The Land of the Northmen

by Griff Hosker

  Even though I was tired my wife knew that I would need to speak before I could sleep and so she brought out food and wine. My daughters were shooed off to bed. “You have laid to rest Folki’s demons then, husband?”

  “Aye. He is satisfied. I knew it had not sat well with him when we made peace with the Franks. He did not approve of my visit to the Issicauna with Father Michael. The burning of the new walls will bring him peace.”

  “The slaves you brought back, your men will treat them well?”

  I smiled, “You, of all people should know how we treat our slaves. Look around at those who came as slaves, Brigid, Ede, Cwen, Asser, Edward; all were slaves now they are part of the clan of the Horse. Answer me honestly, Mary, would you have been as happy if we had not taken you as a slave?”

  She was an honest woman. Her hand went to her cross, “You are right. I would have been married off by my father. It would probably be to someone like Henry of Carentan. It is hard, though, to reconcile freedom with slavery.”

  “The Allfather never promises freedom. It is something which must be earned.” She nodded. She did not believe in our Allfather but she had equated him with God, her god, and so we had a bridge of sorts between our religions.

  “And we have fine pots. They were on one of the merchant ships. I think they were bound for Lundenwic. You will be pleased with them.”

  “And does this now bring peace?”

  “Not quite. Before winter I intend to make the land to the south of Ċiriċeburh and west of Valognes our land and safe.”

  “You will make war on them?”

  “I will give them the opportunity to choose a life under our laws or the chance to march to the land of the Franks. There is no third way.”

  “You will be lord of a large land. It would be the size of a county. Will you give yourself a title?”

  I shook my head. “I am happy to be jarl. The title does not matter so long as the people are happy with my leadership. That is the way with our people. A crew can vote for a new captain. Warriors can challenge a leader.”

  “As happened on Raven Wing Island.”

  “Aye but we have a different clan now. As for the future? We must make Ragnvald into an even better leader than his father.”

  “And he will be. You are a good man and a good leader. The people know that. You will never be challenged and our son could not do better for someone to emulate.”

  It took three days to sort our and to apportion all of the captives and treasure. My wife helped to ease the worry of the captives. They knew she was of noble birth. They took reassurance from the fact that she was the lady of this land to which they had been brought. The presence of Father Michael also eased their minds. They were worried that we were pagans. A priest of the White Christ was a slave for their souls. It was better for us if they were settled. We did not want them to run.

  My son and Alain of Auxerre arrived back on the second day after our return. I sat with them by the shore. It was a cool fresh day and I wanted to make the most of what little sun there was before winter set in. “What have you discovered about the lands still under the Franks?”

  “There are no lords in those lands. At least no lords with mailed warriors. We found eight hamlets and none had more than six houses. There is one small fishing village to the north of us. It was still south of our land. It is just ten miles from Ċiriċeburh. That has the largest number of people. They, alone, appear to be prosperous.”

  “We could take them then?”

  Ragnvald laughed, “I could take them with my men. The land has been cleared but there are few farms. I know not why.”

  “I have heard that their coast is raided by the Bretons and the men of Angia. It may be that we just need to offer these people our protection. When Jarl Sigtrygg returns, we will ride and make them an offer.”

  “You will need someone to watch over their land, lord. It is eighteen miles to the coast from Valognes. It would be too far for my men to patrol.”

  Ragnvald leaned forward eagerly. I saw that he and Alain had spoken of this before they returned, “Then let me build a hall there, father. We could base a drekar there too if you wished.”

  “The hall might be worth considering but not a drekar. We would need a crew and the lord who is there would need to be mounted. As for you… I think you are too young.”

  Ragnvald did not seem put out. “I may be but who else is there? Bertrand, Gilles and Alain are your horse masters and they have duties already. Folki, Erik Long Hair, any of them could be your lord but they do not ride. I do. We have learned much since we first rode beneath your banner. I can do this. You have nothing to lose.”

  “Nothing save my son! I can replace warriors, Ragnvald. I cannot replace you. I will sleep on it.”

  He seemed satisfied, “Then I will go and see my mother. I have been absent too long.”

  I shook my head as he left. “He grows before my eyes. Was this the youth I was worried about riding to war? He has become a man overnight.”

  “Lord, if you wished my opinion then you could let him build a hall and be a hersir. He has the respect of his men. Tadgh and Gurth have been good for him. He has made mistakes and then he has learned from them. I would have him as my sergeant in a heartbeat. He is a leader, as you are.”

  “But we are getting ahead of ourselves here, Alain. It may be that Henry of Carentan disputes our occupation of the land we have and stops us from taking more.”

  Alain picked up a stone and skimmed it over the waves, “He will not, lord. You hurt him and hurt him badly. There were few prisoners we took after the battle of Valognes but those that we did take identified many lords who had died. He will not worry about the levy. They are villeins and peasants. They mean nothing to him save as bodies to hinder our passage. His lords however are different. He needs them to gather his taxes. He needs them to furnish the horses and men who will fight beneath his banner. There are no lords in the land we wish to take and, further south, there are estates without a lord for we slew them.” He laughed, “Our men wear armour made for lords who had gold to spend. King Louis will have to appoint new lords and then they will have to come north to take their lands from us. If your son is lord he can watch for them.”

