Viking Weregeld

by Griff Hosker

  Rolf and Aðils stood with me. “Will you take the Ulfheonar with you?”

  “I will order no man to go. I wish only volunteers but I would hope to have my shield brothers with me.”

  “Then we will both come. If for no other reason than to see how you manage to spirit us inside its walls.”

  Arriving in the late afternoon we spent the evening and night with Ragnar and Raibeart. We told them our news. Raibeart ap Pasgen was reflective. “I know there are legends about some of our people going south. They did not stay with the warlord at Wyddfa but carried on to land at the edge of the world.” He shrugged, “That is the tale that was passed from father to son. It must have been Om Walum.”

  “Perhaps.”

  “If the legend is true then the men who went there were horsemen and they used the sign of the dragon, as you do, Jarl Dragonheart. They had a horn which looked like a dragon and wailed. It was said, their leaders were each given a golden dragon with a blue stone for the eye. It was like the seal of a thegn”

  Unconsciously I rubbed the blue pommel stone. I caught Aiden’s eye and he nodded. Ragnar smiled, “Wyrd . You will be going back then?”

  “Perhaps, I have not decided yet.”

  He laughed, “Of course you have, grandfather. You will take any chance you can get to defeat Egbert. I shall come with you.”

  I shook my head. “If I go then this will be dangerous. You have proved that you can be the leader of the clan when I am in the Otherworld. I would not risk you unnecessarily. You will stay here!”

  I saw the looks of gratitude on the faces of Astrid and Elfrida. Ragnar was not happy but he would get over his disappointment.

  Gruffyd smiled, “And as I am not going to be leader of the clan then I can come with you for I have a vested interest in this. If I can impress the king then he may let me marry his daughter.”

  Silence filled the hall. For the first time that I could recall my son stared at me almost defying me to refuse him. I wracked my brain to come up with a reason and I could find none. When I asked for volunteers then he would be the first. I would have to take him. Was it the right thing to do? I knew his mother would wish me to say no and yet, if I did, then it might create a rift between us. I nodded.

  I had four who would be coming with me.

  When I reached my home, I spoke to my wife. As I had expected she was not happy about her husband sailing off again. She reminded me that I had said I would hand over the leadership of the clan to my grandson.

  “And what of our son? He is fond of Ebrel. Can I leave her father as a prisoner of King Egbert? What if this were Myfanwy or Erika?”

  It was not the best of arguments but it was an argument and she relented. I would have a problem later when I told her that Gruffyd was coming with me. I summoned my Ulfheonar. After telling them my news I said, “I ask if any wish to come with me. These are not orders. What I do is not for the good of the clan.”

  Einar Hammer Arm laughed, “Jarl, we are your oathsworn! Of course, we will come with you. The fact that it is impossible merely makes it even more desirable that we go! When do we leave?”

  “As soon as Aiden has examined the writings in case there is something there which aids us.”

  When they heard what I intended then others in my stad asked to come. I took only single men. I wanted no families to be without their man. I went to speak with Kara. Aiden had already told them what I had planned. Ebrel and Bronnen rushed to me and threw their arms around me. “Jarl Dragonheart, thank you! Kara told us what you are going to do.” Ebrel’s face became serious, “Tintaieol is impregnable, jarl. It is impossible to get in.”

  “Are there no secret ways?”

  “Not that we know. If there was then we would tell you.”

  Aiden had better news. He held up one of the pieces of parchment he had purchased. “I have found one particularly interesting piece of writing. It comes from Miklagård. It appears that a Roman called Andronikos visited with the warlord at his home close to Wyddfa and the warlord’s son came to Miklagård. I now understood far more about Myrddyn and the warlord than I did before. This Roman visited Tintaieol with the warlord’s son. They wished to avoid being seen entering and they used a sally port. It says that there is a path which goes from the sea where there is a landing place. It does not say exactly where it is but it should not be beyond our wit to find it. The path was narrow and difficult to see. There is a gate into the stronghold but it is hidden by bushes.”

  Kara frowned, “This was many years ago. The sea may have washed it away. They might have blocked it off. It is likely that the bush has grown into a tree.”

