by Griff Hosker
"You have earned it." I nodded to all the young men who had been with Cnut. "Each of you have."
We set sentries and we ate. I summoned my captains and Ulfheonar so that I could explain my plan. "We will send 'Red Snake' upstream tomorrow morning with a full crew. I will be aboard with Snorri and Beorn. I will take my banner. We will sail close to the walls of the town. I intend to make as though we are going to attack it. It may be that they will be defeated easily but I doubt it. It is more likely that they will force us back to our ship. We will then sail slowly back downstream for I believe that they will pursue us this time. I will draw them here where we will have a wall of vessels. We will destroy them. It is when their ships are destroyed that we will attack, over land and destroy their town."
"It is a risk."
"Life is a risk, Olaf Leather Neck. However I shall make a Blót this night in the river. I would have the gods on our side against these soldiers of the White Christ. I will ask for volunteers for our crew but I will choose from the volunteers."
I preferred to sacrifice a horse. They were the animals the Franks favoured but there were none. The noble who had ruled this coast had taken them. I chose, instead, a ram. He was a fine animal and the gods would appreciate the gesture. I led him down to the river and invoked the help of Odin and the other gods before I sacrificed him. He did not struggle. He was happy to be given the opportunity of living with the gods and his body was taken out to sea. It was all good.
I had more than enough volunteers. I chose forty. Olaf Grimsson was proud that I had chosen his drekar. He and Bolli the shipwright had spent long hours repairing the drekar so that it was now a fine vessel. Smaller than the others it was very manoeuvrable and I had chosen it because it could turn easily in a narrow river. This was not a narrow river but we needed speed to make a surprise attack.
We left in the middle of the night. Snorri and Beorn acted as ship's boys guiding us safely through the dark. We had the mast on the mast fish. I wanted us to be invisible. As we were small and had a double crew we moved quickly through the dark water of this Frankish river. There was no drag from the mast and we reached the town before dawn. The thin grey in the east told us that it was not long before dawn but it was a good time. Olaf Grimsson swung the drekar around. It was a moonless night and there were clouds. I had Olaf Grimsson land us some six hundred paces north of the settlement which squatted on a piece of high ground above the river. As I led my warriors up the slope he and his crew drifted down to the middle of the river where they would wait until needed.
Snorri and Beorn ran silently up the cobbled surface which led from the river. The dark stone walls rose ahead of us. They were not high walls but they had towers at each corner; Roman towers. We had ten archers with us. Each archer also had his shield and a sword but first they would eliminate any sentries who stood on the walls. Snorri ghosted next to me. I held up my hand and my column of warriors halted. He spoke quietly, "They have lifted the bridge over the ditch."
I nodded. It would cause a problem but not a major one. I had no intention of storming the town. I had but forty men with me. I wanted to bloody the nose of the Emperor's count, the man who ruled this land in his name. I wanted him angry. An angry leader made mistakes. As we neared the stronghold I saw that the houses had spread between the walls of the castle and the river. There were dwellings and there were warehouses. I knew from my visit to Seguin I Lupo that wine was traded here.
Beorn and Snorri waited at the edge of the settlement. I waved them to the walls. They would buy us some time. I had not been certain that we would find warehouses but I had hoped. The Blót had been a good one and the gods had rewarded us. It was up to us now to seize this opportunity to become rich. As my archers went to the walls I waved my sword to spread the men out in a thin line. I led them forward.
They had a town watch. Two sentries armed with spears appeared from the shadows when my men and I descended like wolves. I led and all that they saw in the dark of night was a black mailed giant. I swung my sword and hacked one of them across the neck. The blow was so powerful that it bit down to the bone. Before his companion could cry out a warning he had been speared by Arne Fleet Foot. They were the last silent deaths. A cry from the walls behind us told me that a sentry had died noisily. Those in the houses were slow to waken. The first that most knew was when my men burst in and slew the men.
