Viking Tribute

Chapter 26: Boathouse

Svana pulled on my sleeve and we went on. She directed me towards the largest boathouse, babbling wildly as usual.

“We use it as a Mead Hall in the summer, when we have many visitors. It can accommodate a great number of us.”

I believed her. The long building resembled the upturned hull of a ship, placed atop three stone walls. Two huge gates opened where the fourth one should have stood, facing the sea. As we stepped through them Svana pointed at Lord Einarr’s boat.

“She is beautiful, isn’t she? She is the largest one on the island. The King of Norway gifted her to Einarr Godi’s father, in acknowledgment of his prowess in battle. Einarr Godi had the second one built in Denmark a few years back.”

I nodded, truly impressed. This was indeed a royal present. The price of such a ship was certainly unaffordable for most men, and owning two was a sign of great wealth. They were worth protecting from the harshness of the winter.

It was dark in the boathouse, and I waited until I could accommodate. I was surprised by the absence of central pillars. The weight of the high roof rested nearly entirely on the walls. It was unusual. There were a few alcoves on the sides, delimited by short, vertical beams. Extra goods were stored in them, aside coils of rope, jars of pine resin and planks.

The second building was smaller, with turf walls and roof, and not quite as impressive.

By the time we were out a small crowd had assembled. The ships were ready, masts down, oars in. Two hawsers were tied to each prow, manned by four lines of warriors. Oiled logs waited for the boats to slide on.

I hid in the shadows when Lord Einarr strode towards us and turned, facing the beach. Lady Disaelfr joined him. She raised her hands to the sky and chanted something. A prayer, I guessed, to their pagan gods. Then her son barked an order. The men grabbed the ropes and bent forward, intoning a rhythmic song.

As the crowd joined their voices to them I slipped out and snuck around them until I stood on the beach, protected from his sight by the bulk of the hull.

Svana was right, it was entertaining. The Vikings groaned in effort, hauling the heavy vessels up the slope, their feet sliding in the mud. Some had discarded their shirts, exposing their muscular upper bodies glistening with sweat. The onlookers encouraged them, shouting and clapping their hands.

Something caught my leg and I looked down to see a young boy, certainly no more than two summers. He grinned at me and went on, toddling towards the closest ship. I frowned, searching for his mother, but there was no one behind him. He must have escaped. Worried, I ran after him. He could easily drown so close to the water.

I had nearly reached him when I heard a sound like the crack of a whip, immediately followed by a scream. The boat jerked and skidded backwards, straight onto the little one. I acted on instinct. I dived forward, catching the child and rolling with him on the sand, away from the danger.

I sat up, heart racing, hands shaking. The boy stared at me and started to cry.

“What is wrong? Are you hurt?” As he didn’t answer I turned him around, checking him arms and legs and found no sign of wound. I pulled him in my lap in an attempt to calm him down.

A frantic woman ran towards us and tore the child from me, holding him possessively and screaming at me. His mother, most likely. I held my hands up, trying to make her understand that I had done nothing to him but she wouldn’t listen. She called a name and a burly man came running. I shrunk. He seemed furious. He glared at me and lifted his arm…

I closed my eyes, protecting my head with my forearms, and opened them slowly when nothing happened. There was an extra pair of legs in front of me. I glanced higher, dreading what I would find. Lord Einarr.

He stood facing my assailant, arms crossed on his chest.

“Ranveig, that’s enough. She saved your son, I witnessed it. You should be grateful. Faraldr, go back to your post.” His tone suffered no discussion. They left reluctantly, the woman giving me a dark look.

He bent towards me and helped me stand.

“Are you well Sunngifu? You are pale.”

I brushed my dress and nodded, staring at my feet.

“Aye, just shaken. It will pass, thank you, my Lord. What happened?”

“A rope broke, one of the men is slightly wounded. We replaced it. You should sit and rest.”

“Aye, my Lord,” I agreed, no meeting his gaze.

He sighed and returned to his task. I followed his advice and dropped on the closest rock. My legs wouldn’t carry me further.