  Aiden smiled, “Might, may and likely do not put off the jarl.” He looked up at Ebrel. “Does this sound familiar?”

  She looked at her sister, “There is a landing place but I remember no path. The bush I do remember for it is half way up the cliff. It looks wrong as though it is hanging on for dear life. It was still a bush the last time that I saw it but a large one.”

  “And from the inside; where would the door be?”

  I saw her close her eyes. “I think it would be the kitchen levels or below but I have never been down that far. I am sorry.”

  Kara patted her hand, “If the bush has grown then perhaps people have forgotten the door. You have done well and I spy a kind of hope. It is a desperate one but there would be a chance.”

  Bronnen said, “I know where it might be. I was sent to the kitchens often and below them are cellars. They are hewn from rock. I did not like them for they were damp and dark. I am certain that there were rats. I believe if there was a door then it would be on that level.” Ebrel cuddled her sister.

  Aiden said, “If you ladies would give me the layout of the stronghold it might help Jarl Dragonheart.” He took out a piece of charcoal and a piece of scraped skin. As they spoke he sketched out a map of the stronghold from their words.

  Their words had given me the possibility of a way in. More than that I had felt the hairs on the back of my neck shiver when the dragon had been described. I knew that the Welsh used the dragon on their standard. I had not associated it with the Warlord but, of course my mother had been taken from Wyddfa. Her people were the Welsh or the ones who lived in this land at the same time as the Welsh. It was wyrd .

  We were ready to depart at the end of Sólmánuður. Aiden said that, by the time we reached the stronghold the nights would be as long as they were going to get. That meant we would have light to climb. Our plan was to land at the beach during the night. Dawn would break early and we would be able to ascend in the half light of early dawn.

  Gruffyd and the volunteers from Ragnar and Raibeart’s halls were there. Two were Raibeart’s people. They spoke the language and were keen to help their jarl. As I had expected Einar Fair Face was there too. Erik Ironshirt was not coming with us. He had married one of the slaves we had taken from the Saxons. She was not young but she was healthy and, more importantly, seemed to get on well with Erik. Erik Ironshirt had done enough for me and now that he had a wife I would leave him at home. There would be other raids which were less risky than this one. I needed no jarl with me. In fact, I was not certain that I needed any save to row the drekar. The spirits of the past would be watching over me.

  I sat the day before we left, and spoke with Aiden, Ylva and Kara. I had to ask them questions to which they were the only one with answers. “You have dreamed lately?”

  They nodded and Ylva took my right hand in hers, “And we have not dreamed your death, grandfather. That does not mean that you cannot come to harm but we did not see you die. That is all the comfort we can give you.”

  “And that is enough. Thank you.”

  We left on the evening tide. There was no rush. Erik Short Toe would approach the coast from the west. We would sail well out to sea so that no one on the coast would spot us as we approached. It was dangerous enough as it was. We had to try to gain entrance without anyone being suspicious. We had Aiden and his new maps with
us. He and Erik were confident that they could make an accurate landfall even in the dark. Now that Thorghest and Magnus Axe Hand controlled the east coast of Hibernia, the passage to the east of Hibernia was now safer for us and we sailed south and west. It meant that once we had cleared the coast of Hibernia we could sail due south.

  We spent the first night at a deserted beach on the south coast of Hibernia. We lit fires and cooked shellfish the ship’s boys had collected. Tales were told and songs were sung. After the last song Haaken said, “I know why the Norns keep you alive, Jarl Dragonheart.”

  Aiden smiled, “You, whose hair was turned white by a Norn, thinks he can read their thoughts?”

  “If the Dragonheart is dead then they would have such dull and uninteresting lives. Others are predictable but the jarl? He seeks solutions to impossible problems and then finds fools who will follow him!”

  They all laughed but I knew that I was lucky. I had men who followed me. They were not just any men. They were the finest warriors I had ever met. The fact that so few of the Ulfheonar remained alive was testament to their honour and courage.

