by Griff Hosker
"He was sailing with me, you owe me nothing."
"Your warrior said that they were on the south of the island."
"Aye. We know the island well. We will sail around the north western coast and approach across the island. The defences are poor and you should be able to attack the front. We will surround them."
I saw him nod. "My youngest son, Eystein Thorfinnson captains the threttanessa. You would honour me by taking him with you. Gunnar learned much I would have my youngest learn the same lessons."
I did not, in truth, wish to take him but I could not refuse. "Aye, Jarl, tell him to follow me close. We attack at dawn!"
"We attack at dawn!"
Erik turned the steering board and we headed west. Olaf said, disparagingly, "We are tied to a baby again! When do we get to fight alongside warriors like us?"
Haaken looked at him and shook his head, "Because there are no warriors like us! Your whole head must be a plate! Every warrior we fight alongside learns from us!"
Olaf nodded, not upset in the least by the insult. "Aye you may be right. It is a burden laid upon us by the gods!"
We soon had to row. I stood at the stern and saw that Eystein Thorfinnson had heeded his father's orders and was a boat's length from us. When it became dark I would have to have Thorir Svensson keep a close watch upon him. It would not do to have a dragon's prow up our backside before we had even landed. I had already chosen our landing site. South of the Jarl Erik's old hall there was a small uninhabited bay with a sandy beach. It could accommodate two drekar. More importantly, Balley Chashtal lay just five miles from it and the land was flat. We could run it and be there quickly and unobserved. Had the bay been bigger then all four drekar could have used it. This would have to suffice.
Snorri left his oar and watched at the prow. He had grown up on the island and knew it well. Erik lowered the sail and we edged into the bay using oars only. The ship's boys leapt ashore and tethered us to the land. I waved the other drekar next to us. Eystein Thorfinnson came in gingerly. He did not wish to damage his drekar nor did he wish to make a fool of himself whilst I watched. I could understand.
I jumped into the chill waters with my shield around my back. Snorri had already sprinted, ahead with Beorn the Scout to make sure that no wandering shepherd had spotted us. I worked out that we would arrive either just before or just after dawn. I had suggested to Thorfinn that he arrive at the same time. A simultaneous attack was always demoralising for defenders. When everyone was ashore I waved my Ulfheonar, Erik Wolf Claw and Eystein Thorfinnson to my side.
"There is a rough road ahead; when we reach it then we move in a column of fours. It will be quicker that way."
Eystein said somewhat disparagingly, "This should be easy. Your spy said that they had had a bad winter and many had left. This will not be worthy of a great warrior like you Jarl Dragonheart."
I saw my men exchange glances. He was young and he lacked experience. He would learn. "Never take anything for granted, Eystein. Let us assume they have reinforced and built strong defences. If they have not then it may be easier than we expect."
We began to move up the narrow gully to the track which I knew lay ahead of us. Here there were no Roman Roads. The paths that were here were either made by Saxons or Prince Butar. That was how I knew them. Suddenly Snorri appeared. He held his hand up for silence. He waved me forward. I signed for Erik Wolf Claw to command and then I led the Ulfheonar to follow Snorri. He led me down a short path to a dell. There I saw Beorn the Scout with his hand against the throat of a Dane.
Snorri spoke quietly, "I smelled something and followed my nose. It seems this Dane had eaten something which disagreed with him."
"Have you questioned him yet?"
"No, Jarl, I waited for you."
"What in the name of the Allfather is a Dane doing out on this desolate hillside?"
"That is what we thought."
Olaf pulled out a long narrow skinning knife he favoured, "I could make him talk."
Shaking my head I said, "Let us just ask him questions first and skin him if that fails." I saw from the Dane's face, that he had understood us. I smiled, "Who are you?"
"I am Einar the Slow."
"I am Jarl Dragonheart."
"I know."
That worried me, how did he know, "You know me?"
"I have heard of you and I saw you in Dyflin."
I knew then where he had come from. "You followed Hakon the Bald?"
"Aye and I like not the whelp you have placed there."
"So you and other Danes came to Man." He nodded. "To raid and plunder."
