Sword Brothers (5 page)

The plan had worked. He did not need to see Hrolf escape to know that in such turmoil he would have had no trouble. Now all that remained was for him to round up Hakon, Finn, and the others. That might prove a great deal harder to do, and it was the least considered part of his plans. For the moment, he recovered from the strain. His left leg began to stiffen and he rubbed it furiously.

As the night wore on, the Franks settled down. He did not know exactly what they were up to, but doubtlessly by now they had discovered Hrolf's abandoned camp and would be preparing for pursuit. Dawn was a few hours away yet, but scouts would be sent ahead to start tracking by torchlight. If Hrolf built the barrier, then the Franks would never catch up. Ulfrik finally decided he had to seek out the others. He had hoped they would find him, but he had possibly drifted off to sleep at one point. He did not know. Neither friend nor enemy had spotted him against the wide tree.

Standing again pained his back and legs, and his knees cracked like breaking sticks. His first steps were like those of an ancient man, reminding him of how his old friend Snorri hobbled from one bench to the next. He groaned but forced his legs to move, carelessly kicking through the underbrush. He circled left, which he guessed was toward the riverbank, but in the starless night he had no sense of direction. His only plan had been to meet up with the others behind the Frankish lines and seek the riverbank at dawn. He had hoped Finn would have had more to offer the plan, being the truest woodsman of all his hirdmen. Yet he had been too excited at the prospect of creating the diversion, or else he had no idea how to rejoin the group.

Yet the gods truly loved him this day, and as he staggered past a clump of bushes amid the trees, Finn's familiar voice whispered to him, "You move like a blind bear. We're over here."

He stopped and stared at the dark shapes, needing a moment for Finn's head to come into focus over the tops of the bushes. "Are there others?"

"Hakon, Ragnar, Bruni, and Olen are with me. Alvis and Ketil are watching the Franks for us. Only Gils is missing."

"All those good men," Ulfrik said as he pushed through the bushes to join Finn, "but you couldn't find me. I'm better at hiding than I thought."

"No, you just didn't listen when I told you we'd assemble south of the camp. This is north of the camp, exactly the wrong way."

Finn's smile flashed in the low light, and Ulfrik felt his face grow warm.

"This is north? How do you even know? Never mind. We have to find Gils, then we make our escape."

Finn was already shaking his head. "We'll never find Gils, not now. The Franks are all awake and they've got their wits about them. If we don't go now, we'll be caught for sure."

Ulfrik pushed past Finn toward the dark shapes huddled in a circle and seated on the ground. He stood above them, unwilling to crouch and let them hear his joints snap and pop. Hakon stood and embraced him. "We were beginning to wonder if you'd join us."

"As soon as we locate Gils, we're leaving." Ulfrik could not see anyone's face in the blue darkness, but he read their reluctance in their bowed heads. His voice hissed with irritation. "Don't stain your bravery with cowardice now. None of you left without me, and I have sworn to not leave without all of you. If Gils is dead, then I need to know before I leave. Otherwise, he must escape this camp."

The men nodded, but their hearts were not in it. Ulfrik understood they had already risked much, and finding Gils in such a wide camp was challenging. He was their jarl, gold-giver, and war-leader. They would do as he commanded, but he would not command men to risk their lives for something they did not believe in. Hakon, standing beside him, clapped his shoulder.

"I am with you, Father. If it were me in the hands of the Franks, I'd want to know my brothers remembered me."

"You won't find him without me," Finn said from behind. "So I'll go. In fact, let me spare the others the choice. I say the three of us are enough. All the others should make for the riverbank and try to catch up to Hrolf's ship. Too many men will just get us all caught."

"I'll listen to Finn whenever it comes to sneaking about the woods," Ulfrik said. "You men hold the ship for our return. We will not be far behind."

Decisions made, they all parted with encouraging words. Ragnar begged forgiveness for his cowardly reaction and Ulfrik waved it off. All of his men had been heroes that day. "We all get scared," he said to the young man. "There's no shame in that as long as it does not rule you."

