Viking Vengeance (5 page)

Snorri shouted, "Release!" and a small shower of arrows flew towards the leading ship.  Two Franks fell into the foam at the ship's prow. On the other Frankish ships shields were raised and their vision became limited.

My captains had left a gap for us to use.  As we sailed through the boys cut the ropes of the boats we towed and Olaf threw the steering board over. Erik Short Toe threw a line from the stern of
'Heart of the Dragon
' which Beorn caught and tied while Asbjorn threw one from the bow of
'Odin's Breath'
for Snorri to catch. With men pulling hard our progress towards the sea was arrested and we formed a solid wall of wood.

I ran to the landward side and, donning my helmet held my shield before me. I saw the Frankish ships as they tried to lower their sails and turn at the same time.  I guessed they did not trust the bows of their ships enough to ram us.  Had our positions been reversed we would have rammed.  Our ships were well made and a single piece of oak formed the keel and the  kjerringa. As the Frankish crews fought the river, the wind, the waves and their sails archers on all of our drekar and captured prizes loosed arrows at them. I saw men pitched overboard as they were pierced by arrows.  The leading ship could not turn and her hull banged and cracked sideways into mine.

I slung my shield across my back and began to climb the wooden walls of the ship.  The crew were so busy trying to sort themselves out that I was almost at the topmost strake before someone tried to spear me. It was a clumsy attempt.  I held on to the strake with my right hand and pulled hard on the spear.  He did not let go and he was pulled over the side.  I heard the crack as his neck broke upon my deck. I pulled myself over the side of the Frank.  There were warriors at the stern of the ship.  Four of them had mail and wore the round helmets favoured by the Franks. They ran towards me.  I drew Ragnar's Spirit and slashed before me to buy myself time to swing my shield around.  The edge caught one of the blades but it still caught on my byrnie.  There was force behind the deflected blow.

These Franks were not used to fighting on board a ship.  I spread my legs wide and stood facing them. I saw Haaken leading my warriors over the stern of this Frankish ship while behind me Snorri and Beorn flanked me. Fighting on a ship was not the combat of movement.  You stood still and you took the blows.  If you moved then you fell.  If you fell then you died. The Franks ran at us and that was their mistake. One slipped and Beorn brought his sword across his face.  With no nasal his blade bit into the cheek and head of the Frank. I took a blow on my shield and then slid my sword forward. I was face to face with the Frank.  His breath reeked of garlic. As my sword bit into his scale armour I head butted him.  I had a full face helmet and I heard his nose break. I pushed with my shield and felt him step backwards. I stabbed again, hard.  I did not break his links but the blow winded him and he doubled up. I punched with my shield into his face. Unconscious he fell back and I skewered him to the deck. 

Haaken and his men had cleared the area around the steering board.  A second Frank had come to the aid of this leader and Franks were preparing to board us. Shouting, "Ulfheonar!" I led my wolf warriors across the deck to meet these new attackers.  They too forgot that we were on a moving deck and they moved too quickly. Nor did they wear armour. When I slashed across in a wide arc I was rewarded with spurting blood and ripped guts. Two men fell.  I held my shield to take the axe blow which came from the Frank standing on the side of the other ship. I swung my sword across his legs and sliced through one and into the second.  He fell screaming between the two hulls.

Before we could board the second Frank the steersman managed to turn the steering board and move away from us. The crew raced up the lines to try to lower the sail again.  They had had enough.  Olaf picked up a spear and hurled it into the back of the nearest seaman. He plunged to the deck.  By the time the sails were lowered it had cost them a quarter of their crew. While my men despatched the Frankish wounded I watched the two survivors head back, slowly, upstream.  We now had three more Frankish ships.  More importantly we had the river.  None could enter or leave without our permission.

With
'Red Snake'
in the middle we tied the three ships we had captured from shore to shore. It was not a solid barrier but with thick ropes slung between all of the vessels it was an effective barrier.  The two end ships were secured to the land. After all was secure I was ferried ashore by Erik. My men all beat their shields and chanted, "Dragonheart! Dragonheart! Dragonheart!" Over and over. I would be foresworn if I did not say that I enjoyed their adulation.  I was a warrior and we had tricked and vanquished our enemies.  I had seen few of our own men die.  It had been a great victory.

As I passed the pen containing the animals and the captives I saw that they were all cowed and fearful.  I daresay they had seen their ships and thought we would be defeated.  Instead they were now even further from safety than they had been.

As we stripped the ships of the treasure we realised that we had beaten well armed and armoured men. These had set out to destroy our war band and they had failed. After I had stripped my armour I went with my Ulfheonar to the river where I had made the Blót.  We took off our kyrtles and walked into the river to immerse ourselves completely.  It was our way of thanking the gods for rewarding us with victory and we cleaned the blood, sweat and dirt from our bodies.

"And now, Ulfheonar, we will feast and we will enjoy our victory.  Haaken will sing us a song!"

After the saga we sat around the fire eating the slaughtered animals and enjoying some of the wine we had taken.  While most of my men wrestled  and diced away some of their treasure I sat and talked with Haaken, Asbjorn and Eystein.

Haaken raised his horn, "Hail Jarl Dragonheart! Now you are a galdramenn as well as the mightiest warrior."

"I am no galdramenn."

"Then your plans succeeded mightily. What do we do next?"

"Tomorrow we send bands out to raid the farms hereabouts and then we sail, the following day, to take this Frankish stronghold."

"What if the King of the Franks brings his army here?"

"Then, Eystein, we fight them but I do not think they will come.  The Empire is large and it would take time to gather such an army."

"You are not worried?"

I laughed, "Why should I worry? I have seen nothing here which makes me think we might lose."

