Viking Raid (4 page)

He lowered his voice, "No, Jarl but some of the newer warriors are becoming a little restless."

"You mean Magnus Slender Leg?" He nodded.  "He was a mistake.  He has poisoned the minds of those other three warriors. He will not sail with me again."

"And there is nowhere to put him ashore here is there? Perhaps we could put him on Siggi's knarr.  We always need warriors to defend them."

"I had thought about that but he might cause trouble there.  Here we know who he has affected. Perhaps when we return and we raid, as you suggest, it might change him." Even as I said the words I did not believe them.  You know with some warriors that they have a bad heart.  Magnus Slender Leg was one such.

As we neared the Pillars of Hercules, as the Romans had called them, I had the grinding wheel brought up and we sharpened our blades. The Blue Sea was filled with pirates.  The gleaming black bodies filled their dhows and they were ferocious fighters.  The land of Al-Andalus was also dangerous now for it was filled with Arabs who preyed upon those who were not of their religion. I was wary but not frightened.  Our ship was as fast as their dhows and we were better armed and armoured.  The pirates fought without any armour.

Once through the straits we noticed a dramatic difference in both the sea and the climate.  It became warmer and the sea flatter and much calmer. Using the sun to guide us Aiden directed Erik to sail to the north east of the Blue Sea.  Here we were better informed for Aiden had charts which the Roman Navy had used. We would head for the land north of Sicily.  It had been Lombard but the rumours abounded that some of the more remote places had become independent of their overlords. We would chance those. We knew not their names but their position.  It was said that the Duchy of Naples now owed its allegiance to the Pope. Perhaps we could exploit this and make some good trades.

The knarr sailed closer to us.  These were, for us, new waters.  When we had sailed east before, Josephus had taken us further south than this. I knew that Erik was thinking of his old mentor as he took us through the waters Josephus had learned his trade.

"Land to the east!" We all looked at the mast head and saw Karl pointing directly ahead of us. Erik shortened the sail and my men prepared themselves. This could be a hostile place or we could be welcomed. Aiden had been poring over his charts so much that I swear he must have had them in his head. He suddenly stood and walked to the prow. I could see, from my position next to Erik that there were high cliffs ahead.  Was this a port? Aiden came back with a smile upon his face.  "It is Amalfi, Jarl. There is a port there."

"Are you sure?  Look at the cliffs."

Aiden shouted up to Karl, "Can you see ships, Karl?"

"Aye, there are many of them and they have a jetty too."

Aiden nodded, "I told you!"

Aiden might have been right but the ships I saw were not just merchant ships.  Some of them appeared to be sleeker than the merchant ships.  They were ships which could fight. We lowered our sail and went in under oar power.  I was acutely aware that we were viewed with some suspicion. "Aiden it will be down to your language skills to make sure that we do not end up having to fight our way out."

"Do not worry, Jarl.  Josephus told us that the people of this land understand Greek and I always have Latin to fall back on."

Karl and Cnut tied us up and the gangplank was run out.  Aiden and I went ashore.  I left my shield and my helmet.  I was not there to fight. Curiously there did not appear to be a belligerent reception awaiting us.  Instead we were greeted by well groomed and dressed officials.  They addressed me but it was Aiden who replied and translated.

"I am Prefect Maurus of Amalfi. We have not seen ships like yours before."

"We come from the far north; the land the Romans called Britannia."

The Prefect nodded, "And I can see that yours is a ship of war.  Those are warriors within are they not? Is that your purpose; war?" he seemed remarkably calm about the prospect.  He had obviously never seen Vikings before.

"No we are here to trade."

It was as though Aiden had said some magic words for all of the men. "Then you are welcome.  Pray tell us what you have to trade."

Aiden had written out, in Latin, what we carried and he handed the manifest to Maurus. After he had read it he asked, "May we inspect the goods you have to trade?" He shrugged, "We like to deal in quality merchandise."

"Ask him if it is acceptable for the men to come ashore."

Aiden translated. "Of course.  We welcome all such traders."

