Viking War Page 22

  We could now hear the enemy warriors as they began to sing as they marched. They were in good spirits. From my experience they would have hated waiting outside the fort for an opportunity to fight. The river crossing promised battle and they would relish that. They would be eager to cross the river.

  Sure enough, thirty of them did not wait for the order, they just plunged into the water. These did not move as swiftly as the scouts. Some had mail and all had a shield and a helmet. They had to move slowly as the bottom of the ford was treacherous. I nodded to the men with bows. The arrows flew straight and true. Eight of the Vikings fell. These were not Northumbrians; these were warriors like us and they were not deterred by ambush. They tried to rush towards these hidden enemies. As they reached half way they were showered again. Four of them reached the bank safely and they ran towards us. I stepped from the hedge. I knew that I would surprise them. Few would have seen a mail mask but all would recognise my shield and know whom they faced.

  I used the surprise to strike first. I brought Ragnar’s Spirit down diagonally across the neck of the first warrior. He was still sodden from the crossing and was slow to raise his shield. He died quickly and his three companions fell to a flurry of arrows from my Ulfheonar.

  It was Ragnar Hairy-Breeches who organised the warriors. I heard his voice roar out and no one else was tempted to cross towards us. We stayed hidden. It was the element of surprise which worked in our favour. Once they knew how few we were they would flood across the ford. Our wolf cloaks and the armour we now wore made it difficult for them to see us. They knew where we were but not our numbers. Ragnar ordered a wedge across the river. I saw that there were fifty warriors in the wedge. The best time to strike them would be when they reached the shallows on our side of the river and would feel safer.

  “We attack them in the shallows. Archer, use your arrows and then go and fetch the horses. We will hit and run.”

  We waited behind the hedge. The wedge came on slowly and steadily. They needed to keep themselves and their shields locked together. They were just fifteen paces from the shore when the arrows flew at them. They held their shields up and kept coming forward.

  “Now!”

  As we ran out Tostig Wolf Hand slipped in the mud but the rest of us ran towards the wedge which now had shields held above them. Snorri struck first and his sword tore into the stomach of one warrior and he knocked a second to the river with his shield. I brought Ragnar’s Spirit down to slice through the arm of a warrior. I did not wait for the next one to attack; I pushed my shield under the first warrior’s shield as he tried to lower it and slid the edge of my blade into his side. As I pulled it back I punched with the shield and he fell backwards. I stabbed him in the throat as he lay in the water.

  “Jarl! Back!”

  I saw that my archers had returned with the horses. “Fall back!”

  We left Olaf Gold Tooth in the river but the rest, some bloodied, made it back to our horses. I dragged myself into the saddle. The river was red and we had slain twelve of the warriors whilst wounding others. These were the oathsworn of Ragnar and would be grievously missed. We galloped up the hill with the warband in angry pursuit. They would waste energy following us for as soon as we made the trees we headed west towards Windar’s Mere.

  My Ulfheonar were in high spirits. There were just over a hundred and twenty warriors left. We could easily handle that number when we returned from Cyninges-tūn with the rest of the Ulfheonar and the reserve warriors we had left there. I could almost hear the Norns spinning. We reached the Mere and Beorn was just heading down the track which bordered the vast expanse of water. I saw the drekar, ‘Hawk’ approaching too. Something inside me made me shiver in apprehension. We rode down to the shore to speak with the captain and Beorn.

  “Jarl! It is Rorik. He has Windar’s stead surrounded. They are in the Rye Dale and the road to Cyninges-tūn is captured.”

  Wyrd. “How many men does he have?”

  Beorn shook his head, “I have no idea. I only know about the Rye Dale because the captain of the drekar told me.”

  “Haaken One Eye, go on the drekar. See if your horse will board and get to Cyninges-tūn. I want the rest of the Ulfheonar to join us from Cyninges-tūn. See if you can open the road to Windar’s Stead.”

  “Aye, Jarl. Shall I bring more men?”

  “Make that judgement yourself. We must defend our home.”

  He clasped my arm, “You can trust me brother!”

  When he had gone I asked Beorn about Rorik. “How do you know that it was Rorik?”

  “I recognised him and Wiglaf. There are at least a hundred warriors on this side of the defences. I do not think they have been there long. They were busy setting up camp.”

  I gathered the men around us. “There are reinforcements coming to aid Rorik but he cannot yet know about Erik and Sihtric. He will be waiting for them to join him. We have a little hope. If Thorkell saw the beacons and if Windar sent a rider then there may be warriors coming from the north. As for Ulf and his men, I do not know. My aim is to use our powers to defeat the enemy.”

  Some of the new Ulfheonar gave me a strange look. Snorri laughed, “We become the wolf. We use the terror of the night. We stop them sleeping. We make them look over their shoulders.”

  I nodded, “Snorri is right except Snorri will be doing what he does best. He and Beorn will be getting through their lines to give me an accurate count of their numbers.” My two scouts nodded. It was an honour and they knew it. “We will be to the west of the fort and north of the trout beck. Meet us there at the scar above the dale.”