He laughed, "No, to trap you." His laughter stopped as he realised what he had said.
"Then there are others already here. And you knew we were coming."
"I will say nothing more. You can have the lump with the knife skin me but I will tell you nothing more." He shook his head, "I may be Slow in the head but even I know that Jarl Dragonheart has honour and he will not skin a man."He placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. "You will give me the warrior's death for my tongue has said all that I will allow."
I nodded to Olaf who slit his throat. Finni asked, "We could have made him talk, Jarl Dragonheart."
"If we had time and we do not have that luxury. Many Danes and Vikings fled Dyflin. I wondered where they went. Now we know. They are here. I know not how but Jarl Erik Eriksson knows of our raid and he is expecting us. We must hurry or Thorfinn Blue Scar will be slaughtered. He expects less than eighty warriors. There may be many hundreds! " I stood. "Snorri and Beorn take the Ulfheonar and find this war band. I will fetch the rest."
When I reached Eystein and Erik Wolf Claw alone they stared at me, "This is a trap. There is a war band of Danes heading for Balley Chashtal. We must hurry or the men of Ljoðhús will be massacred." I led them along the track.
The ground over which we ran was low lying and it was hard to see, in the dark, great distances ahead. The Norns had been busy. We were in the dark, quite literally. If Jarl Eriksson knew of our plans he would not be as weak as Raibeart had made out. Was Raibeart a spy for others? Had I been too trusting? Those judgements would have to wait until I returned to Úlfarrston. My men moved with more urgency now. Eystein looked worried as he ran next to me. Ahead I could see dawn breaking in the east. It was just a thin line but that would grow. Our questions had delayed us. We would arrive later than I had planned. And then I heard a clamour from ahead. Was it my Ulfheonar and the war band or had Thorfinn attacked early?
The undulating land rose ahead of us and when I reached the top I saw Balley Chashtal. There were flames. Thorfinn had attacked. Haaken appeared next to me and pointed ahead. I could see nothing. "The war band has split into two. They are heading to surround the men attacking the walls." I knew he was guessing what the band would do but it made sense.
"They go to the left and the right?"
"Aye Jarl."
"Take Erik Wolf Claw and my men attack the band to the right." I turned to Eystein. "Today I lead your men. There is a war band of Danes attacking your father. Your men must obey all of my orders."
"Aye Jarl."
We ran. We soon caught up with Ulf, Finni and Snorri who awaited us. They talked as they ran with us. "The rest of the Ulfheonar are with the band to the right. The Danes are less than half a mile ahead. See you can see their banners against the rising sun."
"Ready your weapons and spread out in a single line. We make them think there are more of us than there are. Keep silent until I shout." I drew Ragnar's Spirit and, as I did so I noticed that Hrolf had not gone with Erik Wolf Claw but followed me. "You stay close to either my Ulfheonar or me!"
"Aye Jarl."
I could not make out the Danes. They had formed a wedge; it was a mass of darkened warriors. Did they have mail? Ahead of them the rising sun illuminated Thorfinn and his men as they attacked the walls. The wedge would strike them hard and they would be driven back to the sea. We were helped by the noise of the fray and by the fact that the Dan
es were running in a wedge. It made them slow and there was a lot of noise within the wedge. In every wedge the best warriors are at the front. The ones with the mail are at the front. I saw the kyrtles and leather belts; I saw the helmets; I saw the banners but I saw neither faces nor mail. The trap had been reversed.
"Ragnar's Spirit!"
We hurled ourselves at the twenty men who made up the rear rank. This was an enormous wedge. I concentrated on my first blow. Our shout had made them turn. It made some stumble. I brought Ragnar's Spirit high over my head and brought it down across the helmet and face of the Dane before me. His face split like a ripe plum. Ulf, Finni and Snorri were next to me and we made our own wedge. We drove deep into the mass of Danes. I slashed to the man on my right. He raised his arm to block me and my sword sliced through his arm and into his side. I punched the warrior to my left. He fell back and I swept my sword around to tear open his side.
