by Griff Hosker
He realised he had gone too far and he stood and stammered, “Y, y, y, yes, m, my lord!”
Haaken laughed, “I like that little man. Did I hear he knows how to use a strigil?”
I nodded, “I think that most Greeks can.”
“Then I think I will join you. It has been some time since I have had the pleasure of a real bath. I do not mind that there will be no heat in the bath house! Just so long as the bath is hot.”
Gruffyd looked at the list. He could not read Latin but the fact that the list was long pleased him. I read through what it said and he beamed. “I will go and set the night guard and await Ragnar. I will have the slaves prepare more food. We have plenty!”
We were both in the bath house when Ragnar arrived. Atticus proved to be good with a razor, scissors and strigil. He had a pair of scissors which were from the Empire. It seemed the eorledman had not known what to do with them. Saxons were happy not to bathe. A Viking might be wild and uncouth but we all cared for our appearance. With my hair and beard trimmed and combed I felt like a new man. Atticus had found us some of the eorledman’s clothes so that we felt clean when we went to find my grandson.
We missed him for Ragnar and the warriors who had fought had eaten and gone directly to bed. Haaken and I walked the walls of the fort. I trusted my son but it raised the morale of our sentries to know that their jarl walked the fighting platform with them. After a circuit we decided that it was time for rest. It seemed a lifetime since I had slept.
Atticus was waiting by the cot in the praetorium. He had found some strong wine. “Jarl this will help you to sleep. You look tired.”
“You are a good man Atticus.”
“And you and your people are a surprise. That is the first time I have used my strigil since I was taken as a slave. I think I may enjoy serving you and your family. I am intrigued to meet this Aiden, your wizard. He seems to have great powers. I am Christian and I should not believe them and yet…”
“And yet you are intrigued.” He nodded. “Thank you for the wine.” I drank it off.
He paused at the door. “I have a cot in the outer room. Call if you need me.”
As soon as the door closed my eyes felt heavy. Perhaps it was exhaustion but I could hardly keep my eyes open. As I licked my lips I tasted something. He had put a potion in my wine. Had he poisoned me? It was too late to call out for all went black.
I dreamed.
There was a mountain before me and I headed towards it. Suddenly I started to fall and I was descending, quickly, down a long tunnel. It reminded me of the Norns’ cave. I saw a light at the end. It looked appealing. The light was golden like the Water at sunset when Old Olaf’s face was reflected in it. It seemed to be a warm place which awaited me. I wanted to go there for I was weary. I would lie down by my Water and the world would be well. The tunnel was dark and damp.
As I neared the end I saw my mother. She was sitting on the back of a dragon. In her hand, she held a silver sword. She blocked the exit. Suddenly the light disappeared and I was falling in darkness once more. Then there was a light so bright that I had to shade my eyes. I crawled on all fours like a dog. I found a pool and staring into I saw that I had become a wolf. I padded through the shallow pool and saw figures hiding behind a wall. They were warriors. I saw that they had swords and daggers in their hands. I followed them as they clambered over the wall. I recognised that we were at Ragnar’s hall. The warriors rushed up to it and slew the two guards there. I scrambled over the wall. It was not easy for it was high. When I reached the hall, I saw two more dead guards and the door to my great grandsons’ chamber was open. As the warriors raised their weapons to butcher Sámr and Ulla War Cry I leapt on them. My teeth ripped and tore into the neck of one of them. I tasted the salty blood in my mouth. I turned to bite into the thigh of a second one. He struck me with his blade. I shook my head and the tearing of my teeth ripped open an artery. I sank my fangs into another killer as I fought to save my great grandsons.
Sámr and Ulla War Cry had daggers in their hands and they were fending off the killers. They could not hold out for long. I turned and leapt up at another warrior. I sank my teeth into his throat. I felt blows raining upon me but I held on. As he fell the light faded. I fell into darkness.
