Chapter 3

3: Between Hammer and Anvil

We sailed out of the mist about three hours later.

The island-studded waters around us seemed to be void of ships. Inghen strode up and down the side, clearly trying to work out where Hvirvil's fleet had got to. Then she paused, and stared at the far horizon, where a patch of open sea led the eye towards the westering sun.

'Thorir,' she murmured. He came over.

'What is it, Inghen?' he asked. She pointed at the skyline.

'There,' she said. He followed her finger to see a red and white sail at the edge of sight.

'That's not one of Hvirvil's, is it?' he said ominously.

'No,' replied Inghen. 'It's from another fleet. And it's heading in exactly the direction that we should be making for.'

They exchanged a worried glance.

'Who is it?' murmured Inghen.

Soon it had vanished over the skyline. Inghen directed the rowers to follow it, and we started out across a channel that led to the wide bay beyond which - according to my father's map - was the chain of islands where Innis Scathach was to be found. This of course led us out into the open for a long stretch, and from my position by the mast I watched with dread for Hvirvil's fleet to reappear.

But the first ships we saw were not Hvirvil's. We were halfway across the wide bay when the longship we had seen before returned with others, about twenty or thirty. Inghen turned to the rowers.

'Quick!' she shrieked. 'Back the way we came!'

But as she gave the order, I could see that there was no escape that way.

Creeping out from the islands came the gleaming prows of Hvirvil's fleet. Inghen caught sight of it when we were halfway round, and she instantly shouted an order to stop. We drifted in the middle of the great sweep of water as the two fleets sailed slowly up towards us.

'What do we do now, by Odin?' Thorir demanded. I had the answer, though I had little hope of convincing them.

'Inghen!' I shouted. She turned towards me.

'What is it?' she hissed.

'That inlet over there,' I said, indicating the nearest island, a tree-mantled jumble of rocks and boulders. 'Sail in there, and let the two fleets battle it out. Once they're fighting, we can take advantage of the distraction to get out of here and get to Innis Scathach without any fear of pursuit.'

'And what will we find in that inlet?' demanded Thorir cynically, clearly not willing to trust me. 'A worse trap?'

'Thorir, Inghen - I assure you I've had nothing to do with our recent misfortunes,' I said urgently. 'Now look - the two fleets are heading towards us. We're between hammer and anvil. This is our only chance!'

Decisively, Inghen turned to her crew, and gave the order to head for the inlet. On either side of us, the two mighty fleets sped towards each other, showing the merciless dedication to war for its own sake that had made these Vikings feared throughout the seaways of Europe.

We had just reached the inlet when the two lines of ships clashed, and I was privileged to witness one of the savage naval engagements common to the Hebrides in those days. As soon as they were in contact with their opponents, the crew of each ship grabbed armour and weapons and leapt across into their foes', and fierce battle ensued. The clash of steel on steel and the cries of the fallen drifted across the placid waters towards us.

'It looks like Hvirvil's fleet is doomed,' Inghen observed. 'They're outnumbered, and only foolhardiness has urged them on.'

'Unless they think this fleet has some connection with us,' Bjorn suggested. 'Does anyone recognise it?'

Inghen frowned. 'It looks to me like Thorbard‘s fleet, who ravaged Munster and the Connacht coast a few years back,' she said. She turned to look at me. 'What about... this?' she asked, eyeing me with distaste. 'What do we do about him?'

Bjorn looked at me.

'I was never really convinced he was a traitor,' he said, grinning broadly. 'I reckon we let him go.'

'No!' said Thorir vehemently. 'He's just using this chance to ingratiate himself with us. He'll stab us in the back as soon as look at him. Keep him there - or else slit his throat and fling him to the fishes.'

Inghen nodded.

'Thorir's right,' she said, to my dismay. 'We can't trust him.' She turned to the crew again. 'I think it's time we made our way past the battle and headed for the island.' She moved away.

I cursed to myself. She'd follow my advice in everything, I thought blackly - everything except to set me free. It was Thorir's fault, suspicious oaf. Perhaps he was clearer thinking than Bjorn, but this obstinate insistence that I had somehow betrayed them showed how narrow-minded he was, I told myself.

But this wasn't helping. As we slowly crept across the waters, passed the battle where ships were sinking and men were dying, and headed for the straits between two islands at the edge of the bay, I muttered angrily to myself about the suspicious minds of Danes and Norsemen, but it achieved nothing. Soon we were back among the mist-hung waterways of the isles, our destination only a few short miles away. I became accustomed to my imprisonment after a while, and consoled myself that they would need my help to understand the directions on the map. I'd lead them to their fate, then scarper scot-free before they could capture me again. I had no need for the Red Daughter, I told myself then.

But she looked so beautiful as she stood there in the stern, the gleam of avarice in her eye, the wind stirring her tempestuous red curls, her white skin glowing with vitality as the Vikings rowed into the wind and the sails cracked in the air above us. I shook my head, and berated myself for a doting fool, but it was no use.

My mind continued in this vein until I saw we were being pursued once more.

We had passed between the two islands, and were proceeding up a firth. Inghen had just declared that we were only a few miles from Innis Scathach; it lay in a bay beyond the firth. Just then, a battered longship snaked out from the straits behind us. Inghen caught sight of it.

'Hvirvil's flagship!' she cried.

'Where's the rest of his fleet?' demanded Bjorn.

'Seems he's the only survivor,' Thorir muttered.

'And he's come looking for revenge,' Inghen muttered.

'That or he wants to follow us to the island,' Thorir replied.

'Well he won't,' Inghen declared. She called a halt, and we floated in the midst of the dark, deep waters, awaiting Hvirvil's advance. My heart was beating rapidly. Could it be that there would come a chance for me to prove my innocence? If I could get Hvirvil to admit that there was no connection between us, then I would be able to continue my mission without suspicion. I watched as the longship came closer.

As it coasted up to us, Hvirvil Einhandi leapt up onto the prow, scowling.

'You've destroyed my fleet!' he shouted in wrath.

Inghen laughed quietly to herself, then yelled back;

'That was nothing to do with me! If you will go barging around the Hebrides with no thought for the consequences...'

'You trapped me! Like you led those ships of mine onto the rocks beforehand!'

'I'd have thought your agent would have warned you that his father spoke of treacherous rocks!' Inghen shouted back.

There was a pause, then Hvirvil shouted back in confusion;