Olaf the Glorious: A Story of the Viking Age

by Robert Leighton

  CHAPTER VII: THE CAPTAIN OF THE HOST.

  It befell at a time when Olaf had been in the queen's service some foursummers that Sigurd Erikson went out into the far parts of the king'sdominions to levy the yearly taxes upon the people, and among thosethat went with him on his journey were Thorgils Thoralfson and theyoung Egbert of England. These two had, by Olaf's favour with KingValdemar, been liberated from their bondage and hard labour, and Sigurdhad taken them into his service as men-at-arms. Brave and handsome theylooked as they sat upon their chargers with their swords hanging attheir sides and the sun shining on their burnished bronze helmets andcoats of ring mail. Olaf watched them with admiring eyes as they rodeaway through the town, and wished that he might be of their company.But their journey was one of peace, and it was only their martial arraythat made him for the moment envious.

  Sigurd was expected to be absent for little more than two weeks, butthe time went by, the weeks passed into months, and he did not return.

  On a certain day Olaf was beyond the gates training a pair of younghounds. As he watched one of the dogs running in pursuit of a hare thathad been started he espied afar off a horseman riding swiftly acrossthe plain, almost hidden in a cloud of dust. Nearer and nearer heapproached until Olaf at last saw his face, and knew him to be hisyoung friend Egbert. Leaving the dogs in the care of two of the king'sservants who were attending him, he set off at a quick run to meet thehorseman.

  "What brings you back alone, Egbert?" he cried as he came near.

  Egbert drew rein. His garments were torn and dusty; he had lost hishelmet and sword, and his face was so begrimed and travel stained thathe was scarcely to be recognized.

  "I have brought ill news," he answered, "and am hastening with it toKing Valdemar. It is full five days since I parted company with myfellows. They are all made captive--the Hersir Sigurd, ThorgilsThoralfson, and the rest of them--and I alone have escaped."

  Olaf turned, and taking Egbert's stirrup strap in his hand trotted onat the horse's side.

  "Seven days ago," Egbert went on, "we crossed in one of the king'sships to an island that lies out to the west of Esthonia. Dago is thename of the island.

  "There Sigurd landed, meaning to gather taxes and tribute from thepeople. But no sooner was he ashore than the people told him that theywere no longer the subjects of King Valdemar but of a new king whomthey had chosen for themselves. Sigurd disputed their right to elect anew king for themselves, and he asked to see this man and to know thename of him who had dared to set himself up in opposition to Valdemar.Then there was a commotion among the crowd, and one stepped forward andcried out, 'I am the king, and my name is Rand the Strong!' and we allknew him to be the same viking who four summers ago was here inHolmgard in the train of Jan Klerkon. Sigurd grew ill at ease seeingthe vast crowd of islanders that had now gathered there, but he spokeboldly, and told them all that they were a pack of rebels, and thatKing Valdemar would speedily prove to them that he would not brook theinterference of this upstart sea rover. At that Rand drew his sword andcalled to his men to stand by their rights and drive these intrudersfrom their shores. There was a brief fight, in which I know not howmany men were slain or wounded, and in the end the islanders got thevictory. Sigurd fought bravely until he was disarmed and made prisoner.Thorgils and five others of our men were carried off with him. Ourship, too, was captured. Darkness came on ere the fight was finished,and under the cover of night I crept down to the seashore and waded outinto the sea. By the light of the stars I took my bearings and swam outeastward to the mainland. All through the night I swam on and on. Thesun rose, and still the land was afar off. But at the midday I came toa firm footing on the beach. At a farmstead I got food and a horse, andfor two days I have been travelling without rest."

  "You have done wondrous well," cried Olaf. "And much do I envy you youradventure."

  "There is little cause for envy," returned Egbert. "My limbs are soweary that I can scarcely sit upright upon my horse's back, and he,poor dumb brute, is so wind broken that he can be of little more use inthe world. As to adventure, you might now have it in plenty if the kingwould but agree to your being of those who must go to the rescue of ourcomrades. You are young, and have had no experience in warfare; but youcan, for all that, wield a sword as well as any man in Valdemar'sservice."

  Olaf was silent, and when they entered the gates he did not seek toaccompany Egbert into the presence of the king. Instead, he made hisway into Queen Allogia's apartments, and there told the news that hehad just heard.

  Not long had he been in the hall wherein the queen sat when the dooropened and King Valdemar entered, looking very grave. Olaf rose fromhis seat and bowed before him.

