Viking Vengeance (20 page)

He nodded, "That makes sense."

I pointed to his head, "Raibeart Yellow Hair would seem to be appropriate."

He said, "If I were a Viking but Saxons do not use such names.  My mother came from Caestir.  I will say I am Raibeart of Caestir."

"Good." I stood and clasped his arm.  "And when winter's cloak is shed if you still wish to captain a drekar I may have one for you."

His face lit up, "Then I will be truly in your debt."

The next day I made one more visit to Erik Short Toe and Olaf Grimsson.  I needed my two captains to know my plans. I felt happier as I journeyed back to Cyninges-tūn. I did not like dishonesty and I hated not speaking the truth but I had learned that sometimes it was necessary when dealing with a devious foe.  Hakon the Bald appeared such a man. After the others had retired Gunnstein Berserk-Killer had remained up talking with me. He was now totally honest about Hakon. I discovered that he had used us.  Although he had not robbed us when we had traded he had taken more than his fair share and profited.  He had used my name, as an ally, to cow other leaders and to intimidate the Irish, who feared me. I could have lived with that but taking the gold of Wessex and betraying us to the Manx men had meant I needed to do something about it.

Once back at
Cyninges-tūn I sent for my Ulfheonar.  We had a deer which Audun Thin Hair had hunted and  given to me in thanks for his son's safe return. We would feast in my hall. Haaken and Karl One Hand joined us. Haaken had used the time since returning to compose a saga about our fight at Hamwic and the visit to the witch.  Of course, this time, much of it was to do with him.  My men did not mind.  They enjoyed his songs and his stories.  After the first rendition there were suggestions for improvement.  He promised he would make them and then gave it to us a second time.

When the table banging had finished I spoke. "And now that we have heard the new song I will tell you of an adventure which may result in another saga from Haaken the One Eye, even though he will not partake in the adventure himself."

"But Jarl..."

Brigid had come in with some freshly made honeyed oat cakes flavoured with some spices we had taken from Wintan-ceastre.  She laid them on the table with a bang and wagged a finger at Haaken.  "The Lady Kara has ordered that you not raid until the new grass.  Your wife will need you to do all those things you have put off when you have been following my husband down rabbit holes and sailing the seas!"

My warriors jeered at Haaken's embarrassment and I shook my head.  Women did not give warriors the respect they deserved sometimes.

When the noise had subsided and Brigid had left us Snorri asked, "Where to this time?"

"We believe that Hakon the Bald has betrayed us.  I intend to visit with him and end his treachery."

"How?"

"When I have confronted him about his deceit I will challenge him to a fight."

Olaf Leather Neck laughed, "He will not fight you! He is a coward and he is fat!"

"Then he will die and that is where the Ulfheonar come in. I will not land with you.  You will land from
'Heart of the Dragon'
in dead of night.  You will make your way to Hakon the Bald's stronghold and be ready to overcome the guards there if it becomes necessary."

"Who will you have to guard you then?"

I have volunteers from the warriors of Cyninges-tūn who showed great skills in Wessex. They are honoured to take the risk."

"Jarl Dragonheart, I crave a boon."

"You can have anything you wish Karl One Hand for you have served me well."

"Haaken One Eye cannot follow you.  Let me take his place among the Ulfheonar again.  I need not my shield for, from what you say we would be wolves and I would only need my right hand to slit throats." He held up his left stump.  "I can still use this if I need to."

I saw from the faces of my other warriors that they had spoken of this already.  He was right and there was none better with a seax. I relented, "Very well."

Olaf Leather Neck emptied his horn of ale and said, "Before I get too drunk tell me how will we know when we are to slit throats."

I pointed to the Roman horn hanging on the wall. We had found a pair of them when searching an old Roman fort some years earlier.  Aiden said that they were called a buccina.  "I will take one of those as a gift for Hakon.  If you hear it blown then it will be time to let blood be spilled."

They all nodded and banged their horns on the table.  I smiled for none asked how many men we faced.  It could have been a thousand and they would not worry. Brigid appeared  at the door with her hands on her hips, "I do not mind you eating every morsel of food in my house and drinking all of my ale but I will not have you waking the hall! Keep your noise down!"

