Viking Blood

by Griff Hosker

  I looked at my son and grandson. When I had given them their task they had thought I was saving them. They now knew that they were my shield and if they did not protect me then I would die.

  “We hit one stad and destroy all the warriors within. We give no mercy. These have despoiled Viking blood and they must pay with Viking blood. When one band is destroyed we find the other. We will scour the island of any who would be our enemy. We make the isle that is Man a charnel house.”

  There was silence and then they all cheered and banged the table with the hilts of their swords. We were ready.

  We boarded our drekar in darkness and in fog. There was not a breath of wind and the sea and land melted into one greyness. With Erik Short Toe leading the four drekar slipped south from the river. We rowed and we chanted. The song began in our drekar and eerily drifted along the line until all four drekar crews were singing the same song. Because of the gaps between us the song seemed to echo as each drekar’s version was just a beat or two later. It made me shiver for it felt as though we were one long dragon and I was the beating heart of it for they sang of the Dragonheart.

  From mountain high in the land of snow

  Garth the slave began to grow

  He changed with Ragnar when they lived alone

  Warrior skills did Ragnar hone

  The Dragonheart was born of cold

  Fighting wolves a warrior bold

  The Dragonheart and Haaken Brave

  A Viking warrior and a Saxon slave

  When Vikings came he held the wall

  He feared no foe however tall

  Back to back with brave

  A Viking warrior and a Saxon slave

  When the battle was done

  They stood alone

  With their vanquished foes

  Lying at their toes

  The Dragonheart and Haaken Brave

  A Viking warrior and a Saxon slave

  The Dragonheart and Haaken Brave

  A Viking warrior and a Saxon slave

  When we had cleared the land we turned to head west. Erik Short Toe had no stars to guide him and he had to use other senses. When our drekar stopped the chant to allow Erik to listen to the sea the song seem to echo and drift back to Úlfarrston, many miles astern.

  “Aiden, go to the bows and use your magic to find the isle. I hear the sea but there are reefs and rocks between here and Hrams-a.”

  He nodded, “I know not if this fog has been sent by the Norns to hinder us or the Allfather to aid us.”

  After he had gone Erik said, “He is right Jarl. It would be a cruel trick to have the keels torn from four such mighty ships.”

  I touched my wolf amulet, “I do not think that will be our fate. I trust your skills.”

  “Aye well we shall keep this slow pace. I would rather arrive late than not at all.”

  I leaned against the stern rail and let him concentrate. This fog would not hurt our plans overmuch. We would arrive, I hoped, in the dark. I intended to use my old home as a sanctuary for our drekar. We had brought extra crew so that if danger threatened they could be sailed to safety. Sometimes a fog such as this one would disappear when a ship left the coast. We called those a sea fret. This was not a sea fret. This was a blanket of thick black cloud which engulfed us. I could not see the prow from the steering board and the mast was a darkened shadow.

  Erik broke the silence, “One thing is for sure, Jarl Dragonheart, we will be the only ships sailing. A captain would have to be a fool to brave such conditions.”

  The pace at which we rowed, through calm waters, was one which our men could keep up for long periods. Even so we took some rowers off their oars to make water and to stretch bent backs. We rotated them so that we kept the same pace as we headed west by north. The light we had hung from our stern was a sign for ‘Crow’ behind us. The dimly glowing light hung from her bird like prow was the only sign that they were following us.

  It was hard to know how long we rowed. It was night and it was foggy but when Arne Eriksson ran down the centre of the drekar we knew that we were close to our destination. “Aiden says he can smell the land and hear the surf on the rocks.”

  “Get the other boys and make a line. Aiden will signal to you. I want his commands repeating.”

  “Aye captain.”

  “Haaken One Eye, keep us as slow as you can. I would edge in here as quietly as a warrior who has come home late. I would not disturb Ran the goddess of the sea.”

  “She will not even know we are here!”

  As the ships’ boys waved and gestured Erik moved the steering board. The moves were subtle and delicate. The slow speed of the drekar helped. I also smelled the land and heard the surf. The fate of all two hundred men we had with us rested in the skills of Aiden and Erik. It was when we began to move more slowly that I knew we had reached the estuary. The river current was slowing us down.

