The savage wilderness, p.22
The Savage Wilderness, page 22
My answer seemed to please Fótr and soon Arne and his son, along with his oathsworn arrived. We had many young men taking an oar for the first time. Stig Eidelsson who had been ship’s boy now sat across from his father. Every oar would be manned but that did not mean a smooth passage. The new rowers would have to learn. It was good for this was a safe place to practise while the wide ocean needed men who had skill. As was usual at this time of the year the wind was from the south and west which meant the men would have to row.
Arne waved to those watching us and then sat at his oar with his son on the chest next to him. He smiled at me, “Well brothers, your nephew takes an oar for the first time. This is a great day!”
I was pleased for Arne, “Aye, it is. Ship’s boys, loose the ropes. Rowers prepare to row. Steerboard, on my command, push us from the quay.” The boys untied the ropes and leapt aboard. I had chosen when the tide was on the turn and it helped to move us. “Steerboard, push!” They pushed us away and then I shouted, “Oars, in! And row!”
I chose a simple chant which would help the new rowers get into the rhythm quickly. It was one we had used when we had left Larswick.
Clan of the Fox, from Orkneyjar’s shores
Clan of the Fox, take to your oars
Clan of the Fox, we row as one
Clan of the Fox, heading west to the setting sun
Clan of the Fox, from Orkneyjar’s shores
Clan of the Fox, take to your oars
Clan of the Fox, we row as one
Clan of the Fox, heading west to the setting sun
Clan of the Fox, from Orkneyjar’s shores
Clan of the Fox, take to your oars
Clan of the Fox, we row as one
Clan of the Fox, heading west to the setting sun
By the third verse, the odd badly handled oar had ceased to be noticeable and the new rowers were learning to twist the blade of the oar when it was withdrawn from the water and to use both legs and arms. ‘Njörðr’ was moving well. I had spent some time clearing weed from her hull but, in truth, there was little to worry about. It was a little disconcerting to have Fótr watch my every move but I understood why. He would soon be at the steering board of his own drekar. I had watched Ulf North Star and my father and followed what they had done. Once we had cleared the islands which lay close to Bear Island and we headed into the wind to allow us to turn west and save the rowers, I said, “Take her for a while and head into the wind. I will walk down the drekar and see how the new warriors fare.”
Lars was the image of his father and although not yet fully grown when he was, he would be a giant. There was enough excitement about the voyage for him to forget that his father and I had fallen out. I smiled at him, “You are doing well, nephew, but soon your back and your legs will burn.” He did not stop nor speak but nodded and I saw the sweat pouring down his back. Stig was trying to copy his father but he was struggling. “Stig, use your body when you lean into the stroke; do not try to simply pull.” He nodded. I spoke to each new rower to offer advice. I reached the prow and touched it for luck then I walked down the centre. As I looked to steerboard I saw that it was time to make the turn.
I reached Fótr and shouted, “Ship’s boys, prepare to loose the sail!” Some quickly ran to the sheets and stays while four of them clambered up to the yard. We had spent five days practising. Young Snorri Siggison had fallen but not broken anything. I remembered when that had been his father, Siggi and Karl had called him the Clumsy. My ship’s boys were just concerned that Snorri was not hurt.
“Let fly!” As the sail came tumbling down the boys on the sheets and stays hauled and tightened them on the cleats. I put the steering board over and waited until the sail billowed before I shouted, “In oars! Well done, Clan of the Fox!”
It had been a good start and we had had no disasters. We could sail north and west and use the wind to take us to the coast, avoiding the islands and rocks which lay to the east of it and then we would row, once more, down to the River of Peace. We reached the coast towards evening. This time we would camp at the island at the mouth of the river. Now our course changed for the coast ran south and west and we followed it. The ship’s boys kept an eye out for fires. There were none but we were still on the Mi’kmaq side of the river. When I saw the sun beginning to set, I had the rowers increase their speed and we used our first chant again.