Leaving Aiden to deal with the Prefect I returned to the ships.  "We may trade here.  Leave a watch on board." I turned to Siggi and Trygg.  "Aiden is showing them what we have to trade but I do not know as yet what we can expect in return."

Trygg rubbed his hands together, "It matters not for this is a chance to trade and that is something we have not done for some time.  You and the drekar can take much but there are some things which can only be obtained through trade."

We found that there were many merchants who lived next to the sea.  They were happy to haggle and to bargain with us. More importantly, they dealt in gold and not just barter.

We left two days later having emptied our holds and then refilled them with goods from Amalfi. We both thought we had done well from the trade.  We had goods which had come from Miklagård but we had not had to either sail there or pay the taxes. For their part they were delighted with our metals and asked for more. We headed back west with new trading partners and laden knarr.

Our joy lasted until we were just a day away from the straits.  Cnut's sharp eyes spotted the lateen sails of the two pirate ships. They were heading towards us. We had planned for such an eventuality.  Erik shouted, "Foreshorten the sail!" Karl signalled our two knarr to close up with us. 

I looked at the masthead pennant.  "How is the wind Erik?"

He pointed to his left, "It comes from the south east."

"Then we turn to steer board." He nodded.  "I will tell the others." I turned to Aiden, "Get my helmet. The rest of you, arm yourselves we have pirates.  Every warrior who has a bow get to the left side of the drekar."

My Ulfheonar moved calmly but I saw that the new warriors were nervous about the upcoming action.  When we had fought the Saxons we had held the advantage.  We had come upon them. These were tropical waters and we were in unknown territory. These pirates were in familiar territory and were hunting us. They were the sharks here!

Trygg and Siggi soon overhauled us and were just twenty paces from our stern.  They were both good captains and had the skill to remain on station just twenty paces apart. Their archers, both of them, would guard Erik and our stern.  I cupped my hands, "We turn to steer board!"

They both raised their arms to show that they had heard and understood. Aiden handed me my helmet. I saw Haaken speaking with Cnut Cnutson.  He handed him his shield. "This is for you to protect your captain, Erik Short Toe.  When we go into action do not leave his side.  Without Erik we are lost." Cnut nodded.  Haaken handed him a seax.  "Take this for I will not need it this day.  If you have to use it do not hesitate but push with all your might.  If you can then rip it across the throat of an enemy; they die quicker that way." He ruffled his head, "Fear not, Cnut, for your father watches over you."

I made my way to the prow.  Haaken and Sigtrygg followed me. The two Arab dhows were about fifty paces apart.  I knew what they would do.  They would wait until they had the chance to isolate the knarr and take them.  They thought us big and slow.  They did not know
'Heart'
and they certainly did not know Erik. We were in his hands now. He had to judge the moment.  He put the steering board over to point at the dhow to the south and west of us. Naturally both ships, nimble and lithe, corrected their courses to match us.  Erik shouted, "Full sail!" as he put the drekar to steerboard.

Karl and Cnut ran to lower the sail and the drekar leapt to steer board.  The combination of more wind and more sail meant we took the Arabs by surprise. We passed within thirty paces of the southernmost dhow.  My men loosed arrow after arrow.  The other dhow tried to turn too but he would not make the turn in time.  Erik had the gentlest of touches and our prow came around so that we were heading for the bow of the dhow.  A collision was inevitable.  The dhow is a ship which is light and nimble.  It is not sturdy. I jumped up to the prow.  I would not need my shield.  As the dhow's captain lowered his sail our bow struck the bow of the dhow.  There was grinding and crunching as our heavier ship struck the delicate Arab vessel.  I held on to our dragon prow as I slashed at the ropes which held the dhow's sail.  As we bumped beyond the dhow my archers released arrow after arrow into the packed ship and I saw the sail flapping uselessly.

I swung back aboard as Erik shouted, "Foreshorten sail!" I ran down the ship to the stern.