These warriors who would face any foe without batting an eyelid all nodded meekly and murmured their apologies. When she had gone Finni asked, "Will Aiden be with us?"

"He will be with me for he can read what Hakon thinks. I will have Rolf Horse Killer be his guard."

Haaken had been quiet for a long time. His near experience had made him more reflective. "You are taking a great risk, Jarl."

I leaned back in my seat. "When I was in the cave and spoke with the witch I realised that my days of raiding far from my home are gone.  That is what the witch saw in my future.  Hrolf needs a warrior as I was when I was younger.  He needs someone who can sail beyond the Pillars of Hercules. That decided, and remember Haaken it is the spirits who have decided this, then I need my land making safe. Our most dangerous enemies are in Man and Hibernia. Gunnstein Berserk-Killer is a good warrior and he will make a good Jarl. He will make sure that Dyflin, at least, does not harbour enemies."

"And Man?"

"Gunnar Thorfinnson and Thorfinn Blue Scar have a score to settle with them.  I will sail with them when they punish the men of Man."

"We raid Frankia no more?"

"No.  We will make Mercia and the land of Gwynedd fear us and become our granary."

Haaken smiled.  Since his injury he did not nod overmuch.  "Good for it means less rowing and less time at sea. I grow too old for that!"

It took nine days to repair the drekar and many frosts had come and made the ground hard. Winter furs were brought from chests and more logs were cut to be placed in the winter stores. We could fight our enemies well and that included winter. It was rare for us to fight at this time of year but we had to strike quickly. I did not want the evil of Hakon the Bald to fester over the winter. I would make sure that our homes were well protected and then I would leave. We made our farewells.  I took twenty volunteers from the town with me. They knew the risks and they were happy to go into a place which might be as dangerous as a wolf pit.  Another twenty went to help the Ulfheonar to row my drekar.  They would remain on the boat and bring her down to Dyflin after they had dropped off my oathsworn. Brigid and Kara saw us off.

Brigid hugged me and kissed me. "Promise me that you will come back for your unborn daughter will need a father she can wind around her little finger! She will plague her brother but you she will own."

I smiled, "I will return. That I promise."

Kara warned, "Do not tempt the Norns father."

There was something in her voice which worried me, "You have dreamed?"

She shook her head, "No but I sense danger." She paused.  "I have had a dream.  It has come to me each night since you went to Wessex. There is a knife in the night.  It strikes an unprotected back." She hugged Aiden.  "I saw no face just a back so you take care too, husband.  Watch for treachery!"

Brigid became frightened, "Then do not go!"

I kissed her again, "Kara's words are a warning which we shall heed. I will wear my armour. I will have eyes in the back of my head."

We mounted our horses and we rode down to Úlfarrston.

We rode in silence. None of us wished this journey but it was necessary. Hrolf had volunteered too.  After our shared experience in the cave of the witch I knew that our threads were tightly bound.  The Norns did not like men to sever the thread they had so carefully spun. Besides which he reminded me of Wolf Killer when he had been young and travelled with me.

Gunnstein and his men were already aboard their drekar. The loyalty of his men was not in question and they knew exactly what we intended.  They had sworn an oath to Gunnstein and they would not be foresworn. The three drekar set sail in the middle of the day.  We headed north and west to avoid Man. We rowed for the wind was not as strong as we would have liked. It was good for the men in my drekar came closer together as they rowed.  They sang the chant of the birth of my sword on that night on Man long ago to invoke the support of Odin. It would make a good beginning to this journey

The storm was wild and the gods did roam

The enemy closed on the Prince's home

Two warriors stood on a lonely tower

Watching, waiting for hour on hour.

The storm came hard and Odin spoke

With a lightning bolt the sword he smote

Ragnar's Spirit burned hot that night

It glowed, a beacon shiny and bright

The two they stood against the foe

They were alone, nowhere to go

They fought in blood on a darkened hill

Dragon Heart and Cnut will save us still

Dragon Heart, Cnut and the Ulfheonar

Dragon Heart, Cnut and the Ulfheonar

Once we had passed the western coast of my land we separated.  Erik and the Ulfheonar would make their way slowly to a cover to the north of Dyflin while Gunnstein and my small drekar,
'Red Snake'
,  made directly for Dyflin.

