by Griff Hosker
“Strip the dead and feed them to the river. Let Icaunus take them to Ran; they can share their bounty.”
I heard a cheer from the battlefield. When I heard Thorghest’s name being chanted then I knew we had won.
Chapter 15
I left the clearing of the river to my men and I went into the walls of Dyflin. My wife and daughters met me, “We watched.”
“You were on the walls, wife?”
“The fire was so close I feared that we would burn. I did not want to burn inside.”
I laughed and kissed her, “The wind was blowing away from the town.”
She pushed me away, “You smell of blood!”
“Aye that is the way of the warrior.” I turned to Erika. She held Moon Child in her arms. “I heard Thorghest’s name. He won.”
She nodded. “Yet if you and my brother had not defended the river it would all have been for nothing.”
“The Norns made sure I was here. It is wyrd .” I shook my head. “And now I had better wash the blood from me for fear of upsetting my wife.”
I went back to the river and took a pail with me. I took off my helmet and mail and poured the water over me. As I put it down I saw the fire where Lars had served me food. He would not make the soup now. The cauldron had spilled and was now covered with the charred remains of a Danish raider. There had been a thread which tied Lars to me. I had thought it broken but it was not. It was just forgotten. That is ever the way with warriors. The invisible threads which bind us are always there. It was reassuring. I had just dressed again and been joined by Erik and his men when Thorghest the Lucky arrived.
To my consternation he knelt, “I am in awe of you, father. You predicted that this was so and, with a handful of men to whom we owe everything, you thwarted this plot to defeat us.”
I lifted him up. “We are family, Thorghest.” I pointed to Lars and the others. Erik Ironshirt had laid out their bodies and covered them with their cloaks. “Your men died well. It is they you should thank. And the battle?”
“We have captured many chiefs as well as the kings of Munster and Leinster.”
“What will you do with them?”
I knew what I would do but this was Thorghest’s land and it was his decision. Many warriors would have executed their enemies and displayed their heads upon the walls. He said, “I have demanded hostages. When the hostages come, I will let them go. Their families will be surety for their behaviour.”
I nodded, “Siggi Finehair is dead. Eight of his drekar escaped.”
“Then tomorrow we will sail to Veisafjǫrðr and end this. Will you come?”
“The web of the Weird Sisters say that I must but we must leave a strong garrison here.”
“Aye. Your grandson Ragnar fought like a man possessed. He is a great warrior. He slew eight hearth-weru on his own.”
“Aye, he is his father’s son.”
We had a smaller crew than when we had left Whale Island. Men had died and others had been wounded. We were just one drekar. Thorghest took ten of his own. We left fifty men to guard his home and his prisoners. We sailed down the coast. I saw that the land between the sea and the mountains was a narrow strip of land. I could see why Dyflin was so important. As we rounded the headland we saw just one drekar in the harbour. It was a good anchorage but there was no citadel. I saw the heads of ten warriors on spears. We landed and the women, children, old men and a handful of warriors came out of the halls. The warriors laid down their weapons and prostrated themselves.
Thorghest took out his sword and tapped one on the shoulder, “Rise.” The man did so. “Tell me where are the other drekar. Siggi Finehair is dead so who commanded them?”
“They have gone, Jarl. Klakke Blue Cheek was here. It was he suggested to our jarl that he should attack your harbour when the men of Leinster and Munster attacked. When our ships returned, he said that it was wyrd and that Jarl Siggi Finehair had promised him warriors to fight in Om Walum.” He pointed to the heads, “They said that was a lie and he had them killed. They left last evening. What will you do with us?”
He turned, “Magnus Axe Hand, you have served me well. Here is weregeld for your ship sunk to save our town. Would you be jarl here and rule fairly?”
“Aye, I would be honoured, Jarl Thorghest. I will be your leader here and I will rule as you and Jarl Dragonheart would.”
“Then we will leave you here to command.” He looked at the warriors, “This is your jarl now. Serve him well.”
