Vális Saga

by Valhallmure

As heroes rise and fall, young men and women are eager to join them. Váli and Kolfinna are young warriors of their own standing who joined the Great Heathen army as they pushed into england. will these two fall amongst the damned spirits who sift into the soils of Helheim or will they rise to be great heroes who are haralded by skalds for ages afterward.

1. Kolfinna

A figure stood in the doorway, a raven perched on his shoulder, a spear in his right hand. The boy stared from beneath the fur covers, his eyes wide. Odin. The boys eyes eventually dried out and his lids closed, opened, he no longer saw the Allfather. Váli fell asleep again.

11 years later

He dropped to the ground, sung his right arm to the left, missing his mark, his ax handle smashed against the Saxons leg, a grunt, he felt a blow on his shield and swung again, this time the head bit into the enemy's thigh. A scream.

The Saxon dropped to one leg, his face now level with Vális. The Saxons face was draining of blood, pale, and fearful. The dying man was a Christ slave, an enemy of the gods, he feared death. Váli moved again, ramming the rim of his shield into the bearded face, crushing the saxons skull. Moving on, the young warrior rejoined the shieldwall. A war horn sounded. Close ranks. As the wall closed on itself, shields locking together like a serpent beasts scales. The Saxon wall was breaking, the left flank had been crushed, cut off and slaughtered. There was a sudden silence, the likes of which resembled a new wave about to break on a rocky surf. The Saxon front lines drew back, severing contact and formed a new wall. A new horn sounded, lighter in tone to the Norse horns, another army, the army of Essex. The Norse horn sounded and the front wall dropped to their knees, the second pushed up next to the front line and held their shield at normal height. The third line stood directly behind the second wall and held their shield above their heads, angled so it slanted forward. A second after the shields were in place, arrows thudded into the bosses, rims and shields faces. Some arrows smashed through cheaper and older shields, Vális shield admitted a broadhead, ending and inch from his nose. A few agonized screams sounded and a shield fell from its defenses, another volley fired. Louder thuds rained down, more shields broke. Váli looked moved and made a crack between shields to look through, Javelins. The original Saxon force had pulled back and joined the larger army under the cover of projectiles. Another few wolves fell, another shield broke. A few more Norse from the back of the wall filled in for the broken shields and dead warriors. A roar from the Saxons. The enemy, was charging. "Brace!" off to the right a standard bearer shouted. The rear walls pulled back and created a new wall, while the front line stood and locked together once more. Váli could hear a man start the death prayer

"Lo there do I see my father,

Lo there do I see my mother,

And my sister andy brother

lo there do I see the line of my..."

