Valknut

CHAPTER|23 B - Chaos Reigns

Olaf took Klaufi, old man Craig and twenty of his best to counter the guards in the village. Meanwhile under cover of the bleak moon-less sky, two groups made their way through the forest towards the lookout towers on both ends of the village. 

Olaf’s plan was simple. 

Sverting accompanied by forty men would travel from the South to West clearing the forest, Loch and lookout towers, of all wandering guards. Agnar was to lead his group of forty men Eastwards clearing the forest and outskirts of the village. The two groups would meet North of the village, at the road that led to the castle. Meanwhile, Olaf, Klaufi and their group would rush through the center of the village and span out, searching between the settlements for guards on patrol. They would then join the groups led by Sverting and Agnar and storm the castle. Once inside the castle, a secret passageway would lead the men to the pier North-West of the island, where the enemy ships rocked on gentle waters. 

Olaf darted between houses searching for signs of the enemy. He wasn’t about to stop and knock on doors. That was Klaufi’s task. His mission was simple, find a wandering guard or more and kill. He wanted the smell and taste of blood to engulf him! They barely met with a few skirmishes when on McDermott lands and it did nothing to quell his desperation to unleash his inner beast. Two friendly’s followed Olaf ensuring that he didn’t find himself outnumbered in any situation. Not like it mattered. Olaf could handle himself well in any given situation. But the risk was not something they were willing to take. They needed Olaf unharmed and at his best for the castle raid. That’s where they would truly be tested. 

Having quickly passed through the first row of huts, Olaf turned East. He was heading straight for the Inn. He was certain that the complacent guards would be found drinking and making merry. After all with the villagers subdued, what other threats would they have to worry about? As he rushed out of the tiny cluster of trees in the center of the village, he spotted the village well and a lone shadow. He halted and stepped back into the shadow of the trees. From his hidden spot, he watched the man attempt to draw some water. His movements were jerky, like he was unsure of himself. The moon peaked from behind the clouds just long enough for Olaf to see the light glint off the sword hanging from the man’s waist. A guard! Olaf grinned. His first kill of the night! He watched as the rope slipped from the man’s hands, plunging the wooden bucket deep into the well. The man screamed in frustration and stumbled backwards from the effort. As he plonked down on the ground, he turned away from Olaf and rested his back against the well.  

Sensing the opportunity, Olaf dashed through the clearing. His feet barely touched the ground and he made absolutely no noise at all. He hung his axe back on his belt and instead, reached inside his cloak for a seax. It was a short double-edged blade with a smooth ivory hilt. As he neared his destination, he put the blade between his teeth and fell to all fours and scrambled the last few feet to the well. He hunched behind the well wall, and took a few deep breaths. Grabbing the blade with his right hand, he looked up and over the well to see if the man had moved. He ran his fingers over the ground and smiled as he felt a stone about the size of his hand. He grabbed it quickly and threw it a few feet East of the well. The guard looked up when he heard the noise. 

“Who goes there?” He stuttered. 

When no reply came, he rose shakily to his feet and tried to balance himself using the well as support. Olaf grunted softly, “Drunk on guard duty. Shameful!” 

Quickly he circled the well and came up behind the guard. With his left hand, he clamped down over the guard’s mouth and quickly drew the seax against his throat. A soft gurgling sound rose and the guard struggled before he slumped. Warm blood gushed all over Olaf and he grinned – an evil and sinister grin. He breathed in deeply, enjoying the copper-ish smell of the blood fill his nostrils.