Viking Sword Page 5

  "We will fly, I promise you that!" He turned to shout to his men. "Sven, get the slaves aboard our ship! Use the fishing ships to ferry them. Why should we get wet?"

  The unfortunate captives were dragged somewhat unceremoniously over the sand to their own boats. "Haaken, get the men into the other fishing boats and we will return to our drekar."

  The old men and some of the older boys whom we had not taken were shouting at us and waving their fists. The women restrained them. We were being kind. Had I chosen I could have slaughtered everyone in the village and fired it. As it was they would have a hard time for a while but we had left them their boats and they could still fish. They still had a roof over their head. Perhaps they would learn their lesson for if other Vikings came then this village would cease to exist. I was the last to board my ship. We pushed off the fishing boats; the incoming tide would take then inshore but, already the young boys were hurling themselves into the surf to recapture their boats.

  "Erik, head for Lundenwic!"

  I watched my son's drekar as it headed west. With the wind at its back it moved with the speed of an arrow. He would make good time. As we slowly headed through the night and dawn towards the coast of the land of Kent I thought about the slaves we had just taken. I had been a slave and I had been freed. Scanlan and his family had been enslaved and now, not only were they free, Scanlan was my reeve and ran my estate. We lived in hard times and the families we left behind would learn to build walls and protect themselves from wolves such as us. If they did not then this would happen again. As for their men, they would not be mistreated and, if they worked hard they would win their freedom. The world was filled with many who could be enslaved as easily as we had taken these fishermen.

  The Temese was a wide river and, as dawn broke, we were able to avoid the smaller boats heading out to sea as we sailed west towards the fort. In truth it was they who did the avoiding for we were a Viking Drekar. As we passed many of the ships I saw the followers of the White Christ making the sign of the cross. It made me smile as though waving a hand in the air could ward off evil. For that you needed Thor's Hammer or a treasure touched by the gods; I wore such a treasure at my side.

  We passed the old Roman fort and headed for the jetty. We had arrived propitiously for many ships and boats had recently left and we had space to berth. Although Siggi and Trygg traded extensively here they were knarr and the drekar still inspired fear. The people who did not live within the Roman wall hid behind their wooden doors. I knew that they would be wondering if we came for trade or for war.

  I took off my leather byrnie and, after hauling up a bucket of river water, I washed my face of the red so that I would not terrify those that I met. "Haaken, keep the warriors on board until I have met with Egbert's man. I will just take Aiden with me."

  "Aye Dragon Heart. It will give us time to make ourselves irresistible for these Saxon wenches."

  "Haaken! You are married!"

  He laughed, "Aye but the children I make down here will not be so demanding of my time as my own and the world needs more of my blood. It will put poetry into the hearts of these dull Saxons."

  He was a dear friend but Haaken had a high opinion of himself and his skill as a singer."Have you coin, Aiden?"

  "Aye, Jarl."

  We had learned that using silver coins made us more welcome. Erik's boys had put the gangplank down and we headed for the gates of the town. I noticed a few faces peering from cracks in the door as the two of us strode through the wooden buildings which proliferated around the river. Passing the sign of the barley I knew where Haaken and the others would be found later. They had an ale wife here in Lundenwic who brewed passable ale. It was not as good as that which we brewed but it was better than most we found on our travels.

  There were armed guards at the gate. They wore no mail but held spears and shields with their seax in their scabbards. Without my cloak and helmet I was not recognisable.

  "You are bold, Viking, to come into our town and stride up to the fort. Do you have the death wish?"

  "I am Jarl Dragon Heart of Cyninges-tūn. I am a friend to King Egbert."

  Those words changed the warrior and his attitude in an instant. He bobbed his head. "I am sorry, Jarl. I did not recognise you." He stood aside, "Please pass." He looked and sounded terrified. I knew that there were stories about me which were not true. They told of how I had leapt aboard a drekar and slain every warrior within. That was not true. It had been Rorik's ship and I had leapt aboard to enable my own knarr to be saved. I killed but a couple. However as it had happened on this very river and had been witnessed they had built the tale into something it was not. It was further enlarged by Haaken's song which made it sound as though it had been a tale of the Gods and not a battle between Vikings.

  I strode through the narrow streets of the old Roman fort. The wide open spaces of the old Roman fort had been filled with tiny stalls and shops. The barracks were either filled with the warriors and their families or had been converted. Either way the neat lines which had been planned by the Roman engineers were no more. It was no wonder that folk were building outside the walls when inside was more cramped than a double crewed drekar. I headed for the hall. It stood on the site of one of the barracks. It was not made of stone but timber, lath and tiles taken from demolished barracks. I knew that Egbert had his own eorl here. He changed them frequently for he was a clever king. This was a powerful place and he did not want one of his own men to use it to usurp him. Once he conquered Mercia then he would be King of Britannia. Of course there would be one part which would not be under his control and that was my land. I bowed the knee to no king.

  There were more guards at the hall and I pre-empted any confusion by speaking first. "I am Jarl Dragon Heart of Cyninges-tūn and I am here to speak with King Egbert's man."

  "Eorl Edward is within." He glanced at my sword. "Is that the sword touched by the gods?"

  "It is."

  I saw that as well as the cross of the White Christ he wore about his neck there was another thong which showed beneath his kyrtle. This Saxon was not a committed Christian. He still adhered to the old ways. I believed that he wore Thor's hammer. It was confirmed when he asked, quietly, "May I touch the blade my lord?"

  I nodded and drew the blade. It was the most beautiful sword in the world and both guards gasped when they saw it. I held the blade so that the guard could touch the hilt. I saw him feel the power and he nodded as he withdrew his hand. He viewed it as though it had been burned by some magical fire. "Thank you, my lord."

  He led us into the hall. I saw Aiden smile at me as we went. He knew why I had acceded to the guard's request. This would announce the location of the sword quicker than anything. He would tell all that he knew that he had touched Ragnar's Spirit. By nightfall the story would have been spread throughout the city and beyond for the sailors who heard it would repeat it. It was the fastest means of telling Wiglaf where the sword was. The second part would come when I spoke with Egbert's eorl.

  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 a
nd 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 so 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 bur
dens 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.