Viking Wrath

by Griff Hosker

  It was a hard climb. I was glad I was not wearing armour. At the top we separated. Bjorn the Scout and Snorri would have the longer journey but ours had more risk. We turned to walk along the ridge above the estuary. We could see the port nestled half a mile or so along the river. There were no large ships and I felt my heart sink. I had hoped our prey would be here but they were not. We stopped just half a mile from the town.

  "Aiden, there is no castle here. How do they defend it? The river looks open."

  "There are no defences. Perhaps they rely on Tintagel."

  "Then they are foolish." Already I was revising the plans we had made. We could capture this port. The three ships had not arrived and we could wait for them here. If this was the closest port to the castle then they would bring them here. We could just wait for them like a spider hidden in the corner of a web. I had seen that the estuary could not be entered quickly. The crews of my drekar could catch any ship which ventured down the estuary. I pointed to the town. "We need to find out if there are any warriors here."

  Sigtrygg asked, "What do you intend, Jarl?"

  "I intend to capture this port. If Aiden is right and Tintagel has no other means of supplies then they may be more inclined to talk if we hold it." Rather than disputing my assertion all three nodded. I led them down to the port.

  We kept to the shadows and walked around the darkened huts and buildings. It was late and the port was small. There was no reason for anyone to be outdoors for it was a cool night. Had there been ships in the estuary then it might have been different.

  They had two stone buildings close to the jetty. I guessed they were where the officials would keep any goods which were landed. There was a small tower at the western end of the jetty and I saw the spears of three warriors. There were no others. I sent Aiden to get closer to the centre for he understood more of their language than we did. The three of us waited anxiously for his return. We did not speak when he found us and I led them back to the high ground, away from the port where we could speak.

  "They are not expecting any ships, Jarl. I pretended to be an Irish sailor who had been shipwrecked on the southern coast of On Corn Walum and I said I was seeking a ship back to Hibernia. They said none were due in for a month."

  "This High Priestess may not have confided in them."

  "Perhaps but they do know of her and the three ships. The three sailed from here almost two moons ago."

  That was devastating news. I shook my head, "It changes nothing. We capture this port and then we take Tintagel."

  Once we reached the bay where we had been dropped, Aiden took out his flint and kindling and lit a small fire. I saw the light on 'The Heart of the Dragon' as it flashed when Erik moved his cloak before it. They had seen us. We clambered down the path and I was glad I would not have to deal with this again. Once aboard I changed out of my wet clothes and dried myself.

  "Take us close to 'Josephus' we are going to attack this port tonight. Haaken, have the men armed and ready to raid."

  We sculled over to the other drekar and I spoke with my son. He nodded. I could see, from his face that he was worried. I knew what he was going through. I had suffered in the same way many years earlier. He still could not look me in the eye and I knew that he was brooding still. He had become the petulant child once again. He was not ready to become jarl, that was obvious. He still thought of himself and his own feelings first. When he thought of his people then he would be ready.

  We rowed slowly down the estuary and we did not use the sail. It was still dark. Dawn was some hours away yet. I hoped that they would all be asleep. Sigtrygg had chosen his five warriors who would attack the tower and Cnut would lead the rest. Cnut was the man for such a task. He was like a terrier with a bone. Once his teeth fastened on to something he could not be shaken free. We had to ensure that no one left the port. We knew where the last hut was and that was Cnut's target. The men had donned armour while I spoke with my son and now Aiden helped me to dress and to redden my eyes. We had found that terror was as effective a weapons as a sword. When these people saw my wolves the heart for a fight would desert them.

  The men in the tower saw us as we ghosted towards the jetty. We heard the cry of alarm. As we bumped into the wall and, while we were still moving, my men began to flood ashore. I stayed on board with Aiden and the ship's boys to tie up the drekar. The Ulfheonar had to run as fast as they could. We wanted no one to escape. I could hear the clash of arms and the screams which told me that Sigtrygg had taken the tower. The last thing the guards would have expected would have been a boat load of Vikings descending upon them.

