THE LOST VIKING SAGA

Topside, just outside the bunker, Olaf was peppered with questions by Ebbn and Kalf. John tried to follow their conversations, but occasionally got lost attempting to understand a particular word or phrase he had never read of before.

“Can we truly become knowledgeable enough to infiltrate a warring country and actually abduct their leader?” asked Ebbn.

“You know as well as I, my friend, that many things we have attempted to do in our lives have required much sacrifice and hard work. Remember training with my father’s sword master? How many scars do you still bear from his harsh lessons?”

“Were I to show you but a few of the many, friend John here would perhaps grow pale.”

“I have seen my share of war and scars, Ebbn,” said John. “I have many of my own from Germany’s last attempt to subjugate the world.”

“You are saying that this is not the first time the Germanic tribes have been so aggressive?”

“I am afraid not, my friend. As I explained to Olaf earlier, the German people have been aggressive over the past forty years. There appears to be something within the German spirit that lusts for war. Many believe they are not so removed from your ancestors. Hitler, at least, would like the world to think that he is the incarnation of one of the Norse gods.”

“Hitler is a puny man with an even punier imagination,” growled Ebbn. “The more I hear of the man, the more I want to twist his tiny mustache from his face.”

The laughter was, in part, therapeutic for the men, as they made light of an enemy who was becoming increasingly more evil with each small bit of information that was revealed about him.

“I am afraid that there are far too many people in line ahead of you waiting to do the same thing,” quipped John. “Before this is over I think there will be innumerable more lining up behind.”

Kalf, signed to Olaf once a lull in conversation had come. Olaf watched his son’s fingers and hands, responding to his concern with wisdom.

“No, Kalf. I am not completely convinced that this mission will be what opens the door to home. However, I am convinced that if we do not try we will never know.”

“Meeting this enemy on his own ground, father. Some would name it suicide.”

“Kalf, we take not our own lives in this endeavor. It may well be that we may save lives that without our attempt might have been lost. There is much to consider before we embark upon such a plan as this one. Not only that, but we have a lot that we must learn before we can even hope to have any form of success. This plan will not become reality unless it is the vehicle through which the Christ would work His will.”

“You will not be alone in any of it, Olaf. My colleagues and I will see to it you are properly instructed in not only the German language but our own tongue as well. I am expectant that Colonel Brundige will see to it that you are equally versed in the German ways of fighting, the weaponry, and the hierarchy of German military rank. It is not a thing to be taken lightly and I can assure you it will not be. If anything, the British excel at over planning. There will be no aspect of your mission left unexamined or unconsidered. We will not throw you to the dogs, as it were, without first ensuring that you have teeth of your own.”

“That is reassuring, John. It is no casual undertaking. It is one that deserves an excess of consideration. First though, I have twenty-six men to convince. If they are not behind it, then it fails before it begins.”

The proposal to the remainder of the Norsemen took place that evening after their meal. There were introduced no new concerns or questions that had not already been addressed by the four of them after meeting with Colonel Brundige. Olaf intentionally made certain to speak with each man afterwards to discuss any apprehensions the men might have that they may have been unwilling to express in front of the assembly. To a man, each was fully like-minded and enthusiastic in their desire to participate. Many saw it as an opportunity to in some way accomplish what they set out to do when leaving home. Others saw it as a possible way to integrate themselves into the culture they found themselves stranded in. If they returned from the mission, they hope they might find a place among the Englanders where they could belong.

The next day, Olaf was summoned to Brundige’s meeting room by the Colonel’s aide to discuss how to move forward with fleshing out the strategy of their mission. Brundige put a handful of officers to work compiling a list of training tasks that absolutely needed to be completed. Another two men were charged with developing a timeline, scheduling, and procuring the necessary drill areas, classrooms, and equipment fundamental to completing each level of instruction. Olaf was amazed at the efficiency with which the men attacked their assignments. Colonel Brundige’s leadership seemed to propel men forward with purpose. They sought his advice, expressed their opinions, and offered their solutions with a disciplined assurance, seasoned with an obvious respect and desire to give him what he asked. They were very similar, Olaf decided. He felt a commonality with Brundige that he hoped would blossom into a bond of friendship.

No time was wasted moving forward. That very afternoon, Olaf and his men found themselves standing on a wide field laid out with some kind of complicated path or course that Olaf guessed they would soon be required to navigate. They were dressed in the drab uniforms of the Englanders. Some of the men, especially those as broad and tall as Bjorn, the Giant and others, looked somewhat comical, their pants and tunics straining against the bulkiness of their frames. In Bjorn’s case, his tunic’s buttons strained and the cuffs of his trousers rode highly on his calves. John was informed that better fitting clothing was on its way, but it would be a few days before they could allocate it from the proper outlets. Bjorn did not care. The larger than life Norseman enjoyed the joking and brotherly prodding he received at the hands of the other warriors. He walked among them with a broad grin, giving as well as he received.