When I woke, the chamber was as black as the tunnel of my dream. I rose and found my water skin. I drank deeply. I heard, from the direction of Lundewic, a cockerel. I stepped out of the sleeping chamber and saw Atticus sleeping. I kicked his cot. “What did you put in the wine?”
His eyes were wide with fear for my voice was harsh and threatening. “Just a draught to help you sleep. I meant no harm.”
I saw no lie in his eyes and I believed him. “Next time ask me first! Go and fetch water.”
I was relieved. By the time I was washed and dressed it was dawn. Atticus was eager to please, “I have made those copies for you, jarl.” He handed them to me.
“Thank you, Atticus. Now you may rest. I will need you after noon. Until then find clothes for yourself and pack a chest. Soon we will be sailing home to the Land of the Wolf.”
He shook his head and touched his cross, “That has broken my dream. I dreamt of a wolf.”
I also touched my wolf amulet. Wyrd !
I was not sure how much sleep my son and grandson had enjoyed but they were both up when I left the praetorium. “We have the bill for the battle, grandfather. We have lost forty warriors since we came to Essex and Lundenburh.”
I said nothing. If a warrior raided and expected to lose no men then he was a fool.
Gruffyd said, “But we have great quantities of booty! We will need those two Saxon ships and more.”
Ragnar shook his head, “We have not crew enough for more ships. We take no captives. The animals we have we will slaughter and salt.” He looked at me. “When do you think we should leave?”
“There is no rush. We have the luxury of time. Aethelwulf cannot be here in less than three days. We will be gone by then. We load the ships slowly. We have a long voyage home and much to carry. Our captains will need to ensure that each ship is well balanced. The chests and the grain are the most important. We load those first. Then the mail and the weapons. Ale, water and salted meat will be next. The last thing to load will be that which our men collected or have for the women. We can always use our gold to buy for them.”
Ragnar nodded, “That is good.”
Gruffyd asked, “I would like to lead the men who stayed yesterday to raid to the west. There are churches there.” He gestured to the praetorium. “Atticus told me. Whatever we take will not be a burden.”
He looked at Ragnar who looked at me, “You command, Ragnar!”
We could both see that my son was itching for some of the success we had had. He and his men had obeyed orders. “You have today! I would have us sail on the tide tomorrow.”
“And we will be back. I am not the reckless fool I once was. I have a son now and I intend to live long enough to have grandchildren.”
He had changed, that much was certain. I went to the river to watch the ships being loaded. I had Atticus place the chest with the parchments and maps in ‘Heart of the Dragon’ . To Aiden that was more valuable than gold- it was knowledge. I had placed the silver knife in my pouch. That had a special purpose which I had yet to divine. I kept it secret. Aiden would tell me more. The other chests were spread around the larger ships in the fleet. The two Saxon ships had more space for cargo and they were chosen to carry the two heavy chests of gold and silver. The grain was spread out between the two Saxon ships too.
It took most of the day to load the drekar and Saxon ships to the satisfaction of their captains. Erik Short Toe’s two sons had been chosen to captain one of the Saxon ships while Raibeart took the other. It was late afternoon when the last of the mail and the weapons, along with food for every ship, was loaded aboard. We still had room and so we loaded the bolts of cloth we had found. Pots from Frankia were loaded with them. Some would break on the voyage
but the cloth would save more. Once they were loaded then the men were allowed to fill their chests with the things they had taken.
Atticus had brought spices to me. They were in a beautifully carved teak chest. “These were wasted on the Eorledman! He had no idea how to use them. I can see that you know about such things. This chest, a gift from the King of the Franks, is worth more than some of the chests of treasure!”
I knew that to be true too. He took it aboard and secured it. Gruffyd led his men back just as the rest of us were sitting down to eat. Leaving his men to put their booty on his drekar he came directly to Ragnar and me. “There is an army coming. I took horses from Breguntford. I did not want to be surprised. My scouts rode west on the Roman road. They rode until noon and spied an army heading east. From the mile markers, they thought that they were twenty-two miles from Lundenwic. They recognised the standard of King Aethelwulf. It is a large army. They counted thirty banners. I do not think we have enough men to face them in battle.” My son’s honest appraisal told me how much he had changed.
