Viking Vengeance (9 page)

He stood panting, the lust of battle in his eyes.  Olaf laughed, "I can see you were made for that weapon.  You are Rolf Eriksson no more from this day forth you are Rolf Horse Killer!"

It was just the spur my men needed, "On!"

We raced to the gates which the last men inside were trying to close. We hurled ourselves at the gates and they sprang open.  Haaken and Ulf slew the two men who had tried to close them.  We were inside their fort and they had no chance.  We were killers and we had the roar of battle coursing through our veins.  We fell upon the sheep within the fold and every warrior was slaughtered.

The captives were subdued and kept in the church which lay within the fort.  We stripped it of all its riches. The monks were cowed. There were no women at all.  I guessed that the garrison were the warriors who had captured the fort from the men of Gwynedd. We had a fine collection of mail and swords.  There were Holy Books, linens and tapestries.  We ate well.  Rollo's kill had provided the meat. We ate horse. With our ships sheltered beneath the walls we brought Wolf Killer's crew into the fort. I doubted that there were any Saxon warriors close by but it did not do to take chances.

Aiden explored the church and found some Roman writings and other parchments from the time of the Warlord. He sat poring over them while Haaken began composing his song about Rolf Horse Killer. The young warrior now had the mail shirt from the warrior he had killed as well as his sword.  He was a rich man. More than that, however, he now had a reputation and he would be immortalised in a saga..  I saw Hrolf looking enviously at him. He was a hero and Hrolf was a friend of the hero.  Such things are important.

"Tomorrow, my son, I want you to take a war band and scour the valley.  See what else we can find.  Sigtrygg you will go with Snorri and Beorn to the coast I would know where the nearest Saxons are. I cannot believe these are the only warriors left."

"Do we not return home?"

"Not yet, Asbjorn. There is still much to be harvested. We will leave this land a wasteland before we return to Cyninges-tūn. This will be our last raid of the year.  We might as well make it a fruitful one. There are many farms and they will have both animals and grain."

Aiden came to speak with me when the others began to drink and celebrate our victory. "Jarl, your ancestor built this as a hill fort. I found carvings on the floor of one of the rooms.  It was being used to store food but I think it was like the Roman Praetorium we found close to the Wall."

"
Wyrd
."

"You are right Jarl.  The Norns threads spread through time, do they not?"

"Did you find any treasure?"

"A few coins but nothing much.  I think the chests you sent to the drekar will be more interesting.  I had them stored in the hold.  They have locks and as we found no keys it will take time to unlock them."

"I could smash them open you know."

"It will not hurt to wait."

My war bands spent the next day exploring the two ends of the valleys.  We garnered much grain and animals. The people fled at my men's approach and so we had no slaves. Sigtrygg found a watch tower.  They slew the Saxons there but found no others.  If the Welsh chose they would be able to reconquer their home. We divided the mail, weapons and coins amongst the four crews.  Sigtrygg would sail directly home but the rest of us would sail to Hibernia and sell the slaves to Hakon the Bald in Dyflin. Whilst not a friend or even someone I would care to share secrets with he was an ally and was keen to trade.  He was useful in his own way. He would never raid.  His men did not raid.  He just controlled Dyflin and taxed the whores and the merchants.  He was not a real Viking but he was Norse. He might, however, be able to broker the sale of the Holy Books. He would take a share of the profits but it would save us the job. We headed for Dyflin.

We had not been there since we had sought Magnus the Foresworn.  Hakon had been helpful.  We had paid him for his help but he had been useful, nonetheless.

He had grown fatter since our last visit. But he was pleased to see us.  "I have missed not only your trades, my friend but also the tales of your adventures. You are the last true Norseman.  You fear no man.  Tell me what you have been up to and where you acquired these monks."

"You will buy them?"

"Of course.  There is a lucrative market for such men of learning.  Why I might even sell them back to the Mercians." He sent for his moneyer and we were given a small chest of silver. "Who know, King Egbert of Wessex might pay good gold for such as these."

"We also have some fine Holy Books but those we took from Frankia."

"I heard that you had upset Louis the Pious. His cousin Charles of Rheims has sworn to hunt you down and kill you."

"The seas between us are too wide for me to worry about that and he has poor skills with weapons. I fear him not."

