Forchafn
The day dawns with the raucous cawing of a bright-eyed raven sitting upon the roof of the hall in Forchafn where most have snatched a precious few hours rest. Some guess it to be the fetch of Saeric Raven’s Cloak, the Woden Priest from the Osprey. Their suspicions are confirmed when it takes flight and heads eastward over the sea (a strange course for a raven). A few hours later the Osprey and the Blue Fish make their way into the now crowded little harbour.
The Brimwisas decide that the Geats should stay awhile and use Forchafn as a base to rest themselves and tend their wounded – of whom there are more than a score. It is thought wise, if they are to stay a while, to explore their environs and gather news of the main body of the Geatish army. Thus the Spearhafoc is dispatched north along the coast. Meanwhile, pairs of scouts are sent on foot to the north, the south and the west.
The rest see to the wounded, explore the small settlement and gather together those things that seem of value to add to the goodly pile of silver taken from the slain after the battle at sea. They also tend to the needs of the slaves they have freed. Ruric takes the lead on this as the man who has most experience of such things. Most are in a dwam, capable of little more than obeying orders and staring into the distance or at their own feet. Some are in a worse state and cannot move their limbs or take food for themselves, a few seem dangerously mad and these are locked up for their own good. However, there are some score who seem to be coming out of their seith-torpor and show the light of awareness in their eyes.
Freed Slaves
Amongst the fully “aware” there appear to be two outstanding warriors: Ealread was a Thegn’s hearthguard; Leodmar was a mercenary shipguard; both are East Geats. They are experienced shieldwall men.
There is a tall, well built man who is black as night and comes from the lands where men’s skins are charred by the sun. His name seems to be something like Chidi. He speaks very little but seems to have some passive understanding of the tongue of the North. He picks up three daroth and throws them, each landing them within a hand’s breadth of each other. He grabs a spear and a light shield and make some passes which are eccentric to Geatish eyes but look effective.
A Dane called Odard claims to know his way around a shieldwall (though he really likes an axe). A strange, cheerful little man called Miska who you guess is Swami is disappointed that you don’t have a spare bow but can certainly throw a daroth. He doesn’t speak much Geatish but says he is “good, sneak, sneak, sneak.” A Small-lander called Puttoc (an ekename no doubt because he does look like a frog, with long arms, bandy legs and a wide grin) also claims to be a scout. He too would like a bow (and some arrows) but will settle for a sling.
A Wend called Jurgis says proudly in broken Northern that he was the master of his own ship until it was taken by these accursed pirates. If you can take him home his family will see you honoured and rewarded. There is a young man called Sigulf who is a Saxon from the south shore of Britannia. He has an older brother, and a cousin from the old country who have yet to shake off the torpor of the Seith-brew.
The strangest of the rescued is Hildegund. She was not used as an oar-slave but kept separately – perhaps for ransom, perhaps for some darker purpose. She is remarkably tall and buxom and outstandingly beautiful, though somewhat harsh-voiced. You have little doubt that she is what she claims to be – a Frankish princess and some kind of priestess. She quickly demands the return of her amulet and some other strange items found in the gifting chest. Such is the power of her will that none think to deny her. Her amulet, a silver cross on a fine silver chain depicts some strange hanging man (Woden perhaps, but before he gave up his eye for wisdom). She puts it around her neck and starts muttering some galdor over it. She then proceeds to give orders that no-one thinks to refuse and more or less takes over the care of the wounded and the less aware slaves. She has an older acolyte called Adele who is clearly not all there yet but who responds to her voice to do simple tasks. She also shows especial care to a younger woman who is one of those in a fugue state.
The Blue Fish Sails
In the mid-morning the wind-direction changes and backs from the north-east to the north-west and Beorthulf of the Blue Fish approaches the other Brimwisas with a proposal. With the change in wind-direction he believes he could reach the southern tip of the Isle of the Weather Geats in little over a day and reach a harbour there that he knows. There he could obtain stores – particularly arrows, most of which have been expended during the battle – and with luck perhaps more men and ships. He could take the Eowan captives of whom they had taken a score or so in Forchafn and sell them to obtain the silver. He would take a few of the oar-slaves to help speed the ship, but Thegn Osgar insists that their reward must not be to be re-sold into slavery. So the Blue Fish sets sail into the East.
