Viking Bravery by Griff Hosker

Author:Griff Hosker
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: Sword Books Ltd.
Published: 2019-06-17T04:00:00+00:00

Sámr

Chapter 12

The War Chief

We had twelve more hands to crew the ship although, with a wind from our larboard quarter, we still would not need to row. Ulf had made some good purchases including some rope. We made our own but good rope was always handy. His ship’s boys were coiling it as we headed east towards our home. Olaf was at the masthead and it was he shouted, “Drekar to the north and west.”

I looked astern. Naddoðr nodded, “That is the Dane who left yesterday before you arrived. I did not like the captain. He was a squint-eyed dwarf.”

“‘Crow’?”

“Aye, do you know her?”

“I know of her. Arm yourselves. She thinks to take us but we will turn the tables on her.”

“But we are the same size and equally matched!”

“Not so. They think I have a smaller crew. When they saw us arrive, we had a skeleton crew. They know not about you. Besides this messenger will be taking the news back to my enemy and if I can stop the message reaching him then I gain an advantage.”

Nodding he went to his war chest. “Then we begin to become rich men this day!”

“Keep your men hidden until I give the command. I would not have him slip away.”

I hoped that none of his young warriors would lose their lives. They were young and taking on a Dane was harder than the half-dressed barbarians they had fought. Even the leather byrnie Naddoðr and his men wore was better protection than the painted skin the Picts seemed to like.

“Ulf, keep this course. Sail a little more slovenly. He will try to come for the steerboard side.”

“Do not worry. I can take him.”

“Ship’s boys take your bows with you. Bowmen have your bows ready. Let us make them think we are ill prepared. Do not don your helmets until we board them. I mean to take this ship.” The crew old and new all cheered. They were in high spirits and that was good. A battle at sea was never an easy thing and the Danish captain must have been supremely confident to attempt such an attack. While I had been inattentive, the previous day, he had been the opposite. He had lost his leader and this would be a way to ingratiate himself in Ubba Ragnarsson’s good books.

I glanced astern. I had not yet donned my helmet and my youthful face would encourage the Dane. I saw that our loose sail work had allowed the Dane to close. She was directly astern of us. He was trying to unnerve me but I knew which side he would use to make his attack. The closer he came to us then the easier it would be for him. He would take our wind and inexorably reel us in. We had open sea ahead of us until the Land of the Wolf, Mercia and Man. He had all the time in the world to make his move and take the young warrior whom the Norns had thrust before him.

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