B01N5EQ4R1 EBOK

by Unknown

  When my knarr did return, Sven brought a message. King Egbert has sent word to Dorestad that he would pay the Vikings on All Saints Day as we had asked. He would send a ship there with his representative on board. I told the lady Aethelflaed. She was pleased. She and my wife got on well. If it were not for the situation it might have been a pleasant experience.

  We now had a well-armed body of men. Everyone had a helmet and a shield. Everyone had a spear and almost all of them had a sword. The ones who did not preferred an axe. More than half had mail of some description. None of it matched. It was that which we had taken from those we defeated. Others made their own armour. They used hide and metal plates or pieces of discarded mail. We knew that this time of peace was but a respite. King Louis and his Leudes would not have forgotten us. They would be plotting and planning our demise.

  The birth of my daughter was not the only celebration. Gilles and Baugheiðr’s marriage was welcomed by all. Both were popular. Baugheiðr was considered the most beautiful maiden in the Haugr. Brigid made a special ale and that, along with our specially purchased wine ensured a convivial atmosphere at the wedding feast. Gilles had no parents and so I decided that the expense would be borne by me. Mary approved. She said that, as the leaders of the Haugr, we had a duty. They were like children to us.

  We invited our Saxon hostages. The Lady Aethelflaed was softening. She glared and glowered less. She smiled more; especially when she held my daughter, Matildhe, for Mary. The harvest had been a good one and all were happy. Matildhe had not been the only baby born and our clan had grown by twenty. Life was good.

  When Folki arrived in the ‘Flying Fox’ I half expected bad news but there was none. He brought only good news. As he stepped ashore he said, “We have conquered a large part of the land along the Orne. We have colonised part of the coast north of where we live. Soon my brother thinks we will have a mutual border.”

  “Good. Is that the main reason for your visit?”

  “No jarl. We sail to Dyflin. My brother needs more men.”

  “You have lost some?”

  He shrugged, “My brother says that losses are inevitable. We slay more of the enemy than they do of us. They fear us now. Their horses are not the threat they thought they would be.” He smiled, “I called here in case you wished anything buying from the market in Dyflin.”

  I nodded. I handed him a purse of coins, “If you can purchase any Saami bows then do so. I know not what the going rate is these days but whatever it is, the price is worth it.”

  “I will buy all that I can. My brother does not value the bow. I think it is a good weapon. I will see you in a month or two.”

  “May the Allfather be with you.”

  “And with you.”

  Folki was as good as his word. He arrived back in the third week of Haustmánuður. We were preparing the drekar for our visit to Dorestad. The crops were in and the stubble burned. The animals had been brought to their pens for the winter and the haugr and outlying farms were a hive of activity as meat was preserved and fruit sorted and stored. The leather workers were busy tanning and the charcoal burners making as much charcoal as they could. Bagsecg now had three forges. He seemed to eat both iron and charcoal. Folki beamed when he landed. He had managed to buy two bows. He shook his head, “They are worth a king’s ransom! I cannot see their value.”

  “We do and I thank you for your efforts. Did you hire the men you needed?”

  He nodded, “The Jarl Dragonheart has scoured his land of Danes. There were many who had fled to Dyflin for safety. They were keen to get as far away from the Land of the Wolf as they could.”

  I frowned, “The enemies of the Dragonheart would not be my choice of warriors.”

  “My brother will make them swear a blood oath. Any that do not we let go. We managed to secure thirty. They are battle hardened.”

  After he had gone I spoke with Arne Four Toes and Einar Asbjornson. Neither of them approved of Fótr’s actions. Arne, in particular, had strong views. “I do not say that there are no Danes with whom I would fight but I have yet to meet large numbers that I would trust. Many of those who came to Raven Wing Island when we lived there were Danes. I hope the young jarl knows what he is doing.”

  “He appears to be successful. I wish him well. He has already helped us for I believe this is one reason why the Leudes has not reacted to our handling of his men.”

