The Wrath of Ivar: The second book in the Viking Blood and Blade Saga by Gibbons Peter

Author:Gibbons, Peter
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-12-06T00:00:00+00:00

Fifteen

Hundr raised his blades just in time. Ivar held two swords himself, just as he had at the siege of Jorvik, and they came for Hundr fast and flicking like a beast’s claws. Hundr parried two blows at the same time and ducked to avoid a back cut, feeling the wind from the sword blade as it passed over his head. He raised Munin to block a thrust at his stomach and leapt back, away from another lunge at his neck. He was sweating and panting hard, and Ivar lowered his swords. The warriors around had stopped fighting to watch the encounter, Hundr risked a glance behind him, and Kolo and Ragnhild stood poised to strike but watching, waiting to see if Hundr could kill Ivar and change the battle.

“Saoirse keeps my bed warm. She is the best woman I’ve ever had. She moans like a whore when I mount her.”

Hundr didn’t let him finish. Ivar’s words caught fire in Hundr’s chest and burned like Hakon’s knife when it took his eye. Ivar was fast, but Hundr knew he was too and let the rage flow through his body. My turn. He launched himself at Ivar, whirling his blades and striking out at Ivar high and low, cut and lunge. Ivar parried some blows and dodged away from others, then he came on again, and they traded blows like two dancers flowing around one another in a dance of death.

“Hundr, the line is folding,” he heard Ragnhild shout behind him, but he couldn’t risk a look. If the line was breaking, he would be caught amongst Ivar’s men. He had been so focused on fighting Ivar that Hundr had not realised Ivar’s warriors surrounded him. Hundr shuffled backwards and felt a push on his back. They had blocked him in. Ivar came on again, but before the Boneless came within striking distance, Hundr spun and head-butted the warrior behind him and threw that man over his hip and onto Ivar’s blade. Hundr spun on his heel, and as he turned, he held his swords outstretched so that each cut across the face of a warrior on either side of him. He heard one man scream, and one blade clanked on a helmeted face. Hundr kept on moving and leapt towards his own line. He could see Kolo and Ragnhild cutting at the enemy, trying desperately to reach him.

Hundr had left chaos behind him, and he watched Ivar shouting, red-faced and incoherent trying to get through his own men to strike at Hundr, but then Ragnhild hefted her shield in front of him, closely followed by Kolo, and suddenly Hundr was back behind his own shield wall.

“We have to retreat. The line has buckled. Sten is there,” Ragnhild said, her face twisted into a grimace and splashed with blood.

“Back then, keep order, one step at a time,” Hundr said. So they shuffled backwards and disengaged from the enemy. Hundr looked over Kolo’s shoulder, and there he was, Sten. The old man

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