Book 3: 'Arrow Odd'

18.0 WARLOCK SONGS

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

WARLOCK SONGS (Circa 866 AD)

"And his shield was called Hrae's Ship's Round,

And his followers were called the Hraes'."

Eyvinder Skald-Despoiler; Skaldskaparmal

(866 AD)  King Roller soon realized that his brother had not been able to entice King Frodi to follow him south to Ireland and away from Oddi's flight westward. The ruler of the Hraes' was after only one Viking and that was Arrow Odd. So, the former King of Norway sailed to Frankia and took command of his father's trading stations on the northern coast. Using his brother's two thousand Cataphracts and his own Norse Vikings, he headquartered himself in Rouen, planning to handle his end of the Nor'Way trade from Frankia, never to return to Norway. But a little bit of Norway was waiting for him there. His mother, Kraka, and Brak had sailed from Stavanger Fjord first to Flanders and then to Rouen in search of him.

"When you and Erik were about to fight the sons of Westmar," Kraka began explaining to her son, "I received a dream from Odin warning me that you both were soon to die in your battle on the ice because it would snow that night before and the foot blades you had made would be useless for skating."

"I remember you telling me that," Roller confirmed. "Then you told father of your dream and he marked himself with a spear and sacrificed himself to Odin."

"Well, I've just had a similar dream about young Oddi," Kraka said. "I have been warned by the gods that he has taken a wrong turn and is in grave danger, but when I try to find out which gods warn me, I am blocked by a warlock. I have to warn Erik that he must sail inland if he is to protect young Oddi. And I don't know what it means. My witchcraft is being blocked by a warlock named Tussock."

"Ogmund Tussock is King Frodi's foremost man and leader of the Hraes' fleet in pursuit of Oddi's fleet. Oddi is overwhelmingly outnumbered, but Erik had plans to keep his Tmutorokan fleet in between the two. Something must have separated them."

"We must get a warning to Erik," Kraka pleaded.

"Ogmund Eythjofsbane Tussock has been steeped in witchcraft since birth," Roller said. "His magic is purported to be very powerful."

Later that night in his palace in Rouen, Roller was visited by the spirit of Princess Gunwar. "My son is still in danger," she began. "He made a wrong turn and is sailing inland up a great river that leads to great lakes while Erik continues to follow the coast south and away from him. My brother, Frodi, is right on his tail and shall catch him soon unless Erik can get back between them. But we have to warn Erik to head inland now."

"Kraka could, but there is a warlock named Tussock who is preventing her from sending Erik a dream."

"Ogmund Tussock," Gunwar whispered. "There is a corrupt chapter in Oddi's future Saga devoted solely to Ogmund Tussock. Slide over and I'll recite it to you," Gunwar said as she joined Roller in bed. "It is one of the few Sagas of our family that has just barely survived the ravages of Christian kings and drunken skalds." And the spirit of Gunwar spent the next few hours reciting sagas to Roller. She concluded her tales, saying, "And that is the story of Oddi and Ogmund in the Newfoundland up to now, but I'm afraid it will end much differently if we can't get a warning to your brother, Erik."

"Can you not visit Erik and warn him just as you are now visiting me?"

"I have no connection with Erik," Gunwar explained, "other than being his wife in my past life. I am a Christian now and have no spiritual connection with my pagan husband."