Viking Legend (13 page)

The ground which led to the low hill was not smooth but had hollows and dips.  Had I had time I would have dug traps.  I had not had the time and nature would have to be our ally. The enemy halted at the bottom and I saw one of the mercenaries issue orders.  He was encased in armour but it was not mail which was made of links.  It looked like overlapping pieces of metal.  I had seen similar armour in Miklagård. His shield confirmed it.  He carried an oval one and his helmet looked eastern for it had an aventail.  As I scrutinised those around him I saw that there were six who had similar armour.  This mercenary had travelled a long way. A half dozen others did have mail but their helmets were unusual. I had seen ones just like them in the land of Vasconia.  I took them to be from the Empire. King Eanred had spent much of his riches on hired warriors.  How would they fight?

The Norse were placed in one wedge and, next to it, like a boar’s head were the other fifteen mercenaries.  Their leader filled the gap with Saxon.

“Magnus will come for me.  Wolf Killer, the mercenaries from Miklagård and Frankia will come for you.  They will be skilled.”

“Fear not, Father.  I have watched you and learned.”

“Those behind the wall, release your arrows as soon as you can and then throw your javelins when they are about to charge.”

I heard young Rolf shout, somewhat cheekily, “We will, Jarl!”

Olaf Leather Neck chuckled, “Young cockerel.  He has fought one battle and he thinks he is a Viking hero already.”

Snorri said, “It is good that they are confident Olaf.  I was not when I was his age.”

“Aye, my friend, and you have survived! Think on that.”

I did not ask for silence.  The banter helped to calm nerves. The wedges were two hundred paces away and moving steadily.

Haaken had a good voice and he began to sing the rowing chant whilst banging the hilt of his sword on his shield.  Soon everyone joined in. It sounded as though the gods themselves were singing.

The storm was wild and the Gods did roam

The enemy closed on the Prince's home

Two warriors stood on a lonely tower

Watching, waiting for hour on hour.

The storm came hard and Odin spoke

With a lightning bolt the sword he smote

Ragnar's Spirit burned hot that night

It glowed, a beacon shiny and bright

The two they stood against the foe

They were alone, nowhere to go

They fought in blood on a darkened hill

Dragon Heart and Cnut will save us still

Dragon Heart, Cnut and the Ulfheonar

Dragon Heart, Cnut and the Ulfheonar

I knew that Cnut Cnutson would be particularly proud as he stood behind the wall with the other young warriors.  This would be his first battle and his father’s name was being sung.

The song and the chanting seemed to enrage Magnus and his men.  I suppose it was because they knew the song.  To the others it was just a Viking chant. Whatever the reason Magnus and his wedge surged ahead of the rest.  I heard the eastern mercenary leader shout something but Magnus ignored it and came directly at me.  The sudden movement exposed more of his men to the arrows and the javelins which rained upon them.  The two warriors next to Magnus fell with javelins sticking from their chests.  Magnus seemed to bear a charmed life.

He roared at me as he thrust his spear towards my head.  I turned my shield slightly and it slid down the side.  I swung my sword not at his shield as he expected but at the shaft of the spear. I severed it and he was weaponless.  I punched him in the face with the boss of my shield and he tumbled backwards.  To my left I heard screams as some of the Saxons fell into the spear filled ditch. The second wedge struck but as we had already held and thrown back our wedge the effect of the double attack was wasted.

Three warriors stepped forward to face me. They had to be Magnus’ oathsworn.  I could no longer see Magnus. Two spears and a sword came at me.  Haaken’s sword hacked through one spear and I took the blow of the sword on my shield.  The last spear found my helmet but Bjorn had not only repaired it, he had improved the design and the spear head slid harmlessly down the highly polished side.  I jabbed forward with my sword.  The three men were so close together that their shields were jammed and they could not move them easily.  My sword found a gap and I felt it slide into soft and yielding flesh.  I turned the blade as I punched with my shield. I saw the warrior grimace as it found vital organs. He began to slide down. Haaken too scythed his sword into the neck of one of them and the third stumbled. I stunned him with the edge of my shield and Haaken despatched him.

