Viking Treasure (4 page)

"Where will be the danger?"

"There are two such places.  One, when we cross the wall. At
Hagustaldes ham there is an ambitious young thegn,
Coenred of
Hagustaldes ham.  He sends his men sheep raiding
.  It is rumoured that he wishes to be King."

"And the other?"

"There is a hall at Alnwick. The Aln is not a deep river and we can ford it if the bridge is guarded but
Hagustaldes ham is the place I worry about for we cannot avoid it and we may find trouble."

"Then it is good that we know where it is for we can be prepared."

As we had scouts we used Ketil's oathsworn to lead the horses.  Leif the Banner now had two boys to watch although they felt they were guarding my standard. As soon as we left Ketil's home we were in the land of our enemy. His scouts rode ahead and returned as we headed north and east.  They kept changing horses. There had been a bridge at Haydon but it had washed away in a storm and so we would have to cross the Tinea at Hagustaldes ham.  We broke our journey four miles short of it.  We ate and changed horses. We kept our helmets on our saddles and our shields behind our backs.  We were there peacefully but we kept a hand on our swords.

We had not gone far when Oswald, Ketil's scout, galloped in. "There are Saxons ahead, lord.  A horseman and thirty warriors."

Ketil deferred to me. I asked, "How many are mailed?"

"The rider and four others."

"Fetch the other scout back and stay with the spare horses." Turning to my Ulfheonar I said, "We come for peace but be prepared for war."

They chanted, "Aye Jarl!"

"Ragnar and Gruffyd stay by the banner! No matter what you see.  That is an order! Aiden stay by the banner too."

"I will."

Haaken joined Ketil and me. "What does this
Coenred of
Hagustaldes ham look like?"

"He is the size of Asbjorn the Rock.  He has mail which has a coating to make it look like gold.  It is not. His shield has a boar upon it with a bloody mouth. A human tongue hangs from it." I cocked my head to one side.  He nodded, "A real one!"

Haaken asked, "Does it not rot?"

"He takes a fresh one each month I am told." Haaken looked in disbelief.  "It was my wife Seara who told me.  When cases are tried by the thegn his punishment for serious crimes is always the loss of a tongue." He shook his head.  "And they call us barbaric!"

"And he is a rival for the throne?"

"He is ambitious and would have more power. He and Aethelred, the King's son, were friends. They had a falling out.  He is an untrustworthy warrior from what my wife told me."

"She seems to know much about him."

"She is his cousin.  She lived in a settlement close by.  The Gesith owed allegiance to Coenred.  He was punished for losing the village.  He had his tongue cut out and then he was executed." He paused.  "He was Seara's father."

"Then he may take exception to your presence."

"He may."

"Thank you. We will now ride on and meet this Coenred." I turned to Ketil. "Do not rise to his jibes and his insults."

"No, Jarl."

I had met Vikings as barbaric as Coenred but never a Saxon.  Even old Aella had not been such a savage. I wondered how I should speak to him. I wanted no confrontation but we had to get to Eanred.

The town was to the south of the Roman Road and Coenred had his men waiting for us.  They were in a shield wall with him astride his horse before them. I saw what Ketil meant about his armour. It was intended to impress. I saw the tongue. It looked ridiculous and yet grotesque.  From his hip hung a Saxon sword. We rode forward.  Saxons had no archers.  Apart from their leader they were on foot.  The danger they presented was as a barrier. When we were thirty paces from them I stopped and held my hands before me to show them I came in peace.

He rode forward five paces and drew his sword to show that he meant war. "A Viking who comes in peace?  I do not trust such an action.  From your cloaks you are the men from the Land of the Wolf and as Ketil the Coward hides behind you I am guessing you are the one they call Dragonheart."

I glanced at Ketil who kept his face impassive. I nodded, "I am Jarl Dragonheart of Cyninges-tūn. From the tongue on your shield I believe you are Coenred of
Hagustaldes ham."

"I am.  Now go back to your land before we slay you!"

I had his measure now.  He wanted to impress his men by making me flee and yet he did not trust them to defeat us.

"I come in peace. I am on a peace mission. We are travelling to Bebbanburgh to speak with your king."

"And I will not let you pass! What say you?"

We had been speaking in Saxon and I knew his men were hanging onto every word. They would be taking in my warrior bands and my armour.  They would see the jewelled sword hanging from my belt and knew it was a sword of legend. They would glimpse the golden dragon around my neck. They knew who I was. Whatever I said next would determine whether this ended peacefully or not.

"I have no quarrel with you and I do not want to kill you. Let us pass and I am sure your king will reward you."

"Reward me! Crumbs from his table?" He pointed his sword at Ketil.  "You, hiding there behind this old man, come and fight me! I owe you a death! You destroyed my village and stole my cousin!"

I held my hand out to silence Ketil.  "This is discourteous even for a young man like you.  Ketil Windarsson is oathsworn to me.  He cannot fight you without I give him permission and I do not.  So let us pass." I waved a hand at those behind me.  "These are Ulfheonar.  There are no finer warriors in this whole land.  We are all mailed and your men are not.  If you try to stop us we will slaughter you and I do not wish to do that. Let us pass peacefully."

I kept my voice calm and reasonable.  I saw his men looking at each other. They did not want to die. His four oathsworn looked ready for a fight but not the rest. The Saxon thegn looked around to gauge support.  He did not like what he saw.

He kicked his horse on. "Then I will fight you in his stead!" He roared it loudly so that all would hear the challenge.

"I do not wish to fight you."

"You are afraid?"

"I did not say that."

"Then fight."

I pointed to his men.  "You will bear witness that I refused to fight.  I want no bloodshed." I saw one or two of his men nod. "I say again,
Coenred of
Hagustaldes ham, let us pass peacefully."

