Yngvild and the Forest of Dreams

Kronstadt

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Just as the Seagull was tying up Old Bjorn appeared, dressed in his armour.
'Yngvild! Noren! Go put your battle gear on.'
'Are we in danger?' I asked.
'No lass, easier to carry that way, and we're going to escort Arald to Lady Helga's house.'
I had my bags with me. So I shirked out of my skirts and put the battle gear on. Woollen jacket, mail over my head, belted on my dagger and quiver. Then I rolled my skirt round my bag and threw it over my left shoulder onto my back.
Lady Helga came on deck, also wearing mail and with a sword at her hip. Her shield was slung over her back. Over the mail she had a sea green tabard with two blue ships. In her hands she had another sword belt. She looked around until she spotted me, and then strode over to me. The crew rapidly got out of her way.
'Yngvild, I have something for you.' Lady Helga held out the sword flat in both hands. The scabbard was a midnight blue leather, with black enamel fittings. The sword belt was black leather, with a black enamelled clasp, on which a full moon was embedded in mother of pearl.
'That's a beautiful sword.'
'Take it, please.'
I took the sword and strapped it round my waist, over the other belts. It was still way too large. I needed to pull it in a whole foot to get it to fit.
'Thank you.' I said.
'You do know how to use a sword?'
'I've had some practice, but I'm way better with my bow.' I said.
'Sometimes you need a sword.' she said. 'That one is a family heirloom, it belonged to your father. It's yours by right.'
Lady Helga turned to the crew.
'Time we got going. People will have seen us come in.' she said.
About twenty crew were in identical battle gear. They had sea green padded jackets under their mail. The shields were sea green with the King's blue circle in the middle, surmounted by a Seagull on the wing. The blue circle had Skyss's green ship in it.
At Lady Helga's speech all but three filed down the bridge to the jetty and formed into two lines with a single crew member between them.
Lieutenant Snorri bowed to Lady Helga. 'Escort ready to proceed, my Lady.'
'Carry on, Lieutenant.' she said. Lady Helga nodded to Old Bjorn, Noren and I and we accompanied her onto the jetty. Behind us two crew escorted the still chained Arald. Lieutenant Snorri brought up the rear.
The procession set off with Arald in a hollow square of crew, then Lady Helga and us, and then another group of crew in the rear. Snorri was at the back.
We turned North and marched away from the Seagull. The dock area was relatively quiet. Buildings lined the edge of the jetty, just like Straven, but these weren't houses. Each building had a large number painted in the rook gable, and underneath the runes told us what it contained. Rope, Sails, pitch, planking, spars, masts, food, beer (that one had a guard on it), mail, shields, bows, weapons, and more that I was too far away from to read. Back down the jetty there was a steady stream of sailors moving between the warehouses and their ships. As we got past the warehouses I could see that the dock area was fenced off.
Almost as soon as we left the docks the smell of the city hit me. It replaced the salt and fish with a more powerful odour. There were a lot of people living close together in Kronstadt, and the waste wasn't as easy to get rid of. Rot, faeces and sweat assaulted my nose, and made me gag. It was like being punched in the gut, and I fought back nausea. Kronstadt might be the biggest city on the planet, but it certainly wasn't the sweetest smelling. Now I understood why the palace had such a large park surrounding it. It was to keep the stench at bay.
We went through streets, just wide enough for a couple of people to pass us as we marched three abreast. The upper stories of the houses and shops overlapped, just as our alley did in Straven. No-one walked under the upper stories though without first looking up, and then down. It puzzled me at first, then I realised that many of the upper floors had round holes cut into the overlap. Excrement and rubbish dropped through them onto the street, which accounted for the stink.
Other than the smell, Kronstadt was much like Portree, but on a much larger scale. There were workshops and inns facing onto the street we went down. Housing above, and alleys running off to the side.
'Where are we going?' I said.
'We're taking Arald to the House of the Justices, and then we'll be going to my official residence.' Said Lady Helga.
'Is it a long way?' Noren said.
'Not far, you see the sign of the Blue Boat up ahead?' Lady Helga said.
'Yes.'
'We turn right when we get to it and the House of Justice is 100 yards down that road.'
Just ahead of us a cart filled with night-soil and rubbish started to come out of an alley. My amulet throbbed. I looked round, people with shields came running out of the alleys we'd just passed on both sides of the street.
'AMBUSH!' I yelled.
We all stopped moving.
The sailors in the rear turned to face the shieldwall that blocked the street behind us.