"Whom do you fear?"

"No man save myself.  If I were my enemy I would be afraid."

He laughed, "As would I.  You are like a terrier.  You care not the size of the beast.  Once you sink your teeth in you do not let go. I am glad that you are my friend."

"It is the only way to keep your lands and people safe."

"Will you stay?"

"No, for I have two new granddaughters I am keen to see and their fathers are desperate to see their wives.  I will send the Holy Books and you can sell them."

"For a commission."

"Of course. A quarter of their value?"

"A half."

"Because you helped me in the business with the Foresworn I will say a third but no more."

He shook my hand, "Then it is done."

As we left my son said, "How do you know he will not cheat you, father?"

"Because he knows I am Dragonheart and he fears me.  Besides we help him more than he helps us.  He will be keen to remain friends with us.  He will not cheat me."

Although it was a short voyage home the winds were against us. We discovered that was the work of the Norns and we did not reach Coen ap Pasgen's port until the middle of the night. The tide was wrong for a landing and we waited in the estuary until the tide turned at dawn. It soured, somewhat, the successful raid. We had hoped to be home earlier. Each warrior was keen to tell his family of our successful raid. We unloaded the ships and used the newly made carts to transport them home.  As we docked I saw knarr leaving to trade. The channel was a busy one these days.  Each time we left or arrived there would be some knarr or other leaving.

"Siggi, we shall send you the Holy Books.  Hakon the Bald has promised to sell them for us."

"Aye Jarl and we have much iron to sell too.  Should I take a cargo of that as well?"

I nodded, "We have few others who will pay a fair price."

We set off up the road to our home.  It was early and I did not expect a reception.  We were half way along the road by the Water when Karl One Hand galloped up to greet us. "Jarl, there has been a raid.  Danes came through Wolf Killer's valley and slew many of his.  They destroyed Windar's mere. Windar is dead along with most of his warriors."

The Norns had been busy.  I saw that the tides had been the work of the weird sisters.  They delayed our return. "When was this?"

"The news arrived late last night.  Two shepherd boys witnessed it from the fells.  They brought the news directly to us.  I suppose it might have been two days since, perhaps less."

"Does Ketil now about his father?"

He shook his head. "I was going to ride there this morning with that news and then Grim spied your return."

I turned to Wolf Killer. "At least your wife and children were safe here in my hall."

His face was grim, "Aye, father but my men's families were not here.  They will have been taken."

I had decisions to make. "Snorri, get back to Úlfarrston.  I need Sigtrygg and his men.  Have them meet us at Elfridaby."

"Aye Jarl."

"Wolf Killer, take your men to Elfridaby and find out the extent of the hurt we have suffered.  I will follow with my men." He turned.  I put my hand on his arm, "Wait for me.  That is my command!"

"Aye Jarl."

"Karl One Arm, ride to Ketil and tell him the news.  Have the men from Ulf's Water meet us at Windar's Mere.  We go to war."

By the time we reached Cyninges-tūn Aiden and I had formulated our strategy.  We could not take all of our men.  We needed to defend my home.  Perhaps this was more than a raid or perhaps a lure to drag us away from our home.  We had used such strategies ourselves before now. We would leave Arne at Thorkell's Stad and ten warriors to help Karl One Arm.  The rest would come with us.  "I want you to stay and help Karl."

"But..."

"I will need warriors and not wizards, Aiden.  I will rest easier if you are at home."

Poor Elfrida was distraught when we arrived. Kara and Brigid were offering comfort.  "They were my people and they have been taken!"

"Fear not Elfrida.  We will follow them. They will not escape my vengeance."

"But they could go anywhere."

"No matter where they go we will follow." I meant what I said.  I was  angry. Danes were Vikings too.  They would learn just how terrible my vengeance would be.

We saddled all the horses that we had.  If it came down to it I would use the horses to enable the Ulfheonar alone to follow them.  We were better warriors than any axe wielding Dane.  We were the wolf warriors! Kara and Brigid came over to me, Brigid stroked my face.  "Take care my husband."

Kara said, "Aye, father, for if these Danes are clever enough and strong enough to sweep up a valley and destroy all who live there then they will be formidable foes."

"Fear not; I am angry but I will use my head and my mind."