  We had just tied up when 'Josephus' bumped into the jetty and Wolf Killer and his men landed. "Make sure that no one leaves. Do not hurt anyone. They may be valuable as hostages."

  I drew Ragnar's Spirit as we hurried through the port. I did not think I would need to use it but it was always wise to be ready. The order of the buildings by the river soon gave way to a jumble of huts and outbuildings. Suddenly a scythe swung at me from the doorway of a dilapidated hut. I barely had time to swing my sword. I must have caught the man's hand before my sword tore across his stomach and he fell writhing in a heap on the ground. Two of my son's men ran into the hut to see if there was any other danger.

  Cnut walked back towards me and his sword was sheathed. We had taken the port. He gestured behind him. "We have them all. They are in the large hut at the end of the jetty."

  "Any losses?"

  He laughed, "We could have sent our shepherds to take these sheep!"

  I thought of the man with the scythe. Some of them had been willing to give their lives for their home. My son joined me, "There is no sign of the ships. What do we do now?"

  The loss of his wife had unnerved my son. All the work I had done to make him a leader had been undone. Then I realised that it was wyrd. This experience, if he and Elfrida survived it, would make him a better leader. This was meant to be. Strangely that depressing thought made me calmer. "Set your men to guard the high ground to the south. Have a couple of good men at the headland to watch for the ships; any ships." He nodded, grateful for something to do and to occupy his mind. "Cnut, send two men to find Snorri and Bjorn the Scout, bring them here."

  Haaken laughed, "I think, Jarl, that it will be Snorri and Bjorn the Scout who do the finding."

  Aiden returned as the first light peered over the valley from the east. He pointed to the far end of the jetty. "The hut Cnut has used for the people is a place they use to store goods. Remember, Jarl, like those we found in Lundenwic?" I nodded. He paused, "They were empty."

  It took me a moment to realise the import of his words. "Then they are expecting the return of their ships filled with the supplies and goods that they need." Aiden nodded. "Haaken, tell the drekar to turn around and step their masts. I want us invisible when the three ships return. We can catch them with our rowers." He hurried off.

  Sigtrygg returned and was wiping his sword clean of blood. "We have the tower. I have placed some of Wolf Killer's men within."

  "Good, now we wait. Aiden I am famished, find what food you can and we will eat. We have to wait now for our scouts and to see what the dawn brings from the north."

  When dawn broke I saw that to call this a port was a little like calling Cyninges-tūn a city. It was tiny and it was poor. The road to the high ground had to twist and turn its way up the slope and I saw that it was just one cart wide. The men of On Corn Walum were not as advanced as the men of Wessex. Lundenwic could swallow the whole of this huddle of huts in one tiny part of that great city. Aiden had the captives fed and he questioned them. He found that the Welsh he knew helped him to understand their words. He confirmed that they were awaiting the arrival of their ships and that they were overdue.

  When he gave me the news I became concerned. We had not hurried down here for we had hoped to catch them. We had visited the Sabrina too. Where had the ships been? They should have reached us before now. The sea was a dangerous place. Could th
ey had been sunk or destroyed in some sudden storm? Perhaps they had been swallowed by a sea monster. I voiced my fears to the others as we ate our noon time food.

  My son could not understand my concerns, "Why are you worried about the ships? It is my wife and sister I care about!"

  I sighed. My son was allowing his heart to do the thinking for him. "The ships which were seen by our men and by Pasgen rode high in the water." He nodded. "They were empty. Where will they get the supplies these people need? They had to call somewhere else after they captured our family. Aiden said that they are waiting for grain. They did not get that from us. Where will they get it?"

  Wolf Killer opened his mouth to speak and Aiden put his arm around his shoulder, "Your father is right. They will need to get grain." He had brought his precious charts from the drekar and he took them out. "There are two places they would have passed where they could get grain. One is the land around Caer."

