Viking Jarl

by Griff Hosker

With wolf charm blue they left the lair

  Then Thor he spoke, he filled the air

  The storm it raged, the rain it fell

  Then the earth shook from deep in hel

  The rocks they crashed, they tumbled down

  Burying the wizard and the Rheged crown.

  Till world it ends the secret’s there

  Buried beneath wolf warrior’s lair

  This time there was a stunned silence. Prince Butar looked at me. “Is this true? You found a cave like a wolf and your mother’s ancestor?”

  “Aye I did. When we lit the fire within the mouth then the eyes and mouth looked as though they were on fire. And we found the wizard Myrddyn too.” I held out the two amulets. “This was in his hand.”

  We spent the rest of the evening answering the questions with which we were bombarded.

  They asked for a second telling so that they could appreciate Haaken’s words more. After they were satisfied, Olaf said, “When you took those nuns you could not have known the effect it would have had. This is wyrd. I am glad that I have lived long enough to hear it. When I see Ragnar in Valhalla he will have many tales to tell me but none will match the tale of Dragon Heart and the wolf cave.” He came and did something strange; he kissed me on my forehead. “I had no child of my own but if I had had one it would be you. Goodnight, my son. May Ragnar continue to watch over you and this Warlord.” He went to his room shaking his head in disbelief.

  “You were right to return there.” Prince Butar shook his head, “I did not think it was meant to be. I was wrong. You are something special. You are of our people and yet you are also of the people of Rheged and that is rare. I can see great things in your future.”

  As I lay that night I considered the words of both Olaf and Prince Butar. I had been between worlds in the cave and I was between worlds now. I was born a mixture of Rheged and Saxon but I been brought up to be a Viking. What did my future hold?

  All my good feelings disappeared with the dawn. Olaf the Toothless had died during the night. I think he knew he was dying for he had never kissed me before and his poignant words still echoed in my ears.

  Prince Butar came to me. “He knew he was dying. He slept with his hands on his sword. He is in Valhalla with my father.” His face fell, “He was the last of the warriors I fought alongside and now there is none left. I am the eldest and my time will soon come.”

  “Do not talk like that. You will live a long time yet.”

  “When you are young that means something but I do not have a long time ahead of me.”

  We buried Olaf in a mound overlooking the sea. We laid him there in his armour, with his sword. He looked happy. Butar said goodbye and then we all threw earth on the mound until it was as high as a man. The man who had tethered me as a slave and become my friend was now gone and I missed him.

  I did not want to return and leave Prince Butar alone but he insisted. “Besides,” he added, “you will need to return with carts.”

  “What for?”

  “Did you not listen to Olaf’s words the night he died? He called you his son. You are now his heir. You have all the gold and the weapons he accumulated in his long life. You have his ship too. His men may choose to follow you or another leader.” He saw my protests. “You can do nothing about this. It is the law. Think what you wish to do and I will visit his men and tell them of their loss.”

  Erika wept when I told her of the death of Olaf. He had always been there to protect our home when I went raiding; more than that he was her Ragnar. He was always kind with both her and the children. Never having had children of his own he had taken my family as his. I now understood why.

  When she had regained her composure she looked to more practical matters. “He must have thought well of you to make you his heir.”

  I nodded, “I did not ask for his wealth.”

  “You goose! It is because you never asked that he gave it to you. You do not see yourself, my husband, as the rest of the world does. They see you as kind, loyal and thoughtful. They are qualities rarely found in a great warrior such as you.” She stood back and spread her arms. “Look how plainly you dress. You gave expensive gold to your men and yet you wear none. The only objects you lavish money on are your weapons, your family and your friends. You never spend on yourself.”

  “I had not thought that way. You are wise so tell me what do I do about Olaf’s men and his people?”

  “They will want you as a lord but you will need to appoint a jarl. It should be one of your men for they will expect that.”

  “There are three then, Rolf, Haaken and Cnut.”

