protected by two warriors each with a shield. Our archers still hit them and some fell to a watery death but at least four successfully threw their hooks. Wulfric took his axe and severed the one in the centre, closest to us but the others were used to pull us together. As their warriors stood on the topmost strake we began to hurl javelins. I managed to strike a Dane beneath his chin. It struck him so hard it came out of the back and threw him into the throng of warriors. Wulfric hit two and then, taking his axe, severed the legs of the warrior who was about to leap on board. They would soon fall upon us and, using my last javelins I took my sword and swung my shield around. "Ready my warriors! Make them pay dearly!"
My archers were already doing so. A third of those who stood on the sides to attack us never made it. Enough, however, did. "Fall back to the mast!" The Archbishop's archers were already there and they bought us the time to make a wall of shields. As the Danes held their shields to protect their faces they tripped over the bodies of their dead. My sword darted out and plunged into the exposed neck of one warrior. Wulfric swung his axe and took the head of another.
It was as they closed I saw how poor their armour was. The mail was old and weak. Their shields had seen better days and none of the swords would match up to Alf's. It was our chance. "For England and King Henry!" I brought my sword over high and struck the warrior before me. I hit his helmet. It dented and then my sword slid down the side and bit deeply into the mail. It was so rusted that it split. My blow had stunned him and he began to slip. I stabbed down at the broken mail and my sword ended his life. I punched with my shield at the warrior next to him. He was raising his sword to strike at William. The blow was so hard that William had the opportunity to ram his sword into the man's gut. Their weakened mail now meant that the archers were causing more deaths. We had less pressure and we swung our blades to clear a space before us. The Danes could use their shields to protect from our swords or our arrows, not both!
Their chief roared something which I did not understand but his intentions were clear. He was coming for me. Before he reached me, across a deck slippery with blood, Wulfric's axe swung and smashed into his chest. It was a mighty blow. Even so the Dane was a strong warrior. I heard him roar something before he slipped to the deck. His oathsworn gathered around his body and prepared to sell their lives dearly. A throwing axe came flying towards my head. I barely had time to duck but I heard a cry behind me as one of the Archbishop's men died.
"Charge!" I knew this would be blood but I now knew that they were leaderless and we had an advantage; our archers. I took the sword blow on my shield and stabbed with my sword. The Dane took it on his shield. I saw his eyes narrow and a grin appear. He had seen I wore no helmet and I knew what was coming. Wulfstan had said I had the fastest hands of any warrior alive and I proved it. I brought up sword between us so that when he tried to head butt me he head butted the sword. It split his nose and bit into his forehead. He was a tough warrior but he reeled. I pushed him back and brought my knee up between his legs. As his head came down I used my left hand to ram the sword into his spine. I gave him a warrior's death. The other three oathsworn lay dead; they had been faithful until death.
I saw that we had cleared the midships but men were attacking the two castles. "Wulfric, take the men at arms and clear the stern castles. Squires, with me."
The Danes were trying to climb the bow castle and reach Philip and the archers who were, with my two men at arms, holding them off. They were so preoccupied with the archers that they did not see us. The first four men were run through from behind before the others knew we were there. I was
My archers were already doing so. A third of those who stood on the sides to attack us never made it. Enough, however, did. "Fall back to the mast!" The Archbishop's archers were already there and they bought us the time to make a wall of shields. As the Danes held their shields to protect their faces they tripped over the bodies of their dead. My sword darted out and plunged into the exposed neck of one warrior. Wulfric swung his axe and took the head of another.
It was as they closed I saw how poor their armour was. The mail was old and weak. Their shields had seen better days and none of the swords would match up to Alf's. It was our chance. "For England and King Henry!" I brought my sword over high and struck the warrior before me. I hit his helmet. It dented and then my sword slid down the side and bit deeply into the mail. It was so rusted that it split. My blow had stunned him and he began to slip. I stabbed down at the broken mail and my sword ended his life. I punched with my shield at the warrior next to him. He was raising his sword to strike at William. The blow was so hard that William had the opportunity to ram his sword into the man's gut. Their weakened mail now meant that the archers were causing more deaths. We had less pressure and we swung our blades to clear a space before us. The Danes could use their shields to protect from our swords or our arrows, not both!
Their chief roared something which I did not understand but his intentions were clear. He was coming for me. Before he reached me, across a deck slippery with blood, Wulfric's axe swung and smashed into his chest. It was a mighty blow. Even so the Dane was a strong warrior. I heard him roar something before he slipped to the deck. His oathsworn gathered around his body and prepared to sell their lives dearly. A throwing axe came flying towards my head. I barely had time to duck but I heard a cry behind me as one of the Archbishop's men died.
"Charge!" I knew this would be blood but I now knew that they were leaderless and we had an advantage; our archers. I took the sword blow on my shield and stabbed with my sword. The Dane took it on his shield. I saw his eyes narrow and a grin appear. He had seen I wore no helmet and I knew what was coming. Wulfstan had said I had the fastest hands of any warrior alive and I proved it. I brought up sword between us so that when he tried to head butt me he head butted the sword. It split his nose and bit into his forehead. He was a tough warrior but he reeled. I pushed him back and brought my knee up between his legs. As his head came down I used my left hand to ram the sword into his spine. I gave him a warrior's death. The other three oathsworn lay dead; they had been faithful until death.
I saw that we had cleared the midships but men were attacking the two castles. "Wulfric, take the men at arms and clear the stern castles. Squires, with me."
The Danes were trying to climb the bow castle and reach Philip and the archers who were, with my two men at arms, holding them off. They were so preoccupied with the archers that they did not see us. The first four men were run through from behind before the others knew we were there. I was
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