  Once again, I left Alain to train more horsemen. We now had enough horses to mount over twenty-five riders. Gilles and Bertrand would help him. Nor did I need a large crew. We used one man at an oar. We would not be going to war. We would be handing over three prisoners. We left the day before Samhain. I wanted to be there a day before the exchange took place. We rowed north and then found some south easterly winds which meant we did not have to.

  The Lady Aethelflaed had been speaking to me since my daughter had been born. It was as though the birth made me a civilised person. She gazed north to the smudge of land that was the kingdom of Cent. “You know that my uncle will make you pay for my kidnap?”

  “I know he will try. But as his first wife ran away with the Dragonheart’s son and he did not manage to wreak vengeance until many years later I will not worry. When you see him then tell him where my home is. If he thinks he can take it then he is welcome to try. If he does the bones of his warriors will lie bleached on my beaches!”

  “But he has vast armies! He has conquered Cent, Corn Walum and Mercia. The East Angles acknowledge him as Bretwalda and as soon as Northumbria bows its knee then he will be.”

  “That matters not. If the Saxons do not wish us to raid, then make your homes stronger. Do you think my home could be taken easily?”

  She shook her head, “No, it came as a surprise to me. Are you not afraid that I will tell my uncle how he can capture it?”

  I laughed, “And you know how to capture it?”

  “I know where the gates lie and the ditches.”

  “Good then tell him that. I like overconfident enemies.”

  She seemed nonplussed that I appeared unconcerned. I knew that any ships coming to my land risked the rocks. Once they landed they would have the sea and my men to fight. My walls were cleverly constructed using what nature had provided and my guile could construct. The double ditches and bridges we could draw up had been copied from those in the land of the wolf. I was confident that we would not be an easy conquest.

  “He is an ally of King Louis you know.”

  “I know.”

  “I have heard that King Louis hates all Vikings.”

  “He probably does. I have lived in his land for almost three years. So far he has not taken back enough land to bury a man.”

  “Are all Vikings as confident as you?”

  I shrugged, “We are all independent. We do not recognise a king and value family and clan above all else. It is what makes us who we are.”

  She shook her head and looked aft. “You are lucky to have such a good wife. She is a real lady.”

  “And now you are a widow.”

  “That will not be for long. My uncle will marry me off again to make a political alliance.”

  “That does not sound very civilised.”

  “It is our way. I will marry some lord and my uncle will have more allies to help him become Bretwalda.”

  For the first time, I felt sorry for her. Her ordeal had been as nothing compared with her normal life. In my home, she had been treated well and enjoyed more freedoms than she would in the land of the Saxon. It was strange.

  It was late in the day when we reached the port of Dorestad. I did not wish to try to find rooms and so we slept on board. The next morning I went with six of my men to the inn we had used and where we had met Fótr and Folki. The owner remembered me and we were able to hire a room for the lady and her household. Six of my men stayed with them. It was not to guard them but to protect them. Dorestad was a wild town. I went with Einar Asbjornson and Harald Fast Sailing to collect information.

&n
bsp; We went first along the quay to speak with other sailors and captains. We took a jug of wine we had bought and it loosened tongues. We were also aided by my reputation and that of Fótr and his clan. They knew we were warriors and had coin to spend. We were worth cultivating. We learned that the civil unrest in the Empire was worsening. Brother vied with brother for power and King Louis had no control over his family. In the land of the Saxons King Egbert was now moving to take control of Northumbria and soon he would have complete power in the whole of that land: from the land of the wild men in Pictland to the borders with the Cymri. No one knew anything new about the Dragonheart save that he had defeated Danes and then disappeared. I knew, in my heart, that he was not dead for Folki had brought news that men of the wolf had traded with Dyflin. Jarl Gunnstein Berserk Killer would have known if the Dragonheart had perished. There was just one ship which did not give us any news. It was a Frank and the sour faced guard at the gangplank told me to go away. It was a little annoying as it was moored next to us. We had unpleasant neighbours.

