Viking Raid (14 page)

"We need a Roman Ongar really."

Sigtrygg snorted impatiently, "As we have not got one nor the time and materials to build one you might as well wish for a secret door into the fort!"

"I am just saying that we need something which can throw the pig fat a long way.  We will struggle to get the fat close without losing many men."

He was right and I had yet to put my mind to that particular dilemma. The fort was on a small peninsula which was attached to a larger one.  The only thing in our favour was that the fort did not overlook the harbour. We intended to sail into the harbour at night. If we could do so silently then, by dawn, we could have cut off both peninsulas from help. We still hoped that Trygg and his crew would be alive and his knarr would be there.  We doubted that Trygg and his crew would be in a position to sail their own ship back.  That would be the task of Siggi and his men. When darkness fell we were just eight miles away.  We had spied the headland and the entrance to the harbour.  Erik had the sail lowered. And we began to row in gently.  We wanted no noise from the oars and so we moved slowly. We had most of the night to get into the harbour. A drekar with its sail furled is hard to see and we had used the mast fish to make us even smaller.

Karl was clinging precariously to the dragon prow and was watching the entrance.  Aiden stood hard by with his charts and Cnut Cnutson waited half way down the drekar to repeat any commands. '
Josephus
' followed as closely as possible. Erik's skill showed in the calm way he moved the steering board.  He made the subtlest of movements as Cnut waved his arm first one way and then the other. I stood with Erik and I peered at the fort.  I could see the glow of torches burning by the ramparts.  They gave me an idea of the size. One fact which we did not possess was the size of the garrison.  We had assumed numbers based upon the boats which had surrounded our ships.  They might not have been the garrison. I hoped not.

As we passed the darkened harbour I saw ship after ship tied up.  Few of them were as big as Trygg's knarr and none were as big as our drekar.  And then we saw Trygg's knarr.  It was still there. We ghosted towards the wooden jetty. Erik signalled for the men to retract their oars and I joined Karl at the stern while Cnut went to the prow. Erik was a master seaman and we barely bumped into the jetty.  I leapt ashore with Karl and had my sword at the ready.  Karl tied us securely to the wooden post.  I knew that Cnut would do the same at the prow. My men had stored their oars and were now grabbing shields and pouring ashore. 

When Siggi joined me I pointed to Trygg's knarr and he nodded. He led his crew to retake the knarr. Snorri and Bjorn needed no instructions to race towards the neck of the peninsula.  We did not expect guards or sentries but any that there were would be despatched by the two redoubtable scouts. As soon as my son landed his men we ran after our scouts.  Aiden had his assigned warriors to carry the skins of pig fat. We had left just six men to guard the drekar. I hoped it would be enough. I was gambling once more.

When we reached Snorri we saw that there were sentries at the narrow neck of land. It was just two hundred and fifty paces across. I waved Eystein over. I saw that he was wearing the mail he had taken from the Danish Jarl. "I want you and the men from Cyninges-tūn to hold this neck of land. Can you do it?" I was aware I was leaving him with but twenty four warriors but it was a third of our force.

He nodded.  "If not you will find this land covered in our corpses and those of our enemies."

I led the men up the hill towards the distant fort.  There were houses in between us and it. I signalled to Wolf Killer's men as we advanced. They had had their orders.  Every male was to be slain and the women and children taken back to the drekar. They would be bound by Siggi and his men and placed aboard the knarr.  The men of
Faro Bregancio would rue the day they took my oathsworn.

The screams and cries alerted the fort as I knew they would. We had no need for silence once the first men were killed. I hoped that the fear of the sudden attack might terrorise the garrison and work in our favour. I made my way up through the huddle of huts with the Ulfheonar. Behind us I heard Wolf Killer's men emptying them. When we reached the second narrow neck of land we stopped.  There, ahead of us were the heads of Trygg and his crew.  Their eyes had been gouged out and their manhoods protruded from their mouths. I hissed, "Take them down.  There will be no prisoners!"

My warriors went forward and removed the offending skulls.  They wrapped them in sacks. Haaken said, "We will recover them when we have destroyed this nest of vipers."

