Hrolf the Viking (Norman Genesis Book 1)

by Griff Hosker

  I shook my head. "We have almost used the last of the limestone, lord. We would have to get more."

  He grinned, "Then perhaps we shall; master builder!"

  It took another ten days to complete the construction and begin to tidy up the settlement. Once the walls were finished and while we completed the gates the rest of the two crews set to building a second storehouse and animal shelter. We had many more animals and with two young boars amongst the piglets we were hopeful of increasing our herd. The shelter would make all the difference when the winter winds blew in from the west. It took us as long to hang the gates successfully as it did to build the animal store. However, as Siggi pointed out, the gates were far more important for they might be the difference between our survival and a bloody grave. As an added precaution Siggi insisted on a bridge which we could raise up and place inside the walls. We were so pleased when all the work was done that we had a feast and ate some of the older fowl which would no longer lay eggs.

  Ketil and Knut proved to be good singers and they sang some bawdy songs. When they became more serious they sang of our deeds. That was a little presumptuous. That night a sudden late summer storm blew up. It sounded to me as though the air was filled with howling ghosts and spirits. Ketil and Knut certainly felt responsible for they walked around with heads hung the next day.

  Sven had repaired the drekar but he worried that the storm might have undone his good work. He and his ship's boys swarmed over her the next day and it was they who raised the alarm. "Sail to the west!"

  The message was passed to the settlement. It caused consternation for it was rare to see a sail of any description and we had never seen one from the west. Ships stood well out to sea or headed for the Breton port to the north of us.

  The Jarl shouted, "Arm yourselves. Man the walls."

  This was the first time we had had the opportunity to see our defences at work. On the inside we had built up the soil by laying turf so that we could fight over the top. An attacker would need a ladder to do so. We left the gate open for we did not even know if the sail would approach. Sven and his boys raced in. "It is Raibeart and his knarr. He is sailing around to the old fishing place."

  We relaxed and yet no one chided Sven for the false alarm. It could have been danger. Most of the crew of 'Raven Wing' accompanied the Jarl down to the quay to meet with Raibeart. This could be just an accident but it was more likely that he came for a reason. We reached the quay before he did. The knarr was a tidy little ship. Jarl Dragonheart used it to trade. Often it was protected by some of his drekar while at other times it was used to spy. Dragonheart had many enemies and this was a way to keep an eye on them.

  When he stepped ashore his face was serious. That was not like Raibeart ap Pasgen. He spoke without preamble, "Jarl Dragonheart has sent me. You are in danger. Hermund the Bent has gathered the sweepings of the sea to come here to raid you. He heard of the raid on the Liger. Every captain from Miklagård to Lundenwic is talking of it. Some say that you took away six ships filled with treasure."

  Siggi laughed, "We have but two drekar!"

  Raibeart nodded, "Sane men do not believe it. Those who know you do not believe it but Hermund the Bent sailed with you once and his words have credibility among those who have been unsuccessful at raiding. You seem to have the golden touch. The Empire has put a huge price on you and your crew. Hermund the Bent wins whatever happens. Jarl Dragonheart wished that you should know." He hesitated, "He wanted to come but he is assailed on all sides by enemies. He would have sent a drekar with men to aid you for he knows you are his man."

  The Jarl waved away his apology, "We fight our own battles. We chose to come here and we will fight for our land." We all murmured our assent. "How many drekar and when can we expect the attack?"

  "I left Cyninges-tūn four days since. The winds were in my favour the whole way. The rumour came from Jorvik. It is now more Dane than Saxon. He was recruiting men there. I am sorry. I cannot tell you the numbers nor can I tell you when."

  "That was rude of me, Raibeart. Thank you for the information. Where do you go now?"

  "Back to Cyninges-tūn. I have some goods to trade at Dorestad and that will be my only stop."

  "Then I would beg a favour of you. We did find many treasures on the Liger. We have some Holy Books and treasures. Would you sell them for us in Dorestad? We are hunted there."

  Raibeart laughed, "Aye, that you are. You would trust me to get a good price?"