  After we had plied the sailors with drink and learned all that we could we went in some of the low taverns. There we heard more about Neustria. The Leudes, Philippe of Rouen, had been buying weapons and horses. I found that ominous. He had hired the men of Brabant who used the crossbows. He had sought Germans who knew of siege weapons. Was he coming to get me? My visit to Dorestad now seemed wyrd. Had I not captured the lady then I would not have come and I would be blithely unaware of the plans Philippe of Rouen was making.

  The three of us made our way back to our ship. As we neared it I saw that the next ship along was Saxon. We went aboard our ship. “I want a keen watch kept. The Saxons may try something.” It had the standard of Wessex flying from its mast. King Egbert had sent the ransom. Fearing an attack, we kept double guards watching the quay. I suspected treachery.

  I watched, half the night, with my men but nothing untoward occurred. When I awoke and there had been no attack I felt foolish. I prepared myself bright and early. I armed myself and turned to Sven, “Sven and Harold, prepare the ship for sea. I will speak with these Saxons and then fetch the Lady Aethelflaed.”

  “Aye jarl. The wind has turned overnight and now is from the land and we can leave the port quickly. The gods favour us this day. We know that it could change again by the afternoon. It is that time of year when winter storms begin.

  Rurik asked, “Do you need warriors?”

  “No, they will try nothing so long as we have the prisoners and when they hand her over they will sail and we can leave.” I strode down to the Saxon ship.

  Two mailed warriors walked clambered over the side. “You are the pirate who kidnapped Lady Aethelflaed?” The taller of the two warriors spoke.

  I ignored the insult and smiled, “We have King Egbert’s niece and she has enjoyed the hospitality of my home.”

  He looked over to my drekar, “Well bring her. She has endured your company long enough. We are keen to sail.”

  “You have the coins?”

  The second warrior reached down and opened a box. He kept hold of the box. I saw that it was filled with coins. Just to be certain I reached in and took one from the bottom. It was gold. I smiled, “Just checking. I will fetch them.”

  I strode down to the tavern. I did not think they would try anything until they had Lady Aethelflaed on their ship and so I did not take guards with me. My men and the hostages were waiting for me when I arrived, “Your saviours are here my lady. The ship awaits. Your ordeal is over.”

  She smiled, “It could have been worse. I thank you for your hospitality. I wish we had not been kidnapped but I am aware that we could now be slaves or dead.”

  When we reached the Saxon ship, we stood to one side to allow the three of them on board. I think the boy, Athelstan, was disappointed to be going home. My men had made a fuss of him and he had played with the boys in the Haugr while he had stayed with us. Perhaps that was what his mother meant.

  I took the chest which was accompanied by a surly grin, “Make the most of this barbarian. Your days are numbered. Your dragon will roam the sea no more! You will die badly. Your bones will lie at the bottom of the ocean!”

  I nodded, “They may be but it will not be by your hand!”

  He turned and shouted, “Hoist the sail! There is a foul stench around here! Let us get to sea, quickly.”

  I shook my head. It was a childish insult. We walked back to my ship which was moored four ships down. I wondered if we had the opportunity to spend some of the money. Then I decided it would be better to take it home and spend it on something we later needed. We had already bought that which we needed now.

  We were almost at our ship when the Frankish ship which was next to ours suddenly spilled out warriors who ran down the quay towards me. They did not make a noise. They just ran as though they were heading for a tavern but I saw their weapons. This was an ambush and I had walked into it. My crew were busy preparing for sea. The warriors had passed my drekar and were just forty paces from us. I saw that they were not all Franks there were more Saxons among them. This was a trap. I had six men with me. We could not reach our ship in time and so I laid the chest behind me and shouted, “Clan of the Horse!”

  My crew had been busy organizing the drekar for sea and were slow to react. It was Siggi Far Sighted who yelled, “Treachery!”