Clan of the Fox, from Orkneyjar’s shores
Clan of the Fox, take to your oars
Clan of the Fox, we row as one
Clan of the Fox, heading west to the setting sun
Clan of the Fox, from Orkneyjar’s shores
Clan of the Fox, take to your oars
Clan of the Fox, we row as one
Clan of the Fox, heading west to the setting sun
Harald Gandálfrson was on the yard and it was he spied the island and the beach. There was just enough light to allow us to reach it, run in the oars and tie us to a pair of rocks. Then the sun dropped behind the cliffs and all went dark. Æimundr Loud Voice shouted, “Get kindling and light a fire!”
Arne should have given the orders but he did not. The crew poured over the side. We had rowed as much in one day as we had when on a whale hunt and the men were both tired and hungry. We also needed a fire for heat. The nights were cooler now. My bear cloak would prove to be useful during the day as well as at night. Fótr and I were the last ones ashore. Normally I would be alone but I wanted to teach my brother what to do. We checked all the sheets and stays. We examined the sail to make certain it would not flap open should a wind suddenly arise, finally we went, first, to the prow and then the stern to ensure that there was nothing which might damage those two most important parts of the drekar. That done we went ashore.
Siggi and Tostig had saved us a place by the fire and handed us an ale skin. The first ale of the day always tasted best and I knew not why. The ship’s boys had been set to collect shellfish as soon as we had landed and they would add a naturally salty flavour to the horse deer stew we would eat. We also had bread and this would be the last time we would eat it for up to a month. I still hoped that we might find cattle or sheep ashore for I missed cheese. We had so few animals that Arne was the only one who had his fill of cheese, and butter was used sparingly.
Siggi looked west, “The land is so empty and yet it is so vast.”
I nodded, “I think that the Allfather sent us here to fill it with our people. We have much in common with the Skraeling but we also have far more we could give to them.”
“When we first met them, I thought they were savages who were little better than animals but Bear Tooth has shown me something different. I was wrong.”
“Aye, Tostig and when Erik and I saw their village I was amazed at how civilised they were. I know one tried to kill Erik but who wouldn’t?” My little brother laughed, as did the others.
Siggi had been listening to our words and he said, “But the Penobscot have not yet been offered peace.”
I said, “Aye, but now we know the trick and I have the deer hide with the story on it, the wapapyaki. If I approach them with it then they may not fight.”
Siggi was sceptical, “You are certain?”
Fótr nodded, “That is what we were told before we met the Mi’kmaq and it should work with the Penobscot, too.”
Siggi smiled, “Then we might have a peaceful hunt and if we see the Penobscot then we can talk.”
A wind came from the east and I was sure it was the sigh of the Norns, “Perhaps.”
It took two days to head up the river to Fox Water. That was partly my fault for I wanted to ensure that Fótr knew why I did all that I did. Arne became impatient. As we camped at the large island just before Fox Water he said, “Erik, are you deliberately trying to delay us?”
“No, Arne, I am just being careful. If we damaged the drekar it is a long walk home and, besides, the longer it takes us the less likely we are to find Skraeling.”
He laughed and turned to his son, Lars, “We fear no half-dressed savage who is terrified of a boy with a shiny sword!” The insult was intended for Fótr and the arrow struck. Fótr coloured and then went to speak with Siggi and Tostig.
“Brother, why do you insult him?”
He shrugged, “He annoys me for he is weak.”
“Do not disparage the Skraeling for they are as fierce as berserkers. I thought you would have seen that the last time.”
“The last time we were unprepared. This time we will hunt armed and mailed. You see, Erik, I have listened and listened well. We will march with burnished helmets and mail when we go to trap. That was where they caught us. If they try and attack us while we hunt the horse deer then we will be alerted by the animals.” He beamed, “You see, I have thought all of this through. I would not have risked my son had I thought there was danger.”
And that was the trouble; this was a wild land and a savage one. Danger could be just around the corner. I slept aboard the drekar, along with Fótr. I wrapped myself in my bear cloak but I was woken in the dark of night by a rainstorm. I took my sealskin cape and fashioned a shelter between my chest and the steering board and I was dry. Ada had made me a potion to help me to sleep and to take away pain if I was hurt. I had decided not to take it but as I tried to get back to sleep, I had no choice but to take a mouthful, washed down with ale. It had the desired effect and I was soon in a sleep that was so deep that I dreamed.
