The Battle For A Home (Norman Genesis Book 3)

by Hosker,Griff

  When we reached the height of a man we had to use timber from our woods for the roof. We had reused the slates which the original church had had and so we used turf. It was as we were laying turf on the roof that I remembered how we used turf to buttress walls. I used the spare stone to provide buttresses to give it strength. It was midwinter day when I fitted their cross.

  As I descended the ladder the Christians who had all gathered there applauded and cheered. Mary came to kiss me. "For once, husband, I will use that word wyrd. It is wyrd that you have finished the Church now so that we can celebrate Christ's birth. We may not have a priest but we can pray and sing in the church. Thank you."

  Matildhe stroked my hand with her bony claw. "Thank you, barbarian, we may save your soul yet."

  I laughed, "I need no saving. I shall die with my sword in my hand and go to Valhalla!"

  While we had been labouring on the church my men had not been idle. The forests teemed with game and they had been out hunting. We did not celebrate the birth of the White Christ but we used the days following the shortest day to feast. Brigid had been brewing barrels of beer and Skutal and Sigurd had been preparing fish.

  We began the feast before the actual day the Christians celebrated their god's birthday. On that day they all trooped across to the church at low tide. Gilles and I escorted them and stood watch outside. We had not seen any enemies but there was no point in taking chances. Besides it was good to be out in the chill, fresh air. The wind had changed and now came from the west. It was wetter but not as cold. Gilles and I walked to the far end of the island; it was the place we had first landed. It seemed a lifetime ago.

  Gilles and I sat in the shelter of a rock and looked down the coast. "Life is like a circle, lord. Is it not?"

  "A circle, Gilles?"

  "You, your wife and I, we all began life here in Frankia. You and I were not born here but we grew up here. We all went away and yet we have returned to the place where we grew up."

  "That is the Norns, Gilles."

  "Where I grew up they were not mentioned and yet you and the others seem to think they rule our lives."

  "They do, Gilles. They spin their threads and webs. They tie us together even though we do not know it. They plan far into the future. When we went to find timber we did not think that we would find you, a horse master. When I spared Bertrand and gave him a horse I did not know that he would become one of us. I know not what the Norns have in store for us but, so long as we do what is in our hearts, we are doing the right thing. I know that our life here will not be easy but with the new men we have gained we will become stronger. There are ten Franks who will become our warriors. When the weather improves you and I will venture inland and see if there are horses we can buy."

  "Buy?"

  I smiled, "Until we get more men we will try to buy but I am happy to take. We are still Vikings."

  Just then it began to rain with flecks of sleet mixed in. "Come we will shelter by the church. It is good for that, at least."

  When we reached the church the door opened and Mary led the people out. She smiled as she took my arm. "We all prayed for your soul, husband. You have built a good church."

  "I am pleased that you are happy. Now let us get out of this wind and before a fire. I have an appetite!"

  Chapter 19

  My son Ragnvald arrived at the end of Mörsugur. I was barred from the birth. That was the Christian way. My wife screamed and shouted for almost half a day as she fought the baby. I wondered if either would survive. Bagsecg, who had had many children said, "It is always this way, Hrolf. There will be blood and there will be tears. She will be exhausted when she is finished but there will be a red ball which will be, the Allfather willing, your son. You will count fingers and toes; you will see that his ears and nose are in the right place and we will get drunk!"

  He was right. Brigid came out to me; her hands red and bloody as though she was a warrior come from a battle. "Hersir, you have a son. He is a strong one and a big one! If he grows into his feet he will be a mighty warrior. Go and see her."

  I went up to our sleeping chamber. Matildhe shooed the women out and then wagged a bony finger at me, "Do not stay too long. Your wife needs her rest and the baby needs feeding. I will return with some honeyed ale for her."

  I sat on the bed and looked at my son. He had a full head of hair and was a vivid colour. "Should he be that colour?"

  She gave a wan smile, "I wanted him out. He could have been born any colour but Brigid says that this is normal. Do you not like him?"

  I smiled, "I think he is wonderful but I have only seen horses and cows born before now. I knew not what to expect."

  She held up the swaddled child, "Then take him now and speak with him. Keep your paw around the back of his neck. He is tender yet."

  As soon as I held him in my hands I felt a change. He was so small and yet I had made him. He looked vulnerable and fragile as though a strong wind would destroy him. I put my face close to him to kiss him. He smelled... to me he smelled different like something strange and foreign but I liked the smell. I noticed his tiny fingers as they seemed to wave. I put my finger to touch them and he grabbed on. He had a powerful grip.

  "You will be a warrior, my son! Do not fear your father will be there for you. I promise that I will be there to help you to fly and I will be there to catch you should you fall. I will protect you as a wolf protects a cub until you are a man and you lead this clan. That I promise, Ragnvald, and I am never foresworn."

  "Ragnvald?"

  "It came to me. You do not mind do you? It will remind me of Siggi. That was the name of his father and he said he wanted a son with that name. He will be Ragnvald Hrolfsson."

  As I handed our son back to her she nodded, "And I will name the next one! Hopefully that will be a girl!"

