Blood on the Blade

by Griff Hosker

  “Raise the sail!” The halyard had been greased with seal oil and moved remarkably easily. The four of us pulled the two sheets in unison. Ulf shouted, “Tie it off and secure the stays!” As we did that he shouted, “Oars!” To give the beat the jarl banged the haft of the spear on the deck. I glanced ahead and saw a mass of drekar masts. It seemed inevitable that we would clash with one or other of them. Then I saw that the two drekar which were ahead of us were Orkneyjar boats and they knew these waters. The high tide meant that we were safe from the rocks and shallows.

  “Erik, lookout!” Leif commanded us now and he would assign our tasks. As he gave his instructions to Siggi and Arne I made sure my horn was secure around my back and then climbed up the fore stay. I slipped my legs around the mast and stared ahead into the darkness. Except it was not truly dark for each drekar had a glowing pot hung from the stern post. It was not much of a light but it showed each drekar where the next ship lay. I saw that there were just two lights ahead of us. Leif was at the prow and I heard him shout, “‘Wolf’s Teeth’ ahead, ‘Moon Dragon’ steer to steerboard.” Despite my father’s opinion the fleet was commanded by Jarl Eystein and the drekar ahead pulled to the steerboard side of us and we surged a little further ahead. Once we cleared Graemsay we would have open water to the west. I looked forward to seeing the fleet at sea.

  We were able to ship the oars within a short time. We had the wind and the jarl did not want to lose any of his ships. Behind was darkness save for the occasional sight of a white sail. My horn of ale had a cap. I had made it over the winter using a piece of sheep bone. I flipped it open and drank sparingly. I knew why I had been sent to keep lookout even though it was dark. It was to have a pair of eyes as dawn broke. It was unlikely that the Picts would have ships ready to attack us but unlikelier things had happened. My eyes were salt rimmed and tired as dawn broke. Ahead of us was open water. I looked to my left and right. The fleet was spreading out so that we were the tip of an arrow. It gave all an equal share of the wind and while we had sea room it was the most efficient way to sail.

  It was the third hour of daylight when I was relieved by Arne. I did not use the leather strap to slide down the rope. There was no hurry. When I reached the deck Leif said, “Have some food and rest. I will wake you when it is time for your watch.”

  I had been told that it could take up to two days to reach Mann. We did not need to strike at night. Our plan meant that if we were seen it would not harm us. I had finished my horn of ale and so I refilled it at the barrel. I took a piece of bread and some salted fish. The bread was hard. I would pour some ale on it to soften it. When I had eaten I curled up and slept. The motion of the ship helped and when I slept, I dreamed. I had had the same dream almost every night whilst aboard the drekar. I had not had the same dream on the snekke but then I had not slept for long on the snekke.

  The land was covered in ice and snow. There were few trees. Steam spouted and sprayed from the bowels of the earth. There was a smell like rotten eggs in the air. Great white bears twice the size of the bears I had seen rose and roared.

  The dream was vivid. Each dream added more detail. What I had not seen in the dream was people. From what others had told me Norway was a land of ice and rocks but not of steam rising from the bowels of the earth. I wondered if this was the land of the gods. Was I dreaming my death? Valhalla was reserved for warriors who died with a sword in their hand. I was a ship’s boy. If I died what would be my fate?

  It was towards late afternoon on the second day of our voyage when we saw the mountains of the Land of the Wolf to the east of us. Mann was ahead. Siggi was the lookout and he shouted, “Land ahead!”

  “Where away?”

  “The dragon points the way!”

  That meant it was directly ahead and Ulf nodded. He turned and said to the jarl, “The gods favour us. We did not need to row!”

  “It is good.” Cupping his hands, he shouted, “Prepare for war!”

  Men opened their chests and took out their byrnies and weapons. Ulf looked at us, “And you ship’s boys had better prepare. When we sail into their lair we may have to fight.” He laughed, “Even you Siggi Deck Crusher! Perhaps we should have you as lookout and then we could always fell them from above!”

  Siggi and I went to the prow. Leif was already there. “Ulf said to arm.”

