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  I turned to Scanlan, “Go and tell Seara that we say yes and then start to gather your belongings together. I would like my new family to get to our home sooner rather than later.”

  Erica said, “And that means we have much to do, Maewe, as well as our men.”

  I left them to get their belongings organised and then I headed for my ship. Snorri and Eric Short Toe, my two ships boys were asleep on the boat. I knew that I would not need to ask them if they wished to settle with me in Hrams-a. They jumped to their feet. “Sorry Dragon Heart, we were tired.”

  “Do not worry Snorri, I am not here to chastise you. I am leaving here to return to Hrams-a. We will have cargo to carry. Prepare‘Wolf’.”

  They happily set to, “Aye my lord.”

  They quickly began to lift the benches and then the deck upon which the rowers sat. ‘Wolf’ might be the smallest ship we had but there was enough cargo space to carry all our belongings. “When Scanlan comes show him how to load the cargo.” I pointed a finger at them. “If we capsize I will know who to blame!”

  “We will not let you down.”

  I knew that they wouldn’t. The heavier items would be loaded down the centre of the ship under the planks which were removed to allow us to do this. The lighter goods were stacked towards the stern, bows and the sides. I was not that worried, we did not have a long journey ahead of us. I headed back to Prince Butar’s hall. He was playing a game with Eurwen and she squealed when I entered. “My brother, the warrior!” She hurled herself at me.

  “And what of you, my little princess? You are now safely returned from your adventure.”

  She affected a cross look, “I did not like those people, they smelled!” My stepfather could see that I wished to speak with him and he waved over the slave who looked after Eurwen. “Go with Hilda and play outside. You can see Dragon Heart later.”

  She skipped off and waved as she left. She would not have the tormented childhood I had suffered. She would be happy and for that I was glad.

  “I am going to return to Hrams-a.”

  “You have decided then?”

  “I think it was meant to be. The hostage, Aiden, wishes to be part of my family. I can see the hands of my mother and your father in this.”

  “I think you are right.” He frowned, “Perhaps if you waited then more people might like to return with you.”

  “They might but they can always walk there. It is not far. And I would like them to reflect and choose rather than rushing into it. I will gladly care for all who come.”

  “And you will rebuild Hrams-a?”

  “No, I will build it anew. I have ideas. I have seen other places now and know what it is that I want. I will ask the Ulfheonar to row back with me and then give them the choice.” I took a deep breath, “I will need a crew when I begin to trade.”

  For the first time I think I truly surprised Butar. “I had thought that you would go a-raiding?”

  “There may be a time when I return to that way of life but Tadgh and his actions have made me yearn for a more peaceful time; just until Arturus is older. “ I enjoyed travelling to Frankia and I seemed to be quite lucky in the trades we made. “If we are richer then we can arm our men better. I have seen now, the advantage of good weapons and armour.”

  Butar relaxed a little, “I see and so you are not becoming too peaceful then?”

  I laughed, “I do not think I will have a choice in the matter. War and fighting will come here no matter what I do. At least, for the time being, we have time to build. The Ulfheonar are young. They will become better warriors in time.”

  “You are wise beyond your years. Even if you do not accept it you will be a good Jarl.”

  “Perhaps… when the time is right.”

  I went to find the Ulfheonar. I knew that they would be in the warrior hall and that some would be awake. When I entered, I saw that most of them were already up and drinking the first ale of the day. They looked at me expectantly as I walked through the doors. This would be harder than the last two speeches I had made.

  There was no other way than to launch into it. “I am returning to Hrams-a to build a better town and fort. Then I will go to Frankia to trade. I would ask you to row my ship back to Hrams-a and then I release you from your oath.”

  There was a strange silence and they looked at each other. Haaken stood, “I don’t know about the rest of you but I do not want to be released from my oath.” He grinned, “Life would be too boring with another leader.”

  “But I am not your leader! I am just one of the Ulfheonar.”

