Varangian (Aelfraed) Page 3

  Thus reassured we spent the next week as we toiled up the Baltic, learning as many words as we could. We discovered that even though the Rus came from a different region many of their words were the same and there appeared to be a common spine of words which could be used. Ragnar enjoyed our stories of the wars once we had mastered the basic vocabulary and, with the song maker helping us we told the tales of the battles in which we had fought. I suspect that when Eric translated some of the words he was not as modest as Ridley and me who tended to praise others like Harold, Aethelward, Osbert, Aedgart and Branton but they enlivened a few nights of the voyage. Ragnar’s eyes lit up when we spoke of the death of Hadrada. Eric explained that Ragnar had been with the fleet which Hadrada had defeated and many of his comrades had drowned. He was pleased to meet the killers of his enemies. The voyage finally sealed us as a tightly knit company. We would still have to learn the important things about each other such as how we all reacted to danger and to hardship but I was confident that we would only see good and we would not be disappointed in each other.

  Uppsala was a huge port. It looked to be the hub of the Baltic with many different kinds of ships. As we sailed towards it we were amazed by the sheer number of vessels, it seemed impossible that they did not collide. Thor nudged his ship into a berth which looked too small to fit but he managed it with much creaking and grinding of wood. The four of us went ashore to meet the merchant whose goods were to be taken by Thor. As we walked he tapped his nose and explained, through Eric, about the merchant.

  “This may be your opportunity for this merchant, Folke the Fat, does not like to journey down the river. He normally hires warriors to do his bidding. Unless he has already chosen a man we might be able to persuade him to take you all on.”

  I looked at him suspiciously. “You are being very generous with your information and help. Without meaning disrespect what is it in it for you?”

  “I understand your suspicion but I am an old man now and I have been married to the sea. You three seem like brothers and I would like to think that had I sons they would have turned out like you, leaders, warriors,“ he nodded to Eric, “singers and poets. I have enjoyed your company and I would like to voyage to Ladoga with you.” There was honesty in both his words and eyes. I had learned to see deceit and here there was none.

  Satisfied I nodded, “Then thank you, Thor, for your kindness and I apologise for my rudeness.”

  “No, Aelfraed Godwinson, even here in the Baltic we heard of your fight and how you were betrayed by so many. I understand your suspicious nature and it will stand you in good stead for the land of Miklagård is a treacherous place. I will go in first and introduce the idea.”

  Thor returned after a few moments and beckoned us in. Folke the Fat was well named for he was the fattest man I had ever seen. Unlike other fat men I had seen, however, he was not jolly and appeared to have no sense of humour. However he had an acute business sense which had made him one of the richest men in Uppsala.

  “Thor here tells me you wish to be hired on as guards and book keeper for the voyage?”

  Eric spoke for us all. He translated what Folke said and then answered for us. That day I was glad that we had agreed to take Eric on for he spoke with confidence which had not been visible in Hereby. “We would; we have three strong men and two acclaimed warriors and I have the ability to read and to write.”

  “You are the son of Sweyn are you not?”

  “One of many, yes.”

  He looked us all up and down as though appraising us. “I usually use my own men. None of you have the experience of the river do you?” We all shook our heads. “This makes you not as valuable as others who might wish to serve me.”

  Something about his words did not ring true. I tried out my few words. “Why not use your own men then?”

  Eric and Thor shot me a look which suggested that I had lost my mind to question the hand that might feed us. Folke coughed and reddened a little. “Well the truth of it is the last men I used on the last voyage took my cargo and did not return.”

  Eric’s smile and look told me much about his thoughts. He began to speak, “So you need men you can trust?”

  “How do I know you can trust you?”

  Eric spread his hands, “I could say that Lord Aelfraed and Lord Ridley have names which tell the world of their honesty and for mine own part I do not believe I have ever been found to be lying.”

  Folke pointed a finger at Ragnar. “What of the dummy? The one who speaks not?”

