Viking Legend Read Online Free PDF Page B

wizard, Jarl. I envy you not only your sword but the warriors and men you have around you.”
    “We are brothers all.”
    “I can see that.” He looked through the door of his hall and said, “I see your drekar approaches.  Farewell.  Consider me an ally and a friend now. We will trade, as I promised, and I will ensure that any news of your traitor reaches you. I will gather the oil and the seal skins for the arrival of your knarr.”
    I clasped his arm, “May this be the beginning of a long friendship, Thorfinn Blue Scar.”
    As we headed south Aiden was much taken with the torc. “This needs the minds of both Kara and myself.  Perhaps Elfrida too.  This was worn by a woman and her spirit resides within. It is ancient and has stories buried deep within it.”
    I left him to it.  Haaken approached me, “We made little from the fight, Jarl.  We might only have lost one Ulfheonar and two warriors but we do not go back rich.” He waved an arm at the new men.  I could see that they were not as happy as they might have been. Those who had never sailed with me before looked especially unhappy.
    “Would you have us raid?”
    He brightened, “I could do with something stirring for a new saga.  If we spy out something suitable then why not?”
    I nodded.  He was right. “Erik, keep us close to the coast and have Karl and Cnut Cnutson keep an eye out for a place to raid.”
    Aiden placed the precious torc in his chest and brought his charts over. “I only have a little information about the places here in the islands. There was a monastery here, on the island of Hí but it was raided by Vikings and the monks fled to Hibernia.” His eye was drawn to a red dot on the chart. “Ah, that is interesting.  Alt Clut.”
    “What is that?” Haaken joined me as we looked over Aiden’s shoulders.
    “It is a castle which is high on a cliff. I have heard the name before. You remember that wizard we heard of, Myrddyn or Merlin, he was there once.”
    I nodded, “He was something to do with the warlord was he not?  The one who was my ancestor?”
    “Aye he was. Well I read in some of the writings we found in Ynys Mon that he stayed there and they were attacked by the men of Northumbria.  He used magic to defeat them.  It is said he flew from the tower and their enemies fled in fear.”
    “That does not mean there will be treasure there.  That is just a story, Aiden. I cannot believe that a man could fly”
    I looked to the south east, “True Haaken but perhaps we were meant to go there.”
    “But you go for a legend! A story of magic!”
    “You of all people should know the value of such stories. Your sagas will be sung long after we are in Valhalla. Does that mean they are not true? Was not my sword touched by the Gods yet will men believe that in the future? I would see this rock and this castle.  We will be cautious but I believe we were meant to visit.”
    Erik said, “What course do I sail?”
    Aiden suddenly jumped as though he had been stung. “We are meant to go there, Jarl.” He jabbed the map with his finger.  We have to sail south, then north and then east.  But we have to sail close to Dyrøy.  It is one of the lairs of Magnus the Foresworn.”
    Even Haaken could not argue, “It is wyrd !”
    We reached the island of Dyrøy just after noon.  It was as Thorfinn had said, a desolate and bare island.  We saw a settlement and we pulled ashore.  It was deserted. The bones which littered the ruined huts could have been animal or human.  Importantly, there was no sign of a palisade or a ditch. Magnus must have chosen it for its isolation.
    I turned to Aiden.  “There is a large rock there fetch it over.” As he did so I said to Haaken, “We will leave a message for Magnus the Foresworn. Mark on the stone that Jarl Dragonheart was here and no place is safe for him.  Tell him we will hunt him down.”
    Haaken used his seax to carve out the runes on the flat piece of stone.  He had almost