Asbjorn shouted, “Jarl! They are climbing over the wall.” He pointed and I could see that they had filled the ditch with dead and dying and the Saxons were using the dead as a bridge to get into the walls. The ones within were the least experienced of all of my warriors and the ones with the least armour.

“Wolf Killer, withdraw into the fort.”

“Aye Jarl!”

I could not see him but I heard him.  He was less than five warriors from me but he and his oathsworn were surrounded by eastern and Frankish mercenaries.

“Back!”

My Ulfheonar had practised this move and we punched with our shields as we stepped back through the gap. I saw a Frankish warrior raise his two handed axe to bring it down on the head of one of my son’s oathsworn.  I lunged with my sword and it went through his side.  I tore the sword sideways and he fell screaming at my feet.  Another had his back to me and as I pulled my sword free I hacked into his neck.  The pressure on my son’s flank disappeared and they began to edge towards the gateway. I stepped back and saw that my Ulfheonar had bolstered the line of warriors who bravely faced the Saxons without mail.

I hurled myself into the mass of men who had just tumbled over the wall.  I caught them by surprise.  The weight of my armour, my shield and myself bowled three of them over and they were like fish stranded on the beach.  I hacked and slashed at them. With three of the fastest strokes I had ever made I finished them off. I felt the blood rush through my veins. I yelled, “Ragnar’s Spirit!” and, using the dead men as a bridge, I ran and launched myself into the air. I did not rise very far but I must have terrified the Saxons who saw the black, red eyed wolf with a sword leap amongst them.  I landed, luckily, on my feet and I used both my shield and my sword offensively.  I whirled around with my shield and my blade. The Saxons tried to strike back but I was too quick and my armour too strong.  I felt their blows hit mail and leather but they did not break.

I heard a collective shout and Cnut, Rolf and the other young warriors also ran at the weakening Saxon line.  They had no mail but they had energy and courage. It proved too much for the Saxons close by us and they fled. There are some, only a few, but some battles which are decided by one crucial moment.  It was the charge of the young warriors which did it. With the Saxons on the right fleeing the Ulfheonar, the men of Windar’s Mere and Ulf’s Water fell upon the unguarded flank of the Eastern and Frankish mercenaries.  They were brave but they stood no chance against our wild assault.

I watched with pride as Wolf Killer faced the leader of the mercenaries. The easterner had a sword which was longer than that of my son.  Wolf Killer did what I would have done.  He stepped in close and tried to stab the warrior in the side.  His blade slid along the overlapping armour.  Unable to swing his sword the Byzantine brought the hilt around to smash into the side of my son’s head.  Wolf Killer went with the blow and, as he fell hacked across the back of the warrior’s legs. There was no armour behind the leg and blood spurted as the tendons were cut and the warrior fell to his other knee. Wolf Killer was fast.  He leapt to his feet and, using his sword two handed, swept it through the back of the warrior’s neck. His head flew into his dying men.

It was the moment we had waited for and the handful of mercenaries who survived were slaughtered to a man. I went to the body filled gateway and saw the Saxons, most of whom still survived, racing back to the stronghold of Ketil. Amongst them were Magnus and his Norse survivors.  We could not let them escape.

“Every man who can fight, follow me! We end this today!”

I saw that only Karl Word-Master was not with me as I led the Ulfheonar and the others down the slope. I hoped he had survived for I could ill afford to lose more of my oathsworn. I did not lead a huge number of warriors.  There were perhaps thirty and the Saxons outnumbered us but the Saxons had been beaten.  If they could be rallied it would take twice as long to defeat them. The uphill section towards the fort was hard.  I saw Magnus at the Saxon camp exhorting his men to turn and form a shield wall.  If they did then they could fall upon us.

“Ulfheonar, shield wall.  The rest form a second rank.” We locked shields and the spears of my young warriors appeared through the gaps.  “Advance!”

