Viking Vengeance (2 page)

We moved forward.  There was a bridge across the shallow drainage ditch.  With no one on the walls we moved over the bridge and stood waiting for the gates to open. I stood with Haaken on one side and Olaf Leather Neck on the other. We were a formidable threesome. I knew that we would terrify them.  Haaken wore an open helmet and had long since deigned to wear a patch.  His empty eye socket terrified enemies.  Olaf Leather Neck had the broadest shoulders and thickest neck of any man I had ever known. Added to that he had no front teeth. Unless they were made of stone we would have the advantage over the gate men once we burst in.

I heard voices approach.  Had Aiden been with us he would have translated their words.  As it was I just knew they were approaching the gate.  I heard two voices.  Behind us the sun's rays were now spreading west. I hefted my shield a little higher.  I was in the middle and I would be the first one inside the walls.  I held my sword slightly behind me.  I heard the bar removed. I needed no words from my oathsworn.  They had followed me often enough. When I heard the bar being rested against the walls I barged forward with my shield. In two strides I was inside. A sentry had been knocked to the ground.  I skewered him with my sword. The other two sentries lay butchered by Haaken and Olaf and none had made a sound.  We raced into the heart of the huts.  Already people were emerging but it was not because of us.  They had neither seen nor heard our entry but when they looked up from their tasks they did scream.  They saw nine mailed warriors racing towards them. The women and children ran while the men looked for weapons. We fell upon them.  Ragnar's Spirit spilled much Frankish blood that day.

When Erik Wolf Claw led the rest of my men to race through the oppidum it was all over. The women realised the futility of fleeing and they gathered their children around them like mother hens with their chicks. The old women wrung their hands and the old men glared hatred at us.

"Erik Wolf Claw secure the gates."

I took off my helmet.  I was sweating already.  I shook my head.  It was a sign that I was getting old.  In times past I would have barely noticed my exertions. Haaken said, "There will be no saga here, Jarl Dragonheart. My wife and the women of Cyninges-tūn could have captured this."

"I know, Haaken One Eye, but we now have a base. When our drekar arrive we can sail up the river and we can raid with impunity.  No one can cut us off from the sea. I am happy. We will let the new men take what treasures they can find. Have some animals slaughtered.  I am hungry."

I turned and saw Rolf Eriksson.  "Here Rolf, help me off with my cloak."

He unfastened the wolf skin.  "That was easy, Jarl."

"It will not always be so.  The Allfather smiled on us today.  We will make a sacrifice to him in thanks."

I walked to a bucket and doused myself in it.  I agreed with Erik; it had been easy but it was always the same.  We could achieve surprise when we raided somewhere for the first time but our victims would learn and it would become harder. When my other drekar arrived we would strike hard and fast before they had time to organise.  Louis the Pious was not his father but there would be warlords who had fought alongside Charlemagne. They would know how to deal with Vikings. It was a pity that we did not speak their language.   It would have been useful to find out more about which of their towns were worth sacking.

I sent a messenger back to Erik.  He and his men could come around the headland and shelter in this smaller tributary. It would make the drekar safer and we could feed all that way.  Already my men had butchered a cow and two sheep.  They were being skinned as the fires were prepared. I waved over Olaf, "Olaf Leather Neck, organise guards for the villagers.  We will take back as slaves those who seem worth the trouble."

"And the others?"

"For now we keep them. There must be a lord here."

"Perhaps we have killed him already."

"Then examine the bodies.  He will have some seal around his neck or a ring upon his finger. See if anyone can speak our language."

By the time Erik and his men had brought my drekar around there was the smell of cooking meat. Olaf returned with a slave. "I did not find a lord but I found this slave. He is Norse and was captured as a child when Charlemagne's men captured a drekar.  The crew were all killed save him.  He had seen but six summers when first he came."

"What is your name, boy?"

"I am Hrolf son of Gerloc."

"How many summers do you have?"

"Twelve or thirteen, my lord, I am not certain."

I nodded.  I liked him.  He was not afraid of me and stood proudly. "You are now free.  When we leave you can come with us if you wish or we can drop you closer to your home."