The sailors in front formed their own shield wall facing the cart, which now blocked the street. Arald was thrust into the middle with us. Old Bjorn grabbed him.
We all stood looking at each other. The numbers were even, but I expected help would arrive for us soon.
'Helga. Noren. Yngvild. If they try to get him away I need you to kill him.' Old Bjorn said.
I drew my new sword, we were too close in for arrows. Lady Helga had been right that I'd find it useful. I was only slightly surprised to discover that the blade was completely black, like a slice of darkness.
'That alley is empty.' Noren said.
'Too obvious. Must be a trap' said Old Bjorn.
The opposing shieldwall started taking slow paces towards us, beating on their shields.
'Let's spring that trap.' Lady Helga stepped towards the alley.
Buckets of human waste and rubbish started coming out of the upstairs windows towards us. I held my shield over my head and pushed Arald with my sword pommel into the alley to our right.
'Go! Down the alley! Go!' yelled Lady Helga.
Noren and Lady Helga went first. I pushed Arald ahead of me, Old Bjorn was behind me. I could hear Snorri shouting commands to the sailors to bring their shield walls in behind us in an orderly fashion.
'Stop! Be ready!' An unfamiliar woman's voice spoke to me inside my head. I stopped. Arald kept moving.
'Still!' I said. Noren and Lady Helga both stopped, preventing Arald from moving any further forward. I glanced back, some of the crew were coming into the alley, shields above their heads.
'You must not let Arald escape, it will spell your doom.' The woman's voice again.
Arald lunged forwards, pushing Helga into the wall. A door opened between us, I stepped towards Arald as it swung out, blocking the Alley behind me.
'Kill Arald before he escapes.' The voice said.
Hands reached for Arald from the open door.
Noren blocked another door from opening by pushing it with his shield. Helga struggled back to her feet.
I stabbed with the black blade.
There was no resistance to my blow. It went straight through the arm nearest me and sunk into the chest of my target.
Blood soaked his jacket round the blade, and gushed out of his mouth as he coughed out his last breath.
As he fell I pushed Arald off balance with my shield and thrust again at the other would-be rescuer. His beard was scraggly and he soiled himself as I stamped forward.
I pulled the blade up and hit him in the face with the guard. He went down. Others behind him ran.
'Good work, now leave here quickly.' Said the voice.
Helga grabbed Arald, 'Yngvild, with me.' she said.
We ran down the alley, pulling and pushing Arald with us. I heard Noren follow behind.
'Keep going ' he said.
'Right' Helga said as we approached the junction.
Round the corner and we kept going. There was no sign of pursuit, nor of other people.
We broke out into another street with a stone building in front of us with guards posted.
The guards were startled by our headlong rush down the alley, with weapons drawn. But they were alert enough to draw swords and close up in front of the door. Once they saw Helga's tabard they hailed us.
'Still! Who goes?'
'Second Sea Lord, and party.' Helga said.
'Advance and be recognised.'
Helga lowered her sword and stepped forward.
'What happened?' the guard said.
'We were attacked bringing this prisoner in for questioning.' Helga pointed to Arald.
'Are you hale, lass?' the guard asked.
It took a moment to register that he was asking after me. 'I'm fine.' I said.
'Can we get the prisoner inside?' Lady Helga said.
The guard banged a rhythm on the door. In response it opened, disgorging more guards out into the street, shields and weapons ready.
'In you go, my lady.' the guard said.
We went in.
I felt surprisingly calm. The point of danger seemed to have passed for me. But Old Bjorn, Snorri and his crew were still out there.
Arald was forcibly sat on the floor by Lady Helga and Noren. I watched through the still open doors where I could see down the alley we'd come. Guards had blocked the street out front on both sides of the door, and some had gone round to get behind the cart that had blocked our way. A few more had gone down the alley and I could see four blocking the other paths on the junction. While we'd been waiting just inside the doors even more guards had gone out.
Where was Old Bjorn? Had Snorri and the sailors escaped, or had the attackers cut them down?
'Calm, child. They are fine. You did well, and I'm pleased.' The voice said.
'Who are you?'
'Think about it.'
I thought. Hearing voices wasn't normal. Perhaps it was a reaction to the battle? But I hadn't had it before, that's what got me nicknamed 'Yngvild the Fierce'.
My amulet throbbed. Of course.
'Clever girl. You'll make an excellent hero.'
Just then Old Bjorn came round the corner, followed by some sailors carrying a body. Who was it? Not a sailor, the clothing was wrong, so one of the attackers. More sailors followed. I counted them all. Then Snorri appeared at the back. No casualties for us.

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