“We will, jarl.”
Magnus turned to me, “Some of my men have wives and families, Jarl.”
I nodded, “I will be sailing home soon. I will bring them on ‘Fortune’ ”
“Thank you Jarl Dragonheart. Once more I am in your debt.”
I spoke with Ragnar on the way north, “I had been worried about Thorghest the Lucky but I can see that he is a good jarl. My daughter has made a good choice.”
“I confess that I was not convinced of him. When he refused to follow you to Carhampton, then I wondered at his motives. I see now that he was just being true to himself.”
“And that is all that one can ask of any warrior.”
We arrived back at Ragnar and Raibeart’s halls six days later. We had spent longer in Hibernia than I had planned but all had worked out well. There were now two towns which were our allies. There were two more places for us to trade and we had done well out of the battle. Thorghest had insisted that my men be given a fair share of the booty. We had kept Siggi Finehair’s mail, weapons and rings too. Erik and Ragnar sailed back with contented warriors.
When I visited with Kara and Aiden I told them all of our news. They had not heard of Klakke’s demands. Kara summoned Ebrel and Bronnen. I cocked an eye. She said, “They are now women grown and Mordaf ap Hopkin is their father. They ought to know of your decisions.”
“You normally give me wise advice but they are contented and I would not upset them.”
“They are both clever, father. Better they hear it from your lips while looking in your eyes than as gossip at the Water side.”
I nodded. When they arrived, I told them what Klakke had said. “He has now take a fleet of ships to fight for your father. Or so he says.”
Ebrel said, “You do not trust him?”
“I am afraid not. I would not blame your father if he agreed to be allies with the Dane for he has few other choices but it is like getting into bed with a snake. He will be bitten.”
“But if this Klakke wins he might well keep our father on the throne.”
“He might. I do not like him but he has a large army and they can handle the men of Wessex.”
“But there would be a price? What did you call it, weregeld?”
“Not exactly but close enough. Klakke would marry you as a price for helping the king recover his kingdom. After that…”
“After that he would no longer need my father.”
I nodded. I needed say no more.
“Thank you Jarl Dragonheart. You have been honest with me. I did not expect that from a barbarian.”
I was not insulted. I knew I was no barbarian. If others thought so then that was their problem. “And you are safe here. Klakke Blue Cheek has a long reach but it does not extend here.”
“Would you be able to help my father?”
I shook my head, “I would not fight alongside Klakke. I would not trust him and there is bad blood between us. I would help your father if I could but, so long as Klakke is at his side, then I cannot.”
She accepted that. After they had gone we spoke of the threads which had tied us all together. “Do you not think that it is wyr d that Magnus Axe Hand should be given Veisafjǫrðr? It is a fine port and it protects Thorghest and Erik from the south.”
“It is the Norns, father.”
“Yet I thought they hated me. Why should they help me so?”
“They may hate Klakke more or perhaps they are preparing a web to entrap you. We do not know.”
And so
life resumed as it had before. My warriors trained. My people prospered. We dug iron and metals from the hills. We fished the waters. We raised cattle and sheep. Winter came and the days became shorter. Warriors made more warriors and the outside world passed us by. Then at the end of Þorri we heard from Olaf Grimmson, who had just returned from Dorestad, that Klakke Blue Cheek had finally gathered the ships he needed to attack King Egbert and go to the aid of King Mordaf ap Hopkin. They had gathered in Dorestad and all fifty of them had sailed west. This time they would land in Om Walum. They would bring the men of Wessex to battle.
