Varangian

by Griff Hosker

  “From your face, Eric’s face and Ulf’s bloody nose.”

  He sighed. “I was not paying attention; I was talking with Pig and Harald when Eric came to tell me that Ulf was not aboard. The two of us went ashore and found him down a side street. He was talking with someone but I could not see who. Eric asked him who he was talking to and Ulf went for him.” He paused. “I hit him first.”

  I put my hand on his shoulder. “You did right and now we will go and see this Ulf and find out what is amiss.”

  My men were sat at the stern under a small awning. Ulf was off to one side and the others all looked at him when we approached. I was pleased to see Ragnar and Hammer on either side of Eric protecting him. Ragnar was sending filthy looks towards Ulf.

  I had learned enough of the language now to be able to speak without the translation skills of Eric. “Ulf come here.”

  He slouched over and I noticed that he had his hand on his dagger. Not a good sign. “Why did you leave the ship? You were ordered to guard it.” He said nothing but stared malevolently at Ridley. “I asked you a question. Now answer me.”

  “You did not order me. He did.” The finger stabbed out accusingly at Ridley.

  “What Thegn Ridley says, I say. You disobeyed me and you tried to hit Eric.”

  He leered at me. “I could blow him over!”

  I walked closer to him. “Ulf you disobeyed me. I cannot have that. Tomorrow I will put you ashore and pay you off. I must have men I can trust.”

  His hand moved as quickly as a snake striking and he stabbed at me with his dagger. He had forgotten that I wore my mail shirt beneath my tunic and the point merely broke two or three links and cut me slightly. Thwarted he pushed me back with one hand and they leapt overboard into the black waters of the night. Ridley roared out and raced to the stern but he had disappeared. “The rat! I should have really damaged him.”

  Eric rushed to me. “Are you hurt my lord?”

  I shook my head. “I have hurt myself more when I fell over drunk.”

  The Jarl came to see what had happened and we told him. He turned to Eric. “What did the man look like that Ulf was talking to?”

  “One of the locals my lord, a little man with a cut down his nose.”

  “I saw him in the port office! He left before we did.”

  The Jarl nodded and looked at the mast head. “Well I am sorry I recommended him. He was obviously up to no good. Not only does it leave you shorthanded but it also means we are likely to be attacked. That is a favourite trick of the river pirates; they plant someone on a boat and the inside man helps them to get aboard.” He waved over his first mate. “We leave at moon rise. We row through the night and put some distance between us and Ulf’s friends.”

  By the time dawn broke we were exhausted. We had rearranged the rowers to accommodate the lack of Ulf and it meant that Eric could stand lookout forrard. I looked aft to Jarl Gunnersson but he showed no sign of wishing to stop. It was hard to see how long we could keep going but then, I reminded myself I had found it hard to row for a few hours when we had first started the voyage.

  The Jarl saw my looks and shouted down, “I am heading for Lake Ilmen. It will be safer there and it is not far away.”

  I nodded, as I needed all my breath for the rowing. I wondered how Ulf had been recruited. Had it been pure luck that I had chosen him and, would any boat he served on have been a target? It was hard to say. I was pleased that the others had not been happy about the traitor and then I thought that was what a traitor would do to allay suspicion. I shook my head to clear it of the confusion. The only ones I could really trust were Ragnar, Eric and, of course, Ridley. It would take combat for me to truly assess the worth of my remaining five warriors; only then would I know the value of their oath. Ulf had condemned himself with his actions, he had broken his oath. He would not enter Valhalla.

  When we finally stopped, in the middle of the lake, and the Captain dropped the anchor, I almost collapsed with exhaustion. The others just slept at their oars but Jarl Gunnersson beckoned me forward. “I have set Eric to getting some food ready and you and I must stand guard for we are still not safe.”

  I remembered something Cnut had said as we sailed from Leith. “Perhaps if we wait for other ships travelling the route we might have more safety with the larger numbers.”

  He shook his head, “That is an excellent plan but the last two ships sailed the day before we left. We had to wait for Thor’s ship and the cargo to arrive.”