  “Rolf is not here so ask the other two first. Rolf would not mind.”

  “I will wait on the words of Olaf’s men first. I would not offer something to my friends and then snatch it away.”

  I did not expect a speedy response from Olaf’s men. His town, Olafston, was far to the south. The prince would take some time to reach it. I summoned Aiden. “While we are waiting for the nuns to make our books and reading materials I would have you help me make a scabbard for Ragnar’s Spirit.”

  “That is an honour my lord.”

  “You remember the scabbard of the warrior in the cave.” He nodded. “I would like it to look like that. I wish to have gold and silver on it but I wish you to leave space for three blue stones. When we have found the mine then we will make them fit.”

  We set to. Firstly we cut and smoothed the wood. We still had some oak we had taken from the mainland and we chose a good piece. Then we cut the sheepskin to fit snugly inside. Before we bound the two halves of the scabbard together we oiled the sheepskin to enable the sword to be drawn quickly. We put Ragnar’s Spirit inside the scabbard and then bound it in the finest piece of leather we could. When I took the blade out it slid as smoothly as a calf from a heifer.

  I handed the scabbard to Aiden. “The rest is down to you.”

  “Thank you for your trust my lord. I will do a good job I promise.”

  “I know.”

  Olaf’s chief warrior, Snorri Greybeard, came to me with five others. He was almost as old as Olaf had been and I noticed that the others all had beards and hair flecked with grey. They dropped to their knees. “We are here, Jarl Dragon Heart to swear our oath to you. We do so on behalf of all of Jarl Olaf’s people.” He smiled, “We are honoured that you are to be our jarl.”

  “Please stand.” They did so and Erika brought them in some ale and some mutton. As they ate I talked. “I will be raiding again in the spring.” One or two of them looked up, mouths full with worry written all over their faces. “Do not worry, I have more than enough men to do the job. But I will need to appoint a jarl to watch over my new people for me. How do you feel about that?”

  “One of your warriors?”

  “Aye. One of the men who leads my warriors.”

  They all looked relieved and Snorri said, “That is good for we are all getting on in years and we need new blood. If one of your warriors lives in the hall then new warriors will come and we will be stronger.”

  “Good then I shall make that decision soon. Until then Snorri you will manage affairs for me.”

  After they had gone I summoned Haaken and Cnut and told them what I intended. Neither looked happy. Haaken said, “I think I speak for both of us when I say that we are honoured but to be jarl means the end of our journey with you. I have not seen that end yet. We missed the experience you had in the cave and that will not happen again. We will stay by your side for we are happy to do that. We will both know when it is time to leave you.”

  Cnut nodded his agreement, “Rolf would be the perfect choice.”

  I stared at my old friend. Perhaps the lightning strike which had struck my sword and nearly killed us both had made us of one mind. “That was in my head also.”

  He nodded and rubbed his hands, “Then I will take the new men and return to Cymru for him. I am sure that Jarl Erik can manage there without him.”

  “Aye but do not tel
l him what is promised. That will be my task. Just bring him and his two companions, Erik Redhead and Ham the Silent. I would not split them up.”

  The warriors who had recently returned from the wolf hunt were keen to go back. If you are not a warrior then you do not understand the bond between men who row, sail and fight together. The banter and the jests all made them closer. Haaken and I knew that it was important for them to work as one. The more times they rowed together the better. Cnut went with him for this was the season of the storms. It would do them no harm to have to endure one but, equally, it would not hurt to have two such experienced warriors with them. I told them to take as long as they needed for the voyage; there was no hurry.

  After they had sailed away Aiden and I began our lessons with the nuns. They were hard task masters and it was not easy. To me the words looked like worms mindlessly meandering across the yellow vellum. It was also annoying for Aiden took to it like a duck to water and he was soon far ahead of me. I did not resent it. He had a thirst for knowledge whilst I merely wanted to be able to decipher the Roman words I might encounter. I had no desire to read but I wanted the skill. I went to Tostig and Beorn, I need something making. I could have asked Aiden but he was still busy making my scabbard.

