Viking Dragon (21 page)

The day promised to be a stormy one.  The skies were filled with thick black clouds. I went to check on the wounded.  "How is Beorn?"

Aiden had just examined him.  "He is asleep but he is not improving and the wound feels hot to the touch.  I fear it may be infected."

"Can you do nothing for him?"

"Not at sea.  If we were on land I could use fire or perhaps maggots but here..." His voice tailed away.

Snorri said, "Beorn would not wish us to take a risk landing.  He would take his chances."

I shook my head, "But I will not. Tell me, Aiden, is there somewhere we could land?"

"This is Wessex, Jarl and it is filled with enemies."

"They should fear us! Find somewhere quiet. We have enough warriors to defend ourselves. I have spoken."

Aiden took out his precious charts and went to speak with Erik. Erik and he spoke for a while and then Erik said, "Tell Olaf that we will head inshore."

Haaken and Olaf joined us. "This is
wyrd
.  We can honour Eystein with a Viking funeral!"

Haaken was correct.  It was the right thing to do.

Olaf said, "And if any warrior of Wessex interferes then they will risk the wrath of Olaf!"

We headed towards the coast and Aiden and Erik spoke the whole time.  Eventually both seemed satisfied and we headed towards a strange white rock with an arch which stood in the middle of the sea. I wondered had they gone mad until we passed it and I spied a beach with a steep path up a cliff.  Once again they had saved us for we could guard the cliff top and heal our men while burying our dead. It was not an easy landing for the waves and the current were quite strong but when the ship's boys had secured us to the land we disembarked.  The two ship's crews would affect repairs while most of my warriors would climb the path to burn the body of Eystein.  Aiden would move the wounded to the beach and then begin to heal them. As I climbed the path I knew that I had done the right thing.

"Jarl Dragonheart, I will take some men and search for maggots.  It may be the only thing to save Beorn."

"Rollo and Rolf go with Aiden and find maggots."

We laid our dead at the top of the cliff.  We would gather wood to burn them later but first we owed it to the living to help them. Aiden had had Beorn brought ashore and he lay on the beach of the small cove. A warrior and four ship's boys watched him. Snorri was already building a fire. I had the men search nearby for maggots but there were no dead animals there; at least not recently dead. It would be up to Aiden to find the creatures.

"Gather wood and we will build a fire. We shall be ready to light it when Aiden and the others return."

There was a great deal of dead wood.  There must have been a recent storm and broken branches were strewn everywhere. We placed the bodies of our dead on the top with Eystein, as a Hersir, in the centre. He had no sons or daughters but a young wife.  I took the golden wolf from around his neck. She would have that as payment for his death and I would give her some of my animals.  Eystein deserved no less. With his sword between his hands he was ready to meet Odin.  Satisfied that we had done all correctly we waited for the return of Aiden.

We heard them as they hurried through the undergrowth from the north. "Have you found maggots?"

Aiden grinned.  He looked, once more, like the young boy who had once followed me. "Aye Jarl and we found more besides. There is a settlement in the next valley and a monastery. The Norns directed us here. It is
wyrd
."

"Then you see to Beorn.  We will light this pyre when we have raided the Saxons. The families of the dead shall not go unrewarded."

We were not dressed for war but a Viking is always ready to fight.  We each had a shield and a weapon.  It was all that we needed. Rollo and Rolf led closely followed by Asbjorn.  There was anger within the heart of my jarl. It had been Saxons from Wessex who had hacked his friend to death and it would be Saxons from Wessex who paid the weregeld.

The monastery and settlement were not far away.  We could smell the animals and the smoke from their fires. There would be no time to scout.  We would just descend upon them. Rollo raised his sword and pointed.  They had built the monastery on a hill and it was a hundred or so paces from the village which was lower down the slope. Since he had become a Christian King Egbert had built many such monasteries. I ran next to Asbjorn. "You take your men left."

"Aye Jarl."

I waved to Olaf, "You take half of the Ulfheonar and half of the other men and go right.  I will lead the rest towards the centre."