  Nodding he took out his sword and strapped it on. He strung his bow and jammed five arrows in his belt. I put my sword belt around me. The sword felt weighty. I liked that. With no seal skin boots I could only have one dagger and so I chose the Walhaz one. That was good enough for pirates. I tied back my long hair. I did not want it flapping in my eyes. Finally, I took my sling and tied the stone bag to my belt. I carried Arne’s war gear to the mast fish. All down the boat men were arming. Some had rituals. They varied from chants and prayers to putting on their war gear in a particular order. The last thing which every warrior did was to collect his shield from the side. I stood with Siggi at the base of the mast. Ahead I would see the island.

  Ulf shouted, “Arne Larsson, your duty is done. Prepare for war.”

  I helped Arne to arm. Leif used his arm to direct Ulf. Leif and Ulf were the two most important men in the fleet. They had to find the beach upon which we would land. We had armed because we would not need to secure the drekar. The warriors would land in the water and make their way ashore. The four of us would have to use the sweeps to move us away from the landing site. We would then have to shift the sail to enable us to sail down the coast. Ulf was looking for the beach which lay just a couple of miles north of their stronghold. When we had been attacked, we had seen the island with the palisade and tower. We were to make a bridge of drekar to enable our warriors to cross to the stronghold.

  Ulf shouted, “Prepare to land!”

  The jarl led the warriors to the prow and the landward side of the drekar. I thought that this was the riskiest part of our plan. Ulf was trusting that there were no rocks beneath the water. Perhaps he had more knowledge than I thought for as the waves threatened to broach us the jarl leapt into the sea. My father and his men were close behind. The ones with longer legs landed in knee deep water. Some of the shorter warriors spluttered to the surface as they landed in deeper sea. They were hauled to their feet. Ulf shouted, “Loose the steerboard back stay. Tighten the larboard forestay.”

  Siggi and I went to the nearer backstay. As Leif and Arne tightened the forestay the sail twisted and shifted. The breeze caught us and pushed us away from the land and towards the sea. Already the two smaller drekar had disembarked their warriors and were also pulling away. The other drekar would tack and land in turn.

  “Tighten the steerboard back stay. Loosen the larboard forestay.” As we adjusted the sail and it became square to the drekar our speed became more even. I saw the smoke in the distance marking the settlement. It was then I saw how clever was the King of Norway. The risks would be taken by the first ships and the first men. They would be the men of Orkneyjar. His nephew had the largest ship. They would have more ship’s boys than we. In that moment of clarity, I knew that my father was correct. The King of Norway was plotting. We were collateral damage.

  Ulf shouted, “Once we get close to the land I will shout and I want the sail down so fast that the pirates will think we have Loki aboard.”

  Leif had strung his bow and had it about his back. He would have no time to string it when the action began later.

  The adjustments that Ulf had made slowed us down to allow some of the other ships to close with us. I saw that he had donned a helmet and had his war axe close by. The masts of the ships in the harbour could be seen. Leif had told me that there was a river and many boats could anchor there. It was why the first Vikings to conquer the island had chosen this as their stronghold, that and the fact that it faced Dyflin and they had the support of the Dyflin King. As Ulf put the steerboard over to begin to enter the channel between the island and the mole, we slowed. I was being given a lesson in sailing. Without us ha
ving to do much he was commanding ‘Moon Dragon’ to obey his wishes. I heard shouts from ahead and saw men rushing to the mole.

  “Leif, use your bow whenever you can. You boys have your slings ready.” I wanted to use my sword but that would have to wait until I was face to face with a pirate. I chose a good stone and began to whirl the sling above my head. Ulf shouted, “The steerboard side. There are men in the stronghold. We ran to the other side and I saw the wooden palisade. There appeared to be a church there too. Men lined the palisade. I counted ten of them. Leif’s arrow flew and was blocked by a shield. The three of us whirled our slings and threw our stones. You can see an arrow coming for you but a stone is harder to spot. One of our stones hit one of those on the palisade and when he dropped the others pulled up their shields. “Now! Lower the sail and be as quick as you can.”