We moved up the slope steadily.  We were too tired to rush and it would have availed us little anyway.  Magnus’ lines awaited us and then I heard a roar from our right as the gates of the fort were opened and Ketil and his men erupted  to attack the enemy’s left flank. This time there was not even an attempt to fight.  The Saxons just ran.  Magnus pointed his sword at me and shouted, before he ran off, “This is not over, Dragonheart!”

“After them!”

Magnus was a slippery customer.  He and his Vikings had horses and ponies waiting.  They grabbed their mounts and galloped through their fleeing allies. I stopped.  There was little point in chasing horses but we had won anyway.  The siege had been lifted and we had won a mighty battle.

Battles might be glorious but the aftermath is not.  We had lost friends and we had lost both young and old.  Karl was not amongst the dead but he was badly wounded.  He had lost his left hand.  Five of Wolf Killer’s oathsworn had fallen defending their Jarl. It had been a costly battle but not as costly as it might have been.

Ketil, who had pursued the Saxons for a short way, came to me with his hand held out.  As I clasped it he dropped to a knee.  “I knew you would come, Jarl Dragonheart.  My people owe all to you.”

Lifting him to his feet I said, “They owe as much to you.  Had you not made your defences stronger then this would have fallen.  You have justified my faith in you.”

We were in no condition to pursue and we spent seven days repairing the damage to the walls of the fort, burning the enemy dead and burying our own.  We shared the treasures we had taken and then Wolf Killer, the men of Windar’s mere and Ulf’s Water left for home.  I spoke with my son before he left. “I would that you lead the raid this summer.  I will not be sailing.  My young men can take ‘
Odin’s Breath
’. I will take my warriors and hunt this Magnus. Now I know where he hides.”

“We will come with you.  You have not enough men.”

“For what I intend I do not need a large number.  I cannot think that King Eanred will be happy at losing his mercenaries and so many men.”

“Magnus is the only one left to report the events.  He will blame others.”

“True but enough Northumbrians will return to their King for the rumours to undermine his position. Fear not my son I will not throw my life away.  I now have a second son.  I would watch him and Ragnar grow up together.”

We clasped hands and they left.  I sent a rider to Arne asking if there were any of his warriors who wished to come with me on a vengeance raid. I then took Asbjorn and Eystein to one side.  I told them what I planned.  “We should be with you for we are Ulfheonar.”

“You are and today you showed me that you have lost none of your skills but I have seen other skills.  The boys you trained fought like men today.  They are the future and I would have you make them even better.  Follow my son and Sigtrygg and raid.  Bring back great treasure and, more importantly, warriors who are stronger.”

“Aye Jarl.  What shall we say to Kara and your lady.”

“Tell them I go to end this feud.  They will understand.”

The two of them gathered their young warriors together with the booty they had taken from the dead.  I saw that Rolf Erikson now had a leather byrnie as well as an axe and seax. I had no doubt that he had some coin and jewels too.  He was becoming a warrior.  Had he forgotten Hlif already?

As they formed up I heard a voice behind me.  It was Cnut Cnutson. “Jarl, do I go with the other young men or follow you?”

Cnut was not like the others.  There was a bond between us because of his father. “What would you do?”

“I would follow you.”

“Then you shall but I have to tell you that it will be dangerous.  There will be more safety on the drekar.”

“I have sailed enough.  It is time to get soil beneath my feet.”

“Good.” I gave all the warriors who remained the chance to go home but all eighteen chose to stay with me. It took another three days to gather the supplies and ponies for the journey east.  By that time four warriors had come from Arne and six of Ketil’s men begged for the chance to come with me.  I found out that they had all lost family to the raid of Magnus and the Northumbrians.  I could not gainsay them.  They deserved their revenge too.

We headed east across the high part of the land. We followed, as our defeated enemies had, the Roman Road.  We found their bodies as we made our way to my enemy. They must have feared pursuit for none had been buried.  They lay with their hands folded across their bodies but all weapons had been taken. They must have had no healer with them. It was sad to see the waste of warriors who had died only because there was no one to heal them. We reached the high point before noon on the first day of our journey. Still they headed east.  There would come a point where they could head north east or continue east.

