by Griff Hosker
"I am Prefect Maurus of Amalfi. We have not seen ships like yours before."
"We come from the far north; the land the Romans called Britannia."
The Prefect nodded, "And I can see that yours is a ship of war. Those are warriors within are they not? Is that your purpose; war?" he seemed remarkably calm about the prospect. He had obviously never seen Vikings before.
"No we are here to trade."
It was as though Aiden had said some magic words for all of the men. "Then you are welcome. Pray tell us what you have to trade."
Aiden had written out, in Latin, what we carried and he handed the manifest to Maurus. After he had read it he asked, "May we inspect the goods you have to trade?" He shrugged, "We like to deal in quality merchandise."
"Ask him if it is acceptable for the men to come ashore."
Aiden translated. "Of course. We welcome all such traders."
Leaving Aiden to deal with the Prefect I returned to the ships. "We may trade here. Leave a watch on board." I turned to Siggi and Trygg. "Aiden is showing them what we have to trade but I do not know as yet what we can expect in return."
Trygg rubbed his hands together, "It matters not for this is a chance to trade and that is something we have not done for some time. You and the drekar can take much but there are some things which can only be obtained through trade."
We found that there were many merchants who lived next to the sea. They were happy to haggle and to bargain with us. More importantly, they dealt in gold and not just barter.
We left two days later having emptied our holds and then refilled them with goods from Amalfi. We both thought we had done well from the trade. We had goods which had come from Miklagård but we had not had to either sail there or pay the taxes. For their part they were delighted with our metals and asked for more. We headed back west with new trading partners and laden knarr.
Our joy lasted until we were just a day away from the straits. Cnut's sharp eyes spotted the lateen sails of the two pirate ships. They were heading towards us. We had planned for such an eventuality. Erik shouted, "Foreshorten the sail!" Karl signalled our two knarr to close up with us.
I looked at the masthead pennant. "How is the wind Erik?"
He pointed to his left, "It comes from the south east."
"Then we turn to steer board." He nodded. "I will tell the others." I turned to Aiden, "Get my helmet. The rest of you, arm yourselves we have pirates. Every warrior who has a bow get to the left side of the drekar."
My Ulfheonar moved calmly but I saw that the new warriors were nervous about the upcoming action. When we had fought the Saxons we had held the advantage. We had come upon them. These were tropical waters and we were in unknown territory. These pirates were in familiar territory and were hunting us. They were the sharks here!
Trygg and Siggi soon overhauled us and were just twenty paces from our stern. They were both good captains and had the skill to remain on station just twenty paces apart. Their archers, both of them, would guard Erik and our stern. I cupped my hands, "We turn to steer board!"
They both raised their arms to show that they had heard and understood. Aiden handed me my helmet. I saw Haaken speaking with Cnut Cnutson. He handed him his shield. "This is for you to protect your captain, Erik Short Toe. When we go into action do not leave his side. Without Erik we are lost." Cnut nodded. Haaken handed him a seax. "Take this for I will not need it this day. If you have to use it do not hesitate but push with all your might. If you can then rip it across the throat of an enemy; they die quicker that way." He ruffled his head, "Fear not, Cnut, for your father watches over you."
I made my way to the prow. Haaken and Sigtrygg followed me. The two Arab dhows were about fifty paces apart. I knew what they would do. They would wait until they had the chance to isolate the knarr and take them. They thought us big and slow. They did not know 'Heart' and they certainly did not know Erik. We were in his hands now. He had to judge the moment. He put the steering board over to point at the dhow to the south and west of us. Naturally both ships, nimble and lithe, corrected their courses to match us. Erik shouted, "Full sail!" as he put the drekar to steerboard.
Karl and Cnut ran to lower the sail and the drekar leapt to steer board. The combination of more wind and more sail meant we took the Arabs by surprise. We passed within thirty paces of the southernmost dhow. My men loosed arrow after arrow. The other dhow tried to turn too but he would not make the turn in time. Erik had the gentlest of touches and our prow came around so that we were heading for the bow of the dhow. A collision was inevitable. The dhow is a ship which is light and nimble. It is not sturdy. I jumped up to the prow. I would not need my shield. As the dhow's captain lowered his sail our bow struck the bow of the dhow. There was grinding and crunching as our heavier ship struck the delicate Arab vessel. I held on to our dragon prow as I slashed at the ropes which held the dhow's sail. As we bumped beyond the dhow my archers released arrow after arrow into the packed ship and I saw the sail flapping uselessly.