Finn then led him and Hakon through the woods to where Gils was last seen. They had all taken sections of the camp, and Gils's had been directly opposite of their location. Traversing the distance took much longer than it would to walk normally. Finn stopped them dozens of times for things Ulfrik could not see, and Hakon appeared just as confused. Yet Finn knew his work, and he guided them to the opposite end without rousing any guards.

"This is where he should be, but the Franks were like madmen. Gils could've ended up anywhere." Finn checked the sky and shook his head. "We've got little time before the cock crows. I know why we are doing this, but daylight will see us captured or dead. We're of no use to anyone like that."

"Then let's make use of what time we have." Ulfrik moved off to search for likely hiding places. He whispered Gils's name as he went.

Hakon and Finn also separated, and after a short search Hakon give a harsh whisper. "Here he is."

Doubling back to Hakon, he arrived at the same time as Finn. Gils was seated in the bole of a tree looking content and quiet. His flesh was blue in the vague predawn light. One hand gripped his sword, the blade snapped in half, and the other hand rested on his stomach. The blood that flowed out from beneath it appeared like pitch.

"A warrior's death," Ulfrik said. "A man cannot ask for more. Better than dying in a bed."

Hakon grunted his concurrence. Finn knelt beside him and touched his neck. "He's cold. Must've died hours ago."

"Where's the enemy that slew him?" Ulfrik asked the question, but realized the answer was closing in on them. As if in confirmation, a branch snapped behind them. Finn stood and his face was pale. Hakon's hand fell to his sword. "They're all around us. Act as if you don't realize they are near."

The three of them stood over Gils's corpse and Ulfrik felt eyes on him from every direction, but more from Finn and Hakon. When he judged the Franks were closer, he spun around and drew an ax from his belt. He confronted a semicircle of Franks and two had bows with arrows nocked.

"Finn, lead us out of here!" he shouted.

The two bowstrings thrummed as the arrows let loose.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Hakon shouted in surprise as an arrow thudded into his gut. Finn jinked aside as the other arrow screamed through the air where he had stood. The Franks were dressed in muted greens and browns and wore only furs over their bodies. Ulfrik picked the closest bowman and let his ax fly. The ax head flickered as it whirled straight into the face of the bowman with a wet chop. Before the Frank collapsed, Finn was already running past Ulfrik.

He grabbed Hakon, who still stood, and together they began to run. "Are you wounded?" he shouted.

"The mail stopped it. Can you believe the luck?"

Ulfrik shook his head, conserving his breath. He had run too often and too hard this day and his legs were already leaden. Were it not for imminent death behind him, he would have rather turned to fight. Yet the alarm horn sounded from behind and he heard the Franks curse him. He pumped his legs through the pain.

They both trailed Finn, which felt like chasing a rabbit as he dashed from bush to tree to open ground. Ulfrik cursed him more than once when he tripped or stumbled over some unseen obstacle. He should not have been able to outrun younger, unarmored men, and after a while he slowed to check over his shoulder. Nothing stirred behind him.

"Hold on. I think we've lost them." He leaned on his knees, gasping and sweat dripping from his face. Hakon leaned beside him.

"Impossible, Father. They're just careful not to be led into another trap. Once they realize it's only us, they'll catch up and bring others. We have to keep running."

"Remind me to never again devise a plan that requires so much running. My legs ... the old wounds. I can't keep running."

Hakon pulled on Ulfrik's chain shirt. "You must."

Now Finn had doubled back and stood panting before Ulfrik. "If you can't run, we make our stand here."

Ulfrik shook his head, too weary to protest. The two hovered over him as he continued to lean on his knees and catch his breath. They shifted impatiently but held their words. At last Ulfrik straightened and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Don't be so quick to throw your life away. There's no glory in dying here. You two travel ahead and get the ship prepared. When I catch up, I'll have an army at my back. For now, I can't run anymore."

"Get rid of your mail," Finn said. "There's no need for it. You'll travel easier."

He grumbled and looked down at his mail. Links were broken and blood mixed with the mud he had smeared on it. "It doesn't seem like much, but this is a fine coat. Besides, Hakon's mail just saved his life. I can't risk taking it off."

"But you would risk being overtaken instead," Hakon said. "Finn's right. Leave it off and let's continue. I will carry it for you."