  Cnut almost choked on his beer, “You were the first of the Ulfheonar. It was you who had the first wolf cloak. We follow Dragon Heart and Ragnar’s Spirit and there is an end to it.”

  Chapter 8

  We had not been away from the burnt out settlement of Hrams-a for long, less than three weeks and yet it had the look and feel of something long abandoned. We had been given much timber by the people of Duboglassio which we had towed behind us. The fort on the hill still stood and we put our families inside the walls while we set too to build the warrior hall. The town would be built next to the sea. I would use the sea to protect two sides and the other two would have ditches. Our previous mistake had been to rely on the fort on the hill. I could see now that that had been our undoing. It relied on the people knowing when an enemy might come. As Colm had found you needed to protect against enemies all of the time. The walls could come later. First we needed shelter.

  We laboured all day. Some of the men cut turf from the hills while the rest cut timber and laid out the bones of their new home. My hall could wait. We had canvas and the weather still held. Erica had not only Seara and Maewe to help her but our slaves. None of the Ulfheonar had women but that would come. Until then my wife would have to be mother to them all.

  Our first recruit was, perhaps, not surprising. It was Bjorn Bagsecgson the son of the dead blacksmith and the only survivor of the massacre.

  “If you will have me lord, I will be the blacksmith here as my father was.”

  I clasped his hand. “And you will be more than welcome.”

  Over the next few days, as the buildings grew from the debris and the shambles that had been our home, more and more warriors and their families arrived. For some, it was because they had settled there when we had first come and for others it was the allure of Dragon Heart. I was touched that they wished to live under my protection.

  Once the warrior hall was built half of the men built the walls while the rest built my home. That was not my choice and was the scene of my first argument with my men. All of them were unanimous that our home had to be built first. By late autumn Hrams-a was largely finished. Where my mother had died we built a rock cairn. It lay just at the rear of my hall and was a place of comfort and reflection for me. When I found myself troubled I would go there and find that her spirit and presence calmed me. We made sure that we had enough space so that it was quiet. We built the other halls and huts of the settlement so that the rest of the homes radiated out from mine.

  Our livestock had thrived over the summer and we made sure that we protected it over the winter. Enclosures were built and more lookout towers erected. We had plenty of grain which we had liberated from the Saxons and it allowed us to build a better harbour for our handful of fishing boats and ‘Wolf’. And over the winter we waited and we watched for any unknown sail. We worked and we trained; we all needed to be better warriors. We wrote sagas about our deeds and we made children. That year saw more babies conceived than anyone, even Olaf could ever remember. Half of the Ulfheonar married and chose the winter solstice to do so. The long nights of winter were fruitful.

  When the nights began to shorten, imperceptibly at first, we gathered our trade goods to take to Frankia. The seal oil we traded from our brothers to the north was sought after further south as were the sheepskins we produced ourselves. We sought weapons and fine armour in return. Bjorn was a good blacksmith but the blank blades produced in
Frankia were superior in every way to the ones we were able to produce. Bjorn could turn them into the best of weapons. When he had to use metal produced closer to home then he was only able to make adequate weapons. It might have been that we could have traded closer to home but that meant the Saxons and we did not trust them.

  I chose the men I would take, carefully, for we did not want to leave our newly made home undefended. The winter had been benign enough to allow us to make it even stronger and more comfortable. I left Egill in command of those at home. I knew that I would want Haaken and Cnut by my side. They were my oldest and most reliable friends. We took only twenty warriors. We were not going for war and that allowed us to take a little more cargo than we might otherwise have done. My drekar was not a trader, it was neither tubby nor slow but it was not capacious. Our advantage lay in a swift passage and the dragon’s teeth of our swords to fight off pirates.

  Aiden, of course wished to come. He had learned our language well and he knew Snorri and Eric Short Toe travelled with me and wondered why he could not.

  “When you are a little older and those two have taught you some of what they know then you can come with me. Until then I need you to stay here and protect my son.”