  At first I knew not what he had said but when Ragnar reddened and Eric looked shocked I asked for a translation. When it came I exploded. “Then find your own guards. It seems to me that you have piss poor judgement in men if you decide we are not to be trusted despite our reputations and yet the men you do trust rob you. This man may not be able to speak but he has more honour than you will ever have, Folke the Fathead! Come we will seek another merchant.”

  Surprisingly for a fat man Folke jumped to his feet and stopped us from leaving. “Apologies, Lord Aelfraed. You are right.” He looked at Ragnar. “I am sorry to have offended you.”

  I suddenly realised that he could speak English. “So we are hired?”

  Sitting down he mopped his reddened face with a cloth. “Yes you are hired.”

  “And what is the pay to be?”

  “My men normally take a piece of the profits, one part in ten.”

  I nodded, “Clever, it makes them look after your goods. And how do you get the money?”

  “There is a Jew in Miklagård who deals with my affairs. Isaac he is called.”

  “I have dealt with the Jews myself in Jorvik, Leith and Hedeby. We will do it for one part in ten and Eric here will be the book keeper. Agreed?”

  “Agreed.” Folke seemed relieved.

  “And have you hired other guards?”

  “No, not yet, my man normally does that.”

  “Your man who now lives in Miklagård with your money?” He nodded.”And you pay them how?”

  “With coin.” He threw over a purse.

  I turned to Thor. “Captain would you say we would get better men here or at Ladoga?”

  “Ladoga, for they will have experience of the river and the men there will be looking for new berths.”

  “Then Folke you have your guards.” I leaned over. “And when I give you my word that your goods will reach Byzantium or we will die protecting them then you know we speak the truth?” He nodded his face a mixture of relief and fear. I think my outburst had terrified him but when you have faced charging Norman horses with heavily armed men trying to gut you then a fat man full of his own self importance does not worry you.

  When we were outside Thor smacked me on the back with one of his hams. “I will use you again my lord. I thought he would throw us out at one point.” He pointed down the quayside. “There is a fine tavern there. We will sail on the evening tide when we have loaded our goods.”

  The ale was good and Ragnar’s appreciation of my defence could be clearly seen in his face. I had always hated bullies and that was what Folke was, a fat bully who used his power to get his way. Ridley toasted me, “Here’s to Aelfraed and the one thing we can say is that he is not mellowing!”

  The cargo was one of rich furs. Thor grinned as we edged away from the quayside with the sun setting to the west. “A bit easier for you to carry than the iron ore we sometimes carry.”

  “Do you know the captain of the ship we will be using?”

  “Probably, there aren’t that many and we captains are a close knit bunch. Why do you ask?”

  “I assume that he takes all the decisions about the boat and I am just responsible for protecting the cargo?”

  “Aye that is about it and don’t forget you will have to provide food.”

  “And row?” Thor nodded. “It seems to me that the captains have the best of it.”

  “Sometimes the guards decide just to run away when there are too many trying to steal the cargo and then
the captain loses, not only his ship and livelihood, but his life as well.”

  The Baltic Sea appeared slightly calmer than the German sea we had crossed to reach Denmark. It was certainly a busier sea. I had worried about pirates, remembering the ones who had pursued us near Leith but Thor assured me that the Baltic was safer. “England is seen as a milk cow and pirates know they can prey on the unwary. Here the kings have fleets of ships and any pirate can expect quick and ruthless justice.”

  I looked westwards. England had had such a navy until the Confessor, a pious man, had disbanded it along with his elite warriors, the Thingmen. Sometimes peaceful men did things for honourable reasons which caused more pain and suffering than war.

  As the land approached the Captain shortened sail a little but not as much as I had expected. We seemed to be heading for the land at a brisk pace. He seemed calmness personified and then I saw why; there was a large gap between two headlands where a mighty river flowed out. He was heading for the river which would take us to Lake Ladoga and the next part of our journey. We steered towards the right bank and I saw that the ships coming the other way took the opposite side of the river. There was understanding and compromise amongst these disparate peoples. They had found a way to work together for the good of all.

