Viking Blood

by Griff Hosker

  Aiden spoke Norse to the men who gathered around their leader. “This will not be easy. Are you certain you can afford me.”

  One surly fellow said, “What is to stop us making you?”

  Aiden smiled, “Then your Hersir would die.”

  The ones who had brought us said, “Enough Eystein!” One turned to Aiden and handed him a pair of silver coins. Aiden shook his head. The man added two more and Aiden nodded.

  The one called Eystein said, “That was for armour.”

  The warrior who had paid Aiden said, “Do not worry we have more and besides when we leave here and go to Man, Harald the Great has promised us all mail. As soon as we reach the Land of the Wolf then we will all be as rich as kings!” He turned to Aiden. “You have your money now earn it!”

  Aiden nodded to me, “Bag!”

  I handed him his satchel. He took out some cat gut and a needle. “Clean the wound.”

  I took out some vinegar and poured it on the wound. The hersir, who was unconscious, still winced. I used a cloth to wipe away the blood. Aiden began to sew. I kept cleaning the blood from the wound.

  One of the warriors seemed impressed by Aiden, “They seem to know what they are doing.”

  Eystein said, “For five silver pieces I would expect nothing less.”

  Eventually the stitches were finished and the bleeding stopped. Aiden stood. He said, “Wrap him and keep him warm. He will recover.”

  He stood to go but the men said. “Wait a while. If he dies we take our money back.”

  Aiden shrugged as though he did not mind waiting. “This is as good place to wait as anywhere.”

  We did not have long to wait. Word had spread of his skill and we found ourselves in great demand all the way around the pen. Some wounds were relatively easy to heal and Aiden did not charge them much. Others took more time. Night approached. I was sent for more vinegar. I knew I could buy some from the alehouse. As I returned I noticed Leif the Red. He was leaning against the rails of the pen and looking out from the bottom rail of the pen. He was staring at me. I feigned dropping something. I put my head close to Leif’s as I pretended to search.

  “I know you. You are the one they call the Dragonheart!”

  “Ssh. Keep that to yourself.” No one appeared to have heard his words. There was a great deal of noise and he had spoken quietly. I slipped one of my two seaxes along the floor. “Wait until after dark and use that to help you and your comrades to escape. Head north. I have a drekar there. We will leave at dawn.” I stood and walked back to Aiden. I knew that I was taking a terrible chance but I could not leave them to whatever fate Harald the Great had in mind for them.

  The Hersir Aiden had healed opened his eyes and Aiden was summoned. The man used his good hand to take a gold coin from his pouch. “You have saved my life. Take this.” He glared at Eystein. It will make up for the insults you bore. If you stay here then you will make your fortune.”

  Aiden stood, “Perhaps I will. And now that you are healed we will seek some rooms. You two, pick up my bags and follow me!”

  We headed back towards the north gate. This time the sentries were a little suspicious. “Why are you leaving?”

  “We healed some of your men. We need to collect more herbs. They have more power if they are gathered by moonlight.”

  They stepped back. “You are a galdramenn, a wizard?”

  Aiden shook his head, “I am Irish. We do not call them that.”

  They both clutched their Thor’s hammers and waved us through. We headed back to the woods. It did not take us long. When we reached the Ulfheonar we donned our mail. “Well done Aiden. Head back to the drekar. We will not need you now.”

  He nodded, “I learned, in the ale house, that the prisoners are to be given the blood eagle in the morning.”

  I nodded, “I gave one a seax. They have a chance. We will rescue the women and children first and then slay the guards at the gate. Perhaps we can draw some of the warriors away from the pen. I would rescue them myself but that would risk losing the women captives and the Ulfheonar. We will keep to the original plan.”

  Aiden left us and we crept out in the night. With our wolf cloaks we were shadows and I knew that we would not be seen. There were ten sentries around the pen and all had to be killed at exactly the same time. We had not brought shields for they would have got in the way. We spread ourselves out and each approached one of the sentries. Some had two men approaching them. Haaken, Cnut and I crept towards two men who were leaning over the rails and talking about the women. Their words left us in no doubt what they intended to do to them. The women had congregated in the middle away from the rails. I could work out why.