Gytha came to me but she was not the emaciated Gytha I had known for the last year of her life. She was the beautiful woman whom I had known on Orkneyjar. She took me by the hand and we walked across the water from the drekar to the western shore. She took me to a Skraeling village. It was not Mi’kmaq and I guessed it was Penobscot. Just beyond the village, in a small clearing, I saw the maid but she was crying and she tended what I took to be a grave. I tried to speak to her but could not. She rose and walked to a small stream where she took off her hide shift and stepped into the water. She began to bathe and I averted my eyes. Gytha’s lips did not move but I heard her voice in my head, “You must watch, Erik, and you must remember.” When I looked back, she had emerged from the water and she began to dry herself. She had hung her hide shift on a branch of a stunted, lightning struck oak. The tree looked to me like a dwarf. I saw two arms and a helmet atop his head. I wondered if some other Viking had come and been transformed into a tree. The maid stood and walked back towards the village. The journey back seemed much longer. When she reached it, a Penobscot woman shouted something and then began to beat her with a stick. I tried to shout but no words came out. I tried to move but it was as though I was stuck in quicksand. Then I realised that I was in quicksand and I was sinking. I flailed my arms as I tried to escape but I could not and I could not breathe.
“Erik! Erik! Wake, you are dreaming!”
When I opened my eyes, I was back on the drekar. Fótr pointed to the cloak, “That was wrapped around your head and it was as though you were trying to fight it. Come, food is ready and Arne is keen to get to Fox Water.”
As I put the cloak back into the chest I wondered if Ada had known I would dream. It would not surprise me. I was happy that day for I had seen the maid and I had seen Gytha. Was my first dream to be realised?
Chapter 17
We only had a few miles to travel and we entered the huge expanse of water a couple of hours before noon. We could have chosen anywhere to camp and to trap but Arne wished to use the western bank. He pointed to a spot halfway along the Water. He said it was because there were rivers and streams and that some of the rivers looked large enough for the drekar. I knew different. He wanted to be as close to the Penobscot as he could for he wanted a war. We rowed slowly across and I aimed for the thinnest patch of trees I could. We needed a camp and I wanted minimal work. The ship’s boys tied us to the two largest trees while our lookouts peered west to seek danger.
He and half of the crew, including Siggi and his oathsworn, donned mail and waded ashore. I had moored the drekar close to the side of the huge expanse of water and a stream which fed it. It was too small for us to sail but it would be a way into the land. I had the sail secured. I was tempted to step the mast but if we had to make a hasty retreat then the sail could make all the difference. While Arne and the scouts were out, I had the rest of the warriors go ashore and clear a camp by the river bank. There were just a few trees with overhanging branches and the rest were berry bushes. I set the ship’s boys to clearing the bushes of berries and then we would clear away the bushes. I knew that the berries would be a temptation for bears and I wanted to avoid that sort of confrontation. In the absence of Arne, I took charge and when the berries were stripped, I had the bushes pulled up and made into a barrier around the outside of the camp. We could improve it with stakes later but we had a fence of sorts. We had brought some kindling with us and when the men had hewn down a couple of saplings, I lit a fire. We needed dry wood for thick smoke would be seen for miles. As it was, I expected to be seen by the Penobscot but I hoped that my deer hide would gain me the time to talk to them before blood was shed.
It was some time before Arne and the men returned. I saw that they had hunted. They carried two white-tailed deer. “We saw no sign of Skraeling but we did see a couple of streams which looked like they might be bjorr rivers. The game is plentiful and I have high hopes that this will be the making of the clan.” I nodded. “You and Fótr will stay close to the drekar. I would not risk losing our navigators.”
I shook my head, “I will explore the waters close to the drekar for I wish to know the land and to look for signs of Penobscot scouts. You are right to go mailed for you will be protected, even if you are ambushed, but ‘Njörðr’ is vulnerable.”
I thought he might argue but he agreed, “You make a good point. We have grown apart, Erik, and that is not right. I feel that Siggi, too, is not the blood brother he once was. When we return to Bear Island, we can repair the damage, eh?”
It was typical of the new Arne; he was putting the blame on Siggi and me. I pushed his words from my mind. “Fótr, Arne wishes us to stay aboard but I wish to explore. I will make a camp on the land and leave you on the drekar. Are you comfortable with that?”
