Viking Raid (3 page)

"Erik, take the one on the right.  Use our bow to break his steering board. With him out of the way we will take the other."

I was not afraid of fighting Saxon ships but if they caught just one knarr we would lose a fine ship, a crew and our trade goods. Speed was essential. '
The Heart of the Dragon
' did not let me down.  With a bottom free from weed and young men who were hardy and strong rowing we barely touched the water.

The Saxons had been overconfident too.  They had no watcher at the stern.  They were too concerned with the three knarr.  It would prove their undoing. We had rammed another ship some time ago and Bolli had added strengtheners at our bows. Bjorn Bagsecgson had fitted two thin pieces of metal along the keel. He would have to renew it every three years or so but it gave us a strength which no other drekar possessed. We headed for the stern of the right hand ship.

Inevitably we were seen.  My huge sail with the wolf stitched upon was hardly subtle and when we were just a hundred paces from their stern they saw us. The first lookout died when Snorri's arrow pitched him overboard. The captain of the Saxon ship aided us by trying to turn towards the other Saxon.  It gave Erik a clear view of the rudder.  Snorri and Bjorn were releasing arrows as fast as they could knock them.  I joined my men at the bow. They had men protecting the captain with their shields. Snorri hit one of the shield bearers and he slumped to the ground.  I took the opportunity of hurling my spear at no more than ten paces. It struck the captain in the side and pinned him to the deck. 

"In oars!"

I did not want our oars shearing when we collided.  I heard the sound of oars being withdrawn.

At that exact moment Erik put the bow over and we struck the flailing steering board.  There was a horrible grinding sound as the metal strips on our hull ripped the board in two and made two of the strakes in the lower hull spring. We continued down the side and we sheared the oars of the Saxons. Even as we passed them the ship began to take on water.  The crew began to bail but it was a futile gesture.

We were travelling so quickly now that we left them in our wake and Erik put the steering board hard over as we headed for the second Saxon. We could not repeat our manoeuvre and would need to try something else.

"Arm yourselves. We will thin the crew out as we pass."

We were approaching bow to bow. Our large sail gave us both speed and the ability to turn quickly.  The Saxon had to rely on oars. Snorri and Bjorn continued to release arrows as we approached.  Now they threw them to land amongst the rowers. The wounds they caused affected their rhythm and the ship moved erratically. Erik nudged the steering board slightly and our steerboard side smashed into the oars of the Saxon.  My men hurled their javelins into the bottom of the ship.  They could do nothing in return for they were rowing.

As we came about I made a decision. "Erik, lay us alongside.  We will end this!"

I drew Ragnar's Spirit and went to the rear of our drekar where I could leap aboard their stern.  I wanted to face their leader in battle.

'
The Heart of the Dragon
' was a lithe and nimble vessel and Erik was a very good captain.  We spun around the stern of the Saxon while their crew attempted to get some sort of order on a ship which lay filled with dead and wounded warriors. Some had succumbed to arrows and spears whilst others had been struck by shearing oars. I heard Erik shout, "Take in sail!" We slowed to the same speed as the Saxon and I just leapt on to the lower Saxon ship shouting, "Ragnar's Spirit!"

I landed on the back of a sailor who had fallen as we bumped next to the Saxon. I heard his spine break as my full weight fell upon him. I swung Ragnar's Spirit sideways.  Neither side wore armour. A sword would inflict a wound if it struck. My sharpened edge ripped through the side of the warrior who swung his axe at my shield. I tore the sword free as another axe tried to strike at my head. I adjusted my grip so the edge of my shield met the axe head. There was metal there and it halted the downward strike. My hand darted forward as I stabbed at the shieldless Saxon.  The sword scraped off his ribs and then his spine as he fell lifeless at my feet.

All around me was confusion and chaos as my more experienced warriors, all armed with a shield, tore into the Saxons who moments earlier had been rowing to capture a helpless knarr. I heard a roar from behind me and a giant of a Saxon hurled himself down the centre of the ship making directly for me.  He barged my men out of the way despite their thrusting of swords and spears at him. He seemed impervious to pain. I braced myself but he did not stop.  I barely had time to raise my shield and thrust my sword forward. He did not stop.  My sword embedded itself in his sides and the hilt was only stopped by his ribs. He fell on top of me and I saw his mouth open wide.  I was assailed by the smell of fish and stale ale.  He was going to tear out my throat with his teeth! I managed to, somehow, bring my shield up so that it was between my throat and his teeth.  I dropped my sword so that I could reach my seax and gut him.  Suddenly I saw a sword swing and hack into the back of the neck.  He flopped sideways to bleed to death on the bottom of the boat.  Haaken reached a hand down to pull me up.

