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the death. I wondered if this was the first time he had done so.  I had fought like this more times than I cared to recall.
    I handed my reins to Haaken. He said quietly. "He will be quick, lord."
    "You will be teaching my horse how to run next, Haaken." I smiled. "I know that he will be fast and I know that he will be strong.  I have to trust in my sword and the Allfather."
    I swung my shield around to my front. He glanced at one of his oathsworn and I knew what was coming.  He would rush me before I reached the middle. I pulled my shield around tighter as I stepped towards him.  He ran at me roaring a war cry and swinging his sword.  He aimed it at my head. I planted my left leg on the ground and angled the shield up to cover the lower part of my face. I needed to see him. It was a mighty blow. It shivered my shield and slid up to my helmet.  My thongs held it in place and the adornments Bjorn had applied prevented damage. He roared in joy and turned to face his men and their cheers. It was another trick for he hoped to entice me to attack his back while it was turned.
    He suddenly spun and sliced his sword towards my shield side again.  He was quick.  He was like lightning.  I had a sword struck by Thor's lightning and my left hand came down as  I stepped forward.  The sword crashed onto my shield. It was not as powerful a blow as I was closer to him. My forward movement meant he overbalanced slightly. His helmet only had a nasal and I saw the look of disbelief on his face. He had expected it to be over.
    "Old man can you no longer fight?  Give me this so-called magical sword and I might let you live as a dog in my kennels!"
    I said nothing but stretched my left arm out and then pulled it tight again. I knew that silence from behind my face mask would be unnerving. I had yet to use my sword which I held slightly behind my body. Once again he used brute force and speed to try to overwhelm me.  He came at me swinging quickly with looping cuts. I used my shield to fend them off and my feet to keep me out of trouble. After a flurry of eight such blows he stood, panting and sweating.
    This time I spoke again and I spoke loudly enough for his men to hear. "I ask you again. End this and let us go to visit your King.  This cannot end well for you."
    Through gasping breath he said, "How have you lived so long when you cannot fight?  Your shield can only take so many blows!"
    He was tiring and I watched as he took a deep breath to launch yet another attack. As he pulled his sword back I knew that he would strike over his head.  He was  a big man and he would be able to create much power when he did so. I did the unexpected.  I stepped forward and punched him in the face with my shield. My left arm ached but I had a boss on my shield.  The boss caught him squarely in the nose, bending his nasal. Blood and cartilage sprayed from the wound. The edge of the sword caught the rim of my shield and it stuck there. As he faltered I swung my sword from behind me and it bit into his knee. I pulled and twisted it out. This time it was not a war cry which came from his lips but a cry of pain. He did not step back but lurched back the blood pouring from the wound.
    His face was a mask of blood and fury, "You trickster! Now I will end this!"
    He tried to charge me again but I must have done more damage to his knee than he knew.  His left leg gave way.  I swung my sword in a scything sweep.  His hand tried to bring his shield up but his bent nasal obscured his vision to the left and he was tired. Ragnar's spirit hacked into his neck.  I had brought my sword from a long way back and I could not stop its power.  It bit through the flesh and the bone.  The head, helmet still attached, rolled from the body.  A heartbeat later the corpse fell to the ground.
    The Saxons were stunned.  My men were too well trained to cheer.  I heard swords being drawn from scabbards. Sheathing my own I took my helmet off. "Enough blood has been