Free Viking Voices by Vincent Atherton

boats, a very uncomfortable journey for them. Most of them will be extremely sea sick on this voyage and many of the men will be too.
    Although we hope for brighter weather with lighter winds the opposite happens; the turbulence of the sea heightens and the rain falls steadily on us. It is a good thing that we have many leather hides to cover us and warm us. They do not keep us very dry though and so no one is cheerful, it is a thoroughly miserable journey. Our only consolation is that for most of our voyage we can see the mountains of our destination occasionally appearing through the clouds ahead of us. First they are far away on the horizon, but each time they appear through the gaps in the cloud they are larger and therefore closer. Our next resting place is not far away, and we are moving rapidly towards it. Perhaps this time we will find our true haven. That is the great hope and consolation that we are all clinging onto.
    The wind is behind us as we get close and the last part of our journey passes rapidly. Suddenly the clouds have cleared and the island appears large and immediately in front of us, lit up in a great red glow by the setting sun. The last rays of light brightening the western slopes and picking out all the colours. They are the sunlit uplands that promise a happy life to come.
    As before, when we arrived in Môn, we make landfall at the island in darkness but this time we come into a large sweeping bay with gently sloping beaches with fields and woods beyond them, leading up towards some low hills. We are close to a small existing settlement and, having discussed our strategy with Ragnald, he has decided that we will not attempt to conceal ourselves this time but will make our presence here apparent to our neighbours. So we sail the boats together right into the bay as a grand fleet, in full sail until we are very close in to the land. In this place we expect to be able to converse with people in our own language and gain ourselves some time to rest through negotiation. It is most unlikely that we will be attacked before some attempt to carry out talks takes place, and we are in a land where we can converse in a common language. We are not simply a group of helpless refugees, but a strong and well-armed group very capable of defending ourselves if necessary. Any sensible leader will take us seriously, and although we are vulnerable and needy ourselves we also represent a serious threat to those who will make enemies of us.
    At present we will be content to carry our wives and families ashore and settle them down in whatever shelter we can find or quickly construct from the dismantled shanties that we have brought with us from the now abandoned site on Môn. It is a great relief to me to see Aud and our two mothers arrive safely in this new haven and Ragnald is also seen carrying Thora and her children up the beach in a touching display of affection for such a difficult, aggressive and self-centred man. Perhaps there is a softer, more family oriented side to him after all.
    Thora seems to have won his heart completely, and I have no doubt that having lost one king she is very anxious to keep the second one. I think her wise to do that, as few women get one, let alone two, chances to be a queen. Clearly he is a great comfort to her, as she seems to have no grief at all for her first husband, so recently deceased but already completely forgotten. She is always the finest dressed in the community, with brightly coloured costumes made of expensive cloth: acquired in the good times of Dyflinn. Even then they were difficult and expensive articles to acquire.
    Her impressive appearance enhances her status and many of our women admire her good looks and rich clothes. Others are less generous about her manner and particularly her ambition. While she is both respected and admired among our women, she is not liked by many.
    Aud speaks to her occasionally and has a good relationship with her, they are apparently