Baron of the North (20 page)

I was too distracted with the urn to wonder where he had gone and we carefully pulled it out. It had survived remarkably intact. The top was sealed with wax and I took out my knife and ran it around the edge to break the seal. I levered off the cork stopper and a musty smell struck me.  Reaching into its depths I felt around and found a piece of cloth which I pulled out. Very carefully I unwrapped it and saw , sparkling in the morning sunlight, a beautifully cut blue stone.  It was as Athelstan had described it, the pommel stone from Harold Godwinson's sword. What did this mean?

I held it in my hand and felt a shiver run down my spine.

Atticus returned and he, too, held something in his hand.  "My lord, after you and your father left I was cleaning out the rooms and I found this lodged and hidden beneath a chest. I would have sent it after your father but I knew not where he would be.  I had forgotten it until you found the urn." He opened his hand and I saw a golden wolf with two blue eyes. It was half the size of the freedman's hand. The stones were the same as the pommel stone but were much smaller.  There was a loop which showed that it could be worn around the neck. I had seen similar tokens around the necks of the Varangian Guard but they were normally Thor's hammer. He handed it to me. Once again I felt a thrill as I touched the metal. I looked up at Atticus. "What does this mean?"

"I know not, sir. I had never seen it but the place I found it was where your father kept his old clothes from the time he had first come to the city."

I now had a mystery to solve but I knew that I had been meant to come here.  The punishment I had received was nothing of the kind. The Norns my father had mentioned wanted me to come to Miklagård and to claim my inheritance. They wanted me to possess these two treasures. I knew not why …yet.

"Have you a leather thong, Atticus?"

He scurried away and returned quickly with one. I threaded the token on to it and tied it around my neck.  The blue stone of the eyes and the pommel, I noticed, was the same blue as the blue of the surcoat.  It was almost unnatural. Leofric dropped to one knee, "Baron, this is a sign."

"I know."

"But what does it mean?"

"I have no idea at all and perhaps we will never discover the reason.  It may have died with my father but these two objects will change my life.  Of that I am certain."

Sophia was true to her word. She found me the most wonderful presents to take back. There were dresses for Adela and cunningly made toys for the children.  She insisted on buying some bowls and dishes for our home which she had carefully packed in straw and sent to the ship. Through her contacts in the market we took back sacks of spices at knock down prices as well as cases of lemons and oranges. We also managed to buy two bolts of a fine blue cloth that I would be able to use for my surcoats.  It came from the east and its journey was in the weave of the fabric for it smelled of spices and the east. All of the goods were packed in chests which were watertight.  Sophia had a good head for business and she knew the vagaries of the sea.  As she said to me, "What is the point of paying a high price for goods and then allowing them to deteriorate when you transport them."

When I tried to pay for the goods she had acquired for us she chastised me, "What else have I to spend my money on? Your mother and I were friends and she was taken by the Lord far too early.  My son is away and I want to indulge you." She had laughed, "I am enjoying this. Your children whom I will never see may be the grandchildren I will never have.  I am a young woman once more."

All too soon it was time to go.  It was sad for all of us. Leofric had grown more than fond of the generous lady and I knew that she had enjoyed the laughter and the company.  The house would be emptier when we left.  Her final gift to us both were two suits of lamellar armour.  Leofric's had been Basil's when he was younger but mine was the armour of a strategos.  It was her husband's. "Basil has one suit but you shall have this. I have heard that the seas are now dangerous.  Protect yourself. If I do not see you again remember that I think of you each night, along with my son and your name is sent to God with my prayers. If I am not meant to stay in this world then I will watch over you and Basil from heaven."

I left with a heavy heart and I heard Leofric sniffing back the emotion he felt.  We said not a word on the way back to the ship and Dai.  We would be returning home but I was sadder now than the first time I had left.

The ten Varangians who had been wounded and were returning to England with us were already at the ship when I arrived.  I got to know them on the voyage but at that moment in time I was distracted and wanted to be alone. "Whenever you are ready, Dai, we can set sail."

All of our presents and purchases were in the hold but I had the pommel stone in a leather pouch around my neck along with the wolf token.  They made me feel better; it was as though I had a link to my father.  He had left the stone for a purpose. I could not divine the thinking behind it. As we headed out to sea I stood, alone, by the bow castle. Meeting Basil had also been unexpected.  In my three days in the city I had not met any of my other old friends. Had I been meant to see him? Was he what I would have been if I had not left the city? A sudden gust of wind brought the smell of the city to my nose and I knew that was it.  I had not been ready to receive the pommel.  I had had to prove myself. I was now ready to use it. The question remained; for what?