  "You are of the land of the wolf. Of course I trust you. We will come to Cyninges-tūn to collect the payment when this trouble is over. We will pay you a tenth as broker."

  "That is kind. We had better load my knarr. I would not wish to fall foul of the drekar of Hermund the Bent."

  "No indeed."

  It took some time to load the knarr and it was late afternoon when he set off towards the north. It took courage to do what he did. His ship was unarmed and he had a small crew of just twelve. He had to live on his wits and his skills as a sailor. I wished him good fortune.

  As we headed back to the settlement Arne Four Toes rounded on the Eriksson brothers. "Next time stick to the silly songs! You have angered the Norns!"

  They nodded their agreement. They knew they had.

  Once we had crossed the bridge we had to begin to plan. "Gunnar, I want ten of your men to stay with Sven and the two drekar. If Hermund the Bent has any sense then he will disable the ships. Without them we are trapped here." His brother nodded. "Sven, at the first sign of trouble I want you to cut and run. Sail wherever the wind takes you. Hermund the Bent was not the best sailor in the world. You should be able to out run him."

  "And you, Jarl, what will you do?"

  "I will stay with my people and we will defend our island. If we are meant to die then so be it but we will not go quietly!"

  Every warrior raised his voice in assent. The fact that we did not know what odds faced us did not worry us. We would fight to the death!

  Chapter 14

  I was used as a mobile sentry. I rode, the next morning, to the north west corner of the island where I watched for sails. I was grateful for I knew not if I would have the chance to ride Dream Strider much in the days to come. The rest of the warriors and the people worked tirelessly to prepare for an attack. Bagsecg worked from first light to produce arrow heads and sling shots from the lead candlesticks we had taken. He hammered out as many spear heads as he could. Water was gathered from the spring and the fish that had been drying on the shore were brought to the store room. The Jarl was seen as prescient for having the foresight to build a second store. We would need it now. The two crews made our home as impregnable as we could.

  I spent all day either on the tip of the island or riding around it. When I returned at night I was greeted with a sea of expectant faces.

  "No sign of an enemy."

  "Perhaps they will not come."

  "They will come, Arne Four Toes. If men are recruited from the cess pit that is Jorvik then it is for a reason. Hermund the Bent knows us and knows this island. He will come. We use this grace to make us a hard nut to crack."

  I was more worried about the night time. What if they came then? Our sentries would only see them when they were close to the walls. Could we afford to keep men on the walls all day and all night? Perhaps it was those worries which gave me my bad dreams. Warriors crept, like the ghosts and spirits of the dead from the very walls behind which we sheltered. I woke up with a start, sweating and fretful.

  Rurik was woken by my movements. "What is it? Have you heard something?"

  I shook my head. "I dreamed that warriors' spirits materialised from the very walls."

  He smiled and shook his head, "We built these walls. None are dead in here. Now in the farmhouse... aye there are spirits there."

  That was where my idea was born. I went the next morning to see Siggi. I explained my idea and, rather than pouring scorn upon it he thought there was enough merit in it to take me to the Jarl. He was eating w
ith his brother.

  "Hrolf has an idea, Jarl. I think it deserves a hearing."

  "Speak."

  "I worried last night that our enemies would come at night." I pointed to the west. "If they come that way then the men on the drekar will see them. They have to come from the north and there, we know, is only one place they can land."

  "The fisherman's hut and bay."

  "Aye, lord. I think we should have a couple of men placed there. They can act as sentries and give warning."

  "That is a good idea..."

  "There is more Jarl." Siggi White Hair was one of the few with the temerity to interrupt the Jarl.

  "Carry on Hrolf."

  "Hermund the Bent will lead and he knows the island but he also knows of the people he murdered. He will avoid the farmhouse; it is haunted. If the men who watched waited then they could kill in the night and prey on the men Hermund leads. If they were looking over their shoulder then they might think that spirits hunted them."

  "I am not so sure about that."

  Siggi said, "Our men did not murder anyone and yet they fear to be close to the huts at night."

  The Jarl viewed me with a critical eye, "This is not you trying to be Ulfheonar is it?"

