Viking Vengeance (25 page)

I heard the commotion inside the town. I even heard someone shout, "To arms! They attack!"

I knocked another arrow and loosed it at another warrior who was foolish enough to show his face. I dived into the ditch as arrows down, blindly on the place I had stood. Then I heard the sound of cries and howls from the northern gate.  My Ulfheonar attacked.  Hrolf did as I had bid.  He moved his position and howled again. I heard the men above me shouting orders.  I took the opportunity to shift my position.  I moved to the other side of the ditch, closer to our fires and howled.  I was moving almost before I had finished and I returned to the main gate.

I was picturing the inside of the town.  They had seen nothing. They had heard a circle of wolves around their town.  Were we shape shifters? The arrows which had fallen into dead ground told me that they were loosing blindly.  None had come close to hitting me.  We had them rattled.  We had to keep up the nervous tension and terror which would be racing like the plague in the town.

All went quiet as they sought us in the dark. I found the sack I had dropped and I took out two of the Danish heads.  Rolf Horse Killer had fetched them for me from the battle field.  There were eight of them.  I laid down my bow and picking one up by the hair I hurled it over the walls.  I did the same with the second.  Then I picked up my sack and bow and ran to the south western corner of the town.  I had not been there yet. I heard the cries and commotion as they found the heads. When I reached the corner I saw a tower.  Four sentries stood there.  I jammed an arrow in the soft earth, put a second in my teeth and knocked a third. Time was I could have released four arrows in a heartbeat.  Now I would be lucky to send three. I loosed one and knocked a second before the first had hit the  sentry in the head.  My second caught his fellow and when I sent my third it struck a warrior in the shoulder. I took another head and hurled it over the wall, howling as I did so.  Hrolf took up the howl further down the wall.  I had not seen him and that was good.  He was obeying my orders.

I picked up the sack, much lighter now and moved all the way along the wall to the south eastern tower. Stones and arrows were being wasted on an attack which never materialised. They were loosing them blind. There was no way for them to replenish their supplies.

I waited in the dark.  I could hear howls from the northern side and occasional cries as my Ulfheonar struck sentries.  I waited while Hrolf continued to move and to howl.  Once I heard him less than thirty paces from me but I could not see him. The gods had given us the blackest of nights. I took a head from the sack and my bow and closed with the tower.  They were wary now.  I stood in the ditch and I threw the head to land on the walkway above me.  It landed with a thud.

"What was that?"

"Go and check it Sven. We will have an arrow ready in case one of these shape shifters has climbed up."

I had my arrow already aimed as Sven found the head and peered over the palisade.  My arrow hit him in the face and threw him backwards.  I howled and I ran. This time they were luckier. I felt an arrow ping off my helmet.  I picked up my sack and I moved out of arrow range. Hrolf's howls and those of my Ulfheonar occupied them for some time.  I got my breath back.  I had a swig from my water skin. I estimated that we were halfway through the night. I hoped that our men had taken advantage of our distraction to sleep.  We needed them alert and the Manxmen in a state of tired confusion.

I had four heads left.  I moved towards the gate, the place I had first attacked. There were two small towers and I guessed that there would be up to ten men there. I crept as close to the gate as I could get.  Hrolf's howls distracted them enough to allow me to do so.  Then I hurled two heads as far as I could throw them and, finally my last two heads to land on the gate. My bow had an arrow knocked and when a head appeared I loosed one.  It struck him. I had a second ready for the second man and he died. 

A voice from above me, to the right shouted, "There is just one of him! Let us rid ourselves of this Ulfheonar!"

I moved across the ditch and waited.  I had an arrow in my teeth and another held with the bow. The gate opened and my arrow struck the first warrior in the shoulder as they came to get me.  The gates opened wider and six men raced towards me.  I sent my next arrow into the neck of one and my last into the chest of a second. I dropped my bow and taking out my seax and sword I howled. Instead of fleeing I ran at them.

I ducked beneath the spear and gutted one with my seax as a second ran into my sword. 