  And that was it, the Norns again. The ship had delayed sailing from Hedeby to accommodate me and my party and that had meant we had missed the other ships. We would be safer in their company. I hoped that the Norns planned a grander end for me than being killed by river pirates on the Lovat River which was our next waterway.

  It felt like I had been asleep for moments when Ridley woke me but he assured me I had had hours of sleep. Certainly the sun was lower in the sky. “To oars. We row.” The Jarl hoisted the sail and caught the little breeze that was available and we found it easier to row, despite our tiredness. There was little current on the lake but, once we struck the Lovat then it would be hard going. The Jarl kept watching the mast head pennant for a change in the wind’s direction because, if it swung too much, we would have to lower the sail and it would be hard work again. While we had been standing watch the Captain had told me of his plan. “We will sail into the darkness and when we anchor I will not light a torch, we will rely on the eyes of your men.”

  The resourceful Eric had changed the duties so that one man had a night off watches and we watched with a different partner each night. Now that we had all experienced watches it made sense and it allowed me to get to know the others of my company. So far I had not detected any other with traitorous intent.

  I wondered how much further we would sail as dusk descended, when the Jarl suddenly shouted, “Back oars!” We had rarely had to do that manoeuvre; it was used to stop the boat quickly. “Up oars! Saxon, get your warriors there are men in the reeds!”

  We quickly sprang into action. The hatch was below the Weasel’s feet and he jumped away to allow Ridley to open it. I grabbed my shield and sword and strode to the side, knowing the rest would follow when they could. The river’s banks were covered in thick reeds, the perfect place for the nesting birds that lived there. Suddenly one of them, a heron, fluttered noisily into the sky. It made me jump but, at the same time focussed me on the place it had left. I too could see a face. “Ridley, get your bow. There is someone out there.”

  The Jarl’s voice rang out. “Hold fast Aelfraed. Let me give them a chance. Ho! You in the river. Show yourselves or be prepared to die.”

  By now my men lined the sides and even Eric stood there with his sword and buckler. I had never seen the boy fight but I doubted that he would be much use. Still it showed that he did not lack courage.

  A voice sounded from the reeds. “Is that Jarl Gunnar Gunnersson?”

  Warily our captain replied, “Aye it is.”

  “It is Siggi Rosmusson and what remains of two crews.”

  The Jarl said quietly to me, “They may be friends but watch them and listen for my command.” I nodded to show I had understood. “Come ahead then, we will watch for you.”

  Slowly eighteen men limped, crawled and staggered from the reeds. I could see that some had been wounded and others carried injuries. When they reached the side, I looked up at Gunnar, who nodded. “Come on lads; let’s help the poor buggers aboard.”

  As they scrambled aboard we began to see to their hurts. Some had broken limbs and others sword cuts and arrow wounds. Eric and I took the stoic warrior who had an arrow sticking from his back. Despite that he still clutched his sword and shield; this was a warrior. “Eric, fetch some clean water.” Much to the amusement of the crew I had had Eric boil water when we could and fill water skins with it. The murky brown water of the river did not look healthy and I needed to dress the wound with good water. “I am Thegn Aelfraed and what is yo
ur name?”

  “Snorri Bjornson. Thank you for stopping.” More to keep his mind off what I was doing with my dagger than anything I asked him what had happened. “We stopped for the night. We put out the torches and set the guards.”

  “Were you the two ships who left the day before we did?”

  He shrugged, “We were two ships. They swam to the other ship and slit the throats of the guards. They would have done the same for us but Benni, our leader saw them. He died giving us the warning. There were too many of them and, when we saw the bodies being thrown from the other ship then we knew we were lost. The captain led us into the reeds and they left with the vessels.”

