Warrior Heroes, page 3
“What do we do?” Arthur hissed. “Come on, you’re the brainy one.”
“I don’t know.”
“Pssst!”
“What?”
“That wasn’t me.”
Suddenly Thorfinna emerged from the darkness and dropped a pile of things on the ground at Finn’s feet. She brandished a knife in his direction and stared hard at him.
“How did you know about the raiders?” she demanded.
“What?” said Finn. “Does it matter? Why didn’t you come back to meet me in the forest like you said you would?”
“I couldn’t get away,” said Thorfinna tersely. “How did you know about the raiders? It matters a lot if you’re one of them.”
“There’s no time,” Finn countered. “Cut us loose or we’ll be slaughtered. If I get a chance I’ll tell you.”
“How do I know you won’t kill me as soon as I cut you loose?” Thorfinna was still staring hard at Finn.
“Surely you know you can trust us?” Arthur cut in urgently. “If he wanted to kill you he could have done it when he saw you in the forest. Please! That’s why you came here isn’t it? To cut us loose?”
“I came because I thought now would be a good time to run,” said Thorfinna.
“No!” Finn said abruptly. “If we run they’ll think we were with the raiders. They’ll come after us and kill us. We prove ourselves by staying and fighting.”
Thorfinna thought for a few moments.
“You may be right,” she said, stepping forward and beginning to cut through the ropes. “But when the time comes you remember that I saved your lives. I set you free. You set me free. Hallvard is a good man and treats me well enough, but I have deaths to avenge and I can’t do that here.”
VIKING GODS AND GODDESSES
The Vikings believe in a huge number of Gods and Goddesses, as well as a host of strange beings including frost giants, dwarves, immortal wolves, elves and numerous terrifying beasts and monsters. The two most important Gods for Viking warriors are…
ODIN
The God of magic, poetry and war, Odin is the top God, and he got there a grisly way. Rumour has it he hung himself from a gallows tree for nine days and nights to learn how to read and write. They also say he gave one of his eyes in return for the chance to drink from the well of knowledge. He is often seen hanging around with wolves and ravens, leaning on a staff and looking like a strange old wizard. He has a magic spear that cannot miss its target, and as he is the God of war, there are plenty of stories about him using it!
THOR
Thor is the God of thunder. He is extremely brave, and extremely strong, but not too bright. He has long red hair, a big red beard, a magic belt that increases his strength and a huge hammer. And as if that weren’t enough, he gets to roam around the skies in a chariot. The wheels of the chariot cause thunder and when he throws his hammer, lightning rips across the sky.
VALHALLA
Viking warriors believe that if they die bravely in battle then the Valkyries, Odin’s warrior-maidens, will carry them away to Odin’s Hall, Valhalla. Valhalla is a sort of Viking heaven, where warriors spend the afterlife feasting with Odin and telling stories.
CHAPTER 5
Arthur stepped away from the tree, free at last.
“What’s happening?” he asked as he rubbed his bruised wrists. “How many people are there?”
“Hallvard sent people to different places to watch for raiders. Brand was at the beach and it was him who blew the horn.” Thorfinna pointed past the longhouse. “If they know where they’re going the raiders will be here first. Our friends from the other farms will take longer. Here,” she went on. “I brought weapons.” On the floor were an axe, a bow and some arrows.
“If we are not running away then I’m going back to the longhouse,” Thorfinna concluded. “It’s up to you what you do now.” She turned and dashed away.
“Quick,” said Arthur. “We need to impress Hallvard and win his trust. You’re the expert archer. Let’s get you up on the roof of the longhouse and you can be a sort of sniper.” Finn was used to Arthur taking charge when fighting broke out and he didn’t argue. They both gathered up the weapons on the ground and raced over to the longhouse and up onto the wood stack. Arthur helped Finn up as he had done earlier that evening, and Finn pulled himself up onto the roof.
“What are you going to do?” he whispered.