  I had two of my warriors take the horses south to safety. We would not need them for what we had to do. I glanced at the sky. It was getting on to evening. Ragnar would be hurrying to join his allies. We had to be up in the hills above Windar’s Mere before that happened. We ran. Making little noise and disturbing almost nothing we ghosted up through the trees to the ridge. There was a small valley which cut to the south of Windar’s fort. The beck which ran through it was full of trout. Once we had crossed the trout beck we could climb up to the slopes of the hills which led to the sacred mountain of Hel Belyn. The giants had once lived there and their spirits would protect us still. I wanted that at our back for we had an escape route to both Ulla’s Water and Thorkell’s Stead. Neither was easy but both routes would discourage pursuit.

  We had just ascended the northern side of the trout beck when darkness fell. Rather than hindering us it actually helped us. We could both see and smell the fires of the invaders. We made our way to the steep scar which overlooked Windar’s refuge. Below us we saw only darkness. The fires burning above the gates and towers of Windar’s Stead marked where our friends were. There was a ring of fires to the south of the fort but north, at the Rye Dale there appeared to be many more. Below us we heard the men of Ragnar and Magnus as they made their way to join their allies. The sound of challenges and answers was reassuring. These warriors did not know each other. We could use that to aid us.

  I had twenty six Ulfheonar left with me. Gathering them around me I gave them their instructions. “Tonight, when they are asleep and safe in their camps we go amongst them. Kill silently. We will use seven groups for that is a lucky number. I will go with Magnus Long Shirt. When Snorri and Beorn return they can join me. We will meet on the scar above the Rye Dale. The gorge there is so steep that if you do not know it you will fall to your death. Tonight we spread fear here and tomorrow we disrupt their main camp.”

  I left the men to organise themselves. I had chosen Magnus Long Shirt because he was one of my younger Ulfheonar. Arturus had trained him and they had been good friends. He had gained his name because he captured the mail shirt of a tall warrior and it had been too long for him. In the years since he had, like Arturus, grown a whole head taller. I could see that he was honoured to be with me.

  “Put your shield on your back and cover it with your cloak. You will not need your sword. Use a dagger. I shall use my seax.
If I fall then do not wait for me. Find the others and tell them.” He gave me a shocked look. “Arturus can lead as well as I.” He nodded.

  Everyone was ready. “May the Allfather be with you.” I clasped arms with Cnut. “Take care, my old friend. I would watch your children grown into men as fine as their father.”

  Then we slipped along the path which down the slope. We walked in single file for it was a tricky journey. Once we reached the bottom we silently split up and headed towards the smell of wood smoke. As soon as I heard voices I stopped and waved Magnus to his knees. There was a fire twenty paces from us and three men lay asleep around it. Two others were talking. I saw that they had horns of ale in their hands and I could smell the ale. They would soon be asleep.

  We waited. I had done this before, on Mann when we had had to relieve Hrams-a when it was attacked. It would be hard for Magnus. The waiting was worse than anything. Patience could not be taught it had to be learned. The words gradually stopped. The horns fell to the floor and the two men slumped asleep, or unconscious. It was hard to tell the difference. Soon the only sound we could hear was the sound of snoring. I held up my seax and nodded to Magnus. I began to creep forward. I went towards one of the sleeping men. The two who had just fallen into a drunken stupor would be the last to wake. The victim I had chosen was on his back and he was snoring. I put my hand over his mouth and dragged my seax across his throat in one quick movement. The warm blood gushed all over my hand.

  I turned to the next warrior. He had his back to me. I lifted the seax and drove it through his ear and into his brain. This time there was no blood and only the slightest of judders showed that the man had died. Magnus had killed two other warriors; one of them was a drunk. There were two men left. I stood and made my way to the one on the far side of the fire. Behind me Magnus stuck his knife into the drunk but the man gave the slightest of cries. It might have been mistaken for someone talking in their sleep but the last warrior awoke. He turned and saw me. I leapt upon him and, with my hand over his mouth I drove the seax up into his rib cage and then his heart. I waved Magnus away and we melted into the woods. We had used up all the luck that the Norns would allow and I led him up the side of the scree slope to the gorge which led to the scar above the Rye Dale. As dawn broke we reached the safety of the dell which nestled on the northern side of the gorge. Sigtrygg and his three warriors were waiting for us.

  By the time the sun had risen above the eastern mountains all my men had returned safely. I breathed a sigh of relief. My Ulfheonar were too valuable to lose. We worked out that we had killed thirty six warriors. In itself that was no great achievement but it would terrify the others. The next night they would be looking over their shoulders and would have to set sentries to watch for us. We watched from the scar and saw Rorik’s men preparing trees to make bridges and rams. They had not begun their assault yet.

  Snorri arrived just as we had eaten and were preparing for sleep. “There are over two hundred men in the Rye Dale.” He pointed to the west. “The land towards Cyninges-tūn is flooded. They hold the Skelwith’s bridge. There are forty warriors there. Around the stead there another sixty warriors. The woods to the south have a hundred or so within them.”

  “Sixty four. Have you seen anything of Beorn?”

  “No, we split up to make sure we had the right numbers.” He laughed. “Do not worry, Jarl, he will return. He always does.”