  "What is your age, my boy?" asked Valdemar.

  "Sixteen summers, lord," answered Olaf, wondering at the reason of thequestion.

  The king eyed him from head to foot.

  "It is still very young," said he with a smile. "But your strength isgreater than your years. Not often have I seen one so young with limbsso sturdy and with figure so nobly upright. I have been thinking thatyou have lingered long enough about the skirts of our womenfolk. Suchskill as yours should be put to more manly uses than fingering the harpand carrying the wine cup, and I have now a mind to see what you can doin active warfare. There is trouble among the people over in the Isleof Dago. I have had news that a rebellion has broken out, and that theislanders have chosen a new king to themselves and refused toacknowledge their rightful sovereign. These rebels must be instantlyquelled, and I have therefore resolved to despatch a company of menagainst them and force them to submit. What say you to your taking thecommand of the expedition?"

  "The command?" repeated Olaf, drawing back in astonishment. "But I amno more than a boy. My heart is willing and bold; but surely I am tooyoung to undertake so grave a trust!"

  "Yes," cried the queen, growing white even to the lips at thought ofher favourite being thus thrust into a post of danger. "Yes," shecried, "he is assuredly too young for such a charge!"

  But King Valdemar shook his head.

  "Not so," said he with confidence. "Young though he may be in years, Iam well assured that there is no man now living in this kingdom who isbetter fitted for the leading of an armed host, and I will trust him tothe full." Then turning to Olaf he added: "The matter is alreadysettled. It so chances that there are at this present time six of ourbest warships, with their full number of seamen and warriors, now lyingin the haven behind Odinsholm. You will depart hence at daybreak, withsuch armed horsemen and footmen as you choose to take in your company.Ere you reach the coast the ship captains will have been informed thatI have placed you over them as their chief and commander."

  Scarcely able to believe in the reality of what he heard, Olaf stoodbefore the king in silent perplexity. He lacked not faith in his ownpersonal prowess, for that had many times been amply proved in thegames and exercises that he had daily engaged in, nor did his couragefail him. But to be placed at the head of Some hundreds of well triedwarriors and told to lead them against an enemy, this was a matter ofwhich he had as yet only vaguely dreamed. For many moments he stood indoubt. But suddenly it seemed that a new light came into his clear blueeyes, and a fuller vigour into his strong young limbs.

  "If it be your wish, lord," he said at last, "then I will undertake thetrust. My great forefather, King Harald Fairhair, was younger than Inow am when he led forth his hosts to battle; and, as I am of KingHarald's blood, so will I seek to make myself a worthy man of war."

  Thereupon King Valdemar led the boy away, and for a long while they sattogether, making their plans of how Olaf's forces were to invade theisland and rescue Sigurd Erikson from the hands of the rebel islanders.

  On a certain calm summer evening Olaf Triggvison, mounted upon asplendid white horse, and followed by some two score of pickedmen-at-arms, rode into the little town wherein, four years before, hehad lived as a humble thrall. None knew him now for the same wild,wilful boy whom they had been accustomed to see playing baref
ooted uponthe beach or tending his master's sheep upon the hillside. Even Reasthe bonder himself, who had many a time flogged him for hisdisobedience and idleness, and who now watched him riding downward tothe ships, did not recognize his former bondslave in the handsome andgaily attired young warrior. The people spoke among themselves ofOlaf's beautiful fair hair, of his crested helmet of burnished brass,of his red silk cloak that fluttered in the breeze, and his glitteringbattleaxe that hung pendant from his saddle. They admired his easy seatupon horseback, and, when he spoke, they marvelled at the full richnessof his voice. But none could say that they had ever before set eyesupon him.

  Out in the mid bay the king's six longships lay at anchor, with theirsails furled and their high gunwales set with shields from prow tostern. The largest vessel had at her prow the towering figure of awinged dragon ornamented with beaten gold. She was the longest shipthat Olaf had ever seen, and he counted that she was fitted for twentypairs of oars. Her hull was painted red and green above the water, andthe tent that covered her decks was made of striped red and whitecloth. As he stood gazing at her, with wonder and admiration, a smallboat came round from her further side, rowed by six seamen and steeredby a stalwart, red bearded warrior, whom the young commander had oncebefore seen at the king's court in Holmgard. Jarl Asbiorn was his name.When the boat touched at the wharf Asbiorn greeted Olaf very humbly andbade him step on board. Olaf called Egbert to his side and togetherthey were taken out to the dragon ship and received with great honourby the six captains, who each in turn took vows of submission andobedience to him. Then, while the ships were being got ready for sea,Olaf was shown into a large room under the poop and told that this wasto be his private cabin. Here he held counsel with his officerstouching the expedition they were now entering upon.