I sent Beorn and Snorri, on ponies, to scout well ahead.  One took the north eastern route and the other the one directly east. They had not returned when darkness fell.  We had crossed the highest part of the land. There had been few farms and homes on our route.  In fact the only sign that man had ever been here was the Roman Road on which we marched.  There was a dell off to the side of the road and a small stream bubbled east.  With a few scrubby trees for shelter it was a good place to camp.

Beorn returned first. He pointed to the north east.  “I spied the main Saxon band.  They were heading north east.  I found one of their stragglers and asked him where they were heading.  Before he died he told me Din Guardi. It is the castle of their King.”

“And what of Magnus?”

He shook his head, “I saw no sign of them.  The band is led by an Eorl called Aethelfrith. He is no friend to Magnus.”

Where had Magnus gone? “You have done well.” As he hungrily wolfed down some of the food we had brought I said, “This is where we need Aiden and his maps.  He would know where this Din Guardi is.”

Between mouthfuls Beorn said, “It is on the coast but not near a river.  It is close to the island where the monks make their holy books. The Saxon was quite talkative. It is many leagues to the north.”

Snorri rode in well after Beorn had finished eating.  He looked exhausted. He almost fell from the back of his pony.  “I have found them.  They are heading east along the twisting river.”

I felt the hairs on the back of my neck prickle.  That was the river where I had lived until I had been taken as a slave. I had lived on the northern bank amongst the woods which rose from its bluffs. It was indeed a twisting river but it made sense for Magnus to use it.  He would need a river for his drekar and, from what Beorn had said,  there was no river at Din Guardi.

“How far ahead of us is he?”

“A day at least.  I rode hard.  I saw no sign of the Saxons.”

Beorn shook his head, “They have split.”

“Then we must hurry tomorrow.  I would not have him slip away again and escape.  We found him once but I am not certain we could do so a second time.”

Our second day’s march was much easier for we were going downhill and we had a purpose.  We were closing in on Magnus the Foresworn. There were few bridges over the river but it was narrow enough to cross without difficulty. Snorri had told us that the trail led along the northern bank.  If he crossed the river by one of the bridges then it would mean he was heading for the town called Jorvik.  There, I knew, would be many Danes.  There I was a wanted man.  I hoped he was not heading for that walled town. I would still follow him there but it would mean more danger for us all. We came to the first Roman Bridge. We spied it from the hills above.  I saw a big Roman Road crossing it and heading north.  There were people living there and there was an old Roman fort.

Snorri took off his armour and headed down to the village. We kept a close watch on him.  He spoke Saxon well.  We concocted a story of how he had become separated from Magnus and his men. It was a risk. Vikings were treated with suspicion in this land.

He returned, safely, a short time later. “They did not cross the bridge and they headed east yester eve.” He shook his head and laughed, “Magnus was not popular for his men took some of the food from those in the town without paying.  I told them that I did not like him either for he had deserted me.”

“Do we have to pass through the village?”

Snorri shook his head, “We can head north and then swing back south after the road.  It is flat land and there are woods to the north.  We will remain hidden.”

I did not want word reaching Magnus that a band of Vikings was loose close by him.  He was slippery and it might make him flee.  I wanted him to spend some time licking his wounds before we pounced. As we headed through the woods to the north of the river I calculated that he would probably have reached his lair by now.  We would struggle to reach it by morning.  And we did not know exactly where it was save that it was on the river. It would be the drekar which would identify where he and his men waited.

The further east we went the more we stayed close to the river.  Here there were no roads.  There were tracks and greenways used by the people who lived here.  That made tracking easier.  Beorn could tell that we were following Magnus from the tracks and droppings which we saw. He laughed at one point.  “I could follow these by smell alone.” He pointed to a tree.  “One of them made water here and in yonder bush one of them had the shits.  I can smell them.”

That boded well for once Beorn had  the scent in his nostrils he would not lose them. We slowed down for night was falling.  And now we had another problem for there were many settlements dotted around this river. We managed to avoid most of them for we could smell their wood smoke but we needed to find somewhere to hide for the night while Beorn and Snorri found them.