I swung back aboard as Erik shouted, "Foreshorten sail!" I ran down the ship to the stern.
Our plan was working; the first ship was trying to tack and beat to come up on us while the ship we had damaged was becoming lower in the water. We had sprung some of its planks. All we had to do now was to evade the first ship. Trygg and Siggi were bringing their knarr around in our wake when disaster struck. Trygg's ship's steerboard fouled some debris in the water. The undamaged dhow saw his opportunity and, loosing all his sail he hurtled after Trygg who was now some forty paces behind us. I could save Siggi but Trygg might have to be sacrificed.
"Erik, bring us next to the dhow!"
"But they outnumber us!"
"I will just use Ulfheonar." I turned and cupped my hands. "Siggi, lay alongside the other side of Trygg!" He waved an acknowledgement. "Ulfheonar, we board that dhow and slaughter them. The rest of you guard Erik and this ship."
Erik cleverly struck the Arab ship hard. I felt the timbers move and saw the Arabs as they fell. I leapt high into the air with a seax and Ragnar's Spirit. I landed heavily and turned my ankle. As I tried to rise a huge warrior brought his scimitar down towards my head. He was a big man and I made a cross of my seax and sword. I held his sword and I rammed my knee between his legs with all the force I could muster. His eyes crossed and he leaned back. I whipped my seax across his throat. I had attracted more Arab warriors and they fell upon me. I was struck on the side of the head and began to fall. I slashed wildly with Ragnar's Spirit and felt it tear against flesh. I saw a bare foot and I rammed my seax into it. I heard a howl and I jabbed upwards into the groin of a warrior.
This was not noble combat this was a fight to the death. The Ulfheonar were behind me and we began to force back the black wall of sweating, heaving humanity. I heard the shouts and cries from Trygg's boat as the Arabs who had boarded him began to slaughter his crew. I hoped that Siggi could reinforce him from the other side of his ship. We had to clear this dhow!
I suddenly spied a space as Ulf slew a pirate. I darted through the gap. If I could kill the captain then we stood a chance. He was a pale Arab wearing a helmet and surrounded by four warriors. They too had helmets. These five were the only ones wearing helmets that I had seen. "Sigtrygg, Snorri, follow me." These two had just slain their enemies and the three of us moved up the dhow.
I blocked a scimitar with my sword and ripped my seax across the throat of a pirate. Sigtrygg brought his sword over his head and smashed a sword into two before hacking into the neck of another. We were making our way closer to the captain. The Arab saw our approach and he yelled something. His four body guards headed purposefully towards us. They each had a piece of mail hanging from the helmet and it protected their necks. Their scimitars were longer than our swords and looked to be better made than the one smashed by Sigtrygg. Each had a small buckler which covered just their hands.
The dhow moved more than our stable drekar and it was hard to keep our balance. I saw that as an
opportunity. "We fight as a wedge. Stay close and move fast when I say."
"Aye Jarl."
I decided to take on the second warrior from the right. His companion was close to the side. We had not had time to don our mail and I hoped that the lack of mail would give us more speed and agility. "Now!" We took three quick steps to bring us close to the warriors. They had not expected us to attack in that manner. The scimitar came down a fraction slower than my sword stabbed forward. The pirate tried to bring his small shield to stop the blow but my seax found the gap and I brought it around into the warrior's left side. I pushed it up under his ribs. Even as my opponent was dying Snorri was throwing the end warrior over the side. I brought my sword around to slash into the back of one of the two warriors facing Sigtrygg. Snorri raced to the captain while Sigtrygg ended the life of the last bodyguard. The captain was wearing a short mail shirt and he too had a scimitar and a shield. I was about to join Snorri when I heard a cry from Cnut Cnutson, "Jarl Dragon Heart!"