  It was a proud moment for Olaf when, just at the sun's setting and athis own word of command, the oars of the six ships were thrust out fromthe bulwarks and the vessels began to move slowly out of the bay.

  The warlike spirit that had been lying quiet within him now filled himwith a strange new energy. The fresh sea air and the sense of his ownpower seemed to have entered every vein in his body, thrilling him withan eager desire for glory, which amounted almost to a madness. As hetrod his ship's deck the seamen and fighting men watched him inwondering interest, and declared among themselves that Balder himselfcould not have been more beautiful. At first they thought that he wastoo young to be trusted with the sole command of six great vessels ofwar, but very soon he showed them that he was well able to do all thatwas expected of him; and there was something in his voice, in the quickglance of his eyes, and in his alertness that made them acknowledge himas one who was born to be a leader of men. So they obeyed him in allthings and yielded to his will in such wise that he had no trouble ofany sort.

  Before this time he had had no experience in the working of a ship; soin the early part of the voyage he gave his mind to the learning of allmatters wherein he knew himself to be most ignorant. He watched thesetting of the sails and asked many questions concerning them, until hecould understand why at any time a certain rope was hauled or loosened,and why when the wind blew strong a reef was taken in. Always he tookgreat interest in the working of the oars. There were in his own shipfour score of rowing men--two at each oar--and as he watched them hemarvelled how they could endure the hard labour without breaking theirbacks or tearing out their arms; and to prove to himself what amount ofstrength the work required he went down into the ship's waist and,taking off his shirt of chain mail, took his turn upon one of thebenches, thus winning the praise of all on board. But most of all heloved to take the tiller in his hand and steer the vessel through thedangers of the wind swept sea.

  On the evening of the third day the ships came within sight of theisland of Dago, and the young commander bade his men get ready theirweapons lest the islanders should offer resistance. During the night hebrought his fleet to an anchorage under a small holm, whose high cliffssheltered the ships from the view of the larger island. Then launchinga small boat and disguising himself in a rough seaman's cloak, he tookEgbert and four of the men with him and they rowed across the channeland made a landing.

  Olaf questioned a shepherd whom he met on the upland pastures, and fromhim learned that Rand the Strong was still recognized among theislanders as their king and that the power of King Valdemar was broken.So Olaf returned to the ships and brought them round into a wide bay,upon whose shores the town was built.

  Not long was Rand the Strong in mustering his little army of vikings,for he had seen the six ships approaching; he knew them to be the shipsof King Valdemar, and quickly guessed with what intent they had come.

  At sight of the islanders massed in battle array upon the beach Olafbade his rowers draw yet nearer into the shallows. Then the war hornswere sounded on both sides, the warriors set their arrows to thebowstring and a fierce fight began. More than once the islandersretreated before the heavy rain of arrows and stones, but again andagain they rallied and assailed the ships. Many of the vikings rushedinto the water and swam outward to the ships, but before they couldclimb the bulwarks and set foot upon the decks they were cut down byOlaf's swordsmen or slain, even as they swam, by arrow or spear.

  Olaf himself stood at the prow of his dragon ship, surrounded by hisberserks, whose shields protected him, and coolly he drew arrow afterarrow from his sheath and sent it with unerring aim into the midst ofthe islanders. Stones and arrows fell about him in a constant rain,crashing upon his helmet and breaking against the close-knit rings ofhis coat of mail. At last he singled out the tall figure of Rand theStrong, who, rallying his vikings, led them nearer to the water's edge.Olaf chose one of his best arrows and fixed it to his bowstring, thenbent his bow with the full strength of his arms, aiming very steadily.The bowstring twanged and the arrow flew whizzing through the air. Olafwatched its quick flight and followed it until it struck its intendedmark and stood quivering in the bare part of the viking's throat. Randstaggered and fell. Then the islanders, seeing that their chief wasslain, drew back once more to the higher beach, while Olaf brought hisships yet closer into the shallows and ordered his forces to land. Withhis sword in hand he led his men to the attack. There was a sharp handto hand fight, in which many were killed on both sides; but at last theislanders gave way before the invaders and Olaf got the victory.

