by Griff Hosker
"I am." It was what I expected from Aiden, honesty.
Our meal with my son and his family meant we did not get home until well past dark and we both retired; Aiden to pore over manuscripts and me to stare at the moon and wonder why my wife did not speak to my mind.
The next day we had our ponies packed with all that we would need for our voyage. My seax and Ragnar's Spirit had been kept sharp but unused. The larger blue stone sat proudly in the pommel of my sword while the smaller one resided in the top of my seax. My wolf cloak I wore but not my mail. I had no need in my land. My shield and helmet, along with my spear rested on my spare pony.
The crew were gathered. My Ulfheonar had chosen twenty one young men. I smiled when I saw the ship's boy who stood next to Haaken. "Cnut Cnutson! Does your mother approve?"
Cnut's red eyed wife nodded, "Aye, Jarl. I cannot keep Cnut's son at home and Haaken One Eye has promised to watch over him."
Haaken smiled, "All of the Ulfheonar will watch over our old comrade's son. He will return safely."
Kara who had just appeared shook her head, "It does not do to antagonise the Norns, Haaken One Eye. Do not make promises you cannot keep."
"Then I will promise that if the sea swallows up our drekar Cnut Cnutson will be tied to a mast so that he may paddle his way home watched over by his father and the spirits of the Ulfheonar."
It was a silly statement to make but it worked, my men all cheered and banged their shields. I turned to Kara, "Watch my people for me. We will return in half a year if the Gods and the Norns are willing."
"Fear not, Father. Mother will watch over you no matter where you are." She kissed me on my cheek. "I am sorry for bringing so much trouble to you."
I hugged her, "Your mother and I chose to bring you and your brother into this world. How can you be any trouble to me?"
We waved goodbye to our loved ones and turned to leave by the large gate. We left Cyninges-tūn to march to our ship. Our emotions were a mixture of excitement and sadness. It was hard to explain to someone who had not gone A-Viking.
The drekar was waiting for us but the knarr had sailed to the estuary. They had trade goods to load. Karl, the senior ship's boy was waiting at the gangplank. He was keen to see who he would be training. Erik Short Toe stood behind him. It was Haaken who presented him. "Captain, this is Cnut Cnutson; he is you new ship's boy."
"Welcome, Cnut. I knew your father well and know that I started much as you did. You have a whole world awaiting you. Karl will instruct you. Listen to him and you will not go far wrong."
It always seemed chaotic when we first boarded the drekar especially with so many new men. Haaken took over Cnut's role and assigned where the men would sit. They put their chests at the oar he indicated. I could rely on his judgement. Weaker men would be paired with stronger men; lighter with heavier. All was to do with balance. The drekar was a finely balance war machine. It was not a lumbering drekar. Aiden and I put our chests at the stern. We had space beneath the deck but it always took time to get something you needed and we had learned long ago that no matter how much you planned if the chest was below deck you would need something from it. It was easier to have the chests on deck and they gave some shelter from the elements to enable us to sleep. I had my old wolf skin which I used as a blanket too. It would keep out both the spray and the rain.
Eventually all was ready and Erik snapped, "Get a move on or we shall miss this tide!"
On the drekar he was the captain and only I could or would overrule him. I rarely did so. He knew his business. Once in position we began to row. Haaken sang our latest rowing song. The new men would soon learn it.
The storm was wild and the Gods did roam
The enemy closed on the Prince's home
Two warriors stood on a lonely tower
Watching, waiting for hour on hour.
The storm came hard and Odin spoke
With a lightning bolt the sword he smote
Ragnar's Spirit burned hot that night
It glowed, a beacon shiny and bright
The two they stood against the foe
They were alone, nowhere to go
They fought in blood on a darkened hill
Dragon Heart and Cnut will save us still
Dragon Heart, Cnut and the Ulfheonar
Dragon Heart, Cnut and the Ulfheonar
The three knarr were there waiting for us. I saw that they all rode low in the water. That was a good sign. They were well laden. It was a happy omen that we sailed towards dusk. We would pass the treachery that was Mann in the dark and we would negotiate Ynys Mon at dawn. Once we had passed those two places our journey would be uneventful until we reached On Corn Walum.
