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  I had chosen the spot we were on because it was flat. The slope before us was steep. The horses would be going too fast for the riders to control and the warriors would be running down a steep slope too. That worked in our favour.

  I saw the leader raise his sword and the warriors roared. They charged. The horses soon outstripped the men and I saw that the two warriors were struggling to slow down their horses. Behind them Cnut and my warriors began to rain death on the unsuspecting half naked men.

  One of the horsemen heard the scream of a dying warrior behind him and made the mistake of turning his head. As his horse veered off course he fell to the ground and rolled towards us. Haaken stepped towards him and his sword took his head. The leader dragged his reins so that his horse was aimed at me. I gambled on the horse wishing to avoid me. I saw its head move slightly to my right and so I stepped to the left. Although the leader had a shield I had Ragnar’s Spirit. I swung it horizontally. It struck the shield and bit into the wood. The planks of the shield shivered and split and the sword continued along to rip into his arm. As he leaned away from the blow he fell from the horse. Even though he was wearing a helmet, the rock into which he fell was harder and his skull was crushed.

  I heard a cheer behind me and saw that the small warband had been slaughtered. Arturus had his sword raised in the air and I saw the blood. My son had killed his first warrior. He was a man and he was now Ulfheonar.

  The two horses were a valuable addition to our herd. The weapons were poor quality but we took them for Bjorn our smith could use them to make nails and farm tools. Some might even make bosses for shields. Our detour meant that we struggled to make it back to Cyninges-tūn before dark. As I had anticipated our journey took us through Lang’s Dale. His home was no longer cheery. It was an empty and cold house but we stayed there anyway. We had ever been a friend to Lang and his family. Their spirits would protect us.

  We reached our home on the morrow. As we trekked the last mile or so from the boggy tarns Haaken reminded me of the animals we had seen on the fells.

  “I know, my friend, and I would have you take some men to round them up. The Allfather knows that we will need them.”

  As we entered the stockade my own words were visible in the thin gaunt faces of those within. Even Erik and Kara looked undernourished. I should have known that my wife would share the little extra we had with those who did not. Apart from the ponies, poor weapons and the chest, we came back empty handed.

  The warm greeting from my wife and daughter made me feel even guiltier. I was the leader and it was my duty to provide for my people.

  “Well what was this treasure?”

  “It is in the warrior hall. I wanted my Ulfheonar to be there when we opened it. Arturus fetch the sword.”

  We left for the warrior hall and my Ulfheonar stood expectantly around the long table upon which sat the scabbard and the chest. “Send for Bjorn and Aiden. They helped to make the sword that was broken whole again. They should be here to see it complete.”

  I waited until all were present. Each of them had played their part in the acquisition of the treasure. “Arturus, the sword.”

  He handed me the weapon. It would never be used for war again but it still looked magnificent. It looked like no other blade I had ever seen and Bjorn Bagsecgson had told me that it was ancient, even beyond the times of the Romans. When I slid it into its scabbard the sound it made seemed like a sigh. My blacksmith touched the hammer amulet he wore around his neck. When metal spoke it was the word of the gods.

  “Now the sword is complete!”

  I handed it to Arturus who raised it. He passed it to Bjorn and then Aiden. Finally it was passed around all of the Ulfheonar until it returned to me. The circle was complete and I laid it upon the table. I turned the chest around. There was a lock. “Shall we unpick it, Aiden?”

  I asked the question of my mystic who grinned and like a magician produced a key from his tunic. The key was new.

  “How?”

  He said, “Wait, my lord, until we see if it works then I will explain my magic.”

  He put the key into the lock and began to turn. There was some resistance and he retrieved the key and took out a small file. He rubbed it along the edge and replaced it into the lock. He looked more nervous, “Perhaps I am not the magician I think I am.” This time, when he turned the key, there was a reassuring click as the lock was opened. Everyone looked at him. He smiled, with relief this time, “I took the lock of the other chest apart and reasoned that whoever had the original key might have used the same key for two chests. I made a key. It opened the other chest and I prayed that it would open this one. It did.”

  I clapped him on his back. “You are still a magician!”

  Every one held their breath as I slowly opened the lid. Kara and her mother sighed with disappointment when they saw the parchments on the top. The rest of us smiled for we knew its weight and we remembered that the parchment in the previous chest had hidden treasures beneath the dusty documents. I handed the writing to Aiden. Beneath them lay two leather bags. I could see that the leather was of the finest quality and appeared not to have suffered during its burial. I lifted one out and untied the leather thong. I poured a pile of golden coins upon the table.

  There was a collective gasp as the gold glittered in the firelight. I picked one up. It had the face of a man upon it and I recognised it as a coin similar to the ones we had earlier found. “These are Roman!”

  Erika took it from me. “These will prevent our people starving!”

  I had thought to buy better weapons but I supposed that we could compromise. I lifted the second bag. This one felt lighter and not as uniform. When I untied the thong jewels dropped out and spilled across the table. There were rubies and emeralds and white stones I had not seen before.

  Bjorn Bagsecgson suddenly grabbed one and held it up triumphantly. “It is the missing stone from the sword! The sword can be complete!” He put the stone in the hole at the crosspiece. It was a perfect fit.