"I know not where my home is.  I will stay with you if you will allow. You look like a warrior.  I wish to be a warrior." He turned and pointed an accusing finger at the families.  "They treated me as a piece of dirt. If I had been a warrior then they would not have done so.  Will you make me a warrior?"

"Aye I will.  But first we will feed you up." In truth he looked like bones covered by thin skin.  "Now tell me who is lord here? Did we kill him?"

He shook his head.  "He left three days ago with his oathsworn.  He has six of them. They rode horses.  These are horse people.  I know not where he went."

"What is his name?"

He looked sad, "He is called lord. I tend the pigs, Jarl. They rarely speak to me."

"Then you do not know of any large towns around here?"

"I know that there is one. It is a very big town and is three days from here down the river.  It has a stone wall built by the Romans. I have heard men speak of this."

"Good. Any churches of the White Christ?"

"There are many and they are along the river."

I ruffled his hair.  "You have done well." I waved over Rollo Thin Skin. "Find our new crew man some better clothes.  Take them from the villagers if you have to and then feed him.  His is now one of us." I should have heard the Weird Sisters spinning then but I did not.  I could not know how tightly woven our threads would be. Our coming was not an accident.  It was meant to be, it was
wyrd
.

I waved over Haaken and Beorn the Scout.  "There is a large town three days east of us but I know not what lies between.  The captive told me of churches along the river but they could be beyond the bend of the river close to the large town.  Beorn, take three warriors and scout along the banks of the river." I shaded my eyes and looked up at the sky. "Be back by noon.  You and the others will need the rest and the food should be ready by then."

"Aye Jarl." He trotted off.

"Haaken, you and I will see if we can make this burgh a little easier to defend."

"If they come we run, do we not?"

"If we have filled the bellies of the drekar then we run.  If not we stay and make them pay." He gave me a quizzical look. I bent down at the pile of captured weapons.  I picked one of the short swords up and bent it across my knee. "If we fear men with weapons such as this then we ought to become farmers."

"You are right."

I realised, as we went around that this had been a Roman fort.  They had, however, used the stones on the gate. I saw fragments of Roman words and even I recognised that they were upside down.   They had made this oppidum on the site of a fort which had existed before. I could see the foundations of some of the buildings.  We had been in enough of them to recognise the layout.  Although they had used the foundations the buildings were made of wood.  Where was the rest of the stone? A platform ran along the top of the ramparts and they had two gates; one at either end. We climbed the stairs and looked out from the northern gate. I could see farms in the distance. I would send men out in the afternoon and evening to eliminate them.  We did not want word spreading yet. Glancing down into the ditch I saw that it had rubbish in it; bits of bone and broken pots.  They had not maintained it. I would set our new slaves to clearing it.

As we walked back to the river side I saw the fishing boats drawn up, still, on the beach. We could tow them back and use them to transport the slaves back to our home. We descended the steps. "Have the villagers clear the rubbish from the ditch.  It will keep them occupied and stop them thinking of escape. If they are exhausted they will be less likely to run.  I will speak with Erik Short Toe."

Erik had secured the drekar in the small tributary. "It is a little shallow, Jarl."

"I know but you shall not be here long. Step the mast.  Tomorrow we row up the main river and see what we can raid."

"What about the other drekar? They are not here yet."

I smiled, "Do you doubt that they will come when they said?"

He nodded, "You are right.  They will be here by evening at the latest."

"We will leave half a crew here and the rest will be crammed aboard my drekar and we will row up the river."

"Aye." He turned to his ships boys. "Right my lads, let us get the sail stowed and then the mast on the mast fish!"

I sat before the roasting meat and joined my Ulfheonar. Finni the Dreamer brought me over a horn of something. I sniffed it, "Cider, Jarl.  It is drinkable and that is all! This is a poor village.  I thought the Empire was rich."

"It is.  When Beorn returns we will have better targets."

I had just been brought the liver of the cow we had cooked when Beorn the Scout returned. He took off his helmet and cloak and slumped down beside us. Finni gave him some cider.  He drank and wrinkled his brow.  Finni smiled, "Not much reward for a morning's work eh?"

Beorn pointed east.  "There are two monasteries downstream.  The first is about five miles away and is built of fine stone.  Roman stone." I now knew there the stone from the fort had gone.  "The other is across the river on the southern bank. It too is built of stone but it has a wall around it and a tower. The one on this side has many monks.  I am surprised you did not hear the bell tolling."