"Thank you Haaken."

He shook his head, "It was not me.  Magnus Slender Leg here finished off this monster although I fear he has blunted his sword."

"I will thank you later, Magnus.  Search the bodies for treasure and then get back aboard the
'Heart'
!" I picked up the axe the giant had used and began to hack through the timbers of the deck.  They soon gave way and I saw the hull beneath my feet.

I turned, "Back! I am going to sink her." I took three mighty swings.  The hull must have been old for soon sea water flooded in when I had made two cracks appear. Aiden threw me a rope and I clambered to safety as the Saxon ship became waterlogged and sank slowly beneath the waves.

"Here, Magnus," I handed him the axe.  "A souvenir." He took it gratefully, "Erik we have wasted enough time.  Find the knarr!"

We pulled inshore that evening on a deserted beach between two sets of cliffs in Frankia. After our encounter with the Saxons the winds had whipped us across to the east. The Saxon ship we had sunk had floated in pieces behind us as we had left the battle.  Men clung precariously to the wood.  Not many would survive but those that did would tell their comrades to fear the ship with the wolf on its sail.

Once we landed we soon had fires going and sentries posted.  Siggi, Trygg and Coen had been more than grateful to us for our timely intervention.  "It just shows, Jarl, that you were right to escort us."

Aiden nodded as he added more wood to the fire. "Perhaps the Gods were testing us."

Haaken grimaced, "Or the Norns playing with us."

"Just ensure that you have three or four of your men with bows at the stern.  It discourages our enemies."

After we had eaten and broached a barrel of ale I summoned Magnus Slender Leg. "Thank you for your intervention, Magnus. I would have struggled to get my seax into his layers of fat." I took out a gold coin.  "Here is for your trouble.  Buy yourself a better helmet."

You would have thought I had slapped him. "I do not want coins for saving your life Jarl.  I would be Ulfheonar!"

I was about to speak but Haaken beat me to it. "Young Magnus you may become Ulfheonar in the fullness of time but that is not the decision of Jarl Dragon Heart alone.  The Ulfheonar decide and it takes more than one blow to the back of a wounded warrior to achieve that status.  Even when you have satisfied the rest of us then you have to kill your own wolf. Take small steps my friend." He said it with a smile but Magnus did not take it in a friendly manner.

"I had thought, when we joined you, that we would be accepted as equals.  I can now see that you think you are better than us." He stormed off to his friends who were by the south cliff.

Haaken began to rise, "Leave him be, Haaken.  He is young and he will regret his words. Take it as a compliment that all such as he wish to become as you."

Sigtrygg said, "I do not agree Jarl.  That one is a bad seed.  I agree with Haaken."

"Let us not be hasty.  We have months ahead of us to discover what he is really like."

We left on the early morning tide and sailed down the coast of Frankia.  It was a slow voyage for the winds were not favourable but my men did not row.  We had to keep pace with the knarr.  There was an uncomfortable atmosphere for Magnus Slender Legs and his three companions had obviously felt slighted by Haaken's comments.  I did not disagree with them but sometimes he could be a little blunter than he needed to be.

We passed the land which had once traded with us.  As I had been told they were now closed to us because of raids by other Vikings and so we ventured further south.  Here the land became hotter and fewer Norse had raided. I hoped to find friendlier ports. I did not mind raiding but I preferred to do it after we had exhausted the possibilities of trade.

Towards dusk Karl sighted a wide estuary. It looked a perfect place to rest for the night. There were wide beaches on both sides of the river but Erik was loath to risk drawing our drekar on to the sand.  "We know not how much tide movement there is.  I would sail further upstream where the effects of the tide might be less." He pointed to the knarr. "If they are grounded then we might lose both them and their cargo."

"You are the captain. We are in your hands."

