Viking Sword (6 page)

I recognised him as soon as we entered the hall.  It was Edward.  He was one of Egbert's illegitimate sons. He was a little younger than me but he had been with us at Grenewic when we had routed Rorik's raiders. He knew me and that was important.

He left his counsellors and strode over to me. Like most Saxons he wore his hair long and bound.  His clothes were of finely made linen. I felt like a dirty barbarian by comparison. Most Saxons would have agreed with me; to them I was a dirty barbarian. The eorl clasped my hand. Behind him I saw that not all of the counsellors were smiling.  One or two were scowling at me. Aiden would find out their names.  Not all of Egbert's people were happy with Wessex rule. Some still hankered after the Mercians who had been ousted.  It was part of the reason that this city was now part of Wessex. Lundenwic and Lundenburgh were in the middle of what had been a number of Saxon kingdoms. Some thrones were bigger and more powerful than others.  These counsellors and advisers would still play the game of politics. There would still be plotting and hidden alliances. It made me yearn for my home even more.

"Jarl Dragon Heart we did not know you were coming."

"We have been in Frankia. We had a little trade to do."

I got no further.  Edward put his arm around my shoulders and led me away from prying ears. "You know that King Louis the Pious is encouraging the Danes and the Mercians to attack Wessex? He hopes to weaken my father.  It is said that he is also trying to make an alliance with King Coenwulf of Mercia."

I did not but it was no surprise. Egbert and Wessex were a threat to the Carolingian Empire.  "I did not know the news. My home is far from such events and we hear little of the outside world. What is the king doing about the threat?"

"He is first subjugating the men of Corn Walum in the west to make that border safe and then he will defeat the Mercians once and for all."

I smiled, "We had a run in with some of the pirates of Corn Walum on the way here.  They have now learned to be wary of my dragon ships." He nodded and I could see that there was a question on his lips. "The Mercians your father can deal with but what of the Danes.  That is the thought in your mind."

He laughed so loudly that the counsellors looked over in surprise.  "My father says that you have a mind like a bear trap. Yes we fear the Danes. Your people are of the same ilk and we know how fierce you are.  One Viking can be worth five Saxons in a battle and you are all so unpredictable." He hesitated, "We would like your advice on dealing with them."

"Advice or our swords?"

He laughed, "My father's assessment of you is accurate.  Yes Jarl Dragon Heart.  We would like your swords and your advice."

"I had intended to return to my home; this was a courtesy visit only.  I will wait for my son and his ship; he is raiding Frankia." That was lie but it would hurt no one to tell it.  Then we will see if we can do something about the Danes and their voracious appetite for Mercia." I smiled.  Perhaps if your people spread the word that Jarl Dragon Heart is in Lundenwic it might deter any attacks."

"That is a master stroke, Jarl. I will do so.  You will receive recompense for your trouble. Will you stay with me in my hall?"

"My men and I will make our own arrangements." I hesitated.  "Would we be permitted to build a hall of our own along the river?"

"I cannot see why not.  There is land aplenty."

"Good then I will see to that and try to discover who is leading these Danes."

"I will have a chest of coins prepared for you. My man will bring it to your drekar."

As we left I questioned Aiden about what he had seen and heard.

"There are two of them, Jarl, who are most unhappy to see you. One is called Aethelheard but I did not find out the name of the other.  They are both older men and were here before the time of Egbert.  They are Mercian at heart."

"Good you have done well.  We will watch them. We have been given permission to build a hall on the river and the Eorl wishes us to find out which Danes are the greatest threat." I smiled, "He is telling the whole of Lundenwic that Jarl Dragon Heart will be here for a while."

Aiden's face split into a smile.  "
Wyrd
!"

"And even better, Aiden, he is paying us for our services. There will be a chest coming to the drekar.  Look to it for me."

We discovered that there were not enough trees close by to the city to build our hall and so we headed up river to Windlesore where there were trees in abundance. It did not take long to cut the quantity we needed and we towed them back to the site we had chosen. I did not want to be close to the church of the White Christ and so we chose a piece of higher ground at Celchyth. The site suited me for it was isolated from the town.  We would see any who approached. The higher ground afforded us a degree of protection.