  The last argument convinced him. He already saw himself as the guard of Arturus as well as his playmate. Erica, like many of the other women, was also with child again and that meant a unique shopping list for her. She thought that there were places on the lower parts of the Rinaz which made something called lace. It seems it was pretty and it was expensive. Where my wife had seen it I had no idea but I was instructed to get some if I could. She had convinced herself that the next child would be a girl and she wanted pretty things for her.

  “I know you will be buying the metal for the weapons which will be made for Arturus, indulge me and our daughter.”

  There seemed little point in telling her that we did not know what the new child would be. She had, however, the other women of the house and the village on her side. They kept going on about one life departing and another one arriving. Maewe and Erica were convinced that the new child would be my mother reincarnated. Life was simpler when I didn’t argue.

  Each family in the settlement brought things for me to trade. We kept a record of what they were. The warriors who went with us would have their own goods too. The exception was Bjorn. He had gold and silver to trade. Warriors who wanted a fine blade happily paid Bjorn in valuable metals or jewels if they had them. The dead warriors we had fought at Tara had yielded much in the way of booty. We had done the fighting and the killing; the reward was ours. It meant that Bjorn could afford to buy the valuable and expensive Frankish blades to turn them into swords.

  We left one cold morning with a driving rain which seemed to penetrate beneath our very skin; the rain and wind however, came from the north and would speed us on our way. We had no need to row as we flew south along the coast of Cymru. The wind took us faster than any boat propelled by men. I wanted a swift passage as I did not like to leave my family alone for too long. Jarl Eric and Jarl Harald planned to raid the Saxons and Hibernia in the spring but, until then, they would watch over our island. We had sailed this route before and we knew where the dangerous parts were. The rocky toe of the mainland was one such place. The rocks had hidden teeth to rip out the bottom of an unwary ship. We were lucky that ours had such a shallow draught. We kept well out to sea. The wind made us move even faster once we turned east as it was on our beam.

  Oleg grumbled that this would mean we would have to row all the way back with a hull filled with iron. Cnut laughed at him, “If you found a half filled beaker of ale you would complain. Take what the gods give us and be grateful.”

  Cnut had been with me that night when the gods had struck my sword. Of all the warriors with whom I fought, Cnut had the greatest respect for the gods.

  Once we had cleared the rocks we sailed closer to the coast rather than risking the dangers of the open sea. I knew that the Saxons who saw us would fear even a single drekar. They had come to this island some years earlier as we did. They were now the sheep to be fleeced and we were the wolves. There would come a time when we would begin to take what they had. They were a rich people with many golden objects and fine jewels. The time was not ripe as yet but one day it would be.

  We took turns at sleeping while the wind was with us. Anchoring was a dangerous thing to do and both Haaken and Cnut could steer. We would not stop until we made landfall again. Snorri and Eric Short Toe kept us supplied with ale and food. As Harold Blue Eye pointed out, at least we didn’t need to season our food; the sea did that for us.

  When we saw the northern coast of Frankia we all felt a sense of relief. We had done the hard part. Now came the dangerous part. This land was not peaceful. When we reached Cologne then we would be safe. Until then there would be danger from river pirates and other warriors keen to take what we had.

  Once we reached the river then the backbreaking job of rowing began. We lowered the sail and stepped the mast. We wanted to attract little attention as we passed through the dangerous lower reaches of the Rinaz. The rowers rowed without armour but our weapons were close to hand and Snorri watched from the bows to see both obstacles and dangers to our passage. We had removed our shields from the side of the ship for we wished to advertise our peaceful intentions. It could be dangerous if a larger ship tried to attack us. That was where Snorri and his sharp eyes came into their own.