The four of us had driven deep into the wedge of Danes and now the ones at the front realised their danger. I heard a Danish voice shout, "Shield wall!"
We were in trouble. I had three warriors and some wild and reckless young men. "We charge through!"
I heard my Ulfheonar shout, "Aye Jarl!"
Then I heard Hrolf shout, "And I am with you, Jarl!"
I did not want the young warrior to die but I was proud that he would follow us. If you are to charge then you do not hold back. You throw yourself into the fray as though you do not expect to survive. You hope that the warrior who faces you has a family and does not relish Valhalla! At least we had stopped the attack on Thorfinn's flank. We had not let down our ally. We were lucky in that enough men without mail stood between us and the mailed Danes who wielded axes and waited for us.
I roared a shout which I brought from deep within me. The sun had now risen and I knew that it shone on my face. They faced red eyed wolves and the Danes who looked at us felt fear. I stabbed at the surprised Dane who left a gap between shield and sword. I flung his body aside as I punched the next warrior with my shield. His spear clattered off my helmet and as he staggered I brought my sword around to hack into the back of his knee. We could not stop. It was our momentum which carried us deeper and deeper into the heart of our foes. A huge Danish war axed swung at me. It was a frightening weapon... if you had not faced one before. Wielded two handed it meant my opponent had no shield. He had mail but no shield. I angled my shield and leaned my shoulder into it. The axe head slid and scraped down my shield and his middle was an inviting target. I pushed hard with Ragnar's Spirit and tore through his mail and his byrnie. I twisted as it entered his body and then pulled it sideways. It opened a long gash and he tried to shove his guts back into his body as he fell.
We had penetrated far further than I could possibly have hoped. We were facing the warriors who had been at the point of the wedge and these were the best Danes in the war band. What gave me heart and the strength to fight on was the fact that these had fled when Gunnstein had taken charge. These had been defeated by me once already.
I opened my arms and invited a strike, "I am Jarl Dragonheart! I wield the sword which was touched by the gods! You are faithless men who did not die with your lord. When I slay you then you will not go to Valhalla! You will writhe in Hel!"
I chose the largest warrior I could see. His arms were tattooed and ringed with armbands. He had a two handed axe and a mail byrnie down to his knees. I just ran at him. My legs were almost without strength and I knew I had one more attack left in me. My charge took him by surprise. His swing was slow and it was just the haft of the axe which struck me on the shoulder. I pushed my sword hard. It did not strike his middle but I tore the mail down one side of his byrnie. More than that my charge knocked him from his feet. I could not keep my feet and I fell on top of him. I raised my head and butted him hard. His nose erupted and spread across his face. As I tried to rise the warrior to his right swung his axe. I was dead! I had no chance of protecting myself. Suddenly Eystein Thorfinn darted forward with his sword and took the warrior in the neck. I rose to my knees and using both hands plunged Ragnar's Spirit into his throat.
A warrior swung his sword at Eystein who was celebrating his victory. A blade I recognised darted out and Hrolf sent Heart of Ice into the warrior's side. These were their best three warriors and they had been felled. My three Ulfheonar slew the four around them and we were alone!
Eystein turned and shouted, "Men of Ljoðhús! Will you let a boy do what you should! Slaughter them!"
Their honour impugned the young warriors threw themselves into the fray. It was too much for a wedge which had been gutted like a fish; a wedge who had seen their best warriors slain and now faced the Wolf Warriors and the sword which was touched by the gods. They fled!
The sun had now risen and we could see that we were almost at the walls of Balley Chashtal. The men of Ljoðhús were relentless they chased and charged at the fleeing Danes. Soon there were just seven of us left. I turned to Eystein. "I thank you, Eystein Thorfinn. I owe you a life."
He shook his head, "You owe me nothing! I am embarrassed that we did not follow as closely as we should. If it were not for this young warrior then I too would have been slain." He clasped Hrolf's arm, "I would that you would follow me for I wish to go A-Viking!"
Hrolf looked at me and his bloody sword. I nodded, "This is the Norns, Hrolf, this is wyrd!"