"I am Jarl Dragonheart! I wield the sword which was touched by the gods! You are dead men you just do not know it yet!"

The last two turned and ran back into the safety of the town. I hacked a head from one of the bodies and threw it over the closing gate.  Then I turned my back and headed into the dark. I had four arrows left and I spent the rest of the night howling like Hrolf and loosing my arrows when a target appeared.

I saw false dawn and headed back to our camp fires, still burning brightly. I caught up with Hrolf who was moving to a new position.  "You have done well, Hrolf. There are many warriors who will survive this day and they will owe that to you."

"But I killed no one! I howled!"

"And you terrified them."

I saw that Eystein and Gunnar had the men ready to assault.  Gunnar was grinning. "You terrified me and I knew what you were about."

Eystein said, "Were you not afraid when they came from the gate for you?"

"I have a name which strikes fear into men.  They came out to kill one man; when they found out my identity they became afraid.  Never fear another man, Eystein.  If you do then you have lost the combat. Always believe that you can win."

I saw Thorfinn limping towards us. "I cannot fight but I can watch!" He chuckled, "I would not have believed that ten men and a boy could cause so much terror.  I have much to learn from you Jarl Dragonheart."

"It is time, Gunnar!"

Hrolf brought me my shield and took my bow. The assault party gathered and began to move, like a metal snake, towards the gates. Eystein led his handful of men with their bows to follow his brother. I raised my sword and the rest of the warriors moved forward.  There were not many of us but we were rested and we were in good spirits.

I heard the alarm from inside Balley Chashtal.  The wall filled with men. This time Gunnar and the men he led would have to endure the full force of the defenders. Eystein and his men darted like insects to release their arrows and then move to a new position.  Men fell from the walls.  The shields which protected the ram did their job but when they drew close then the stones and spears thrown from above would begin to take their toll. I heard Gunnar shout a command and they ran the last twenty paces.  I saw two men fall but, by that time, the ram had the speed and the momentum.  It smashed into the gate and I could hear, from fifty paces away the creak and crack.  When it had opened in the night I knew they had not nailed it shut. It was not like the one we had attacked in Frankia. Erik Wolf Claw and my men pulled the ram back and ran again.  Another two warriors fell but this time there was an audible crack when the ram struck the gates.

The next time it would break.  I raised my sword, "Charge!"

Even as we ran to the rear of the ram the gate was cracked wide open and the metal snake burst into the settlement. The warriors dropped the ram and raced in.  They had lost warriors in the attack and now they would wreak their vengeance!

Gunnar quickly organised his men so that the mailed warriors were at the fore. As I passed through the gate I saw that Jarl Erik had organised a shield wall. Gunnar placed himself at the front of the wedge and they moved forward.  I saw Rolf Horse Killer with his axe.  "Come with  me and you two as well." Sven Finehair and Einar Bluetooth were with him and they too had axes.

I did not run towards the shield wall but up a path between huts.  Two warriors raced towards us, having descended from the walls.  I contemptuously fended off the blow from the spear with  my shield and ran him through with my sword.  The other fared no better. Rolf smashed his skull in two with a single blow. I turned left and headed along the wall to the northern gate.   There were eight men bracing themselves against it.  I could hear my Ulfheonar as they tried to break in.  Snorri and Beorn were using their bows for a warrior fell from the ramparts with an arrow in his chest. 

Two of them had their backs to the gate and they faced us.  I saw terror as they beheld the four of us. We did not stop and I needed to issue no orders.  I slashed my sword across the top of the thighs of the warrior who faced me.  Three others had their heads staved in by three long war axes. I smashed my shield into the face of another.  They had stopped holding the gate to face us.  I took a blow from one sword on my shield and blocked a second with my sword. Then the gates sprang open.  Olaf Leather Neck stood there, his face infused and red.  He was almost a berserker. Even as I watched he bit the edge of his shield.  He was now lost to us. I stood aside and he ran towards the sounds of combat close to the hall of Jarl Erik.