We landed the wood and rowed back to Lundenwic.  We would sleep on the ship.  The men had earned a night in the ale house.  Cwoenthryth the ale wife was delighted despite their boisterous behaviour. Inevitably there were fights, mainly with the younger Ulfheonar but Haaken slipped her an extra coin and she was happy enough. I knew that, once the word got out that we were in Lundenwic then such nights would be a rarity.  It was yet another reason why I wanted a hall which was away from innocent people. I wanted somewhere to defend when those who wished to take Ragnar's Spirit came.

There were sore heads the next morning as we rowed upstream. My men had celebrated well. We would now have to learn to be self sufficient. Aiden had procured some flour so that we could bake our own bread.  We still had salted meat and that would do us until we went to raid the East Angles and the Danes.

Aiden laid out the outline of the hall and while half of the warriors prepared the tree trunks which would form the frame the rest of us dug the holes for the posts.  This would not have to last long and we were not fussy about the shape of the trees used for the roof. Once the holes were dug then the younger warriors were sent to cut turf.  We gathered as many stones and rocks as we could to make the timbers secure in the ground. One advantage of the proximity of the river was the clay and the mud.  It made the manufacture of the daub much easier. By the end of the second day the eight trees had been planted in the holes and stones rammed around them.  By the third we had the wood on the roof and by the fourth the turf had been laid.  We now had shelter from above. I left Aiden in charge of the building.  He would have the men make willow and hazel hurdles for the walls and daub them with mud and grass. I took Snorri and Bjorn the Scout to explore the land and go hunting.

We took our boar spears and our bows. Salted meat paled after ten days.  We needed fresh meat to augment our diet.  I was also keen to explore the land to the north.  The border between Wessex and Mercia was only vaguely defined.  Many of the villages owed allegiance to both Coenwulf and to Egbert. It ensured their survival. We had no mounts and our exploration would be limited. We headed north towards Wemba Lea.  It was a small village, or s
o
 
Cwoenthryth had told us, and was surrounded by forests.  She had heard that they teamed with game.

It was a Roman Road we followed although once we neared the forest we took a track to head into its heart.  Bjorn the Scout and Snorri were in their element. They soon found the spoor of some small deer.  These were not the huge red deer we had at home. These were much smaller. They were almost like big dogs. He looked at the tracks in the muddy ground and worked out where they were heading. Snorri took us so that we approached them downwind. At times I thought that Snorri was the most wolf like of us for he could smell game long before the rest of us.  He nocked an arrow and I knew at that moment that the animals were near. We spread out, quite naturally.  Bjorn the Scout went to Snorri's right and I to the left. We watched our footing as we approached them.  A snapping twig would send them scurrying away. I was a good archer but my two companions were the best and so I would wait for them to release first.

We saw the small herd.  There was a large male with four females and four young. We all crouched.  They were just sixty paces from us. We all made a silent plea to the god, Ullr, to guide our arrows and make a swift kill.  I knew that my companions would not aim at the stag. That would be like killing the whole herd.  They would choose an older female and one of the young.  It ensured that the herd would continue just as we had left the young of the fishing village. It was a poor farmer who harvested all and had nothing left for the next year. The gods did not approve of such a waste and the goddess Eostre would punish us for such disregard.

The two arrows sped towards their targets and the deer began to flee.  One of the young came in my direction and I released.  It struck it in the head and it crumpled in a heap just twenty paces from me.  Ullr had indeed listened. We quickly gutted the three of them and then slung them around our necks.  Our wolf cloaks would absorb any blood and smell.  It would help us disguise ourselves when we hunted again.

We had seen few people as we had travelled north and I asked Snorri to lead us east on the way back to our new home. We had only travelled a mile or so when we all smelled smoke.  This was not the smoke of a cooking fire or a fire of charcoal burners.  This was a fire of destruction. We dropped our burdens and, hefting our spears we ran in the direction of the smoke.  It was an easy trail to follow for the smoke came in our faces. When we heard the screams and the shouts then we knew that it was human predators.

