chasing the other three into the forest. There was just me and the Dane left. He was in pain. I must have broken a rib when I had hit his back. Certainly his mail byrnie looked the worse for wear. Its integrity gone it would not take many more blows to render it useless. Links hung down making him unbalanced.
He advanced on me more slowly now. His gritted teeth told me that he would either kill me or die in the attempt. He had the look of death upon his face. He held the axe in his right hand now and swung his shield around. I had taught him caution. He knew that I had skill.
"Before I kill you Norseman, tell me your name so that I can tell others of this fight."
"It is a name you would fear to hear Dane."
He laughed, "I am Cnut son of Guthrum and I fear no Norseman!"
"Then fear me for I am Jarl Dragon Heart and I bear the sword which was touched by the gods. I will see you in Valhalla!"
He had a mixture of shock at my name and joy at the opportunity of killing such a renowned Viking. He came at me and tried to punch with his shield which he had pulled around while he talked. It was predictable and I stepped backwards so that he punched into empty air. He would soon find that using a war axe in one hand was tiring. I reached behind me and took out my seax. His eyes flickered between the two blades. I was happy for him to wait. A Danish war axe is meant to be used in two hands and I could see the sweat on his brow as he held it in one. I feinted with my sword and he swung his axe at me. My left hand darted in and the seax I had taken from a dead Saxon ripped and tore into the hole made by my sword. The curved blade enlarged the wound and he screamed in pain. I twisted it as I pulled it out. He punched with his shield and sent me tumbling but it also pulled some of his guts with it. He was mortally wounded and I had to finish it.
I regained my balance and swung Ragnar's Spirit at his head. He brought up his shield to block the blow and I charged my shoulder into his chest. He tried to step back but he tripped over one of his dead warriors. His arms fell open so that he looked like the cross the Christians wear about their necks. "I will see you in the Otherworld." I plunged my sword into his bare throat and he died instantly.
I cleaned the blood from my weapons and sheathed them. I saw Snorri and Bjorn the Scout returning alone from the forest. Snorri looked angry. "They had ponies waiting. They escaped."
"We did well enough. The villagers were all within their walls too terrified to emerge. There were five villages lying dead outside the huts and I did not blame them. I spoke in Saxon. "You are safe now. I am a friend of King Egbert. I am Jarl Dragon Heart."
Gradually the braver ones came from hiding. One man was nursing a cut arm and he approached me. "Thank you Jarl. I thought that the Danes had us then."
"These are dangerous times my friend. I would build a ditch and erect a wall. What is the name of this place?"
"Willesdune."
"I will tell Eorl Edward what has happened here. You can keep the weapons and the mail although it will need repair." I knew that Snorri and Bjorn the Scout would have searched the bodies for treasure and we could not carry both the deer and the weapons back. This way they would be better protected and they would remember my generosity.
We retrieved our deer and headed back to Celchyth. "Did you find aught of value?"
Snorri grinned, "The young Dane you killed had a golden torc around his neck and the others all had either copper or silver rings. His axe was well made too. This was a profitable encounter."
I nodded, "We were meant to find them. The Danes now know we are here. They will have recognised our cloaks and their spies will discover our names. This is wyrd ."
Chapter 5
There were walls on the hall when we returned. Aiden and my men had worked hard. I sent Snorri and Bjorn the Scout to tell Eorl Edward what had transpired.
He advanced on me more slowly now. His gritted teeth told me that he would either kill me or die in the attempt. He had the look of death upon his face. He held the axe in his right hand now and swung his shield around. I had taught him caution. He knew that I had skill.
"Before I kill you Norseman, tell me your name so that I can tell others of this fight."
"It is a name you would fear to hear Dane."
He laughed, "I am Cnut son of Guthrum and I fear no Norseman!"
"Then fear me for I am Jarl Dragon Heart and I bear the sword which was touched by the gods. I will see you in Valhalla!"
He had a mixture of shock at my name and joy at the opportunity of killing such a renowned Viking. He came at me and tried to punch with his shield which he had pulled around while he talked. It was predictable and I stepped backwards so that he punched into empty air. He would soon find that using a war axe in one hand was tiring. I reached behind me and took out my seax. His eyes flickered between the two blades. I was happy for him to wait. A Danish war axe is meant to be used in two hands and I could see the sweat on his brow as he held it in one. I feinted with my sword and he swung his axe at me. My left hand darted in and the seax I had taken from a dead Saxon ripped and tore into the hole made by my sword. The curved blade enlarged the wound and he screamed in pain. I twisted it as I pulled it out. He punched with his shield and sent me tumbling but it also pulled some of his guts with it. He was mortally wounded and I had to finish it.
I regained my balance and swung Ragnar's Spirit at his head. He brought up his shield to block the blow and I charged my shoulder into his chest. He tried to step back but he tripped over one of his dead warriors. His arms fell open so that he looked like the cross the Christians wear about their necks. "I will see you in the Otherworld." I plunged my sword into his bare throat and he died instantly.
I cleaned the blood from my weapons and sheathed them. I saw Snorri and Bjorn the Scout returning alone from the forest. Snorri looked angry. "They had ponies waiting. They escaped."
"We did well enough. The villagers were all within their walls too terrified to emerge. There were five villages lying dead outside the huts and I did not blame them. I spoke in Saxon. "You are safe now. I am a friend of King Egbert. I am Jarl Dragon Heart."
Gradually the braver ones came from hiding. One man was nursing a cut arm and he approached me. "Thank you Jarl. I thought that the Danes had us then."
"These are dangerous times my friend. I would build a ditch and erect a wall. What is the name of this place?"
"Willesdune."
"I will tell Eorl Edward what has happened here. You can keep the weapons and the mail although it will need repair." I knew that Snorri and Bjorn the Scout would have searched the bodies for treasure and we could not carry both the deer and the weapons back. This way they would be better protected and they would remember my generosity.
We retrieved our deer and headed back to Celchyth. "Did you find aught of value?"
Snorri grinned, "The young Dane you killed had a golden torc around his neck and the others all had either copper or silver rings. His axe was well made too. This was a profitable encounter."
I nodded, "We were meant to find them. The Danes now know we are here. They will have recognised our cloaks and their spies will discover our names. This is wyrd ."
Chapter 5
There were walls on the hall when we returned. Aiden and my men had worked hard. I sent Snorri and Bjorn the Scout to tell Eorl Edward what had transpired.
Similar Books
