Viking legacy, p.14
Viking Legacy, page 14
“That is not a problem.”
Now that he had a problem to solve then all doubts went. “I will add a ring of metal around it and a band to encircle the whole. The helmet will be stronger.”
“You will do this yourself?”
He smiled, “Of course. This is for Jarl Dragonheart. I made your sword, your dagger and your mail. Who else would do it?”
I nodded. The helmet would be perfect. It was to be made by a craftsman.
I met with Kara, Ylva and Aiden later that morning. “Did you dream?”
Aiden nodded, “We saw you and we saw the Danes. You were never in danger but the Norn’s webs and threads are powerful. It seems we have made enemies of them too. They fight us. There are spells and mists which stop us seeing as far as we normally do.” He looked sad. “Perhaps I am losing my powers.” I saw that he looked thinner than he had. His hair was white and he looked old yet he was younger than I was. He saw my look and he smiled.
I turned my gaze towards Kara, “And the future?”
“Is unclear. You will go to Hibernia but Gruffyd and his raid on Om Walum have not pleased the spirits nor the gods.”
I was confused, “Why not?”
“He is trying to change the past. His wife’s father lost Om Walum. Gruffyd cannot take it. He is not the Dragonheart nor his heir.”
“Sámr?”
She nodded, “He is the one chosen not only by you but the land. You have guided him well. In the time you have left you must make him into the Wolf Warrior. You must make him the one who can control the land.”
Ylva smiled, “It is not as daunting a prospect as you might think grandfather. We are here to help. I have been appointed the one to watch over Sámr and Æthelflæd. It helps that Nanna will live with us for she has powers. She knows it not yet but we can teach her. Æthelflæd loves her and love is a powerful force. When you are in the Otherworld and watching us, we will guide Sámr and Æthelflæd.” She touched the hands of her parents. “When they are gone then my parents will guide me from the world of the spirits.”
I thought about their words. There was a layer of meaning beneath them. “Is there danger from within?”
“There could be discord. Your son, grandsons, great-grandsons, all have part of you within them but they have part of others too. Just as my brother, Wolf Killer, had a wilful streak in him there will be others who have one too. My half-sister, Erika had such a streak did she not? Now that she is in the Otherworld she might regret leaving this land but you cannot change the past. That is what Gruffyd and Einar Fair Face will discover.”
They were right. Æthelstan had discovered that. His land was lost. The Danes had wormed their way in and would not let go.
“Then I need to make my land secure. I can protect the land from those with weapons and ill wishes but the Norns? They are your responsibility.”
The three of them looked uncomfortable. Kara took my hand, “They are spinning, father and it is so complex a web that we are struggling to find where it starts and where it ends but your thread and Gruffyd’s are tied to it.”
“And Mordaf?”
“His too.”
“But not Sámr.”
Ylva said, “Sámr, Æthelflæd and you have threads which join but the start and the end are clear. That is why this wedding is good.”
“All is in place for the marriage?”
“Seven nights time will see the ceremony.”
“Then I have enough time to ride to speak with Ketil and Asbjorn. We will need their vigilance.”
Aiden nodded, “And when you go to Hibernia I will come with you.”
“You do not need to.”
“It was the land of my birth. I owe my own ancestors. Had you not taken me from the island who knows what my life might have been.”
“Are you trying to change the past too?”
He smiled, “No, the future. I should like to meet this Conan Mac Finbarr. He and those with him have been on a journey. They have been chosen and saved for a purpose. When you rescued them, your threads became entwined. Perhaps my powers can help to guide them too. Who knows a visit to the land of my birth might bring back the powers that I am losing.”
Ylva slipped her arm through mine as I left, “And make sure that you are back before the wedding.”
Baldr Witch Saviour was just a youth and had not been fit enough to come with us to rescue Atticus but he had recovered now and he was eager to come with us. We had rescued Baldr in the Blue Sea. He had been captured and enslaved. We had rescued him. His people came from a landlocked country and were horsemen. We had discovered that he was a prince of that land. As the one who had saved Ylva in the battle with the Mercians, he was held in high regard by all of my people. He knew horses and he was the one who cared for our herd. He chose two good horses for our journey. He had seen little of my land save Cyninges-tūn and this would give him the chance to see more of my land.
