Viking Legend by Griff Hosker

light from our stern so that Karl could follow. This was the riskiest time for an error would mean he would ram us and our voyage would be over in an instant. I deliberately kept my eyes from ‘ Odin’s Breath’. Had I shown I was nervous it might have made Karl worried too. Instead I went over our course, with Aiden and Erik.
    “We will avoid Caer Gybi and Aberffraw. Unless they are fools they will have rebuilt and strengthened their defences. I plan on using the east coast of the island.”
    Aiden pointed to the chart, “There are many beaches here, Jarl, but few coves. We would have to risk the drekar on the beaches.”
    “We will keep this drekar off shore and use the smaller ‘ Odin’s Breath’ as our cargo ship.  We can pull her off if we need to.  She has new fresh timbers.” I saw a worried look cross Erik’s face.  “If you have doubts about Karl then now is the time to tell me.”
    “I have no doubts.  He has sailed with me these many years but even I have never deliberately grounded my drekar.”
    “Others have.  It is not difficult.”
    He nodded remembering when Josephus his mentor had done so. “You are right.  Olaf, go to the prow and keep a close watch to the land to the east. There are sandbanks there.  Give a shout if you see anything.”
    After he had gone I asked, “What is he like?”
    “Already I can see that he is as good as Karl was.  Sailing a small fishing boat in summer and winter gives a man skill.  He has them.  He knows the wind and he knows how to set a sail.  He needs to learn about currents and hidden rocks but he has skills.  You made a wise decision with that one, Jarl.”
    It was strange for Asbjorn had said much the same about Rolf.  Wyrd.
    Aiden used the hour glass we had captured from the Arab.  He knew how long the night should be and, an hour before dawn, he told Erik who shortened sail.  They had estimated our speed and calculated when we would be near to the Dee.  They thought we would arrive an hour or so before dawn.  There could be Saxon or Welsh ships using the Dee; it was a busy river.  We wanted sea room in case there was danger.
    When dawn broke I saw that we were less than ten miles from the Dee. I could see Wyddfa in the distance.  I nodded my approval, “You have both done well.   That hour glass was a good treasure to take.”
    Erik turned us to steer board.  We would head west.  Now that it was daylight we could risk sailing out of sight of land although the island would always be visible, like a grey smudge on the horizon. We would sail slowly west and then head south to arrive shortly after dark. The night was our natural element. With our black cloaks and armour we were hard to see. Aiden and Erik had identified a quiet beach not far from a large village. Aiden thought there was an even bigger settlement five miles inland.  I hoped so for that meant we could take them both and then have a safe base from which to foray. That would be the true test of the new warriors. They would be fighting out of sight of their jarl and the Ulfheonar.  I hoped that they would pass.
    I took the opportunity to sleep.  I was not needed nor were my rowers for we had a benevolent wind. If I watched it might make them think I did not trust them. I made a pillow of my wolf cloak and fell asleep with the easy motion of the drekar. My dream was of flashes and bright pictures; it was like the illustrations in a Holy Book. They made no sense but the blue stone and a warrior Queen kept appearing and then disappearing. We were close to the mountain and I knew that the spirit of my ancestor dwelt there.  It was the power of the spirits that was making me dream. The fact that my people had lived and died so close to me was important. I would be under the scrutiny of the warrior who had wielded that sword which now lay on the wall of my hall.
    I was woken by a gentle shake from Haaken. He handed me a horn of ale. “The island is close ahead.  We can see no