Viking Sword (9 page)

Edward nodded, "That way we strike more quickly than they do."

"I do not think that they will do much damage until they are much closer.  We can thin their numbers before they even reach the walls. Have your men pour as much river water into the ditch as they can."

"We cannot fill it.  We have tried."

"I do not want you to fill it; I want it so muddy and slippery that they fall and the ladders they bring will sink."

Aiden returned.  "I have seen the forest; we could lay trips and traps there too."

"Good.  Haaken, take the rest of my warriors and make the forest hazardous for them."

I led Edward back inside.  "You have done this before, Jarl Dragon Heart."

"We have.  Both in attack and in defence. Have you pig fat and seal oil?"

"I think so, why?"

"Build a fire in the yard and have a pot of pig fat ready to heat.  Once we know they are coming we can heat the fat.  It kills quickly and penetrates even the best armour. You pour it from the walls and when it cools it makes the ground and anything it touches slippery."

He clapped me on the back.  "You are teaching me much."

"I hope so for you are paying us well."

He went inside and I carried on with my inspection of the walls. The King had improved the ditches but the walls had not been looked after.  The mortar was crumbling.  If Guthrum brought a ram he could break the walls. I had to hope that he would be overconfident. I returned to my hall. It was time to prepare for war.

It was dark when both Arturus and my two scouts returned.  I had been more worried by Arturus' absence. I had expected my scouts to take some time to find our enemy.

"Where have you been, Arturus?"

"We found some Danish scouts.  There were eight of them.  We followed them back to their camp and we met Bjorn the Scout and Snorri. We came back with them."

I was relieved.  He had done the right thing.  Of course I still worried about him.  I was his father but everything he did was correct. My people would have a good leader when I went to the Other World.

"Snorri, how far away are they and how big is their camp?"

"They are fifteen miles away; that is a rough guess for they are not using the Roman Road with the stone markers.  They are camped in the forests and using trails.  There are almost two hundred of them. We counted at least forty who wear mail and have the double Danish war axe. They have archers and even some slingers and the majority of the men have a helmet, shield and some have two weapons.  They look to be battle hardened."

He was telling me that these warriors might well be the equal of us and they would certainly be superior to the warriors Eorl Edward had in the fort. "You have all done well. They could be here before morning. Eat and I will speak with Eorl Edward.  Haaken, choose six men for each boat and have them taken over to Suthriganaworc.  I would that they were safe." He left.  "Tostig Wolf Hand, go and tell our neighbours that there may be trouble tomorrow. They can either cross the river on our ships or go into the fort.  It is their choice."

The gates were closed but soon opened when I was recognised.  "The Danes, Eorl Edward, are fifteen miles away.  I think they will be here before morning. I have told those from Lundenwic to either come into the fort or cross the river. When my men have eaten we shall come into your fort."

"How many do we face?"

"Two hundred and they are well prepared warriors." I looked at Leofric.  "How many warriors can you muster?"

"Forty."

"I have fifty. I think that we might need those tanners and merchants, Leofric. What do you think?"

He had the grace to bow as he said, "I think that I have much to learn and I am just glad that we do not have to face your men too."

The gates were opened but guarded as the people of Lundenwic came within the protection of the Roman walls. Annoyingly no one had made any arrangements for them to have a place to sleep. Aiden discovered that the old stables had a good roof and I took the decision to house them there.  There were just a couple of horses within.  If anyone argued they would have to do so with me.

Cwoenthryth, the ale wife, had Tostig Wolf Hand in tow and he carried a barrel of beer. She kissed me on the cheek as she entered.  "Thank you Jarl, you have a kind heart even though it breathes fire. This is for your men.  I know it is you who has thought of us. We will remember."

The Eorl had his armour on and he carried his helmet.  The mail links did not look as well made as Bjorn's. Bjorn hand riveted every link so that it could withstand much damage. "All is prepared then."

"Not quite, you need to light the fire beneath the pig fat and have some containers ready to hurl upon the attackers."

"Just when I think I have everything in hand you find my shortcomings."

"You will become better."

I sat on the ramparts and closed my eyes.  My helmet and my shield were next to me.  I would rest.  I would not sleep, at least not soundly but I would be ready if they came.  If they did not come this night then Guthrum had another target in mind. As I rested my head on the old stone walls, once protected by Roman legionaries, I knew that he would come.  I had destroyed his ships, I had slain his son and I had thrown down a challenge.  He had to come else his men would begin to doubt him and one might challenge him for the warband. I knew that I was lucky to have around me men such as mine.  They were loyal.

