Viking Legend (7 page)

“Good then we shall seek them on our travels.”  I handed the box to Bolli.  “Take your payment for the drekar and give the rest to Brigid.”

“Aye Jarl. And I have a commission from Sigtrygg Thrandson for a drekar built on the same lines as
‘Odin’s Breath’.
“

I lowered my voice, “If he does not have the funds for it I will pay.”

“He is a good man.  I do not mind waiting for payment.  When he raids there will be great rewards.”

I tapped the small chest, “I have more than enough.”

The farewells over, we boarded and left on the evening tide. We would lead and Karl would follow.  Neither Erik nor myself wanted the young man of twenty summers to be exposed alone to the wild seas around Ynys Môn. There would be time enough to see what his drekar could do when he and his crew had more experience. Besides his drekar had but thirty five crew all told.  Ours had twice that number.  His had but one man on each oar.  We had two on each of ours. If the wind was against us then the fine lines and speed of
‘Odin’s Breath’
would be negated.

The sun began to set in the west.  It would be a long slow sunset and would act as a guiding light for us.  We kept it to the steer board side.  It made it easier for Karl and his new ship’s boys.  I noticed that Olaf was standing by Erik.  That showed how much my captain thought of the young man. Cnut Cnutson might have been put out but this was his last season sailing and, during the winter, Haaken would begin his training as a warrior. His time at sea had been a way to show him what we warriors did.

Mann was passed before the sun set and then we hung a light from our stern so that Karl could follow. This was the riskiest time for an error would mean he would ram us and our voyage would be over in an instant. I deliberately kept my eyes from ‘
Odin’s Breath’.
Had I shown I was nervous it might have made Karl worried too. Instead I went over our course, with Aiden and Erik.

“We will avoid Caer Gybi and Aberffraw. Unless they are fools they will have rebuilt and strengthened their defences. I plan on using the east coast of the island.”

Aiden pointed to the chart, “There are many beaches here, Jarl, but few coves. We would have to risk the drekar on the beaches.”

“We will keep this drekar off shore and use the smaller ‘
Odin’s Breath’
as our cargo ship.  We can pull her off if we need to.  She has new fresh timbers.” I saw a worried look cross Erik’s face.  “If you have doubts about Karl then now is the time to tell me.”

“I have no doubts.  He has sailed with me these many years but even I have never deliberately grounded my drekar.”

“Others have.  It is not difficult.”

He nodded remembering when Josephus his mentor had done so. “You are right.  Olaf, go to the prow and keep a close watch to the land to the east. There are sandbanks there.  Give a shout if you see anything.”

After he had gone I asked, “What is he like?”

“Already I can see that he is as good as Karl was.  Sailing a small fishing boat in summer and winter gives a man skill.  He has them.  He knows the wind and he knows how to set a sail.  He needs to learn about currents and hidden rocks but he has skills.  You made a wise decision with that one, Jarl.”

It was strange for Asbjorn had said much the same about Rolf. 
Wyrd.

Aiden used the hour glass we had captured from the Arab.  He knew how long the night should be and, an hour before dawn, he told Erik who shortened sail.  They had estimated our speed and calculated when we would be near to the Dee.  They thought we would arrive an hour or so before dawn.  There could be Saxon or Welsh ships using the Dee; it was a busy river.  We wanted sea room in case there was danger.

When dawn broke I saw that we were less than ten miles from the Dee. I could see Wyddfa in the distance.  I nodded my approval, “You have both done well.   That hour glass was a good treasure to take.”

Erik turned us to steer board.  We would head west.  Now that it was daylight we could risk sailing out of sight of land although the island would always be visible, like a grey smudge on the horizon. We would sail slowly west and then head south to arrive shortly after dark. The night was our natural element. With our black cloaks and armour we were hard to see. Aiden and Erik had identified a quiet beach not far from a large village. Aiden thought there was an even bigger settlement five miles inland.  I hoped so for that meant we could take them both and then have a safe base from which to foray. That would be the true test of the new warriors. They would be fighting out of sight of their jarl and the Ulfheonar.  I hoped that they would pass.