  By the time my boat returned I was ready for a break. I sensed a certain malicious pleasure in the nuns at my suffering. I did not blame them. They had endured humiliation when we had captured them and they were repaying that with me. It did not bother me. They had skills I did not. As I left them to walk to the harbour I began to formulate a plan in my head. The nuns could teach Arturus and, when she was old enough, Kara. I knew that Arturus would not like it but he might endure it if he knew that Aiden had that skill.

  As ‘Wolf’ was secured to the shore I saw Haaken and Cnut defer to Rolf and his two warriors. Rolf looked a little worried as he walked towards me. I clasped his hand. “Thank you for coming. Your companions can wait in the warrior hall I need to speak with you in my hall.”

  As we walked along he suddenly burst out, “Have I offended you Jarl Dragon Heart? Am I returned in disgrace?”

  “No, my friend, just the opposite and do not blame Haaken and Cnut for their silence they merely followed my instructions.” We entered my hall. Scanlan had seen me approach and the reliable steward had put drink and food on the table.

  We sat and I just said, “Olaf the Toothless died.”

  Rolf touched his amulet; it was a silver Hammer of Thor. “He was a great warrior and a great jarl.”

  “He was and he named me his heir. I now have his ship, Olafston and his men.”

  Rolf relaxed, “Now I see why I was brought back. You will need to travel there and organise his affairs.”

  “No, I brought you back to make you Jarl of Olafston.“

  That stunned him. “You would make me jarl? What of Haaken and Cnut?”

  “They agree with me that you are the best warrior for the task. Will you accept?”

  “Of course my lord. I will rule it in your name.”

  “Good. Now the warriors will be happy with my choice for they are all growing old; too old to raid. You will need to recruit new warriors and, when I raid in the spring, you will have to watch over my family here. I am leaving you Olaf’s ship for that purpose.”

  We spent some time discussing how he would rule but I knew the man. I had fought with him and I trusted his judgement. He would be a fair jarl. I went to the small chest I had left on the table and opened it. “Here is your chain of office.” I handed him the chain from which hung the wolf head. It was a small version of the one I had had made for me. “You are now a Jarl of the Wolf.”

  He knelt as I placed it around his neck. “I swear that I will die before I dishonour you. I am your man, in life and death.”

  I walked with him to his two men. When he told them his news even Ham the Silent grinned. They would be a reliable trio of warriors.

  When Yule was but a week away I decided I had had enough of my lessons. I could make out some letters and I could even write my name although when I would need to do so was beyond me. Aiden continued his lessons and I persuaded Arturus to learn how to read. The nuns were happy to divide their time between cheese making and teaching. I know what their plan was; they would try to convert the two boys to the White Christ. I had no fear of that for they had been in the cave of the wolf. They had seen the power of the spirit world.

  That Yule was a happy one. All my people had plenty of food. The snows had not yet come and almost every woman was heavy with child. The gods were indeed smiling on us. Kara was now taking more notice and I loved that. She crawled and tried to stand. She made noises which I swore were her calling for me and I was a happy man. When Aiden gave me my scabbard, just as we lit the Yule log, my world was perfect.

  He had done a fine job. The leather had been tooled and carved and then carefully inlaid with silver flecked with gold. He could have used more gold but he told me he was going for an effect. He had made the silver and gold look like a wolf. Not a real wolf but one which represented a wolf. He had left two small holes for blue stones which would form the eyes. There was a strap of metal running down each side and, at the bottom, a beautifully worked chape.

  “You have done well Aiden. How much will you charge me for this?”

  “Consider it a trade my lord. You arranged for me to learn how to read and write and that is a gift beyond price.”

  And so we sat through the short days of midwinter, feasting, drinking and telling stories for we were all content.