The small settlement was in a clearing next to the Roman Road which headed north to the land of Cymru. Two of the huts were on fire and it was their smoke which had drawn us. I saw the helmets and the axes.  It was a band of Danes. There were fifteen of them. We could have turned and returned to our catch but that was not my way. We strung our bows and jammed our spears into the ground.  The Danes were so busy with their privations that they had failed to set a guard. This was not a slave raid.  They were intent on destruction, pillage and rape. We released our arrows together and, even as they were in the air released three more. When the first two warriors fell with arrows piercing them they turned to look for the danger. The second flight took out two more while a third was lucky to be able to raise his shield in time. We sent three more in their direction before dropping our bows and grabbing our spears.

"Ulfheonar!"

There were but three of us and now there were eight of them but we feared no man be he Saxon or Dane. My mind took in that only one had armour and the rest were dressed as we were in leather byrnies. I ran at the armoured Dane who had his shield across his back and his war axe above his head. My boar spear was longer than a man. If used in two hands, as I held it now, it was a powerful weapon. I saw Snorri's spear as it sailed by me and plunged into the chest of a half naked warrior. The armoured Dane's eyes flickered to the side and I took advantage of the momentary lapse of concentration to feint with my spear. He saw it at the last moment and he committed his axe to a block.  The swing opened up his chest and I jabbed forward with the spear.  It punctured his mail and his leather byrnie. He was a young warrior and he stepped back so that only the tip of the spear drew blood.  I reversed the spear and swung the wooden haft at his head. It smacked the side of his helmet and he staggered.  Suddenly I sensed a movement to my left and I swung the head to tear into the throat of the warrior attacking me on my blind side.  I dropped the spear and drew my sword.

My opponent had regained his composure and was advancing towards me more confident now that I had lost my spear. I held my left hand before me as a shield. It drew his eye. I kept Ragnar's Spirit horizontally behind me.  I could see blood seeping from the slight wound I had given him. I knew where I would strike.  I feinted with my sword but he was wise to that manoeuvre and he did not commit his axe.  Instead he whirled it above his head and advanced. If he thought to intimidate me he was wrong. I spun around as though I was going to flee in the face of his attack.  With an exultant cry he moved rapidly towards me.  I had spun out of the space he was attacking and I brought my sword across his back, just below the shield he carried there. This was not the tip, it was the edge but the force made him cry in pain and more of the links were shattered.

I dived and rolled forward to take me away from his flailing axe. As I stood I saw four dead Danes and Snorri and Bjorn the Scout chasing the other three into the forest. There was just me and the Dane left. He was in pain.  I must have broken a rib when I had hit his back.  Certainly his mail byrnie looked the worse for wear.  Its integrity gone it would not take many more blows to render it useless. Links hung down making him unbalanced.

He advanced on me more slowly now. His gritted teeth told me that he would either kill me or die in the attempt. He had the look of death upon his face. He held the axe in his right hand now and swung his shield around.  I had taught him caution.  He knew that I had skill.

"Before I kill you Norseman, tell me your name so that I can tell others of this fight."

"It is a name you would fear to hear Dane."

He laughed, "I am Cnut son of Guthrum and I fear no Norseman!"

"Then fear me for I am Jarl Dragon Heart and I bear the sword which was touched by the gods.  I will see you in Valhalla!"

He had a mixture of shock at my name and joy at the opportunity of killing such a renowned Viking. He came at me and tried to punch with his shield which he had pulled around while he talked.  It was predictable and I stepped backwards so that he punched into empty air. He would soon find that using a war axe in one hand was tiring. I reached behind me and took out my seax. His eyes flickered between the two blades. I was happy for him to wait.  A Danish war axe is meant to be used in two hands and I could see the sweat on his brow as he held it in one. I feinted with my sword and he swung his axe at me.  My left hand darted in and the seax I had taken from a dead Saxon ripped and tore into the hole made by my sword.  The curved blade enlarged the wound and he screamed in pain.  I twisted it as I pulled it out. He punched with his shield and sent me tumbling but it also pulled some of his guts with it.  He was mortally wounded and I had to finish it.