  We had our own traditions too. The Viking women took out the afterbirth and buried it. The Christian women did not understand but, as it did not appear to contravene a Christian belief, they allowed it. Then the men celebrated. I was toasted and applauded. They told tales of what Ragnvald Hrolfsson would do when he was older. Then Karl the Singer showed us why he was thus named. He sang Siggi's song. It brought tears to my eyes, it was so beautiful. Gilles told me later that he had asked for one of our songs to learn. It was his gift to me. It was a gift greater than gold.

  Siggi was the son of a warrior brave

  Mothered by a Hibernian slave

  In the Northern sun where life is short

  His back was strong and his arm was taut

  Siggi White Hair warrior true

  Siggi White Hair warrior true

  When the Danes they came to take his home

  He bit the shield and spat white foam

  With berserk fury he killed them dead

  When their captain fell the others fled

  Siggi White Hair warrior true

  Siggi White Hair warrior true

  After they had gone and he stood alone

  He was a rock, a mighty stone

  Alone and bloodied after the fight

  His hair had changed from black to white

  His name was made and his courage sung

  Hair of white and a body young

  Siggi White Hair warrior true

  Siggi White Hair warrior true

  With dying breath he saved the clan

  He died as he lived like a man

  And now reborn to the clan's hersir

  Ragnvald Hrolfsson the clan does cheer

  Ragnvald Hrolfsson warrior true

  Ragnvald Hrolfsson warrior true

  When he had finished I embraced him. "You changed the words!"

  He smiled, "That is what singers do, lord. You did not mind?"

  I shook my head. "Just the opposite. I know two warriors in Valhalla who are toasting Ragnvald even now." I reached into my leather purse and brought out a gold coin of Charlemagne. "Here, this is for you."

  "But I wanted to give you a gift."

&nbs
p; "And I thank you, now take my gift."

  My son changed my life. For one thing he did not seem to understand that night was for sleeping and not wailing and crying for his mother's nipple or for soiling himself with the most disgusting messes I had ever seen. I took to sleeping when I could. It mattered not if it was day or night. I just slept. After a month he began to change. He still woke in the night, but not as often and he just wished to be fed. I spoke to him each day and held him as often as possible. I wanted him to know my smell.

  Mary found it amusing. "A barbarian warrior cooing over a baby; I never thought I would see the day."

  "I keep telling you we are warriors and we are hard but that is for the battlefield. In our chests there beats a heart."

  As the days began to lengthen so we prepared for the hard times to come. Bagsecg had worked hard all winter preparing weapons and helmets. Most of the warriors who bought one from him had the same design as mine. They did not have the golden cross as I did. Instead they had a raven as their herkumbl. As well as my son we had two more foals born and Gerðr and Freya were now expecting two more foals. Dawn's Light and Copper had been prepared for the saddle by Bertrand and Gilles. They were not yet ready to take a warrior in mail but they would bear a rider. We began to make more saddles and stiraps. Our new shields were ready. They were smaller and some, like Rurik wondered if they would be effective. The Raven Wing Clan was preparing for war.

  I brought out my armour to show the other warriors, "See how my mail is split so that when I ride it drops down to protect my leg. The shield is smaller and lighter. I can raise and lower it quickly. It will work."

  I saw them looking at the design critically. I had yet to convince them of the need to ride to war and to fight on horseback but we would take small steps.

  Bagsecg had also made new heads for out spears. We used ash which was an arm's length longer than a man's height. The spear head tapered to a sharp point. I wanted a spear which would penetrate mail. On foot this was hard but with the weight of a horse and a punch from a rider it would be easier. We made dummies and dressed them in old mail which was ready to be melted down. We put the dummies on wooden stakes on the beach and Gilles and I rode at them with our new spears. They worked but, after Gilles was thrown, we discovered that you had to use a special technique. You did not hit head on but at an angle. It made it easier to withdraw the spear. We were learning and we were evolving.

  Harold and Sven came to speak with me."Hersir, we need to take 'Dragon's Breath' to sea. We have not rowed yet with a full crew and we now have new men."

  I knew they were right but I was loath to leave my wife and new son. They appeared to me to be too weak to be without me. Yet I was hersir. "Very well. What do you suggest?"

  "Sarnia? It belongs to the lords of Brittany and we would not have far to sail. It would give the men the chance to row and to take some slaves."

  I shook my head, "We want no slaves who live close to us. But it is an idea. They will have animals we can take to breed. We will raid Sarnia. How long will it take to prepare the drekar?"

  "We can leave in the morning."

  The warriors were all keen for the raid. The deaths on Raven's Wing Island had been forgotten. We were warriors and my men had tired of hunting and building. We had made sure that the young Franks who had joined us could use slings and they, along with the handful of men we would leave would be responsible for guarding our walls. We would not be away for long. Sven said that even rowing we could reach it in half a day. If we left before dawn then we could be back before dark.