Arthur grinned. “I’m going to see if I can sink the raiders’ boat. If that doesn’t impress Hallvard, nothing will!” Finn opened his mouth to reply but before he could say anything Arthur had jumped away from the longhouse and disappeared into the night.
The longhouse stood side-on to the path that led away in what Finn presumed was the direction of the sea. He took up a position just below the top of the roof so that when he peered over the ridge of the roof he could see a good distance along the path.
Finn could hear Hallvard barking orders in the longhouse and it soon became clear that he planned to get everyone into the trees for safety and to set an ambush for the raiders. The people inside needed no encouragement, and in no time at all the house stood empty. Looking down Finn saw Ragnar leading a small party of women, children and old men away from the farm and back towards the woods where he and Arthur had first arrived. There was no sign of Thorfinna.
Hallvard, meanwhile, was calling out brisk orders to three other men. Moments later they disappeared into the trees on each side of the path.
For a short while the only sounds that could be heard were the occasional cries of wild animals. Then, very faintly at first but growing louder and louder, came the thundering sound of men running.
Finn’s heartbeat quickened. He notched his first arrow and stared along the moonlit path.
The sound of running stopped.
Finn drew the bowstring back.
Silence.
Shadowy figures began to emerge as around twenty Viking raiders crept out from the trees, their huge, round wooden shields held in front, swords, spears and axes, held at the ready.
Finn waited. Why isn’t Hallvard attacking? The men crept closer. Finn stared along the arrow. Should I fire first? A shout went up from the back of the group of raiders.
“Ambush! ” - Two of the men at the back of the group fell to the ground with arrows sticking out of their necks.
Finn fired his first arrow and a third raider went down. This might actually work!
But the raiders reacted quickly and those that remained, scattered into the woods on both sides of the path. From the shouts and the loud clatter of the wooden shields Finn guessed that Hallvard’s men were now engaged in close fighting in the trees.
Finn kept his eyes on the path. Suddenly Hallvard leapt backwards onto the path followed by one of the raiders, their swords flashing in the moonlight. Hallvard smashed the edge of his shield into the raider’s face and lunged forward with his sword, burying it in the man and then kicking him backwards onto the path.
Two more raiders appeared as if from nowhere to replace the fallen man and swung at Hallvard, who ducked and parried but was driven back towards the longhouse. Finn fired another arrow and it whistled past Hallvard and into the chest of one of his attackers, who fell to the ground.
Yet again, the fallen man was replaced by two more raiders. Now Hallvard found himself facing three men. Finn fired again and missed as one of the raiders took a huge swing at Hallvard with an axe. He blocked the blow with his shield but was forced down on one knee as the shield splintered and cracked above him. The man brought his axe up once more, but then dropped to his knees with a scream. As he fell forward, Finn could see an axe protruding from the man’s back.
Shouts rang out and a new group ran towards Hallvard. Reinforcements from the farms! The two remaining raiders turned and disappeared into the trees with Hallvard’s allies in hot pursuit.
Finn almost laughed with relief but his joy was premature. Two more raiders emerged from the trees near the longhouse and ran forward. Finn’s heart raced. He brought one of the men down with an arrow and the second raider looked straight up at him. Finn froze as the man bared his teeth. In a split-second the man brought an arm back and sent an axe spinning through the air towards Finn’s throat.
He ducked instinctively as the axe whistled overhead. Losing his footing, he slid down the roof and crashed onto the wood stack, winded. As he scrambled to his feet he saw the axe buried in the ground. He staggered over to it and desperately tried to yank it free before a snarl made him look up. His stomach lurched. The axe-thrower had rounded the corner of the longhouse and was running forwards, his face twisted into a terrible expression of rage. He held a sword aloft in one hand and roared as he charged.