  “That makes us better armoured but we are still outnumbered.”

  “At the moment that is true lord but when we patrolled we came upon wandering warriors. They are spreading the word that service for the Norse lord will bring great rewards and great victory.” He spread his hands, “Look at me; I was doomed to be a slave of the Moors. Now I am a lord with warriors and a hall. I have silver and gold aplenty. I own three horses and a full byrnie. My helmet is better than those worn by lords. Others hear this and they will wish to join you. I ride your land more than any and I have seen that your fields are filled with horses. If a hundred men came to join us we could mount them all.”

  “I will consider your words. Return in two days’ time. We will visit the lands you scouted. I will have Ragnvald come with us. I will judge if he is ready, as you suggest.”

  That evening I ate with Ragnvald and my wife. I listened more than I spoke. I heard his wisdom. It had seemingly come from nowhere. He was confident and understood our men. He spoke of young Vikings who did not wish to take an oar but to ride a horse and carry a spear. He talked of the land to the west and its potential. He spoke of strongholds to hold his mounted men from which they could ride forth and protect the people. I liked his vision. Perhaps the dream I had had all those years ago, was coming a little closer to reality.

  I rose the next day with a cleared mind and a desire to work. The call from my lookout tore me away from the study of the charts I had before me. I was planning our next raids. “Drekar! It is the ‘Cold Drake’ . She is not alone.”

  I rolled up my parchments and returned them to my chest. Ragnvald had already left to ride with his warriors. Alain had left the day before. By the time I reached the quay, Sigtrygg the Left-Handed had tacked around the island a
nd was preparing to turn his ship. The drekar behind him was small. I saw ten oars on each side. Was this a ship filled with more volunteers?

  I had noticed that Sigtrygg the Left-Handed smiled more now than he used to. He beamed at me as he strode along the quay to greet me. “We made a king’s ransom at the slave market! The priests and monks are highly prized. The Frankish men we took were bought to work in mines. Jarl Thorghest was delighted with our success.”

  I pointed to the Vikings who were now walking towards me, “And these?”

  “They are Norse and came to fight alongside Thorghest. They came too late. As you can see they have little mail and I think they have had little luck.”

  “Then I hope they do not bring their ill luck here.”

  He shook his head, “The Dragonheart’s daughter, Erika, spoke up for them. She has something of the volva about her. She said that she had dreamed and saw them riding beneath the banner of the horseman.” I remembered Erika as a playful young child. Now she was a woman grown. “I also picked up more men for my crew. I found some old shipmates. They wished to join me. When next we war, we will show the enemy that we have sown dragon’s teeth and bred new warriors!”

  I could not argue against that. What a change had been wrought in the dour warrior who had first come to me. The young warrior who led the new men wore an animal skin as a cloak. At first I thought it was a wolf and then realised it was a bear. He bore a savage scar down the left-hand side of his face. It ran from below his eye, down his cheek and across his neck. It was red and angry. It was a scar which would stay with him forever. He had shaved the other side of his face. It made him look different.

  “Jarl Hrolf the Horseman, this is Einar Bear Killer.”

  Einar gave me a grin. Because of the wound, it was a lopsided grin. The scarred side did not smile. He saw that my eyes were drawn to that side of his face. “As you can see Jarl Hrolf, I did not kill the bear so easily. He left a mark on me. I think it is a mark of honour. The women find it ugly.” He shrugged. “When I find the right one she will not mind. I am just grateful it did not take my eye.”

  “You are welcome, Einar the Bear Killer. I trust you will feast with us. I would enjoy hearing this tale.”

  “Of course.”

  As we walked up to my hall I asked, “And what would you have of us?”

  “I would join your clan. There are but twenty-four of us. We are good sailors and we are hardy warriors but there are not enough of us to raid. We hoped to fight for Jarl Thorghest but we arrived too late for he had subdued the Hibernians. Now I believe it was wyrd for we spoke to Sigtrygg the Left-Handed and heard of your great success. The Lady Erika said she dreamed that we followed you.” We had entered my gates and he pointed to the sentries. “All of your men have mail, fine helmets and good swords. We would have that!”

  “You are bold but we were not given them. We had to fight for them.”

  “Then we will fight too. Jarl Dragonheart’s daughter told us of your dream and how you made it come true. You have met a Norn and lived. You are lucky. We have had ill luck and the Lady Erika told us that you would change it.” He suddenly stopped and his voice became pleading, “I beg of you do not judge us by our drekar or our lack of mail. Give us a chance and we will prove that we are worthy to serve alongside you and your horsemen.”

