Baron of the North (21 page)

I had thought we had evaded the Normans until one of the crew shouted, "Sail to the north!"

I climbed the ladder to the logs above the amphorae. There were two ships heading towards us. "Will they catch us, Dai?"

"Aye they have the weather gauge.  Even with the oars out then they would catch us."

"Then head towards the north west."

"But that will fetch us closer to them."

"I know but trust me.  This is still King Henry's ship."

"Aye Baron!"

"Leofric and John, light a fire in the brazier.  Dick make six fire arrows.  Roger and Wulfric bring me four of the small amphorae of oil I was taking home. The rest of you  prepare for war!"

The ship heeled a little as Dai took us north west.  It had two effects: it slowed us down, making us a more stable platform for archery and it brought us on a converging path with the two Sicilian vessels.  They were too far away to see their flags but I knew them for what they were.

Leofric and John were still getting the fire going safely and the others surrounded me.  I explained what I intended.  Wulfric and my original men were not surprised but I saw the Varangians were impressed with my plan. "It may not work but this way we have a fighting chance. I believe we can take the crew of one but two would overwhelm us. Dick you and the archers get to the stern castle. Wulfric you and John have the strongest arms. When I give the command then hurl the amphorae at the mainmast of the other ship. We will be close when I give the command so Roger you must protect Wulfric and Erre protect John." The brazier was going. "Leofric you take your shield and guard Dai with your life.  If he falls then we are doomed." He scurried off.  "As soon as the arrows have been launched then douse the fire.  I would not set fire to our own ship." Roger took a bucket and drew a pail of sea water. He placed them next to the small brazier. "Now get to your places.  The main mast is our keep!"

In the time it had taken for us to prepare the two ships had closed to within a hundred paces.  They had separated so that they could approach us from each side and that suited me. I now saw the standard on the nearest ship; it was John of Palermo. I went to the steering board and, cupping my hands shouted, "Why do you attack a peaceful trader?"

I heard John of Palermo's voice across the waves. "You are wanted for crimes in Syracuse.  I am here to take you back to enjoy the Duke's judgement."

I said, quietly to Dai, "Take us slightly closer to him."

"Baron!"

"Do not worry.  I know what I am about." To the Sicilian I shouted, "I do not trust treacherous Sicilians.  I will refuse your offer of hospitality and the dubious judgement of your Duke."

In answer a flurry of crossbow bolts flew across the water.  It was a waste of bolts for half of them did not make it and the other half thudded harmlessly into the side of the ship. I looked to the waist of the ship and saw my two oil throwers ready to throw.  Their protectors had their shields ready. John of Palermo's ship drew closer and closer. I saw two Sicilians swinging their hooks around in the air. They would grapple our ship and draw it next to theirs where they would overwhelm us. If I had given the command then Dick and Griff could have killed them.  I wanted them to close with us. Now that the range was closer their bolts began to strike shields. The motion of their ship was such that there was none of the usual accuracy you expected from crossbows. One of Dai's sailors was struck in the arm but he carried on working.

When they were twenty paces from us they threw their ropes. The one aimed at the bow fell short but the other smashed across the topmost strake, bit into the wood and the Sicilians began to haul their ship closer. Half of the men were pulling on the rope which suited me too.

"Ready to throw?"

"Aye Baron, give the word!"

I felt the thud as a crossbow struck my shield. I saw John of Palermo pat the cross bow man on the back.  This was personal for the Sicilian.  Dick and the archers were hiding behind the mainmast close by the brazier. The Sicilian ship's stern was less than three paces from ours and the mainmast just five when I shouted, "Now!"

Wulfric's first throw was too high and it struck the top of the mainmast where the cross mast met it. It shattered and showered the men below with broken pot. John was more accurate and his two amphorae were thrown in quick succession striking the bottom of the mast.  The ships were less than three paces apart.  Wulfric was angry with himself and he threw the amphorae so hard that it struck John of Palermo on the side of the head, knocking him down and showering him in oil.

"Now Dick! Leofric sever the rope!"

Three flaming arrows flew straight and true.  I heard the thud as Leofric's sword sliced through the rope and the Sicilian's stern began to drift away. Flames leapt up the bone dry canvas and ignited the sides of the ship. The next three arrows flew and one of them struck John of Palermo who had stood. The fire arrow did not penetrate his mail but it made him a human fireball.  He ran screaming towards the stern and within a few moments the whole ship was ablaze. I heard the hiss from behind me as the brazier was doused. 

"Dick, get to the stern castle and, well done." I looked to the other side and saw that the second Sicilian had altered course. "Dai head further north." He shook his head but obeyed.  The move slowed us down and the second ship was closing. However the doomed fire ship was being pushed behind us.  I watched as it began to sink slowly in the water.  The captain of the second ship had a choice, he could steer to the right of the doomed ship but that would slow him down even more or he could steer to the left and move further away from us.  He chose the longer route.

"Wulfric get the oars out.  We need to do some work!"

"Aye my lord."

I joined my men at the oars.  There were eighteen of us and six oars. It took a few strokes to help the new men adjust but soon we were flying through the water.  I did not intend to do this for long but I wanted sea room between us and our pursuer. From my rowing position I could see Dai.  He kept glancing astern.  When he began to smile I knew we had outrun our enemy. He shouted, "We have lost him, Baron, he has gone about."

"Stop rowing!" They all began to cheer. "Captain, take us further south, away from Sicily.  I think we have used up all of our luck now!"

We all drank deeply from the barrel of beer which we had brought from Miklagård. I saw Wulfric take a coin from Erre. I cocked my head to the side and asked, "What was that about?"

Wulfric grinned, "I bet him we would not only defeat them we would not suffer any losses.  He did not believe me."