He nodded and began tapping men on the shoulder and pointing. Soon I was left with just twelve warriors. Haaken was with me and I still had Rollo and Rolf. There was a sudden shout from the left. Asbjorn and his men had been spotted. It could not be helped.  The palisade around the village loomed up and as we approached I shouted, "Break through!"

Rolf's axe soon hacked a gap wide enough for two men to get through and we burst into the village.  I saw, in the distance, a hall which was raised up on a mound of earth.  That would be the hall of the Gesith and his warriors. I ran towards it flanked by my Ulfheonar. The doors burst open when we were twenty paces from it and warriors appeared. From their mail this was a rich Gesith for four of them men we spied wore mail.

The leader stood on the step and shouted, "North Men! Sound the horn!"

The man next to the Gesith blew hard on a horn.  It was as loud as any I had heard before and it echoed across the countryside. It was summoning help. Before I could worry about that we had to deal with these warriors. We charged them and that took them by surprise for there were but four of us and I saw that there were ten warriors who were preparing to meet us.

Rolf's axe swung horizontally and it hacked through the legs of two men. I took the blow from the warrior with the horn on my shield and rammed my sword up under his byrnie. The stroke ripped him open from the crotch to the chest. The Gesith realised that being above us gave him no advantage and he shouted, "Kill these pirates!"

As he jumped down he swung his sword.  I blocked it with my sword and they rang together. I was wide awake and I had fought more often than this Gesith who had just awoken and looked a little rusty.  I brought my hand back and feinted towards his middle. He brought his shield around and I flicked the tip of sword towards his face,  It was not a full helmet and my sword tore across his nose and cheek up to his forehead.  I saw bone. He reeled and as he did so I punched with my shield. I hit the back of his sword hand. He held on but I knew that his hand would be numb.  I brought Ragnar's Spirit around in a wide sweep. The blood from his face running down across his eye made it hard to see.  He made the mistake of trying to wipe it and raised his shield arm.  My sword struck him in the ribs.  His mail was good and I did not penetrate the links but the blow had been so hard that I had hurt him.  I brought my hand back and this time lunged towards the bloody mess that was his face. It came out of the back of his skull.

The warriors were dead and, as I glanced around I saw that we had taken the village. I reached down and took the horn from the dead warrior.  I placed it around my neck. "Hurry they summoned help.  Let us take their mail and arms.  I will go in the hall."

I ran up the steps and found six thralls cowering in the corner.  "You six come with me." They hesitated, "Obey me and you shall live!"

They stood and followed me.

"Pick up the mail.  Rollo, take this back to the ship and then let the thralls go."

"Aye Jarl Dragonheart."

"Come Haaken, let us see what else we can find. Rolf go and find Asbjorn and Olaf.  Tell them that help comes and we need to return to the ship.  Asbjorn can fire the pyre.  There is no cause for secrecy anymore."

"Aye Jarl Dragonheart!"

There was a sconce inside the hall and I grabbed the brand from it. As we moved silently through the hall I heard sobbing from a room off to the side. We moved towards it.  Haaken tore open the hanging which acted as a door and we saw a woman and three children.  The woman guarded a box."Who are you?" I spoke in Saxon but she saw just a warrior dressed as a wolf. The children looked terrified. "Answer me and you may live.  Remain silent and you will not." It was a bluff.  I was not the kind of warrior who killed women just for the pleasure of it.

The woman was not afraid of me.  I could see that and, when she spoke, I heard iron in her words. She spoke with authority as though she was used to giving orders and having them obeyed. "I am the Lady Maud, wife of Ethelfrith, Thegn of Radipole. I am precious to King Egbert. Harm me at your peril."

I laughed, "I do not worry about upsetting Egbert." I leaned down to take the box. " She gripped it and darted hatred from her eyes.  "Whatever is in the chest is not worth your life is it? I give you my word that if you give me the box then you and your children shall live." She hesitated, "You have the word of Jarl Dragonheart and even King Egbert knows that I honour my word."