  Thor came over to me. “I will find the ship we are seeking and berth next to it and then it will be up to you and young Eric to give the Captain Folke’s instructions.”

  I nodded and went forrard to speak with Eric. “You have made a copy of the merchant’s instructions?”

  The eager youth showed me the two documents which looked identical. Fortunately Folke’s ring mark was an easy one to copy. My own, which was a rearing horse was a complex one and difficult to fabricate. I had paid much for it and now I saw the benefit. “Good. Give the original to Ridley for safe keeping.” Giving something to Ridley was like locking it in a steel box; no-one could have it unless Ridley allowed it!

  We found a berth between two low river boats. They were longer than we were and slightly narrower. I would get to know them well soon enough. After we had tied up Thor stepped ashore and Eric and I accompanied him. We left the other two to assemble our gear. The ship he took us to was called The Maiden. I took that to be a good sign for it was wyrd; my home at Topcliffe had been Maiden Bower. We stood on the quayside. “Captain! Ho!”

  Jarl Gunnersson came to the rail. He was a younger man than I had expected for the other two men were much older. He had the lean look of a warrior and I knew, from his title, that he was like me, a lord. His looked every inch a Viking warrior with the clear blue eyes which bored into you. “Are you Thor, from Folke?”

  “I am that.”

  “Stay there and I will come down to speak with you.”

  As he began to descend Thor said, quietly to me. “I have heard of this one but I do not know him. It is said he was a warrior who chose the sea; a fearless and brave captain.”

  “Honest?” He shrugged and I knew that I would have to learn that myself.

  Jarl Gunnar Gunnersson was as tall as me, powerfully built and I watched him appraising me in the same way as he stepped down the gangplank. He put his arm out for Thor. “What do you have for me from our fat friend then?”

  “Furs, Jarl Gunnersson.”

  He rubbed his hands, “Good that means a speedy voyage. Do you have the documents from Folke?”

  Thor gestured to me and I nodded to Eric who handed over the copy he had made. He glanced at me and then read them. Seemingly satisfied he addressed me. “So you two are the representatives of Folke?”

  “We are, I am Aelfraed Godwinson and this is Eric Sweynson.”

  He gave me a quick look, obviously recognising the name, but said nothing. He reread the papers. “He must trust you, especially after his last man betrayed him.”

  “Were you the captain of the boat?”

  His eyes narrowed and flashed anger for a brief moment. “No, but it was a friend of mine who was the captain and if I ever catch the whoreson who robbed him, I will cut his black and treacherous heart out.” I nodded, understanding the feelings. “How many men do you bring?”

  “There are two more.”

  “How many would you say we needed Jarl Gunnersson for this is my first voyage to Miklagård?”

  “I have some rowers, tough men but the Pechengs were a little lively the last time we passed through their lands. Their chief, Kurya, is seeking to enlarge his wealth at our expense.”

  Thor looked surprised. “I thought the Pechengs were allies of the Emperor.”

  “They were until the Emperor and all his guards were slaughtered at Manzikert.” My face showed my surprise. “You did not know?” I shook my head. “The Emperor Romanos was defeated by the Turk and all of his guards were slaughtered. There is a new Emperor, Michael Doukas.” He gave me a shrewd look. “Do you still wish to travel?”

  “As I am going to enlist in the Varangian I would think that I will be even more welcome now that the Emperor has no warriors left.”

  He smiled for the first time. “A man who is not afraid of the Norns; I like it. To answer your question, if you are as good as your reputation then another six warriors would suffice.” He tapped his nose. “And it would save you money eh Saxon?”

  I shrugged. “Money is not an issue. Would you come with me to choose the men? You may know them and you will have a better idea of the type of fellow we need.”

  “Aye.” He turned to Thor. “Have your men put the cargo here by the side of the ship and we will load it when I return.” He turned to Eric and me. “Come we will peruse the sweepings of Ladoga to find some likely men.”