Finn wrenched frantically at the axe. The raider was almost on him. His palms slipped on the handle of the axe and his body slapped face first into the ground once again just as the raider reached him. Taken by surprise, the huge man tripped and fell directly on top of Finn. He felt the raider begin to lift himself. This is the end, Finn thought. I wonder if dying here means I’ll go to Valhalla…
Just as the raider began to lift his weight off Finn he grunted and collapsed back on top of the boy. Finn felt a warm liquid flowing down his neck. That wasn’t so painful. Then the weight of the raider was gone entirely and Finn rolled limply onto his back, gazing up. Standing over him was a giant of a man.
“Maybe you are Odin’s chosen one,” said Hallvard, pulling a sword roughly from the raider’s back.
VIKING WEAPONS
Here’s a list of all the kit the well-prepared Viking needs.
SWORD
His sword is a Viking’s most precious possession, so much so that he often gives it a name. It marks him out as a warrior and offers him the chance to win glory and honour on the battlefield. The Viking sword is a double-edged blade made of iron, sometimes with steel edges. It is about seventy five centimetres long and five centimetres wide. The edge of the sword is more dangerous than the point. So it is mostly used for slicing rather than stabbing.
SHIELD
The shield is made of wood. It is up to a metre across so can be used as an attacking weapon as well as in defence. It is often painted in simple patterns.
AXE
Not every man has a sword, but most have axes. They are made of iron, with wooden handles. They can be used in battle to chop but can also be thrown to bring down an enemy from a short distance.
SPEAR
Also made with an iron head and a wooden handle. If you can’t afford a sword you should definitely carry a spear. You probably won’t use it for throwing, but more for thrusting and stabbing so that you can reach your enemy before he can reach you.
BOW
Bows and arrows are normally used for hunting rather than battle, though they can have their uses in some fighting situations. Bows are generally made form yew, and are nearly as tall as a man.
ARMOUR
Wealthy chieftans might have chain mail and round iron helmets, but most Viking warriors make do with leather helmets and armour. Nobody has ever heard of a real Viking wearing a helmet with horns, so get that idea out of your head!
CHAPTER 6
It was a hushed, stunned group that gathered in the longhouse to wait for dawn. Ragnar’s party had returned from hiding. Two of Hallvard’s men had died in the battle, one of them leaving behind a wife and two young children who huddled, red-eyed, in a corner with his body. The men from the farms had chased the raiders towards the sea but neither they nor Brand or Arthur had returned to the longhouse.
Hallvard prowled up and down on the earth before the fire pit, nostrils flared, teeth clenched, the flames flicking shadows across his face. One woman sat opposite him but nobody else dared approach. At last the woman stood up.
“Husband,” she said hoarsely. “Where is my boy? Where is Brand?”
“I gave him my sword Inga,” said Hallvard. “I gave him Blood Hunter for his first battle. He will come to no harm”
“He’s just a boy!”
“He will not be harmed,” Hallvard insisted. “The men will find him.”
“But what if they don’t?” Inga replied. “If anything happens to him and you could have saved him you will carry the guilt for the rest of your life.”
“And if I leave, and something happens to you and the others here…” Hallvard broke off, the anguish in his voice clear to everyone.
Ragnar stepped forward, his face even older and more solemn in the firelight, but before he could speak there was a banging at the door. Muffled cries broke out inside the longhouse as Hallvard strode to the door and flung it open. Thorfinna staggered, gasping, through the door and collapsed to the ground. Her clothes were torn, her hands and legs scratched and tears had streaked through the mud that covered her face.
Inga rushed over to her and grabbed her by the shoulders. “Have you seen Brand?” she cried.
Thorfinna nodded miserably.
“Then where is he?” Inga shook the girl. “Where is he?”
“Inga!” Hallvard barked. “Let the girl catch her breath and speak.”
Slowly Thorfinna stood up.
“I saw Brand,” she said, looking at the floor. “And I saw your brother also,” she added, throwing a quick glance in Finn’s direction.
“What is it?” cried Inga. “Is he dead? Has he been killed?”