  “This is the part which will hurt.” I gave him his dagger. “Bite on the handle. Eric, hold his arms.”I put my knife, which I had heated in the burning torch, into the wound to loosen the arrow. His leather armour had prevented it entering too deeply. He barely flinched, even though I knew that it must have been excruciating agony for him. The strength from rowing enabled me to pull the arrow from the wound with a satisfying plop and I was pleased to see that the blood which erupted was healthy. “Eric, hold a cloth to the wound while I heat up the knife.” A glance at Eric told me that he was close to breaking, the sight of the blood and the operation had been too much. “Just hang on Eric. Snorri has survived. Your job is to help him.”

  As I heated the blade I heard the warrior talking to Eric. “First time you have seen a wound?”

  “Yes. How did you stand the pain?”

  I heard a deep laugh, “The pain would be there whether I wanted it or not. What good would it have done me to cry out? I knew that it would pass, or I would die.”

  I returned, smiling, Snorri was like every warrior who had stood beside me in the shield wall. “Hold his arms again Eric.” The hiss of the blade and the smell of burning hairs and flesh were too much for Eric who passed out at Snorri’s feet. In spite of his pain the gentle Snorri lowered the boy to the ground. “It is his first voyage.”

  “He did well and he is a kind boy. Did you say that you were Aelfraed the Saxon?” I nodded as I bandaged his shoulder. “Harald Godwinson’s bastard?”

  “Aye for my sins.”

  “I have heard of you. They say you defeated a Welsh champion, a Scots’ champion and killed Hadrada.”

  “My men killed Hadrada and the rest is true.”

  “If you would have me, my lord, I would serve you for I believe the Norns intended me to be here.”

  “How so?”

  “When they were hiring I had a bad feeling about the ships and a voice in my head told me to wait but I ignored it.”

  “How does that relate to me?”

  “Benni told how he fought at Jorvik for King Sweyn and there were two mighty warriors who saved many Danes lives, Benni was one, and how he wished to go to England one day and serve you.”

  “Aah, well the other warrior, the berserker? He is over there, Thegn Ridley. I will gladly have you in my company for it is wyrd. One of my men deserted, he was a traitor.”

  “Thank you lord.” He clasped my arm.

  “There is one thing; my men swear a blood oath.”

  He grinned, “Then it is wyrd; for that is my wish also.”

  While a recovered Eric and the rest of the crew found clothes for the wet men I joined the two captains at the bow.”Siggi this is Thegn Aelfraed, the captain of the guards.”

  “I am pleased that you have warriors Gunnar. Only one of mine survived, Snorri.”

  “And he has asked to join my company. Is that a problem?”

  Siggi smiled, “No for I would not have been able to pay him anyway.” He looked serious. “There were many of them Gunnar and I fear that they will attack at the portage.”

  “Will you be staying aboard captain?”

  I asked the question because I liked the idea of extra men. “We will have to, with Gunnar’s permission of course. Once at Miklagård then I can get the funds to get another ship.”

  “You are welcome Siggi for I could not leave fellow sailors here but we can only feed you.”

  He shrugged, “As the alternative is death that seems a good bargain.”

  “Gunnar, if we had more weapons then we could defend ourselves a little better.”

  “Once past the portage then we pass a settlement on the Toropa River where we could buy them. But the money?”

  “I will buy them and try to sell them in Miklagård.”

  “You will not get as much.”

  I laughed, “Aye but if that means we actually get to Miklagård then it is money well spent is it not. And, Captain, it will not come out of your share.”

  The Jarl gave me a shrewd look. “You are a strange one Englishmen. Are all Englishmen like you?”

  “The ones who did not die at Senlac and Stamford are.”

  I left him with that enigmatic thought and went back to my men. We were now ten again and I liked the roundness of the number. The Norns were weaving again and the traitor had been replaced by a hero, it seemed a good bargain to me.

  Chapter 4

  The next few days were tense as we had a very crowded boat, half of whom were nervous about the prospect of being attacked again. We did have a full complement of warriors for watch once more and, with two captains, the navigation and steering proved easier. When we reached the portage I was intrigued for the Weasel and the other rowers had told me what it entailed and I thought that they were joking for they said that you had to pull the boat up the side of a hill and down the other. When we reached the portage I saw that they were speaking the truth and the hill was quite steep marking, as it did, the ridge between two valleys. At the side of the river we could see many logs, some of them showing the signs of damage. As soon as we landed Gunnar sent me and my warriors, with our axes to cut down another ten straight logs whilst he and the rest of the sailors began to offload the cargo.