I turned and saw that some pirates had managed to get aboard my ship and were pressing the stern. "Sigtrygg, Snorri, get back aboard the 'Heart'." My weakened ankle would slow me down too much. They scrambled over the side and clambered back aboard the drekar. I approached the captain. He shouted something at me. I ignored him. He had seen how I fought and he would be prepared. I feinted with my sword and his shield came up easily. He jabbed the wickedly curved scimitar towards me and I was barely able to deflect it with my seax. As we circled each other I saw that the second dhow was moving slowly across the sea towards us. We did not have long to finish off this ship.
The Arab punched at me with his shield. I used Ragnar's Spirit to block the blow but it numbed my hand. I had to hold it lower. This was no good. A seax was not as good as a shield in a contest like this. His mail would stop my seax from striking flesh. I had a sudden flash of inspiration. The Arab grinned; he swung his scimitar back handed to make me use my sword to block it. I did not oblige him. Instead I dropped to one knee and stabbed the seax through the Arab's foot to pin it to the deck. I then used two hands to ram the sword up into the Arab's unprotected groin and belly. I kept pushing until my hands touched flesh. When his bowels emptied then I knew that he was dead. I tore my sword out and his lifeless body fell to the hot wooden deck.
As I pulled my seax from his foot I saw that we had cleared the dhow. My eyes narrowed as I saw Magnus Slender Leg and his three companions finishing off the wounded. I sheathed my seax and sword. Looking towards Trygg's knarr I saw that my captain was bleeding but he raised his hand when I waved. Sigtrygg shouted, "Jarl, the other dhow, it is approaching."
I nodded, "Take what treasures there are and get back aboard the drekar." I took the mail shirt, scimitar and helmet from the captain. He had jewels on every finger and around his neck. I took those too. I saw a box by the stern and I picked it up. I was about to leave when I spied a purse hanging from his belt. I took it also. My weakened ankle meant that I was the last to leave the dhow. I barely managed to scramble aboard my drekar.
I deposited my treasure at the stern. "Haaken get the men on the oars!" I looked towards the dhow which was now heading towards us. We had the wind but I had already seen how agile the dhows were. "Erik when we struck his bow we will have damaged him. I want you to strike him a glancing blow with our bow."
"We cannot ram him, Jarl. We might have weakened the prow already."
I shook my head. "He will turn and not risk us ramming I want you to nudge him. With luck it will spring his hull or perhaps discourage him." I waved an arm around the bloody deck. "We cannot fight another battle."
He nodded, "It is your ship, Jarl."
"No Erik this is your ship and you will save her."
I saw that we had lost men in the fight. I would discover who later. My priority was to eliminate the threat of the dhow. "Haaken when I give the command get the oars in quickly!"
"You had better make it soon, Jarl, for the men are tired beyond belief." I nodded. The new men had the shocked look of those who had been to the Underworld and returned.
The dhow was approaching us bow to bow. We had the wind and we were flying. The oars gave us extra speed and the dhow's captain was struggling to adjust his own, already damaged vessel. He had seen how tricky we were. I could almost see what he intended. He would sail along our side, destroy one set of oars and then swoop on the rearmost knarr knowing that he would have the weather gauge and could easily out sail us.
"Ready Erik?"
I heard him sigh, "I am."
"Haaken, oars in!"
The men were ready for the order and they slid the oars inboard so quickly that it must have appeared to the Arabs as though they had disappeared. Erik put the steerboard over hard and then brought it back. It was skill of the highest level. The Arab tried to get out of the way but the damage we had done to his bow made his turn slower than he would have wished. The steerboard side of our drekar ground along the side of the dhow. Had we had archers then they could have slain many of the dhow's crew. As it was I saw them thrown into disarray as our heavier vessel ran down the side of the greyhound of the sea. When we passed their stern I saw that the bottom was already filling with water and the captain waved an angry fist at us. The two knarr sailed closely behind us. By the time Siggi's ship had passed the dhow it was up to its thwarts in the Blue Sea. We had escaped.