Despite the heavy night of drinking my men were up early. I divided my men into four bands of fifteen and sent them out to the north of the river to raid and to plunder. The rest I retained with the Ulfheonar.  We sharpened swords and we prepared for war. The tides meant that we would leave our stronghold mid morning the following day and sail towards the Frankish castle.  We would surround it and then plan our attack. It would be a night time attack. Our presence during the day and our martial and fierce appearance would put fear into the hearts of the defenders. We had discovered that our arms and armour could win a battle for us before we had even started.

The bands came back driving animals and carts.  The captives were tied behind them. I saw that some of the Franks had defended themselves for some of my men bore wounds but none had died.

I was up well before dawn to prepare for the day. I ate well from the cold cooked carcass of the slaughtered cow. I drank well and then I prepared my war face. My Ulfheonar joined me and not long after dawn we were ready. We would just use the two larger drekar.  My warriors were all prepared to embark on the ships when suddenly one of the sentries shouted, "Jarl Dragonheart! There is a Frankish army! They are heading this way."

Had Eystein predicted this? It made no matter.  We would meet them and defeat them. Luckily we were all close to our camp preparing to depart. "Form three battle lines!"

I led my men back to the fort and then to the land before it.  We arrayed ourselves in three long ranks. They outnumbered us but we had reserves on our ships. I saw that there were twenty nobles on horses and the rest were a mixture of spearmen and farmers.  It was not the army of the King. However they did outnumber us.

The enemy arrayed themselves before us.  If they thought to daunt us with their numbers then they failed.  My men began banging their shields and chanting my name.  Some of the younger ones left the line to bare their rear at the Franks. "Do they come to fight, Jarl?"

"I think, Haaken, that they  came to make us flee.  They must have had spies watching us to gauge numbers and they brought enough to outnumber us."

I watched as four of the mailed horsemen gathered to speak.  I did not recognised the banners but I suspected that they belonged to the ruler of this land. The four of them eventually detached themselves from the others.  One of them rode to fetch a slave who was being held by mailed men.  They approached to just beyond their own bow range.  Snorri and Beorn could easily hit them.  They took off their helmets, a sure sign that they wished to speak.

"Asbjorn take charge.  Haaken, come with me and let us see what these Franks wish."

I took off my helmet and we walked towards them. I saw that the slave was an old Viking. I recognised the tattoos he had upon his face.  He came from the land of the Norse, the land of snow and ice.

The older of the mounted men, the one with the greybeard spoke.  The Viking nodded, "This is Grimoald son of Pepin the Great, Mayor of Neustria."

I nodded, "Mayor?"

"Like a Jarl or a prince."

"Tell him that I am Jarl Dragonheart of Cyninges-tūn.  Ask him does he come to fight or to talk.  We are happy to do either."

I saw the ghost of a smile on his face as he translated. I could see that this Grimoald did not like my answer. His voice was angry when he spoke.  The Norseman's voice was calm in contrast.  "He says you are a brigand and a bandit and he wishes you to leave this land." He glanced around and then added, "You slew his son yesterday.  He is not happy."

"Tell him that when we have taken enough of the riches from this land we shall leave for we have slaves to sell. Priests fetch a high price.

When that was translated I saw that it had struck a nerve. He spoke again and the slave said, "My master says he must speak apart."

"Tell him he has until the sun is at its height and then we let our blades do the talking."

After the words had been spoken I received a black look for my pains. Haaken asked, "What goes on here?"

"I suspect we have a high ranking priest amongst our captives. We may become rich men here without fighting."

"That does not make for a good saga, Jarl."

"No but it makes for rich men and allows to us to raid again this year."

They were away for some time and the discussion was heated.  Eventually they returned and it was a red faced and angry Grimoald who spat out his words.  The slave was smiling when he spoke them. "The Mayor wishes you gone and his people returned.  What will it cost for you to leave and for the captives, all of them, to be returned?"

I tried to work out what we could sell the captives for.  He had not mentioned the Holy Books and we would slaughter the animals before we left. "Five thousand Imperial gold coins."

It was an outrageous amount.  I expected them to say no but when the offer was made the younger noble next to Grimoald nodded and spoke to the Mayor.  He appeared to have more power than the older man. The slave turned with the message. "They agree."

"And we want you as well."

His face showed that he had hoped for that. "But they may say no."

"Then we will fight.  You are Norse and we will not leave you here with these Franks."

He nodded and translated. Again there was a discussion and then the younger man took out his sword and slashed the slave down his cheek, taking out his eye in the process. Haaken's hand went to his sword and I said, "Bide your time, Haaken."

The slave put his hand to his face to stop the bleeding.  He glared hatred from his one eye at the noble and said, "He agrees but he has marked me so that all the world will know that I was the slave of a Frank."

"Tell him to have the gold here by noon the morrow.  If not I will hang his monks one by one." I stared at the younger noble as I did so.

In answer they nodded and rode away. I took out a cloth and held it to the slave's face.  "Come we will get you healed.  What is your name?"

"Hermund the Unlucky."

"How long have you lived with them?"

"Ten summers."

"Now you are free.  We will take you back with us." I turned to Haaken, "Have the men begin to load the Frankish ships with the Holy Books, the wine and the other treasures.  They shall have their captives and nothing else."

"Aye Jarl."

I led Hermund to the pen where the priests waited.  I noticed that the eldest of them, a priest with a white beard was seated on a log. The rest squatted on the floor. He was the important one. I said to Hermund, "Tell them that I command that they heal you and then tell them what I told the Mayor."

He did so and my suspicions were confirmed when the white bearded priest gave orders. I now knew who the important priest was. I made sure they did a good job on Hermund's eye.  I knew how they should heal for Aiden was a great healer.  They did a good job. He stood.  "What is his name?" I pointed at the bearded priest.