  We dropped our slings and bows and ran to the sheets holding the mast and sail. We normally lowered it slowly but we needed to do it quickly. We did it so quickly that the rope burned our hands but it came down and we slowed dramatically. We had enough way to reach the beach below the palisade. We would be on our own until the other drekar made a longphort for the warriors. Five of us had to hold off those from the stronghold until help came. I had barely picked up my sling when arrows and spears were hurled at us. I saw the door opening. They were going to sally forth and attack us. Such danger makes a warrior do things he thinks are impossible. My stone cracked off a helmet on the wall. I saw the gate open and I already had a stone whirling towards it before I could see a target. The pirate who emerged was struck in the chest by my stone. He fell writhing to the ground. No one else risked it. Leif’s next arrow hit an arm. Siggi and Arne were sending their stones at the helmets and shields on the walls. We slid on to the sand and shingle. I felt a bump as a drekar ground next to us. Then there was a cry as Ulf was hit in the leg by a spear thrown from the palisade.

  I was the nearest to him and I ran to his aid. He had fallen with his back to the gunwale. The spear had been slowed by the leather breeks. I saw Ulf tie a piece of cord above the wound. He said, through gritted teeth, “Erik, pull the spear out. Keep it straight. It is touching the bone!”

  “Aye Ulf.” I braced my right foot against his knee and using both hands pulled. At first, I thought it was not going to move and then, with a slurp and a puddle of blood it popped out. I grabbed a piece of linen and roughly tied it around the wound. He nodded. “Go back to the fight.” He handed me the spear. “Send this back to them eh?”

  In the few minutes I had been seeing to Ulf events had changed dramatically. Leif had run out of arrows and the stones from two slings had merely encouraged the pirates. They ran from the stronghold. I saw that they carried torches. They meant to burn us. The boys and helmsmen from the two drekar which had tied to us had not reached us yet.

  “Erik, with me. You two, aim for the ones with the fire!”

  I held the blood smeared spear in two hands and joined Leif at the prow. He stood on the gunwale. “You have the spear. Stab the ones who fight me! They will be above you. They wear no armour down there!”

  We both thought we were going to die. It was boys against men but we were Vikings and these were pirates. We had to believe that we would win. Arne slung his stone and hit one of those with a brand and as a second bent to retrieve it Siggi hit him on the side of the head. Even twenty paces away we heard the crack as his skull was broken. It gave us encouragement. “Well done Siggi! One for the Blade Brothers!”

  A pirate who was wearing a half mail byrnie jumped up on the gunwale and swung his sword at Leif. The blow was so hard that, when it hit his shield it knocked Leif against our dragon. As the warrior raised his sword to finish him, I rammed the spear two handed between his legs. He squealed like a pig being butchered. I twisted and pulled hard and quick. I now knew how much force it took to remove a spear. He fell and landed with a splash in the sea. Only our bow had grounded.

  The next to come had shields with them. One of the brands had fallen into the sea where it had spluttered and died. One remained and they had men protected by shields coming to us. I had felt a series of bumps. I assumed that others had joined our longphort. Two of the ship’s boys had also clambered aboard. One had a sling and the other, who was older, joined Leif above me.

  The rattle of stones on shields continued. One of the stones hit a helmet. As the man dropped another stone hit his right shoulder and spun him around but inevitably the pirates drew closer. With shields before them they swashed their swords at Leif and the other boy. Leif jumped to avoid the sword but the other ship’s boy was hit in the leg and fell. I barely managed to step from his falling path. Leif’s sword rang against his enemy’s weapon and as the pirate who had felled the boy and another man of Mann reached the gunwale I lunged with the spear. I struck one in the right shoulder as he tried to climb aboard. He fell but tore the spear from my hand. Even as I drew my sword the other slipped over the side.

  I heard, from behind me, “We come to your aid, brother. Others are coming!”

  I was encouraged by the words and as the warrior jumped down, I slashed with my sword. I tore across his shin and he screamed with rage. My arm jarred as I ripped through the skin on the shin and grated against the bone. He swung his sword as he landed and I barely had time to block it. As I fell Leif jumped to the deck and brought his sword against the man’s back. He wore a leather byrnie and turned. I rose and lunged at his leg. This time the tip found the soft flesh of his thigh and as he turned to swing his sword at me Leif hacked into his neck. Blood spurted and spattered across the deck and our faces.