"Aye Jarl." He turned to Eystein Thorfinn and said, "I will follow you until my destiny calls me."
That moment changed all of our lives but we knew it not then.
"Come we must hurry, your father needs us."
"But my men have gone! There are but seven of us!"
"Seven men can change the world!"
We ran towards the battle at the wall. As we neared I saw Thorfinn Blue Scar standing on top of two shields as he battled the defenders. An arrow came from nowhere and struck him in the shoulder. He fell to the ground and his oathsworn gathered around with their shields. I heard his son, Gunnar, shout, "Fall back!"
We had failed. The attack, which should have been an easy victory, had ended in failure.
Chapter 18
This was where I regretted not bringing Aiden. Thorfinn Blue Scar had no healer. His men tended to his wound but he was, effectively, out of the attack. We gathered out of bow range after his men had bandaged him.
"What happened?"There was accusation in his tone.
"We were betrayed."
The silence showed how stunned they all were. Gunnar asked, "How do you know?"
"When we landed we found one of the Danes and he told us. He said they knew we were coming. We were lucky. They did not expect us to divide our forces. Their plan was to trap us against the walls."
Eystein said, "Had not Jarl Dragonheart charged great numbers of Danes they would have succeeded."
I could see that Thorfinn was weak. Gunnar asked, "Where are the rest of your men?"
I waved a hand, "This was but half of the Danes. They chased them. I fear for them."
Thorfinn opened his eyes and smiled, "This is my fault. I believed we would come here and teach this pup a lesson."
"His father was cunning and he has learned. We were betrayed and that is hard to bear but we deal with that when we get home. There is a spy either in my land or yours. First we destroy these Manxmen."
Gunnar said, "But they have thrown us back and there are more of them than we thought."
"That matters not." I looked him in the eyes. "Are they better warriors?"
"No, of course not!"
"Then we will beat them. First we get back the warriors who have chased the enemy. We complete the circle around the town and we eat and rest. They are going nowhere. When it is almost dark Gunnar and I will speak with this jarl and we will frighten him."
"How?"
Eystein was merely curious. He was not questioning my judgement. I smiled, "I have no idea but give me some food and some drink and I will come up with a plan."
Our men returned to us
in small groups. Haaken led my men from the other side of the town. They had fought a hard battle against the Danes. My Ulfheonar had not lost any men but they showed that they had fought hard. Many homes in Cyninges-tūn would mourn their warriors but the Danes there had been destroyed. When this was over we would have much treasure to take home. Eystein's men had suffered far more. They had chased and followed when they should not. Out of a crew of thirty but five returned. Many of the Danes fled and they would have to be hunted, like wild animals, when this was over but for the moment we needed to consolidate and begin to plan how we would win.
Thorfinn was looking a little healthier after food and ale, "I should have brought more men. I thought this number would be enough."
"We can still take this place."
"But we have lost so many men."
" Jarl Erik now has no more reinforcements. He has no way of being supplied." I pointed to the harbour where the solitary Manx drekar stood, "and he is surrounded. We will speak with him just before dark."
"Why then?"
I had worked out how best to deal with Jarl Erik Eriksson; I would use his mind and his fear of his uncle, Dragonheart and his Ulfheonar. "For, Jarl Thorfinn, I want him and his men to wait all night for my Ulfheonar to attack. We will not, we will sleep. There are more ways to win a battle than just battering them with a sword. We have a mind and we should use it."
I took my Ulfheonar to one side and explained what I wished of them. "You know what to do, we have done this before. Keep moving and stay in pairs. I have no doubt that my nephew will know this tactic but this was our island. It is part of us and we belong here. Now rest while you can."
I went back to the camp we had made. We had brought food with us and we ate well; better than those inside the settlement. Gunnar took charge for his father, whilst lucid, would not be able to move and to fight. Gunnar and his younger brother Eystein would be the leaders. The men of Ljoðhús made up the bulk of our force. They would be the ones who would bear the brunt of the attack.
I was woken in the middle of the afternoon as I had requested. I walked with Gunnar to inspect the walls. "How did your attack go when you and your father came this morning?"