He dismounted. "The only way is through me.  Do we all fight or just you and me?"

I dismounted. "I would not have any man's blood on my hands but if this must be then so be it. I will fight you alone." It was unspoken but we both knew that this would be to the death. I wondered if this was the first time he had done so.  I had fought like this more times than I cared to recall.

I handed my reins to Haaken. He said quietly. "He will be quick, lord."

"You will be teaching my horse how to run next, Haaken." I smiled. "I know that he will be fast and I know that he will be strong.  I have to trust in my sword and the Allfather."

I swung my shield around to my front. He glanced at one of his oathsworn and I knew what was coming.  He would rush me before I reached the middle. I pulled my shield around tighter as I stepped towards him.  He ran at me roaring a war cry and swinging his sword.  He aimed it at my head. I planted my left leg on the ground and angled the shield up to cover the lower part of my face. I needed to see him. It was a mighty blow. It shivered my shield and slid up to my helmet.  My thongs held it in place and the adornments Bjorn had applied prevented damage. He roared in joy and turned to face his men and their cheers. It was another trick for he hoped to entice me to attack his back while it was turned.

He suddenly spun and sliced his sword towards my shield side again.  He was quick.  He was like lightning.  I had a sword struck by Thor's lightning and my left hand came down as  I stepped forward.  The sword crashed onto my shield. It was not as powerful a blow as I was closer to him. My forward movement meant he overbalanced slightly. His helmet only had a nasal and I saw the look of disbelief on his face. He had expected it to be over.

"Old man can you no longer fight?  Give me this so-called magical sword and I might let you live as a dog in my kennels!"

I said nothing but stretched my left arm out and then pulled it tight again. I knew that silence from behind my face mask would be unnerving. I had yet to use my sword which I held slightly behind my body. Once again he used brute force and speed to try to overwhelm me.  He came at me swinging quickly with looping cuts. I used my shield to fend them off and my feet to keep me out of trouble. After a flurry of eight such blows he stood, panting and sweating.

This time I spoke again and I spoke loudly enough for his men to hear. "I ask you again. End this and let us go to visit your King.  This cannot end well for you."

Through gasping breath he said, "How have you lived so long when you cannot fight?  Your shield can only take so many blows!"

He was tiring and I watched as he took a deep breath to launch yet another attack. As he pulled his sword back I knew that he would strike over his head.  He was  a big man and he would be able to create much power when he did so. I did the unexpected.  I stepped forward and punched him in the face with my shield. My left arm ached but I had a boss on my shield.  The boss caught him squarely in the nose, bending his nasal. Blood and cartilage sprayed from the wound. The edge of the sword caught the rim of my shield and it stuck there. As he faltered I swung my sword from behind me and it bit into his knee. I pulled and twisted it out. This time it was not a war cry which came from his lips but a cry of pain. He did not step back but lurched back the blood pouring from the wound.

His face was a mask of blood and fury, "You trickster! Now I will end this!"

He tried to charge me again but I must have done more damage to his knee than he knew.  His left leg gave way.  I swung my sword in a scything sweep.  His hand tried to bring his shield up but his bent nasal obscured his vision to the left and he was tired. Ragnar's spirit hacked into his neck.  I had brought my sword from a long way back and I could not stop its power.  It bit through the flesh and the bone.  The head, helmet still attached, rolled from the body.  A heartbeat later the corpse fell to the ground.

The Saxons were stunned.  My men were too well trained to cheer.  I heard swords being drawn from scabbards. Sheathing my own I took my helmet off. "Enough blood has been shed.  If you draw your weapons we will slaughter you." I looked at his four oathsworn.  "Your lord is dead and you will gain nothing by trying to gain revenge." Without looking behind me I said, "Snorri!"

An arrow suddenly sprouted from between the legs of the nearest mailed man.  It was embedded along half its length. The man nodded and sheathed his sword. He went to take the reins of Coenred's horse.

"Leave the horse.  Take your lives and leave." Scowling, the four did so. I pointed to the nearest four men. "Pick up your master's body and head.  Put them on his horse.  Does he have a family?"

One man ventured, "Aye lord, a wife and a bairn."

"Then take him home so that he can be buried." I pointed to the next four. "You four come with us.  We go to your king but I would have you four testify to the events which took place here." Without waiting to see if they complied I shouted, "Ketil Windarsson, fetch four horses for these men." Turning back I said, "The rest of you go home.  I meant what I said.  We come in peace.  You may well remember this day when you are greybeards bouncing grandchildren on your knee.  This could be the day when the war ended and is certainly the day your lives were spared by the Dragonheart."

I mounted Storm Rider and Haaken said, wryly, "Were you trying to blunt his sword?  Or waiting for him to tire himself out?  It is an interesting technique, Jarl."

"I defeated him did I not? Besides he relied on my shield being as badly made as his. He should have invested his coin in a better shield rather than making his iron armour look golden."

"Aye, his byrnie was too short."

We all wore our byrnies so that they covered our knees. We had learned that the extra weight was worth it.

Ragnar said, "Were you not afraid, Grandfather, when he launched himself at you?  His hands were so quick."

"And that is why you practise against two men and learn to use your shield.  You have two weapons when you fight.  Use them both."

He nodded, "Does this mean that the King will be angry when we meet him?"

"I hope not but I could not avoid it could I?  It was the work of the Weird Sisters.  Our threads were twisted.  We will see what they next intend."

Gruffyd said quietly, "I prayed to the Allfather that you would be safe.  He answered my prayers."

When we came to the Aln the Saxons there had heard our approach and they fled to their hall in the loop of the river. We did not bother them for I was keen to reach Bebbanburgh before dark.  The fight had delayed us and we rode hard for the last fifteen or so miles.  We made good time on the Roman Road but the last few were over a rough road covered with windblown sand.