  There was a roughly built hut outside which men were lounging. From the steaming cauldrons at the back and the heady smell of barley and hops I deduced that it was an alehouse. We wandered along the groups of men who were standing there, some were drinking some were asleep and some watched us carefully. Gunnersson drew us to one side. “I know some of these and others I do not. I will point out the ones I believe I can trust but the decision to hire is yours. But I ask you to remember this, Aelfraed Godwinson; the men you choose must be able to fight from a ship or on land and be able to carry large weights. Many warriors deign to do such manual labour.” His tone suggested that I might be one.

  I laughed, “Do not worry about my men and me; we have toiled long and hard with our hands and we can fight anywhere.”

  He seemed satisfied, “Good.” We wandered back to view the men. None of them had mail; most had leather jerkins and trousers, most had a shield or buckler and all carried an axe or a sword. I suppose it made sense that they would not need a spear and I wondered if I would get to use Boar Splitter again. He looked down the line and he pointed at a huge man who was drinking with a man half his size. “Those two are reliable and are old friends. The big one is called Hammer for that is his chosen weapon and the smaller one is Stig. They served a lord who went a-Viking and they were the only two to return. You may like them for they hate the Normans.”

  I gave a smile, I liked them already. “The smaller one, he can row?”

  “He is small but powerfully built. He can row.”

  “Then let us hire them.”

  We walked over to them and I nodded to Eric. He was the negotiator. He coughed for he was nervous and shuffled a little. When he spoke his voice seemed a little reedy and thin. “We are seeking men to guard a cargo and to row down to Miklagård. Are you interested?”

  The smaller one, Stig, wiped his mouth. “Pay or a share?”

  I spoke, “Which would you prefer Stig?”

  “Pay.”

  I nodded. “I will give you half now and half when we reach Miklagård.”

  “How much?”

  Eric and I had put money in various purses and I took out the second smallest one and threw it to him. “For two.” He opened it and, without looking at the Hammer, nodded. So he made all the decisions. “Get your gear on board, it is the Maiden.”

  They g
rinned, “Aye we know Captain Gunnersson, “he looked directly at me, “but we don’t know you yet, my lord.”

  “I am Aelfraed Godwinson, from England.” The look they exchanged told me they had heard of my name. They nodded as though satisfied and they hoisted their bags, finished their ale and sauntered down the quayside. The other four all chose a share of the profits but they seemed sound men. There was Ulf who was nothing like my old master in the Housecarls, this one was a surly unpleasant man with a constant scowl upon his face but the Captain assured me that he was a fierce man in a fight and a hard worker. We were going to work not to party so I took him. Then there was Harald, a young Norwegian who had served Hadrada. I did not know if he had been at Stamford but that was in the past anyway; he looked honest enough and he was a well made man. Olaf was the opposite of Ulf and had a perpetual grin on his face. He too was, apparently a good warrior but his background was vague and he told us he had sailed around for some years, despite his youth, and finally there was Pig. He had a proper name but we never discovered it for he looked like a pig, even down to the squat nose and he was fat. He did not seem to mind the name everyone used but he did like his food. His other skill, which emerged later, was that he was a good cook.

  By the time we had returned to the Maiden the cargo was ready for loading. Jarl Gunnersson took over. “You men stack your gear over there; we will load that when the cargo is in.” He then proceeded to have all the bales of furs placed precisely in the right place. There was a hold beneath the rowing deck into which he had the precious cargo placed. It was hard work and even Eric was used for he was small enough to fit into the corners of the tight hold. I would not have liked to endure it long for it was dark and felt like a grave to me. Eventually the Captain was satisfied and I saw that he had left just enough space on the top for our gear. He grinned at me. “When you and your men need your weapons they will have to be handy. Now get some food for we will be sailing when the tide returns.” Although Ladoga was some way inland it still enjoyed the effects of the sea.