We headed north through the pass which led to the road to the bridge at the village of Skelwith. “Jarl, this land is so different from my own land that I wonder if I have been transported to another world.”
“You do not have mountains?”
“We do but they are always in the distance. My people were horsemen. We could ride for seven days and the ground would still be flat. The rivers were not bubbling little becks that tumbled from mountains, they were great long snakes which wound across the land.”
“It sounds like you miss your home.”
“I should be missing my home but my family are all dead. Ylva has dreamed for me and spoken to them. They are happy I have a new family. Germund the Lame said I was reborn and he was right.” He smiled, “Of course if I try to make horsemen of you all then you will understand.”
It was my turn to smile and to remember, “We rescued another slave once, Hrolf the Horseman. He was Norse but he loved horses and he loved riding. He lives in the land of the Franks and his people ride to war on horses.”
He was interested and so I told him of Hrolf the Horseman. The Norns had woven our threads together but he had chosen a different path. I wondered if Baldr would leave too. He asked me about the adventure he had missed out on and I told him. “Is Sámr happy with the Saxon princess?”
I laughed, “He is marrying her!”
“When I lived with the Franks I saw that marriages were often made for the title and the power they brought. I have not seen the Saxon women. Are they pretty?”
I shook my head, “What strange questions you ask. Yes, they are pretty.”
“Then Sámr will be happy. A pretty wife will keep him at home.”
“You are wise for one so young.”
He shook his head, “When I lived with the Franks I saw much that I did not like. Sámr is like a brother to me. We have fought together. I would have him happy.”
“Then when we return you shall speak with Æthelflæd and Nanna. We will have to see if they meet with your approval.”
He gave me a sideways look, “Now you are mocking me, Jarl Dragonheart. I meant no disrespect.”
“I know, Baldr, I know.”
We reached the Roman fort at Windar’s Mere and spent the night with Asbjorn. He and his warriors listened to my tale and of my plans.
“We are warriors, jarl. We would come with you.”
“You were there when we defeated the Mercians, Asbjorn. You owe me nothing but I would have you watch my land. You are closer to the lands of Mercia. That is where the real threat lies. It is the Danes who are the danger now. The King of Mercia has gambled that he could use another to defeat the Danes. Now they will begin to eat into his lands. The land close to Whale Island is safer now. Our people will be able to farm there safely but the Danes are growing in Northumbria. They are growing in numbers. It is in the east where the danger lurks. Keep men watching the Eden Valley. I will go to speak with Ketil for he is the one who will know how the Saxons of Northumbria fare.”
Ketil lived close to the High Divide which separated us from what had been the land of Northumbria. There had been a time when he had made an alliance with the Saxons through one of their princes. That prince had foolishly tried to take on the Danes and he had lost. Once the Saxons had been a force who were to be feared but no longer. Ketil was the son of Windar who had ruled at Windar’s Mere for many years. As a young warrior he had fought bravely for me and was now rewarded with the lands which went from Ulla’s Water to the Roman Wall; from Pennryhd to the High Divide. The land he ruled was a third of the Land of the Wolf.
His sons were now warriors grown and they had their own strongholds. It was one of those, Harald Ketilsson, who escorted us to his father’s fort. Ketil had used a Roman Fort and made it a truly impressive stronghold. Unlike the rest of our forts, it was made of stone and was a bastion against enemies. When Ketil and his son heard of my plans they, like Asbjorn were keen to come with me.
“I am concerned about the Danes. Who rules the land to the East now?”
“King Æthelred. He fights the Danes and has had some success but these days Eoforwic is more Dane than Saxon. Carr still sends me news. Your news about the land of the East Angles now explains much of Æthelred’s success. The Danes have been too busy further south to exploit their gains.”
“Then King Æthelred can expect a storm soon enough. You and your sons keep a watch here.” I smiled for Ketil had now grown from the scrawny warrior into a copy of his father. “You prosper here!”