  So, when the fight was at an end, Olaf called the chief rebels beforehim and forced them to acknowledge King Valdemar as their rightful andsole sovereign. When peace was restored he demanded that Sigurd Eriksonand those who had been of his following should be set at liberty. Amongthe first who were freed from the prison in Rand's stronghold wasThorgils Thoralfson. But Sigurd Erikson was found dead in his cell. Theislanders declared that he had died of his wounds, but Olaf believedthat hunger and hardship were the cause of it.

  Greatly did Olaf Triggvison grieve over the loss of his uncle. Sigurdhad been as a father to him, had lifted him up out of his sordid lifeof thraldom and raised him to his present high position in the favourof the court. And now he was dead and there was an end of all hisloving kindness.

  For the rest of that day Olaf was engaged in the burial of the braveislanders and vikings who had fallen in the battle, and he had a moundbuilt over them and raised stones above them to mark the place. But atnight he had Sigurd Erikson's body carried down to the beach with allthe other men who had been of King Valdemar's host. One of the smallerships was then brought in to the beach, and a pyre of tarred wood anddry peat was built upon its upper deck. Olaf placed the dead body ofhis uncle upon the pyre, with all the armour that Sigurd had worn. Theship was further loaded with the dead men and with weapons. Then, whenthe tide had risen and the vessel was afloat with her sail hoisted,Olaf went on board alone with a lighted torch and kindled the pyre. Thewind blew off shore and the ship sailed slowly out upon the dark sea.There was a loud crackling of dry twigs and the flames rose amid acloud of black smoke, showing Olaf standing at the stern with thetiller in his hand. Very soon t
he fire caught the logs of tarred wood,and when the pyre was all aglow and the heat became too great for himto bear, he fixed the steering board with the end of a rope, gave afarewell look at the prostrate body of his uncle, and then stepping tothe rail threw himself overboard into the sea and swam back to theland. When he got his feet upon the rocks he climbed up to a grassyknoll and sat there watching the burning ship. The leaping flames litup the sky and cast a long track of light upon the rippled sea.Presently both sail and mast fell over with a crash, and a cloud offiery sparks rose high into the black night. Still Olaf sat watching;nor did he move away until at last the ship had burned down to thewater's edge, and there was no more to be seen but a tiny gleam oflight shining far out upon the dark and silent waves.

  On the next morning, having ended this work of quelling the rebelislanders, Olaf led his fleet out of the bay and set forth on hisreturn to the mainland. In three days' time he was once more inHolmgard. There he remained for two other years, enjoying great favourin the court and performing many important services. He sustained agreat company of men-at-arms at his own cost from the wealth that hehad inherited from his Uncle Sigurd, and from such riches as the kingbestowed upon him; and the leading of this host throve so well in hishands that all the younger men of the realm flocked to his side, eagerto be enlisted in his service.

  Now it befell--as oft it must when outland men win fame and powerbeyond those of the land--that many folks envied Olaf the great love hehad of the king, and of the queen no less. His bravery and his greatsuccess in all that he undertook brought him many secret enemies, whowhispered all sorts of evil whispers to King Valdemar. They declaredthat Olaf was but increasing his influence and power so that in the endhe might do some hurt to the king and to the realm. They slandered himand spoke all manner of evil against him, representing him as adangerous rival to Valdemar in the affections of both the queen and thepeople. So the king, hearing these false charges and believing them,began to look coldly upon young Olaf and to treat him roughly. Olafthen knew that it was time for him to be going, for that confidenceonce lost could never be wholly restored. So he went to King Valdemarand spoke with him, saying that as he was now grown tall and strong hewas minded to travel and to see the land wherein his ancestors hadruled and his own father had been sovereign.

  Little sorrow did the jealous Valdemar show at hearing of this resolve.And to hasten Olaf's departure he gave him great gifts of well wroughtweapons--a splendid sword inlaid with gold on the blade and set in thehilt with dear bought gems, and a shield of embossed brass. Also hefurnished him with a dragonship and four longships, ready manned andequipped for the sea, and bade him go a-roving wheresoever he willed insearch of adventure and worldly furtherance.

  Queen Allogia, however, was very sad at thought of thus losing herfavourite, and it was long ere she would make up her mind to let Olafleave her. But in the end she saw that it was for his own good andadvancement that he should go; so she gave him a beautiful banner ofsilken embroidery that she had worked with her own hands, told him thathe would be accounted a noble and brave man wheresoever he shouldchance to be, and then bade him a last farewell.