Viking Treasure (8 page)

I heard Snorri shout, "Let me in!" as he took the dead man's place. The one death appeared to be the only one.  Many of the spears had broken.  The ones who remained tried to find gaps in the shields. We waited.  Olaf, Haaken and myself had done this before.  As the Franks before me poked their spears at the shields I took the opportunity to stab forward with my sword.  The tip was sharp.  It pierced the warrior's leg and went into the side of his horse.  The man roared in pain and involuntarily pulled up with the reins.  The frightened and wounded animal began to thrash.  Its hooves clattered off our shields before it overbalanced and fell back against another two horses.

Olaf Leather Neck darted from the line and swung his axe. It hacked through the neck of a second horse.  As its rider fell at our feet Cnut hacked off his head with his sword. In a heartbeat we had reformed. The Franks were in disarray.  Two dead horses and three dead warriors now blocked their path. We heard another horn and the riders fell back. As they did so I shouted, "Ulfheonar, become the front rank. Wolf Killer, take your men and ride back to your home.  We will follow."

One of the horses was not quite dead.  Olaf stepped forward and slit its throat with his seax. "You died well!" We did not like horses to suffer.

I heard Wolf Killer's voice, "Take care Dragonheart! This enemy is cunning!"

I did not answer him. Already I knew that!              We heard the hooves of our men recede into the darkness. I said, quietly, "Beorn, see where they have gone." I heard a whisper as he left the line.  Feet shuffled and his place was taken.

Haaken said, "We will hear them if they come again, Jarl."

"You are right.  Unlock shields but stand ready in case they come again."

I laid my shield on the ground grateful that I no longer had to hold it.  I kept Ragnar's Spirit in my hand. Stepping forward I cleaned it on the cloak of the dead Frank who lay before me. He had been crushed by the dying horse.  His face showed the agony of his death. I took his sword from his scabbard. It was longer than mine.  It felt well balanced.  I unclasped his baldric and strapped it around my own waist.  I sheathed the sword. Who knew when I might need a second weapon?

Haaken said, "Should we call you Garth Two Swords now?"

I laughed.  It released the tension I felt. "It might stop me being singled out for death by my enemies."

Olaf Leather Neck said, "They do not need your name to single you out, Jarl.  They see you and they know you.  All of our faces are marked.  As soon as a warrior dons a wolf cloak then he becomes the target for ambitious young warriors.  It is why that Saxon, Coenred, challenged you.  He wished the glory. All know that a Viking cannot refuse a challenge."

A short while later Beorn ran back.  "They have gone to the burgh and they are fortifying it." He lifted a skull from behind his back. "I took this from one of their sentries." He took a spear from the ground and jammed it into the side of the road.  He placed the head upon it.  Then he went to the dead warrior who had had his head taken by Cnut and did the same on the other side of the road. "They may be Christians but I doubt they will wish to cross such a warning."

"Well done, Beorn.  Mount up.  Those who do not have a horse, ride double."

We headed west, following my son's path. We would not reach Elfridaby until dawn.  The horses and the men were weary.  Wolf Killer would be there soon enough.  If Ragnar Ruriksson attacked there would be a garrison.

"Beorn, how many Franks were left?"

"Hard to say but I estimate sixty or seventy.  Most had horses."

I rode in silence wondering how many Frisians and Danes they had.  The Franks were obviously from Neustria.  It explained why they had boarded at Boulogne.  They had brought their horses by the shortest sea crossing they could. They must have needed twelve rather than ten ships. It also gave me a little hope for it meant they had fewer Frisians.  The Frisians were fierce warriors. If the Danes came from Eoforwic then the slightest  obstacle might send them racing home.  The Frisians, however, were more likely to fight to the death. I did not want to lose any warriors.

"You are quiet, Jarl.  Is there something on your mind?" I remained silent. "You should be relieved."

"How so, Haaken One Eye? What can you see that I cannot?"

"Before they came you worried that you did not know where they would land.  Now you do. Raibeart can bring his men over and join us. We have a larger garrison in the burgh than we had before.  We just have to work out a way to defeat  them."