He laughed and patted his gut, “Aye we eat well and we get the most from this land. The valleys produce good beef and the uplands are perfect for sheep. Ulla’s Water teems with fish. It is good. One of my other sons, Erik is hersir of the land to the north and he keeps the ones who try to raid from north of the wall in check. The wall is adorned with the heads of those who would steal our cattle. They raid the Saxons instead.”
Baldr and I came back by the valley of the Thirl. We had seen Úlfarrberg from the east but I preferred the western aspect. It was where I had found the wolf which had saved us from killers. I told Baldr the tale as we headed towards the Grassy Mere. “I should like to climb the mountain, Jarl.”
“When we have defeated the Hibernians and taught them a lesson then we will return. I know that Sámr would like to honour Úlfarr.” Wolves were never far from our thoughts. They were not an enemy. They were our brothers.
We stayed the night at the farm of Erik of Rye Dale. I took Baldr up the Scar of Nab to look at the views of Windar’s Mere and Úlfarrberg. It was a tranquil spot and we sat in silence and watched the sun dip in the west. As we neared the hall of Erik, Baldr said, “Now I understand this land. It is a circle made up of mountains and waters. Each is like a stronghold. The many make the whole. You are lucky to rule this land.”
“Aye, Baldr, but how do I make certain that those who come after me can keep it?” I was asking the question of myself. Gruffyd’s raid had disturbed my peace. It had unsettled my mind.
When we arrived back at Cyninges-tūn Sámr’s family and Gruffyd’s had already arrived. My hall was filled once more. I did not mind and Atticus positively revelled in it. Astrid was a proud mother and she glowed while Ragnar looked proud. Sámr was their eldest and he had chosen his bride well. Unlike the followers of the White Christ, we did not use churches for such ceremonies. The world was our church and so we held the ceremony on the shore by the Water. Old Olaf looked down upon us and the graves of my two wives could be seen across the Water. We made a blót before I joined Sámr and Æthelflæd together. The feast was held in the open. My Ulfheonar and their families were present as well as all the warriors who had come with us to rescue Atticus, Haraldr and Sweyn. There was much ale and the food had been prepared by Atticus, Astrid and Kara. It was the best of three worlds.
I saw both Kara and Ylva exchange knowing looks as Sámr and Æthelflæd whispered in each other’s ears. They looked like a pair of wood pigeons courting. It was then I saw that Nanna and Baldr were also getting on well. When we had returned Baldr had been introduced to the two Saxons and he got on well with both of them. It was, however, Nanna who had grabbed his attention. The Norns’ threads stretched from the heart of the land to the north of Miklagård to the land of the East Angles. Neither was Norse but I could see that they would become part of the Clan of the Wolf.
Ragnar asked, “Did Sámr say how long he would stay here? We have a piece of land picked out for him. It is between my hall and your son’s. The ground is rock free for it was farmed in the time of Pasgen.”
It was not my place to say what was in Sámr’s mind. I knew he had picked out his own home and it was half a day from Ragnar. I said, “He is there, ask him yourself.”
Ragnar frowned. My tone and my face were enough to warn him that he might not like Sámr’s answer. “Son, when do you and your bride return to Whale Island? We have a fine plot of land chosen for you.”
It was then that I saw the strength in Æthelflæd. She smiled, “Father, I may call you father may I not for mine is dead?”
Ragnar smiled, “Of course. I am honoured.”
“Father, we have spent some time here at the Water and we have found a place we would like to make ours.” She pointed, “It is the hall where the Dragonheart first lived. When we went inside its walls, even though they needed repair, we both felt it calling to us. It was, what is the word, wyrd? You do not mind, do you? We would both like to live close to the Dragonheart. If it was not for the Jarl then we would not be together, would we?”
Ragnar looked at Astrid who smiled and nodded, “You are right and this means that I can visit with my grandfather more often!” He looked at me, “For I know that he has been neglected of late. We have taken him for granted. It is time we paid him the respect he deserves.”
And so a difficult situation was avoided. My world was at peace and I was happy. Perhaps the absence of Gruffyd should have warned me of a storm on the horizon but I was blissfully unaware of that.
