Viking Blood

by Griff Hosker

  The new warriors were keen to impress the Ulfheonar. They rowed as hard as any warriors. We did not sing. That would come later. We needed secrecy and silence. We needed to be ghosts. I planned on reaching Hrams-a in the middle of the night. My warriors all knew that, while we would slay every warrior, I wanted the women and children to be spared. I was not weakening. I wanted them to flee to the other stad of our enemy. I wanted them to spread terror. They would tell of the wolves in the night. They would exaggerate both our numbers and our terror. That would hurt our enemy.

  Erik knew the waters well and the sail was furled before we saw the breakers in the beach. We rowed in slowly. As the voyage was a relatively short one the men had rowed in their mail and, my Ulfheonar with their wolf cloaks. I saw the Angry Cubs looking enviously at the mark of the best of warriors. We did not land at Hrams-a. We headed for the Garlic river which lay close to the settlement. It was low tide and we intended to purposely ground our drekar. The incoming tide would float it. We slipped over the side. The Angry Cubs followed us. We knew the way. As we had entered the mouth of the river I had seen the mast of the small drekar. It was now anchored in the small bay. Even before we attacked I had plans for that vessel.

  They had not built a palisade. They had been lazy and used the huts and homes which the previous occupants had used. They, in turn, had been built on the foundations of the houses we had built for we had been the first to settle here. My dead wife’s words came back to me. ‘Remember our home. Remember the midsummer. Remember watching the sunset and holding hands.’ That beach lay just fifty paces from me and made me more determined than ever to terrify the enemy.

  They had two sentries. They stood at the small wooden jetty which jutted out into the sea. Aðils and Beorn slipped along with knives in their hands. When they returned they were wiping the blood from them. We headed to the warrior hall. It was the largest building in Hrams-a. There were two doors. I waved Erik Ironshirt and his men to the far end. I walked to the door and flinging it open began to howl. My men took up the howls and then I raced inside. Erik Ironshirt was closely followed by his men. I noticed that Thorghest was never far from his shoulder. They were as Haaken and I. They were shield brothers.

  The fire in the middle had almost gone out but the glow from it showed us where the men slept. I had Ragnar’s Spirit in one hand and my seax in the other. I would save Wolf’s Blood. Here was no mail. I slashed my seax to my left and tore into the throat of one warrior as I rammed my sword through a second who had risen to face me. The hall was filled with screams and shouts. The women and children who were in the hall fled through the far door. They jammed it up and the men formed a hasty wall. Without mail they grabbed whatever weapons they could. Olaf Leather Neck and Rolf Horse Killer swept the axes before them as though they were using scythes and reaping wheat.

  One warrior had either slept in his mail or donned it incredibly quickly for he rushed at me swinging a fine sword two handed. It was a long sword like mine. I raced towards him. I had no shield. If his sword connected with me then I would die. He shouted, “Jarl Dragonheart! I took this blade from Gunnstein Berserk Killer and when I kill you then I will take the sword that was touched by the gods!”

  “It will take a better man than you!”

  He was wild and he was reckless. He thought that his sword would take my head. I timed his swing and ducked beneath the deadly blade. My new helmet afforded me a better view and I rammed my sword into his throat. He seemed to choke and gurgle. Blood poured from it and, as the light left his eyes, he slipped to the floor, dead. The women and children had now fled and I heard the sound of combat outside as the Angry Cubs fell upon those who had escaped the slaughterhouse that was the hall. I picked up the blade. It was a fine weapon.

  I looked around. The only ones who remained alive were my men. Cnut Cnutson knelt and took something from around the neck of the mailed warrior I had slain. He held it up. I recognised it immediately. It was the seal I had given to Pasgen when first we had met. He had given it to his son. This was the warrior who had killed Coen. We had begun to extract vengeance.

  “Search it. Find anything else that they have taken and then burn it to the ground.”

  I went outside with Haaken. “If they are all as easy as this, Jarl, then we can clear the island with one drekar.”