I took the opportunity to sleep.  I was not needed nor were my rowers for we had a benevolent wind. If I watched it might make them think I did not trust them. I made a pillow of my wolf cloak and fell asleep with the easy motion of the drekar. My dream was of flashes and bright pictures; it was like the illustrations in a Holy Book. They made no sense but the blue stone and a warrior Queen kept appearing and then disappearing. We were close to the mountain and I knew that the spirit of my ancestor dwelt there.  It was the power of the spirits that was making me dream. The fact that my people had lived and died so close to me was important. I would be under the scrutiny of the warrior who had wielded that sword which now lay on the wall of my hall.

I was woken by a gentle shake from Haaken. He handed me a horn of ale. “The island is close ahead.  We can see no smoke but that means nothing.”

“And have any ships been sighted?”

Erik said, “Not a one.”

I went to the stern and made water. It was barely light and the sun was rising from the east but I could see that Karl’s ship was still two lengths from us.  He had kept station well. Aiden helped me to don red cochineal around my eyes and I held my helmet.  I would only don it when I was ashore.

I looked ahead and saw a bay which swept around in a wide arc. There were sand dunes behind a sandy beach. There were no cliffs, unlike the coast near St Cybi, and the ground sloped gently inland.  It was a perfect place to land.   I strapped my shield around my back. Aiden had a helmet and a sword.  He would be coming ashore with us. I walked down the centre of the drekar to the prow. We were barely under way. Erik was taking us in on the tide. This time we would not have a ship’s boy to tie us up to the shore but Cnut Cnutson was ready to jump into the sea to test the depth.  He wore no armour.  He jumped and I saw that the water came over his head.  I waved my arm for Erik to take us closer to shore; our hull was safe. I saw Cnut wading next to the prow.  He held up his hand. The ship’s boys on the mast saw him and the sail was fully furled.

I jumped from the deck, splashing into the sea, smiling at Cnut as I did so.  “Well done Cnut Cnutson and next time you come ashore, you will be a warrior.” I donned my helmet and waded through the surf to the sandy shore. I had spent the last month or so building up my strength again.  I would not lag behind my warriors this time! I raced to the top of the dunes. Even as I reached the top Snorri joined me.  Normally I would send him off to scout ahead but with two crews we would do it differently this time.

I turned and looked to the beach. My men had disembarked and Erik had his crew sculling with the oars to back her into safer and deeper water. Karl brought his drekar in just as slowly but he ran his on to the sand. It leaned to one side as it grounded. Asbjorn and Eystein led the eager young crew towards us. It did not take long for me to be surrounded by them.

I gathered the Ulfheonar, Asbjorn and Eystein around me. “Asbjorn take your crew and ten of my warriors.  Secure the village and capture what you can.  Do not fire it and make sure no one escapes. Return here.”

“Aye Jarl.” Haaken had already identified the ten warriors they would take.  They were the best warriors I had.  The more inexperienced ones would come with me and the Ulfheonar.

I settled my helmet firmly on my head and pointed inland.  Snorri and Beorn the Scout loped off in the direction of the large settlement we thought lay ahead of us. We began to march inland. Haaken gradually increased his pace so that the handful of Ulfheonar who remained formed a thin screen in front of me. They had senses my other warriors did not.  Haaken waved us to the south and we found ourselves on a local track way. It was not well used but it meant we would find the large settlement Aiden had identified. He was with the bulk of the warriors behind me.  He could fight but he was no warrior.  His skills were not to be wasted by exposing him to danger unnecessarily.

I smelled the wood smoke when we were about an hour from the beach.  We had moved swiftly for the land was flat.  We had been lucky thus far and not seen anyone. Haaken’s hand waved us to the ground and we all dropped to a knee.

Olaf Leather Neck joined me. “There is a farm to the north of us and men are in the fields harvesting the wheat.”

“They are up early.  Taking advantage of the weather no doubt. Choose ten warriors and capture them and the grain.  Take it back to the drekar.”