  “Then get some sleep. Sigtrygg, wake me at noon and then you can sleep.”

  I went to sleep listening to the sounds of Rorik and his men as they chopped down trees to make bridge across the ditches of Windar’s Stead and hurled rocks into the ditches. I was happy. We had done far better than I could possibly have dreamt possible. If there were just forty men at Skelwith’s bridge then Haaken and the rested Ulfheonar might just be able to open the road again.

  Chapter 20

  I was woken by Sigtrygg. His face looked troubled. Behind him I saw the rest of the Ulfheonar. Snorri looked as angry as I had ever seen him. “What is it?”

  “We have found Beorn Three Fingers.”

  I followed him to the edge of the scar. There was water just to the west of the Rye Dale and two islands lay upon it. One was wooded but the smaller one was not. I saw Beorn upon it. He was naked and he had suffered the blood eagle. Rorik had left me a message. Another of the Ulfheonar had paid the price for serving me. I put my arm around Snorri. “We will have our vengeance.” Looking at them all I said, “Get some rest. I will watch now. When it is dark we will go amongst them again. Then we will have our revenge.”

  I sat on the rock looking down on the island. Snorri joined me. Before I could speak he said, “I cannot sleep. I blame myself for Beorn’s death. We should have stayed together and then he would be alive.”

  “Or you could both be dead and we would not know that hope remains. It is wyrd, Snorri and Beorn is in Valhalla now. The blood eagle is a noble death.”

  I was not certain that I had convinced him but he sat in silence and I remembered all the times we had fought together. I remembered him losing his fingers when Arturus achieved his name of Wolf Killer. I found myself smiling for Beorn had ever been brave and he would not wish us to mourn such a noble death.

  After we had eaten I gave them their instructions. “We go into the Rye Dale. I want terror here in the heart of Rorik’s camp. I have watched and they have almost finished their bridges across the ditches. They will attack tomorrow. We weaken them tonight. We meet in the cave of the wolf to the west. It was there that Beorn lost his fingers and his spirit will be there. We will join with Haaken and open the road to Cyninges-tūn. Rorik thinks he has frightened us. He thinks he outnumbers us. He thinks he will win. He does not know the Ulfheonar!”

  They did not cheer but their eyes did. Everyone clasped arms as we descended through the trees towards their camp. They had chosen to camp where Dargh had had his tower and his stead. His spirit and those of his men would be there and they would aid us. The gods showed their approval by hiding the moon behind a thick cloud which threatened more rain. Wyrd!

  This time it would not be as easy. There were fewer trees in which to hide and more warriors. Rorik had positioned guards at the north and the south of the camp. The scar protected the east and the river the west. I pulled my wolf cloak above my head. I slipped my dagger into my left hand and held my seax in my right. Snorri took my right and Magnus my left as we began to crawl through the darkness. The fires had died a little which helped. We had the most dangerous route for we were closest to the sentries at the northern edge of the camp.

  I smelled warriors. I held my hand up to halt the other two. Lifting my head above the ferns through which we were moving I saw the four men sleeping. Their feet were towards the fire. They looked like a human cross. I did not need to signal where my two Ulfheonar were to move. The position of the men had determined that. I saw that the warrior I was to kill was lying on his back and his mouth was open as he snored. I lifted the seax high and brought it down into his open mouth. His body convulsed involuntarily as he died. Snorri had slit the throat of one warrior and the last died with Snorri’s dagger through his eye.

  We stood and began to move through the camp. We passed little knots of men asleep. Had they woken they would have seen three walking wolves or shadows seemingly floating through their camp. There were too many in each group to risk another killing. As we neared the river we heard the sound of the bubbling beck racing over the stones. It would cover any noise that we made. I saw five men asleep close to the hedge which ran by the river. It arched over a little and gave them shelter. These five were veterans.

  We dropped to all fours and moved slowly towards them. The man I chose to kill was on his side. His blanket came up to his shoulder but his neck was bare. I saw that the other two were in position and I sliced across the side of his neck. His body shuddered a little as he died. That was when our luck ran out. One man must have heard something or perhaps he needed to make water. He rose and
saw me. I hurled my dagger at him as he stood and began to shout. The blade entered his throat and he tried to pull it out. I leapt at him with my seax. Magnus killed his warrior. The fifth man awoke and gave a shout before Snorri silenced him.

  I waved to Magnus and we jumped over the low hedge and landed on the rocks next to the water. I did not hesitate. I knew that we could ford it and we slipped into the water and made our way across. There was only the noise of the stream and I thought that we had escaped notice until I heard a cry from the far side of the camp. Someone had discovered the first bodies. As we scrambled to the bank I waved the other two to lie flat. We just made it. Torches appeared as Rorik’s men began to search the other side of the stream for signs of us. We had landed on rocks and left no tracks. They searched up and down for a while but then gave up. I wondered how they had missed the other Ulfheonar. I watched as they put sentries all around and each was holding a torch. We crawled away using very small movements. As soon as we reached the trees we stood. I led them up the trail to the cave we had used before. It was the one where poor Beorn had lost his fingers to the wolves. I hoped there were none within and that Beorn’s spirit watched over us.