  It was a hard pull to Cologne but we made it safely and without incident. We left most of the crew on board while Haaken, Cnut and I left the ship to visit Sigismund. When we reached his home I thought that it was deserted. We knocked on the door and called his name. There was neither answer nor sign that the house was inhabited. We were about to leave when the door was opened. A man peered warily through a crack. He took in our weapons and our attire and his eyes widened. I spoke in Saxon which Sigismund had understood. “We are traders. Sigismund knows us. We once brought him some amber he liked.”

  There was a slight relaxation and the man said, “If you wait here. I will not be long.”

  “I have had better welcomes.”

  “Haaken be patient, you know not what might have happened since we last saw him. Have faith.”

  Eventually the door opened and the man bowed apologetically. “I am sorry for the rudeness but my uncle is not well. I am Sigurd, the nephew of Sigismund. Come, he is in the back room.”

  Sigismund looked older and he was wrapped in blankets and lying on a bed. I was shocked for he looked to be at death’s door. He laughed, “Do not worry my friend. I am not about to die. At least not yet.”

  I could see soiled and bloodstained bandages by the side of his bed and a slave was removing them. “What happened?”

  “There are more thieves and robbers in Cologne than their used to be. I made the mistake of stepping out of doors with just a single slave as an escort. I was robbed.”

  “But you have men who work for you at your warehouse?”

  He nodded, “They are not armed warriors. The ones who robbed me were dressed and armed as you are. Luckily my nephew was visiting otherwise I might have died of my wounds. He paid for a doctor and I am on the mend.” He spread his arms, “The problem is that my business is suffering. I do not want to risk Sigurd by sending him alone on the streets. These are dangerous times.” He shook his head, “However this is rude of me. You did not come here to listen to the troubles of an old merchant. How can I be of service?” His eyes glinted, “Have you any more amber?”

  I laughed, “I am sorry but that pot has been emptied. However we do have some gold and silver to trade as well as seal oil and sheepskins.”

  He looked disappointed. “I would dearly love to trade with you but, as I said, my hands are tied.”

  An idea struck me. “Perhaps we can be of service to you. We three could escort your nephew to the warehouse and then my crew will bring the trade goods. After the trade then we can escort your nephew back here.”<
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  Sigismund nodded, “That would keep me solvent at least. I can find buyers for those goods. Sigurd can arrange the trades for the sheepskin and the oil but bring the precious metals to me. I have scales here.” He saw a dubious look pass over Haaken’s face. “Oh do not worry, I trust my nephew but where metal is concerned then the scales are essential.”

  I looked at the nephew. He was older than I was and he had the haggard look of a man with worries. “And does that arrangement suit you?”

  His face showed the relief he obviously felt. “It does but I would ask you to accompany me to the Jewish quarter too for we are short of funds.”

  “You are short of money?”

  “Oh no! We have money but the Jews hold it for us. They keep it safe and we make a little money on it while they hold it. The problem is getting there and back without being robbed.”

  “If I might suggest you hire a couple of men such as us. We will be gone soon but I would expect there to be warriors looking for employment.”

  The uncle and nephew looked at each other. Sigismund said, “We are no judges of such things. I would not know a good warrior from a bad one or,” he added ominously, an honourable man from a cut purse.”

  I could see his dilemma. It was in my interest and that of my people to keep this honest trader in business. “Tonight we will try to find such men as you need and if we find some we will bring them tomorrow.”

  That satisfied both men and we left the house. I walked with Sigurd while Haaken and Cnut trailed us by four or five paces. We were not trying to trap anyone but the distance would allow them to draw their swords if they needed to. I sensed the danger as we made our way through the narrow streets. This was not Hrams-a where everyone knew each other. This was a disparate mass of humanity who had nothing in common save that they lived on the same street. I saw dark looks as we walked. My martial appearance deterred any action but I was aware that we would have to go back and that might be dangerous. We travelled through parts of the town I did not recognise. When we reached the Jewish quarter then every door and window was shut to us. We looked a little too dangerous to allow us close. Sigurd was allowed into the house of the Jew who held their money and we waited outside. We did not feel welcome.