  “A little faster Haaken. This must be the river.”

  From the fog came Haaken’s disembodied voice, “I hope so for I can see nothing.”

  I went to the rail on the steerboard side and looked into the murk. It was then my nose picked out the smell which marked this as our former home. The river was well named the Garlic River for the wild garlic which grew next to it gave it a distinctive smell even in winter when it lay sleeping.

  “This is the Garlic River! We are home Haaken!”

  Once we knew that then Erik was able to head for the wooden jetty we had built. We had not destroyed it as we had with the rest of the settlement and we tied up to it. The other three drekar moored next to us so that the crew of ‘Crow ’ crossed the other drekar like a wooden bridge to reach the shore.

  We needed food and we needed rest. The men had rowed all night. As fires were lit and water boiled I gathered my jarls. “Aiden and I will go with Aðils Shape Shifter and Beorn the Scout. We will ascend Snaefell and we will see if there is better visibility there. I think we are safe enough but keep a good watch eh?”

  “Aye jarl and you be careful. You ascend the mountain.”

  Haaken laughed at Asbjorn’s warning, “There is fog only. Now if it was thundery I would be worried.”

  We set off up the trail. The wooden tower had long since gone but I knew where it had been. Each step brought back memories. The fog which hung in every nook and cranny could not hide the familiarity of the place I had become a true warrior. The higher we went the more the fog thinned until, towards the top we broke out into bright sunlight. The sun was rising in the east. I felt the rays on my face although there was little warmth in them. It was, however, better than the dank damp air through which we had tramped.

  Aiden shaded his eyes with his hand. “As far as I can see the fog stretches like a cloud over the whole island.”

  “And will it remain?”

  Aiden seemed to sniff the air. “It will thin but, as there is no wind, then it will linger in the low parts of the island.”

  I turned to my two scouts. “Head to Duboglassio. I would know what ships are in the harbour. We will leave close to noon and meet you by the church of Connachan which is by the Butt. There is shelter there and it is close enough to Duboglassio.”

  Beorn said, “You would attack there rather than Balley Chashtal?”

  “We will make that decision when we have heard your report. I would attack where they least expect it. You will determine if they are vigilant at Duboglassio.”

  They nodded and slipped off south. They soon vanished in the fog. As we descended Aiden said, “But you will probably attack wherever Harald is will you not?”

  “We have but two hundred men. They are better than any under Harald’s hand but when we fight we will lose some. If we can break Harald then we might only have one battle to fight.”

  “Do you think the men of Munster will have attacked?”

  “You are the galdramenn; you are Hibernian. You tell me.”

  “I am not a warrior. It seemed to me that the king and you were similar in some way
s. You see battles where I see minds.”

  “I think he will attack. He knows now that Harald has split his forces. Now is his best chance. If he does not then Harald may well send for reinforcements and we might have to retreat and try again. I will think on that after we have counted our dead.”

  When we reached our camp many of the more experienced warriors were sleeping. Old soldiers never missed the chance for a sleep. We took some of the food they had prepared. My jarls came to speak with me and hear my news. “The mist will burn off later but it will still remain in the valleys and gullies. We will use that to our advantage. We leave in a couple of hours. We will cross the river and head around the eastern side of the mountain.”

  Ragnar and Gruffyd were the only ones who did not take the opportunity to sleep. There was little point in telling them that they should. They would learn the hard way.

  I dozed. I had had it easier than the crew. I had not needed to row. Aiden did not sleep at all. He was the one who woke those who were sleeping when the time was right. I led my warband across the river and headed towards our enemy. The fog still lingered but visibility was better. We followed the old trails we had made all those years ago when Wolf Killer and Kara were still children. The Ulfheonar led and my son and grandson were the rear guard. We passed no people. Harald and his men had cleared the land of those who had lived here. The farms around Snaefell were never the most productive. He had helped us by his actions. It took some time to reach the old abandoned church. The priests who had lived there had fled to Hibernia and Bardsey Island. The people who had lived nearby had also fled. The empty houses felt ghostly as though the spirits of those who had lived there remained.