The Nicor
It is later that morning that men searching the hall discover a trap door. It was already known that a stream ran under the hall from end to end. There was well at the west end of the main hall that tapped into it. This trap was downstream, at the eastern end. Lighting his Saetur-runed torch and accompanied by Leofdag and Svipdag, Lytelman descends into the passage below, which opens up into a small chamber. There they find a woman, sorely wounded, with a gaping bloody hole where had been her left eye. Lytelman stares gaping for a moment but Leofdag behind him whispers, “It is the Nicor!”. The woman raises her hands – a finger missing from one of them – and implores mercy of the Thegn, promising riches were he to spare her life. But the Thegn has no mercy in him for a Nicor that has killed one of his men and threatened his ship. He draws his runemarked saex and thrusts it into her heart. Her head is struck from her body and added, along with the corse of the witch, to the pyre prepared for One-Foot upon one of the Eowan craft.
Report from the South
The first of the scouts returns from the south a little after midday. Herefrith and Herewulf had made their way through a couple of leagues of rough country to come to a high point, looking down upon a large bay. En route they had encountered little habitation and few folk – just a couple of goat boys tending their charges who paid them little mind. Looking down into the bay they could see a large natural harbour, separated into inner and outer portions by a long shingle bar and surmised from Ruric’s description that this might be Sikvarp. The inner harbour was full of Eowan ships. Herewulf estimated at least forty of them, implying a force of at least 500 warriors and the same again of oar-slaves. There was much activity in the settlement and as they watched, they saw groups of men and beasts of burden carrying supplies and materials wending their way up the slope to the south-west. Thinking that this was important news to convey, the scouts made haste back to the Forchafn.
Report from the North
Towards the end of the day Beornfrith and Leofric return with word from the North. They had followed the coast northwards, skirting places of small habitation. Most had the look of fishing villages although there were a few that might have been pirate harbours, but nothing of great note and no significant activity. In the early afternoon as they began to think on when they should start back, they saw a column of smoke to the West, up the slope towards the spine of the island. They climbed to investigate and found a recently burnt out steading of some size. There were fresh corpses and most of the buildings had been put to the torch, though being stone-built in the main the damage was limited. There was no-one alive. After this they followed what seemed to be a well-beaten track along the ridge, encountering occasional burnt out farm and more dead bodies but nothing alive. At around the point that they were spying out the best path to take down to the east to find Forc-hafn, they saw another column of smoke ahead along the ridge. Again they crept forward to find that once more they were looking at a large burnt out settlement. They followed a trail from there eastwards and it led down more or less directly to Forc-hafn.
One-Foot’s Farewell
That evening One Foot was set upon one of the captured Eowan boats, dressed in his byrnie, his sword upon his breast. At his feet were the bodies of both the witch that slew him and the nicor, heads struck off and laid between their thighs. Around him was laid kindling soaked in some of the captured tar. It was set alight and towed by the Black Pig to the open sea where it drifted ablaze until it sank below waves to its final resting.
Return of the Spearhafoc
Shortly after dawn the Spearhafoc is spotted at last upon the northern horizon and reaches Forchafn but an hour or two later. Wistan Wulfinga speaks for them as they tell their tale.
It was barely past dawn when the Spearhavoc put out to sea yesterday morn. It was crewed by six of its original prize-crew who had not sustained serious injury in the battle, along with Wistan and his fellow West Geat Tohrwulf. Saefrith proudly resumed his place as Brimwisa – despite the sea-risk still wearing his byrnie. By common consent the helm was taken by Leofgyth a Weather Geatish waelcyrige. The only other of the Weather Geats fit to travel was a geoguth called Maccus – a good seaman but very young. Frithogyth, another West Geat and a bowman (with but three shafts to his name), and Sighere an East Geat all originally from the Osprey made up their numbers. All showed the signs of recent battle and mistreatment but could run up a sail or pull an oar well-enough.
They took a station a mile or so off the coast. This gave them enough sea-room to flee should they be assailed but afforded Wistan at the masthead an excellent view of the shore. They need not have concerned themselves. The coast was far from deserted, with frequent small settlements and the occasional in-shore fishing-boat, but they were never afforded so much as a hostile glance. Indeed on a few occasions they were offered friendly waves by the natives. The bare stony terrain continued to sweep up westwards to a prominent ridge. Wistan could make out at least three larger settlements sky-lined up there.
It was hard work for the crew. The wind direction offered no assistance so every mile had to be rowed. A mid-morning shift of the wind to a more north-westerly point had Leofgyth cursing, for it promised a more difficult return to Forchafn yet was no help to them on their current course. Maccus grinned and said that she could take them home to Isle of the Weather Geats with this breeze. “We could be eating fish stew in Wisby before nightfall”, he said. Leofgyth just scowled at him.