My warriors drank copious amounts of ale and beer. There were fights. Some men are like that when they drink but none resulted in bloodletting. Olaf Leather Neck was the arbiter of all disputes and when he had had enough of his drinking being disturbed his mighty fists ended the bouts. I had yet to see Olaf falling down drunk. Haaken became even louder when drunk. His wife Anya rolled her eyes but it was with affection. His daughter, Yngvild, and her husband Lars just smiled. All the clan knew what Haaken was like, none more so than his family.
Ebrel and Bronnen sat together and had their heads close by Nanna and Æthelflæd. Elfrida, Ragnar’s mother, now grey and looking like the clan matriarch just smiled at them. She had buried her husband, my son, and now she saw the clan as hers. This wedding was the highlight of her year. She did not like war, she was a Christian and her joy was in her grandchildren. Sámr was her favourite although she would have denied it if pressed. The reason was simple. Ragnar was a little like his father, Wolf Killer. Sámr was identical to my son! As he had grown he had become more like Wolf Killer in build, hair, complexion, voice and mannerisms. That was truly strange for Sámr had been born many years after Wolf Killer had been murdered.
The day after the wedding I went with Aiden, Germund and Atticus to my old hall. We did not walk but took one of the many fishing boats. It was pleasant sailing on the Water. The graves of my wives were now covered in summer flowers. Forget me nots and cranesbill cascaded down. The wind which blew them made the graves seem alive.
The structure of the hall was sound. We had used seasoned oak. The walls, however, had suffered as had the roof. The hall had been one of the first we had built and we had used turf for the roof and the lower walls. Turf needed maintenance. Aiden looked at the walls and the roof and came up with a simple solution. “We use slate for the roof; the mine has produced great quantities. We do not need to sell all of it and we also have good stone. We use the better stone for the outer walls and the neater stones for the inside. We use the poorer stones for infill.”
Atticus busied himself with the interior. He was Greek and did not like the communal sleeping arrangements. Erika and I had been proud when we had built the upstairs sleeping quarters. Brigid had been less enamoured for she had to climb a ladder and she did not think that was appropriate for the wife of a jarl. Atticus came up with an answer. “We build a staircase. It can run the length of the hall so that it is not too steep and then build a false wall. Æthelflæd needs her privacy. Germund and the slaves can have rooms beneath the sleeping chamber and they will be away from prying eyes too.” He smiled, “Servants and slaves work better if they feel that they have some degree of privacy.”
The three of them had more and more suggestions and I left. Erika and I had been happy here. It had been our first home in the Land of the Wolf and but for the attempts by the Danes to kill me and of the witches to take my daughter, I would still have been there. The old do not like change. I went to the Water and took off my boots. I rolled up my breeks. I let the water flow over my feet. I subconsciously rubbed my finger along my scar. The wound in my thigh was healing but it was a reminder of how close I had come to death. It was good that my old hall was being renewed. It would bring life back into it and Sámr and Æthelflæd would, hopefully, be as happy as I had been with Erika.
When we returned to Cyninges-tūn I had to begin the preparations for the war. I had told men that I was going to fight Hibernians and men came to offer their services. All the warriors who had sailed with us to the Blue River came forward as did many others. Those with slight wounds like Cnut Cnutson volunteered their services. Men we had rescued and saved from enemies flocked to join us. Sven Stormchaser, Olaf Ulfsson, Sigiberhrt the Scar, Hrolf Bennison, Leif Longshanks, Galmr Greybeard, Haldi Haldisson, Snorri Gunnarson, Ulf Galmrson, Sweyn Olafsson, Harald Jorgenson the list was long. Not all had mail but they were all warriors. Baldr Witch Saviour would come as would Bergil Hafþórrsson and his brothers. We might have only a handful of Ulfheonar but we had two whole crews of warriors. We would be fully crewed.
I returned to Whale Island with Astrid, Bronnen, Ebrel, Elfrida and Ragnar. With Aiden and Atticus helping them Sámr and Æthelflæd had begun to make their hall a home. Sámr would go to war. He wanted his wife safe when he did so. The drekar were almost ready for sea but there was no sign of Gruffyd and Einar Fair Face. We had no way of knowing what had happened to them. I reassured Ebrel and Bronnen, “If they have not returned by the time I have finished in Hibernia then I will sail with Aiden to find them.”