  Haaken shook his head, "That is close to the land of the Mercians."

  "They are allies of the men of On Corn Walum, Haaken. That would be a possibility."

  "And the second?"

  "Anglesey, the island they call Ynys Môn." He jabbed a finger at the island. It had been within a hand span of us when we had sailed through the Menai Straits and almost come to a rocky end.

  "There, Wolf Killer, now we know why they have not arrived and why we have reached here before them. They will be loading with grain and that will both slow them down and take time."

  Just then there was a call from the sentries on the hill side. I recognised our scouts as they descended the path to the river. Snorri spoke first when they reached us. "The castle cannot be taken, Jarl." He waved a hand. "At least not by such small numbers. We would need an army to take the castle and we would lose more of our men than would actually gain entry."

  "We are warriors, Snorri! We will try!" My son's voice rose as he almost cried in frustration.

  "Wolf Killer, there is little point in losing all of our men to try to get inside a castle when we do not know if your wife is within its walls." He subsided and nodded. "How many are within?"

  "It was hard to count but I do not think they would have to use a great number. They would not need them. The land and the sea defend it for them." He paused, "It is a well defended place, my lord but the land around looks bleak. I saw little sign of either animals or crops. The fields are largely wild. What do they eat?"

  Aiden pointed to the map. "They wait for the ships with the grain. They will come, Jarl. The question is when?"

  "Whenever it is we will be prepared. We change the sentries every two hours and we keep twenty men on board the drekar. As soon as the ships are sighted I want our long ships to be after them like hounds following a deer. If they have the time to turn and gain open water then we will lose them."

  Chapter 6

  In the end it was trouble from the landward side which came first. One of my son's' sentries signalled danger. We armed and prepared ourselves. The companion of the sentry arrived having hurried down the path from the high ground. "Jarl Dragon Heart there is a host coming from the south. They are armed men."

  I did not have time to worry about how they knew we were there we had to react to the threat. "Wolf Killer, have the men from the drekar guard the captives. The rest will follow me."

  We marched to the top of the hill and arrayed ourselves in a long double line facing south. We might have appeared a loose formation but my men could form a wedge in the time it took for a warrior to don his helmet. We spied the black line which came towards us. Three mailed men on horses carried a banner and led a warband some fifty strong. The banner had the image of a yellow dragon upon it. It looked similar to the red dragon of the men of Gwynedd. When they spied us they halted and I saw that the men on horses held conference.

  "Aiden be ready to come with me and Haaken if they desire words."

  "Why not me, father?"

  "When your mind rules your tongue I shall take you besides I may need Aiden's knowledge of languages." I had no time to be diplomatic. The battlefield was not the place to learn such things.

  One of the horsemen nudged his horse forward. He had his right palm held open to show that he carried no weapon. "Come with me. Snorri, you and Harald Long Legs keep them covered with your bows. Watch for tricks."

  We halted some twenty paces from the warrior. Haaken and I both removed our helmets and I saw a man just a little younger than I was. He spoke in Saxon. I was immediately suspicious for we were dressed as Vikings. I would have expected either his own language or Norse first.

  "What brings Vikings to my land?"

  "And who are you?"

  "I am Mark of Tintagel."

  I nodded, "Yet you do not ask my name. Are you fey and can see into my heart?"

  His confident smile left him. "You are Jarl Dragon Heart of Cyninges-tūn are you not?"

  "I am but how did you know?"

  "Your men all wear the wolf cloaks. Have you come here to fight for me as I requested?"

  He had a smooth manner which I neither liked nor trusted. He was playing games with me. "I came here because your sister kidnapped my daughter and my son's wife. I come here either to take them back or to ravage your lands." I gestured behind me with my thumb. "I have your people guarded even now. I will trade their lives for those of my family."

  "I know not what you speak of. My sister left to seek spiritual guidance on Ynys Môn. My ships went there for grain. I think you must be mistaken, Viking."