  As we headed towards the jetty to embark I took Gilles and Bertrand to one side. "Gilles, you have been on raids. You watch out for Bertrand. If neither of you draw a weapon there is no shame. What you come back with is experience and that is like gold." They nodded. "You will be at the bow on an oar together. You must keep the stroke with the rest of the crew."

  I would not be rowing for I was now hersir. We had enough men in the clan for every oar to be manned. We had some oars, the ones at the stern, double crewed. Harold would come with us this voyage to help train the five ships' boys who would swarm up the sheets and shrouds to furl and unfurl the sail. We placed our best warriors at the stern. Harold would watch the others and make adjustments to the oars as necessary. Some would work better at the bow, stern, or by the mast. They each carried their chest aboard. They were empty for we would be gone a short time but a chest made a good seat. Older warriors like Arne and Rurik had the lids of their chests covered in a sealskin lined sheepskin. The younger ones laughed at them.

  We placed our shields along the side for we were going to war. Sven had placed the figure head on the prow the night before. It made the drekar whole. We rowed out beyond the island. As soon as we turned north we found a breeze from the south east to make rowing easier. As we sailed north we felt it move as it turned with the tide and the dawn. We rowed hard for who knew when the wind might change and we still sang.

  The night was black no moon was there

  Death and danger hung in the air

  As Raven Wing closed with the shore

  The scouts crept closer as before

  Dressed like death with sharpened blades

  They moved like spirits through the glades

  The power of the raven grows and grows

  The power of the raven grows and grows

  With sentries slain they sought new foes

  A cry in the night fetched them woes

  The alarm was given the warriors ready

  Four scouts therewith hearts so steady

  Ulf and Arne thought their end was nigh

  When Hrolf the wild leapt from the sky

  Flying like the raven through the air

  He felled the Cymri, a raven slayer

  The power of the raven grows and grows

  The power of the raven grows and grows

  His courage clear he still fought on

  Until the clan had battled and won

  The power of the raven grows and grows

  The power of the raven grows and grows

  Raven Wing goes to war

  Hear our voices hear them roar

  A song of death to all its foes

  The power of the raven grows and grows

  The power of the raven grows and grows

  Raven Wing goes to war

  Hear our voices hear them roar

  A song of death to all its foes

  The power of the raven grows and grows

  The power of the raven grows and grows

  It was a good song to sing for it spoke of Ulf. It reminded those who knew him of his courage and helped those new to understand more of our past.

  The wind turned with the dawn and swung around to come from the north west. As we turned west we had to row harder for we were heading into the wind. When Harold and the boys furled the sail we leapt through the water. We were like a dolphin. The blue morning light was dimmed by the scudding clouds. We passed one small island to the steerboard side. There were two large islands ahead of us and they both had villages on them. We would head for Sarnia. Angia was bigger and had a high rock with a hill fort. We had not seen any such defence at Sarnia.

  As we neared its eastern shore Sven headed for the smoke which rose from the fires in the huts. Where there were fires we would find men. We turned to sail south between the two small uninhabited islands and the main one, Sarnia. Siggi Far Sighted, the ship's boy who sat at the top of the mast lived up to his name as he shouted down, "I can see fishing boats! There are huts."

  I shouted back, "Any wall?"

  "No hersir."

  "Sven, put the helm over!" I took my helmet and jammed it on my head. Grabbing my shield I ran to the prow. I watched as the shore raced towards us. I saw villagers fleeing. A half a dozen men ran for their weapons. I stood with my right hand touching the back of the prow. "Siggi, we will try to live up to your high standards."

  Sven put the helm over and we headed towards the beach
. The fact there were fishing boats drawn up meant that there were no rocks to rip out our hull.

  Sven shouted, "Up oars!"

  The warriors placed the oars in the middle of the drekar and then grabbed their shields. The ships' boys were ready to leap over the side and secure us. I jumped as the bow rose on the shelving, sandy beach and landed in the soft sand. I drew my sword and swung my shield around. There were six men facing me but I just roared a challenge as I ran at them. I shouted in Frankish, "I am Hrolf the Horseman of the Raven Wing Clan. Fear me!

  I brought my sword down on the leading warrior who held a shield tentatively before him. My sword sliced down and split his head in two. The other men ran. I followed them. Without armour they should have been much faster but they were not. I began to catch them as they snaked their way between huts. Suddenly a warrior burst out from my left and brought his sword down hard. I just managed to bring my shield up to block it. The nails and the boss caught the blade and held it as it bit deeply into the wood. As I staggered back from the force of the blow he tumbled after me. I brought Heart of Ice around in a long sweep and it sliced deep into his side. He was a strong man. I punched him in the face with my shield and his own axe sliced a long line in his face.

  As he tumbled backwards he cursed, "Viking animal!"

  I finished him off as he lay at my feet. As my men ran past me I took the axe and handed it to Gilles who appeared with Bertrand behind me. "Here, our first trophy. The two of you search the huts for treasure. It may be buried. When you have checked every hut take the treasure you find to the drekar."

  I hefted my shield around my back and followed my men. I doubted that we would catch those who fled but we needed their animals. They were less likely to try to save their animals while their lives were in danger. We stopped half a mile from the village.