The Life of a Viking Captain By Ryan Marion

Everyone knew who we were. You could always tell we were different. With our golden hair, broad shoulders, near the height of six feet, we were the best. We were the ultimate fighting force, as good as the Spartans but on the sea. We were known as Thor’s right hand of thunder. This is the story of one of our own. His name was Fàlki Herdísarson. Fàlki was the best sea captain we Vikings had ever known. This is his story. This is the story of how he died.

I was sitting in my cabin, getting prepared for the raid, focusing my mind on the matter at hand. All of a sudden, I heard yelling out on the deck and the sound of steel sliding off of leather. Leaping  to my feet and running out the door with my rapier, I surveyed the scene around me. The whole crew had surrounded two out of the sixty men. “Of course” I thought to myself, “It would be those stupid twins Askel, and Aslak,” probably fighting about their portions of food again. “Alright Aslak, put your sword away before I make you, and tell me what is going on.” Aslak was the better fighter; his sword was at his brothers’ throat. Aslak quickly removed his sword from his twins’ throat. “This lout stole my food!’’  he exclaimed feverishly “We get three portions a day and this bloody lout stole mine!” “Alright you lot, get back to work, I want all weapons made ready for the raid. Aslak, and Askel come to my cabin, at once!” I said, my words heated with fury. Of course they would be fighting about food right before a raid! I stalked in front of them and led the way to my cabin. I opened the door and ushered Askel in first, then Aslak. I slammed the door trying to take my frustration out on it rather than them. “What is wrong with the pair of ya!” I cried “We will be raiding in less then an hours time and you both have to get worked up to almost killing each other? Askel did you steal your brothers’ food?” I said “Aye, I did at that captain” he replied with a bowed head, his shame apparent in his stance. “I do not allow people to steal on my ship Askel, and you know it.” “Shall I make an example of your? To show others what will happen if I find they steal?”

“No captain! I’m begging you!” he cried out as he put his hands behind his back as if to protect them. “Captain I’m sorry” said Aslak “Please don’t hurt my brother!” “It won’t happen again!”

“It had better not,” I said “Cause if it does I’ll cut off both of your right hands and feed them to the ocean. You two know the rules. Now get out of here before I change my mind! And you both have deck duty for the rest of the week!” I yelled at their backs as they ran from my cabin. “They should know better.” I said quietly to myself. The last person who stole on my ship was tied to the mast and flayed to near death then thrown off the ship into the depths of the ocean. The only reason why they were still alive is because I needed Askal for the raid. He was the second-best swordsmen we had. I had to get focused. This was going to be a difficult raid. We were going to go on land and destroy an Abbey. It was full of nuns and priests. We were going to pillage them and kill them all. They had sacred artifacts that would sell well in the Norse kingdom in the north.

“There it is, land!” I quickly left my cabin and went out on deck and gathered my crew. “It is time boys!” I said to them with fire in my eyes. “It’s time to start this bloody raid and be done with it. Here is how we’re going in, broadsword groups of eight will go in first to scare them and then after a few minutes a group of ten men armed with rapiers, and cutlasses will come after them and kill any defenders with their precision weapons.”

“Now my broadswords men, try not to get hurt, your job is to scare out the defenders, just do environmental damage, the other group will do killing if needed. At the sound of the cannons start the attack.” After I said this we all got into the longboats and went ashore and the broadswords men ran about destroying things to scare the nuns and the priests. All the nuns retreated into the Abbey, the few priests held swords of their own. I sent the broadswords men out and most of the priests started to run away, but a good many stayed. Time to send in the precision team, “I’ll go with them this time.” I thought to myself. “Precision team on me.” I yelled out to my crew. They were there in an instant. “Alright, we’re going in next, kill anyone who tries to fight back but otherwise try not to kill too many.” I heard a resounding “Aye, Aye Cap’n!” from the crew. “Alright, let’s go!” I ran ahead of my men trying to boost their morale even more, but they didn’t need it.

We were the best and this is what we were born to do. I let most of my men take the other defenders, not wanting to steal from them the joy of a good raid. I was looking for the leader, to destroy him in front of the rest so they would surrender. I walked into the Abbey and called out “Who is your leader, let him present himself so we can have a duel to stop all of this bloodshed.” All I heard was silence. Then all of a sudden I saw a figure coming down the Abbey staircase. It was a nun, and as soon as I saw her I was struck with odd emotions.

She was stunning, had hair like my own; I was surprised to see someone so beautiful to be a nun. Yet there was something I had over looked; she was carrying a rapier. No, I thought to myself. She can’t be the leader. I can’t fight her, she’s too.. too.. beautiful. “Alright you Viking scum.” She said with such anger, even though her voice sounded like bells. “You had better prepare yourself, for here I am, the leader of this Abbey.” “No,” I said, “I will not fight a woman as beautiful as yourself; send forth your best swordsmen. He I will fight.” “Well here I am sure enough young sir,” she said as she was at the bottom of the staircase. “Young miss I can not fight you. I will not shed your blood.” “Ahh, but how do you know it would be my blood that would be shed Viking?” she said with a grin on her face. She was ever so beautiful when she smiled. I was starting to like this woman. More than I had any other. There was only one way to avoid bloodshed and yet still be able to be with her. “Miss. We shall not fight. But I do have an offer for you.” I said with a wicked grin on my face. “Well let’s hear it then,” she said, clearly not amused. “I will not raid this Abbey, or kill anymore men or women, or steal any of your belongings, if you will come with me, as a hostage,” I said, my grin obviously widening. Her face had turned ashen, she looked almost ill. “Fine,” she said, her stubbornness flowing out of her. She dropped her sword and walked closer. “But on one condition,” she said, “You must leave now, and never return and never attack another Abbey as long as you live.” “Fine,” I replied, Abbeys were too much trouble anyway, lets’ go.” We all went aboard the ship and we set sail.

This was a story of how our Captain Fàlik Herdísarson, died. After this raid on the Abbey, he set sail to port at Donegal, Ireland. He and his new wife left us and I was promoted to Captain. They lived a long life together, and I returned to that port this very day just to see my old comrade and leader. All I found was three graves. One marked Fàlik Herdísarson, the other Grace Herdísarson, and the last Gràlik Herdísarson. Apparently they had a child who had died at the young age of eighteen months due to scarlet fever. This same sickness had taken Grace the same day: it was too much to handle for our old captain. He killed himself out of despair. I returned to my ship, and told my second in command, my brother after all, what had happened. We decided to set sail back to the Abbey to tell them of the news; the old captain’s oath didn’t apply to me, Aslak, the Captain of this fine vessel. I set sail to the Abbey, ready to tell the tale of The Life of a Viking Captain.