I turned, suddenly, and saw my men below me, peering over the side for their last look at Miklagård. All of them had a connection to the stone. The Varangians had left England for the Saxon King, Harold, was dead. The Normans had driven Dick and his folk to become outlaws.  Wulfric and Roger dressed as Normans but in their hearts they were Saxon, they were English. The stone bound them all for none of us were Normans. We were English.

I took out my sword and looked at it.  I would have Alf set the stone in the pommel. The stone needed a home and my sword was as good as any. I would make my father and his dead comrades proud of me. My life's mission, now, would be to be true to my roots.  I would do what was best for my people. I slid the blade into the scabbard and descended to the hold.  I wanted to be amongst my men. I stood just to one side of them so that I could hear the banter and see the faces. 

Erre the Saxon was the leader, that was obvious.  He now limped although not badly. As a Varangian he failed the test of perfection which they applied.  Wulfric could teach him to ride.  He would have a purpose. All ten of them wished to fight. I had knights who could make good use of their skills as men at arms. During this long voyage in late summer I would find out more about them. I knew from both my father and Wulfstan that not all who served in the Guard were men who could be trusted. Our journey home would be an odyssey and a test of their ability and character.

To look at all of them now it was hard to see the Housecarls of Harold.  The Varangians were more refined.  Underneath they were the same but outwardly they were different. None looked like the rough Saxon warriors which was their heritage.  All wore the flowing clothes they had purchased in Miklagård. It was cooler.  They would change, no doubt, once we passed the Pillars of Hercules but for the moment they all looked almost civilised with trimmed beards and hair.  They all smelled of the baths for all had partaken.  It was the sailors who smelled as pungently as we would have once done.

All of my men had spent their coin wisely.  I had chosen my best men. They had bought fine weapons, clothes and goods to sell in England. The hold was now full.  Half contained the cargo of the captain and our precious chests whilst the other half was our home. We had yet to rig the canvas awning. Once we left Byzantine waters then we would become a ship of war once more.

Three days out of the city we rigged the awning and I had Leofric sharpen my sword.  He had become closer to me since our stay at Sophia's.  The experience had given him a yearning for finer things and, I think, a home. I was watching him when Erre the Saxon approached me, "Baron, I have been speaking with Wulfric." I nodded. "He tells me that there is a place for such as us in the conroi of knights.  Is that true or was he making fun of us and giving us hope where there is none."

"You should know that Wulfric is never foresworn.  He speaks true." He nodded.  "Have you not had enough of fighting?"

"Most of us are younger than Wulfric.  If we had not been wounded then we would be in the Guard still." He smiled.  "It was a good living."

"I know.  How much is you received, thirty nomismata a month?"

He shook his head.  "That was in the time of your father, We were paid thirty five nomismata a month."

"You know you will not earn as much as that in England."

"From what Wulfric told us there is more opportunity to earn money after battles."

"That is right. If you are successful then there is plunder." I saw him hesitating before speaking. "What you should know about me, Erre the Saxon is that I like openness and honesty. Ask what you will. There is no question which will offend me."

"That is what we heard. We would serve you, Baron. It seems that this is
wyrd
, it was meant to be."

There was that word which I only ever heard from men such as this. "And I will say this; when we reach Normandy, for we call there first, if you still wish to serve with me then I will take you to my banner. I would not have you make a rash decision.  The journey will be long and, I daresay, will not be free from conflict.  This is a small boat. I would not have you swear and then regret that oath."

He nodded, "You are like your father, Baron and we will abide by your request although it would take a Kraken or a dragon to dissuade us."

I nodded and then smiled, "Of course you know you would have to learn to ride and fight from the back of a horse."

He laughed, "If giants like Wulfric and John can do that then it must be possible."

We headed south after we had left the islands of Greece and the Aegean. Leofric sat, in the bow castle,  looking at the standard.  He looked up as I approached, "Baron, your livery and your standard…"

"What  of it?"

"There is something missing." He pointed to the blue. "The blue is right.  It is the same blue as the stone and it is meant to be but the Lord Fitzwaller had a standard which was almost the same." He pointed to the two stars. "He had stars similar to this. You need something which marks you, Baron and tells people who you are." He suddenly looked down.  "I am sorry, Baron, if I have caused offence."

"You have not and you are right. Carry on."