Aiden and his pig fat carriers arrived as the heads were removed.  He said, "We have done the same before now, Jarl."

I turned and spat out, "If you think that then you serve the wrong lord! When we fight we kill.  We only do this to those who invade our land. This is a punishment for an enemy and not a merchant. Trygg was a trader! It is not the same!"

Aiden recoiled, "I am sorry, Jarl, you are right."

I was angry and I would apologise to Aiden later.  Now I needed my anger. We were about to take on great odds; we would have to fight like demons. I saw the gatehouse and the ramparts fill with warriors. We had timed it well for dawn was some hours away. The dark would hide our numbers and add to the fear of the defenders.

Wolf Killer joined me with ten of his warriors.  "We have cleared the houses.  My men have taken the captives to Siggi."

I nodded, "We found Trygg and the others.  They had been despoiled and beheaded. There will be no mercy for any we find. Send a few of your men to burn the huts. I want to send a message to this Count Silo and it will give Snorri and Bjorn the fire they need for their arrows."

He turned and sent four of his men back down the hill.  I almost laughed.  We were going to try to take a fort with less than twenty warriors. It would either make a great saga or a great joke.  Which would it be? It took time to fire the buildings.  Soon the hill beneath us would be an impassable inferno. It would stop any reinforcements reaching us for a while but it would also cut off Eystein and his men. Wolf Killer's warriors barely made it back from the drekar before the hill became impassable.  Eystein would have to face, alone, any other warriors who lived close by.

"Let us draw closer and see whom we face."

We were not reckless and we hefted our shields around as we advanced in a thin line.  In the dark we would be almost invisible but I would take no chances with the few men I had with me. When we were just a hundred paces from the ditch I halted. I could see warriors on the walls. I turned to Wolf Killer and Snorri.  "Snorri, take Wolf Killer's archers and stand behind us. I want the ramparts clearing. Sven, go back to Eystein and see if he needs help. You should just have enough time before the flames take hold."

"Aye Jarl."

There would be just fifteen of our archers but they could release forty five arrows in the blink of an eye. I shouted, "Lock shields!"

Sigtrygg and Haaken locked their shields with me. There appeared to be little reaction to our movement from the walls and I wondered if they even knew we were there. When the first arrows rained upon them then they knew. Five of the defenders pitched into the ditch and another two fell within.  Their confusion was obvious.  They had no idea where the arrows were coming from. We were invisible and silent killers. The second and third flights despatched another twelve and then the faces from the walls disappeared. I heard a voice shouting in a language I did not understand. The message was repeated. Our silence was deafening. While they were still in the dark, quite literally, I sent Aiden and the pig fat men forward.

"Snorri, keep the gate clear of watchers."

The first man who peered over the ramparts was pierced by three arrows. Aiden and the six warriors ran and jammed the skins of warmed pig fat next to the gate.  Aiden then doused both the gate and the skins with seal oil.  When they all made it back safely I breathed a sigh of relief.  Our attempt to destroy this town would have ended had they had braver guards.  Behind us the fire was burning well and clouds of smoke drifted towards the fort.  The Gods were on our side.

Aiden said, as he reached me, "The sun will be up within the hour, Jarl."

I nodded. I wanted the assault to begin in the dark so that they would not know our numbers.  "Snorri, Bjorn.  It is time for your arrows.  You other archers kill any who try to douse the flames. Ulfheonar, when the gate breaks we enter.  No mercy! No quarter! I want this fort a pile of charred wood by morning!"

They all chanted, "Ulfheonar!" over and over as they banged their shields. I tried to imagine what the defenders thought within the fort. The noise was such that my men sounded many times their number.

Then the first two flame arrows soared.  They struck the oil.  Nothing happened at first.  Two more arrows struck the skins and another two. The fat would now be spilling out. While my archers were launching their fourth arrows first the oil and then the fat caught fire. When the next arrows struck they burned along with the others and the oil and fat became hotter. After a short time a wall of flame leapt upwards.  One unfortunate sentry had peered over to see what the noise was.  His head erupted in flame and disappeared into the fort. His death was as effective as the burning gate. We needed no more flame arrows for the gate and walls were now well alight. The dry wood burned quickly. The defenders were forced to defend against the flames.