"There are Frisians, Haaken! They take some killing."

Olaf Leather Neck spat, "And we are the ones to hew necks! Fear not, Jarl.  It will be a bloody day but the men of Cyninges-tūn showed today that they can stand in a shield wall and face charging horsemen. I have known other jarl's oathsworn who could not do that."

It took us longer to reach Wolf Killer's home than we expected. We had wounded and we had to tend to their wounds. Our horses had also suffered and it was mid morning before we viewed Elfridaby.  It was surrounded! I saw Wolf Killer's banner flying from the tower and knew that Wolf Killer and my grandson Ragnar had made the safety of the walls. They were, however, surrounded. The camp fires of the Frisians and the Danes were dotted haphazardly around them.  I could see that Elfrida had released the water from the dams and there was a veritable lake around the stad.  I relaxed.  There was no way that Ragnar Ruriksson could breach the walls before the waters had subsided.

"Snorri, ride to Úlfarrston. Fetch Raibeart and his men. Beorn ride to Windar's Mere.  I want every man they can spare. We meet at Underbarrow."

They galloped off. Underbarrow was a small hamlet of five huts. It lay less than a mile west of Elfridaby. More importantly it was on a hill.  Not a large hill but one we could defend should the Frankish horsemen pursue us. I led my men around the camps of our enemies to the hill. They thought the Franks had dealt with us and the watch to the west was weak. The homes were empty.  Their families were safe within the walls of my son's stronghold.

"Olaf.  We will camp here.  Send scouts out to gather food.  Have a ditch dug."

He asked, "We wait here?"

"Do you think that they can capture the stronghold any time soon?"

He smiled, "No lord. It would take weeks."

He left and I dismounted.  I felt the weariness in my legs and my back. I was too old to campaign. I dared not take off my mail.  We were still in danger. I handed my reins to Leif.  I found a patch of shaded earth beneath a chestnut tree.  Taking off my helmet and my weapons I lay down.

Haaken approached, "Any orders, Jarl?"

"Aye. Take charge until I wake.  I am weary!"

I was asleep before I knew it.  Perhaps it was my weariness of the Norns, I knew not, but I dreamed.

I was on my drekar and I sailed west.  No matter how much I turned the steering board I could not change our course.  Wolf Killer cried out to me to turn the drekar and I could not.  I saw the edge of the word and it raced towards us.  Its savage teeth seemed to champ and to grind.  Suddenly we reached it and the drekar plummeted over the side. We fell.  We fell a long time and yet we did not reach the bottom.  We landed in the middle of a forest. I was alone.  I heard my son crying out for me and I ran.  No matter how hard I ran I could not reach him.  I discarded my helmet and my mail and forced my feet to move. Then I saw him.  He lay on a table and a warrior with a full face mask stood over him.  The warrior turned to me, laughing and then swept his sword down to take my son's head.  I leapt forward with Ragnar's Spirit drawn to avenge him and I found myself falling into a deep, black hole.

"Jarl! Jarl! You were shouting!"

I looked up into Rolf Horse Killer's face.  It was late afternoon. The young warrior could face down charging horsemen without flinching but after hearing my ranting he looked terrified.  I smiled, "I was dreaming, that is all!" I put my dream from my mind.  I could not afford the luxury of working out what it meant. That would have to wait for Aiden and Kara. "Have the reinforcements arrived?"

Rolf pointed to the three new camps.  "They arrived just after noon."

"Fetch my Ulfheonar, Asbjorn, Arne Thorirson and Raibeart to me."

"Aye Jarl."

I made water by a large tree. I had noticed that I needed to do so more frequently these days.  Age. I walked down to the small stream and threw water on my face. It felt better and I headed towards the camp again.  I saw that it had been well organised.  It was neat and ordered. Bushes and young saplings created a natural looking barrier around us so that we would be hidden from our enemies.  Of course a close inspection would reveal us.  In a few days the leaves would die and we would not be hidden.  However, by that time, this would all be over, one way or another.