We had spread my men and those of Arturus out amongst the Saxons.  I knew the worth of my warriors.  The men of Wessex were an unknown quantity.  I had the impression that for many of them this would be their first real fight.

It was the traps in the forest my men had laid which alerted us. The sudden noise in the dark of night shattered the silence. The first one made me turn.  Then there were others and a shout as one of the Danes found the spikes my men had cunningly hidden. I had stressed that we should not make a noise and show that we knew they were coming.  I donned my helmet but I left my shield where it lay.  I would not need that just yet. I reached down and took my bow.  I strung it.  I would soon need a new string but this one would suffice for the work we had to do.

I nocked an arrow and then watched the woods. I was pleased with Edward's men.  They had held their silence.  I suspect my own men had impressed upon them the need to obey all of my orders. I was not certain that they would have had the same effect had King Egbert been within the fort.  Eorl Edward seemed a little out of his depth. I liked him and he was an honest man but he was a very inexperienced leader.

Aiden ghosted next to me and whispered close to my ear. "All the men are in place and the pig fat is bubbling well."

"Good then go to the hall and wait.  They will need your healing skills.  I fear they and we will need one soon." We had discovered that they had no healer within the fort.  Aiden would have to fulfil that function.  He had many herbs and potions.  Kara was better but there were few others who could heal as well as he.

It was Snorri who released the first arrow. It plunged into the shoulder of the mailed warrior who silently emerged from the woods. Suddenly the eaves were filled with the Danes.  I released three arrows and then put down my bow. It was hard to see the effect as they were shadowy figures who were our targets. There were others who could loose arrows.  I needed to gauge the strength and the direction of the attack. I was looking for Guthrum. I had never seen him but I knew that he would have the best armour and he would be well protected. He would also be surrounded by his oathsworn; large mailed Danes with war axes. When he was not one of the first to move, under the shelter of a shield wall, towards our ditch then I knew that he was not reckless. That made me suspicious. Had the two hundred men we had seen been his only warriors? The ones who moved forward were not the oathsworn.  Guthrum was doing as I did, he was waiting and watching.

"Eorl Edward, I will take a walk around the ramparts."

We were lucky having the river so close to the southern wall for it meant we only needed men on three sides.  The river protected one side.  I wondered why the Dane had not used his ships.  That way he could have attacked all four sides at once.  He was cautious but he lacked imagination.  I was learning much about this Dane and I had never even seen him yet. The west wall was ominously quiet.  Lundenwic lay in that direction and the buildings could be used for cover.  Sigtrygg was in command on that wall.

"Sigtrygg I have the hairs on the back of my neck prickling.  Look for a trick on this side."

Sigtrygg was a clever warrior.  He could have led his own war band had he chosen but he was immensely loyal to me for I had saved his people from the King of Northumbria. "I too am suspicious. I have men watching the river."

I had forgotten that there were other ships tied up to the wharfs and jetties.  Ours had been moved but they had not.  Their crews had merely taken shelter with us.  They had left their boats there and that could spell danger for us. "I should have thought of that.  Well done."

The east wall had some sign of a Danish presence but the land to the south of Stybbanhype was marshy. They would only use that if they were desperate. By the time I returned to the north wall the shield wall had moved closer.  The protection afforded by the shields had saved many lives but it had slowed them up.  My men were now only loosing when they caught a sight of flesh. 

Edward looked less nervous now. "There are many of them but we have hit at least ten."

"There will be few dead amongst those but we are weakening them.  Once they reach the ditch then tell your men to be ready to rain death upon them.  They cannot maintain their shields when dropping into the ditch and the traps and the mud will surprise them.  Have the pig fat brought up ready to use."

I could see that Guthrum had committed half of his men to this first attack.  It would probe for weaknesses.  Now that they had closed a little I was able to see that these were not his oathsworn.  He had better warriors available when we were softened up.  These were the ones he could afford to waste. I slung my shield and drew my sword.  "Watch for their archers!"

