7) At Dawns First Light

We attack at dawn!

"Listen up!" the captain yelled.

Forty men gathered. A few continued side conversations in muted voices while a few others yelled for quiet. I chuckled, knowing that there were about to be far more men demanding quiet than there ever were side conversations.

We stood on the shore of an island, perhaps an hour from our target. Fisherman occasionally overnighted here but our scouts confirmed that tonight it lay empty, save us. We had taken two drakkars with light crews in each, allowing plenty of room for plunder.

"Let's go over the plan one last time," he continued, "get where you can see." He'd drawn a rough map in the dirt at his feet.

"We'll sail north into the bay. Uli, Jens, Lars, and Bjarni will guard the boars. You have a horn. If any ship enters the bay, you blow that horn and start getting our boats ready to leave in a hurry. Understood?"

They nodded. Two of them were older but still insisted upon campaigning, and two were wounded but too proud to stay behind.

"Some of you may remember this village. We tried to trade here last year, and they were more interested in insulting us and The Gods than they were in peaceful trading. Today we see if The White Christ truly protects them. But their god is weak in the north! Today, Odin will show them true power!"

Several men grunted their approval, prompting several more to demand quiet, while making even more noise.

"There is a stream that opens into the bay." He pointed to the map on the ground. "We'll land here. The village is about a ten-minute walk upstream and to the west. Between the village and the bay is all marsh, so we will walk on the eastern bank and cross when we get close. The stream is less than knee deep."

"Johan and Johan," he pointed at two quick, lanky men we called The Twins, "there is a hill to the east, about five minutes from the stream. I want you two as lookouts on top of the hill. If you see anything, you start blowing that horn. Remember, you're not there to fight. You're there to warn us. Stay unseen."

"There is a path that runs east to west through the village. Rolf and Oli, you'll be my lookouts where the path crosses the stream. I don't want you looking into the village. I want you looking away, up the path towards the hill. Again, your job is to stay out of sight and blow the horn if there's trouble coming."

"Inland, to the north of the village, is forested. Sven and Olaf, I want you to go around the village by way of the forest. When you get back to the path on the other side, I want you to walk two minutes to the west, away from the village. Guard that path, stay out of sight, and blow the horn if anyone comes up the path."

"Rollo, you and your men will also take the forest around the village. When you get to the path, the eight of you will turn back to the village. When we attack, your job is to prevent anyone from fleeing. They'll be running away from us, and you'll be a nasty surprise for them. Use the bows to shoot them as they're running and your axes for any who the arrows don't take down. Good hunting."

"Bjorn, there is a pasture and a stable on the northern edge of the village, between it and the forest. You, Leif, Thorgils, and Ivar will also go through the forest. But when you get to the pasture, stop. When the fighting starts, I want you to make your way to the barn. Your job is to prevent anyone from taking a horse and going for help. It's a two hour walk to the next village, but if they're on a horse they could cut that time in half. Don't kill the horses unless you have to; they'll fetch a good price from Earl Haakan down in the Dane lands."

"For the rest of us," he gestured at the twenty plus men who had not been assigned elsewhere, "we should have a minimum of four hours. We attack at dawns first light. Half of you with bows and half with axes. Not a word until we attack. Then, let them know you're there. Strike fear into their hearts! Burn the first two huts, those are the poorest families in the village. Kill those you must but remember, everyone you kill is one that doesn't end up in the slave pens. The rest of the village will burn after we search it. Four hours, men. That's how much time we have. Four hours. By the time the sun reaches its zenith, we want to be in the boats and rowing."

"If the boats are split up, or if we have to fight our way back to the beach for some reason, then we meet back at this island. If your drakkar arrives first, and it is safe, wait 24 hours for the other. If it isn't safe, or after 24 hours, return back to Jomsborg."

"Questions?"

One of The Twins asked "How do we know when to leave the hill?"

"I'll have the last horn. When we leave the village, I'll blow it three times. Uli, that will also mean it's time for you to get the boats ready."

"Who is in charge if you are killed?"

"I'm not going to be killed." He smiled and continued, "but if I am, Stori will finish the attack."