  "No, Jarl, I would not be so foolish. I have not the skills but nonetheless I believe that three or four of us could move around this island we know and make them look over their shoulders. That is what we need; fear in their hearts. If we make them think that we are behind these walls they will think that their sheer weight of numbers will gain them entry. Imagine them each night waiting for the knife in the night and the cry of death."

  "You have convinced me of the idea but who would do this? Who has the heart to hide by the dead?"

  "I would."

  "Then you have more courage than I do, Hrolf the Horseman."

  "And I."

  I turned to Siggi and, summoning up all the courage I could muster I said, "Not you Siggi White Hair."

  His face reddened, "Not me!"

  "We need three or four men who are quick, young and can disappear. You will be needed behind the walls to give our people courage. I mean no disrespect, Siggi. I doubt not your courage."

  He was silent and then he smiled and nodded, "It takes courage to face an old bear like me and you are right. I would not be happy with slitting a throat and running away. The blood would boil and so would I. Then you need Ulf Big Nose for he is silent and he would be leader."

  The Jarl said, "And Alf the Silent."

  I nodded. I had been thinking of him.

  "And me. I will go."

  We all turned as Gunnstein Thorfinnson spoke. "You little brother? Have you the skills to be patient? Can you follow the order of someone like Ulf Big Nose?"

  He straightened his back a little and jutting his jaw said, "Brother I have made mistakes. I know that. But I have watched and I have learned. My men and I are part of this clan. We are new and we are raw but we would be part of this. I swear that I will obey orders. Let me do this."

  The Jarl looked at Siggi, who nodded. "Then I will send for Ulf and Alf. I will order no man to do this. If they volunteer then so be it."

  When they came it took a heartbeat for them to agree. Ulf looked not at me but at Gunnstein Thorfinnson. "I give commands!"

  Gunnstein Thorfinnson nodded, "You give commands."

  Ulf nodded, "We need a fifth."

  The Jarl frowned, "A fifth?"

  "Someone who can bring the message back to the settlement. He does not need to be silent. He needs to be quick." He rubbed his chin, "Karl Swift Foot. He is young but he can run as quickly as Dream Strider. We will need bows. They can kill silently." He smiled, "We need black feathers. If we give the shafts the feathers of the raven then it will add further fear to their hearts and minds."

  Siggi nodded, "And it sends a message to them that the dead are coming for them."

  I left for my patrol while Ulf and Siggi organised our ghosts. I looked out to sea but my mind was on the night and on our task. I had returned to the end of the island and, as it was late in the day mounted Dream Strider. As I peered north and west I saw something against the setting sun. I forced myself to close my eyes and open them again. There was no mistake. There were sails and there was more than one. It had to be Hermund the Bent.

  I estimated that they would take some hours to reach the island and so I watched for as long as there was light. I counted three drekar. When I entered the gate the faces were worried rather than expectant. Siggi said, "We thought something had happened."

  "And it has. I saw three drekar heading this way. They will reach the island before morning."

  The Jarl nodded, "Send a message to Sven. Ulf you know what you must do. May the Allfather be with you."

  "I will fetch my bow and catch you up."

  I dismounted and led Dream Strider to his stall. Erik One Hand hurried over, "Are they come?"

  "They are Erik. Tomorrow you get to test your skills with the sword."

  "Aye but I have something to fight for. I have a wife and an unborn child."

  "You are to be father?"

  He nodded shyly, "I am. Brigid felt it kicking."

  "Good I am happy. Will you care for Dream Strider? I know not how long I will be away."

  "Of course. I have missed him"

  I rubbed his mane. "I will return, Dream Strider."

  I went to the hall and grabbed my bow. I emptied the quiver for I would need the black fletched arrows. I donned my helmet and took my wolf cloak. We would not need our shields. Bagsecg had had no time to finish my mail. Wyrd. If I survived I would wear it. Ulf and the others waited impatiently. Rurik One Ear handed me my arrows and I put them in my quiver. The five of us left without further ado and we loped off behind Ulf.