  “And you know that we shall not have it as easy again. They will be forewarned. They will keep a good watch. It matters not. We have done what I intended.”

  Once outside we saw Erik and his men finishing off the last of those who had escaped. He pointed towards the mountain. “The women and children fled south. We did not hamper them as you said. Our women were not afforded that mercy.” He sounded bitter.

  “Erik, you need to see beyond your loss. This will give us an advantage next time we meet them. Strip the bodies and then go and fetch the drekar. The tide is rising.”

  He nodded and then saw the sword, “The jarl’s sword!”

  I nodded behind me. “I took it from the warrior within. He said that he had killed the jarl.”

  “Then that would be the younger brother of Harald the Great, Halfi. I am pleased he is dead. He mocked us and took delight in our misery. It was he who performed the blood eagle on the jarl.”

  I wondered what he had done to upset his brother. Hrams-a was a small port. The drekar, although well made, was not a large warship. Something had happened between the brothers. That gave me hope.

  As they left I turned and headed towards the small drekar. Haaken followed me. I had not spoken of my plan. I had to examine the ship first. I knew that he was intrigued.

  “Do we burn the drekar?”

  “Yes but not yet. I need to examine it first.”

  When we reached it I saw that it was well built. The repairs they had made must have been because of battle damage. It had but nine oars on each side. That was a good number. It was three threes and six threes. Both were magical. The gods would approve. The carved head was also that of a horse. This proved that the man I had slain was related to Harald. This prow was, however, better carved and had more definition. It had been freshly painted.

  “Good! We can use this.”

  “How?”

  “It will be known to Harald’s people. It is distinctive. We sail it to Dyflin. I want them to think that we are chasing it. We will crew it with just six men and a captain. We will choose men who can swim. When we reach the mouth of the river the crew will fire it and let it sail amongst the enemy ships moored there. That way we might be lucky and damage a couple. Even if we do not we will probably block the entrance and we can finally see the strength of the enemy there.”

  “Who will captain the boat?”

  “Erik Short Toe’s son Knut Eriksson is almost a man. I would see how he can handle a ship. We will soon need more drekar and more captains.”

  By the time dawn broke there was a thick pall of smoke from the burning buildings and it was blowing south. We loaded the drekar. Knut had happily agreed to captain the drekar and Erik Ironshirt and five men volunteered to be the crew. Thorghest was one of them. He always seemed to be close by whatever Erik did. We could have fully crewed it twice! We used one of the pots from the village and filled it with fire and coals. It was safely secured so that it would not fall during the voyage. The hull was filled with faggots. They set sail first and we followed.

  Erik Short Toe said, “I am proud of my son. What they do, what they all do is brave beyond words. We respect the sea and we do not risk its wrath thoughtlessly. We will save them, jarl?”

  “We will save them. This will not be easy but you are the only man, save Josephus, whom I would trust to try this.”

  He nodded, “I will stay close. I intend to head south for the wind will help us. We can then sail around Man.”

  The wind was as it had been for some days. It was from the east and the north. It was an unusual wind and I wondered if it was the work of the Allfather for it favoured us. Man is not far from Hibernia and it
was not long before we saw the coast as it grew larger. In the days of Jarl Gunnstein Berserk Killer there would have been sentries watching to sea. I did not know if this Harald would deign to keep a watch. He struck me as arrogant.

  “Let out another reef. Your brother is sailing his new ship well!”

  Knut’s brother, Arne Three Fingers, waved cheerfully as he and Guthrum scampered up the stays to increase our speed. With our shields out and helmeted warriors lining our decks I hoped that we would look like a shark about to take a minnow. The wind seemed to pick up. Erik moved us a point or two away from the smaller drekar for we were taking its wind. I saw the masts of the drekar at anchor in the river. The two headlands loomed up just a mile or so ahead. The consternation was obvious for I could see movement as the Vikings in Dyflin raced to their ships.

  “Arne, how many ships do you see?”