And so we rowed a few miles upstream.  At first I thought he had made a mistake for the banks were lined with reeds but eventually we discovered a small beach on the northern bank.  We pulled closer to the bank and left the four ships anchored in the middle of the river while we waded ashore.  Some of the men went and trapped a few of the birds which nested along the river and we ate well that night.

Haaken had had enough of Magnus Slender Leg's petulance and he put the four of them on sentry duty. He was a harder task master than I would have been. I wondered if Cnut's death had had a deeper impact on my friend than I had realised.

As we ate the food I asked Aiden.  "Do you think this might be Vasconia?"

"It could be, Jarl. But I have no maps of the area as it is now.  I just have the old ones from the times of the Romans.  They are useful for many things but the names of these lands change so much that I just do not know. This could be Vasconia or it could be further south.  The maps show this river.  There was a Roman fort somewhere along it."

"But not at the mouth."

"No Jarl."  After we had eaten and I lay down I found myself excited by this. It was exciting for we were in the unknown. None had ventured up this river. This was what I had missed back in my home; it was the challenge of something new.

I was woken by Ulf Olafsson just before dawn. "Jarl, I can hear men moving down the river." He pointed upstream.

"Wake the others but do so silently."

I shook Aiden awake and put my finger to my lips.  He nodded.  I strapped on my sword and walked along the river bank in the direction Ulf had indicated.  I had no helmet.  I needed my ears but my sword was drawn in case of danger.  Aiden was behind me and I knew that Haaken and the others would be there too. Every few steps I stopped and listened.  On the third occasion I heard noises from ahead. I regretted not having Snorri and his bow with me.  I held my hand up so that the others would know there was danger. I saw a faint hint of dawn to the east. I knew that we would be in darkness for we were to the west.

Suddenly I heard voices.  I did not recognise the language. I looked to Aiden.  He nodded.  He knew their words. He had mastered many tongues.  He and Erik could speak more languages than the rest of us. Haaken and Sigtrygg silently stepped next to me with weapons drawn.  The voices had stopped but I heard the sound of movement through the long grass ahead of us. I could make out shapes and they were moving towards us. They were armed men.  I was about to order my men to attack when Aiden grabbed my arm and shook his head.

The advancing men spoke again.  It struck me that they were not very good at this. They made as much noise as a horse careering through a forest and they spoke.  If they had belligerent intentions then they needed to be quieter. Aiden's voice next to me sounded inordinately loud and made the advancing party stop. I could see them more clearly now. None had mail and they held just spears. Aiden spoke again and the leading man answered. It was maddening to hear a conversation and not understand a single word. It was with some relief that I saw the weapons lowered and the men advance, smiling.

Aiden turned to me.  "These are the men from a small settlement just along the river.  They spied us and thought that we were Franks from the Empire.  This is Vasconia.  We have found the land we sought." He spoke again to the men who turned and pointed. "He says there is a city just down the river, Bourde.  There we will find Seguin I Lupo, the Duke of Vasconia."

"Do you think it is safe, Aiden?"

"I do not feel danger and if the Empire is their enemy then that suits us for the Empire has no love for Vikings."

By the time the sun had finally risen we were already on the river and rowing upstream.  The knarr had to tack their way behind us.  They would have an easier task coming back downstream. I had had my men don their mail.  There were two reasons: if this was a trap we would be prepared and secondly, if we met someone, we would look more impressive.

The city of Bourde was bigger than I had thought. I could still see the Roman influence in the stone walls and the fort.  It was clearly a working port for there were wharves and jetties. Erik saw an empty berth and we headed towards it.  I saw a reception committee coming from the gates.  It was led by a warrior dressed in a strange overlapping armour.  I had seen something similar in Miklagård. His head was uncovered but I saw that a young man, behind him, carried his helmet. I guessed it would be the Duke.

I turned to Haaken, "I will go ashore with Aiden.  This may go well or the Norns might be toying with us again.  I leave you in charge."

He nodded, grinning, "This may well be another fine story, Jarl Dragon Heart."

Although weapons were not levelled at us I could see the suspicion in the eyes of the warriors who faced us. Aiden gave a short bow and spoke. I recognised the words he used for he spoke in Latin. The leader smiled broadly when he heard the words and he nodded. I had tried to learn the language with Aiden and I had a few of the words but I recognised few save the word, 'friend'. The warrior spoke rapidly, too rapidly for me and Aiden nodded.