I pointed to the gate. "Rolf Horse Killer, you and the others guard this gate.  No one leaves but I say so."

"Aye Jarl!"

"Ulfheonar, let us end this!"

With drawn weapons we headed for the warriors gathered around my nephew.  Everyone knew that there would be no prisoners.  This was a fight to the death. The shield wall had disintegrated, on both sides, and it was a free for all with warriors fighting each other or in groups of friends. Olaf Leather Neck did go berserk. It was a frightening sight.  I yelled, "Out of Olaf's way he does not know friend from enemy!"

He tore into the mailed oathsworn of Jarl Erik. We hurried after our brother. He would not stop until either they were dead or he was. His sword smashed into the mail of two warriors laying their sides open to the bone.  He seemed oblivious to wounds. Haaken, Ulf, Finni and I ran to protect his back. I saw that my nephew had surrounded himself by the last of his warriors.  It was foolish; it would mean he was the last to die, that was all.  Olaf made for him.  His sword, blunted now, broke the thigh bone of a warrior. He began to smash the man's skull with the edge of his shield.  His berserk rage ended when a war hammer caught him on the side of his helmet and he fell unconscious.  Haaken leapt across his body and made himself a human spear as he threw himself at the hammer wielding warrior. He impaled hum with his sword.

Snorri and Beorn threw themselves across Olaf's body and the rest of us carried on Olaf's charge towards my nephew and the eight oathsworn who remained.  He should have fought but I think he was terrified.  He stood as my red eyed wolf warriors hacked, slashed and chopped in cold anger.  Jarl Erik's oathsworn were brave but they were rusty.  It had been many years since they had fought.  Their arms tired and their reactions were slow. My men were at the peak of their powers and keen to avenge Olaf. It was a one sided fight. 

As his oathsworn fell I made for my nephew. He threw down his sword, "Spare me uncle! For the sake of your wife, my father's sister!"

Until he opened his mouth I might have spared him but it was a cowardly comment.  His father had tried to kill my wife and my children.  He had allowed good men to die for him and now he pleaded for his life.  He was not worthy to live.

All else had fallen and there was just the sound of the dying being sent to Valhalla.  A circle formed around us.  I threw my shield down. "Pick up your sword and fight me. If you do not I will kill you and you will not go to Valhalla."

"I beg you to spare my life.  I will tell you who the traitor is in Cyninges-tūn!"

That made it even worse.  Haaken shouted, "Let us use Olaf's skinning knife.  He will tell us when the skin is peeled from his face!"

It was then that Erik realised his words and offers were futile.  He was going to die. He picked up his sword and lunged at me in one movement. I barely managed to deflect his strike and it gave him heart.  He tried to punch me with his shield as he drew his sword back. I spun around and his shield hit air. I continued my turn and brought Ragnar's Spirit into the back of Erik Eriksson, Jarl of Balley Chashtal and the last child of a faithless warrior. The blow cut through his mail and his backbone.  He died quickly as his spine was severed and he crumpled to his death.

Every warrior cheered but I was too concerned with Olaf for the cheers and approbation of my men. Snorri grinned as he shook his head, "I know not how, Jarl, but he lives. He breathes and shows signs of waking.  He must have a harder head than Haaken!"

Haaken smiled.  "And if he lives then I am happy."

We were all too tired to celebrate.  We spent the rest of the day burning the bodies of our enemies and building a barrow for our own. We slept in Balley Chashtal and ate the few supplies they had. The women, it seems, had been sent away some days earlier. 

We discovered this from the one wounded warrior whose life we spared. Bjorn Bloodaxe had been a boy when I had lived on the island and when we discovered him I was sick of the killing.  He told us all. "We have known what you were up to for some time.  A ship would land secretly and Jarl Erik would discover where you were sailing.  He planned to attack your ships each time they returned laden.  A week ago he told us to prepare for an attack in the early hours of the morning.  He had the Danes prepare to come to our aid.  He had the time confirmed just two days ago and sent for the Danes to ambush you.  I told him he would not fool Jarl Dragonheart but he would not listen."