"It will become twisted beyond repair if you carry it. No, I'll have another coat made, or better still Hrolf will award me one for what I've done. Help me out of it."

He worked out of the shirt, Hakon helping to raise it over his head while Finn held his sword. The relief on his shoulders was immediate and he flexed his arms, enjoying the new freedom. The mail crunched as Hakon dropped it into the underbrush, and Ulfrik gave it one last glance. He sighed then said, "Let's keep moving."

Without the weight on his shoulders and back, Ulfrik moved freely for a short time, then the old wounds in his leg flared into hot pain. He gritted his teeth as he loped after Finn and Hakon. His son constantly checked over his shoulder, and when he saw Ulfrik slowing down, he called them all to a halt. Ulfrik again leaned over, gritting his teeth in frustration. "Fleeing disagrees with me. That damn fall from the tower, so long ago, but my leg feels like it was yesterday. If I keep pushing, I'll go lame. You two hurry ahead and I'll follow."

Hakon straightened Ulfrik and pulled his arm across his shoulder. "I'm not leaving you, Father. Finn, run as fast as you can to the ships. We will be behind."

Finn was about to protest, but Hakon snapped at him. "You won't help us if you stay. The men need to know we are still alive and to wait for us. Go now."

"Just keep the riverbank to your left and you will be all right." Finn stopped and cocked his head. Ulfrik leaned back and heard the sounds of approaching danger. The Franks were not disguising their approach from the noise of shouts and cracking branches.

"Do as Hakon ordered," Ulfrik said, his voice weary. "We will be right behind."

The dawn colored the woods in gray-green hues, and Finn vanished into the trees like a ghost. Ulfrik shook his head, admiring his young friend's uncanny ability to hide. Hakon tapped his shoulder and the two began to trudge forward. Neither spoke, and Ulfrik was both grateful and shamed for the aid of his son. His weakness was a danger to them both, but he did not relish becoming a captive of the Franks. He had sworn to die rather than ever be taken a prisoner again.

Keeping the Eure River at their left, Ulfrik glimpsed sparkles from the water and smelled the wet mud. All the while he staggered along with Hakon to support him, he heard the Franks drawing closer. At one point someone cried out even nearer to them than he had expected.

"They must've found your mail coat," Hakon said, then adjusted his grip around Ulfrik's shoulders. "How do you feel? Can you run again?"

Ulfrik only offered a grunt and powered forward. He conserved his strength for the final push that he expected. His left leg burned with pain, and the front of his thigh had gone numb. His hips creaked and every joint flared with hot fire. If he had to fight now, he could not defend himself against a lame grandmother never mind the limber, angry Franks pursuing him.

They pushed directly to the banks and down the river and he saw the silhouette of a waist-high barrier of debris blocking the way. Behind it, a ship's mast leaned to the side where it had been hauled ashore.

In the same instant, he heard the Franks screaming from behind.

"You've got to run, Father," Hakon said, unhooking his arm from around his back. "They're right behind us."

He did not look back. Their brassy curses were loud in his ears. He just nodded and began to run. Hakon kept pace with him.

The riverbank was muddy and uneven, so they stayed closer to the grass. Ulfrik watched where his feet landed, for one rut or rock would sprawl him out and his pursuers would finish him off. Their swearing was clear now, and one challenged them. "Stop and we will show mercy."

Ulfrik coughed a laugh at the lie and forced his legs to pump. His left leg, the one that had been mangled years ago, was leaden and hot. Yet he managed to kick it forward and continue. An arrow sped past him. He felt the air of its passing on his face and saw the grass ahead of him part as it lodged in the dirt. He wished he had not abandoned his mail coat.

As they neared the barrier, men appeared over the top, and Ulfrik experienced a relief he could not believe. His shouts were weak and breathless, but he started to laugh all the same. They were going to escape.

Their shapes were still indistinct and in the trees' shadows, but Ulfrik thought they were readying arrows. Of course, they could not shoot or they would risk striking him or Hakon, but once they had made the lines, a volley would force back their pursuers.

They were close now, and Ulfrik saw a cluster of figures on the right lift their bows over the barrier and aim.