  We hid in the ruins. The Ulfheonar were the only ones who knew the stories of the dead and we kept them to ourselves. If the others wondered why every hut was deserted they did not ask and we did not tell them.

  Rollo and Rolf were watching the track from Duboglassio. Even so Aðils and Beorn appeared like wraiths from behind them. Olaf snorted in derision, “Call yourselves sentries!”

  “Olaf Leather Neck our scouts can remain invisible and well you know it.” I turned to them, “What did you discover?”

  “Harald the Great’s drekar is not in the harbour. There are four ships there. Two are threttanessa. They are feasting and drinking. We saw two warriors fighting while others watched. One died.”

  I nodded. That told me much. “Then that proves that Harald will not be there. He must be at Balley Chashtal. I wonder why?”

  “That may be your fault jarl. He knows you have attacked his settlements and may expect us to do what we are now doing.”

  “In which case, Asbjorn, why does he not keep a better watch?”

  Aiden said, “It may be that the men in Duboglassio believe that we are fogbound and cannot venture out. It would explain the celebrations and the drinking. These are not your warriors, Jarl Dragonheart. These are the ones who come for the raids and the loot.” He waved an arm behind us. “We passed many empty farms. Why did his men not take them and farm them?” He waited for an answer and when there was none he continued, “It is because these want treasure they can wear on their arms. These are not farmers.”

  “Then we attack tonight. Have they improved the defences, Beorn?”

  “No, Jarl Dragonheart. The ditch is dry and without traps. The gates were open.”

  “And how many men would you estimate?”

  “Almost two hundred Jarl Dragonheart.”

  “Then we attack this night. Ketil, Raibeart, Asbjorn, you attack the west gate and I will take the rest to take the sea gate. Ragnar and Gruffyd you will be the reserve by the sea gate. When we attack you will try to fire their ships or cut their moorings. Then you can support our attack.”

  A while ago they would both have complained and objected. This time they nodded and Ragnar spoke for both of them, “Aye, Jarl Dragonheart.”

  We had put our war faces on while we waited for our scouts. After the two of them had had something to eat they turned around they put on their war faces and led us back. Beorn led Ketil and his band to the west gate. The Ulfheonar and the Angry Cubs would attack the sea gate. Ulf Olafsson and his men would be there to exploit any weakness we saw. Aiden followed with Ragnar, Gruffyd and their men. My galdramenn would help to fire the drekar if we could.

  Duboglassio was as I remembered it save that there were signs of disrepair. As we moved through the bushes and young trees which were less than fifty paces from the walls I saw that some of the timbers of the palisade were coming loose. Others looked to need replacing. The defenders did not think they would be attacked. We saw no one on the walls but, as we moved towards the sea gate, we could hear the sound of shouting, swearing, jeers, cheers and laughter. There were crashes as well as the sound of metal on metal. Men were fighting. If they had been well led then the leader would stop it. Fighting with weapons amongst those in a clan was never good. It could lead to blood feuds and worse.

  Although the mist had cleared a little, it still hung thickly around the drekar. Their hulls were darkened shadows above the quay. They would have to wait for Ragnar. Aðils halted and raised his hand. We were level with the north tower. There was a sentry there. He was leaning over and looking out to sea. The burning torch next to him illuminated him.

  Leaving Aðils to prepare an arrow I led the rest further towards the sea. We would all break cover together. With just eighty paces to the sea gate I hoped that we could take the four men who lounged by the open gate by surprise. As soon as Aðils sent his arrow towards the tower we ran. The mist still hung at the bottom of the walls and in the ditch and made hard to pick out details in the men who stood by the open gate. I did not know if they wore mail or what weapons they carried. I saw one raise his right arm and guessed he was drinking.

  I had Ragnar’s Spirit ready to strike. Rollo and Rolf, along with Cnut Cnutson, raced ahead. They were seen when they were twenty paces from the sentries. I heard the crash as the jug was dropped on to the cobbles which led into the stronghold. The four of them shouted a warning and turned to run inside the gate. There was too much noise inside for it to be heard. One of them tripped and fell. The slight delay meant that Rollo reached them before the gate was closed. I saw him fend a blow from a spear as he brought his sword into the side of one of the sentries. Cnut’s sword hacked across the neck of the one who had fallen and Rolf’s mighty axe knocked one into the ditch. The last man tried to close the gate. I heard him shout for help. It ended in a scream as Rollo killed him. My three warriors stood inside the gate to allow us to enter.