  As we headed south we found ourselves sailing into a south wind. We could turn and use it but not until later in the day. We decided to row. Haaken led the chant and he used one which kept an easy and steady stroke to take us south into the empty waters close to the edge of the world. It was the song of Din Guardi or, as the Saxons now called it, Bebbanburgh. It was the tale of how we had used a cave and hidden beneath the sea to enter that most fearsome of strongholds.

  The Saxon King had a mighty home

  Protected by rock, sea and foam

  Safe he thought from all his foes

  But the Dragonheart would bring new woes

  Ulfheonar never forget

  Ulfheonar never forgive

  Ulfheonar fight to the death

  The snake had fled and was hiding there

  Safe he thought in the Saxon lair

  With heart of dragon and veins of ice

  Dragonheart knew nine would suffice

  Ulfheonar never forget

  Ulfheonar never forgive

  Ulfheonar fight to the death

  Below the sand they sought the cave

  The rumour from the wizard brave

  Beneath the sea without a light

  The nine all waited through the night

  Ulfheonar never forget

  Ulfheonar never forgive

  Ulfheonar fight to the death

  When night fell they climbed the stair

  Invisible to the Saxons there

  In the tower the traitors lurked

  Dragonheart had a plan which worked

  Ulfheonar never forget

  Ulfheonar never forgive

  Ulfheonar fight to the death

  With Odin’s blade the legend fought

  Magnus’ tricks they came to nought

  With sword held high and a mighty thrust

  Dragonheart sent Magnus to an end that was just

  Ulfheonar never forget

  Ulfheonar never forgive

  Ulfheonar fight to the death

  Ulfheonar never forget

  Ulfheonar never forgive

  Ulfheonar fight to the death

  Erik Short Toe said, “I hope that the song is an omen, Jarl. I was not at Din Guardi. I will be interested to see how we fare. Will Ran smile on our enterprise?”

  “I hope so for Aiden says that while the Norns are our foes the gods are our friends.”

  Aiden kept watch on the skies and the compass. He kept checking his charts. Eventually he said, “We are far enough south. The men can stop rowing and we can head east. The sun will set soon and this wind will take us to the stronghold!”

  With the oars stored my men prepared for the raid. We had ropes we would need to take for Aiden had said that we did not know the king’s condition. We knew he had been wounded and none knew the nature of the wound. He might need some help descending. Not all the warriors would be entering the stronghold. Coen ap Aedh, from Raibeart’s band would come in case we needed to listen. He spoke their language and could help us talk our way out of trouble if we met any of the king’s people. The Ulfheonar would all come too. Einar and Gruffyd refused to be left behind and we needed Aiden. He had made the map of the interior and I had studied it but it was in Aiden’s head. Besides, it gave us all comfort that we had a wizard with us.

  I donned my cochineal and then sharpened my dagger, seax and sword. I would not need my shield. I put my sword and dagger in their scabbards and then slipped the seax into my right sealskin boot. That done I sat at the stern and watched the coast as it grew from a thin smudge to a larger blob. Then night fell and it disappeared. We were now in the hands of our captain and our wizard. My eyes had become worse over the years. I could see well enough in daylight but at night I relied on my other senses more. I heard the sound of the surf on the rocks and I smelled the land. Without the benefit of light, I could only estimate but I knew we were close when Erik had his boys shorten the sail so that we could approach more slowly. He then had Haaken have two oars put out as sweeps while we edged in to the shore. At such slow speed and this close to the rocks the drekar bobbed up and down alarmingly. Then Erik hissed, “It is the place. Guthrum Arneson has just seen the rock landing site.

  This time it was not just the ship’s boys who swarmed ashore. Those who would not be ascending, the warriors without mail, joined them. Their task was to put old rolled sails between the drekar and the rocks to protect our hull. At the same time, they would secure the ship with ropes. Once that was done we went ashore. I turned to Erik Short Toe. “Have the bows ready. I have no doubt that when we leave we will be pursued. The arrows will deter the enemy.”

  “Do not fear, Jarl Dragonheart. We will do our task for, compared with yours, it is simplicity itself. May the Allfather be with you.”