"Forward!" We were able to move to the ditch with impunity. The defenders had quit the walls. They were trying to douse the flames with their meagre supply of water. I looked into the ditch. There were no traps but it had a steep slope.  "Over the bridge!"

It was a risky strategy to get close to the walls for the flames were fierce. The dry wood was burning intensely and we sheltered behind our shields. It was Asbjorn the Strong who took matters in his own hands. He took his axe and ran at the burning gate shouting, "Ulfheonar!" He swung and smashed it hard. The bar must have burned first or it was poorly made and the gate sprang open after two strikes.

I turned and drawing my sword yelled, "Ulfheonar, for Trygg and our comrades!" I was the fourth warrior within the walls.  There were bodies littering the ground inside the fort. The arrows in them told its own story. Our archers had cleared the walls well. Asbjorn was living up to his name and swinging his axe one handed; a ring of defenders lay at his feet. He would tire soon and Haaken and I joined him. "Get behind us and take a short rest!"

A handful of warriors rushed at us.  Their shields were small and they had spears. I blocked one spear and brought my sword down on a head which had no helmet. It disappeared in a flood of blood and bone. I swung my shield to my right and caught a spear which would have hit my side. I stabbed forward with my sword and it went through the throat of the warrior. Sigtrygg and Wolf Killer joined me. I saw the buildings a little clearer now for the sky was lightening.  Ahead was a keep made of wood.  The defenders were rushing towards it.

"On!"

The four of us ran knowing that the rest would form up behind us.  Despite the weight of our armour we were catching the defenders who were racing for the sanctuary that was the keep. What they should have done was to close the gate and keep us out but the press of men was too great. They poured in, desperate to be away from these wild creatures that walked through flames. Haaken and I killed three men each before we reached the keep and we tumbled in through the open door. They would not be able to secure their sanctuary now. A sword came at me and hit my shoulder protectors.  As the blade slid harmlessly down my side I punched the man in the face with my shield and when he fell to the floor pinned him there with Ragnar's Spirit. I looked around and saw that the ground floor was filled only with the enemy dead.  These had no mail.  Our swords had found flesh; their weapons had found mail. It was the reason they had died and we had not. Having attained the keep we formed a shield wall to allow the rest to enter. I spied a ladder which led upwards. Up there they would hold the advantage.  If we tried to climb we would be picked off one by one as our heads rose up. I knew that we would have to fight for each floor.

"Gather brushwood and pile it there close to the ladder."

Wolf Killer said, "We will not go up after them?"

I shook my head, "We burn them.  I will lose no more men.  This Count Silo thinks he will kill us as we ascend.  He and his men will die as they try to descend."

As if to confirm the intention of the defenders a spear was hurled through the entrance to the floor above.  It struck an already dead body. Asbjorn had gone back to the front gate and he brought half of the burning bar which he had smashed in two. He hurled it towards the ladder where it began to burn.  Smoke preceded the flames which soon took the ladder. I heard coughing from above as the thick smoke rose. My other warriors threw chairs, broken spears and even some of the wooden walls so that, soon, there was a fire burning beneath the entrance to the floors above. The flames seemed to be sucked up through the hole leading to the next floor.

"It is time we left!"

When we went out into the fort I saw that it was daylight. We held our shields above our head as spears and stones were hurled at us. The tower looked to have three levels.  Smoke poured from the bottom one. Flames began to lick the sides of the wooden building.  At the top of the keep panic began amongst some of the defenders as the fire took an even greater hold.  One or two tried to climb down the sides of the keep. The walls were hotter than they thought and when the three warriors reached half way they lost their grip and crashed to their deaths. The wood of the tower must have been very dry for, when a gust of wind sprang up from behind us it fanned the flames and the whole tower became a fiery beacon. All that we could hear was the screaming of those within.