"I had thought…," he shyly pulled out a piece of cloth from his tunic, "I have made this from one of the surcoats of the dead Kataphractoi." He shrugged, "It was such fine material that I did not want it to go to waste.  The Turmachai said I could have it." He held out a rearing wolf.

I took it from his hand.  The Kataphractoi had worn red surcoats. Leofric had made this one as large as Wulfric's two hands.  The edges were neatly stitched too. "This is fine work.  What did you have in mind?"

He spread the banner and placed the wolf so that it was below the two stars, one yellow and one red. "It looks to me like the wolf is you and the stars are your father and Wulfstan watching down on you."

I felt a shiver down my spine as though the spirits of the dead were speaking with me. "I like it. Make it so."

He grinned and took out some thread and a bone needle.  He had nimble hands and he set to. I descended, feeling happier and walked to the steering board and Dai. He had a frown which contrasted with Leofric's joy.

"What worries you Welshman?"

"We have had an easy voyage up until now but soon," he pointed west, "we have to pass to the south of Sicily.  Do we sail close to that island where Normans await us or risk the coast of Africa and the pirates?"

"Where is there more danger?"

"Even with the extra men we cannot out row the Africans. They have huge crews and are fearless.  We have more chance of escaping a Sicilian vessel for it would be more like this one."

"Then you have an easy decision to make."

"Except that they will be waiting for us."

"If you sail the ship then I will direct your course and use my mind to outwit these Normans." He nodded, seemingly satisfied.  I turned and called, "Wulfric, gather the men around."

Curious they soon sat around me in a circle. "The captain tells me that soon we might be attacked by Normans from Sicily.  I intend to flee but it is likely that we will have to fight.  From now on we wear gambeson and, those who have them, leather hauberks."

Erre said, "But, Baron, we have mail."

"As I have now but we are at sea. If you fall overboard in mail then you will die. Obey me in this and we all have a chance of survival. John and Leofric you will be with Dick and the archers in the bow castle if we are attacked.  Your five war bows may be the difference between success and failure. The rest of us fight as a wedge. Erre, you organise the new warriors to fight behind Wulfric and Roger." He looked a little aggrieved, "I know my warriors and we fight as one.  You understand?" He nodded. "Then let us prepare for war and pray for peace."

It was when John was checking the leather straps on my shield that I realised Leofric's idea would incur an expense for me. Every shield would need repainting and every surcoat would require a wolf stitching on to it. It would be worth it. When Leofric finished the standard he brought it to me and held it out so that I could see it. One of the Norse Varangians, Olaf Leather-Neck suddenly put his hand to his throat. He grasped something beneath his tunic and closed his eyes to invoke protection.

Erre asked, "What is the matter with you Olaf? You look like you have seen a ghost."

In answer he took out the token he wore around his neck. It was a crude version, made of base metal, of my wolf. "I am descended from Ulfheonar.  My ancestors were wolf warriors.  It is a sign."

Even Wulfric could not help touching his crucifix.  Leofric said, "Show them Baron.  It is time."

Hitherto I had kept the two treasures hidden. I took the wolf on the thong and showed them.  Olaf nodded and said, "
Wyrd
!" He dropped to his knees. "I know that Erre the Saxon said we were to wait until the voyage was over but this is a sign.  I am your oathsworn whether you will have me or no.  I have sought the wolf all of my life and it is here now before me."

I nodded and, after replacing the wolf took out the blue pommel stone, "And Wulfric, you and the others should know that this was left for me by my father.  I retrieved it in Miklagård.  It is the pommel stone of the sword of Earl Harold Godwinson, the last Saxon King of England."

Wulfric nodded, "Olaf Leather-Neck is right, Baron.  This is a sign.  It seems we have not only journeyed across an ocean, we have travelled in time. We have entered the realm of magic and I know not whether to be cheered or to be terrified."

Erre the Saxon said, "It was meant to be, Wulfric. We met in blood and we shall end in blood.  You know you cannot fight fate."

Wulfric nodded, "Aye, that is certain."

There was a purpose to each day as we began to learn how to work together. It did not take the Varangians long to adjust to our formation. Erre took the position to the right and behind Wulfric. Olaf stood behind me.  When fighting on land he would be guarding John and my banner. The rest accepted those positions as merited. The Varangians had brought a variety of weapons with them. As Imperial Guards they had been well equipped. They each had a spear and a sword.  Some of them had an axe.  Wulfric had picked up four rhomphaia.  He had no idea how to use them but felt certain that, as he put it, "If half arsed barbarians could use them then we could certainly learn."