Our plan was working; the first ship was trying to tack and beat to come up on us while the ship we had damaged was becoming lower in the water. We had sprung some of its planks. All we had to do now was to evade the first ship. Trygg and Siggi were bringing their knarr around in our wake when disaster struck. Trygg's ship's steerboard fouled some debris in the water.  The undamaged dhow saw his opportunity and, loosing all his sail he hurtled after Trygg who was now some forty paces behind us. I could save Siggi but Trygg might have to be sacrificed.

"Erik, bring us next to the dhow!"

"But they outnumber us!"

"I will just use Ulfheonar." I turned and cupped my hands.  "Siggi, lay alongside the other side of Trygg!" He waved an acknowledgement.  "Ulfheonar, we board that dhow and slaughter them.  The rest of you guard Erik and this ship."

Erik cleverly struck the Arab ship hard.  I felt the timbers move and saw the Arabs as they fell.  I leapt high into the air with a seax and Ragnar's Spirit. I landed heavily and turned my ankle.  As I tried to rise a huge warrior brought his scimitar down towards my head.  He was a big man and I made a cross of my seax and sword. I held his sword and I rammed my knee between his legs with all the force I could muster. His eyes crossed and he leaned back.  I whipped my seax across his throat. I had attracted more Arab warriors and they fell upon me. I was struck on the side of the head and began to fall.  I slashed wildly with Ragnar's Spirit and felt it tear against flesh.  I saw a bare foot and I rammed my seax into it. I heard a howl and I jabbed upwards into the groin of a warrior.

This was not noble combat this was a fight to the death. The Ulfheonar were behind me and we began to force back the black wall of sweating, heaving humanity. I heard the shouts and cries from Trygg's boat as the Arabs who had boarded him began to slaughter his crew.  I hoped that Siggi could reinforce him from the other side of his ship.  We had to clear this dhow!

I suddenly spied a space as Ulf slew a pirate.  I darted through the gap.  If I could kill the captain then we stood a chance.  He was a pale Arab wearing a helmet and surrounded by four warriors. They too had helmets.  These five were the only ones wearing helmets that I had seen. "Sigtrygg, Snorri, follow me." These two had just slain their enemies and the three of us moved up the dhow.

I blocked a scimitar with my sword and ripped my seax across the throat of a pirate.  Sigtrygg brought his sword over his head and smashed a sword into two before hacking into the neck of another. We were making our way closer to the captain. The Arab saw our approach and he yelled something.  His four body guards headed purposefully towards us.  They each had a piece of mail hanging from the helmet and it protected their necks. Their scimitars were longer than our swords and looked to be better made than the one smashed by Sigtrygg. Each had a small buckler which covered just their hands.

The dhow moved more than our stable drekar and it was hard to keep our balance. I saw that as an opportunity. "We fight as a wedge.  Stay close and move fast when I say."

"Aye Jarl."

I decided to take on the second warrior from the right.  His companion was close to the side. We had not had time to don our mail and I hoped that the lack of mail would give us more speed and agility. "Now!" We took three quick steps to bring us close to the warriors. They had not expected us to attack in that manner. The scimitar came down a fraction slower than my sword stabbed forward. The pirate tried to bring his small shield to stop the blow but my seax found the gap and I brought it around into the warrior's left side.  I pushed it up under his ribs. Even as my opponent was dying Snorri was throwing the end warrior over the side. I brought my sword around to slash into the back of one of the two warriors facing Sigtrygg. Snorri raced to the captain while Sigtrygg ended the life of the last bodyguard.  The captain was wearing a short mail shirt and he too had a scimitar and a shield. I was about to join Snorri when I heard a cry from Cnut Cnutson, "Jarl Dragon Heart!"

I turned and saw that some pirates had managed to get aboard my ship and were pressing the stern. "Sigtrygg, Snorri, get back aboard the
'Heart'
." My weakened ankle would slow me down too much. They scrambled over the side and clambered back aboard the drekar. I approached the captain. He shouted something at me. I ignored him. He had seen how I fought and he would be prepared.  I feinted with my sword and his shield came up easily. He jabbed the wickedly curved scimitar towards me and I was barely able to deflect it with my seax. As we circled each other I saw that the second dhow was moving slowly across the sea towards us.  We did not have long to finish off this ship.