The sun was well over its highest point when there was change in the terrain, as the rocks and scrub gave way to forest. “We are coming to the northern point of Eowland,” she said. “The island ends in a great round, sheltered bay with a narrow, north-facing entrance, high rocky arms thrown around it to the east and west. This is where I think the main fleet was headed. It offers safe anchorage for many ships. It was here that King Eadhils and his Geatish allies based themselves last year. There is a settlement on the south shore of the bay called Greydameswic, nestled into the forest. They razed it when they left but I daresay it was re-occupied and unless things have gone very awry it will once more be in the hands of the Geats.” Sighere nods at this for he was there too. “I remember the spooky forests. The locals called them the Trollwoods and would not enter them without rituals to appease those that live there. Men who went in there hunting or gathering firewood oft-times did not return”.
The Spearhafoc was now at the southern edge of a wide, sweeping bay running northwards with a sharp cape at the northern end. Tucked into its shelter and straight ahead on their current heading was a broad strand, crammed with small ships drawn up beyond the water line. It looked like they had rediscovered the Eowan fleet they had encountered yesterday. More troubling, on the horizon yet further to the north, Wistan could make out the spiralling of smoke – smoke of a quantity that was unlikely to mark campfires on a warm day in early summer.
Leofgyth pointed out that with the change in the wind direction, now was really the time to be heading for Forchafn if they wanted to reach it before the dusk. However, Wistan felt strongly that they should discover what was occurring in the bay if they could. So they rowed onwards past the the beached Eowan boats along a rocky headland that curved away north and then west, maintaining a safe distance from the shore lest there be shoals or hidden rocks. As they continued around they could see a gap in the rock wall and beyond a deep round bay. However, it was guarded by at least two large Geatish longships crammed with warriors some of whom had bows, if the flights of arrows directed at them was anything to go by. Wistan thought it wise not to engage them – the rewards outweighing the risks of friendly fire, for they were clearly jumpy, and the Spearhafoc could easily be taken for an Eowan craft.
However, from the vantage point of the masthead Wistan could see fires blazing on the far side of the bay where the Geatish fleet would be drawn up, and not a few of them. Having learnt this, the crew of the Spearhafoc raised the sail and took the north-easterly away from that place. Concerned not to encounter the returning Eowan fleet they stood well out to sea and hove-to for the short hours of darkness. That night they saw a glow on the north-western horizon and guessed that they might be viewing the last spark of One Foot, for it was in much the direction that Leofgyth guessed Forchafn to lie. In the morning, so it proved.
Report from the West
In the mid-morning the two scouts sent to the West trailed into Forchavn. They were Osprey men of considerable experience hight Frithewald and Saxulf – a grim and ill-favoured pair they were, but skilled at their craft. It seems that they had chanced on the fringes of Wiglaf’s camp and met a couple of Geatish scouts there. Being crafty and cautious, they did not say whence they came but allowed these fellows to believe that they too had come from the Geatish host. They shared a campfire with them, the better to glean news of what was afoot with the main army.
It seems that Wiglaf had entered the bay as Leofgyth had surmised and had lost no time in re-sacking Graydameswic – still devastated after Eadhil’s visit less than a year earlier. He then took the most part of his army leaving a small group of shipguards and two patrol ships and marched down the spine of the island, sacking steadings as they went. From the tops they could look down on both coasts and after they sacked the third they could see down to large settlement on the coast to the West which turned out to be called Bornholm. It looked easy pickings for it had no wall or palisade. However, when they tried to assault it was found to be surrounded by a maze of thorn hedges. Geats trying to penetrate it found themselves trapped and slain by Eowan who knew their way through the thickets. Some survivors swore that the briars themselves had attacked them. Thrice they had tried to penetrate the thickets and thrice they had been repelled at great loss of Geatish life, with unknown Eowan casualties – perhaps none.
There was much bitterness in the camp regarding a Thegnby the name of Osgar, who had subverted a significant fraction of the Geatish fleet to go off, who knows where, to raid upon his own account. Its seems that Wiglaf has vowed vengeance on this greedy, cowardly fellow and will push for a sentence of outlawry upon this himat the next moot if he does not fall directly into his hands before then. Eorl Sighere was one of those who died leading an assault upon the hedge-wall. His sister-son, Stithwulf, has also sworn to make this Osgar pay. For it seems that his uncle had generously gifted this upstart thegn a ship that he might be his own man in the Geatish muster, only for him to desert the host at its very hour of need to pursue his own agenda.
