Viking Warrior by Judson Roberts

Author:Judson Roberts [Roberts, Judson]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Northman Books
Published: 2006-12-16T13:00:00+00:00

9 : Harald's Dance

The confrontation with Toke caused the carls of our household and the men of the nearby village to give thought to the condition of their weapons. As a result of the battle in England, where Hrorik and so many others had found their doom, many had helms that were cut or dented, and shields needing new planks, or with damaged rims or bosses that required repair or replacement. Many had lost spears and arrows in the battle. In addition, there were farm tools and household implements in need of making, or repair. All had gone undone, for Gunnar, the estate’s blacksmith and one of Hrorik’s housecarls, had perished in the recent battle.

Since the age of ten, most of my work on the estate had been divided between helping Gudrod the Carpenter and Gunnar. Gudrod had been first to use me. I’d been watching him at the tedious task of splitting out and shaping arrow shafts. He’d let me try my hand at it. We both were surprised to learn how quickly my hands took to the task, and soon Gudrod was using me to help with more and more of his duties. Gunnar saw me working with Gudrod on a day when the thrall who had been helping him clumsily broke the handle of a hammer. He’d borrowed me for that day, but was so taken by my eagerness to learn, and how quickly my hands took to shaping the heated metal, that he went to Ubbe and asked if I could work as his assistant as well as Gudrod’s.

The two men shared me. Over time, both taught me all they knew about their crafts. No one else in the village besides Gunnar, and now me, possessed the knowledge of working heated metal. So now, at least until Harald could find a new smith to join his household, the responsibility fell on my shoulders.

Ubbe persuaded Harald that we must call a brief halt to my training, as my skills as a blacksmith were sorely needed. Ubbe urged me to select a helper from among our household to speed my labors, and hopefully begin to learn the smith’s craft. My apprentice would need to be someone who would be willing to take orders from me. In my mind, that ruled out our house-carls. I was still too newly a free man, and they, too recently my superiors for me to feel comfortable commanding any of them. My helper would also need to possess sufficient intelligence to be able learn the complex knowledge and mysteries of forging iron. That eliminated most of our thralls, for a lifetime of doing only what you are told tends to dull men’s minds.

I chose Fasti, he who’d shown me kindness as a child. He’d once been a free man who’d managed his own lands, so I knew he could think for himself. Fasti was grateful and eager to learn, for he knew that by mastering a valued craft his chances of someday winning his freedom would be greatly improved.

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