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Incursion

Dan Maltbie

    Jens’s feet pounded the deck of the icy knorr. His beard was stiff from hours above deck. A red line rimmed his eye from the spyglass. In the sky to the east a star fell toward the line of ships.
    “What is it?” Erik said.
    “It entered my sight about three hours ago and has been traveling steady since.”
    On the starboard side their lane was beginning to fill making running impossible.
    Jens handed the frozen glass to Erik. The object appeared to be a large turtle shell, shiny and solid. Its edges aflame from the rate of travel, or maybe a piece of onyx highly polished dropped from above.
    “Have you seen something move that fast before?” Jens said.
    “No. It seems Odin flung it from Valhalla.”
    “It should make impact on the water within the next few minutes.”
    “The other ships are adjusting course,” Erik said.
    “It won’t matter. When that thing hits we could be swamped. Head aft and secure the cattle.”
    The vessel shifted from the enormous wave created by the object’s crash. Jens concentrated on the spot where the star had fallen. Steam and smoke obscured the rough waters.
    Mikkel, the captain of the lead ship, moved his vessel to intercept. A pillar of steam rose less than a few yards to its starboard. Waves crashed on its shallow hull rising and falling as it progressed.
    “The cattle are tied down, any news?”
    “The sea is still too rough to make out anything. Mikkel has moved his ship toward it, what he hopes to discover is beyond man’s comprehension,” Jens said.
    Jens looked through the spyglass. His numb hand trembled on the tiller as the ship trudged on.
    A great light shot high, making a glowing beacon in the crisp night air.
    Screams erupted from Mikkel’s ship. New shapes emerged on the deck of the embattled vessel, black and lithe. The sound of swords and axes finding purchase was pounding the air.
    Jens rang the alarm bell and signaled his companions. A chorus of replies rang out from the line of vessels. He smashed the spyglass to his eye searching the skirmish for any sign of Mikkel.
    The wraiths covered the ship.
    There were no more screams and the clanging of the bells faded. The star descended beneath the waves spitting fire and smoke.
    “Jens, that was your brother’s ship.”
    “Aye, he is a damn fool for moving off course,” Jens said.
    “He was placed in a hard position. The village would not make it to spring without his cargo,” Erik said.
    “Arm the men, Erik,” Jens said. “Either in Odin’s Great Hall or mine own home, we will feast come the morning.”

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