HornyDog2017
Really Really Experienced
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2017
- Posts
- 339
"The Viking"
(closed)
"Get our boats home safely, Bjorn," Eric the Bold said as he reached a hand out to the man standing before him. As the other mimicked the gesture and they clasped forearms in a tight gesture of farewell, the Viking warrior added, "The future of our homeland is in the bellies of those craft."
"You should be coming with us, my king," Bjorn said with a concerned tone. "This is your victory. You should celebrate it with your people."
Bjorn glanced behind himself at the victorious warriors loading more than a dozen boats with the spoils of war. For almost four months, the warriors of Hurstvik had been raiding the villages and towns of England's mid-eastern coastline and nearby interior, and now the boats were heavy with gold, silver, metal works including arms and armor, crops, livestock, and slaves.
"I will celebrate with my people soon enough, Bjorn," Eric reassured him. "After Briarwood."
"One more victory," the other Viking said with a reluctant tone. "Will there always be just one more victory to have, my king?"
"Always, my friend," Eric said, taking a step back to indicate that it was time for the other man to set sail. "Safe journey."
The sun fell slowly behind the hill from which Eric watched the departing ships. The shore below fell into shadows, then the waves crashing upon it. The shadow continued to swallow the sea before it. The sails of the eastbound ships were lit blood red by the descending orb ... and then even they disappeared into the darkness. In a few days, three with favorable winds, Hurstvik would be one of the richest communities on the Danish coast. And in a few weeks, all of Denmark would know of Eric's victories.
And yet, it wasn't enough. This season's raids had been fruitful for the Vikings yet empty for Eric himself. He had failed to capture and pillage a single walled town. Three attempts on such fortified communities had failed, with total casualties of more than two hundred warriors. Each time he'd sent gold east to pay for reinforcements, he'd again attempted to sack one of the larger, better defended communities. And each time, he'd been repelled.
Eric refused to go home without such a victory. Any Viking force could pillage a village with little or no defenses. Eric wanted a walled town! He'd asked for volunteers to remain behind to help with the quest, making it clear that succeed or fail, the soon to arrive winter storms could possibly restrict them to England until Spring, six months away. He shouldn't have been surprised when nearly all of his warriors asked to remain behind. In the end, he picked thirty of the meanest, hardiest men and women to remain as his fighting force, supplemented by another thirty laborers and slaves to support them.
The target this time was the town of Briarwood. It sat on the banks of the Blyth River, four miles upstream from the sea. Eric's plan was simple and proven, at least for smaller, less well defended targets inland: use the rising tide to get as far inland as possible on the tide waters, port the boats, then attack the town from land. Briarwood had escaped Viking pillaging thus far, which Eric hoped would make them feel more secure than they actually were.
The worst that could happen was that the Vikings failed and died, either in battle or in the elements of a possibly harsh winter to come...
(closed)
"Get our boats home safely, Bjorn," Eric the Bold said as he reached a hand out to the man standing before him. As the other mimicked the gesture and they clasped forearms in a tight gesture of farewell, the Viking warrior added, "The future of our homeland is in the bellies of those craft."
"You should be coming with us, my king," Bjorn said with a concerned tone. "This is your victory. You should celebrate it with your people."
Bjorn glanced behind himself at the victorious warriors loading more than a dozen boats with the spoils of war. For almost four months, the warriors of Hurstvik had been raiding the villages and towns of England's mid-eastern coastline and nearby interior, and now the boats were heavy with gold, silver, metal works including arms and armor, crops, livestock, and slaves.
"I will celebrate with my people soon enough, Bjorn," Eric reassured him. "After Briarwood."
"One more victory," the other Viking said with a reluctant tone. "Will there always be just one more victory to have, my king?"
"Always, my friend," Eric said, taking a step back to indicate that it was time for the other man to set sail. "Safe journey."
The sun fell slowly behind the hill from which Eric watched the departing ships. The shore below fell into shadows, then the waves crashing upon it. The shadow continued to swallow the sea before it. The sails of the eastbound ships were lit blood red by the descending orb ... and then even they disappeared into the darkness. In a few days, three with favorable winds, Hurstvik would be one of the richest communities on the Danish coast. And in a few weeks, all of Denmark would know of Eric's victories.
And yet, it wasn't enough. This season's raids had been fruitful for the Vikings yet empty for Eric himself. He had failed to capture and pillage a single walled town. Three attempts on such fortified communities had failed, with total casualties of more than two hundred warriors. Each time he'd sent gold east to pay for reinforcements, he'd again attempted to sack one of the larger, better defended communities. And each time, he'd been repelled.
Eric refused to go home without such a victory. Any Viking force could pillage a village with little or no defenses. Eric wanted a walled town! He'd asked for volunteers to remain behind to help with the quest, making it clear that succeed or fail, the soon to arrive winter storms could possibly restrict them to England until Spring, six months away. He shouldn't have been surprised when nearly all of his warriors asked to remain behind. In the end, he picked thirty of the meanest, hardiest men and women to remain as his fighting force, supplemented by another thirty laborers and slaves to support them.
The target this time was the town of Briarwood. It sat on the banks of the Blyth River, four miles upstream from the sea. Eric's plan was simple and proven, at least for smaller, less well defended targets inland: use the rising tide to get as far inland as possible on the tide waters, port the boats, then attack the town from land. Briarwood had escaped Viking pillaging thus far, which Eric hoped would make them feel more secure than they actually were.
The worst that could happen was that the Vikings failed and died, either in battle or in the elements of a possibly harsh winter to come...