  “I know the jarl said they weren’t to be touched but did he mean hurt or what? I mean we are men. We should be allowed to have a bit of fun eh? They will still be able to sell them when we have finished.”

  “It isn’t worth it. You saw what the big man did to that jarl and I have heard he will do the same tomorrow to the rest. He said he wanted the women to sell. I would rather keep my balls. If you fancy one that much then buy her. You took enough money from those dead warriors.”

  “Nah, I have that put aside for a new byrnie. If we are going up against the Dragonheart we need all the protection we can get!”

  In one move the three of us rose and the two men died quickly, their throats cut. Leaving the two of them there I moved silently around the perimeter. My men had struck silently. The guards were all dead. The women had not stirred which told me that we had neither been heard nor noticed. I waved Aðils, Beorn and Cnut towards the north gate. Their task would be to slay the guards when we moved or if they heard anything. We opened the gate and slipped inside. We were so skilful that they did not hear us. When I spoke one of them started as though we had risen from the ground.

  “We are friends here to rescue you!”

  I had chosen an older woman. She was about my age. She recovered quickly and asked me, “Who are you?”

  “I am a friend of Jarl Gunnstein Berserk Killer. I am the one they call the Dragonheart.”

  “Then we are saved!”

  “Tell the women to rise and keep their children close to them. My men will lead you to safety. I have a drekar but you must be silent. Any noise will bring the wrath of the enemy upon us.”

  “You can rely on us!”

  I went back to the gate and heard the women rise. It was not much of a noise; it was like the sound of wind blowing across wheat. It was a sort of hiss. Haaken and Olaf were at the gate. I nodded. They would lead them. I crept towards my three archers. Inside the walls I could hear the continued sound of drunken brawling and singing. We would wait as long as possible before we attacked the sentries. I wanted the women to reach safety and I knew they would not be moving quickly. I also wanted to give the warriors the chance to die as warriors. If Leif could use my seax to get another weapon then they would have a chance to make a fight of their death. I had realised when I had seen where they were that escape for them all was impossible.

  I used the trick of counting up in thousands. I placed a stone to one side when I reached a thousand. When I had a healthy pile of stones I deemed it the right time. I had just tapped Beorn on the shoulder when I heard a loud shout and cry from within the walls. My archers loosed their arrows. I ran to the gate as they did so with my sword drawn. Two sentries had been inside and they stood in the open doorway. I took out my seax and ripped it across the gut of one as I stabbed the other in the throat with my sword. There was the sound of battle inside. My archers joined me and we stood on the bridge over the ditch. I would give those inside some time to reach me. Even if only one did so then it would have been worth it.

  I saw lights and then a mob of brawling men hurtled towards us. The three archers I had were the best in my clan and I said, “Help them!” Their arrows struck Harald the Great’s men. The ones we were trying to save had neither mail nor helmets. Those that had mail and helmets died. The ones closest to us died
first and six men without mail raced towards us. My three archers continued to loose arrows.

  When the six reached me I said, “Pick up a weapon and head through the forest north. There is a drekar.” One tried to say something. I shook my head, “Later!”

  Another three joined us. One was wounded and supported by his comrades, “Run and follow the others!”

  My archers worked their bows as fast as they could but soon Beorn said, “Jarl, we ned to go.”

  I saw another five captives break free as arrows hit those trying to capture them. I saw now that there were more men with helmets and mail than without. As the last five reached us I said, “All of you run!”

  I was about to turn and run when I heard the sound of hooves and a Viking on a horse suddenly galloped towards me. He rode down two captives who had been slower than the others. Holding my sword before me I waited. The man had a spear but no stiraps. He pulled his spear back to thrust it. I waited until he was committed and the horse was just two paces away. I stepped to the other side from the spear and stabbed up under the Viking’s arm with my sword. He tumbled from the horse. Sheathing my sword I ran and found that the horse had stopped just thirty paces from the bridge. I mounted, aware that there was now a mob of warriors intent on my death and they were racing after me. I used the flat of my seax on his rump to make the horse move. I did not gallop. I just kept ahead of the angry warriors. Once I entered the woods then I kicked him hard in the flanks. Ahead of me I saw Beorn, “Run, Beorn! They are behind me.”

