Book 1: Ragnar 'Lothbrok'

11.0 KING RAGNAR RETURNS TO HRAEGUNARSTEAD (Circa 820 AD)

Princess Aslaug 'Kraka' Rules in the Vikingdom of Stavanger (Hraegunarstead)

(Circa 820 AD) King Ragnar and his fleet arrived at Stavanger Fjord and continued north to Master Island and then to Rennes Isle to check in with a few of his chieftains he had left in charge of certain duties while he was ruling in Denmark and then he sailed east and south into the town of Stavanger which was often called Stafangr at that time. He checked in with the town hearse, the military officer he left in charge of the town's protection, just to let him know that any messengers that had to be sent to the king would now go further on up the fjord and not to Liere in Denmark. The town had been founded by his grandfather, King Hring, two generations earlier and it had doubled in size since his father, King Sigurd had begun trading in the east. But Ragnar was in a hurry to get home, so he did not stay long or survey much. He had not seen his wife, Aslaug, in almost a year and the closer he got to her, the more he longed for her smell and her taste and the feel of the woman.

King Ragnar led his small fleet southeast, deeper into Stavanger Fjord, and then they sailed straight east to the very end of it, to the source. The day was almost spent and Ragnar missed his two sons and hungered for her, who spoiled them, and he wished that perhaps he had built his stead outside the town of Stafangr, but it was more secure nestled in at the end of the fjord, because a fleet would have to penetrate deeply without being sighted to get at his family when he wasn't there to protect them. And there was a lookout tower located amongst the trees along the coast where they had turned straight east and a great directional horn had sounded when Ragnar's fleet had sailed past and they heard the friendly signal, but those far down the fjord had heard it even more loudly and they would know their king and father approached.

A narrow greensward ran along the south edge of the fjord of Hraegunarstead, between the mountains and the vik, a lush meadow the freemen called the bitter green. At its westernmost point stood a watchtower where another lookout monitored the fjord for ships and listened for the sounds of the directional horn that would warn them if it was friend or foe. Ragnar watched all the folk of Hraegunarstead rushing along the bitter green to welcome their Vikings home. In an instant it would be known which warriors were not returning from their dangerous duties, be they trade or war. Everyone ran across that meadow. Only the old folk walked. It was said the bitter green was watered by the weeping of new-found widows; it was a verdant green.

After warning horns had been heard, a longship was spotted sailing up the fjord toward Hraegunarstead. It was Ragnar's ship and with a small fleet behind and back of him and the whole household rushed out onto the bitter green to welcome him home. Erik watched as his stepmother, Kraka, ran amongst the throng along the meadow to greet her husband. He and his half-brother, Roller, walked calmly, as brave warriors would, But they were still young and impatient, a dozen years old, and they, too, soon broke out in a run and the two boys raced each other to catch up with the throng. The people stood about, apprehensive, gathered in small moving knots, facing west and swaying with the cool fall wind. The distinctive white and red sail of Ragnar's ship could be seen above the waves and, as it neared, a white shield could be seen suspended above it from the mast. And Ragnar's Raven Banner fluttered madly above it. Murmurs raced through the throng as the ship's bulwarks rose up out of the waters and soon the oars could be seen chomping at the waves. Men could be made out on the foredeck and then men could be seen scampering about mid-deck, gathering up the sail and unfooting the mast. As the ship passed along the shore the crewmen at were not at work on the oars waved happily at their people on the shore. And the people on shore ran back along the bitter green, following the longship's progress. Erik and Roller, too, ran with the throng, and soon passed Kraka, and broke away from the group so they could be at the head of the fjord to help haul the ships up on the beach. Ragnar's shieldship was rowed till near the shore, then the oars were raised, and it coasted up onto the beach, scudding softly into the salty sand. Ropes were let out and men jumped into the water and splashed through it as Erik and Roller each took up a rope and pulled it taut. Soon the multitude grabbed them up and all hauled the ships ashore, as the Vikings stowed their oars. Roller was at the forestem, below the fierce dragon's head, and was the first to give Ragnar a hand down off the topstrake. Erik rushed up to Ragnar and hugged him and the two boys led him to Kraka, who hugged and kissed him warmly.