There were a few other questions but nothing substantial. We all knew the plan. This review was designed to make sure it was fresh in our minds and that we didn't forget anything in the heat of battle. The tactics were sound. These same ideas had been used by the Greeks, the Romans, the Huns, and who knows who else before us. We just modernized them. In the actual battle, who knows what chaos Loki might throw at us? But when we go Viking, that chaos is our ally. Let the villagers fear the chaos; and let them fear us.

Each man knew his job, and each man knew everyone else's job. The roles usually changed from one raid to the next. Something as simple as twisting your ankle on the way to the village could mean you had to go back to the boats and one of those men would take your place.

Those assigned as lookouts would get a full share of the plunder. Many men liked this because it meant they were far less likely to be killed. None of us feared death, but none were in a rush to enter Valhalla. It can wait for another day. On the other hand, many men would rather fight. Some of them still felt the need to prove themselves. Some simply enjoyed the raping and pillaging that came with the attack. When you'd been on a boat for weeks or months on end, and you suddenly see a woman and your blood is already up, you take her, and you don't concern yourself with details like what she looks like or getting her father's approval. Most of the time the ones hiding in the huts were weak and didn't put up much fight. If they were capable of resistance, they'd probably already grabbed a weapon and weren't hiding in a hut in the first place. There was also tremendous pride to be the man emerging from the hut holding up valuables. We might all share, but you were the one who found them. There's deep satisfaction in that.

For now, though, the men were all nervous. So was I. No matter how many battles you face, anyone who doesn't have some apprehension is inhuman, or a fool. And fools don't live long in battle. The men began their own rituals. Some couldn't stop talking from their excitement. Some prayed. Others sharpened axe heads which were already sharp or checked that their bowstrings were still dry despite having just checked. Many sat in silence, looking inward for whatever gave them courage.

Finally, the captain gave the word. "To the boats!"

It was time.

We arrived in the dark and made our way to the point where the trail and the stream met. There, we waited, while the various security elements made their way into position. The sky lightened from black to navy blue and kept getting lighter. The morning mist crept in out of the marsh. Finally, just as the village fowl began their clucking, we entered the village. A raven flew before us and perched upon a leafless branch. Perhaps he wanted an unobstructed view?

Someone handed me a torch, and I lit the thatch on one of the poor huts on the edge of the village. Once I was satisfied that the roof was thoroughly ablaze, I opened the door, yelled Odin in a guttural voice, and threw the torch at a pile of animal skins which probably held the sleeping family.

There was no point in quiet now. Chaos reigned. We were the ominous sight every village feared. Viking raiders wielding axe and sword, with death to all who resist. Men, young and old alike, emerged from their huts to form a futile resistance. A few swung axes; many brandished mere farm implements. I didn't notice a man with a bow until his arrow imbedded itself in my shield. That was not part of the battle plan! They weren't supposed to have bows!

Fortunately, we had bows, too. Our arrows sunk into undefended flesh as the villagers ran. Some yelled "run for your lives" while others yelled "to me!" Those who would fight were too late. The slaughter had begun. The men who emerged mostly stood their ground and endured the slashing and hacking and killing. Their blood spilled into the ground. Our men joined them. I watched a man with a hoe plant it in the skull of a colleague whose name I hadn't even learned yet. Next to him a man scowled and swung a weapon at anything that moved. Yesterday, a shovel; today battle metal. The eagles would feast today.

The villagers put up far more resistance than we expected. These men were supposed to submit, but they were Norsemen too, even if not warriors. The captain finally understood and bellowed "forget slaves, kill them all!"

The villagers could not resist our force. No man survived. Those who attempted to flee were cut down by the men on the far side of the village. Those who stood fast met our main force. It mattered not how hard they fought. To a man, they all fell. No one yelled to stop. In the end, we stood alone, merely a group of bloody Vikings, panting like dogs, but with no one left to face us. All was not well, however. Our captain still stood on his feet but had a horrid wound in his neck where one of the villagers chopped at him with a butcher's knife. The villager now dined in Odin's hall, but the captain may soon join him.

We searched every house for valuables; food, coins, any jewelry or anything with any craftsmanship. Most of the wealth of the village was in its food. There were also a handful of women and children hiding in their huts while their fathers and brothers died. The women paid the same price defeated women pay the world over. We blew the horn thrice to signal our scouts. Then they and the children were roped together and led to the boats. Their last sight of home would be smoke in the sky and smoldering ruins.

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