  We had fifty paces to walk across the flat rock. It was worn smooth by high tides. There were patches of seaweed to make potential hazards. Aðils and Beorn had ropes coiled about their bodies. When it was light enough then they would climb up first. From Ebrel’s description we knew that an overhang of rock hid the platform from the towers and walls. What we did not know was if the base of the cliff was hidden too.

  Aiden led us, almost unerringly, to the base of the cliff. It was, however, Aðils Shape Shifter who found the path. When we went to examine it, I saw that the word path was too grand a title for what we found. Stone had been cut to make crude steps up the cliff. I had seen a more sophisticated version on the Roman wall. In the dark, there was no way that the steps could be seen clearly. Already our plans were in tatters. We would have to wait until the sun came up higher than a grey smudge. We would have to climb when the stronghold was coming to life. Servants and slaves would be baking bread and preparing food for the garrison. We did not speak for, despite the surging of the sea, we were far enough from it for our voices to carry to the ramparts. We were all alone with our thoughts.

  I sat on a rock and, holding my dragon amulet, closed my eyes and prayed to the spirits of my mother and my wife to aid us in our quest. Gruffyd came and put his hand on my shoulder. He smiled at me.

  We saw the sea become lighter Aðils nodded and stepped up to the first step. He and Beorn had the most to carry and therefore the hardest job but they made it look easy. They had all tried to make me go last along with Haaken; we were the oldest. I refused and followed Beorn. I found that I could follow Beorn’s feet with my hands. The rocky ladder twisted and turned. As I looked up to spy where the other had reached I saw that I could see a dark shadow which appeared to be hanging out. Each step I took the rocks became a little lighter than the previous one. I had been counting steps in my head. At forty I looked up for Beorn had stopped. I saw the bush which had become a tree. It was an elder. They were hardy. That was how it had survived. Aðils was already tying his rope to the trunk. It tumbled down the rocky ladder. He moved from sight and Beorn followed him. I climbed
another four steps and then stopped while Beorn tied his rope around a jutting rock.

  I saw that Aðils was trying to squeeze next to the door but the branches of the tree were pressed against it. As he moved some broke. The noise sounded loud but, as it was a natural sound it might be taken for an animal or the wind. I realised that we would all struggle to find a perch on the rocky outcrop. I signalled for Aðils to move along the ledge as far as he could. I slid between Beorn and the door. I used my size to break and bend the branches away from the door. There was more room now and I was able to examine the door and the handle. It was ancient. I turned the handle. There did not appear to be a lock. If it was barred then we would be in trouble.

  Suddenly Aiden appeared next to me. He took out a seax and began to scratch away at the mortar close to the hinges. I saw immediately what he had planned and I dropped to my knees. I took my seax from my boot. I scraped the mortar from the bottom hinge. It was already crumbling. It was old mortar. Once I had done the bottom of the stone I did the top. I waved to Olaf. He had his axe. I pointed to the stone and he nodded. He put the bottom edge into it and then used it as a lever against the door. At first there was no movement at all and then the stone almost flew out. Haaken had quick reactions and he stopped it tumbling down the cliff. Rolf Horse Killer waited until Haaken had finished scraping and then did the same with the top one.

  Once the stones were out the hinges could be seen. The only thing holding the door closed was the handle. My two axe men put their axes between the door and the wall and levered. There was an alarming crack and the door sprang open. From the ramparts, I heard a shout. We had been heard. I stepped inside. I still had my seax in my hand. Aiden would wait until we had all entered. He was no warrior.

  I entered a low tunnel just slightly lower than my height. It had been hewn from solid rock and wound upwards. I moved quickly. There was a sudden movement on the ground before me. I did not see what it was but I knew it to be a rodent of some kind. This was their domain. I moved quickly slipping my seax into my left hand as I did so. The tunnel veered right and I saw, from the light let in by the opening, that it ended. I walked to the end and found, to my dismay, that it was a stone wall. Had I missed a turning? As Aðils and Beorn stepped behind me I felt a waft of warmer air. I looked up and, as my eyes grew accustomed to the dark saw that there was a little light showing. It was just a glimmer, as though through a crack. I put my hand up and felt the roof. It was wood. It was a trap door.