The winds were with us as we sailed down the coast. The warriors had been able to stop rowing once we had passed the Lune. The knarr had to rely on sails. They had four oars but they were for an emergency only. I was able to sit on the chest and watch my men, new and old as they spoke and moved around the drekar. The Ulfheonar were the centre of attention. All wanted to know what it was like to be a wolf warrior. The exceptions were four young warriors who kept to themselves. They were all quiet.
Magnus Slender Leg looked to be the leader of the little group. He and the others had not grown up in Cyninges-tūn. Their mothers had all brought them there three years since after a combination of a bad winter, Hibernian raids and wild wolves had driven them from the home to the north of Lang's dale. Their fathers were all dead. They had all been youths then but my people had taken them in and all had been cared for. In the settlement they had kept apart. It would be interesting to see how they got on aboard my drekar. The other three, Thord the Big, Rolf Arneson and Alf Red Hair could be a valuable asset in a battle for they would all fight together. That was never to be discounted. Haaken had allowed them to sit together towards the middle of the oars. That way they would learn from the more experienced rowers around them.
Haaken was the leader of the Ulfheonar now. Sigtrygg might be the better warrior and Snorri the better scout but the warrior they all looked to when I was not there was Haaken. It was reassuring for Haaken had been with me as a fighting companion since before we even dreamed of becoming Ulfheonar.
Up at the top of the mast were Karl and Cnut Cnutson. I smiled. That was the most precarious of perches. It had been many years since I had done so but you never forgot. It was necessary at the moment as Mann was to the west and soon Ynys Mon would be to the south. It was doubtful that there would be ships hunting us at night but it paid to be careful. It would help the new ship's boy to gain confidence. I wondered if his father would be watching from the Otherworld. As he had come aboard I had seen that someone had made him a crude copy of the wolf which I had given, made in gold, to my Ulfheonar. He wore it around his neck as his father had done with his golden one. Cnut's wife now had her husband's. Many of the new warriors had had copies made. I took it as a compliment; most warriors wore Thor's hammer about their neck. My men preferred the wolf.
When dawn came we were passing the island of Ynys Enlli, as the Welsh named it. We were able to relax a little for our enemies were to the north of us. Most of the men slept. Karl sent Cnut to sleep while just Erik and I stayed by the steering board. We would both sleep when we pulled into a cove later that day. We did not make a habit of sailing at night.
As Cnut curled up in a ball at the bow with the other ship's boys I asked Erik, "What think you of Cnut Cnutson?"
"He is much like his father. He is serious and he listens more than he speaks. Those are good things but unlike his father there is sadness within him. His eyes show that he misses his father."
I nodded, "You and I are lucky, Erik, we barely knew our fathers. In my case he was a Saxon who beat me. You were too young to grieve. Cnut grew up in a village where his father was a hero and he was taken before he had time to know him."
"Who knows, Jarl, that may make him a better warrior."
"You think he will be a warrior?"
"That dep
ends. Ask me after this voyage and I will tell you." He pointed to the mast head. "Karl will not be a warrior. He likes the sea and he would be a captain like me. The others do this to be close to warriors and to watch them much as you did, Jarl. That is good for we need more warriors than captains do we not?"
And so we sailed south. The kindly winds meant that we were able to reach the coast south of the Sabrina where we found a sheltered beach for the night. I slept well.
As we sailed the next morning along the coast of On Corn Walum, we headed our small fleet. I wanted any watchers on the cliffs, and I knew there would be some, to recognise us for what we were, Vikings. When we passed Mark of On Corn Walum's lofty eyrie, I looked for any sign of his warriors. There was none. We were more worried as we passed the islands which marked the end of old Roman Britannia. The Ulfheonar knew that a witch lived there. If you sought her you never found her but if she had a message for you then the tides and the weather conspired to send you to her clutches. All but Aiden breathed a sigh of relief when we passed them. Aiden always liked to speak with the witch.
It was as we headed east that the Norns begin to play with us. The rope on the rudder boss suddenly began to fray. Erik stared at it. "Jarl we replaced that but seven days ago. It should not fray."
I stared back at the islands some four leagues to the west. "I do not think it is anything you could have avoided. How long to replace it?"
"We will need to stop. That means lowering the sail. Then it is a quick job."