Ragnar shook his head, “We could fight a beaten army but this will be filled with fresh warriors who are keen to wreak revenge on us.” He looked at me.
I was already calculating. “If they push the men and keep marching then they could be here by the middle watch of the night but I do not think that Aethelwulf will wish to face us with tired men and that pace would encourage desertions. They will march the last ten or fifteen in the morning. I have no doubt that they are in contact with Aethelbald. In fact, he may even be marching around us to meet him.” I was wrong about that but it was a reasonable assumption to make.
Ragnar said, “It does not change our plans. We still leave on the morrow.”
“You could slow down his approach. In the morning drive the people of Lundewic and Lundenburh west. Fire their houses. They will think we mean to do them harm. They talk of us as eaters of babies. We have not shown that side yet. If our men are loud and aggressive they will run.”
“Aye, grandfather. I like that. And leaving this city charred and burned will serve to warn Aethelwulf that we are not to be taken lightly.”
That night the Ulfheonar loaded their mail and weapons on to the drekar. We did not expect to fight. I went with Atticus to search every part of the praetorium to see if we had missed any item of value. We had not. Cnut Cnutson had gone with Atticus to search the merchants and the traders. We found clothes both for him and for Uhtric, my bondsman. He now had his own chest.
As we carried his chest aboard and he saw the chests of the rowers he asked, “I will not be expected to row, will I jarl?”
Haaken was with us and he laughed, “I cannot see that your puny arms would move us much anyway.” He pointed to Erik Short Toe who had his boys up the stays and shrouds to ensure that there were no frayed ropes. “Your task will be to see to the comfort of the captain and to ensure that the light we show for the ships following is trimmed.”
Atticus beamed, “Both are tasks for which I am more than adequately qualified.”
Haaken was not so sure, “We will see how you fare when we sail past Syllingar and the Lys Ardh. There we will be close to the edge of the western sea and we might drop off the end.”
“I think not, lord, for the jarl has told me that his world is a circle. There is no end. You join a line and follow it.”
I was surprised. He had been listening to me.
“You will sleep aboard tonight. It will help you become used to the smells and movement of the ship. In the morning, we will be up early and have much to do.”
With barrels of ale and food on the ships we feasted well that night. There would be nothing left of Eorledman Aethelbald and King Aethelwulf. They would long rue the day that the Viking storm hit their land.
I did not sleep well that night. I was afraid to dream. The dream of my great grandsons being attacked had worried me and my mind was filled with worries about our voyage home. We were heavily laden and we had lost crew. The two extra ships had stretched our manpower considerably. I lay on my cot and tossed and turned. I imagined problems and then solutions to them. After a short while I left the praetorium and found that Ragnar and Gruffyd, along with my other jarls were already up. They were marshalling their men.
Ragnar turned to me, “After Gruffyd’s words I sent out scouts and they found that Aethelwulf is camped less than ten miles away. The tide is on the turn. We should leave soon.” I nodded. “The men have been fed. They have brands. We begin the drive now.”
“I will go to the west wall and watch.”
No matter how fierce the fire we would be able to escape through the river gate. Our men had moved everything which was combustible away from our way out. I heard cries and screams as our men played the barbarian driving Saxons from their homes. Lundenburh was the first to be cleared. The Saxons fled towards Lundewic and the west. It became a stampede as those in Lundewic feared a massacre. I saw the first flames flicker in the houses. The wind was from the south west and so the fire spread north before it caught and spread east. We did not need to do much to the houses on the east of the fort. The flames would eat their way around the houses. By the time King Aethelwulf arrived he would have his hands full fighting the fire.