  There was a pause, “Four drekar and three knarr. They are close to the entrance to the harbour, Jarl Dragonheart.” There was another pause. “Three are threttanessa and the other is as big as us.”

  I now knew the size of Harald’s fleet and I also knew the rough numbers of men he had. Dyflin once might have held two hundred and fifty men but I doubted he would have that number now. He might have a hundred and seventy or so. On Man we knew he had five or six drekar but we had hurt him. He might have two hundred and fifty men there. He still outnumbered us but we had an advantage. We knew how many men he could field and he was in the dark about our numbers.

  Erik put the steering board over to take us closer to the shore. It would enable him to turn away quickly once the crew of the small drekar had been picked up.

  “Beorn, archers!”

  Beorn nodded and began to organise the fifteen archers who would try to deter any enemy who attempted to capture our swimmers. I saw them preparing the drekar for sea. That was perfect. In their eagerness to get at us they might forget the small drekar they thought was a friend. The entrance to the river and the port was small. I knew that Harald was not in Dyflin. His drekar was on Man. I went to the prow and watched as Knut tied off the steering board. I saw him wave and shout. Most of the crew jumped astern. The powerful wind would take the small drekar into the harbour. Nothing could prevent it now. I saw Erik Ironshirt raise his hand. Knut Eriksson jumped astern and Thorghest threw down the pot. He barely managed to throw himself overboard before the flames began to lick around the base of the mast. The first drekar was already moving away from the quay. With the wind against they had to use oars. The helmsman was unsighted and did not see the fire ship as it approached. Beorn’s archers sent their arrows aloft as the ships’ boys and the rest of my men threw down ropes for the swimmers.

  A sudden gust of wind made the fire ship lurch away from the entrance. I thought it meant disaster but it did not. It rammed into the side of the drekar. They were using oars and the oars became fouled on each other and on the fire ship’s rigging. The captain turned to steerboard in an attempt to free himself. The oars on the steerboard side were still stroking and I saw the bow rise as it struck something underwater. Its fate was sealed. The flames from the fire ship crept up the hull. The bows began to settle. As our swimmers were hauled on board I breathed a satisfied sigh. There would be no pursuit. A drekar had been sunk but, more importantly, until they cleared it they would not be able to use Dyflin as a port.

  “Head for Man. Our work has just begun.”

  We had blankets for the crew of the fire ship. I saw the pride in Erik Short Toes’ eyes as he greeted his son. Erik Ironshirt nodded to me, “We have begun to pay back the butcher, jarl. Thank you for the opportunity to strike back.”

  We headed south along the coast of Hibernia. The native Hibernians controlled most of the coast and they had no ships. We knew we were safe there. We had all day to be well south of Man so that we could sail there the next day and make another attack in the night. Towards dusk we found a secluded beach. It was a windswept desolate bay far from any signs of habitation. It was perfect. The ships’ boys went to collect gulls eggs while others collected shellfish. They would augment the salted meat and pickled fish we had brought.

  Haaken and Olaf sat with me. “It will be a long time whittling down his numbers jarl. Would it not be better to launch an all-out attack?”

  “We will in the month of the wolf. I want fear to eat into his people. I want his men to desert him and I want him to go hungry. When we have raided we will return to fetch a second drekar and we will hunt the ships which bring him his trade. I need his people complaining that they have not enough food. I want his men to urge him to fight us and bring this to an end.”

  “You would risk an attack on Úlfarrston again, or, even worse, an attack over Lang’s Dale?”

  I looked at Olaf, “An attack over Lang’s Dale in winter? Do you think that is even possible?” He shook his head. “I would not speak badly of a man who has died but Raibeart is a better leader than his brother. He would not fall for the same trick as his brother. His defences will be stronger. When we return I will keep the Angry Cubs at the new shipyard. If they try a sneak attack then we shall be ready.”

  Haaken nodded and then pointed to Erik Ironshirt, “They did well. It was good that they joined us.”

  “Aye it was wyrd .”

  Haaken rose and went to join the Angry Cubs. I followed with the sword of Jarl Gunnstein in my hand.