"In that case get the sail down. I will speak with Trygg when they come abeam of us." One of our signals was that if our sail came down unexpectedly then the knarr should close with us. Trygg's knarr was the closest to us. "Snorri, take Bjorn the Scout and your bows. Go to the bow and keep watch."
With the sail down we slowed dramatically. I cupped my hands as Trygg began to lower his sail and he came to speak with me. "Trouble, Jarl?"
"A frayed rope."
"Should we wait?"
I shook my head, "Erik says it will not take long and we are faster than you anyway. Keep on course and we will follow." He waved his goodbyes and the sail was raised.
I could see that Erik was angry by the way he snapped at Karl and Cnut. It was not his usual way. "Erik, this is not your doing. It is wyrd."
"I know but the ship is my responsibility."
"You will work better if you put the past behind you."
"Aye Jarl."
Almost by saying the words calmed him down and he worked with Karl and Cnut. He wasted no time on the old rope. He severed it cleanly while the boys held the two parts of the rudder boss together. He began to whip the new rope tightly around the two pieces to hold them in place. It was a neat job but to do it as well as Erik required both great strength and skill. He said, "Let go boys."
They released their hold on the offending item and I saw the blood rushing back to fingers which had held tightly for fear of Erik's wrath.
"Good that will hold. Hoist the sail boys and well done!"
I knew by his tone that he was embarrassed with the way he had spoken to his crew. It was all part of the lesson of leadership. As I looked ahead I could see that the three knarr had disappeared over the horizon.
"Haaken we will row a little to catch up with our knarr. I like not them being out of sight." Snorri and Bjorn began to come back from the prow. "No you two keep watch. When we sight them we can stop rowing."
It would be no bad thing to exercise the men and have them working in harmony. We needed to row faster. Haaken began a different song from the one we had used before.
Ulfheonar, warriors strong
Ulfheonar, warriors brave
Ulfheonar, fierce as the wolf
Ulfheonar, hides in plain sight
Ulfheonar, Dragon Heart's wolves
Ulfheonar, serving the sword
Ulfheonar, Dragon Heart's wolves
Ulfheonar, serving the sword
With the sail unfurled and the oars biting into the choppy sea we leapt like a greyhound after a hare. This speed could only be kept up for a short time but it would enable us to catch our other ships.
"Up to the masthead, Cnut."
"Aye, Captain."
Cnut could not swarm as agilely as Karl but he was soon seated comfortably on the top of the spar. He had not been there long when he shouted, "Two ships following the knarr."
Had it been Karl he would have been able to identify them. Were they warships or merchants? Erik said, "Karl go and tell us what they are."
He was soon next to Cnut. "They are Saxons, captain. They have a small sail and oars. They are closing with Siggi's ship."
"Haaken, let us catch up with them."
"Aye Jarl. Come on warriors and row! Are you women? Cnut and I could row faster on our own!"
We went back to the first chant but Haaken and the crew chanted faster. It made the blood rush through our veins just to hear it.
The storm was wild and the Gods did roam
The enemy closed on the Prince's home
Two warriors stood on a lonely tower
Watching, waiting for hour on hour.
The storm came hard and Odin spoke
With a lightning bolt the sword he smote
Ragnar's Spirit burned hot that night
It glowed, a beacon shiny and bright
The two they stood against the foe
They were alone, nowhere to go
They fought in blood on a darkened hill
Dragon Heart and Cnut will save us still
Dragon Heart, Cnut and the Ulfheonar
Dragon Heart, Cnut and the Ulfheonar
Of course the song and chant helped and we were soon flying through the waves. I donned my helmet and grabbed my shield. I left my sword in my scabbard for a spear was more use at sea. The Saxon ships were not as well made as ours and a larger mast and sail would break their backs. It meant they relied more on oar power. For that reason they had a bigger crew than we did. However our larger sail meant we could easily catch them.
"Erik, take the one on the right. Use our bow to break his steering board. With him out of the way we will take the other."
I was not afraid of fighting Saxon ships but if they caught just one knarr we would lose a fine ship, a crew and our trade goods. Speed was essential. 'The Heart of the Dragon' did not let me down. With a bottom free from weed and young men who were hardy and strong rowing we barely touched the water.