  I drew my sword and seax. It was Knut the Quiet and his five men who were with me. They were hard men and could handle themselves in a fight. That is what this would be. The men who came at us were pirates themselves. They wore helmets and some had mail but the wicked looking daggers and hatchets showed their true vocation. Luckily none had shields. We waited for them. It allowed the leading attackers to reach us before their fellows. I flicked up the sword which lunged at my unprotected middle and, stepping in close, tore my seax across the Saxon’s throat. I had no time for self-congratulation. There were two more men running at me. I heard a cry as Finni Jarlson threw a Saxon between the quay and the Frisian ship. He was crushed as the ship rolled on the tide. I blocked one sword with my own and the second with a seax. One of the Saxons had a seax and he tried to rip it across my throat. I would have been dead but he struck my golden horse first. Even so the blade ripped across my chest opening up a wound.

  I brought my right knee up into his groin and, as he bent double, brought the pommel of my sword into the back of his head. I jammed the cross piece into the eye of the other. As he screamed I gutted him with my seax and then brought Heart of Ice into the neck of the kneeling warrior. My men had joined the fray and the Saxons were outmatched. The sight of my bloody face made my men furious. The dead were slaughtered.

  Sven shouted from the steering board, “The Frank! She is fleeing!”

  I saw that the Frankish ship, having seen that their plot had failed was leaving harbour. “Grab their weapons and search their purses. These are brigands paid to kill me.”

  “But the Frank is escaping!”

  “Einar do not let Sven hear you. Do you honestly think that a tubby little merchant ship can out run ‘Dragon’s Breath’? We have time.”

  Rurik handed me a piece of tunic. “Here, jarl, hold this to your chest and stem the bleeding.”

  By the time we reached the ship the Frank was two hundred paces from us. Sven had a black look on his face, “I am sorry, jarl. We should have been more alert! If aught had happened to you…”

  “It did not. You can catch him, can’t you?”

  “Before he has got a mile offshore.” He cupped his hands and shouted, “Get the oars ready. Cast off and loose the sail. Let us show these Franks how to sail!”

  Karl the Singer brought over some vinegar and honey. He took off the cloth and said, “This will sting, jarl.” I nodded. I knew that it would. Taking a clean piece of linen, he wiped it across the wound. It came away red and the pain was excruciating. It was worse than the pain of the cut. Then he smeared it, liberally, with honey. That brought some relief and then he wrapped and
tied a bandage around it.

  “Thank you, Karl.”

  “I had better get to my oar. We have to pay back this Frank!”

  I went to my chest and took out my helmet. Harold Fast Sailing shook his head, “You will not need that, jarl. He has but fifteen crew and they are no match for our warriors. You are wounded. Our men wish to avenge this act.”

  “I am the jarl, Harold. I will be going aboard her.” It was not just bravado. I wanted to look for the evidence on the ship. I knew that there would be something to lead me to whoever planned this. Ultimately it would be Egbert but this had been planned by someone else. This ship was from Neustria. Who was it that had provided the vessel?

  My men chanted and their song was an angry one. It was one from our days as Raven Wing Clan.

  A song of death to all its foes

  The power of the raven grows and grows.

  The power of the raven grows and grows.

  The power of the raven grows and grows.

  A song of death to all its foes

  The power of the raven grows and grows.

  The power of the raven grows and grows.

  The power of the raven grows and grows.

  A song of death to all its foes

  The power of the raven grows and grows.

  The power of the raven grows and grows.

  The power of the raven grows and grows.

  Through the waves the oathsworn come

  Riding through white tipped foam

  Feared by all raven's wing

  Like a lark, it does sing

  A song of death to all its foes

  The power of the raven grows and grows.

  Through the waves the oathsworn come

  Riding through white tipped foam

  Feared by all raven's wing

  Like a lark, it does sing

  A song of death to all its foes

  The power of the raven grows and grows.

  The power of the raven grows and grow

  With each stroke, we grew closer and closer. We had our sail billowing and there was no way the Frank could outrun us. He had little alternative. You do not ambush Vikings and expect to live. You either succeed or find somewhere to hide where they will not follow. I did not think he would try to sail off the edge of the world.