The news gave us something to discuss over ale and feasts in the long winter nights. We had an interest but we could do nothing to affect the outcome. I had no intention of involving myself in a war in which we had little to gain. We were prosperous and successful. My people paid no taxes and yet we were well protected. We had food and goods from many other parts of the world. True we had few stone buildings but that was not our way. Nor did we have much need for wine. We brewed our own beer made from the rye of the Rye Dale and the barley which grew everywhere else. Most houses had the best of pottery from Frankia. My main concern was the arrival of the first gold from Strathclyde. Ulf had told me that he would send a messenger as soon as it reached him. If it did not then we would ride north to punish them again. It was Gói when we heard that it had come. Ulf distributed it to my jarls. We all shared in the bounty for we had all fought in the war.
There had been no wolves for us to hunt that winter. Normally, at the end of Gói, the Ulfheonar would gather in Cyninges-tūn to initiate the new warriors. This year was like the last four, there had been no initiation. Haaken One Eye took it upon himself to invite the Ulfheonar to my hall. They did not come empty handed. They brought the food and paid Karl One Leg’s wife to provide the beer. Anya was a good ale wife.
Brigid pretended to be put out but, in truth, she enjoyed being the hostess; even if it was for a band of wild warriors. Haaken raised his horn after the roast pike had been brought in. “Before we start and before I get too drunk let me just say that is has been a privilege to serve with all of you for so many years.”
This sounded serious and I wondered if he had some illness or wound I knew not of. I knew that Aiden had said the metal plate in his skull might affect him in old age. None of us thought that the two of us would reach the age that we had.
Olaf snorted, “Half these were still sucking on their mother’s titties when you and the jarl were fighting.”
Brigid was serving the fish and she waved the ladle at Olaf, “Mind your language, Olaf Leather Neck or you will be served the spines!”
“Sorry, lady.” Olaf could face any number of foes but a woman’s tongue always had the beating of him.
“As I said, it is an honour. I thought that, as there are no young bloods who wish to join our ranks we should have a feast once a year, at Gói. Here we can remember those who have preceded us to Valhalla. And, as Cnut Cnutson found out in our last battle, there is always a blade, somewhere which can hurt you. Ulfheonar!”
We all toasted and the mood was set. We ate and we drank. We sang songs of warriors long dead like Cnut, Snorri, Eystein and Bjorn. We spoke of Prince Buthar and Olaf the Toothless. To the young warriors, they were legends. We put flesh on those legends. It was important for the stories to continue and to be passed down from generation to generation.
When we had exhausted our tales Cnut Cnutson asked, “And what of Klakke Blue Cheek? Are we done with him?”
I had had just enough to drink to loosen my tongue but I was not drunk. “Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to find him and slay him. The question I ask myself is, is he worth it? He is slippery and without honour. He is now at the far end of the land. What I will say is this. If he ever sails north again then I will meet him and kill him.”
Haaken said, out of the blue, “Man.”
Olaf Leather Neck looked at him, “What?”
“He might go to Man. Since we slew Harald the Great it has been empty. It is a stone’s throw away. I believe that if he came north then that is where he would make his home.”
Einar Hammer Arm nodded, “And we know the island well. If he were to go there then we would be able to destroy him. I for one hope he goes there.”
Aðils Shape Shifter was the quietest of my warriors. When he was around a table it was as though he was still scouting. You did not know he was there until he let you know. “And the two girls? If Klakke succeeds then what of their father? You know that your son and Einar Fair Face are both enamoured of them and, I think, the affection is returned.”
Rollo, who was drunk, burst out laughing, “That is the most I have ever heard you speak! And whence do you get your knowledge?”
Beorn put his arm around his young acolyte and answered for him, “We are scouts. We use our eyes. We also use other senses too. Aðils Shape Shifter is right. And he has seen something we have not.”
I shook my head, “I have seen it, Beorn and I have mentioned it to the girls. If Klakke defeats Egbert then there is nothing to stop him taking the kingdom of Om Walum. We know that the men of that land are brave but they are not as skilled as we.”
Beorn nodded, “Aiden said that they are the same people as the Warlord and Raibeart ap Pasgen. They are your people.”
“I know. It is wyrd is it not? This thread goes back through the mists of time. From the Romans to the Warlord and to me. Where will it end?”