before it died in a bellow of pain Javelins were thrown from the Norsemens walls, felling Saxons and injuring others who fall over the bodies. Seconds later the two walls collided and metal clashed. The battle ensued, twice the ferocity. Casualties skyrocketed as the two sides fought, soldiers in the first two ranks of each factions walls were being slaughtered by each other. Váli grabbed a Saxon spear shaft jabbing past his head and yanked it towards himself, simultaneously Váli bellowed; "Open!" The two shield brothers to either side of him moved to one side and created a hole for the saxons to stumble off guard into. As the unfortunate boy tripped into their mobbish fate. Váli called the order and the wall immediatly closed once more. A horn to the right warned of the Norsemens wall collapse and a Saxon horn sounded to reinforce their own failing right flank. A game of "Ring" had started. each side would lose a man at their tail when the wall temporarily out flanked the other, and now they had basically switched places, like a deadly game of musical chairs. A fatal mistake. From the trees enemy arrows rained down on the Norsemens exposed backs, the warriors started dropping like horribly set dominos. Shouts started erupting from the wolves cracking force and the rear walls turned to face the Saxon skirmishers, Now in a dire situation the wolves walls were splintering apart, the living tripping over the dying into the shit of war, slipping on their shield brothers gore. The Saxons pushed forward, knocking warriors over and trampling them under foot, all chaos was unfolding in the order of Saxon slaughter. Great war heroes and renowned warriors were crushed by fellow brothers in retreat, the young warriors lost their saga tales as the Saxons held them down and cut their throat, spilled their guts and ran them through. Váli tripped over a body, but stumbled back to his feet, raising his shield doggedly as a sword pummeled down toward him. The angle of the shield sent the sword glancing off to Vális left and the Saxon brought his own shield up as one of his country men joined him. Together the Saxons attacked the unbalanced Norseman and gave him no time to retaliate. Ignoring death to the right Váli took a chance, he shouted the All Father's name in a hoarse voice and launched himself forward, the Saxon on the right reacted in a viscous manor and his sword cleaved the air and ended in a crimson corpse with a wet "thock" sound. The Norns were not kind to the second Saxon when Váli burrowed him over and tore the Saxons flesh with his axe. Hot crimson iron splashed through the visor on Vális' spangenhelm, blinding him. Váli dropped his ax to wipe the warm blood from his eyes but his hand was stopped by his helmet, a second later a blow jerked his head forward into the field of gored mud, and he felt the point of a broad Sword pressing down into his ribs from above. Váli screamed in pain, rage and adrenoline and another joined his as the broadsword ceased its invasion and the Saxon slumped to the ground next to Váli with a seax knife protruding from his back. a third voice shouted, a shield sister pulled at Vális shoulder as she called to him to fight. Tired and weak, he doggedly lurched to his feet but almost fell again, he hesitated a fraction of a second and raised his axe. Burning pain boiled directly below his shoulder blade, losing all strength Váli dropped his skeggoxe and grunted in exhertion. The maiden shouted in his ear and turned away to fight another saxon. "Fight!, Raise your Shield Njord Damnit!" Váli snapped back to another saxon thrusting a spear towards his gut. His shield felt awkward as he lifted it into place and the enemy attack almost knocked Váli down as more pain exploded from his ribs movement. Grunting again Váli moved his shield to his left pushing the spear out of harm's way, took one step forward and smashed the rim into the saxons nose. Blood drenched his already crimson soaked hauberk and gambeson as Váli crushed another skull under his shields thrusts. After parrying another attack to the right, stumbling to the left, Váli saw the same shield sister lunge by and plunge her sword into a saxons gut. She had no shield or way of static defense, just a tattered lamellar burnie with lamellar shoulder pauldrons, if she had a helmet it had been lost earlier in the battle, her braided dirty blonde hair was also soaked in blood much like the rest of her attire. Warpaint mixed with blood streaked her face, giving her a Helish look, a beautiful Valkyrja of death. A Saxon clumsily bumped into Váli as he attempted to strike at the attacking warrior, in turn he intercepted the strike with his shield, becoming the maidens guard. Returning fully to the fight since he had been concussed, Váli took stock of the situation, all around him Norsemen were dying, a few resisted but even they were being overwhelmed and cut apart by the Saxon hoard, their life liquids draining from their wounds and their spirits awaiting Valhalla or Folkvanr. Váli watched as the butchering turned its murderous focus on the maiden and himself. In one movement he turned, grabbed his shield sisters hand and started leading her away, there were a few targets left and they were being picked off by skirmisher. Taking notice Váli pulled her in front of himself so he was between her and the enemy. The Saxons scattered around the field noticed the pair making their way towards the woods, and a few moved to cut off their path. Váli called her attention to the saxons and spotted the first of the skirmishers taking aim, draw and fire, Váli yanked her back behind his shield and they locked eyes as arrows rained down around them. Taking an opportunity Váli inquired. "Hvé gengr thér?" ( Hows it going?) she replied, smiling " Ille, ek heiti Kolfinna, thú?" ( Badly; I'm Kolfinna. You?) Váli replied with his own name, replied the same status and lifted the shield, at the same time Kolfinna leaped to her feat and engaged in combat with the saxons in the way. A Saxon to Kolfinnas' left started moving in uncertain footing spelling the young man's doom as he tripped over severed body parts, into Váli who quickly crushed his head with the shield boss, Kolfinna screamed Vális' name and brought his attention to a brute of a man walking toward them with a heavy Dane ax. Váli imposed himself between the brute and the maiden, shield poised ready for an attack while she turned her attention towards a few straggling Saxons. The brute swung the axe deliberately at Vális' shield the first attack alone was devastating, Váli was pushed back and he fell over a corpse, still holding the now cracked shield in front of himself. Váli watched the next attack crush through his shield, catching the corner of his helmet, slicing his chin and breaking his nose. Tears flooded Vális' vision and a moment later an agonized cry split the air. With one hand Váli unstrapped his encumbering helmet and with the other he discarded his shattered shield and found a lost sword embedded in a mans chest cavity. Once ready he threw the helmet at the brutish Saxon, got up and fell on him with his sword. The sword slid easily into the saxons collar and blood started pooling, then waterfalling. Next he turned to Kolfinna to see her on her knees and a saxon looming over her, his sword sailing through the air toward her bowed neck. Vális' sword left his hand, he shouted at the same time dove toward the saxon. Vális' sword glanced off the saxons arm, redirecting the hostile sword to glance off Kolfinnas' upper arm. She screamed. Váli dove full force into the executionary saxon, drew his seax, slashed and stabbed every exposed piece of the man's pale flesh, bathing in his gushing gore then turned to his next victim. Váli was battle crazed. The surviving Saxons saw how their friends were disemboweled by Váli knife and became fearful, wary. The saxons still standing kept their distance from the rabid man, they did not want the same fate from the ravenous Sea wolf. The blood sickened Saxons looted the dead several yards away from Váli as he calmed, tired and picked up Kolfinna, barely conscious she leaned on him and they both made their way into the woods. Stopping several hundred yards in, exhausted, Kolfinna and Váli slumped down at the base of an oak and drifted off to subconsciousness , safe for a while to rest and dress their wounds.