"I wondered why he gave me such generous odds!" I laughed.  It was a sign that my men were bonding. 

It is said that the Gods of old liked to play with men. Ulysses had suffered just so when on his own Odyssey. The lookout in the bow castle shouted, "Sail to the north west!"

He pointed and I saw the Sicilian ship making towards us.  He had come from a low bank of cloud and was less than a mile away. I hurried to the steering board. "What are our options Captain?"

He looked up at the pennant. "The wind favours him a little over us." He pointed astern.  "The other ship still shadows us.  Our lookout spies his masthead when the waves are right." He gestured with his head.  "We could outrun him if we headed south."

"And in doing so we would put ourselves within the grasp of the men from Africa."

"You have it in one.  They would swarm all over us and destroy us no matter how good your men are."

"Thank you Captain, then I can see that we have but one choice: we race to fight this one Sicilian and then head west and north as fast as the winds will carry us."

Dai pointed to the skies.  The low cloud from which the Sicilian had emerged was not the only one.  A storm was brewing. "Soon we will be fighting Mother Nature as well as the Sicilians."

"Do the best you can."

"I am sorry about your oil, Baron.  Those four amphorae would have cost a pretty penny."

"What price a man's life?  How is your sailor?"

"He will live and he can help me with the steering board.  If we have a storm then he will be needed here."

"Get your weapons. Dick have the archers in the bow castle.  John and Leofric take your bows to the stern castle.  You two must aim for the steersman. Wulfric, we will gather around the mainmast again,"

As I approached them I heard them all laughing.  We were about to go into battle and they were laughing. "What is funny Wulfric?"

"I just asked Erre here if he wished to take another bet and he said he would rather bet with the devil.  At least he would stand a chance with him."

The Sicilian was making directly for us.  I saw that he would meet us with his bow.  This was a canny captain. It minimised the damage we could inflict on his crew.  If we turned south then we would fly into danger.  We had to maintain our course no matter how perilous. I drew my sword and hung my shield from my shoulder.  I would not hold it unless I had to.  I could use two hands with my sword. I saw that Wulfric had his shield similarly placed but in his left hand he held a rhomphaia. He saw my look and shrugged, "I thought I would give it a try.  I doubt the men on that ship will have seen one.  Perhaps I can confuse them."

There was an air of optimism amongst all of the warriors who fought with me that day.  I remembered that John of Palermo had worn mail before he had been sent to a fiery death.  If these wore mail too then they might have an advantage.  I would have to use my quick hands and feet if I was to win.  The deck was not pitching too badly.  If this were in the deep sea then we would struggle to keep our feet let alone fight.  Perhaps that was why pirates used this sea for their trade.

Unless they rammed us, the Sicilian ship would have to turn.  I could not see him ramming us for he would risk too much damage to his own vessel.  When he turned we would have one chance to slay his steersman. "John and Leofric a gold piece for whichever of you slays the steersman.  When they turn it will be a good opportunity."

They waved their acknowledgement and I saw them selecting their best arrows.

As we closed I was acutely aware that I only had a gambeson and a damaged hauberk for defence.  It was not enough against a knight in mail. I could see that there were at least ten men in mail on the other ship and many more who looked as though they knew how to fight. Luckily there appeared to be fewer crossbows or perhaps this knight was wiser and was saving them for when they would do the most damage.

When they were less than fifty paces from us they began their turn, it was so slow that I thought they were going to ram us.  Their captain was a skilful sailor and our bows drew inexorably together. None of us had fought on top of the cedar logs which protected the amphorae. I had judged it too unstable a platform.  Standing where we were made us level with the top of the side of the boat. Our enemies would descend from a height to fight us. It was not the way I would have arranged it but Fate….

My archers needed no commands.  Dick and his two archers slew the crossbowmen while John and Leofric rained arrows at the steering board.  Their captain was protected but the warrior protecting him fell to an arrow and was flung astern.  A sailor stepped in front of an arrow which was destined for his neck.  This captain bore a charmed life.  I switched my gaze to the ship which loomed next to us.  They had taken down their sail to make the ship steadier and they launched themselves over the side. A number of things happened all at once: the captain was flung overboard as two arrows struck him in the chest and the mailed men leapt aboard.  One misjudged the gap and fell screaming to be pulverised and crushed between the two hulls.

Some had chosen to land on what they thought was a firm deck.  The Cedar logs moved alarming as the mailed men leapt on to them.  They had no chance of a good footing and Dick and his archers made short work of them as they flailed around like the tortoises of Korfu when they are placed on their back. The rest, however, landed successfully and the hold was filled with a mass of writhing fighting bodies. There was little space to swing a sword.  I saw more men leap aboard and we were in danger of being swamped, quite literally.  Out of the corner of my eye I saw the wounded sailor leap forward with a rhomphaia and hack through one of the ropes which bound us. The stern of the Sicilian began to move away from us and we were just held by the bow rope.  Our sail was still unfurled and we began to tug the ship around.

A knight lunged at me with his sword.  I flicked the tip away and punched with my shield.  The moving ship was not impeding our balance but the weight of the knight's armour was causing him more problems than my leather hauberk. As he lurched back he held his arm up to regain his balance.  I swung my sword two handed into his ribs. His mail and gambeson stopped my sword penetrating but it must have cracked his ribs for he reeled. He smacked his sword into my side as he fell. I raised my sword above my head and as he struggled to find his feet and brought my weapon down hard upon his neck. His ventail held my sword briefly but I used a sawing action which tore through the links. I saw terror in his eyes as I forced him down.  The ventail fell away and I saw that he was no more than twenty summers old. It was too late to halt my sword and it ripped through his throat and neck.  He fell in a bloody heap at my feet. Around me were writhing pairs of men engaged in a deadly dance of death.