Viking Dragon by Griff Hosker

mail.  We have made a start and I am pleased but it is only a start. When each of you wears mail and knows how to fight then we might think of conquering this valley!"
    Arne nodded, "Aye Jarl.  You are right.  Come let us do as our Jarl says!"
    I turned to Haaken and said quietly, "Ulf was a good choice."
    "He was and he led well." Both of us had picked up on Arne's words, 'our Jarl' .  He was now their leader
    As we rode home I said, "We will not need to ride tomorrow Ulf.  We will stay another three days and then return home. What think you?"
    "I think you are right.  The farmers have work in the fields and I need to organise my defences.  I had yet to look at my walls."
    "And you have potential in those boys. They were the difference today. Their shower of stones discomfited the enemy."
    Haaken said, "And I am ready for a rest.  I would try out the baths in the fort.  I wish to see if they are good as the Jarl's steam hut."
    "We have baths?"
    I nodded, "I think they need work but we will look tomorrow and see."
    Once again we feasted well on Strathclyde animals.  Arne and the others seemed almost reluctant to return to their farms but Ulf was insistent. He wanted the opportunity to explore his new stronghold. I took the Ulfheonar down to the baths. There was some damage and Erik looked disappointed, "I thought that the Romans built to last. This looks ruined." I could see what he meant.  Half of the roof had fallen in.
    I shook my head.  I had seen these in Miklagård and had an idea how they worked. "There are three things we must repair. First the water supply." I pointed to a broken pipe.  Water was coming from a pond but it could not use the channel it was intended for.  The ground was wet and muddy. "Erik, you take Rolf and Rollo, find another pipe and repair it." He nodded.  He now had something to do.  "Haaken and I will see if the furnace can be mended.  If that is broken beyond repair then we have baths but they will be cold ones! When that is done we will look at the roof."
    The roof was the least of our worries. We went down to the furnace.  It was below the baths and it looked to be intact. "This is good, Jarl.  I cannot see anything wrong with this!"
    I took a long stick and poked it down the flue which led to the hot room. I found an obstruction. "There is the problem.  Something has fallen down.  We must repair it."
    We scrabbled around and found what we needed and after much strenuous work cleared the detritus of centuries.  When we went into the so called hot room we found a couple of broken stones.  We went to the paved area outside and took a couple of suitable ones. It was soon finished. By noon Erik had repaired the water supply and the furnace was mended. "We will let the water fill up and light the fire."
    "What about the roof, Jarl?"
    "Is it raining Erik?"
    "No, Jarl."
    "Then we repair that tomorrow. I would like a reward this night for our hard work."
    It was late afternoon when the water was hot enough and we enjoyed a pleasant couple of hours in the baths.  The hard work had been worth it.  The baths leaked a little but I told the others that I would have Aiden read and discover how to repair it. Ulf was happy.  "I am the only jarl with a bath house."
    It was such small luxuries which appealed to my men.
    The next day, refreshed, we began the equipping and training of Arne and the others.  All the boys from the neighbouring farms turned up.  The ones we had taken with us to raid had told them of the glory of war. Ulf would have a larger warband.  Success bred confidence and that bred even more success.
    Anya was happy too.  Every woman likes a clean home and the Roman quarters were easier to keep clean. Sometimes we made choices and decisions and they were perfect.  This had been one such decision.  Perhaps I should not have been surprised for it had been Aiden who had planted the seed in my mind.
    Before we could take the warband to practice a shield wall, men and