  The interior was just as I remembered it. They had repaired the hall and it had a fine double door. The door was open. Although it was more than a hundred paces from us the light from within showed the warriors as they tumbled out. The last shout had brought them to investigate. We had to strike quickly. I knew that more of my men would be pouring in from the west gate. We had to draw them onto our blades.

  “At them!”

  We did not wait to form a wedge I just led my wolf warriors up towards the main square. Warriors burst from the huts and workshops which lined the main thoroughfare. The Angry Cubs were on the flanks and they showed no mercy. They slew the drunken men who had just been lying with the whores who plied their trade there. The screams of the girls and women was strident and shrill. Their half naked clients died quickly. The women appeared at the doors with blankets draped around their shoulders. They looked terrified. Olaf raised his axe, “No, let them go!” I pointed my sword northwards, “Flee while you can!” Grabbing their few possessions the ten or twelve girls and women fled.

  The dying sentry’s shout had allowed those in the hall to grab weapons, shields and helmets. They came outside and I heard orders shouted. They were drunk but they were Vikings and they knew how to fight. This would not be easy. They were neither Saxons nor the Welsh. They fought as we did.

  I saw them forming a shield wall. The rear rank had their backs against the hall an
d they would be hard to break. Rolf Horse Killer reached them first. He slung his shield over his back to allow him to swing his axe freely. They had archers and one sent an arrow at him. It struck his shoulder but the mail, his cloak and his clasp stopped it penetrating. I saw the archer pitch to the ground as Aðils slew him. The arrow stuck from Rolf’s shoulder and seemed to anger him. Certainly the blow he struck the shields had venom. It was so hard that I saw one shield split. Cnut Cnutson had fast hands and he darted in with his sword. It came away bloody.

  I reached the wall. I punched my shield at the spears which prickled out from the wooden wall. Instead of trying to penetrate the wall I lunged down with my sword and stabbed one of our enemies in the ankle with my sword. I pulled it out and then swung it blindly at knee height. The warrior to my right screamed and cursed. Olaf Leather Neck’s axe and Rolf Horse Killer’s both struck the shields on either side of the damaged one. Leif, Rollo and Cnut threw themselves at the shield wall as the two axes were pulled back. The five of them had punched a hole in the shield wall. The rear two ranks were pinned against the hall wall. I heard the sound of their dying. The warriors before me were wounded. Haaken and Einar Hammer Arm along with Erik Bjornson all knelt down and Karl Karlsson ran and used them as a stepping stone to leap high into the air. He was a big man and when he landed the shield wall gave way. In the confusion Haaken, Erik and Einar all stabbed with their swords and punched with their shields. I saw my chance and I swung my sword at head height. It bit into the neck of one of the unwounded men before me and the whole shield wall fell into disarray as my Ulfheonar cleared the central portion.

  I heard Erik Ironshirt scream his new war cry, “Angry Cubs! Vengeance!” They attacked the flanks of the shield wall. A shield wall is only defensible if it is whole and this was not. Thorghest hurled himself high into the air to fall down upon the wall of shields. He was wild and he was reckless. His men followed him and did as he and Erik did. They were both leaders. They led from the front.

  The enemy had spears and we had swords and axes. Once we were inside their spears they were defenceless. One of the wounded warriors on the floor grabbed my leg. I brought down the metal edge of my shield across his throat. A spear came towards my head and I flicked my head to one side as I lunged upwards with my sword. It tore up through the mail of the warrior who had thought to end my life. I twisted as I struck the mail rings and felt them tear. I brought my head up to hit him in the face and the force drove my sword deep into his body. I pushed his body from my sword. There were only dead around me. I turned and saw a glow from the sea. The smell of burning told me that Aiden and Ragnar had managed to set fire to the drekar.