Now that the alarm was given there was no need for silence and I roared, "Dragonheart!" The cry was taken up and I heard screams of terror as my men began to butcher the men. I led a handful down to the river and the warehouses. The sky was becoming lighter. I reached the river as my men slew those who guarded the wine warehouse. "Olaf Grimsson! Ho!"
"We come!"
While we had been heading up the slope my drekar captain had raised the mast. We would not use the sail but I knew without looking that my wolf banner would be flying from its top. He would bring the drekar to the jetty. I saw that there were some ships there but most looked to be small river vessels. The larger ones were missing. "Rollo Thin Skin; we will take two of these smaller ships. Load them with wine from the warehouse and destroy the rest."
"Aye Jarl."
"Send a messenger to me when all is done. I want the Frankish ships towed. We have not enough men to crew them."
As I ran back up the hill I shouted to my men to begin loading the ships. I reached Snorri and Beorn. They were sheltering, with their men, behind two small huts. The occupants lay dead. They were guards. Snorri pointed to a body lying close by. "Sven Carlsson is dead. He died well."
"That is all that a warrior can ask." I looked to the east. Dawn was coming. "We keep their heads down. I will announce myself soon." I knew that my name was known. All had heard the story of the Viking with the sword touched by the gods. They knew that my reach was long. I had been in the heart of Din Guardi in the land of Northumbria and killed a well protected enemy in the heart of that fortress. They knew I had taken a king's wife for my son. They knew my name. I wanted it to be the lure which drew them into my trap.
My men were making it hard for any to stand on the walls of this huge town. I could hear the clamour from within. They knew they were being attacked but all that they could see was shadows. They knew that Vikings were on their river and had seen two drekar the previous day. They would be wary. They could not possibly know that I had but one small drekar. It would only be when dawn broke and they saw the single, small drekar in the river, flying my banner, that they would know our numbers and then they would wreak their vengeance upon us.
Whoever commanded the walls finally began to think. They brought up shields behind which to shelter. Snorri chuckled, "A little late for some of their men, Jarl."
"Aye he must have been asleep. They will soon see our drekar. Be ready. I want the archers back on the drekar as soon as there is danger. The three of us will be the last to board."
I was not being reckless. I was counting on my armour and the skill of my two Ulfheonar. The alleys leading to the river were narrow and it would be hard to flank us. I doubted that mailed warriors would be the first after us. It would be those who were fleet of foot and without armour who would recklessly charge us.
As soon as the gates opened, when light made the river clearly visible, I shouted, "Back to the drekar!"
My archers hurried back to the safety of the drekar. The three of us stood shoulder to shoulder and began to walk backwards. The bridge over the ditch was lowered and a horde of Franks rushed towards us. By then we were in the middle of the huts. Most of them made for us but some spread left and right to go down side ways in this jumble of buildings.
The ones facing us ran at us. I took the spear which was thrust at me on my shield and, dropping my right arm a little brought my sword up into the chest of the warrior. I ripped it to the side and exposed his ribs. I thrust forward as the next spear came over my head and stabbed the next warrior in the throat.
With dead Franks on the ground before us the three of us stepped back and ma
de our way down to the river. There was a barrier of bodies between us and the others and we easily made the river. Those who had run down the sides of the warehouses and huts now tried to attack our flanks. They were stopped in their tracks by the arrows from my drekar.
"Come, Jarl Dragonheart. We are ready to sail!" I could hear the urgency in Olaf's voice. He did not wish to be the one who lost Dragonheart!
Just then I heard hooves as a mailed warrior galloped down through the huts from the direction of the castle. He was mailed with a fine helmet and held a long spear before him. He came recklessly towards me. He hunted glory. He would kill this Viking. If he expected me to flee he did not know us. We angled our shields to form a solid barrier and held our swords above them. The horse slithered and tried to stop. The spear shattered on our shields and Snorri despatched the horse with one blow from his sword. The warrior fell from its dying back and I took his head. Slipping my shield behind my back I took the helmet from it, throwing it on the drekar and held the skull by its hair. "Get the body on board. The armour is good." I held the head up and shouted to the Franks, "I am Jarl Dragonheart! Fear me Franks!" I hurled the head towards the advancing Franks.