As soon as they were within fifty paces of the wall his archers rose from behind the shield wall. Our archers had the advantage that they were ready and the first four archers fell to our arrows.  Eventually they managed to loose a few arrows. I heard a shout as we took our first casualty.  One of the Wessex men clutched his arm.  A greater danger were the slingers. They could shelter beneath the shields while releasing their stones and we suddenly found their missiles falling on us.  For a man with a helmet it was an annoyance but some of the men of Wessex had no such helmets and some were stunned by the stones. I fear that if my men had not stood with them then it might have gone ill.

The first Danish warriors reached the ditch and this was the crucial time for both sets of warriors. The Danes were cautious.  They almost lowered themselves into the ditch.  They could not see what was in the bottom and the stakes had been disguised by mud. Even though they took care some of the first to descend were slain. Their bodies, some of them still writhing, protected the warriors behind. Some were half way across when the first warrior stepped on to a stake. He screamed and involuntarily threw his arms open. An arrow plunged into his chest and at such a close range it penetrated the mail. 

The Danes were now struggling up the bank towards the wall. "Have the pig fat ready!"

We had assigned Leofric's disparaged tanners and the like to bring the vessels of hot, smoking fat.  I saw that Cwoenthryth was one of the first.  I should have known it.  She was used to hefting barrels around, dealing with hot liquids and, more importantly handling drunken warriors.  There was little about a battle which would discomfort Cwoenthryth. She smiled.  "Jarl may I be the one to throw it?  It is hard to listen to others fighting for you."

"Of course."  I held my shield above her. She edged to the stone and then threw the jar of boiling fat to the bottom of the wall. There was a scream of pain which rippled down the wall as the hot fat splashed and spread.

She giggled, "I shall get more, Jarl!"

The warrior the vessel had struck began to scream as the liquid found his flesh. I watched in fascinated horror as he squirmed and writhed in the ditch until he managed, somehow, to impale himself on a spike in the bottom. There was almost a look of peace upon his face.

I began to think we might win as more vessels were hurled at the Danes who sheltered beneath their shields. Suddenly a warrior ran to me.  "Jarl, Sigtrygg says they are attacking from the river. He needs help."

I knew that he would not ask for help unless matters were desperate. "Haaken continue fighting.  I will take some of these men." I saw his hand raised in acknowledgement. "Have fire arrows prepared!" His waved hand told me that he had understood.

I tapped warriors as I moved along the ramparts.  I chose equally from the men of Wessex and my men.  "You come with me!"

By the time I reached Sigtrygg I saw that the Danes were trying to climb the wall.  There would be a time for explanations later although I did see boats tied up close to the walls.

A warrior of Wessex was thrown from the wall as a Dane leapt over the top. I was the closest to him and I had the warriors I had brought behind me.  My sword was on the wall side. I held the shield tightly to me and I ran at the Dane.  He had the freedom to swing his sword at me.  It smacked into my shield as I hit him hard. He was not expecting that move. The blow had made him a little unstable so that when I swung my sword around he tumbled backwards and landed on the floor below.  There was a gaggle of women and boys there.  They fell upon him and beat him to death with their hands and their knives.

I saw that Sigtrygg was hard pressed.  As I ran to him I shouted, "Fill in the gaps and stop them getting into the fort.  If they gain the gates then we are dead!"

I rammed my sword through the back of the warrior who triumphantly raised his axe above his head to finish off Sigtrygg.  Bjorn Carved Teeth contemptuously barged another warrior out of the way as he led the reinforcements towards the eastern end of the south wall. A Dane turned, his shield before him and his sword poised to hack into me.  I swung Ragnar's Spirit sideways and the edge slid up the shield to knock off his helmet.  The press of men was so close that there was barely room to move and I head butted him. I must have knocked him unconscious for he tumbled over the wall to land on his fellow below. He too was hacked to death by the angry women.

I felt a blow on my back.  I rammed the pommel of my sword backward and heard an intake of breath.  I swung to my right and found myself face to face with a huge Dane wielding an axe. He had a slung shield. As I came around I brought my sword across his body.  It sliced through the mail links but his stout leather byrnie prevented any more damage.  There was barely enough room for him to swing his axe and the blow which struck my shield was weak. He was however a big man.  Even worse was the fact that more Danes had made the walls and Sigtrygg and I were fighting back to back.  Guthrum's men knew that we were Ulfheonar and the leaders on this wall.  Our deaths would mean they had the wall and thereby the fort. They were almost fighting each other to get at us.