“I don’t know,” Thorfinna replied. “They were both alive when I saw them last. I was hiding in the trees above the beach. I thought you would want to know how many boats and how many men came. I saw Brand and Arthur in the water – they were walking towards the raiders’ longship. Arthur had an axe and Brand had Blood Hunter, master. I think they meant to sink the ship. There were two raiders on guard but they didn’t see the boys and then the rest of the raiders came running out onto the beach. They ran straight for the boat and the boys had nowhere to hide. The raiders just grabbed them and jumped aboard and started rowing. I ran back here as fast as I could to tell you.”
Inga fell against Hallvard. “My poor boy,” she whispered as she buried her face into Hallvard’s chest. Moments later the men from the farms arrived back from the beach.
“Gone?” Hallvard barked. They nodded. “You have my thanks, friends,” he said, but his eyes glowed with fury as he went on. “They come to raid us in the night. They take my son. And with him they take my sword….” He broke off and turned slowly to face Finn. “Odin’s boy,” he growled. “Who are they? Where will I find them? For when I do, Odin will see such fury in battle as would frighten Thor himself!”
Finn opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. What could he say?
“Speak boy!” Hallvard bellowed.
“I don’t know who they are,” Finn stuttered. “I just knew there would be a raid.”
“We still don’t know that the boy is not a spy,” somebody called from the back of the room. Finn recognised Olaf’s voice.
“I can vouch for that,” said Hallvard. “The boy fought the raiders bravely. He killed grown warriors and his brother was taken with Brand as they tried to sink the ship.”
Finn began breathing again.
“But they have my son, boy.” Hallvard leapt forward and grabbed Finn’s head in his huge hands. “Odin gave an eye to gain knowledge and see the truth. Maybe if his boy gives an eye he too will see the truth. Call to Odin. Speak to him. Do whatever it is you do, and tell me who these men are!”
“Master, I know who they are,” said Thorfinna quietly. All in the room gazed at the girl and saw the hard rage in her stare. “The leader is called Moldof.”
“How do you know this?” Hallvard demanded. “Did you hear them? Do you know where they live?”
“I did not hear them,” she said. “But I saw Moldof and believe me when I say I know his face all too well.”
“Go on girl,” said Hallvard.
“I was born a chieftan’s daughter,” Thorfinna continued. “You know this.”
“And we have treated you well since we bought you,” said Inga sharply.
“That is true,” the girl admitted. “Nonetheless my life now is not the one I thought I was destined for.”
“None of us know what the Gods have in store for us,” said Hallvard. “But continue, how do you know this Moldof.”
Thorfinna drew a deep breath. “At first we knew him as a trouble-maker and a thug. Nobody respected him but he had a huge family – a clan really. Then one day he was accused of murdering one of my kinsman. We knew that he had killed the man – there were many witnesses and we trusted them. Moldof stabbed the man in the back – it was no honourable fight – it was murder.
“My father sent three men to arrest him but Moldof overpowered them. He bound their hands and feet and tortured them horribly. By the time we found them the bodies were unrecognisable.”
Thorfinna paused for a moment and her eyes grew harder still.
“Go on child,” said Inga more gently.
Thorfinna took another deep breath and went on, “Moldof and his men came for us that night. They rode into the village and they killed everyone except for those they could sell as slaves. He said the village was his now. I saw that man kill my father and my mother and I swore I would never forget his face. The black beard, the dead eyes, the scar on his left cheek. I swore that one day I would find him and I would watch him die in front of me just as I watched my parents die. I saw Moldof tonight, master.”
Thorfinna broke off, every muscle and sinew in her body taut. The house was silent save for the crackle and spit of the fire.
Hallvard looked at her carefully. “And could you find your village if you sailed with me?”
“I could,” she said at length through clenched teeth. “It is at most two days north along the coast. I used to think about escaping and going back, but where would I go? My family are dead.”
“Then we all have reason to find this man. No, not man,” Hallvard corrected himself. “This animal. He killed your family. He has taken my son and killed our kinsmen. And he has your brother, Odin’s boy.”
