Lucy's Viking story

My brother Hagar and I charge through the village, with the rest of our crew following behind. I carry an axe, Hagar carries a mallet so we can both wipe out anyone who gets in our way. We wear helmets and grip shields to defend ourselves if we get into trouble with anyone.

It's a bright early morning and the village is busy with men, women and children who are all now staring at us with confusion and fear. The village has some small stone houses and small wooden huts for the poorer. There are fields all around which most of them share to grow vegetables and crops.

Hagar and I charge over to a prosperous looking house and break open the door that is bolted. Looking behind I see that the other 43 of us have headed for the monastery, ignoring the other houses.

"Stupid fools!" I mutter, shaking my head. We had the same problem last time. "Hagar, search downstairs. I'll search upstairs."

I climb the stairs to find a terrified looking woman sitting on a chair and staring at me. I can see panic glistening in her eyes as she clutches a baby to her chest.

"Ná gortaithe mo le do hoil!" She croaks. But I don't understand her. She is speaking Irish.

I choose to ignore her and I start to search the room for treasures. I can feel her eyes watching me on the back of my head. I find a necklace behind a log of wood. The woman trembles with fear when I pick it up. I don't find anything else so I make my way downstairs to find Hagar admiring a box of jewels he has found.

"Stop!"

I turn around to see the woman with her child making her way down the stairs. She gestures to the box and her child and speaks Irish.

"Riachtanas liom airgead!"

"What do you think she is saying?" Hagar asks.

"I think she's telling us she has no money for her child and the treasures we are stealing will get her money!" I tell him.

"Well we don't care about you!" Hagar snaps at the woman and shoves her into the wall.

"We could use her as a slave," I suggest.

"We don't want to be having to look after her baby as well. Come on, Gudrun. Let's see what's in those houses over there." Hagar calls over to me, pointing over to the houses opposite us.

He runs into one and I run into the neighbouring house, to meet a very angry looking couple glaring at me. I see behind them my friend Sif, who is knocked out on the floor, his head bleeding.

The woman has stolen Sif's sword and shield and is trying to stab me but I'm shielding it off. The man is holding a log of wood and throws that at me.

I swing my axe at the man but miss. I try to run away from it but it lands on my toe. I scream in pain and swear at them.

I don't bother trying to fight back because the man and woman, who have seen what wood can do to me when you use it as a weapon, are both throwing logs of wood at me.

I hobble away so they can't get me, over to Hagar.

"I can't run properly!" I tell him while he shakes his head in disgust. I see the man and the woman running away.

"You still have to fight! No excuses, remember?"

I remember. I made up that rule.

"I know. I'm just saying."

I follow after the man and woman before they can get away. But they can run faster than me. I know not to shout at them as that'll just let them know where I am.

They sit down, panting, up against a wall, whispering to each other. I creep up slowly against the other side of the wall, unable to stop my own panting. The man looks up to see me, the Viking they tried to kill, holding his axe above him.

"Rith!" He yells at the woman and they run away to save their heads being chopped off.

I stamp my feet, cursing and snarling at them. I throw the axe at them but my aim is poor and I miss. I sit down to get my breath back.

When I've calmed down, I hobble away and smell smoke in the air.

"It must be the bell-tower being burnt down," I mutter to myself.

I know that we will all be leaving soon, so I head over to the sea where we have our ship. I see that the smoke is coming from that direction. I don't see any houses down there but I must have missed it as the bell-tower is far behind me. It'll take me about 5 minutes to walk down there with my sore foot.

I see some of the crew running towards the ship, juggling their treasures along with their weapons that are soaked with blood, dripping onto the grass and onto their capes, while I shamefully hobble along, holding nothing with my shield and I suddenly realise that I've forgotten my axe and my treasure.

I decide not to bother going back; I can easily make another as that wasn't that good, anyway. I know my wife will be disappointed with me as I usually bring her back lovely gifts. My excuse? I hurt my toe and two Irish folk were about to kill me.

I've reached the hill that you walk down to reach the sea where we've docked our ship. I hear some shouts about a fire but that must be the crew talking about a fire they've set. To my horror I see that our ship has been set on fire!

I shout about it, warning everyone behind me.

I ask, "How did this happen?" but no one seems to know. I see the man and the woman near and I know who set our ship on fire.