Viking Dragon by Griff Hosker

we defeat you. You have no honour, Saxon.  I did not see you in the shield wall.  You did not trade blows with us. King Egbert will not be happy when he returns."
    I had hit home with my last barb for he jabbed an accusing finger at me, "And he is returning, Dragonheart! We have sent riders to him!"
    I laughed.  It would take almost half a month to reach him and as long for him to return.  Even if a message had been sent to the King of Wessex, Egbert was too clever a general to come back for one Viking raid.
    "Then I should go, should I not, before he returns? Perhaps I shall go now and sell my captives in Dyflin's slave market.  And yet I stay here.  You have much yet which I can take and no one to stop me. Your men of Kent failed to arrive, did they not? Who is left? Perhaps the Mercians will come to aid me?  We change our allies these days.  I fought for Egbert against Coenwulf and the Danes and now you bring Danes to fight me. Strange bed fellows!"
    He was silent and Haaken said quietly, "You have him confused now, Jarl.  He knows not what to do."
    "And I have not finished yet, Haaken." I raised my voice, "Perhaps I should bring my men and ships from Tilaburg.  We could camp here around your burgh.  What say you to that?"
    He had not seen that possibility.  I doubted that there would be enough supplies in the burgh to feed the ones who had fled there and I knew that we had hurt their trade and Lundenwic prospered on trade.
    After a short silence the Eorledman shouted, "What will it take for you to leave?" Before I could answer I saw a priest next to him say something. "And to leave all the captives here too?"
    "Gold and silver!"
    "How much?"
    "Bring all that you have in three days to Tilaburg. If it is enough I will leave. If you have brought all that you can then I will let you have the captives."
    "But how do I know how much is enough?"
    "You tell me.  How much is the prosperity of Lundenwic and how much do you wish the captives returned?"
    He spoke to those around him and said, "And how much would you pay if the situation was reversed?"
    I laughed, "You do not know me Eorledman; any who touches what is mine pays with his life. Ask the Danes Egbert sent to hurt me.  They enjoyed the blood eagle. Do not make the same mistake King Egbert made.  I inflict this upon Lundenwic because your King Egbert sends assassins, warbands and killers into my land. So the answer is, I would pay in blood! I would pay in death!"
    Even from a hundred paces I saw his shoulders slump as he said, "Very well we will come but do you give your word that you will not raid while we gather the gold?"
    "If you want me to stop raiding then come sooner!"
    I sent Asbjorn and Ketil south of the river, the next day and they scoured the lands of Kent. The men of Wessex had taken much but we still managed to bring pots, treasure and weapons.
    Siggi and Aiden returned the day before my deadline. I noticed that the knarr rode higher in the water.  They had managed to trade. Aiden and Siggi's faces confirmed the success of the voyage.
    "We have many chests of gold, Jarl.  The King of Wessex is not popular in Frankia.  They may not like Vikings but they despise the men of Wessex."
    "Did they know you were Vikings?"
    "They suspected but, like Haaken here, they turned a blind eye to it for they wanted the knarr and the treasure we took."
    "Good.  We can begin loading the knarr with the best of the animals and the rest of the treasure. The Saxons come tomorrow with gold to buy us off.  I intend to sell the captives back to them.  We will not have the bother of selling them in Dyflin. Siggi, we will need someone from your knarr to steer the captured knarr."
    "I will see to it, Jarl.  I have one who could be a captain." He looked sad, "Since Trygg was slain I have missed the company of another captain. Einar Blue Eye has served me well.  I would, with your permission, give him the knarr."
    "Of course."
    That last day was hectic as the animals