I wondered what Hakon would make of us as we sailed into his stronghold. I had no doubt that the men of Man who had survived would have reported our sea battle but they would not know who had survived.  I doubted that he had any spies in my land and he would not know where I was. Aiden had been giving me lessons in how to keep a smiling face when all that I felt was scorn and anger.

I spied the masts of eight drekar as we entered the anchorage.  I saw the standard of Man on one of them. That might make things interesting. I guessed that, from the number of drekar, there could be four hundred or so warriors there.  How many were Hakon's loyal followers?  I had to trust in my men and my plan.

We entered slowly and with no shields displayed. We wore neither war paint nor helmets. Our swords and our seaxes were our only weapons. There were two berths at the far end of the river on the opposite side to the Manxman. That too suited for it meant we would have to be ferried across the river and our two drekar would be safer. Dyflin was a sprawling town and almost as big as Wintan-ceastre. There were many ferrymen eager to earn coins and my standard, at my stern, signified who we were. I went across first with Aiden, Gunnstein and four of his oathsworn.  Aiden carried the buccina. I would keep that gift until later on.  I wanted Hakon intrigued by it.

We stood on the wooden jetty while the rest of our men were ferried across. "Jarl, look at the ship from Man."

I looked to where Aiden pointed.  The ship with the three legs of Man was preparing for sea.  We had frightened them.

"I wonder how Hakon will explain their presence?"

Gunnstein said, "I think it confirms his involvement."

"Aye, you may be right."

Normally Hakon would welcome us but this time he did not.  He sent his squint eyed lieutenant,  Arne the Twisted.  It was not an attractive name and had been given because of the way he had been born. His face had a twisted look.  It was said his mother had upset a witch and his birth had been difficult. Gunnstein had told me that his nature now matched his name.

Arne the Twisted gave a half bow, "The Jarl was not expecting you, Jarl Dragonheart."

I gave the practised smile which Aiden had taught me. "I promised that I would return his drekar, his men and his share of the profits."

He looked eagerly across the river.  "Shall I have them ferried across, Jarl Dragonheart?"

Shaking my head I said, "Let us wait for daylight.  It would not do to have them spill into the river eh?" I laughed as though this was a joke.

"Of course, so you will be staying the night?"

"Unless it is a problem?"

"No, not a problem. If you would like to follow me I will take you to the Jarl."

My new bodyguard followed me closely.  They were taking their temporary duties very seriously. I saw Aiden smile.

Hakon the Bald was in his hall and it was filled with warriors.  There were not four hundred within, it was more like eighty.  The other crews must have been elsewhere but I saw that these were his best warriors. Arne said, "I will go and speak with the Jarl!" He scurried across the hall like a demented crab eager for a meal.  As we drew close I saw him pointing and whispering.  I had no doubt he was preparing Hakon.

"Jarl Dragonheart and Gunnstein Berserk Killer, Arne the Twisted tells me that you have had a successful raid.  Where are your other ships?"

"We suffered storms and we were attacked."

"Attacked!" he feigned shock very well.  "Who dared to attack the warrior wielding the sword touched by the gods?" He could not keep the sarcasm from his voice.  I might have missed it before but now I was attuned to such nuances.

I was direct in my answer.  "The men from Man." I stared at him the smile leaving my face.  "Did I not see one of their ships tied to your jetty?"

He feigned an expression of surprise, "So that is why they left so quickly! Had I known I would have detained them.  You are an ally and a friend."

"No matter.  We shall pay them back! That was not our purpose in coming here."

He looked at the warriors behind me, "Where are the Ulfheonar?"

It was my turn to feign surprise, "I did not think I would need them if I was to visit a friend."

"Of course not but we enjoy Haaken One Eye's stories."

"Haaken was badly wounded in Wessex.  He is at home recovering." I spoke the truth.  Haaken was back on his farm.

"That is sad.  He is a great warrior and bard." He gestured towards the table where he normally sat. "Come, you two shall sit at my right and left hands and I will hear of your glorious adventures."