by Griff Hosker
Helga came for us, “My mother said there is little point in killing yourselves. Eat then sleep. The fire snake is still slipping down the mountain.”
Helga was like her mother and forceful. We obeyed her. Once we had eaten, I went into the hall. I fetched out my bear fur and hat and then my chest. Arne asked, “Are you so fearful, brother?”
I shook my head, “I have had my last night under a roof for many months. When we reach our new home and we have built our hall then I will sleep with a roof over me. Until then I will get used to this. I do not mind.”
He saw Fótr dragging his own chest outside. Arne gave me a wry smile, “It is not hard to see which brother Fótr favours.”
He sounded disappointed but he was not. He had his own son, Lars. Fótr needed a father and I would be his foster father.
I had spent the short days in the heart of winter packing my chest. I had made the voyage and knew what I needed. Since my return, I had made a second pair of sealskin boots. I had those at the bottom of my chest. I now had two sealskin capes including one with a hood. I had given away my blankets. I had my bear fur and would not need them. I had made more clothes. My cousin Helga had helped me as well as my brother’s wife, Freja. Raedwulf’s dagger and my sword were also in the chest along with my helmet. They would not be needed. I had made ten arrowheads from metal. They were at the bottom of the chest too. My arrows would be close to the top. My bow had a place made for it by the steering board. I was captain and such luxuries were reserved for me. Finally, I had, at the top of the chest, all the things I would need for the voyage. I had made a spare compass and my older one now had a leather lanyard so that I could keep it around my neck.
We had kept a fire burning all night. We did not worry about wasting wood for we were leaving. The fire kept me warm. I slept but I slept fitfully for the mountain rumbled and belched all night. I was awoken, just before dawn, by a second almighty crack. I stood and saw stones landing on the mountainside. Ash began to fall and I saw a second fire snake. This one was faster and, alarmingly, it had taken a different course. Arne and Snorri came from the hall and their faces told me that this was worse than the last time the mountain had spewed forth fire.
When Gytha came out she took charge of the women. “Cook all the food that we have. This may well be our last hot meal.” Women nodded and hurried to obey. They dropped salted meat into the cauldron on the fire. She came to me and said, “And today we will see your true worth to the clan. Take this opportunity and grasp it in both hands.”
“Come Fótr. It is still dark but we have enough light from the mountain to do that which we need.” We carried first my chest and then his, down to the drekar. Ours would be the first aboard. There was no rush for the clan was waking to the news that we were leaving. They were gathering all that they would take with them. We had just secured my chest with ropes to the metal rings at the stern when there was a huge explosion. It knocked me from my feet. I watch as a fiery stone plummeted down and crashed into the knarr hall. The wood began to burn. Arne and the men ran to rescue those who were within. Siggi shouted, “Get out of the buildings!”
We hurried back and were in time to see a black-faced Arne shake his head and say, “Those that were within are dead.”
Gytha asked, “Who was it?
“Pridbjørn’s widow and her daughters. Her sons were helping to move the knarr.”
We had no time to mourn for a second burning stone hit the other hall and that ignited. All had left that hall. Siggi’s cry had saved them. Arne said, “Move your chests to the quay. Erik, we need to load now.”
I pointed behind him, “It may be too late.”
The second fire snake which had raced down had found the gap where the boulder had smashed through the wall of rock. It was heading for the halls and from there it would race down to the drekar and the snekke.”
We grabbed Fótr’s chest and ran to the drekar. Leaving my brother to fasten it I shouted, “Load the barrels of water and food! Fetch the cauldron of food!” I dared not panic. An ill loaded boat could doom us all. The men who had been helping Æimundr Loud Voice and his people came racing back. The three families would have to cope on their own.
Padraig and Aed came to me. “We have loaded the snekke!”
“Good for I need your help. I want the larger barrels by the mast then spread the rest out around the outside. When that is done fetch and tether the animals.”
Gradually families made it to the drekar and stood, nervously, waiting on the quay. We could not let them load until the barrels were secured. My men knew the drekar well and they worked efficiently. Aed shouted, “All fastened Captain!”
“Then get back to your snekke. Cast off and wait for us in the fjord.” I folded the bear fur and lifted the lid of my chest. I took the compass and the hourglass. I put the compass around my neck and laid the hourglass on the fur. Then I closed the lid. We were going to sea.
I turned to Sven. He had boarded and his chest was already fastened, “Load them, Sven. Smile and put them at their ease. I will go and tell my brother.”
As I made my way through the throng of people waiting to board, I saw that the red snake had spread and was racing towards the halls. It was less than forty paces away. I saw that the men had dug a channel to try to divert it away. I thought it a vain attempt but even a few moments might help us.
“Brother, we need to go. The people are boarding.”
He nodded, “You are right. The Norns are spinning. They do not wish us to live here. Had we left when you said then those who died in the hall would still be alive.”
Gytha’s voice was like ice, “Arne, you are the jarl! You did all that you could. It is wyrd. Come! Your brother is right and now he leads!” She turned to Helga and Maren, “Come let us take the cauldron. We will eat the stew on the drekar.”
