flee. One of the young came in my direction and I released. It struck it in the head and it crumpled in a heap just twenty paces from me. Ullr had indeed listened. We quickly gutted the three of them and then slung them around our necks. Our wolf cloaks would absorb any blood and smell. It would help us disguise ourselves when we hunted again.
We had seen few people as we had travelled north and I asked Snorri to lead us east on the way back to our new home. We had only travelled a mile or so when we all smelled smoke. This was not the smoke of a cooking fire or a fire of charcoal burners. This was a fire of destruction. We dropped our burdens and, hefting our spears we ran in the direction of the smoke. It was an easy trail to follow for the smoke came in our faces. When we heard the screams and the shouts then we knew that it was human predators.
The small settlement was in a clearing next to the Roman Road which headed north to the land of Cymru. Two of the huts were on fire and it was their smoke which had drawn us. I saw the helmets and the axes. It was a band of Danes. There were fifteen of them. We could have turned and returned to our catch but that was not my way. We strung our bows and jammed our spears into the ground. The Danes were so busy with their privations that they had failed to set a guard. This was not a slave raid. They were intent on destruction, pillage and rape. We released our arrows together and, even as they were in the air released three more. When the first two warriors fell with arrows piercing them they turned to look for the danger. The second flight took out two more while a third was lucky to be able to raise his shield in time. We sent three more in their direction before dropping our bows and grabbing our spears.
"Ulfheonar!"
There were but three of us and now there were eight of them but we feared no man be he Saxon or Dane. My mind took in that only one had armour and the rest were dressed as we were in leather byrnies. I ran at the armoured Dane who had his shield across his back and his war axe above his head. My boar spear was longer than a man. If used in two hands, as I held it now, it was a powerful weapon. I saw Snorri's spear as it sailed by me and plunged into the chest of a half naked warrior. The armoured Dane's eyes flickered to the side and I took advantage of the momentary lapse of concentration to feint with my spear. He saw it at the last moment and he committed his axe to a block. The swing opened up his chest and I jabbed forward with the spear. It punctured his mail and his leather byrnie. He was a young warrior and he stepped back so that only the tip of the spear drew blood. I reversed the spear and swung the wooden haft at his head. It smacked the side of his helmet and he staggered. Suddenly I sensed a movement to my left and I swung the head to tear into the throat of the warrior attacking me on my blind side. I dropped the spear and drew my sword.
My opponent had regained his composure and was advancing towards me more confident now that I had lost my spear. I held my left hand before me as a shield. It drew his eye. I kept Ragnar's Spirit horizontally behind me. I could see blood seeping from the slight wound I had given him. I knew where I would strike. I feinted with my sword but he was wise to that manoeuvre and he did not commit his axe. Instead he whirled it above his head and advanced. If he thought to intimidate me he was wrong. I spun around as though I was going to flee in the face of his attack. With an exultant cry he moved rapidly towards me. I had spun out of the space he was attacking and I brought my sword across his back, just below the shield he carried there. This was not the tip, it was the edge but the force made him cry in pain and more of the links were shattered.
I dived and rolled forward to take me away from his flailing axe. As I stood I saw four dead Danes and Snorri and Bjorn the Scout
We had seen few people as we had travelled north and I asked Snorri to lead us east on the way back to our new home. We had only travelled a mile or so when we all smelled smoke. This was not the smoke of a cooking fire or a fire of charcoal burners. This was a fire of destruction. We dropped our burdens and, hefting our spears we ran in the direction of the smoke. It was an easy trail to follow for the smoke came in our faces. When we heard the screams and the shouts then we knew that it was human predators.
The small settlement was in a clearing next to the Roman Road which headed north to the land of Cymru. Two of the huts were on fire and it was their smoke which had drawn us. I saw the helmets and the axes. It was a band of Danes. There were fifteen of them. We could have turned and returned to our catch but that was not my way. We strung our bows and jammed our spears into the ground. The Danes were so busy with their privations that they had failed to set a guard. This was not a slave raid. They were intent on destruction, pillage and rape. We released our arrows together and, even as they were in the air released three more. When the first two warriors fell with arrows piercing them they turned to look for the danger. The second flight took out two more while a third was lucky to be able to raise his shield in time. We sent three more in their direction before dropping our bows and grabbing our spears.
"Ulfheonar!"
There were but three of us and now there were eight of them but we feared no man be he Saxon or Dane. My mind took in that only one had armour and the rest were dressed as we were in leather byrnies. I ran at the armoured Dane who had his shield across his back and his war axe above his head. My boar spear was longer than a man. If used in two hands, as I held it now, it was a powerful weapon. I saw Snorri's spear as it sailed by me and plunged into the chest of a half naked warrior. The armoured Dane's eyes flickered to the side and I took advantage of the momentary lapse of concentration to feint with my spear. He saw it at the last moment and he committed his axe to a block. The swing opened up his chest and I jabbed forward with the spear. It punctured his mail and his leather byrnie. He was a young warrior and he stepped back so that only the tip of the spear drew blood. I reversed the spear and swung the wooden haft at his head. It smacked the side of his helmet and he staggered. Suddenly I sensed a movement to my left and I swung the head to tear into the throat of the warrior attacking me on my blind side. I dropped the spear and drew my sword.
My opponent had regained his composure and was advancing towards me more confident now that I had lost my spear. I held my left hand before me as a shield. It drew his eye. I kept Ragnar's Spirit horizontally behind me. I could see blood seeping from the slight wound I had given him. I knew where I would strike. I feinted with my sword but he was wise to that manoeuvre and he did not commit his axe. Instead he whirled it above his head and advanced. If he thought to intimidate me he was wrong. I spun around as though I was going to flee in the face of his attack. With an exultant cry he moved rapidly towards me. I had spun out of the space he was attacking and I brought my sword across his back, just below the shield he carried there. This was not the tip, it was the edge but the force made him cry in pain and more of the links were shattered.
I dived and rolled forward to take me away from his flailing axe. As I stood I saw four dead Danes and Snorri and Bjorn the Scout
Similar Books