Ragnar sounded the horn three times. It was the signal for us to leave. The Ulfheonar waited for me by the river. Their swords were drawn. The fire was now raging and the wooden buildings were on fire. Although the stone buildings would not burn, the houses and huts by the Roman wall would damage the mortar between the ancient stones. King Aethelwulf would have to repair them if he was to keep his city strong. The last of the warriors raced along the river road and clambered aboard their ships. Dismantling the longphort would not be quick. Every drekar had archers with bows ready to discourage any Saxon scouts who rode too close to our ships.
The two Saxon ships were the first to be freed as they had been the last to join. The smaller drekar joined them and moved slightly upstream. They would act as a rear guard. Finally, the larger drekar were pushed from the quay by our oars. With the wind from the south west we left our mast on the mast fish. The two Saxon ships were each tethered to two drekar. We would tow them downstream until we were out of danger. We did not want to have to wait for them to tack back and forth. The oars they had were for manoeuvrability more than anything else.
‘Heart of the Dragon’ , ‘Odin’s Breath’ , ‘King’s Gift’ , ‘Wolf ’ and ‘Running Bird’ led the way. Odin’s Breath’ had no tubby Saxon to tow. Ragnar would ensure that we had no enemies before us. Our drekar and ‘King’s Gift’ towed ‘St. Cuthbert’s Staff’ . The men had to strain to begin us moving. The current helped and the tide was on the turn. Soon it would become easier but, for the first five hundred paces, it was slow going.
Chapter 14
We had a ship’s boy, Lars Long Nose, standing on the mast fish. It was the highest part of the ship with our mast stepped. He was looking astern. He shouted, “I see Saxon riders.”
“Where away?”
“They are approaching the city from the west.”
We had barely made it out of the city. We could still have managed to escape but who knew what casualties we might have incurred. I went to the prow. I watched the stern of my grandson’s drekar. I knew that Gruffyd would be the last drekar. He took it as a point of honour. The men were not chanting yet. They would do that when we needed a surge of power. Their oars were giving us steerage way and towing the Saxons. The oars pulled us forward and were then raised before descending into the river once more. The oarsmen had time to turn the blade before sending it into the water. In the heat of battle or when struggling against a storm the action might not be as smooth. They gave us power. As the current took hold and the tide turned it became easier.
We were approaching Earhyth when I saw Ragnar lift his sword and wave it around his head. There was danger ahead. We had a plan for danger. I shouted, “Guthrum, prepare to slip the tow.”
The ship’s boy waved a
cknowledgement.
“Lars, what can you see?”
“There are masts, jarl, but they are around the bend and ‘Odin’s Breath’ is in the way.”
I saw a ship’s boy on ‘Wolf’ preparing to slip their tow. We had guessed that the Saxons might try to stop us downstream. We had three warships filled with warriors who would deal with whatever threat they threw our way. Ragnar and I would take our largest drekar and deal with whatever problem lay ahead.
“Jarl, there is a line of Saxon ships across the river. They are tied with ropes and secured to the shore.”
We had encountered such traps before. They relied on us damaging our ships on the ropes. I suspected the Saxon ships which they had used were old ones and were expendable. As I walked down the drekar I said, “We go to war again! Do not bother with mail.”
“Aye jarl!”
“Guthrum, slip the tow! Haaken a little more speed, if you please!”
He chose Ylva’s song. He was trying to appease the spirits and singing of a volva, such as my granddaughter, could do no harm. He also liked the song because he was named and his vanity needed such songs.
The Dragonheart sailed with warriors brave
To find the child he was meant to save
With Haaken and Ragnar’s Spirit
They dared to delve with true warrior’s grit
With Aðils Shape Shifter with scout skills honed
They found the island close by the rocky stones
The Jarl and Haaken will bravely roar
The Jarl and Haaken and the Ulfheonar
Beneath the earth the two they went
With the sword by Odin sent
In the dark the witch grew strong
Even though her deeds were wrong
A dragon’s form she took to kill
Dragonheart faced her still
He drew the sword touched by the god
Made by Odin and staunched in blood
The Jarl and Haaken will bravely roar
The Jarl and Haaken and the Ulfheonar