  I had never chopped down trees with Death Bringer and I was loath to do so. Harald laughed and offered me his. “I care not what my blade cleaves so long as I am paid.”

  After a few hours’ work we had the ten logs trimmed and cut and we trudged back to the ship with them. By the time we had returned the cargo was offloaded and the bow of the ship was lying on six logs. The rest of the crew were spread before them. Gunnar carefully placed our new logs in the right place and we hauled the ship out of the water and on to the logs.

  “I will stay here with most of my crew and we will repair the hull while it is out of the water. Siggi will take his men and lead you over the hill to the other side of the portage.” He smiled at my puzzled face. “He will show you what to do. This needs not brain, merely brawn!”

  As the men picked up the cargo Gunnar gestured for me to join him. “Leave Eric, Stig and the wounded warrior to guard the cargo and then you and the rest can return here to help pull this beast over the hill.”

  Carrying the bales of furs was not hard but they were awkward to grip but after a good three hours’ climb and a slightly quicker descent we reached the river. Siggi was all for just dropping the bales. “No captain. I want the bales made into walls and then Stig, Eric and Snorri will have some defence should they be attacked.”

  Siggi and the rest of his men were incredulous. “But that will take time!”

  “I don’t care. These men may be here all night and the bales will provide shelter and protection. Don’t argue, just do it!” Siggi knew the portage but I was used to giving orders and expecting them to be obeyed.

  The Hammer and my men grinned at the interchange but eventually the bales were stacked as I wanted them. We left an entrance so that they could get in and out. “Stig you are in charge. If anyone should try to take the bales then we have made it difficult.”

  Stig laughed, “And bloody cosy, my lord!”

  I was just leaving when the first arrow flew to embed itself in the back of one of Siggi’s men. Rivers were new to me but I knew ambushes. “Shields! Get inside the bales!”

  My men swif
tly picked up their shields, as I did, and we heard the pock, pock as they were peppered with missiles. Once everyone was inside I joined them. “Hold your shields up to make a roof. They will soon realise that the bales can absorb the damage.”

  Sure enough the barbarians began to fire up in the air but the small space of the interior of my improvised fort was easily protected by our eight shields. Siggi looked worried. “The fort is a good idea my lord but when it becomes dark they can close with us and slaughter us.”

  I looked at Ridley and grinned, he nodded. “If we are here at night time. Stig, you take charge. Ridley and I will deal with these.”

  Even Stig looked amazed. “But you have no idea how many men are out there!”

  “True but tell me this, do you think that they are armoured?” Siggi shook his head. “Do they have arrows which can pierce mail?”

  “No, no one does.”

  Ridley grinned, “Not quite true but it matters not. Ready?”

  “Aye but follow me this time!”

  I burst out of the door with my sword held before me and my body protected by my shield. I knew that Ridley was to my left and would follow me wherever I went. I saw the barbarians who were pulling back on their bows having left the safety of the forest. We took them by surprise and they watched in horror as these two giants leapt from the river side, roaring at them. I killed two before they had time to run and then the rest turned and shot their arrows at us. The shields took most of the damage but I heard them ping off my helmet and felt them tug at my tunic as they became embedded in the mail. They had thought to kill us quickly but we reached them unharmed and then it was a slaughter for they had no protection against the sharpened blades of two Housecarls. The handful of survivors ran. Ridley and I pursued them for a good eight hundred paces and even caught a couple whom we despatched. Exhausted we halted to catch our breath.

  “If all the barbarians at Miklagård are like that we will have an easy posting.”

  “I somehow doubt it. Pick up the quivers and a couple of bows and break the rest.” By the time we reached the bales we had ten quivers and two bows. The rest had been destroyed. “Stig you can come out now. It is safe.”