Return of the Eowan Fleet
As midday nears the lookouts report ships approaching from the north. They look to be Eowan craft and from the number they surmise them to be the fleet returning from the raid on the Geats in Graydameswic. As they pass, a couple divert from their course to come close to Forchafn and call out greetings, asking for “Yrsa”. The Geats do their best to dissemble but it is clear to the Eowan that there is something amiss and they back off. They intercept more of their consorts coming from the north and when the rest of the fleet move on three ships remain, joined shortly after by a fourth coming up from the south.
What to do?
Thegn Osgar’s instinctive response to this turn of events is that they should launch an immediate attack on Sikvarp. He rallies his men with a rousing speech, giant-wrought axe in hand, wearing his Ingwe-blessed helm wrought of boar tusks and many are the cheers and cries of agreements.
However, there are some dissenting voices. At first it seemed they might be drowned out in the wave of enthusiasm for action engendered by Lytelman’s brave and passionate call to arms. Herewulf’s assertion that if they wanted to go ahead with an attack he would volunteer to take a meesaage across to Wiglaf’s camp met with widespread scorn and derision.
However, level heads persisted with questioning designed to highlight the folly of this course of action. There were but three score and ten men amongst the Geats fit to wield a shield and spear. Sober assessments of the Eowan strength guessed at anything up to 1000 warriors, combining what Herefrith and Herewulf reported and the sure knowledge that over forty further Eowan ships had passed them going south. How could any advantage of surprise be obtained? They must march five miles through unfamiliar rough country, to make an attack by land, while they would certainly be seen from afar should they go by sea. How could they counter the Eowan witches? What of the wounded and mind-sick – could they just be left behind with no guard?
As it became increasingly clear that there were no answers to these reasonable questions, the enthusiasm for an all-out assault on a prepared position waned. Instead it became more a debate between those who proposed that they simply see to their defence and await events and those determined that something must be done. For the latter, led by Lytelman and Wistan Wulfinga, possibly swayed by the news that their names were being spoken with scorn in the Geatish camp, it seemed important to contribute actively to the war effort and be seen so doing. However, the counter argument put forward by the “wait and see” viewpointput by Eoppa was that simply by being there, they were a threat to the Eowan, that could not be ignored.
Eventually, Eoppa concedes to the sentiment running against him and asks instead, what they have in mind. Further discussion leads to a proposal for a two-pronged action. The Osprey, as their largest ship, will set forth with a packed crew and try to capture or sink as many of the four watching ships as possible. Meanwhile a reconnaissance in strength will leave Forchafn on foot and attempt to work its way south with a view to finding out more about what is occurring around Siksvarp and where they are sending the stores and equipment that Herefrith and Herewulf had seen being moved. Meanwhile, those left in Forchafn wil spend their efforts on improving the defensibility of the settlement by dragging up captured Eowan boats and making barricades of them. These courses of action receive the assent of the moot and reluctantly Eoppa agrees, though it is clear that he retains misgivings.
Ravens and Seagulls
So the Osprey is readied for a swift departure from the harbour and its crew reinforced by volunteers from other ships. These include Wistan and Tohrwulf from the Black Pig. At the very last minute, Leofdag, hearing that there iss but one berth left, makes up his mind to go aboard. He carries with him the leather bag with which he was observed returning from the Thunor- shrine by the Wasterwic.
Meanwhile a band of a dozen of their best scouts including Herewulf and Herefrith assemble to the south of the village. Frithewald and Saxulf, who agreed with Eoppa about the futility of the exercise, choose to sail on the Osprey but Miska the Swami, Chidi the tall Afric, and Frithogyth a bowman from the Spearhafoc went with them. Due to a general lack of arrows it was decided that they would not take bows but arm themselves with slings and daroth.
Such arrows as they have are consolidated and given to a man called Maethelweald the Halt. He is an excellent bowman and veteran scout but unsuited to the foray. He is posted upon the viewing platform that sits above the western end of the great hall. A few yards from him, roosting upon the summit of the hall roof sit three large, grey-backed gulls. These are common enough birds and no one had paid them much mind. Suddenly there is a raucous crowing and a great raven descends upon them, seizing one in its talons. The other two begin to take wing, but being large birds took a moment to gather themselves. Maethelweald has an arrow to his bow and on instinct looses it at the nearest. Transfixed it falls to the ground. The third gull flaps away to the south. Of the raven and its prey there is now no sign. When Maethelweald looks for his arrow there is no gull to be found, although he did find the shaft.