They would not understand the words but they would the gesture. As I turned stones and arrows thudded into my shield. I walked to my drekar. I stepped on board and Olaf took us, with the current, into the middle of the river.
Olaf was letting the current take us away from the missiles which rained upon us. The shields of my men formed an impenetrable barrier and we were safe.
I took my helmet off. "Strip the mail from the body and throw it overboard while they can still see us. I would anger them." The warrior had been young and had a good suit of armour. I guessed he was a young noble. The manner of his death would anger his people and our treatment would aggravate the situation. The body was dumped unceremoniously over the side. I saw warriors shaking their swords at us.
Snorri said, "Has the plan failed Jarl? There were no ships to pursue us."
"They must have more ships than the ones we tow. There were two we did not destroy yesterday; where are they? They will have them moored somewhere else. We will let them think we have been taken in by their deception. They may know my name but they do not know me."
The boats we towed were heavily laden with barrels. They made our progress slow. More barrels lay on our deck and we were low in the water. We would not be travelling quickly. We had oars and could move swiftly if we had to but I was content with the pace. I looked up and saw my banner fluttering at the top of the mast. They would now know who I was. There was just one wolf warrior with such a standard.
Ketil Ketilson was the ship's boy at the masthead. As we turned one of the loops in the river he shouted, "Jarl. There are Frankish ships. They follow. I can see their masts."
"How many?"
"It is hard to tell but I count at least five masts."
"Good." Turning to Snorri I said, "Have the archers gather at the stern. We will discourage them. Beorn, have the men prepare their oars. I would not risk tempting the Norns too much."
"Aye, Jarl."
I picked up the jug of cider and drank. It was not beer but it refreshed me. We had turned the next loop in the river when we saw them. They had full sail and were in an arrow formation. I turned to Olaf, "How far to the mouth?"
He knew what I meant by the question, "They will catch us before we reach it."
"Beorn, run out the oars but just use one man to an oar." The 'Red Snake' was a threttanessa. We would just need twenty six men to row. We would still have fourteen and my Ulfheonar to fight. "I want to keep us within their sight."
I was counting on the fact that there was a bend at the mouth of the river which would prevent them from seeing my ships. My four ships would not have a sail hoisted. By the time the Franks saw them they would struggle to turn and, I hoped, they would entangle themselves in each other's rigging. They closed with us and we upped the beat and gained on them. We were tantalizingly close to them. They would assume that our men were tiring and, once we reached the open sea, they could use the wind and surround us.
A voice from the prow shouted, "I see our drekar!
"Ready to ship the oars! Olaf I want you to put us between our two drekar. Have two of your ship's boys climb the ropes to the small Frankish ships and then cut them. They will not drift far."
He nodded and shouted to his crew. His ship's boys knew how to steer and they could beach them if they had to.
I saw that we had less than half a mile to go. "Ship oars!" With oars shipped my men grabbed their weapons. The Frankish vessels seemed to race down the river towards us. Had I timed it right? Would we make the safety of our line before they caught us.
Snorri shouted, "Release!" and a small shower of arrows flew towards the leading ship. Two Franks fell into the foam at the ship's prow. On the other Frankish ships shields were raised and their vision became limited.
My captains had left a gap for us to use. As we sailed through the boys cut the ropes of the boats we towed and Olaf threw the steering board over. Erik Short Toe threw a line from the stern of 'Heart of the Dragon' which Beorn caught and tied while Asbjorn threw one from the bow of 'Odin's Breath' for Snorri to catch. With men pulling hard our progress towards the sea was arrested and we formed a solid wall of wood.