  Aiden picked up a small gold coin. “And I can use this coin to make a golden mount; it shall not fall again!”

  For the first time in a long time I felt that our luck had changed. We had come through the winter feeling as though we had made a mistake. People had died and we were suffering. Our ships had been eaten and our animals had died. In this one stroke we had reversed that luck. Our lives would get better.

  Little did we know of the webs the sisters were spinning and the plans they had for all of us.

  Chapter 4

  Arturus was now an Ulfheonar. We held the ceremony in the dark of night and he donned his new wolf cloak. Haaken pointed out that it would be better had he allowed it to season but my son was young enough to have no patience at all! He and the rest of my men went to collect the animals we had seen on the fells. He proudly told all who would listen that he was now Wolf Killer, son of Dragon Heart!

  Aiden and I trekked down to Ragnar Bollison to see the progress on the ship. It had been six days and, although I knew it would be a skeleton yet I was anxious to examine it. Aiden brought with him the parchments. He had looked at them briefly but we both knew they would need a closer examination. I was proud enough not to want too many of my people seeing how I struggled to read. Aiden would not be critical of me. We had both had lessons from the sisters of the White Christ. I had given up but he had persevered. I also wished to speak with Pasgen. The small trading ship we had given him still floated and had been a winter lifeline for the small settlement. I hoped for news of the outside world.

  As I walked with Aiden I saw how much he had grown. Unlike Arturus he had not broadened out. He was still slender of build for he did not spend the hours with a sword and shield as my son did. “Are you happy with us, Aiden?”

  He looked at me as though he did not understand the question. “Happy, my lord?”

  “We are not of your people. Do you regret your decision to leave Hibernia?”

  He laughed, “You are
my people now, Lord Dragon Heart. Here I am respected, honoured even. The mighty Bjorn consults me on the art of smithing. I am more than happy. I would never wish to leave your service.”

  I disliked the word service; it seemed barely a hand span away from slave. “You do not serve me, Aiden. I hope you realise that. You may leave at any time and I pay for the work you do.”

  He thought he had offended me. “Oh no my lord. I mean no disrespect to you.”

  That was better. “You are like a son to me Aiden and I hope that you know that. The Lady Erika also values you and your contribution to the life at Cyninges-tūn.”

  “I know and I would do anything for her.”

  “Good. Now have you examined those parchments?”

  “Briefly. I think, my lord, that they are more valuable than the gold and the jewels we found.”

  He amazed me and I stopped. “You jest! How can that be?”

  “There are maps; not just of Britannia but lands further afield. There is a map of the Empire of Rome, that which is called Byzantium.”

  “And Miklagård?” He nodded. “I have been told that the streets are paved with gold so you may be right about the value of these writings. What else is there?”

  “The others will need more work, my lord. There are many words I do not know and I will need to ask Macha and Deidra what they mean. And there are other writings. It will take me some time to decipher and understand them all. I think, amongst them are plans and instructions for making weapons.”

  “Truly?”

  “Truly.”

  “Then you may be right and you should guard them well. Keep them about you at all times.”

  He patted his leather satchel which he had made. It contained all that he needed to work gold and to heal those who were ill. His skills there were improving. “They are with me always.”

  When we reached the river I was astounded at the progress. “Ragnar, you have worked wonders!” He nodded, obviously proud. “Come and tell me what you have done.” I had seen ships built from a distance before but I had never been this close to the actual construction.

  He led me down to the hull. “We began with the large piece of oak we felled.” He nodded and patted it as though it was a pet animal. “It is a fine piece of wood. It told me how to carve its shape. It is one reason we have been so swift. When a tree talks to you then you know the vessel will be sound. The stem and the stern were joined and they fitted well. We had enough straight pieces from the same tree to make the strakes.” He stroked the wooden hull. “That too is important. All of the hull will come from the same tree. She will serve you well. We now attach the ribs. It is vital that we do that carefully for they give the strength to the whole ship.”

  He suddenly began to cough and he held a cloth to his mouth. When it came away I saw that there was blood on it. “You have worked too hard! Rest! A few days longer will not hurt the ship.”

  He shook his head as he drew me away from his son and the other workers. He said quietly, “You do not understand, my lord. When I said this would be my last ship it is because I will soon be in the Otherworld.” He nodded to Aiden who was watching us. “I have seen the volva and Aiden. They know that my time is coming to an end. I hurry not for you, my lord, but for me. I must see this ship launched and then I can die in peace. Do not tell my son. He will worry. His mother died two seasons ago and I am all that is left. I leave him my skills. He will build you good ships, my lord.” He suddenly smiled, “But this one will be the best!”

  “You are a good man, Ragnar Bollison.”

  “I have tried to be and to live up to Prince Butar’s standards. We are all merely men and we sometimes fail.” He hesitated, “My son will work for you when I am gone?”

  “I promise that he will be my ship builder.”

  He seemed to cheer up and returned to watch his workers as the ribs and their cleats were hammered into place. I joined Aiden at the bow. I ran my hand over the wood which had been smoothed so that it felt like skin. “Is there no hope for him?”