  When we reached the hut he said, "You are now under my command. I am Hersir until this is over." He nodded to me, "Hrolf is the only one who has worked with me as a scout before. The rest of you listen. Use your eyes and your ears. Use your nose but from now on be as Alf the Silent and do not use your voice! We use hand signals. Hrolf knows them. Hrolf go and watch from the headland while I teach them."

  I went and looked out on the dark bay. The drekar would be beating down past the Breton coast. They would have to steer clear of the rocks which were there. That would add time to their voyage but once they saw the bay then Hermund would use his knowledge to move quickly inland to the hall. A whistle summoned me back to the hut.

  "I want Hermund the Bent to come here. We light a lamp so that he thinks there are people within. Gunnstein Thorfinnson go with Alf the Silent and Karl Swift Foot." He handed him some thin cord. "Cover the path with small stones from the beach. Walk up the side so that you do not disturb them. Lay trips at the head of the path. Half bury stakes so that when they fall they impale themselves. Work backwards so that you do not fall foul of your own traps. When you are done then go to that piece of high ground behind the midden. The stink will hide our smell."

  When they had gone he led me into the hut. He lit the seal oil in the dish. A soft glow filled the hut which seemed stark and empty. "We need to make your ghosts and spirits. Find any clothes you can."

  I heard him hammering behind me. I found a chest in the corner. I opened it and found a couple of shifts. They must have belonged to the woman who had been murdered. I returned with them to Ulf who had been fiddling on close to the door.

  "Excellent." He dragged the table over so that it was over where the dead fire would have been. "Tie the shift so that it hangs from the roof beams."

  It was not easy but I managed it. When I descended we moved the table to the back wall. He took the mattress which they had used for sleeping and laid it on the top. Then he placed the second shift upon it. He found a half broken pot and placed it at the top. In the glow of the light it looked like someone was sleeping.

  "Light a fire. I do not care if it smokes just so long as it is alight."

  There was kindling and wood chips in the corner
. They had been there so long that they were bone dry. Using my flint I soon had a fire going.

  Ulf turned from his work at the door. "Not too big. Go outside and fetch some damp wood which will burn slowly. Slip through the door and go around me."

  There was a narrow gap but I made it through. There were plenty of small logs and I chose the eight which were the dampest. I returned and put them on the fire. The room began to fill with smoke. Ulf nodded and pointed to the shift hanging from the roof beams. It was swaying in the air currents. The table and shift now looked, in the smoky interior, more like a body.

  "We are done. You go out while I finish this last trap." As I passed him I saw that he had rigged large stones above the door. They were supported by a piece of wood. When the door was opened the rocks would fall. He pointed to the floor, close to where he stood. There were sharpened stakes in the floor. That was what he had been hammering.

  We joined the others at the midden. "Karl go and stand closer to the bay. When you see them return to us. Say nothing. The fact that you are running for the settlement will tell us all we need to know."

  "Aye Ulf. May the Allfather be with you."

  He ran off and Ulf said, "This is the last time we speak until this is over. When they come they will investigate the fire and the hut. The traps and the trips will make them wary. The hut and its tricks will also make them both fearful and afraid. They will be in the dark. I want them looking to the ground. I will release the first arrow. You will all release five flights, no more. Choose your targets and do not waste an arrow. Then we run to the west. There are rocks and narrow paths. Hrolf will lead for he knows them well. We take them away from the settlement. When dawn comes we go to ground." He looked at me. "You judge."

  "Aye Ulf."

  "We evade them during the day and then we will strike at night. By then I am guessing that they will be attacking the walls."

  And that was it. We waited, each with an arrow ready to knock.

  Time passes slowly when you are waiting. Although we could not see the light from the hut we did not look there. We looked out to sea. There were clouds and the drekar would be able to slip in unseen. That was why Karl Swift Foot waited where he did. A sudden movement made my hand tighten on my bow and then Karl ran by. He raised his hand and was gone. Not a word was said. The four of us watched. The midden afforded some protection. It was higher than the hut and as we were kneeling we could not be seen. We listened.