  “Erik Ironshirt, you and your men did well today. I would give you the sword of Jarl Gunnstein Berserk Killer as reward.”

  To my surprise he shook his head, “It is a generous offer, Jarl Dragonheart, but I must refuse. Firstly, I am not worthy of such a fine weapon. We still have to atone for our failure to protect our jarl. However, I fear the blade is cursed. It cost the jarl his life. Reward someone else with it although I do not think many Vikings would want the weapon.”

  “Thank you for your honesty.” I returned to our fire. Perhaps he was right and the blade was cursed. It had brought the jarl no luck. I wondered if I should kill the blade. In that instant I rejected the idea. You only killed a blade to bury it with its owner and that was not possible. I would find a better use for it. It needed thought.

  I heard them laughing and later singing. Joining a new clan was never easy. Haaken and I were the oldest members of our clan. He was doing what he knew was right. He was making the Angry Cubs part of our clan. I was lucky to have him with me. He had nearly been taken from me. Once Aiden had had to remove part of his skull and now he had a piece of metal in his head. And he had descended into the witch’s lair and had his hair turned white and yet he survived as I did. I wondered what the Allfather had in mind for the two of us. They had taken so many of our companions and yet we survived. Why?

  The wind which had carried us south now meant we had to row if we were to return to Man. Erik saved them as much as he could and he tacked back and forth until early afternoon. We then lowered the sail and the men took to their oars. We soon discovered what Haaken had been up to as the Angry Cubs and Haaken began a new chant he had written with them. It did not take long for the rest of the crew to sing it too. None sang harder than Knut Eriksson.

  When Harald the Black came to make a war

  He tore the heart from Dyflin’s Jarl

  Slaughtered and killed by Vikings black

  The town was lost to a sneak attack

  The Ulfheonar came when all seemed lost

  Gunnstein’s folk paid a fearful cost

  The ones who lived swore to fight

  They would join the wolves of the night

  Angry cubs and the warrior wolves

  Angry cubs and the warrior wolves

  Dragonheart’s clan is their new band

  Reborn they fight for the wolf’s land

  Erik Ironshirt led his men

  And brought them to Dyflin again

  With Knut, the brave, and ten men true

  They sailed the drekar over oceans blue

  With hearts which burned with hatred black

/>   They sent their ship to a deadly attack

  Fearing nought they swam away

  Their fire ship turned night into day

  Angry cubs and the warrior wolves

  Angry cubs and the warrior wolves

  Dragonheart’s clan is their new band

  Reborn they fight for the wolf’s land

  Angry cubs and the warrior wolves

  Angry cubs and the warrior wolves

  Dragonheart’s clan is their new band

  Reborn they fight for the wolf’s land

  By the time the sun was setting behind us Man was growing closer. I intended for us to land to the south of the stad that had been the home of Jarl Erik. It had a small harbour but, more importantly, was surrounded by hills. We would descend in the dark and cause as much damage to the enemy drekar and men as we could.

  We put on our war faces as we lay in the lee of the mountain of Snaefell. This would be the night when I would blood Wolf’s Blood. Erik and his Angry Cubs would follow us for this was our old home and we knew it well. With our wolf cloaks we were almost invisible. Beorn led us up a trail which wound along the lower slopes of the mountain. The last rays of the sun lit up the port and I saw fires burning at the end of the two stone breakwaters. They were watching for another night time attack.

  Aðils Shape Shifter disappeared as we neared the outskirts of their stad. They were watching the sea but not the land. They had a gate where the road from the east entered the wooden walls. With just two sentries there and the gate open it was an invitation we could not refuse. We waited, in the dark, just fifty paces from it. The fires they had had burning within illuminated the interior. Aðils loosed one arrow and it struck one of the sentries in the back. The other turned as his companion fell. Aðils second arrow hit him in the throat. We made no roar as we raced into the stad. My orders were clear. My men were to cause as much damage as they could. Leif the Banner carried a horn and when he sounded it they were to head back to the ship.