Viking Wrath (8 page)

I sighed. My son was allowing his heart to do the thinking for him. "The ships which were seen by our men and by Pasgen rode high in the water." He nodded. "They were empty. Where will they get the supplies these people need? They had to call somewhere else after they captured our family. Aiden said that they are waiting for grain. They did not get that from us. Where will they get it?"

Wolf Killer opened his mouth to speak and Aiden put his arm around his shoulder, "Your father is right. They will need to get grain." He had brought his precious charts from the drekar and he took them out. "There are two places they would have passed where they could get grain. One is the land around Caer."

Haaken shook his head, "That is close to the land of the Mercians."

"They are allies of the men of On Corn Walum, Haaken. That would be a possibility."

"And the second?"

"Anglesey, the island they call Ynys Môn." He jabbed a finger at the island. It had been within a hand span of us when we had sailed through the Menai Straits and almost come to a rocky end.

"There, Wolf Killer, now we know why they have not arrived and why we have reached here before them. They will be loading with grain and that will both slow them down and take time."

Just then there was a call from the sentries on the hill side. I recognised our scouts as they descended the path to the river. Snorri spoke first when they reached us. "The castle cannot be taken, Jarl." He waved a hand. "At least not by such small numbers. We would need an army to take the castle and we would lose more of our men than would actually gain entry."

"We are warriors, Snorri! We will try!" My son's voice rose as he almost cried in frustration.

"Wolf Killer, there is little point in losing all of our men to try to get inside a castle when we do not know if your wife is within its walls." He subsided and nodded. "How many are within?"

"It was hard to count but I do not think they would have to use a great number. They would not need them. The land and the sea defend it for them." He paused, "It is a well defended place, my lord but the land around looks bleak. I saw little sign of either animals or crops. The fields are largely wild. What do they eat?"

Aiden pointed to the map. "They wait for the ships with the grain. They will come, Jarl. The question is when?"

"Whenever it is we will be prepared. We change the sentries every two hours and we keep twenty men on board the drekar. As soon as the ships are sighted I want our long ships to be after them like hounds following a deer. If they have the time to turn and gain open water then we will lose them."

In the end it was trouble from the landward side which came first. One of my son's' sentries signalled danger. We armed and prepared ourselves. The companion of the sentry arrived having hurried down the path from the high ground. "Jarl Dragon Heart there is a host coming from the south. They are armed men."

I did not have time to worry about how they knew we were there we had to react to the threat. "Wolf Killer, have the men from the drekar guard the captives. The rest will follow me."

We marched to the top of the hill and arrayed ourselves in a long double line facing south. We might have appeared a loose formation but my men could form a wedge in the time it took for a warrior to don his helmet. We spied the black line which came towards us. Three mailed men on horses carried a banner and led a warband some fifty strong. The banner had the image of a yellow dragon upon it. It looked similar to the red dragon of the men of Gwynedd. When they spied us they halted and I saw that the men on horses held conference.

"Aiden be ready to come with me and Haaken if they desire words."

"Why not me, father?"

"When your mind rules your tongue I shall take you besides I may need Aiden's knowledge of languages." I had no time to be diplomatic. The battlefield was not the place to learn such things.

One of the horsemen nudged his horse forward. He had his right palm held open to show that he carried no weapon. "Come with me. Snorri, you and Harald Long Legs keep them covered with your bows. Watch for tricks."

We halted some twenty paces from the warrior. Haaken and I both removed our helmets and I saw a man just a little younger than I was. He spoke in Saxon. I was immediately suspicious for we were dressed as Vikings. I would have expected either his own language or Norse first.

"What brings Vikings to my land?"

"And who are you?"

"I am Mark of Tintagel."

I nodded, "Yet you do not ask my name. Are you fey and can see into my heart?"

His confident smile left him. "You are Jarl Dragon Heart of Cyninges-tūn are you not?"

"I am but how did you know?"

"Your men all wear the wolf cloaks. Have you come here to fight for me as I requested?"

He had a smooth manner which I neither liked nor trusted. He was playing games with me. "I came here because your sister kidnapped my daughter and my son's wife. I come here either to take them back or to ravage your lands." I gestured behind me with my thumb. "I have your people guarded even now. I will trade their lives for those of my family."

"I know not what you speak of. My sister left to seek spiritual guidance on Ynys Môn. My ships went there for grain. I think you must be mistaken, Viking."