The worse to come out of the preparations being scheduled was the announcement that they would all be visiting the military barbers in the morning to be transformed into proper looking modern soldiers. Two of the men started to become enraged when told they had no choice in the matter, the beards must go and the hair trimmed considerably. Laughter brought everything back to a manageable level when Grim the Crafty clapped the two warriors on their backs and loudly trumpeted, “Don’t be such vain housewives, brothers. It is only hair and yours will grow back by nightfall.” From that point on the men were more focused on what they might look like without their beards as few of them had seen the others without them since they were youths.

Olaf’s assumption that they were to navigate the elaborate course out on the field proved to be correct. A very proper, yet very stern man, who went by the name of Warrant Officer MacGrieve, informed them that they were about to begin Recruit Selection and they were expected to obey without complaint any order given to them at any time. MacGrieve arranged them he what he called formation and instructed them in what he referred to as the positions of attention and rest. Olaf surmised that the Warrant Officer’s methods had been carefully honed over time and carried out over numerous cycles of recruits. The man seemed to relish in attempting to break the spirit of those he was to train. The Norseman knew the man was in for the challenge of his life if he thought to break the spirit of these men. Olaf’s men had seen far too much battle and bloodshed to have their spirit broken by name calling and physical challenges. Nevertheless, the training would be a good diversion to keep their minds occupied and assimilate them into the modern army philosophies.

When the rudimentary instruction had been presented to MacGrieve’s satisfaction they were called to a line at the beginning of the course man by man. Their signal to begin was a smack upon their back with a long leather lash brandished by MacGrieve with considerable force. Throughout their traversing over and under obstacles, the Warrant Officer kept pace beside them. He screamed at them constantly, his face reddening, and spittle spewing from his lips. After one particular tirade, Ivar merely smiled at him and said, “My wife scares me more than you, I’m afraid. You will have to do better to shake me.”

For the remainder of the exercise the Norsemen made it a contest to see who could get Warrant Officer MacGrieve to turn from red to purple. They became as good at goading him as he tried to be at goading them. The act that finally overloaded MacGrieve was not on purpose though. Bjorn, the Giant was passing through the final element of the course of obstacles, his muscles straining to pull himself along a taut rope that was suspended above a pool of muddy water. As Bjorn reached toward the last section of rope that would clear him of the water, the strain of his immense anatomy upon the ill-fitting clothing reached its apex. With a roar, Bjorn stretched his arm as far as he could. At that moment the loud tearing of both his tunic and trousers pierced the air. Both items of clothing were torn asunder leaving Bjorn hanging from the rope virtually clothed in mere scraps. MacGrieve’s face appeared to boil as he made a valiant effort to silence the laughter of Bjorn’s brother warriors. The only result this produced was to raise the volume and intensity of the laughter. Just as the Norsemen thought the Warrant Officer’s rage would cause his head to pop from his tense neck muscles, MacGrieve collapsed upon the ground, not in pain or anger, but with laughter himself. Bjorn, for his part, continued to dangle from the cable, a sheepish grin spreading across his broad face.

Once Bjorn was clothed, once again in clothes too small for him, the remainder of the day was spent drilling the men on crawling under obstacles while carrying a weapon, which they came to learn from MacGrieve, was called a rifle. He was especially stern about them keeping what he called the barrel out of the dirt and mud. “A clogged barrel,” he said more than once, “Can cause the barrel to blow up in your face. If it blows up in your face, you are out of the fight. Now do any of you men want to be out of the fight?” To which the Norsemen cried in voices that were heard all around the surrounding area, “Sir. Yes, Sir!” Warrant Officer MacGrieve had made it a point to have John teach them their canned response to his collective questions as one of the first items of business at the beginning of training. He was pleased with the results. A group of men grown used to making their voices heard above the din of battle knew how to shout, and shout they did. Because it was the first English phrase most of them had learned, they were heard saying it to each other often. It was used as a curse when frustrated, and later that day at supper when they were served the mashed potatoes they were all growing quite fond of. This response became their rallying cry and they proclaimed it exuberantly whenever and wherever they could.

As they bedded down for the night, Olaf listened to them call to one another playfully. The training was good for them in many ways. For one, they would not go into the mission unprepared, but on the other side of that it was the distraction they all needed. Olaf was not certain that John and Colonel Brundige understood the strain the men were experiencing. Being thrust into an unknown time among unknown people, who spoke a language alien to their own, and not knowing if they would ever see home again was enough to strain the mind of any man. But these were Norsemen. They were Olaf’s men. He smiled proudly as he thought of how well they had adapted. He knew they would continue to gladden his heart as they mastered whatever skill, challenge, or weapon the Englanders tried to teach them. These were good men, honorable men; men whose bond of brotherhood had been battle tested. This mission could and would succeed. Of this Olaf was positive. What else could be the outcome with such a trustworthy group of men? Their time here could end up being far longer than he wished. Olaf honestly was anxious to return to his own time, but, whatever the will of the Christ, he would endure it for the sake of being used as an instrument of justice.