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  “Welcome home, my husband. The Good Lord answered my prayers.”

  I smiled. Her god was always responsible for our success; at least in her mind. “We have slaves. We will need to allocate them sooner rather than later. The slave pen has no roof.”

  She nodded, “Old Mivki Haroldsson died while you were away. His wife and daughters will need someone to help them.”

  The old tanner had been ill before we left. “It was his time. We have two men who might do.” I would have to yoke them. The older one, Asser, had been subdued during the voyage but Edward, his son had been belligerent. I would yoke them both and see how they got on. Tanning was hard work but necessary. Along with Brigid and her ale and Bagsecg and his forge these were vitally important parts of our daily life.

  Mary saw the sacks of grain. Her face broadened into a smile which lifted the clouds, “And we have grain! You have done well!” She kissed my cheek, “You taste of the sea! Bathe!”

  I shook my head. What did she expect? We had been at sea for some days. I had learned the right response, “Yes my love.”

  Chapter 5

  We feasted at Yule, through the long nights. The Christians celebrated the birth of their god and life was good. Mary reminded me that our son would be a year old by Mörsugur. When she told me, I frowned. “We are all a year older. What is the significance?”

  “My family celebrated such an event.”

  And so, we made a fuss of Ragnvald. In truth, I did not mind for he was now becoming a child rather than a babe. I could talk with him. I was in constant trouble with his mother for playing too rough with him. “But he will be a warrior! He needs the rough and tumble. When he plays with the other boys he will have to learn to look after himself.”

  She looked shocked, “He is the son of the lord! He should not play with other children.”

  “Would you have him stay in these walls and play with women? Would you have him grow into one of your priests with soft hands who cannot defend themselves? He will be a warrior. There are other boys his age. When the weather allows, I would have him play with them.”

  “But…”

  I rarely asserted my authority but I did so that day, “I have spoken!” Then to make it less unpleasant an idea to swallow I added, “And it will keep him from being under your feet.”

  She accepted my command although I paid for it with a five-day silence. She seemed to think that it would punish me. It did not. At the end, we made up and I think that was when our next child was conceived. Her pregnancy made her worry less about what Ragnvald got up to.

  There were other births too. Agnathia gave Rurik a son although he was tiny compared with most of the babies which were born. Rurik did not seem bothered. He smiled, “The women said he was easier to birth and I can feed him up! I will make him strong.”

  “And what have you named him?”

  “Hrolf. If I name him after a warrior such as you, jarl, then one day he might lead his own crew!”

  “Hrolf Ruriksson. That is a good name.” I gave him a finely made dagger I had taken from the Saxon thegn I had slain. I had planned on giving it to Ragnvald but, with the gold I had from the torc, I decided to have Bagsecg make him one. Until he was bigger it would be as a short sword.

  One of my warriors, Bárekr Karlsson came to me. He had taken one of the Saxons as his wife. “Jarl, I would have a farm.”

  “Aye, that is a good idea. Where do you have in mind?”

  “I travelled north and found a bay. It is close enough so that we can take refuge here should our enemies threaten. There is good farmland and we can harvest the sea. My wife’s family fished for a living.”

  I was pleased. I knew the bay well and had often thought it would make a better harbour than the one we used. “That is good and I will give you two of my slaves to work the land for you. They are good men and I thought to give them their freedom. I will give them to you and then you can choose what you do with them.”

  “You are generous, jarl.”

  Shaking my head I said, “You have served me well and deserve this opportunity. I ask one thing: have your slaves dig a ditch and build ramparts. We need to defend what we hold.” I had said the same to Erik Green Eye when he had taken a bride and moved just north of the Haugr. His farm straddled the road to the old stronghold of Ċiriċeburh. Uninhabited at the moment, it did lie in Neustria.

  It was only by little but the land of the horse was expanding. The land appeared as heavy with new life as the women of the clan.