  The smile reappeared and I began to tire of this. "You lie." I turned. "Sigtrygg bring ten of the villagers here and have them kneel before the Ulfheonar." I spoke in Saxon so that Mark of Tintagel would know what I said. He nodded and left.

  "I have told you my sister cannot have taken your family. It must be someone pretending to be Angharad." I said nothing but I stared at Mark of Tintagel. "Come, let us retire to my castle and we can wait for my sister's return. I came here today because she is soon due back."

  I noticed the slightest flicker in his eyes as he mentioned the ships. I believed that part of his words. It also made sense. The ships could be due back. I remained, however, silent.

  I heard whimpering behind me and knew that my orders had been obeyed. I did not turn but just stared at King Mark. "I ask you again, where is my family?"

  "And once again I swear that I do not know."

  "Sigtrygg take the head of the first of the captives." I spoke in Norse. I did not turn but watched the reaction of the horseman who was before me. I heard a scream and a collective wail as Sigtrygg obeyed my command. Mark of Tintagel looked shocked. His mouth opened and closed like a fish. "I ask again, where is my family? Think carefully before you answer or there will be another headless corpse lying behind me."

  This time his face became a mask of rage and he spat out, "They been captured and you shall have their bodies piece by piece!" he turned and shouted something. When his men charged us I knew what the command was.

  We turned and ran back to our line of spears and shields. I saw that Sigtrygg had executed the oldest man in the village. I glanced over my shoulder and saw that the leader of the men of Tintagel had waited for his other horsemen. It gave us the opportunity to reach our own lines. Aiden moved quicker than we did for he wore no armour and that was his undoing. He tripped and fell. Haaken ran past him but I heard the hooves behind me and I threw myself over Aiden's body. I still had my shield strapped to my back and I felt the blow as the spear was thrust into it.

  Haaken stopped, his shield was on his back and so he used his sword two handed and swung around to hack into the neck of the small horse. The horse died instantly and the mailed rider flew over his back to be butchered by my men who ran forward protectively. I stood and swung my sword at the second horsemen. It sliced through his leg just below the knee. He screamed and wheeled his horse around. The men rushing at us had to halt to avoid being struck by the dying horseman and his wildly rearing horse. I grabbed a stunne
d Aiden and pushed him towards my men. A gap opened and I thrust him to the rear. Pulling my shield around I was just in time to block a blow from the spearman who had eagerly raced after us. My shield took the spear and my sword sliced into his unprotected belly. Both were reactions. I had had no time to even think what I might do. It was my training which took over.

  The anger of my men was translated into a cold and merciless fury. The sudden attack and Aiden's brush with death made them determined to destroy the men who charged us. We blocked with our shields and then, almost as a man, sliced forward with our swords. It was like the rowing. We had all done this so many times that we acted as one. We punched with our shields and we slashed with our swords. The shields of the men of On Corn Walum were not composite. They were planks of wood held together with a crosspiece. Inevitably many of them shattered at the first blow from our swords. Their swords were crudely made and not tempered as well as those made by Bjorn. Half of the enemy line fell in that first attack and the other half had broken shields and bent swords. Some of the braver ones tried to fight on but the superior arms and strength of the Ulfheonar defeated them. It was like a morning mist in the east. One moment it was there and the next it was gone. Their courage evaporated and they ran. Being without armour and knowing the land they soon outstripped the younger warriors who pursued them.

  I allowed the chase to continue until the field was cleared of the enemy and then I had the horn sounded and called them back. Mark of Tintagel and the remnants of his band would easily make the castle of Tintagel before we could catch them. It would be a futile waste of effort. Besides I now had the information I sought. The three ships would be arriving soon. We needed do nothing save wait for them.

  I waved my son, Haaken, Cnut and Aiden over. Sigtrygg and the other warriors wandered the field ending the suffering of the wounded and gathering what little treasure they had. The two mailed horsemen had the most. Although the mail was poor both had golden pendants from which hung a green stone.