  The heavy drinking and the unfamiliar path slowed my pursuers a little and I began to open a gap. When we burst out of the forest I saw my drekar. The Vikings who had escaped were in a bad way and my Ulfheonar raced to help them towards the shallows. I glanced behind me. The enemy were now just eighty paces from me.

  My archers stopped as they heard my hooves and they prepared another arrow each. I stopped at the water’s edge and slipped from the saddle. I smacked the horse on the rump and it galloped back towards the other horses. My archers had slowed down the pursuers.

  Erik Short Toe shouted, “They are aboard, Jarl!”

  “Back!”

  I was the last to be hauled aboard my drekar. I flopped like a landed fish by the steering board and Haaken One Eye laughed, “I have yet to catch such a large fish! Jarl you were lighter once!”

  “Aye and younger too! We are getting too old for this Haaken!”

  Chapter 6

  Leif the Red had not managed to escape but he had sacrificed himself so that the others could. I knew that his lameness would hold them up and no doubt he did too. We had no time to question them more for I was worried about Raibeart being alone. Would Harald the Great react quickly? I did not know the man and I could not gauge what he might do in the future from what he had already done. We sailed to the place Raibeart had said he would wait. Although it was dark we found him. As dawn began to break in the east we closed to be able to hail him.

  “I do not think they will do anything for a few days. We will both sail back to Úlfarrston. We have done more than I hoped already.”

  “We have seen nothing, Jarl Dragonheart. None left Dyflin.”

  As we sailed into the sunrise I questioned the warriors we had rescued. They had known their fate; their guards had tormented them with it. I did not ask them how they came to be captured but they volunteered it. Most of the ones who had surrendered had been married men with families. When the Jarl had died with his hearth weru the rest had retreated to the Great Hall with their wives and children. When Harald the Great had threatened to set the building on fire they had surrendered.

  Mundi Mundisson, who had been a hersir, spoke for them all. He was a huge warrior. I came to know him well. He was the most powerful Viking I ever met. Even Olaf seemed like a stripling compared with him. “We knew that we were doomed to die and our children sold into slavery but if they lived there was a chance they could escape and the Allfather sent you. Jarl Gunnstein Berserk Killer always spoke highly of you and I can see why. You have saved us. We were dead men walking and now we have the chance for vengeance. We would join your clan, if you would have us.”

  “I would have you reflect on that for a day or two. Spend time in my home and then make the offer. It is not to be undertaken lightly. My warriors swear an oath!”

  “As will we but we will do as you ask, Jarl, it is the least we can do.”

  As we headed home I reflected that our band was growing but our stock of helmets, shields, swords and mail was diminishing. I sat with Aiden at the stern. “What think you, Aiden?”

  “I think that you have set this Viking a puzzle, jarl. I have learned from talking to the captives that he is young. He has not seen thirty summers. He is clever. His plan to capture Dyflin shows us that. He must now know that we are aware of his plans. Our rescue of the warriors and captives will trumpet that. If he is clever he will work out who I was. Knowing that does he attack? I have an idea that he will not. I think he will conquer Man first. There are Vikings there but they are leaderless. He will not have to fight them. He just needs to intimidate them. That will make up the losses he suffered.”

  “Then we have time?”

  “We have time. It is now Sólmánuður. I think we have until we gather in our crops and animals, Tvímánuður.”

  “Then we will have four drekar. I would take the fight to them if I could.”

  “As would I. Better to fight on another man’s land than risk having your own folk harmed.”

  “Ketil, Ulf and Asbjorn will be waiting when we return home. We will summon Coen and hold a counsel of war. This is the greatest threat to our home. We must make the right decision. Much will depend upon what we do next.”

