Hawk Quest

lurched and skidded in the cross-currents and overfalls. They skirted a whirlpool that David said was whipped up by a sea-witch grinding salt for the world’s oceans on a giant quern. A long island slid by to the east. Drab moorland broken by green pastures dotted with the occasional turf house. Stunted trees bent by the wind. Two boys bareback on a horse raced them to the ness at the end of the island and sat waving until they were gone from sight.

Shearwater sailed between headlands into a wide sea basin ringed by more islands. The largest filled the northern horizon. ‘Horse Island,’ Raul said. ‘Kirkwall lies on the other side. David says it’ll take us the rest of the day to work our way around.’

Vallon was dazed by the glare off the waves, the constant joggling. ‘I’m going to snatch some sleep.’

He curled up like a dog and drifted off to the cries of gulls. He woke muzzy-headed to find Shearwater threading a channel between two islands. A school of porpoises drilled through the waves. David and Raul stood at the bow, bright coronas forming behind them each time Shearwater took a crest. Vallon drank from a dipper and made his way forward.

Raul nodded at the island to port. ‘Nearly there. We’ve come round Horse Island. Kirkwall’s tucked down a bay the other end of this channel. Remember, Captain, once we land, Snorri will be the one calling the shots.’

‘We won’t enter harbour. Ask David to find an anchorage close to the port — an uninhabited island would be ideal.’

Vallon kept an eye on Snorri while Raul quizzed David.

Raul came back. ‘There’s a scrap of land a couple of miles north of the harbour. They used to put thieves and witches on it. Nothing there now except sheep.’

Vallon went to break the news to Snorri. ‘David knows an island where we can anchor overnight. I’m not putting into Kirkwall until I know what sort of reception we can expect. You can go ashore if you wish.’

‘Ye must think I’m a saphead. Soon as I step off, ye’ll make a run for it.’

‘Snorri, if I wanted to steal your ship, I wouldn’t have waited until we were under the eyes of your countrymen. Besides, David’s leaving us. We’d never find our way to Iceland without a pilot.’

A figure appeared atop a cliff on Horse Island. Vallon saw him turn and signal inland.

‘Thieves Holm,’ Raul called.

It was only a few acres of rough grass rising a few feet above high tide. As they neared it, the town of Kirkwall came into view at the head of a bay to the south. Vallon saw a church and a scattering of farms, a few ships moored in the harbour. Raul and Wayland began lowering the sail. Seals dragged themselves into the sea and a flock of feral sheep that had been feeding on seaweed stotted away. David dropped anchor and the company rowed ashore. Vallon stepped on to land to find that his feet wouldn’t work properly, groping at air instead of finding ground. He flopped down. The rest of the company gathered around him, leaving only Snorri on board.

Vallon watched him watching them. ‘Raul, I want David to go ashore with Snorri and follow him. See who he meets and whether he tries to find us a ship.’ Vallon felt inside his tunic and produced a purse. ‘That’s twice the fee we agreed.’

‘Sailboat heading out from Kirkwall,’ said Wayland.

Vallon watched it draw nearer. ‘Nine men on board. Too many to be fishermen.’

‘David reckons it’s the harbourmaster,’ Raul said.

‘Everyone back to the ship.’

‘What if they try to seize us?’ said Raul.

‘I think they’d have come in a bigger vessel. Have your weapons ready, but don’t show them unless I give the word.’

The boat crabbed across a back-eddy. All of its occupants were armed. In the bow stood an iron-jawed man with side-whiskers. David hailed him and he gaped in recognition.

‘He’s called Sweyn,’ said Raul. ‘Likes to throw his weight about.’

The harbourmaster was shouting questions. ‘Tell him to keep off,’ Vallon said.

David called out. The boat kept coming.

Vallon drew his sword. ‘I mean it. No one boards without my permission. Raul, show them your crossbow.’

Confronted by the show of arms, the Norwegians sheered off and hung in the current. The harbourmaster shook his fist and shouted. David looked at Vallon in alarm.

‘It ain’t a good idea to mortify the harbourmaster,’ Raul said.

‘We aren’t in his harbour and I’ll decide who sets foot on this ship. Tell him to land on the island and we’ll let him and two of his men come aboard. Tell him that I’m a mad foreigner and I don’t trust strangers. If he doesn’t agree, we’ll up anchor and be off.’

Snorri wailed on hearing this ultimatum and added his voice to David’s, telling the harbourmaster that he was the owner of the ship and had kin on Orkney and that he could vouch for the peaceful intentions of the company. Exchanges went back and forth until the harbourmaster gave up the wrangle and ordered his crew to put him and two bodyguards ashore. Wayland and Garrick picked them up in the ship’s boat.

Sweyn stepped aboard glaring at Vallon as though he’d like to grind him into the earth. While Raul described their mission, he cast his eyes around the ship and its company, examined the contents of the hold. Before Raul had finished, he made for the side, gesturing for Shearwater’s crew to follow.

‘He’s ordering us into harbour,’ said Raul.

‘I’m not going anywhere. David and Snorri are the only ones who are leaving.’

Another flurry of arguments before the harbourmaster gave up. He clicked his fingers under Vallon’s nose.

‘We still have to pay harbour dues,’ said Raul. ‘Best pay up.’

Vallon put on a show of anger before parting with the money. Sweyn tucked it away and climbed into the boat with David. Snorri hesitated.

‘We can’t go anywhere without a pilot,’ Vallon reminded him.

Snorri left and the sailboat pulled away. It was evening, the islands black under the westering sun.

Raul put down his crossbow and rolled his shoulders. ‘We ain’t made any friends here. Better keep a sharp lookout.’

Thick cloud sagged low in the morning sky. Fitful gusts from the west made Shearwater hunt around her mooring. A few fishing boats began working in the shelter of Kirkwall bay. The morning wore on and the wind grew stronger.

‘What if David don’t come back?’ Raul said.

‘We’ll sail without him. We’ll pick up another pilot in the Faroes or wait for a convoy from Norway.’

‘Captain, them Faroes ain’t more than fly specks in an ocean of sea.’

‘David must have given you sailing directions.’

‘Oh, aye. Island-hop up to the Shetlands, then sail north-west keeping the ship’s stem a handspan to the left of the pole star. Next day look out for a current of pale water and the day after that head towards a cloud castle, keeping your eyes peeled for weed drifting south … Captain, learning the signs is a life’s work. Even with experienced skippers, not half the ships that leave for Iceland make it. Most turn back. The rest are never heard of again.’

‘Boat heading our way,’ Wayland called.

David was aboard with two men. They ignored Vallon’s waves to come alongside and ran up to the island.

‘The harbourmaster’s forbidden David to board in case we make a run for it,’ said Raul. ‘Sweyn says we have to be in harbour before dark or he’ll impound Shearwater.’

‘To hell with the harbourmaster. Let’s find out what Snorri’s been up to.’

They rowed to the island and questioned David at length. Raul turned to Vallon with a glow of self- vindication. ‘I told you Snorri was in up to the hubs. First thing he did was go to an ale house. David was too canny to go in himself. Instead, he paid a man to skulk and it was money well spent. First of all Snorri made enquiries about his kinsmen from Hordaland. Someone went to fetch them and after a while two brothers turned up and the three went into a huddle. Then another man came in and they went on with their palaver.’

‘Any idea what they talked about?’

‘They took good care no one could hear. After a time they left and rode away to the brothers’ farm. There