  Einmánuður was a time for celebration. It marked the end of winter and the beginning of the new grass. It was when we discovered that Mary was with child. She was not the only one. The longer nights had resulted in most of the women being with child. It was also the time for marriages. Many of my men took slaves as their wives. After three or four moons living as a slave many of them realised that this was their opportunity for freedom and they took it. Our clan was growing.

  The well we had started to dig a year since was already much deeper. Now that winter had ended we could send men to work on it once more. It was vital that we had water. We could store food in the rocks beneath the haugr. As Vikings, we knew how to smoke and salt fish and meat. We had barrels of it ready for winter and hard times but if we had no water then we would die. The well drew closer to water each day. In the summer, we would dig pools for the sea to cover. When the hot summer sun got to work, the water would disappear and we would be left with salt. The bay was perfect for salt gathering.

  Sven, Harold and their crew took our knarr to Dorestad. Many of the men wished to buy things for their new families. Sven and Harold could be trusted not only with their coin but to buy what they needed at a good price. As the ground had dried out I took Bertrand and Gilles to ride beyond Rurikstad. He had not reported any danger over the winter but I decided to investigate the road to Valauna. Another family, Finni Jarlson and his new bride, had chosen to farm close by Rurik and I wanted them all to feel safe.

  We did not wear mail and I rode Copper. Dream Strider and Night Star were busy covering mares. We had had another five foals born over the winter. Soon I would be able to mount all of my men. Only a handful took to their horses as well as I might have hoped but I had an idea that when they grew the children born of a Frankish mother and Viking father might have more natural ability. For the present I was happy. If danger came we could ride to war mounted. I was happy for my clan to fight on foot but our mobility was important.

  Now that we knew the road we rode hard and headed for Valauna. My dog, Nipper, acted as our scout. This time we reached the woods which were less than a mile from the Frankish walls and were able to view it. Bertrand had told us that the Franks called their walled homes castles. They differed little from our Haugr. I saw that they had a ditch and a wooden palisade although the bank was fortified with stones. It was a good idea for it would stop the rains from washing away the soil. They had towers at the gates and around the walls too. I saw one stone built building inside the walls. There was a standard flying there. It was the gryphon.

  “Bertrand, what is that beyond the walls? You see, where the standard flies.”

  “That would be the hall of the Seneschal or the Leudes if he is close by. It has walls. There may be a ditch around it too, lord.”

  I nodded.

  Gilles said, “That would be hard to take.”

  I turned to him, “And why would we need to take it? What would we want it for? It is far from the sea.”

  Gilles said, shrewdly, “But if we held it, lord, then we could control all of this land hereabouts.”

  “You are right but with only forty or so warriors that would be beyond us.”

  As we rode back Bertrand said, “But, lord, if Fótr and his crew joined us then we might have enough.”

  “We know not if Fótr would relish such a raid and I fear we would lose too many of our men. Your people, Bertrand, have many such strongholds and they have many warriors. We are better, one to one, but the
y outnumber us. I will choose my battles and this one is not worth fighting. Not yet anyway.”

  However, he had planted a seed in my mind and I stopped at Rurikstad on the way back. The horses needed resting and I was able to speak with Rurik and Finni. “I worry about your isolation here.”

  “We have horses, jarl and can reach your walls easily.”

  I nodded, “Hitherto the Franks have given us warning but what if they do not? I would have you and Finni make your hall into a stronghold.” I pointed to the palisade and small ditch which ran around Rurik’s farm. “We will make your ditch deeper and use the spoil to make a mound as high as the palisade you have now. The sea is close and there are many rocks. Have your slaves fetch them and then add them to the base. I will have my slaves cut timber for a taller palisade. With wood on top of the rocks and raised mound it will make it hard for an enemy to take this quickly.”

  “That is all very well, jarl, but we have but two men and our slaves. How could we defend the walls?”