I sent my men who were on foot down the Water under the command of Erik Wolf Claw. I saw tearful goodbyes as men and their families were torn apart again. I led my Ulfheonar and six other mounted warriors towards Windar's Mere.

When we reached it Ulla and the men from Ulf's Water awaited me. They had had a shorter journey and they had begun to bring order to the devastation left by the Danes. I saw that the Danes had taken the heads of every one of the men.  Their heads were now on the tops of spears.  Windar looked bloated on his spear. "We knew nothing of this Jarl. We smelled smoke but we thought they were feasting.  There has not been a raid in this valley for many years.  We did not think this was happening. We should have kept closer contact."

I shook my head.  "This is the work of the Norns. It was
wyrd
.  Take down the heads and see if you can find the bodies.  It would not do to have Ketil see his father thus."

I wandered around the burned and wrecked homes.  All of the old, both men and women, lay dead.  I saw men who had lived with Prince Butar on Man; men who had come with us from Norway and now lay butchered. Only the younger women had been taken.  I knew why they had taken them. The dogs lay dead but the other animals had been taken. That gave me hope.  It would slow them down. We had a chance to catch them. Even as I viewed the carnage my mind was looking across the land. They had to have come from the south and east. Any other route would have made them pass close by one of my Stad. That suggested the land around the Ouse, Jorvik, as the Danes now called it. Eanred's weakness had made them bold.

Ketil rode in alone with a lathered horse which was close to falling. He threw himself from its back and ran to me.  "Where is my father?"

Ulf and his men had not found the bodies.  I presumed they lay in the Mere. It was another insult and a way of hurting us.  I pointed to the row of heads. Ketil dropped to his knees and bowed his head. "He was a good father but he was no warrior." He remained silent and then rose with a face like black steel. "Where are they Jarl Dragonheart?"

I pointed to the south east. "They have gone yonder.  The rest of my men are meeting at Elfridaby.  They suffered the same fate."

He looked at me, his own pain forgotten, "Wolf Killer and Elfrida?"

"They are safe.  Elfrida is in my home and Wolf Killer waits for us."

"Then let us ride."

"Your horse is too tired and we need your men.  Ulf can watch your stronghold but we need to wait for your warriors." I pointed to the heads.  "And these need to be buried.  We owe them that."

He nodded.  We made a barrow where the warrior hall had been.  The bodies of the old were laid within as were the heads of those who had fought.  We covered them with earth. After we had invoked the gods to ease their passage into the Otherworld I said. "When we have punished these Danes we will rebuild Windar's mere but we will not desecrate where they lie.  We will build a new Stad and this one will be stronger and better."

Ketil's band had hurried.  They saw the barrow and their faces became as grim as their jarl's. We marched south. Even though they had travelled far Ketil and his men were determined not to slow us down and we reached the camp which Wolf Killer had made soon after dark. Sigtrygg and Asbjorn were there with the rest of my warriors. This was not the joyous camp we had had at St. Asaph, this was a brooding camp filled with the dark thoughts of those who seek revenge.

I sat with my jarls. Wolf Killer spoke. "My scouts found their trail.  They are heading south and east back to the land of Northumbria. They took only girls, boys and young women. All else were slaughtered."

"Perhaps some of those who live in the remote parts live still."

He nodded, "Perhaps."

"We will follow them tomorrow.  I will send Beorn and Snorri ahead on horses. They will catch them. The animals they have taken will slow them down.  We will catch them."

When all else had retired, exhausted, I sat with Wolf Killer and Haaken. Haaken had watched Wolf Killer growing up and knew him as well as I did. "You are troubled, my son."

"Aye.  It is the timing of the raid. Did they know I had left my people unattended?  Did they know I raided?"

Haaken shook his head, "They are Danes.  They have travelled from the other side of this land. You would have had word of a large war band in our land.  They came after we had left for Wales."

He had not thought of that and he looked up at me with knowledge in his eyes.  "Then they thought to find me!"

"Aye, my son.  I see the hand of Egbert in all of this.  He has not forgotten what you did.  Wessex is grown powerful but it is still a march too far for him to punish you personally.  Danes are mercenaries without honour. They fight for gold."

"Then we must end this.  We must fight Egbert!"