  Chapter 13

  Once the days began to lengthen we set about preparing for the spring raid. It felt strange not to have Rolf sitting with us. His extensive travels and experience gave an added dimension to our discussions. The three of us, however, knew each other so well that the planning was swifter.

  “What about the horsemen?”

  “I know Haaken. That has me worried too. Our swords are not long enough to keep them at bay. Perhaps we should use an axe?”

  Cnut gave a look which showed he had had inspiration. “Spears! We use long spears.” He slapped the table, “Long boar spears!” These were spears with a bar on them. They prevented the head of the spear sinking too far in. “That way we have more chance of holding them.”

  “Good. Have some made by Beorn. We need ten or twenty of them.”

  “And he had better give some thought to the arrow heads. The ones we use have a barb. We need some with harder metal which are narrower.”

  “If you can draw them he can make them.” Haaken nodded. “We still need a crew and a captain for ‘Serpent’.”

  “Perhaps Prince Butar has one such. I know of none of our men who would either want or could be captain of a cargo ship.”

  “I go tomorrow to visit with the prince I will ask him and I will get to see his warriors.”

  “Will they be happy to sit behind the walls of the fort?”

  We had decided that we needed our base protecting and it would be some of Prince Butar’s men who would do that. “It will only be for short periods and besides they are under my command. They will do as I wish.”

  Cnut smiled, “This is not the Saxon slave we first met is it Haaken?”

  “No indeed, Cnut. You do not cross Dragon Heart.”

  I smiled. They had pricked my pomposity. “You are right. I will explain to them that others will have to stay behind the walls all winter.”

  “No, Dragon Heart, you are quite correct. You are now a Jarl and you tell them. Remember you are descended from a warlord and we think that you have greater things to come.”

  When I visited with the prince the next day I was pleased that he had not deteriorated any further. He was happy to see me and he did indeed have a captain for my ship.

  “Alf One Leg will be perfect for you. He can no longer fight as other men do for he has a wooden leg but he is a sound sailor. His father, before he died, was my steersman. He will serve you well. I will send for him.”

&nbs
p; While the erstwhile captain was summoned I asked Prince Butar about the men I would be leading. “It will not leave you weakened will it?”

  “No. As I said we have strengthened the defences. I am not too old yet. I can still think. I have six of my young boys who act as riders. They can be at your settlement or Rolf’s or Erik’s within half a day. If there is danger then we can hold out for that length of time.”

  I had been worried. I did not want a repeat of the raid which had taken my mother and almost lost me my wife.

  When Alf arrived he was not what I expected. For one thing he was not much older than I was and he was also a powerful looking warrior. His wooden leg had been hand carved and sported a dragon climbing up it. He grinned when he saw my stare. “It is a beauty is it not? I carved that myself.”

  “It is a fine piece of work. Tell me, where did you lose it?”

  “When we first came to the island I fought with the Prince. I received a wound to the leg and I ignored it. I thought it was healing but it began to smell and Olaf the Toothless told me I had to lose the leg. He took it off himself, one blow with the axe.” He seemed proud of the fact. “He helped me to make this one.” He looked sadly at the prince. “I shall miss him. He was the best sailor I ever knew and that includes my father.”

  “Well Jarl Dragon Heart would have you as the captain of his new ship, ‘Serpent’. What say you?”

  “What kind of ship is it?”

  Straightaway I liked him. He would not give me an answer until he knew what he was getting. “An Irish ship we captured. She is no drekar but she can carry cargo and can fight. You would need to crew her yourself.”

  “You would pay me?”

  “Aye, every man is worth his hire.”

  “In that case I accept.”

  “You and your men will share in what we gather in the raids.”

  “And everyone knows that Dragon Heart is the most successful raider so I shall be a rich man.”

  I did not like these expectations. It was hard to live up to them. “She is at Hrams-a.”

  “I will gather my crew. How many oars?”