  “There will be more who wish to settle here for this is the most fertile of lands. We need to build you a tower which abuts against your hall. If we have an entrance which is only reached by ladder, then your family could shelter within and when the outside walls fall you could fall back here. With a ditch around it and a bridge then you could hold out.”

  Finni nodded, “Aye and if we had a ditch all around Rurik’s hall then it would drain the water. Remember how wet it was this winter, Rurik? Agnathia would be happier without the mud in the hall.”

  Rurik nodded, “I am convinced, jarl. I have a son now. He needs protection.”

  And so, the first of our new outposts was begun. It was not completed until high summer for Finni and Rurik had crops to sow and animals to tend but we learned much from its building.

  Fótr and the ‘Flying Fox’ arrived at the start of Harpa. There were no shields on show. I went to the jetty as he approached. We now had rope buffers to protect ships from damage when they tied up. We had learned from the damage to ‘Kara’. Fótr had told me that he had a good master aboard and it showed in the way the drekar was edged gingerly around the rocks which guarded our anchorage. I went with Arne Four Toes, Gilles and Bertrand to greet him.

  He stepped from his drekar with his arm held out, “See jarl, no shields. It is good to see you.” I nodded. He waved an arm at the Haugr. “A fine stronghold. This is a good home. As we approached I could see why you chose it and the approach from the sea is not easy. It would be hard to surprise you.”

  “Thank you. Will you and your crew be staying the night?”

  He shook his head. “We sail at sunset. I am anxious to raid the Issicauna. My master, Formi Formisson, wishes to speak with your captains about the river and I would know where the settlements are.”

  “Then I will show you my charts. If you wish to copy them then you can do so. Gilles, find Harold and Sven fetch them here. Bertrand, go and tell my wife that we have guests. Come, we will go to my hall and I will tell you all that I know.”

  My wife had been brought up as a lady and she knew how to entertain. I could see that she enchanted Fótr as soon as they met. She left us to speak once she had seen that he had all that he needed. “You are a lucky man, jarl! She is a lady. I felt dirty just being in the same room as her.”

  I nodded, “I know that I am lucky. I am thankful for what I have.” I unrolled the map I had copied from one which Aiden the galdramann had made. We had added details to it. I pointed to the features as I named them. “Here is the Issicauna. There is a large settlement and an abbey on the northern bank. Both the Dragonheart and my men have raided there. If it is slaves you seek, then there is a small settlement on the south bank.”

  He shook his head, “I do not wish to draw from a well which has been used. I would go further upstream.”

  “Then you would need to go beyond Jumièges. We raided there. There was an abbey and a walled town. We took much gold but we have not been further upstream. Here is Rouen. It is a major stronghold and the Leudes is there.”

  “Leudes?”

  “Like a jarl or a prince. He is appointed by the king and has great power.”

  He pointed to a place just down the coast from us. “And here?”

  “The river is one the Franks call the Orne. It leads to Caen where they have another stronghold. I have not been there but those that have say it too is strong to be taken by just a pair of drekar. It would need a fleet.”

  “Then it seems to me that we need to raid between Jumièges and Rouen. If we find nothing, then I will try this other river. When we have raided, I will return here. I would like to add what we learn to your map.”

  “Would you like to copy the map?”

  “I do not read. I will study it and let my master see it. He will add to the information he gathers from your captains.” He leaned back. “While my men enjoy your hospitality, I would appreciate a tour of your home. I am impressed. It looks nothing like the homes we have at Hedeby.”

  I rose, “It is, as you might say, our style. We took what was already here and improved it.”

  We spent the rest of the day walking around my clan. I took him to the church too. “You allow the White Christ to be worshipped here?”

  I nodded, “The Franks are Christians. They are part of my clan. It does not hurt us to let them worship.”

  “Is not the gold tempting?”

  I shook my head, “It is our own gold! My wife gave it to the church. We would be stealing from ourselves.”