The Saxons had been overconfident too. They had no watcher at the stern. They were too concerned with the three knarr. It would prove their undoing. We had rammed another ship some time ago and Bolli had added strengtheners at our bows. Bjorn Bagsecgson had fitted two thin pieces of metal along the keel. He would have to renew it every three years or so but it gave us a strength which no other drekar possessed. We headed for the stern of the right hand ship.
Inevitably we were seen. My huge sail with the wolf stitched upon was hardly subtle and when we were just a hundred paces from their stern they saw us. The first lookout died when Snorri's arrow pitched him overboard. The captain of the Saxon ship aided us by trying to turn towards the other Saxon. It gave Erik a clear view of the rudder. Snorri and Bjorn were releasing arrows as fast as they could knock them. I joined my men at the bow. They had men protecting the captain with their shields. Snorri hit one of the shield bearers and he slumped to the ground. I took the opportunity of hurling my spear at no more than ten paces. It struck the captain in the side and pinned him to the deck.
"In oars!"
I did not want our oars shearing when we collided. I heard the sound of oars being withdrawn.
At that exact moment Erik put the bow over and we struck the flailing steering board. There was a horrible grinding sound as the metal strips on our hull ripped the board in two and made two of the strakes in the lower hull spring. We continued down the side and we sheared the oars of the Saxons. Even as we passed them the ship began to take on water. The crew began to bail but it w
as a futile gesture.
We were travelling so quickly now that we left them in our wake and Erik put the steering board hard over as we headed for the second Saxon. We could not repeat our manoeuvre and would need to try something else.
"Arm yourselves. We will thin the crew out as we pass."
We were approaching bow to bow. Our large sail gave us both speed and the ability to turn quickly. The Saxon had to rely on oars. Snorri and Bjorn continued to release arrows as we approached. Now they threw them to land amongst the rowers. The wounds they caused affected their rhythm and the ship moved erratically. Erik nudged the steering board slightly and our steerboard side smashed into the oars of the Saxon. My men hurled their javelins into the bottom of the ship. They could do nothing in return for they were rowing.
As we came about I made a decision. "Erik, lay us alongside. We will end this!"
I drew Ragnar's Spirit and went to the rear of our drekar where I could leap aboard their stern. I wanted to face their leader in battle.
'The Heart of the Dragon' was a lithe and nimble vessel and Erik was a very good captain. We spun around the stern of the Saxon while their crew attempted to get some sort of order on a ship which lay filled with dead and wounded warriors. Some had succumbed to arrows and spears whilst others had been struck by shearing oars. I heard Erik shout, "Take in sail!" We slowed to the same speed as the Saxon and I just leapt on to the lower Saxon ship shouting, "Ragnar's Spirit!"
I landed on the back of a sailor who had fallen as we bumped next to the Saxon. I heard his spine break as my full weight fell upon him. I swung Ragnar's Spirit sideways. Neither side wore armour. A sword would inflict a wound if it struck. My sharpened edge ripped through the side of the warrior who swung his axe at my shield. I tore the sword free as another axe tried to strike at my head. I adjusted my grip so the edge of my shield met the axe head. There was metal there and it halted the downward strike. My hand darted forward as I stabbed at the shieldless Saxon. The sword scraped off his ribs and then his spine as he fell lifeless at my feet.
All around me was confusion and chaos as my more experienced warriors, all armed with a shield, tore into the Saxons who moments earlier had been rowing to capture a helpless knarr. I heard a roar from behind me and a giant of a Saxon hurled himself down the centre of the ship making directly for me. He barged my men out of the way despite their thrusting of swords and spears at him. He seemed impervious to pain. I braced myself but he did not stop. I barely had time to raise my shield and thrust my sword forward. He did not stop. My sword embedded itself in his sides and the hilt was only stopped by his ribs. He fell on top of me and I saw his mouth open wide. I was assailed by the smell of fish and stale ale. He was going to tear out my throat with his teeth! I managed to, somehow, bring my shield up so that it was between my throat and his teeth. I dropped my sword so that I could reach my seax and gut him. Suddenly I saw a sword swing and hack into the back of the neck. He flopped sideways to bleed to death on the bottom of the boat. Haaken reached a hand down to pull me up.