  The sun had risen in the sky and when we landed we sent those we had rescued north with the men from our village who had rowed. Erik and Raibeart used the Ulfheonar to take the two drekar up to the shipyards. We were reluctant to leave them by the quay. Our enemy had showed himself to be both cunning and resourceful. I had listened to Aiden’s advice but I still feared a sneak attack. I knew he would not try the same trick twice. What trick would he use against us?

  I went to visit Coen. I told him what we had discovered. “It is you I fear for, old friend. There is a danger that he will attack here. He cannot easily get to us without first he removes you. Keep your men on the walls and the tower manned. Any drekar which comes will be the enemy.”

  “If any drekar comes we will bar the gates and send word. We will watch and I have young riders with ponies waiting as messengers. You will be informed as soon as there is danger.”

  I was relieved. Coen and his people were brave but they were no match for Vikings. They were as sheep waiting to be shorn. We would have to be the sheep dog which protected them.

  I met Raibeart on the road. He was heading for his home. “You may wish to think of taking your family to Haaken’s, Raibeart. Until this threat is gone, they are in danger.”

  “Thank you, Jarl Dragonheart, but I cannot abandon my people. Yngvild chose me and my life. She has her father’s blood in her. We will stay.”

  “Wyrd .”

  “When I spoke with Bolli he told me that ‘Crow’ is almost ready for sea. She has been caulked. She needs a trial. ‘King’s Gift’ needs another few days.”

  “When we next sail I would have you at the steering board of ‘Odin’s Breath’ . You know her and how to handle her. If we have to fight these Vikings at sea then I will need your skills. Kolbjorn is a good captain but he lacks your fighting skills.”

  “Aye jarl and now that I have a wife I will need more hearth weru. When time allows I will choose them.”

  I caught up with my Ulfheonar and I dismounted to walk with them. Haaken walked next to me and my men were subdued. The stories the captives had told us were a warning and we heeded it. Haaken broke the silence. “It seems strange that he should go back to Man. That was the place I thought would be our home for ever and yet now it is a memory. Some like Aðil
s here have yet to set foot on the island. Do we never escape the past? Are we destined to return to the same places?”

  “You are right, Haaken. This is wyrd . And coming a year after the death of Snorri who knew the island so well makes me think this is the work of the Norns. I wondered when the punishment would come.”

  “For the witch?” Haaken unconsciously touched his white hair. He had been with me in the cave when we had brought Ylva home.

  “For the one who dwelled in the cave, yes. This way we will suffer the fear and the threat of an attack. We also face an enemy who is the equal of us. The Skull Takers were a fierce clan but this Harald is Norse. There is something harder about those born in Norway. The rocks and mountains there breed men who are more like granite than men.”

  “Harald the Great…who gave him that nickname I wonder.”

  “It is probably he who did so for I cannot see that he has done enough yet to merit the name ‘great’. I will certainly not use it, now I see how the clan of the Blue Scar was defeated. He used cunning. Thorfinnson was a great warrior but no match for what we saw in Dyflin.”

  It was the early afternoon when we reached our home. Ketil and Ulf had brought their hearth weru with them. Asbjorn had come alone. Erik Ironshirt was reunited with other warriors he had known in Dyflin and Kara organized the women and children. I saw that she had begun to build another hall just outside my walls. It was no longer a neat settlement. Larger numbers had made us sprawl untidily beyond the safety of the ditch. It was necessary but I wondered if it was safe. I put that from my mind. We had more pressing matters to consider.

  The Ulfheonar came with me to my hall. Ketil, Ulf and Asbjorn were already there. Food and ale were on the table. I laid Ragnar’s Spirit in its scabbard on the table next to me. I put my hands on it and closed my eyes. I yearned to go to the Water and bathe. I felt dirty; the disguise and the experience made me feel that I needed cleansing. Aiden sat next to me. He took his wax tablet from his leather satchel. He would make marks while we talked. He whispered, “I have had Uhtric light the fire at the steam hut.”