  I liked the young warrior. He bore his wound well. He and his men proved good company. They were all young. His story was not unusual. The clan they belonged to lived in a poor part of Norway. With limited opportunities for raiding they were forced to sail the seas looking for jarls who needed warriors. They tried Orkneyjar and the islands but had found nothing. They had even tried seal hunting. It gave them some coin but not enough. I watched my wife as they told her the story of their journey. When they had finished, she smiled at me and nodded. It was enough. She had made her judgement and I trusted her.

  The next day I took Einar to one side, “You can join us and welcome. Would you wish your own hall? We have halls which now lie empty for we have recently conquered new lands.”

  “Winter is coming jarl. We will use one which is already built.” He hesitated. “And do we raid?”

  “We do. We have more mouths to feed. I intend to raid Cent and the isle of the sheep. Have you fought Saxons?”

  “No, jarl.”

  “They have fine swords and helmets! However, before we do that I would ride my land. Do you ride?”

  He looked hesitant. “I have ridden but I am not a good rider.”

  “We will make you into one. It might be instructive for you.”

  When my horsemen arrived to escort me, we left. I made sure that we were mailed and that I took my banner with us. I did not give it to Einar for he looked to be struggling on the back of the horse. I let Gurth carry it. He looked proud to be afforded the honour. I marvelled at the change in both of the Bretons. The rest of the captives had assimilated quickly but it had taken my son to bring them into the clan.

  We did not know the names of the places we visited. We did not need to know them. We would give them new names once we had taken them over. The Franks at the first hamlet, some four miles from Valognes, were fearful of us. They cowered and I had to use Alain and his men to force them to speak with us. There were just five men and three boys. It was a small group.

  I spoke their language. “I am Jarl Hrolf the Horseman. I am here because I defeated your lords and warriors. The land upon which you live is now the land of the clan of the horse.”

  I saw the eldest of the men nod, “And you wish us to leave.”

  I shook my head, “No, I do not. I am here to tell you that you are now part of the clan of the horse, if you so choose. If not then you have until the new grass grows to leave and find a new home south of here.”

  “We can stay?”

  “Aye but you do not serve the King of the Franks. You serve me.”

  “I am sorry, I do not understand. What does that mean? Do we have to give up the White Christ and become pagans like you? If we do then we will leave now.”

  “No. That is not what I meant. My wife worships the White Christ. My home has a stone church and three priests. You are welcome to worship there. Serving me means helping me to defend this land from any who would attack it.”

  “The King of the Franks?”

  “If he came then aye.”

  “Can we speak alone?”

  “Of course. We will water our horses.”

  As we were watering our horses Ragnvald said, “Why do we ask? We can tell!”

  “And that my son is why we do ask. He knows we could force him. I want people to follow me. This will work.”

  Before we left they agreed. The same conversation took place at all of the other hamlets. It left one to visit before we headed to Ċiriċeburh. It was the fishing port and the largest of the places. Crucially this was where Alain had advised me that we needed a hall. I wondered if this would go as well as the others.

  As we approached the men came out of their huts and they held weapons. There were fifteen armed men and I saw that the boys had slingshots. The women stood behind their men who had formed a semi-circle of swords and spears. None had mail and there were no helmets. I was not worried but I was intrigued. What made this hamlet so belligerent?

  I reined in and took off my helmet. I dismounted. I could sense the unease from my men. I approached the one I thought was the leader. “I am Jarl Hrolf the Horseman.”

  “I am Flambard the Fisherman and these are my family. These are my sons and daughters. You are the Viking who slew our lord. We know who you are! What do you want?”

  “Then you know that I am the master of this land and not Henry of Carentan. He lost and I won.”

  “We just want to carry on with our lives. We are fishermen!”

  “And you can carry on fishing. I do not wish to stop that.”

  “Then why are you here?”

  I did not like his tone. I could be conciliatory but I could also show my author
ity. “I am here to give you a choice. Accept me as your leader or leave this land and make a new home somewhere where Henry of Carentan has power for he has none here.”

  “And if we say no?”

  I did not need to say a word. All but Einar understood our words and, as one, my men drew their swords.

  “You would slaughter us?”

  “Without a moment’s hesitation. We would kill every man here. We would take your wives and your children and we would sell them. We would do it and you could not hurt us at all for we are warriors and we are of the clan of the horse. You would die for nothing. But you have another choice. If you say no, then leave. Climb into your boats and head south. Talk amongst yourselves. The decision you make this day will change your lives forever.”

  One of the women stepped forward. She was young, no more than thirteen summers. She put her hands on her hips and stood defiantly before me, “We are not afraid of you! Leave us alone to carry on with our lives!”

  “Mathilde, I am master here and I will speak with this lord.” He smiled for the first time, “My daughter is a little headstrong. She means no harm.”

  “I like spirit, Flambard. I will let you speak amongst yourselves.” I walked back to my horse, “What do you think Alain?”

  “I do not understand this. The others accepted it readily. We may have to do as you said, lord. These are hardy fishermen. They will die hard.”

  “They will but perhaps they will heed my words.”