  Aiden shook his head, “I am learning how to heal but his cough has become worse. He has become thinner and each day there is more blood. He is racing death to see if he can finish the ship. If he does then he will have won.”

  “Is there anything which we can do to make life easier for him?”

  “You have done that lord. His spirit will be in this ship and so long as this ship floats then he will live.”

  I watched my ship builder wander off. There was a little more bounce to his step. He picked up an adze and a breast augur. He stood looking at the piece of oak which had been roughly shaped already. I knew what he was doing, he was carving the most import part of the ship; the dragon prow. As the master builder of this ship, no-one, not even his own son, would be allowed to carve this vital piece of wood. I stood with Aiden; both of us were fascinated by his skill. He already had his chisels there. He used the adze to shape and smooth the wood a little more. The hole into which it would fit was equally smooth. Satisfied he picked up the breast augur. He drilled a hole through the wood he had just shaped. The spirals of oak which emerged looked like brown worms.

  He stood back and looked at the wood. It was beautifully shaped but the part which would be the head was just a shapeless blob. He sighed and, taking his mallet and his chisel he began to chip off pieces of wood. He suddenly stopped and looked at us.

  “My lord, it will bring bad luck if you see the prow before it is finished. I promise you that you shall be the first to see it.”

  “I understand, Ragnar. I was just fascinated by the process.”

  “Then when I am gone you can watch my son. He is a fine craftsman.”

  We left and walked along the river to the village. The sentries bowed as we entered. Pasgen was in the warrior hall speaking with someone. Aiden and I waited at the door. It would have been rude to interrupt. “No, Lord Dragon Heart. This concerns you. Come.”

  I was intrigued. As we approached I could see, from his attire, that the man was a seafarer. He nodded as we sat down.

  “This is Captain Griffith Ap Llewellyn. His ship is out in the bay. He began to trade with us at the end of last year and he always brings useful news.”

  “I am Dragon Heart of Cyninges-tūn. I am pleased to speak with a sailor who has travelled the world.”

  He spoke and I struggled to understand him for he spoke with a thick accent. “There were times when I would have fled from such as you, a wolf of the sea but Pasgen here assures me that you do not prey on ships. I hope that is true else I may be consigning some of my friends to your clutches.”

  “You have my word that I have never raided a ship at sea in my life.” I smiled, “I have, however, raided the land of the Cymri.”

  He laughed, “Pasgen said that you were honest. Well I have just told the headman of a disease which is sweeping through Northumbria and Mercia. They call if the coughing disease. Those who die from it become very hot. They cough and they sneeze. They are unable to eat and they die. The gods must favour some for there are some people who manage to survive. The followers of the White Christ say it is a punishment from God for their sins.” He shook his head, “No offence but I would have thought that he would have inflicted such a curse on your people who do not follow the White Christ.”

  “As would I. Thank you for that information. We will bear it in mind. Do they have the disease in Cymru and Hibernia?”

  He shook his head, “I did not hear of it when I visited those lands.”

  “Thank you. And Man, what do you hear of Man?”

  “They do not have the disease.”

  “And how do the people fare?”

  “We do not trade with them. Some ships were robbed who went there for honest trade. I heard that some crews were killed. I do not risk my ship.”

  “We have goods we would trade with you. Do you trade with Frankia?”

  “We have done in the past but there is much discord in the land now. The Emperor Charlemagne is
tightening his grip on the land. We have not visited there for some time.”

  “Does gold still trade well?”

  He looked suddenly interested. “All men are interested in gold. You have some?”

  “Let us say we have acquired some wealth and we wish to use it in trade.”

  “In that case let me know what you need and we can come to an arrangement.”

  “Food.”

  He sank back into his seat and shook his head. “Food is more valuable than gold at the moment. The fierce winter and the disease mean that many people are suffering. Those who follow the old ways say it is because many people are converting to the White Christ and the gods do not like it.”

  It always astounded me that people ascribed such disasters to a change in religion. Did they not know it was just the Norns. The Weird Sisters toyed with men as children sometimes did with spiders and small animals. You could do little about it, it was just wyrd.

  “If you could get hold of food or animals then we will pay you a fair price.”

  He nodded. “Perhaps I should not be telling you this, but the Hibernians were spared the worst of the weather and their flocks look to have increased. But I will do as you ask and seek food. If I can get some…”

  “Then deliver it to the headman here and he will pay you.”

  He suddenly looked at Pasgen, “You have gold too?”

  I laughed, “He will when I give him some.”

  I now had even more to worry about. I had planned a raid on the Northumbrians and the Mercians. Both were short journeys and would have meant we were away for a few days. Hibernia was a poorer country and we would have to travel further inland to achieve what we wanted. It was then I wondered about our change of fortune.

  Aiden and I journeyed back to Cyninges-tūn. It would do no good to be looking over Ragnar’s shoulder. I knew he was doing the best he could. His news had disturbed me. The older skilled men of the village would all need replacing. What of Bjorn our smith? It was not just warriors who had to be trained. I determined to speak with Erika. She was wise and would know what to do.