Chapter 3
It was only after I turned my gaze from the sinking ship that I realised that I was standing on a slick and slippery deck. The bodies of two of the ship's boys along with Thorir Haroldson and Gunnstein Tryggson lay at my feet. "I am sorry Erik, I thought that just taking my Ulfheonar would have left enough men to guard you."
Erik's eyes narrowed, "You did leave enough Jarl." An accusing finger pointed down the ship. "Those four followed you aboard the dhow!"
Every eye followed the finger and heard his words. I saw Magnus Slender Leg and his companions looking defiantly back at me. He stood and nodded, "He is right! We came here to fight and not to sit and guard a couple of ship's boys!"
Haaken suddenly leapt at Magnus Slender Leg and put his hands around his neck. Sigtrygg and Snorri intervened and pulled Haaken away.
"I will kill you for that!"
Magnus Slender Leg rubbed his neck. Sigtrygg back handed him across the face. "I did not stop him from killing you for any other reason that it is the Jarl's right to punish someone who disobeyed his orders."
Magnus looked at Sigtrygg as though he had spoken a foreign language. "We joined this venture to go A-Viking!"
Snorri laughed, "You are a fool, Magnus Foresworn! You do not join this venture as you put it. You follow the Jarl and you obey his orders. Take their weapons!"
My Ulfheonar had been ready and the four of them were secured and disarmed in a heartbeat. "What is this?" There was incredulity in Magnus' voice.
Sigtrygg struck him again. "Silence. The next time you open your mouth I will cut out your tongue!" The look in Sigtrygg's eyes left Magnus in no doubt that he meant it. "Jarl, your judgement."
I limped towards them. I saw that they had taken weapons from the dead on the dhow. Their greed had led to the deaths of our ship's boys and two young warriors. "Snorri has named all of you: Magnus the Foresworn, Thord the Foresworn, Rolf the Foresworn and Alf the Foresworn. Your old names died with those you should have protected. I have the right to have you killed here and now but I do not choose to do so. This was your first voyage but it will be your last. When we return to Cyninges-tūn you will say goodbye to your family and you will then be banished. You will be outlawed. I would leave you in Al-Andalus but it is right that your mothers have the chance to say goodbye to you."
The Ulfheonar all began to stamp on the deck and chanted, "Dragon Heart! Dragon Heart!"
Aiden came to my side. "Come Jarl and I will tend to your foot."
I allowed him to take me to the stern. The bodies were still there. I saw Cnut Cnutson looking terrified. "Before you do that Aiden, cove
r the bodies. We will need to bury them."
He nodded and found some old cloaks to cover them. I looked at Erik. He pointed ahead, "We will bury them beyond the straits. This Blue Sea is not their sea. They will join their fathers from our own waters."
I nodded, "So be it."
Aiden took off my boots and put my foot in a bucket of sea water. Haaken joined me. I could see that he was still angry. "Sigtrygg should have let me kill him. It will be better for everyone."
I suddenly remembered why Haaken was so angry. "I know that Thorir was the son of your sister but think of their mothers." I waved a hand at the four warriors who sat apart around the mast fish. "These have committed a crime but not their mothers. It is my judgement."
Haaken's face softened, "That is the blood of your mother coming through. A true Viking would have slain them without any thought of their family. A Norse gives his son a sword and then says, 'Now go and earn your life'."
"And as we both know I am not Norse," I laughed.
We buried our comrades at sunset when we had entered the grey waters beyond the Pillars. All but Magnus the Foresworn joined us. I think the other three regretted their actions but Magnus was their leader. It was a pity that he had not been able to follow our code. In the fullness of time he might have been a fine warrior; possibly good enough to be Ulfheonar. Now he would be an outlaw and would hire his sword out or join others such as we beyond our world and our people.
It was only then I remembered the box I had taken from the Arab ship. I opened it. Aiden's eyes widened. "It is a time device."
"A what?"
Aiden took out the glass container. It was wide at the top and the bottom and narrow in the middle. One half appeared to have sand within it. Aiden turned it upside down and the sand began to drop. "It is a way of measuring time. When the sand has run through then you turn it and measure again."
