Varangian (Aelfraed) by Griff Hosker

then at me.  I shrugged. It would have to wait until later. We rowed until dark and anchored in the middle of the river. The men had eaten aboard the ship when we were moored in the town and I waited for the Weasel and the others to leave before speaking with Ridley.
    “Well?”
    “Well what?” He almost pouted and I was tempted to laugh.
    “Well what happened when I was in the town?”
    “How do you know something happened?”
    “From your face, Eric’s face and Ulf’s bloody nose.”
    He sighed.  “I was not paying attention; I was talking with Pig and Harald when Eric came to tell me that Ulf was not aboard. The two of us went ashore and found him down a side street.  He was talking with someone but I could not see who. Eric asked him who he was talking to and Ulf went for him.” He paused.  “I hit him first.”
    I put my hand on his shoulder.   “You did right and now we will go and see this Ulf and find out what is amiss.”
    My men were sat at the stern under a small awning.   Ulf was off to one side and the others all looked at him when we approached.  I was pleased to see Ragnar and Hammer on either side of Eric protecting him.  Ragnar was sending filthy looks towards Ulf.
    I had learned enough of the language now to be able to speak without the translation skills of Eric. “Ulf come here.”
    He slouched over and I noticed that he had his hand on his dagger.  Not a good sign.  “Why did you leave the ship?  You were ordered to guard it.” He said nothing but stared malevolently at Ridley. “I asked you a question.  Now answer me.”
    “You did not order me.   He did.” The finger stabbed out accusingly at Ridley.
    “What Thegn Ridley says, I say.   You disobeyed me and you tried to hit Eric.”
    He leered at me. “I could blow him over!”
    I walked closer to him.  “Ulf you disobeyed me.  I cannot have that.  Tomorrow I will put you ashore and pay you off.  I must have men I can trust.”
    His hand moved as quickly as a snake striking and he stabbed at me with his dagger.   He had forgotten that I wore my mail shirt beneath my tunic and the point merely broke two or three links and cut me slightly.  Thwarted he pushed me back with one hand and they leapt overboard into the black waters of the night.  Ridley roared out and raced to the stern but he had disappeared. “The rat! I should have really damaged him.”
    Eric rushed to me.   “Are you hurt my lord?”
    I shook my head.   “I have hurt myself more when I fell over drunk.”
    The Jarl came to see what had happened and we told him.   He turned to Eric.  “What did the man look like that Ulf was talking to?”
    “One of the locals my lord, a little man with a cut down his nose.”
    “I saw him in the port office! He left before we did.”
    The Jarl nodded and looked at the mast head.   “Well I am sorry I recommended him.  He was obviously up to no good.  Not only does it leave you shorthanded but it also means we are likely to be attacked. That is a favourite trick of the river pirates; they plant someone on a boat and the inside man helps them to get aboard.” He waved over his first mate. “We leave at moon rise.  We row through the night and put some distance between us and Ulf’s friends.”
    By the time dawn broke we were exhausted.   We had rearranged the rowers to accommodate the lack of Ulf and it meant that Eric could stand lookout forrard. I looked aft to Jarl Gunnersson but he showed no sign of wishing to stop.  It was hard to see how long we could keep going but then, I reminded myself I had found it hard to row for a few hours when we had first started the voyage.
    The Jarl saw my looks and shouted down, “I am heading for Lake Ilmen.   It will be safer there and it is not far away.”
    I nodded, as I needed all my breath for the rowing.   I wondered how Ulf had been recruited.  Had it been pure luck that I had chosen him and, would any boat he served on have been a target?  It was