"I thought I heard something but my ears are not as sharp as yours Beorn. Are there warriors by the tower?"

"Aye.  I saw no mail but they have sentries.  We saw men on horses.  They looked to be nobles hunting."

"Good.  You have done well, now eat." The cow's liver was hot and sweet.  My men knew I was fond of it. As I ate it, the pink juices running down my fingers, I began to formulate a plan. I would take
'Heart'
and attack the fortified monastery. I would send the rest of my men across country to attack the other monastery. Once they were eliminated then we would be safer; for a while at least.

"The drekar are here!"

We had built a signal fire on the headland between us and the Seine. It had been a beacon for my captains. The two captains edged their drekar towards us. The women and the children had cleared the ditch.  They were exhausted and that would make them less likely to attempt to flee.  When the sixty warriors tramped from our drekar I saw all hope leave their eyes. They might have risked escaping one ship's crew but three made escape impossible. After Hrolf had eaten I had asked him more about the warriors in this part of Frankia.  I discovered that they had many armed men but few warriors.  He was Norse and knew the difference. He also told me that their nobles fought on horseback. That did not worry me.  We had fought horsemen before and we always won.

"A good voyage Asbjorn the Strong?"

"Aye Jarl Dragonheart.  You need not fear for Olaf.  He is a good captain. He is not as reckless as one might expect from one so young."

"He had Snorri watching him! Come we will talk while we eat. Now that you are here we can strike."

Eystein and Asbjorn had been Ulfheonar while Snorri still was.  They sat with my elite warriors. As they ate and drank the rough cider I told them what we had learned. "We leave when it is dark.  You will lead your crew to the monastery down the river.  I will go on my drekar with my crew and that of the
'Red Snake'
. The monks always rise early.  We should attack while it is dark. But remember they will be awake!"

"From what you say Jarl, the monastery you attack is well defended and has walls."

I nodded, "And the prize will be richer.  I will have twice the number of men you will have. We leave your captains and ten men to watch the captives and the drekar.  You will be back first for you have a shorter journey.  We will have to fight the river."

"And this other town; the big one three days down the river; what of that?"

"We take two drekar and row down the river to explore this land. I will decide if the town is worth taking when we are closer."

"Good.  I will select the men who are to stay."

My Ulfheonar took the opportunity to rest and to sleep after we had sharpened our weapons and oiled our mail.  The sea could destroy mail if it was not kept well oiled. I waved over Rollo Thin Skin. "When we go on the drekar tomorrow bring Hrolf the captive with us.  His language skills may be of use."

"Aye Jarl.  He has been badly treated.  He has burn marks on his feet and he has been whipped.  His back looks like one of Aiden's charts."

"He is one of us now.  Care for him Rollo.  Find him a seax.  A Viking, no matter how young, needs a weapon.  How old would you say he is? He thinks he has seen twelve or thirteen summers. But he looks young and thinner."

"Aye I thought him to be just ten summers old.  He needs fattening up. He only ate what the pigs did not." He shook his head.  "He eats constantly.  I fear he will be ill before the night is out."

I went down to my drekar before it was dark.  I needed to make sure that Erik Short Toe understood what we would be doing. He was looking at the charts which Aiden had made.  He had a piece of charcoal and was amending them. "Aiden can tell me off when we return home, Jarl, but if I do not make the marks I will forget."

"He will not become angry.  He is soon to be a father.  That will mellow him. Besides knowledge is like gold to our galdramenn."

He nodded, "Aye."

"We will be heavily crewed. I will leave six men on board when we disembark.  I want the drekar turned around and ready to leave in case we are pursued. We will leave before dawn in any case.  We have taken enough chances already.  If what Hrolf says is true then this town three days away is a port. There may be ships using it.  We can take them if we happen upon them."

My sleep had been fruitful.  I had realised that the river was like a giant fish trap.  The only exit was the mouth and if we put our ships there we could capture more ships and cargo than by raiding. We would first see what riches the two monasteries held and then become fishermen.