“Get to the ship. I will tell Mikel that we leave.”
I thought it foolish but I admired him for trying. I waited until the others were running towards the drekar. The fire snake was less than ten paces from me. I was mesmerized. I saw it strike the channel that had been dug. It slowed it as it flowed, briefly, away from the quay, and I ran. Arne’s efforts might just save us. Gytha and Snorri were waiting to board. I had never seen such a crowded drekar. Would we all fit?
“Fótr and Sven stand by the sail. Eidel, Halsten, and Stig let us loose from the land. Get aboard or burn!”
The fire snake was racing down the path towards the wooden quay. The quay would doom us all. Gytha and Snorri jumped aboard as I shouted, “Loose the sail!” Eidel and Stig leapt over the side. I ran and hurled myself. There was a gap of two paces for the wind had caught the sail. I saw Siggi grab the steering board and head us away from the quay. ‘Njörðr’ waited for me. I caught the gunwale and clambered up the side.
Siggi said, “Where is Arne?”
“He went to warn the knarr. It was foolish but he is honourable.”
I grabbed the steering board and headed out to the snekke. I saw the river snake hit the quay and it flared up. A wall of heat hit us. Although we were not heading for war we had the shields along the side. They blocked the wall of fire. They would afford protection from the waves and they were out of the way. The heat caught them and helped to push us to safety. The fire drove us away from danger. The Allfather was watching us. The river snake struck the sea and it hissed. A wall of steam rose and then the red snake turned black and died as it hit the water. Ran had saved us too. The gods wanted us to prevail. I watched as more fire snakes poured down. They buried the quay and the drekar which lay, still, beneath the waters. There would be no trace of our home in the fjord. The island was wiping us from the face of the earth.
As we reached the fjord, I saw the snekke under reefed sails and to my great relief, the knarr putting off. Arne stood at the prow of the knarr. The settlement was destroyed. It lay covered by the fire snakes. The quay burned and was turning black as the red fire turned to stone. Maevesfjörður had lasted less th
an a couple of years. It would be buried beneath black stone. It was a monument to our people. My mother and grandfather lay beneath along with other members of the clan. We had not made a home in the land of ice and fire. Would the land of the deer and the bear be any different?
Erik’s Voyages from Larswick to the land of ice and fire and the island of the bear.
Chapter 14
We transferred Arne to our drekar and I led the three ships from the fjord. Dawn was breaking as we did so. The mountain was still spewing fire. Ash was falling like snow and the air smelled of brimstone and sulphur. When we reached the mouth of the fjord we turned south and west and the knarr south and east. We would never see our friends again but we had both fought the mountain. We shared that as a memory. As we turned, we saw the full effect of the eruption. It was not just the fire snake on our side of the mountain. There were others and they flowed down towards the sea and us. We were just two hundred paces from the shoreline and we heard the hiss and saw the steam as the fire snake died in the sea. Ran could defeat the fire snake but the beast which came from the bowels of the earth had no enemy on land who could defeat it.
The fire snake poured into the sea. The island was growing. This was the part of the coast I had not explored. With the sun from the east, I saw the houses on the settlements which dotted the coastline. One of them would belong to the sons of Hakon Long Memory. If they saw us departing it would not help them. The sea was wide and I doubted that they would find our new home. Part of me knew that if they did then we would defeat them. We had fought them twice and hurt them. The Allfather was on our side. We could put Vikings behind us. If we had enemies other than nature then it would be the savages we had already met. The deck was covered in ash. We were covered in ash. I saw the women clearing it but it was a useless gesture. Even as it was cleared more fell.
Snorri tried to make light of it, “It is a pity we cannot store this. If we had it when we plant our fields then it would help the soil.”
“All I know, uncle, is that it dirties my deck and we shall have to clear it.” He nodded, “I leave it to you and my brother to organize the families. I have enough to do sailing the drekar without worrying about who sleeps where.”
He smiled, “I can hear in your words that you are worried, nephew. Fear not. You and your brother have the best of your father in both of you. You will get us to this new land. We may have trials and tribulations along the way and not all of us will reach it but we will get there. My wife has dreamed it.”
I nodded. Tostig had asked to help us sail the ship. Although the same age as Fótr he had no experience. I smiled as my brother became exasperated when everything had to be explained. What was second nature to Fótr was a foreign language to Tostig. We had two other boys, Folki and Fal who helped Fótr. I had Sven, Halsten and Eidel who could help me to steer. They would not need to work the sails. We had enough men aboard to make the raising and the lowering of the sail the work of moments. Fótr took the others around the drekar. He was showing them what was the purpose and function of each stay and sheet while also checking that everything was well. His time on the snekke had been vital. I fingered my compass. I would need neither the compass nor the hourglass until we had cleared the wreath of smoke which covered the island.