Suddenly and alarmingly the warrior strode up to me and throwing his arms around me almost picked me up. He put me down and began to speak. Aiden translated, quickly, "This is the Duke of Vasconia. He says that you are a wolf too. He saw the wolf skin.  He swears you are brothers beneath the skin and he invites all of our men to his city."

"Tell him we will be pleased." I turned, "Haaken bring the Ulfheonar and the captains of the knarr. We go to the city.  Erik commands the others. Bring your wolf cloaks." I saw the Duke send a messenger back to the city.

If Haaken thought the last command an odd one he said nothing. As they assembled I saw the Duke laughing and, nudging his men, he led us up to his castle.  He had a fine gatehouse and I saw that he kept his ditch maintained. The Duke was no fool. The warrior in me worked out how to assault it. We were taken to what we would term the warrior hall but looked to me to be the old barracks from the Roman times.  It had been converted to a place where a large number of warriors could eat. Slaves and servants were hurriedly putting drinking horns, cheeses, ham, bread and amphorae on them.

We waited until the Duke had seated himself and waved us to our places before we sat.  his men sat on one side and my Ulfheonar on the other.  I sat next to him with Aiden to my left. It was annoying having to speak through Aiden but there was no other choice.

"I would buy your fine cloak from you, Jarl Dragon Heart. How much would you want for it?"

"It is old and not worthy of a Duke.  When I return home I will hunt a wolf and send you a new one. It will be the foundation of our trading alliance."

He had nodded as Aiden translated the words and he toasted us.  We were not drinking beer but a powerful red wine.  I hoped that Haaken and the others would exercise caution.  I did not want them beginning fights because they were drunk.

"What have you to trade?"

Aiden listed the goods we brought and it seemed to impress him.  He held up his goblet.  "We have this fine wine.  Perhaps we could trade it?"

I looked at Aiden. He nodded, "We may not have much use for it but they like it further north in Frankia."

"But we cannot trade with Frankia." I wondered what Aiden was thinking.

"Coen ap Pasgen can. If this Dukedom has rebelled then there will be a shortage of wine further north.  It will have a higher value." I should have known that Aiden had thought ahead.

After we had eaten we returned to our ships.  I was pleased to see that my men had exercised some restraint. When the Duke had examined our goods we made a trade which, in my eyes, was highly profitable.  He seemed happy to take the iron which Bjorn Bagsecgson had thought too poor for his purposes. He liked our swords and spear heads too. We emptied Coen's ship and filled it with wine.  He would head north to trade it and the Duke agreed that his ship could await our return in his port. I suspect he saw a way to continue trading and making money by using our ship.  Pasgen's son was clever enough to make money from it. We put some other barrels of wine in the hold of Trygg's knarr and bade farewell to the Duke.

As we headed back to sea Aiden asked, "Will you send him a wolf cloak?"

I nodded, "I look forward to the wolf hunt.  I have not needed to join the young men but now I can."

My men were all in good spirits.  Sadly Magnus Slender Leg and his fellows took offence at the fact that they had been left aboard while my Ulfheonar had been feted.  Snorri tried to explain to them that it was because of the wolf cloaks but they were having none of it.  I feared that this would be the first and the last voyage that Magnus Slender Leg would take with us.  We did not need this dissension in the drekar.  We had to be of one mind.

We kept our weapons and armour close to hand once we began to approach the Muslim kingdoms. The Duke had told us that the land of Asturia was hostile to everyone, including themselves and they attacked first and asked questions later.  We had decided to avoid that place and Olissipo too.  The Blue Sea beckoned.  We would not sail to Miklagård but we would try, instead, Italy.  Aiden was curious about Rome's influence.  We had seen much evidence of their works in our land.  How much more would we see in their homeland?

Although I was worried about pirates coming to attack us I still sailed close to the coast.  Aiden needed to mark the towns and ports on his maps.  We kept the two knarr to the west of us.  I felt that we could handle any attacker. We saw one or two places which looked as though they might be raided. They were the ones with a wooden tower and little sign of a castle. As we sailed I saw Haaken looking wistfully at them. The breeze was bringing the smells of the towns towards us.

"There would be rich pickings there, Jarl. I can see no castles."

"And we may raid them but not yet.  When we have finished in the Blue Sea then we will consider that.  Are you so keen to fight?"