I ran to the landward side and, donning my helmet held my shield before me. I saw the Frankish ships as they tried to lower their sails and turn at the same time. I guessed they did not trust the bows of their ships enough to ram us. Had our positions been reversed we would have rammed. Our ships were well made and a single piece of oak formed the keel and the kjerringa. As the Frankish crews fought the river, the wind, the waves and their sails archers on all of our drekar and captured prizes loosed arrows at them. I saw men pitched overboard as they were pierced by arrows. The leading ship could not turn and her hull banged and cracked sideways into mine.
I slung my shield across my back and began to climb the wooden walls of the ship. The crew were so busy trying to sort themselves out that I was almost at the topmost strake before someone tried to spear me. It was a clumsy attempt. I held on to the strake with my right hand and pulled hard on the spear. He did not let go and he was pulled over the side. I heard the crack as his neck broke upon my deck. I pulled myself over the side of the Frank. There were warriors at the stern of the ship. Four of them had mail and wore the round helmets favoured by the Franks. They ran towards me. I drew Ragnar's Spirit and slashed before me to buy myself time to swing my shield around. The edge caught one of the blades but it still caught on my byrnie. There was force behind the deflected blow.
These Franks were not used to fighting on board a ship. I spread my legs wide and stood facing them. I saw Haaken leading my warriors over the stern of this Frankish ship while behind me Snorri and Beorn flanked me. Fighting on a ship was not the combat of movement. You stood still and you took the blows. If you moved then you fell. If you fell then you died. The Franks ran at us and that was their mistake. One slipped and Beorn brought his sword across his face. With no nasal his blade bit into the cheek and head of the Frank. I took a blow on my shield and then slid my sword forward. I was face to face with the Frank. His breath reeked of garlic. As my sword bit into his scale armour I head butted him. I had a full face helmet and I heard his nose break. I pushed with my shield and felt him step backwards. I stabbed again, hard. I did not break his links but the blow winded him and he doubled up. I punched with my shield into his face. Unconscious he fell back and I skewered him to the deck.
Haaken and his men had cleared the area around the steering board. A second Frank had come to the aid of this leader and Franks were preparing to board us. Shouting, "Ulfheonar!" I led my wolf warriors across the deck to meet these new attackers. They too forgot that we were on a moving deck and they moved too quickly. Nor did they wear armour. When I slashed across in a wide arc I was rewarded with spurting blood and ripped guts. Two men fell. I held my shie
ld to take the axe blow which came from the Frank standing on the side of the other ship. I swung my sword across his legs and sliced through one and into the second. He fell screaming between the two hulls.
Before we could board the second Frank the steersman managed to turn the steering board and move away from us. The crew raced up the lines to try to lower the sail again. They had had enough. Olaf picked up a spear and hurled it into the back of the nearest seaman. He plunged to the deck. By the time the sails were lowered it had cost them a quarter of their crew. While my men despatched the Frankish wounded I watched the two survivors head back, slowly, upstream. We now had three more Frankish ships. More importantly we had the river. None could enter or leave without our permission.
With 'Red Snake' in the middle we tied the three ships we had captured from shore to shore. It was not a solid barrier but with thick ropes slung between all of the vessels it was an effective barrier. The two end ships were secured to the land. After all was secure I was ferried ashore by Erik. My men all beat their shields and chanted, "Dragonheart! Dragonheart! Dragonheart!" Over and over. I would be foresworn if I did not say that I enjoyed their adulation. I was a warrior and we had tricked and vanquished our enemies. I had seen few of our own men die. It had been a great victory.
As I passed the pen containing the animals and the captives I saw that they were all cowed and fearful. I daresay they had seen their ships and thought we would be defeated. Instead they were now even further from safety than they had been.
As we stripped the ships of the treasure we realised that we had beaten well armed and armoured men. These had set out to destroy our war band and they had failed. After I had stripped my armour I went with my Ulfheonar to the river where I had made the Blót. We took off our kyrtles and walked into the river to immerse ourselves completely. It was our way of thanking the gods for rewarding us with victory and we cleaned the blood, sweat and dirt from our bodies.
"And now, Ulfheonar, we will feast and we will enjoy our victory. Haaken will sing us a song!"