We rowed down the river in silence with no chants. With three and four men to an oar we were overcrowded but we were fast. Beorn stood with Snorri at the bow.  Half way down the drekar Haaken was ready to repeat any signals as we slipped silently down the Seine. The bank to the south of us looked quiet and I saw few dwellings.  The banks which led to the higher ground were gentle. They were not cliffs; they could be scaled. Once again it was the wood smoke which alerted us to the presence of a town. The smell came down stream towards us.  Beorn waved us to the right and the south bank. There was a bend in the river and then I saw, silhouetted in the dark up on the high ground, the walls of a monastery complete with walls and tower.  Across the river I heard the tolling of the bell which summoned the monks to prayers.  It was echoed from the monastery close to us. 

Erik knew when to turn towards shore even without the instructions from Beorn. There was a wooden jetty there and a small boat tied up to it.  That might prove useful.  I slipped over the side as the ship's boys tied us up and headed up the path.  My Ulfheonar had not rowed and they were already armed and mailed.  While the rest prepared themselves I waved off Snorri and Beorn.  They would find a way up the slope to the gates. I waited until the ship had been emptied and then Erik Short Toe began the laborious task of turning it.

I raised my sword and pointed up the hill.  We began to march up the well worn path.  There were stones beneath my feet.  I suspected this had been built by the Romans. I saw pinpricks of light from the buildings above us.  I wondered if they had sentries.  The night was as black as the inside of a cave and I doubted that they would have seen anything. There was no reason for them to be suspicious. We moved quickly.  Beorn appeared from the shadows and mimed to me that there was a gate and it was guarded. I signalled for my men to wait while I went with my Ulfheonar to inspect the defences.

We moved confidently for we wore black cloaks and our mail was black.  We would not be seen.  Beorn and Snorri had their new bows with them.  They had bought them from a trader. He had acquired them from the far north of the world, from the Saami people who live close to the ice at the top of the world.  They were smaller and far more powerful than any bow we had. They both knocked an arrow as we headed to the gate. There was a shallow ditch and a wooden rampart atop a stone wall.  The gate looked solid enough and there were two towers. We saw this from forty paces away. The ditch was bridged by a narrow wooden walkway.  I saw two sentries.  They moved from the gate to the end of the wall where there appeared to be a small shelter.  We watched them until we had established the pattern.

I waved Snorri to one end and Beorn to the other.  They would fell the sentries and silently kill them. Vermund Thorirson went to fetch the rest of the war band. I led the rest across the wooden walkway and we waited by the gate. I did not wait for Snorri and Beorn to return.  They would kill any guards who patrolled.  If the sentries made a noise when they fell then was
wyrd
. We did not worry about that. Finni and Olaf Leather Neck stood with their backs to the wall; they held a shield before them. Olaf had a long two handed Danish axe hanging from his back. That would be his weapon of choice. Ulf Olafsson waited with his back to the wall and when Vermund returned with the men he joined him. 

Slinging my shield over my back and sheathing my sword I stood on the shield. My two warriors raised it to head level and then pushed up.  Vermund and Ulf did the same with Haaken.  I could just grasp the wooden stakes above me.  My two Ulfheonar gave one final push and I pulled myself over the top of the wall. I quickly looked down the ramparts and saw that the sentries were both dead; each had an arrow in his throat.  I went to the stairs, sword drawn and descended to the inner yard. In the distance I could see the glow of candles in the monastery and I could smell bread baking at the western wall. The monastery of the White Christ was coming to life.

Reaching the gate I began to lift the bar holding the gate.  Haaken joined me.  We laid it to the ground and then Haaken pointed up.  There was a second one. It would have been a hard one to break down.  When we had removed the second one we pulled the gates open.  My men flooded in.

I led one group of warriors towards the church of the monastery. We could see the light glowing from the doorway. Haaken led a second group left while Olaf took more to the right.  We did not make a noise.  We had told our men to be silent until the alarm was given. I could hear chanting in the church.  I pulled my shield tighter around me and did not slow down as I hit the door hard. It crashed open and a collective wail went up.  What they shouted I did not know but they began to flee.  I ran straight down the middle of the candlelit church.  I could see that the candlesticks were all made of metal.  In the dark I could not tell what type but it mattered not.  If it was gold then we would be rich beyond our wildest dreams but even bronze or copper was valuable.