There were a series of large loops in the river.  There were many houses close to the water and I knew that they would use the loops to net fish.  Snorri led us away from the river to a wooded area.  A stream ran through it and, in the middle, there was a small clearing.  We camped there but I kept a good watch while Snorri and Beorn headed back to the river and our quarry.

Now that we were closing in my men prepared themselves for war. Whetstones were used to sharpen swords, seaxes and spears.  I sat with Cnut Cnutson and Haaken.  Haaken was helping our youngest warrior. “Spit on the blade before you sharpen it.  You get a better edge.”

I picked up Cnut’s shield. It had been an old one of his father’s.  His best shield lay buried with him and his sword. Cnut had been a rich warrior.  Cnut Cnutson had a good shield and a good sword. “When we get back home have the smiths put a strip of metal around the edge of this shield.  This can be a weapon too.”

He nodded, “I saw some of those warriors from the east who fought at Ketil’s Stad.  Some of them had small shields with a spike in the middle.”

Haaken shook his head, “They look good but they are not for us.  You need a shield which covers most of your body and the spike can hurt your own warriors just as much as an enemy.  It is a shield for a horseman and we fight with the good earth beneath our boots!”

I saw Cnut taking in Haaken’s words.  He was learning.

We were lying down to prepare for sleep when the scouts came back. “They are not far away.  There is a cliff above the river.  The river is just wide enough for a drekar to turn around and they have theirs moored beneath their camp.”

“How many men do they have?”

“There are twenty oars on each side but I do not think they have enough crew to double oar them. We counted no more than fifty men and some of those look to have been wounded.”

I asked the most important question, “Did you see Magnus?”

Snorri nodded, “Aye and he was storming around the camp like a bear woken from winter too early. We heard some of the words but not all.  It seems he has lost the trust of the King.  The Eorl who split from him refused to pay him. The men with Magnus are not happy either.”

Haaken said, “That is the trouble with being a mercenary.  Without the pay you expect what is there to fight for? We fight for Jarl Dragonheart. That is reward enough.”

“Can we get there by morning?”

“We could but the men have travelled a long way in a short time, Jarl.”

“Without a paymaster there is no reason for him to stay.  He may leave.” I was desperate not to lose him again but my scouts knew the problems I was creating.

“He will not leave until daylight for the river is very narrow and it twists.”

“All the more reason to get to his drekar, at least, before dawn.  If we can disable his ship then we have him.” I stood and walked around the edge of the camp.  It gave me time to think and to evaluate what they had said.  I realised I was acting too hastily.  The hot blood was racing around my head. I came to a decision.  Snorri was right, the men were tired and they were not Ulfheonar. I would give them the night. “The Ulfheonar will go tonight and make sure the drekar cannot leave in the morning.  Beorn, you bring the rest of the warriors.  Be there when dawn breaks. We will wait on the eastern side.”

Beorn nodded, “Aye Jarl.”

There were just nine of us who loped off along the trail towards the camp of Magnus the Foresworn. If we could damage his drekar then it might dishearten his already demoralised men. I saw what my scouts had meant when we reached the river once more.  The earth cliffs rose as high as eight men above a narrow and twisting river. A drekar could sail along it but not unless it was daylight. Snorri led us down to the river where there was a narrow trail. It looked to be a trail used by those fishing and hunting along the river.  The brambles and other thorny bushes plucked at out cloaks and our mail. Although annoying it meant that our enemies would not be looking for us this way.

Snorri held up his hand and I went forward.  He pointed to the stern of Magnus’ drekar,
‘Red Snake’
,which was moored to a tree some hundred or so paces from us. We moved slowly from then on.  We moved aside the twisting and clinging bushes.  We watched where we placed our feet.  And all the time we kept an eye on the deck of the drekar.  Unless Magnus was a complete fool there would be a deck watch. We had to kill them silently.  With mail on our backs we could not risk an attack from the river.  We would need to slip over the side close to the tree to which it was moored.