"Did you not hear my words, my son? King Egbert is too powerful at the moment.  When we knew him he was growing in power.  There is now a fight between him and Coenwulf to see who rules this land.  Egbert will win. We will have revenge but unless you wish your son growing up without a father we take revenge on those who did this first and then plan Egbert's punishment.  The hand that paid them is beyond our grasp, at the moment.  We will pay back Wessex and we will hurt King Egbert for his part in this raid but I fear he will not let us get within a sword's length of him.  He knows our skill. Sleep now, Wolf Killer.  Tomorrow we hunt these Danes and show them how our people, the people of the wolf, wreak revenge. We will take on Wessex when the time is right and not before."

I stayed awake a little while longer with Haaken.  We were older and could survive with less sleep. "I believe you are right about Egbert but do you fully comprehend the implications of taking him on?"

"It is not as though he has forgotten us. If we take the war to him it will not change the way he feels.  The alternative is to sit here and wait for his mercenaries to raid and to kill. We will hurt him so badly that he will shy away from any further action for fear of us. Aiden read, when we were in Miklagård, of an insect called the locust.  It spreads across a land and devours all in its path.  It comes in plagues. When it has passed over the land is dead.  We will do that to Egbert. We will tear the heart from his land."

We were a large band but, despite that, we moved quickly and with purpose. We retained the horses but we walked beside them. I did not want the other warriors to have to watch the Ulfheonar ahead of them having an easy time.  We found the first body just ten Roman miles from Elfridaby. It was a girl of thirteen summers.  The blood show what had occurred and how she had died.  She was not one of Wolf Killer's people and Ketil buried her for he knew her family.  They had been his father's folk.   We found two more in the next few miles. The Danes seemed to be flaunting us; daring us to stop them.  It made us more determined than ever and the band moved as fast as though they all rode horses.

A weary pair of scouts rode in before dusk, "We have found them Jarl. They are in a small village in the valley of the Aire. From their fires there are a hundred Danes. They have killed the men who lived there too."

Wolf Killer snapped, "They are Saxons! I care not!"

"Use your head, my son.  It shows that they have not come with the permission of Eanred or they would have left his people alone. It tells us that they are more likely to have come from Egbert." I turned back to Beorn. "Is it close enough to reach this night?"

He shook his head. "It is not an easy way.  We could reach it in two hours during daylight."

"But could my Ulfheonar reach there by dawn, if we rode horses?"

Beorn smiled, "Aye Jarl but we would need to change our horses."

"We will find you new horses but Snorri, you stay with Wolf Killer and Ketil; show how to find this place and we will ride now."

"What will you do, father?"

"We will attract the attention of these Danes and stop them from leaving.  Get there as soon as you can and approach in battle formation. We will attack them immediately that we see them.  If the Allfather has forsaken us then we will have a glorious death but I believe we will defeat them!"

It was a pathetically small number of men I led to tackle this war band but sometimes incredible odds meant nothing.  It was what was in your heart which counted.  I had been told, when I was young, that I had the heart of a dragon.  It was now time to put that to the test. Beorn was right about the road, it was a twisting route we took. The horses were relatively fresh and we made good time.  We smelled the smoke and saw the glow of their fires long before we reached them.  Beorn the Scout took us  in a long loop to get to the other side of the settlement in the Aire valley. We found the old Roman Road.  Dismounting I looked around for a place to defend.  There was a small knoll.  It rose just three paces above the surrounding land and was topped by a solitary, windblown tree.  That would do.

"Hobble the horses and let them graze.  We will use this as our last defence.  Beorn, come with me and Haaken.  We will explore the camp."

We left our shields on the knoll and Olaf and the others began to make it easier to defend.  They cut down scrubby branches and twisted bramble vines to make a natural looking barrier before us.  Ulf and Finni began to dig ankle breakers in the ground which the Danes would have to cross if they found us. We knew how to defend. I drew my seax as we headed towards the settlement. Even though it was late in the night there were still Danes drinking while others pleasured themselves with the captives. We crawled along to the edge of their camp; we constantly looked for sentries.  There were none.  They were either confident or reckless but, whatever the reason, there were no sentries. We crawled closer; I needed to hear their voices for who knew what knowledge we might gain.