He moved behind me and I heard him telling warriors to follow him.  I turned and saw them moving in a wide sweep behind the farm which lay to the north. I gave him a few moments and then waved the rest of the warriors forward.  There were still over forty of us and I was confident that we would be able to handle however many warriors we faced. Haaken and the others moved off when they saw us approach. We found Snorri and Beorn a short while later. They had reached the town and scouted it out already.

“The town has no wall and it lies directly ahead.  There is a church and I think it is market day.  We saw carts and people approaching from the north and the south.”

I wondered why none had come from the farm we had seen. I dismissed it immediately.  If the farmer and his family were in the fields harvesting then that would be their priority.

“Snorri take ten men and go to the southern road.  Beorn, take ten and go to the northern road.  We will give you a start and then we will enter the town from this side.”

Haaken asked, “And what of the far side? Will they not flee?”

“They might do but we will have to catch them will we not?”

He grinned, “Aye Jarl.”

I waved my sword to the left and the right.  My warriors spread out in a long thin line.  We were the net and I hoped that few of these fishes would escape. My men at the northern and southern ends of the settlement would drive them back to the centre. If they did escape then there would be danger. The island was so small that the King, who had a castle at Aberffraw, could reach us within a couple of hours. We had to be quick.

The houses were all made of wattle and daub. There were few made of stone.  It looked, as we approached, as though there was little planning and houses had just erupted along the tracks and paths leading to the heart of the settlement, the church. However, what I did know was that if there was a market then there would be an open area and it was there that the people would be congregated.

We were seen when we were less than five hundred paces from the first house.  A shepherd and his dogs were driving nine or ten sheep towards the town.  It was one of his dogs which alerted him.  It turned and growled at us. I saw him run and shout.

“Vikings!”

“They have seen us. Run!”

We ran hard.  The sheep scattered before us in panic. As the shepherd neared the town his shouts attracted attention and I saw faces appear and then disappear.  There were men going for their weapons. Some of my younger warriors overtook me and I saw one make the first kill.  A man emerged from his hut with a billhook. He swung it hopefully at Sven Gunnersson who blocked it with his shield and then rammed his blade into the man’s middle.  He glanced in the hut and then followed us, his sword dripping red.

I saw a column of smoke rising from the far side of the settlement.  It was, no doubt, a signal. I had not expected that.

Even though the helmet made dampened sounds a little I could still hear the shouts and screams of alarm from ahead. I was almost taken by surprise when we emerged from the tangle of huts into the centre of the town and the market. A wall of men faced us.  There were more than I had anticipated. There looked to be almost sixty armed men and at least ten were warriors. Behind them were boys and youths.  I had no doubt that they would have slings and hunting bows. We could have stopped and formed but that might have allowed the ones with slings and bows to hit those of my men without armour. It was essential that we use the shock of our appearance and our weapons as quickly as possible.

“Charge!”

The first stone which struck me was a well aimed one.  It clanged off my helmet.  If I had not had a leather inner then it might have stunned me.  I saw one of my warriors pitch to the ground struck by another stone while a second fell clutching an arrow to his chest. It was a storm we had to endure. I ran at the warriors rather than the townspeople.  My Ulfheonar were the ones to deal with shields and helmets. I ran directly at the wall of spears which surrounded the leader of the warriors.  He was standing atop a cart and directing those around him. He was the only one wearing mail. It was an old byrnie and I saw flecks of rust and dirt.

We were not a solid line and I had to hit one spear with my shield while deflecting the second with my sword for there were more of them than us. A third spear came towards my head from the warrior on the cart but I shifted to the left and  moved away from the spear head. I brought my sword up, almost blindly, into the middle of the man to my right.  I leaned into the one on my left as I did so. My sword bit flesh and I brought it back and then stabbed at the man who was falling to the ground on my left. Even as my sword sank into flesh I felt myself being punched in the shoulder by a spear from above. The mail links held but I dropped to my knees. As I turned my head and looked up I saw Haaken pull the spear and the man down from his cart.  As he fell Vermund Thorirson hacked off his head.