Page 86 of The Refuge

“Aye, I suppose we must.”

Catrìona felt a sudden wave of relief wash over her. In truth, she had been concerned for her brother and Angus. She did not know how many of the Northmen guarded the ship, but however many there were, they would be well armed with swords, battleaxes and knives.

* * *

Steinar crept up behind Angus where he waited with Catrìona’s brother, watching the longship. Not wanting to startle them, he spoke in a quiet voice. “You are not alone, Angus. ’Tis Steinar and Colbán come to help you rescue the lass.”

To his credit, Angus did not jump but merely looked over his shoulder and smiled. “Ye’re most welcome, lads. I was beginning to think I should go fer help.”

Niall dipped his head to Steinar and the king’s captain.

“How many?” whispered Colbán.

“At least five or six on the longship with the raven banner,” replied Niall.

“We’ve seen none on the other,” said Angus, “but we canna be certain.”

Steinar said, “Some of us must get around to the other side so we can come at them from both directions. I will take Niall and go around, crossing where the trees lie close to the path.” He was determined to keep Catrìona’s brother with him where he could keep him from danger.

When the sun was halfway below the horizon, he and Niall managed to cross over the path to wait next to the longship belonging to the brothers, Paul and Erlend. A quick glance over the side told him there was no guard on the deck. The ship with the raven banner lay between this one and the king’s ship.

Steinar waved to Colbán, the signal they had agreed upon, and silently crept toward the longship where Catrìona had seen the woman. The king’s captain and Angus approached from the other side. As Steinar neared the guarded ship, he heard a conversation in Gaelic.

“He means to ransom the girl,” said one with a husky voice.

“Might have at one time,” said another in a lecherous tone, “But I think he’s changed his mind. Ivar would have her for himself. She is the mormaer’s daughter, after all. But ’tis going to be a cold night once the sun is down and I could do with a woman’s warm flesh. What say ye we sample the goods?”

“A fool’s thought,” said Husky. “For that, Ivar would unman ye. He might share the plunder, but never the women he takes. Besides, this one is still virgin. As long as he thought to ransom her, he did not touch her. He would know if ye were to take her first.”

Seeing Colbán and Angus move into position, Steinar gave the signal and the four of them bounded over the sides of the ship. As his feet touched the deck, Steinar drew his sword. The steel hissed as it left the scabbard.

Husky and Lecherous leapt to their feet, yanking their swords free, the sound of sliding steel ringing in the air. Three other men, lying on the deck, roused from sleep to grab axes and long knives.

“We come for the girl,” said Steinar. “She is not your master’s to take. She is a Gael and one of ours.”

“Ye’ll not have her,” said Husky, who Steinar now saw to be a large muscled Northman with long scraggly hair and beard.

“As you wish,” said Steinar, drawing his short sword from his hip to add to his raised sword.

The one Steinar had dubbed Lecherous—a thin weasel of a man—lunged at him from several feet away. Before his blade struck, Niall let fly his arrow. It sank into the man’s neck. The Northman made a choking sound and fell to the deck clutching the arrow.

“One down,” said Niall with a smile.

Rhodri would be proud, but Steinar could not allow the youth to remain in the fray. The remaining Northmen charged toward them as Steinar shouted to Niall, “Go to the prow! ’Tis a better place to shoot.”

The youth obeyed as Steinar fought off the enraged Husky. Behind him, Steinar heard the sounds of other swords clashing. The Northman swung his sword, slicing through air as Steinar stepped to the side, avoiding the bulky man’s blade.

“Ye look like a Dane,” said Husky, “but ye do not fight like one.”

“You face an Englishman in King Malcolm’s service,” he said as he beat back the man’s sword and took a slice out of Husky’s unmailed sword arm. “The last man you will see before death.”

With an oath, the Northman backed off and leapt over the side of the ship and ran into the woods. To his master, most likely.

One was dead and one had fled but there were still three to dispose of. The battle erupted into a clash of metal and men’s grunts as the three remaining Northmen fought like cornered animals. The sun was beginning to set and it became more difficult to see. The ropes and tools left on the deck made the footing treacherous and, more than once, Steinar stumbled. Still, he and his two companions fought on, seeking mastery over their opponents.

One of the Northmen stepped on the tent and a shriek sounded, telling Steinar the lass was inside and afraid. “Stay down, Deidre!” he shouted, hoping she would draw comfort from his use of her name.

For a time, he and Colbán fought back to back until one of the Northmen lunged toward Niall who stood in the prow nocking another arrow. Steinar raced across the deck and blocked the sword aimed at Catrìona’s brother. The Northman turned from the archer to engage Steinar and the fighting continued.