Haaken said sagely, “Perhaps it never will.”
None of my Ulfheonar made it home that night. Brigid covered their drunken forms with blankets and, although she had a disapproving look, I knew that it was an act. She knew the value of such warriors.
My men went raiding at Harpa. They took advantage of the war in On Walum to raid Carhampton and the area around it. Although not rebuilt there were many villages and towns there. With no thegn to guard them they were easy to defeat. The local fyrd was called out and Erik and Raibeart, who led the raid, said that they ran when our men began to advance. Great quantities of slaves and young animals were taken. Now that we had money my men needed slaves to work their land. Our women wanted help to prepare food and the new animals meant we would never go hungry. It was then that we heard rumours that all was not going well for Klakke Blue Cheek and King Mordaf ap Hopkin. King Egbert had raised a huge army and was driving them beyond the Fal and west, towards the Tamar. They were running out of land and soon would have to stop and fight.
At Skerpla I decided to sail with Olaf Grimsson when he took ‘Fortune’ to Dorestad. This time it was not wholly my decision. Aiden said he wished to go. He needed more writings. He devoured them the way Olaf Leather Neck devoured beer. Since it had become a free port it was the best place to buy such items. Rulers like King Louis of France liked to confiscate such things. It increased their power. I did not need much persuasion for I wished knowledge myself. In my case, it was news of the wider world. Brigid sanctioned my visit for she demanded better furnishings for our hall and some of the pots and dishes the Frisians made. I took some of the warriors from Cyninges-tūn. They were the ones who wished to become better warriors. They begged me to allow them to protect us. I did not mind. The seas were still dangerous. Aðils and Rolf Horse Killer accompanied me too. Rolf was about to be married and he wished to buy something for his new wife to impress her. We also took some of our worked metal to be sold. Bagsecg wished us to trade for silver. Many warriors liked detailing picked out in silver on blades. So long as they paid, then my smith would make it; for a price. We took other surplus items too. There was little point in taking an empty ship.
It was the first time I had been aboard, ‘Fortune’ since we had taken her. Olaf had made improvements. Canvas was now rigged to give shelter on the deck. Aiden and I had our own sleeping area by the prow. It was remarkably roomy although the motion, especially in a strong sea, was a little unnerving at times.
We had just rounded the coast of Om Walum when Aiden said, “The No
rns will not call you again jarl. You do not need to sail close to the islands. You have faced them and they do not want you in their lair again.”
I whipped my head around, “How do you now?” I was always suspicious of the links between wizards and the Norns.
“Because we have dreamed and we have spoken to the spirits. The Norns have not finished with you yet but they will not allow you close to them.”
“Then what of my family? Are they in danger?”
“Of course, they are. The Norns are vengeful. The weregeld you paid Klakke could have been more expensive but you owe weregeld to the Norns. Their price will be much higher.”
“You seem remarkably calm about it. You are now of my family.”
“True but I also know that the gods like you. The Norns and the gods are in conflict all of the time. The gods do not like that someone other than they are manipulating men. So long as you are the gods’ favourite then all will be well.”
“That is not a comforting thought.”
“I am not here to give you comfort, Jarl Dragonheart. I am here to give advice, honest advice and good counsel.”
Our journey was, thankfully, dull. We saw no enemies in fact we barely saw another ship. Usually ships fled when they saw a drekar but we were just a waddling tub and no one paid heed to us. The wars meant that the ships which might have been a danger were now on beaches or in longphorts while their crews fought for kingdoms.
We did not attract much attention when we entered Dorestad harbour. It was late in the afternoon and the markets would be over. There were fewer ships than the last time and no longships. Even so we took no chances and Olaf found a quiet berth. Leaving the crew to guard the ship we headed for the inns where the merchants congregated. While my men went to find their own alehouse Aiden and I went to the inn where I hoped to find Baldwin son of Thierry. He was honest and I trusted him.