Shortly after the incident Saeric Raven’s Cloak emerges from the hut he has made his own and has a word with Thegn Osgar. By the Thegn’s order seagulls are no longer tolerated around and are made target practice for slings.
Scouting Southwards
The scouting group are oblivious to all this and scarcely looked up as the screaming seagull flies past them overhead. They set off in a double skirmish line up the slope to the south. Almost immediately they meet resistance, with Eowan slingers popping out from behind rocks and bushes, delivering a shot and then running away upslope. Soon there are few of the party who have not received a bruise or two from the zinging slingshots. It is not without reply, the Geats too have slings and Chidi, the Afric leaps nimbly through the rocks to chase down a couple of the Eowan geoguth and slay them. However, Herewulf and Frithogyth become convinced that they are being deliberately led into an ambush. It is also plain that were this level of resistance to persist they would be unable go very far. As they deliberate a lucky slingshot strikes Beornfrith behind the ear and he goes down like a sack of onions. This makes their decision for them and they retreat, carrying Beornfrith’s prone form. They take a few more glancing slingshots, and Chidi takes bloody revenge upon an Eowan daroth-thrower who strays too close, but they get back to the safety of Forchafn without further loss. It is only once they are there that they look around and realise that Miska is not with them.
The Osprey Sorties
Meanwhile at the harbour the Osprey, packed with the pick of the warriors of Forchafn, fifty in all darts out of the harbour under oar. Hampered by the crowded conditions and an unfamiliar crew, it makes slow start out of the harbour under oars. However, its regular crew get the sail aloft and it fills with the favourable north-westerly breeze, in pursuit of the Eowan ships, now fleeing like frighted deer to the south.
Coming up with the most laggardly of the four they encounter their first surprise. For as they grapple and board her they realise that she is not manned by a dozen warriors and a dozen slaves as has been the custom with previous Eowan craft, but entirely by warriors. Nevertheless, the Geats swarm aboard and begin reaping their deadly harvest. However, those not closely engaged can see the other three ships begin to back oars. If they are similarly crewed they realise the Osprey crew will be in for a fight against twice their number.
Worse is to come. As a second Eowan craft comes into contact on the opposite bow from the first, with two more in close pursuit, those Geats with the leisure to look around them see that rounding a headland but a few furlongs away are more Eowan ships – many more. The north-westerly, once their friend is driving them into the maw of the pursued, now the pursuers, and their new allies.
Eoppa keeps a clear head, calling his warriors back from the first ship where the battle is won – though none have had time to loot the dead or make sure of the wounded – and to cast off from the second. The first is easy enough but the second is resisted fiercely by the Eowan. Seizing the steering oar himself, Eoppa pulls it hard about, calling for the starboard oars to be deployed to turn the ship away from its enemies.
Meanwhile Leofdag Thunor-Priest also mounts the steering platform. He takes the shapeless leather sack he brought aboard and unties the knot that seals it. All at once a stiff breeze seems to emanate from it to fill the sails of the Osprey. At first it but reinforces the north-westerly and takes them more swiftly towards their enemy, but slowly the Osprey begins to turn in a tight circle and pull away from the Eowan ship grappled to their port side. The new heading also thwarts the attacks of the other two guardships, rowing at top speed towards the heading the Osprey was previously upon. As the Osprey begins to pull away the Geats cut the lines to the remaining Eowan ship, now being towed along in their wake, and fend off the other ships with spears and oars, cutting their grapples with axes as soon as they land. Bow pointed back towards Forchafn, sails filled with Leofdag’s maege-wind, the Osprey quickly out-distances the pursuit to reach the safety of the harbour.
As they approach Forchafn, Eoppa vents his rage upon Wistan. “Perhaps we killed a score of Eowan, but we lost seven good warriors to do it and we have several more who will not fight tomorrow or for many days yet. Who, think you, came off best in this encounter? I hope your King will be grateful for our efforts, but all I can see is that we have made ourselves weaker and won nothing for it that was not already achieved simply by our presence here.” Amongst the dead is his long-time companion, the scout Frithewald and his friend and steorsman, Hunstan, is sore wounded with a daroth through his shoulder.
Howling in the Night
That night the Geats hear howling in the night and cries that seem to be of terror, but they come not from their camp so they but strengthen their guard and stare nervously out into the night. In the morning Wistan introduces three strangers to the camp, who he says are scouts from Wiglaf’s camp.