed.”

  Beowulf nodded as he surveyed his surroundings. Stony beaches led back into a hinterland of densely packed birch and pine trees. Further away the land rose gently in a series of elm and oak covered hills. It reminded him of home.

  They rounded the promontory and entered the inner bay. To their right lay a gently curving beach shielded from the outer bay by a screen of trees. It was perfect, well hidden and easily defended if the need arose.

  “We will set up camp there Gunnar,” Beowulf indicated. “Let’s get ourselves organised before this light goes completely.”

  While men set about securing the Raven, others were already scouring the tree line for wood for the fires. Unlike the previous evening on the island he had decided not to try and hide themselves completely from the Swedes. A line of smoke would be far less likely to attract attention than a large group of warriors attempting to hide in the trees.

  Once the fire was set and the food was being prepared Beowulf ordered the ale distributed and called the men together.

  “Well done everyone that was a hard day.”

  “Hopefully we will still think that this was a hard day after tomorrow, lord!” a voice called cheerfully from the rear.

  “I am sure that we will.” He smiled. “I have decided to have a day of rest tomorrow.”

  A small, ironic, cheer rose from the group.

  “I thought that was what we had today!” another voice called as the men began to relax and enjoy their drink.

  Beowulf was pleased. After all the exertions and worries of the last few days the men were clearly still in high spirits. They were an impressive group of men.

  “I want to share with you the plans which I have made with Heardred for the attack on Uppsala. I am afraid that some of the parts to be played will seem more exciting than others, and naturally I have decided to keep those for myself!” He paused and smiled.

  The men laughed as he continued.

  “However you are all experienced enough to know that every single man here was picked not only for his fighting abilities but also for his sense of honour and dependability. You are all heroes whatever job is assigned to you and I will not differentiate between you when the rewards are distributed. We will be splitting into three groups after this meeting. I want you all to remain in those groups until we are on our way home. I will lead the first group with Heardred, consisting of our hearth warriors and ten other men, that’s twenty in total. We will carry out the actual attack on Uppsala. A second group of ten men under Sighere will secure the stables at Sigtun and await our return. The third group, led by Tatwine, will guard the Raven.” Men smiled at their friends as they began to work out who amongst them were most likely to be in their group.

  “We will leave here late tomorrow afternoon and complete the journey to Lake Malaren. Once there we will get as close to Sigtun as we dare and hide up. I want to reach Sigtun before dawn the following day. We could go nearer to Uppsala in the Raven but I think that it is unlikely that we would get out again once they are alert to our presence. It is about twelve miles from Sigtun to Uppsala so it will be far quicker on horseback. Most of the Swedish forces will be away fighting our main army in the West so I don’t anticipate much opposition. If that is the case I intend to take the Raven to the western end of Lake Malaren before either returning home or joining up with our main army overland.”

  There were murmurs of surprise at the announcement from the seated men.

  “Why can’t we go back the way we came, lord? It would be far quicker.”

  “That was our original intention, but having seen the strength of the enemy at the mouth of the fjord I don’t think that even Gunnar’s friend Eirik would fall for the same ruse twice!”

  The men roared with laughter and patted Gunnar on the back. He had managed to make himself a hugely popular figure amongst the men by his quick thinking earlier in the day. Beowulf was pleased. His man deserved it. Beowulf let the laughter die down before continuing.

  “If the opposition is greater than we anticipate we will have to abandon th
e Raven at Sigtun. Tatwine, if that does happen, set fire to as much of the shipping and dockyard that you can and get to the stables. Join up with Sighere and his men and head west with as many mounts as you can handle. We will see the flames and try to catch up with you on the road.”

  Tatwine and Sighere nodded sternly.

  “If all goes well, the main force which attacks Uppsala will be back at Sigtun just after daylight. Heardred and his men will join with Sighere and fire the town. I will return to the dockyards with my men and rejoin Tatwine and his group. Together we will destroy as many of the ships and warehouses there as we can before we leave on the Raven.”

  Beowulf looked at the group of warriors arrayed before him. He was pleased to note that their expressions had changed from the seemingly carefree, joking, group of a few moments previously and had been replaced by those of serious, determined, men.

  “Any questions so far?”

  “What happens when we reach the far end of Lake Malaren, lord?”

  “That is a good question, Rannulf. Gunnar has been there before and also in Sigtun so I will ask him to describe both locations. Gunnar?”

  Gunnar stepped forward, beside his lord, and addressed the men.

  “At the end of the lake there is a small settlement which deals with cargoes travelling east and west. Basically it consists of a small dockyard and the homes of the dock workers and carters which are used to carry the goods to the next lake in the West. It is deep in Swede territory, so there are only ever half a dozen warriors at most, just enough to protect the duty collector. There is however a large and well stocked stable. We will all be able to find fresh horses and remounts there for the journey home.”

  Beowulf admired Gunnar’s self confidence. It was the first time that he had addressed a large group of warriors and, unlike himself or Heardred he had not been raised to lead men. His was a natural result of his character. Once again he was impressed by his hearth warrior’s abilities and he watched as Gunner continued with his briefing.

 

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