I gathered my Ulfheonar around me. I nodded to Raibeart, "How many men did you bring?"

"Forty of my people and then the men of Dyflin."

"It is not enough. Arne?"

"Another fifty although only ten are shield wall warriors. The rest are brave and willing but..."

I nodded.  They were sword fodder.  "Have they brought their bows and slings?"

"Aye lord."

"Good. That will suffice. Snorri, have you scouted our foes?"

"Aye Jarl.  There are almost two hundred of them.  The Frankish horsemen arrived during the morning. The Frisians are hewing saplings and brushwood to make a causeway across the water and the mud.  Your son's archers are slowing down their work.  If they continue through the night then they will be ready to attack the walls by noon tomorrow."

"We are too few to attack the whole camp. Raibeart, send a rider to Ketil and to Ulf Olafsson at Thorkell's Stad and then you will take charge of the camp. I need the men from the north. We need to whittle down their numbers. Asbjorn I want you to rejoin the Ulfheonar this night. The Franks and Frisians do not know us.  Tonight we become wolves.  We will spread terror in their camp.  I hope it will slow down the work on the causeway. As soon as Ketil reaches us then we can begin to take the battle to our enemy."

"Ulf will take longer to reach us."

"I know Haaken but they will be reinforcements.  Our enemy has none. That is why we slaughter as many as we can. Snorri and Beorn I want you two to hamstring as many of the enemy horses as you can."

"Jarl, it might be better if we drive them off or capture them. Horse do not like the smell of blood; especially their own. If we start to hurt them then they will make a noise and panic. This way we weaken the enemy and we gain horses."

"You can do this?"

"It will be easier than cutting them.  We kill the guards, untie the horses and then drive them west."

"Then drive them to Cyninges-tūn and bring back any men you can... and Aiden." I saw the relief on the faces of my men.  They were always happier when we had the wizard with us. "Now we eat our rations and prepare for the night.  Raibeart keep the fires burning brightly and I want one man in four on watch."

Raibeart and Arne Thorirson had both brought supplies with them. We ate dried fish and cheese.  The ale skins were soon emptied. We prepared for the night attack.  I laid down my shield.  I would not need that.  I took off my new Frankish sword. It was too long for what I had in mind. I sharpened my dagger, my seax and my sword on my whetstone.  When I was satisfied with the edge then I put them in their scabbards. Some men did not bother with scabbards or sheaths.  It was a mistake in my view.  This way our weapons kept an edge longer and there was no risk of metal scraping on metal when they were drawn. We needed silence.  Finally I donned the red cochineal around my eyes. Once my helmet was on I would be almost invisible.  If I was seen in a flash of firelight then I would be an apparition from the underworld!

I headed towards my men who had gathered in the centre of the camp. "Work in pairs.  If one falls the other brings the body back."

They nodded and Rollo Thin Skin said, "We howl?"

"At the first cry from the enemy we howl. When the horses run away we howl and then we disappear.  There are too few of us to throw our lives away." They nodded and each one touched the golden wolf I had given them and which they wore around the neck.  I touched my dragon.  It had not been made; it had been sent and as such was as valuable to me as my sword.

"Haaken you will be with me."

"Of course! Where else would be your finest and oldest oathsworn?"

The others smiled at his arrogance. They knew it was banter.

We headed down the valley towards the river which led to my son's stronghold. The enemy were on the far side but we would be hidden from sight.  As we wore our wolf cloaks and moved silently I did not fear them seeing us.  Their eyes would be on the walls of Elfridaby.  I had no doubt there would be sentries which was why we moved in pairs and we kept as low as we could.  Our wolf cloaks and black armour made us hard to see. My sword was sheathed but I carried my seax.  The shorter blade was easier to use for what we intended. We walked in the river shallows.  As we approached the camps we heard the mumble of chatter.  Drawing closer we heard the work on the causeway.  There was an occasional shout and cry as one of the defenders  managed to strike one of those toiling in the swamps with a well aimed arrow. Wolf Killer had plenty..