This first part of the journey was important. ‘Njörðr’ and I had to get to know each other again. I had sailed the lively snekke. My drekar took longer to turn. She had less exaggerated movements. I had many people on board. On the snekke, we rarely moved. Here there was constant motion from those on board. I wanted them all to be still but I knew that the excitement and trauma of leaving our home made that impossible. For that reason, I kept the wind behind us so that we struck the waves head-on. We had less chance of broaching. The winds and the fiery mountain helped us to move away from the land quicker than I had expected. I glanced astern and saw that Padraig was having no difficulty in keeping close to us. ‘Jötnar’ could sail beyond us any time he chose. I felt ‘Njörðr’ judder. My ship was reading my mind. “I do not wish to be back in the snekke. You need not be jealous. I am happy to have your hull beneath my feet.” I turned the board slightly. The motion became easier.
We did not lose sight of our temporary island home all day. The island itself disappeared but we saw its wreath of smoke to the north of us. Gradually the women’s efforts to cleanse the deck began to succeed. We could see the wood. Despite the cold, I saw women take clothes from their children to shake them over the side. It was as though the drekar was throwing off ash herself. We were shedding our old skin to don a new one. I had not seen Arne since we had set sail. He had much to do. We had animals on board. Without the luxury of a leisurely boarding they were anxious and he and Siggi, along with the other men had been making them comfortable. Odin, the bull we had taken from the Saxons had been the easiest to load. For that I was grateful. If he had chosen to be awkward then the drekar might be a pile of burned ash being covered by the blackened remains of the fire snake.
The only part of the drekar not encumbered with bodies, animals or barrels was around the steering board. I had space two paces by the width of the drekar. Sven, Halsten, Eidel and I would rarely move from this space. This first day would be the last time that all four of us were awake and on watch at the same time. From now on one or two of us would be asleep all the time. The four ship’s boys would sleep when their watch master slept. I just had Fótr. Eidel had Folki. Eidel and Halsten were the most nervous of the four of us. They had not been at sea for over a year. I was confident they would manage but Sven and I had arranged the night watches for the first seven days to be ours.
Sven brought me some water and dried seal meat. As I ate Eidel took the steering board. We all needed to have the feel of the drekar. “Sven, when you have eaten and made water then you can sleep. I will wake you in the night. Make sure Tostig sleeps too.”
He laughed, “Was I ever as excited as he is, Captain?”
I nodded, “All of you were.”
He nodded, “I will have him clear the ash from the larboard side of our new home. That should tire him out.”
He went to find Tostig, “How does she feel, Eidel?”
“Different from the snekke. It is as though she is a woman grown. She does not make quick movements but she knows her mind.”
“Aye.” I pointed to the southwest. The sun was setting. “Before you turn in for the night light the pot and hang it from the stern. I have no doubt that we will lose the snekke at some time but let us not make it the first night eh?”
“Aye.”
I picked up the new tally stick I had brought. I took my seax and cut a mark at the top. By the time we reached the far side of the world, there would be forty or fifty such cuts.
When darkness fell Arne joined me. He pointed along the drekar. It was as though the ship was alive. Families filled the drekar right up to the bow. The ship’s deck seemed to move as some slept beneath blankets while others spoke to each other. “All is well, brother?”
Arne nodded, “Odin seems to calm the others. He is well named. So long as he remains in a good mood then we will have no problem from the animals.”
“The problem will not be the animals. It will be the people. They have to endure this for day after day. You and Gytha will need to keep them occupied. The voyage we made from Larswick to Føroyar and Føroyar to the land we just left was over quickly compared with this one. “
He put his arm around my shoulder. “Do not fret, brother. I know the weight you bear. I will take all that I can from your shoulders. Until we reach this new land of yours then you lead the clan and we serve you.”
Darkness fell. I could still see, in the north, a faint glow which flickered. The mountain was still wreaking havoc. It was only then that I saw the snekke. Padraig had her two lengths from us. Any closer and we would have risked a collision. The people slept. There was just Fótr, Eidel and I awake. I turned to Halsten, “Sleep while you can. My brother and I take this watch. I will h
ave Sven wake you at dawn. Sven will give you this compass and the hourglass. If we have the sun then we can begin to plot our course.”
He nodded and pointed to Fal and Folki. Both were curled up in two tiny balls. “And hopefully they will be a little calmer on the morrow eh?”
Soon my former ship’s boys were asleep. Fótr and I were left alone with the sound of the sea rushing along the side of the drekar and the snap of sheets and stays. We sailed into darkness. We saw no stars. I was steering with the wind. We had marks on the gunwale and by keeping the steering board between them we knew that we were steering a straight course. I suspected that the smoke from the mountain still obscured the sky. Ash still fell. The wind was from the north.
Fótr was seated upon my chest. His own was much smaller. We were silent. I was listening to the ship and I knew not what he was thinking. My little brother was deeper than both Arne and myself. He was much younger than we were. When our mother had borne us, she had been younger. Fótr was a late child and she had treated him differently to us. She seemed to cling to him as a child. He suddenly said, “Our mother will now be buried beneath the fire snake.”