She released the box and her mouth fell open, "You are the Wolf Warrior?"

I nodded as I took the box. "I am."

Haaken said, "Jarl, enough of the pleasantries. Time is pressing and they have summoned reinforcements."

"Farewell." I saw that she gripped her crucifix as I left and her lips moved.  Was it a prayer or a curse?

Clutching the box, which seemed heavier than it should, I followed Haaken.  My men had fired the village and the monastery. It would draw those sent to find us and buy us time.  We had less than a mile to run to reach the cove. As we passed we saw some of the younger warriors from Cyninges-tūn who were still seeking treasure. Haaken shouted, "Leave that and follow us.  If you stay then you die!"

No one argued with Ulfheonar. As we neared the cliff top I saw the glow of a fire.  Asbjorn had lit the funeral pyre. Haaken's hand held his sword and he pointed to the north.  "Jarl look!"

I saw, illuminated by the fire from the burning village, riders. This would be close.  The warriors with us wore no mail.  "Run and tell Jarl Asbjorn and Olaf to form a shield wall!"

There was little point in turning around.  We would hear the hooves of those following. The worst thing to do in such a situation was to panic. If they reached us quickly then it meant they were not wearing mail and they would struggle to defeat us. They might waste time at the village and the monastery.  There were too many imponderables.  I just worried about what I had to do. 

The flames were licking around the top of the pyre when we reached them and Olaf was already organising the shield wall.  Asbjorn stared at the bodies of his friend and his comrades. Olaf had ten warriors with mail and the rest had none.  I gave the chest to Audun Larsson and said, "Take those without mail back to the ship.  Aiden and Snorri should return to the drekar with the wounded." I took the horn from around my neck.  "Have them sound this three times when it is done."

He took the chest and handed the horn to Leif the Slow. "Aye Jarl."

As he ran I shouted, "Asbjorn the Strong! Do you wish to join your friend on the pyre or are you a warrior still?  There are enemies coming."

He unsheathed his sword, "I come Jarl! I have not yet bathed in enough blood!"

He stood next to Olaf and Haaken.  Leif the Banner and Rolf stood next to me. I saw the last of our men disappear over the cliff and head down the narrow path to the sea. We needed to make these Saxons fear us. There were twenty of them. The leader had a fine helmet and all wore leather armour which had metal scales upon it.  Each had a spear and a shield. They looked to be identical. They charged straight at us.  Many would have fled at such a charge. We had faced men like this before. Their horses would turn rather than run at a shield wall and the spears they held posed no threat to us. They were brave and I think that they were used to making enemies flee before them. 

Rolf Horse Killer lived up to his name as he and Olaf swung the axes into the chests of two of the small horses.  There was a sickening crunch and a wild scream as the first of the horses suffered the axe blow which ended its life.  The two riders flew from the backs of the horses and, as they lay at our feet were butchered.  A spear was thrust at my head and, rather than block it with my shield I hacked at the head with my sword.  It sheared it in two. Haaken pulled at the spear which was thrust at him and pulled.  The rider did not let go and he was pulled on to the sword of Rollo Thin Skin.

Asbjorn was fighting like a man possessed.  He waited not for the horsemen to close with him, he charged at them. Olaf and Haaken hurried behind him to protect his flanks. The smoke from the pyre now drifted across the field making it hard to see. When I heard the horn sound three times I shouted, "Back to the ships!" I turned to those near me who just stood, "Back!"

A single rider rode at me and he tried to use his spear like a lance.  I braced myself and as he thrust I put my weight behind my shield. He was pushed backwards from his horse. He fell and landed at my feet.  I ran up to him and, before he could rise, took his head. I saw Olaf and Haaken dragging Asbjorn towards me.  "He went berserk, Jarl!"

"Get him down the cliff.  I will watch the rear." As I backed towards the cliff path I saw that the survivors had lost their appetite for a wild charge.  Too many men and horses lay dead. They had thought to make us turn and run.  We had not and they had lost.