He nodded, “If it means I have less to do with Arne then, aye, but will you be safe?”
“I wish to explore the land around here to ensure that we are not attacked. When last we came it was my foray that spotted the Penobscot. Perhaps it was a message.” I did not tell Fótr of my dream. If I could find the lightning struck tree then I might understand my dream better.
I went to my chest and took out all that I would need in this wild land. I took out my old seal skin boots, seal skin cape and fur. I packed my satchel with my steel, flint, Ada’s salve, honey and vinegar. I do not know why but I also took my spear and shield as well as the bow and my arrow bag.
The men were arranging their own camps with oar brothers. Arne, his son and his oathsworn were the closest to the fire. Siggi, Tostig, Æimundr Loud Voice and Gandálfr were with the more senior men while the younger ones had a camp together. I went to the very edge of the camp. As I had expected, the ship’s boys and young warriors who had made the tangled barrier had left a gap by the river. It was a gap through which an enemy could creep. I would make it safer by camping here and laying down my war gear and satchel I took off my deer hide boots. The river had a muddy bottom but when I stepped in, I did not sink far. I waded down the Water until I found some pieces of driftwood and I dragged them back to my gear. Using the wood I had brought and some smaller branches from the hewn saplings, I made a natural-looking barrier. I used my shield as a roof and I had a dry den as my personal home for the next month. Any Penobscot coming towards the camp from the south would find a natural log jam and head further inland or try to wade past the obstruction. I might be furthest from the fire but I would be dry and safe should we have a night-time attack.
The smell of food drew me to the fire once I had made my camp as comfortable as I could. I turned and looked at my den; it could barely be seen. Siggi smiled when he saw me approach, “We wondered where you were.” He pointed to Fótr who was filling his bowl at the pot. “Fótr said you were ashore. Why not camp here with us?”
Siggi was a blood brother and that made him closer than Fótr. “I dreamed and saw somewhere I think might be close. Your mother’s spirit guided me. I need to be able to slip in and out of the camp like a ghost.”
Siggi shook his head, “You and your dreams.” His son came from the drekar. “Here is Snorri. Did his fall not remind you of mine that first voyage?”
I nodded, “It did but did you notice that none mocked him? We have no Karl with us.”
He lowered his voice, “Perhaps it is a new Karl who leads us.”
“Siggi, if we can avoid a war and return laden with furs then it may be that Arne will revert to the blood brother we both knew.”
“You would do as he asks and sail the ocean again?”
“I think it may be my destiny. If I find the tree and the waterfall now then I will have satisfied my curiosity and the dreams will have served their purpose.”
Fótr and Snorri Siggison joined us. Siggi said, quietly, “The Norns, Erik, the Norns.”
I clutched my hammer of Thor and my fingers touched the bear teeth. Siggi was right, the dream had another purpose and I was deceiving myself.
Arne divided the men into two groups. Æimundr Loud Voice led the hunters. I saw that Siggi, along with Snorri Siggison, went with Æimundr. It was a smaller party who took the traps. Both parties went armed for war but only Arne’s trappers wore mail. I saw that he and his trappers had polished their helmets and mail. I wondered at that. It was a cloudy day but all that it needed was for one shaft of sunlight to strike a helmet and it would be like a beacon which could be seen many miles away.
Arne and his trappers followed the stream and I headed south. I had to use the Water to get around the tangle of undergrowth before I found the animal and hunters’ trail which skirted the water. None of the human footprints was recent but I was wary. I had my bow, arrows and satchel. I only had ten metal headed arrows but the other ten flint arrows could stop any game I found. I had gone just half a mile when I found a larger trail heading south and west. The trail along the river became wider and I guessed that the trail heading south and west would take me closer to the Penobscot. I followed that trail for I needed to find out if there were any Penobscot close by. We were hunting and trapping later in the year than the last time but then there had been a hunting camp and, there had been the maid! It was a risk taking the trail which would take me further from the camp and closer to Skraelings but it had to be explored. The trail climbed through trees which became increasingly thinner. It did not go to the top of the ridge but followed its contours. A path led to the top but I ignored it and kept along the larger trail which descended to the valley floor. I saw, on the top of the ridge, a stand of pines.
