Valknut

CHAPTER|16 Have We Reached Yet?

“Land!” 

Kieran didn’t know whether to be anxious or relieved. Sure he couldn’t wait to get of the ship. Sure he wanted to sleep on an actual bed. Sure he wanted the privacy afforded by a bathroom. Most certainly he wanted to treat his nose, mouth, and stomach – to the taste and smell of roasting venison. Most importantly, he couldn’t wait to have a hot bath and scrub the dirt and grime from his long journey. You’d think if one were traveling by ship, one could easily hop over the side for a quick dip. But Nooo!! The Norse and their beliefs! Bad omen if you go overboard Olaf had said, even if only for a swim. Pssh! So they had spent all this time suffering each other’s smells in silence. Kieran rolled his eyes at the thought once again. 

But then again, Land! That meant he was now in McDermott territory. He had to be cautious. He couldn’t let his guard down. He couldn’t let people learn of his true identity. He was to be a spectator. He had to smile politely and make friendly conversation – but only when spoken to. On top of all that, he had to keep his hands far… far… far … away from Fergus and the Black Knight. Kieran resigned himself to a loud grunt. He was anxious, nervous, excited, restless, and tired – all at the same time. A whirlwind of emotions that he didn’t know how to deal with just yet. Some food, proper rest, a good cleaning and he would be fine he assured himself. 

On Olaf’s orders, the sail was lowered and a flag was hoisted. They would sail slowly into harbor bearing the universal merchant flag to avoid hostilities. Meanwhile preparations on the three ships began. All men were to wear a thin chain armor under their tunics and leather vests at all times. Small daggers and seax’s (short swords) were housed in their respective leather sheaths and strapped to ankles hidden by boots. The rest of their armor, shields and weapons were sealed in crates under layers and layers of furs and cloaks so they wouldn’t be accidentally stumbled upon. 

Olaf ordered Sverting to be the first to go onshore with 5 of his best men and seek out appropriate boarding for all and make arrangements for horses. Klaufi and 10 men would meander into town checking out markets, placement of guards and security, and ask seemingly innocent questions about happenings in town that they might need to prepare for.

With these instructions barked out by Olaf, all three men – Klaufi, Sverting and Olaf turned to their respective crews and handed out the exact same sermon. 5 men from each ship would stay on board at all times, in watches. The remainder would rest at the Inn once Sverting returned confirming their accommodations. There would be bare minimal drinking at all times. Anyone found drunk would be resigned to stable duties upon their return to Orkney – or worse, Olaf’s wrath. Men visibly grimaced at the thought of facing an angry Olaf. 

After hours of sailing, they finally docked. All three ships neatly lined up alongside each other. Planks were lowered and men began on their assigned land duties while the remainder either stayed on board or hopped off exploring the harbor and checking out other foreign vessels docked nearby. 

Within the hour, Sverting returned with three horses and two oxen-led carts in tow. A nearby Inn had ample boarding. While Olaf and Kieran would get their own chambers, Klaufi and Sverting would share a room. The others would be housed bunk-bed style in the great hall. Sverting informed Olaf that the mid-day meal was to be served in two hours and that they needed to hurry. It would take all of that time to move their crates to Olaf’s and Kieran’s rooms and to cleanup.  

Kieran took in the sights around him. The waters at shore were a little on the murky side. The long expanse of land that the McDermott’s used as their harbor was flanked on two sides with sharp rocks – dark as night and devoid of all vegetation. Although they glistened with the water under the sun, they had an eerie air to them. The shore itself seemed in part unwelcoming. Part sandy, part rocky with clumps of seaweed stuck where the tide had left them on the rocks. The shore was unkempt, with litter strewn everywhere. 

Thatched stalls were at one end of the shore, braced on one side by the sharp black rocks. Walls of these stalls were made of once white cloth, stained by prolonged use and bleached by the sun. In each stall stood a long rectangular table that housed the contents each merchant hoped to trade or sell. Behind the stable was a sawed off tree trunk that worked as a makeshift stool. No women or children were on the beach. Kieran recognized some of the ship’s flags from his previous dealings with traders at his own island. He mentally made a note to stay away from these men lest they recognized him even with his disguise. 

A loud noise caught his attention, drawing his gaze to shift from the left to the right side of the beach. A guard was rudely talking to a few merchants that had walked that way. This side of the beach immediately caught Kieran’s attention. A long boarded pier, poorly constructed, seemed to jut out into water. The wood was wasting away in places, and discolored from the constant badgering of the sea. Another guard walked up and down the length of the pier waving away any vessel that approached. Kieran wondered what the pier was meant for, if not for docking ships. He also noted the lack of armored vessels and pointed it out to Olaf. Wouldn’t any tribe with a seafront maintain a fleet of sorts, no matter how small? Olaf and Kieran shared a look before deciding to make haste to the pier and have a chat with the guards. 

As Kieran and Olaf approached the pier, they caught the tail end of the guard’s conversation with the merchants. 

“When the fleet returns it will dock here. Ye cannot. Now git”, the guard said. 

“'n' when will that be?” the merchant asked. 

“'n' how come that is yer business?” 

“Ah have personal dealings wi' the Dark Knight. Ah shall nae discuss them with ye” 

“Is that sae?” 

“The Dark one will come when he comes. If ye need a word with someone, seek Fergus the Lord in the hall.” 

With that the merchants turned towards the thin road that receded into the fishing village. Not wanting to draw the guards’ attention, Olaf and Kieran quickly jogged up to the merchants and introduced themselves. A quick word later, they returned to the three ships and mounted their horses. 

A shadow lying atop the rocky formation slid further out of sight, unnoticed by Kieran and Olaf.