The smile reappeared and I began to tire of this. "You lie." I turned. "Sigtrygg bring ten of the villagers here and have them kneel before the Ulfheonar." I spoke in Saxon so that Mark of Tintagel would know what I said. He nodded and left.

"I have told you my sister cannot have taken your family. It must be someone pretending to be Angharad." I said nothing but I stared at Mark of Tintagel. "Come, let us retire to my castle and we can wait for my sister's return. I came here today because she is soon due back."

I noticed the slightest flicker in his eyes as he mentioned the ships. I believed that part of his words. It also made sense. The ships could be due back. I remained, however, silent.

I heard whimpering behind me and knew that my orders had been obeyed. I did not turn but just stared at King Mark. "I ask you again, where is my family?"

"And once again I swear that I do not know."

"Sigtrygg take the head of the first of the captives." I spoke in Norse. I did not turn but watched the reaction of the horseman who was before me. I heard a scream and a collective wail as Sigtrygg obeyed my command. Mark of Tintagel looked shocked. His mouth opened and closed like a fish. "I ask again, where is my family? Think carefully before you answer or there will be another headless corpse lying behind me."

This time his face became a mask of rage and he spat out, "They been captured and you shall have their bodies piece by piece!" he turned and shouted something. When his men charged us I knew what the command was.

We turned and ran back to our line of spears and shields. I saw that Sigtrygg had executed the oldest man in the village. I glanced over my shoulder and saw that the leader of the men of Tintagel had waited for his other horsemen. It gave us the opportunity to reach our own lines. Aiden moved quicker than we did for he wore no armour and that was his undoing. He tripped and fell. Haaken ran past him but I heard the hooves behind me and I threw myself over Aiden's body. I still had my shield strapped to my back and I felt the blow as the spear was thrust into it.

Haaken stopped, his shield was on his back and so he used his sword two handed and swung around to hack into the neck of the small horse. The horse died instantly and the mailed rider flew over his back to be butchered by my men who ran forward protectively. I stood and swung my sword at the second horsemen. It sliced through his leg just below the knee. He screamed and wheeled his horse around. The men rushing at us had to halt to avoid being struck by the dying horseman and his wildly rearing horse. I grabbed a stunned Aiden and pushed him towards my men. A gap opened and I thrust him to the rear. Pulling my shield around I was just in time to block a blow from the spearman who had eagerly raced after us. My shield took the spear and my sword sliced into his unprotected belly. Both were reactions. I had had no time to even think what I might do. It was my training which took over.

The anger of my men was translated into a cold and merciless fury. The sudden attack and Aiden's brush with death made them determined to destroy the men who charged us. We blocked with our shields and then, almost as a man, sliced forward with our swords. It was like the rowing. We had all done this so many times that we acted as one. We punched with our shields and we slashed with our swords. The shields of the men of On Corn Walum were not composite. They were planks of wood held together with a crosspiece. Inevitably many of them shattered at the first blow from our swords. Their swords were crudely made and not tempered as well as those made by Bjorn. Half of the enemy line fell in that first attack and the other half had broken shields and bent swords. Some of the braver ones tried to fight on but the superior arms and strength of the Ulfheonar defeated them. It was like a morning mist in the east. One moment it was there and the next it was gone. Their courage evaporated and they ran. Being without armour and knowing the land they soon outstripped the younger warriors who pursued them.

I allowed the chase to continue until the field was cleared of the enemy and then I had the horn sounded and called them back. Mark of Tintagel and the remnants of his band would easily make the castle of Tintagel before we could catch them. It would be a futile waste of effort. Besides I now had the information I sought. The three ships would be arriving soon. We needed do nothing save wait for them.

I waved my son, Haaken, Cnut and Aiden over. Sigtrygg and the other warriors wandered the field ending the suffering of the wounded and gathering what little treasure they had. The two mailed horsemen had the most. Although the mail was poor both had golden pendants from which hung a green stone.

"It seems that they are expecting the three ships any time now. We can forget about attacking the castle. It would be a waste of men."

Haaken snorted, "From their weapons and the way they fight I cannot see it being much of an obstacle!"

I sighed, "Our object is not to capture a castle but to rescue our family! I want archers on both sides of the estuary. We will just leave five men to watch the villagers. I think the execution will have cowed them. The rest of us will be aboard the drekar. The moment the three ships are spotted we go after them."

Arturus nodded. He had the eight archers we had brought. "What instructions do I give to the archers?"