Outside I could hear the shouts of alarm and the ring of metal on metal.  Battle was joined. Suddenly a sword stabbed at my right side.  I barely had time to sweep Ragnar's Spirit down. It clanged down on to the sword and sparks flew.  I brought the side of my shield across and it hit the warrior in the side of the head.  I saw that he had a mail shirt which came below his waist. This was a noble. My shield knocked him to the ground.  Before he could rise I stabbed him in the throat and he bled his life away. I went directly out of the rear door. I turned and saw that I had six warriors with me. That would be enough.

Once we left the church we entered a world of black night.  I saw the monks fleeing.  I guessed that there was a gate on the other side of the settlement and they were heading for it.  We began to overtake them.  I saw that Rollo Thin Skin was racing ahead of me.  He was followed by the young captive, Hrolf, who wielded his seax.  He was a Viking. Rollo had no armour yet.  He pulled back his arm and hurled his spear.  I heard something crack as it entered the back of the monk who fell screaming and writhing on the floor.  There were guards at this side of the walls and the two of them ran towards us in an attempt to protect their priests.

I did not want my young warriors to die needlessly.  "Behind me and watch my back!" The two guards had spears and oval shields.  I did not stop but swung my sword overhand at the man to my right as I punched my shield at the one to my left.  As my sword struck and then shattered his helmet and skull I felt his spear slide across my mail.  But for the high quality mail I would have had a spear in me. As it was the sentry was knocked to the ground where he lay dying.  Hrolf leapt on him and dragged his seax across his throat. I did not break stride.  With Rollo at my side we ran towards the two priests trying to open the gate.

"Just knock them out! They are valuable!"

I brought the flat of my sword across the back of the head of one of them while Rollo used the shaft of his spear to lay out the other.

"You have done well. Rollo, guard this door and let no one leave!"

"Aye Jarl."

I pointed my sword at Hrolf, "Today you became a man.  Take the sword of the man you slew.  It is now yours!"

I ran to the side of the settlement where Olaf had led our men. I could see flames and hear a great clamour. I knew the new warriors would be busy taking the treasure that they found.  My Ulfheonar would be securing the town.  It was the difference between my oathsworn and the rest. As I raced around a corner of the church I saw horses.  There were stables and some of the nobles must have reached their horses. They were charging Olaf Leather Neck and his men in an attempt to reach the gate.

Olaf had men around him who wore no armour. I caught sight, from the corner of my eye, Beorn and Snorri as they raced to help Olaf and the six men he led.  The four horsemen had spears as they charged. I raised my sword and roared as I ran to their aid. Olaf Leather Neck was a doughty warrior. He swung his long two handed axe as the horsemen charged. The two young warriors next to Olaf fell to spears which threw them to the ground but Olaf's axe bit into the neck of the first horse. It severed it in one blow and the horseman fell to the ground.  Olaf was not a novice.  He ignored the stunned man, leaving him to the young warriors around him.  Instead he swung his axe at the next man.  He missed the horse's head but hacked through the noble's leg and into the side of the horse. The last noble had to stop his horse to prevent it from falling.  There were dead animals before him.  I swung my sword hard into the rump of the horse.  It bit deeply and the horse fell backwards.  The noble was pinned beneath it and I swung my sword to take his head. We had fought horsemen before.  A dead horse made a horsemen helpless.

As Olaf was pulling his axe from the dead horse a warrior ran towards his unprotected back with his spear ready to kill my Ulfheonar.  Rolf Eriksson raced between them.  He smashed the spear in two and then backhanded the spearman with his sword. Olaf nodded his thanks and retrieved his axe. The last two nobles who tried to flee on their mounts were slain by Snorri and Beorn with their arrows.

I ran to Olaf, "We should name you Olaf the Mighty! I have never seen such blows.  Two horses with two strikes!"

He looked sadly at the two young men who had fallen next to him.  "I would that they had lived.  They were fearless and stayed by my side.  They will be in Valhalla."

"Truly!"

Olaf turned to Rolf and said, "You have saved my life young Rolf." He took his Danish war axe.  He had captured it when he had slain its owner two winters before. "Take this as payment for my life."