  Ulf North Star crowed, “Show them ship’s boys! We are ‘Moon Dragon’. Stop them burning our ship!”

  Arne and Siggi had joined us and I heard more stones rattling against the enemy. We were no longer alone. Leif shouted, “We can take these bilge rats!” He raised his sword and blood ran down it.

  I drew my dagger for the joy of battle was upon me, “Aye!” We ran to the side just as the next four warriors arrived. They had the brand. It was easier for us to climb on the gunwale and Leif and I stood on the gunwale and then jumped down. The four held locked shields before them and slashed blindly. The Norns had been spinning for they missed and we landed on the shields. We were heavy and the four of them were knocked to the ground. Before they could rise Siggi and Arne had joined us as well as two more ship’s boys who stood on the gunwale. The four of us had little skill but the four men were held on the ground by our weight and their shields. I plunged my dagger into the throat of one and repeatedly smashed my sword against the others. Arne and Siggi’s swords scraped across throats and the four lay dead or dying as blood oozed from mortal wounds.

  That was when we should have stopped. We had done all that we had been ordered. We had done better than expected but when the two ship’s boys we did not know jumped from the drekar and ran to the open gate we had no choice. We rose to our feet and we followed them.

  The four of us stayed together. We were not as reckless as the other two. As we entered the gate, I heard a cry. Turning into the open space before the church and tower I saw the two boys as they were butchered by three more pirates. The pirates came towards us. We could have run but we did not. The three had shields and we did not. They had helmets and we were bare headed. They wore boots and we were barefoot. All three had leather vests but we were bare armed. None would have blamed us if we had run but we did not. We prepared to die.

  Leif saw that I had a sword and dagger. He pulled out his own. “Do as Erik does! Use your dagger as a shield.”

  The three men began to run towards us. The surface upon which we stood was rough. I knew, although I knew not how, that we had to use our speed across the uneven ground to outwit the men. We outnumbered them. “Fight as a watch! Two to one!”

  As the three came towards us I ran to the right and hoped that Siggi would follow me. He did. As the two warriors closest to us tried to turn, their boots skittered on the stones. It made them fa
lter and allowed Siggi and me to turn and face the nearer of them. I swung at his shield as Siggi hacked at his sword. His companion was turning. I stabbed down with my dagger at his knee. The blade went through the breeks and into the flesh behind the knee. I felt it grate on bone. He opened his mouth to scream as the second warrior brought his sword to hack across Siggi’s neck. Then Siggi showed that he was not clumsy. His sword and dagger made a V and blocked the sword. The man smashed the boss of his shield into Siggi’s face. Blood spurted and he fell. His fall, however, allowed me to swing my sword at his left arm. It was without protection. I half severed it with the force of the blow. He dropped his shield. I turned for the man whose knee I had stabbed was trying to rise. I used my legs as a weapon. I kicked his good leg from beneath him and as he fell it made the wound in his knee worse. He screamed and fell backwards. I ran to him and putting my sword into his neck put all of my weight upon it.

  Leif shouted, “Erik! Beware!”

  I turned with just my dagger in my hand as the man whose shield arm I had half severed came at me with his sword. Although I blocked it with my dagger I was off balance and I fell over the man I had just slain. He stood over me and I knew that I must die when Arne’s sword appeared through his chest as my brother saved my life.

  I scrambled to my feet and ran to Siggi. His nose had been broken. He opened his eyes, “Am I alive?”

  I laughed, “Aye cuz.”

  Leif shouted, “Before we get too cocky let us search for more pirates.”

  The only ones we found were dead or dying. Our stones and arrows had wreaked wounds. We climbed the palisade and saw that we had won. Across the harbour we could see our men as they put the heads of pirates on spears. We had not been in the main battle but we had done our part and we had fought. I could see the bodies of five ship’s boys who had obeyed orders but would now never be a warrior. It was a lesson learned.