"They take out the helmsmen on the three ships. If they can clear the steering board of the last ship we have the chance to take all three. But they only strike when the three ships are in the estuary. I do not want them scaring off."

As we made our way down to the river Aiden said, quietly, "It seems I owe you my life again, Jarl."

I smiled, "If we lost you then, until we get Kara back, we would have no way of speaking with the Otherworld."

He nodded, "I will be more careful next time I run."

"And when we get home have Bjorn make you a short byrnie. It will afford some protection at least."

We washed, ate a hurried meal and then boarded the drekar. The archers made their way to the mouth of the estuary. It was about as wide as the one close to Úlfarrston. It was wide enough for one ship to turn around but not two. The tubby boats we had seen were slow to turn. Our drekar could turn in their own lengths. I wondered when they would return. As we sat by the steering board I asked Erik when he would choose to brave the estuary.

"If this is their home then they will know it well but I have studied it since we arrived. At low tide it is only wide enough for one ship and any misjudgement will result in grounding. They will wait until high tide."

"And when is that?"

He pointed to the water which was moving swiftly west. "It is on the turn now. High tide was a couple of hours ago. It will be the dark of night when they return."

"Thank you, Erik, that helps."

"I cannot understand why they have no light at the end of the estuary."

"Probably for the same reason we do not; it hides the river from enemies."

It seemed an endless night. We remained silent once darkness fell. Part of me worried that Mark of Tintagel might try to help his sister by warning them of our presence. It was hard to see how they could do so. A fire on the headland might mean anything and my archers at the mouth ensured that no-one could signal them from there. Such are the doubts and the fear when you wait.

A whistle alerted us as the river began to widen with the incoming tide. Erik hissed, "Cast off."

I ran to the prow but I could see nothing in the darkness. That was good for it meant that they could not see us. Using hand signals only Erik guided us into the centre of the river. It was now up to my Ulfheonar to row without Cnut's cadences. Somewhere ahead was Kara and Elfrida. The next hour would be crucial if they were to survive the night. I had no need to worry. They were as one mind. I stayed at the prow; Aiden would help Erik. At first I saw nothing and then, out of the darkness I saw a ship. At the same time I heard shouts from the mouth of the estuary as my archers on the headland rained death upon the last ship. Erik did well but he had little time to react and, as the ship of the On Corn Walum veered off course we rammed her just aft of her bow. Our prow was strong and well made. We tore through the hull as though it was a sheet of thin winter ice. I prayed that the women were not on board that ship as it began to take on water and sink.

Cnut ordered the oars run in but our speed carried us beyond the sinking ship. My son was on the other side and he made for the second of the three ships. As the oars re-entered the water I heard Cnut roar, "Row you Ulfheonar! Dragon Heart's family depend upon this!" The drekar fairly leapt across the water. I saw the third ship trying to turn. Our archers had done their best and the ship was out of control. The steering board was turned one way and the current worked in the other. The ship was becalmed in the middle of the estuary and we rammed it in the middle. My heart sank as the ship dropped beneath the waves. If my family was within then they were dead!

"Stop rowing and pick up survivors!"

Erik turned the drekar around to, effectively, block the entrance to the river. I heard the shouts as my son and his men boarded the only enemy ship which still floated. My men pulled bedraggled and half drowned men from the river. I think their surprise at being rescued by those they thought would slay them confused them all. The six men we pulled from the river shivered in a huddle close to the dragon prow. I waved Aiden over. "Find out which ship contained Kara and Elfrida."

He nodded and went towards them. He was less intimidating than we were and he had a way with people which made them talk to him. I went to the steer board and looked to the north. I knew that Kara and Elfrida could not have survived this battle. Unless they were on the ship which my son had captured then they were dead. I began to plan my revenge. I would slaughter every villager we had captured and then I would raze Tintagel to the ground. They would remember when they dared to rob Dragon Heart of his most precious possession; his family.

Suddenly I noticed that Aiden was approaching me and he was grinning. I wondered if the fall the previous day had had a delayed effect and he had lost his mind. What could he find in this that made him smile?

"Jarl Dragon Heart, Kara, Elfrida and the other women were not on this ship or any of the others. They are on Ynys Môn. The ships contained grain only. Angharad and her men landed at Ynys Cybi. Your family is safe!"

I felt like cheering and weeping at the same time. "What does this mean?"

"It means we have a ship full of grain and we know that our family is safe… for the moment."

"What does Angharad intend?"

"That I do not know. These are the crew and they only knew that their cargo was landed at Caer Cybi."