  I could see that he was confused. That afternoon I tried to explain to him our new life and he still could not understand it. Perhaps that was why we were the only Norsemen who had chosen this life. They left before darkness had fallen for Sven had told them of the vagaries of the estuary. “May the Allfather be with you.”

  That evening I spoke with Einar Asbjornson, Arne Four Toes, Sven, Gilles and Bertrand. We sat around my table and drank some of the wine we had bought in Dorestad. “I like not this raid, jarl.”

  “It is nothing to do with us, Sven. Personally, I think that Fótr has bitten off more than he can chew for the Franks now watch the river at the mouth. Unless he is very lucky then he will be spotted. The river twists and turns.”

  “I fear the result of his raid. The Leudes might think it is us.”

  Arne Four Toes said, “He might but what of it? We do not answer to him. We acknowledge no king and I would not bow to the wishes of a Frankish horseman.” He turned to Bertrand, “No offence!”

  Bertrand laughed, “None taken, in fact I am honoured that you consider me a horseman the equal of a Leudes.”

  The debate went on until late. We all had differing opinions. I saw the hands of the Weird Sisters in this. Had we not raided Dwfr then we would not have sailed to Dorestad and never met the Kikisson brothers.

  Our new slaves had enabled us to clear more land and to grow more crops. The palisade around Rurik’s hall was almost completed. It was as we were returning from a visit, two days after Fótr had left us that Galti, one of Erik Green Eye’s young slaves galloped up on a pony. “Jarl, my master has sent me. A party of Franks is heading from the north.”

  I nodded, “Let us ride.” Gilles and Bertrand, like me, had their swords and helmets but we wore no mail. We would have to meet them as we were. I was not as worried as I might have been for Erik would have sent a more urgent message if he thought that we were in danger.

  It was only a couple of Roman miles to Erik’s farm which was to the north and west of our walls. When we crested the rise, I saw that there were four Franks and they were speaking with Erik. They did not look as though they had come for war. The four of them all wore the same blue tunics. They had the gryphon on their shields. None wore mail but all had a sword.

  I reined in next to them and dismounted. Gilles and Bertrand dismounted too. The Franks remained on their horses. I looked at the one who appeared to be a leader. He had a chain and a seal around his neck. Erik said, “They were
asking to speak with you.” I saw that he had his hand on his sword.

  I smiled at him, “Thank you Erik Green Eye.” Then I took my helmet off and said to the Franks. “If you wish to speak with us then do us the courtesy of dismounting. I do not relish getting a stiff neck.” I suspect they had done so to show some sort of superiority.

  I watched as the leader worked out what he ought to do. He turned to his men, “I will dismount.” He handed his horse’s reins to one of his men.

  “There that is better. Now we can speak as neighbours should, face to face. I am Hrolf the Horseman, jarl of this land.”

  “Jarl?”

  “I am the leader of the clan of the horse. You are…”

  “I am Hugo of Ċiriċeburh. King Louis has appointed me lord of that town.”

  “Good. It was sad what happened to it.” The Bretons had raided it and slaughtered most of the inhabitants. The survivors now chose to live with me.

  “I am here to ask if those who fled now wish to return. We have a lord who is a Frank. They need not the protection of a barbarian.”

  Erik’s hand returned to his sword. He could speak their language as well as any. “Peace Erik, this Frank does not know that we do not like to be called barbarians.” I kept my voice even. “However, if he uses it again then feel free to teach him the error of his ways.”

  “I came in peace!”

  “Then keep a civil tongue in your head lest we remove it.”

  One of his men said, “Lord, this is intolerable! Let me deal with them!”

  I held up my hand, “I have tried to avoid bloodshed but each time I speak to a Frank it seems my very presence on this earth makes him reach for his sword.” I walked up to the warrior and stroked his horse with my right hand. He watched my face. I drew, surreptitiously, my seax and said, “I will talk with your lord and not his arrogant puppies.” My left hand whipped up and held my seax close to his groin, “One more word from you and you will father no children.”