In front of the city of Bamburgh, where King Osberht resided, there were about three hundred men from the fjords. Several had joined the host upon learning of Hárekr’s presence. They were stationed in front of the walls, at a considerable distance.
The city guards noticed the contingent’s presence and immediately alerted the commanders and the main hall.
At that moment, the same commander who had pursued them days before looked over the walls. Seeing that Hárekr had survived, he struck the stone hard and shouted:
"What do you want?"
He was practically looking for a way to yield. Hárekr said nothing; the interpreter stepped forward and expressed:
"Lord Hárekr only wants to see the head of King Osberht. That way you will avoid being annihilated."
The commander, enraged, shouted at him in pain:
"King Osberht died that very day... Have you come to humiliate us?"
Another commander immediately pulled him away from the walls. Osberht’s son was very young, and they could not start a war; they wanted the Vikings to direct their forces against King ?lla, not against them. He told the interpreter:
"We are willing to deliver gold, silver, and everything requested in exchange for not being plundered by your lord."
The interpreter translated the Saxon’s words. Hárekr did not yield and ordered:
"Open the gates. From now on you will be under the yoke of Hárekr Ragnarrsson."
The interpreter transmitted the message, implying that Hárekr accepted the surrender.
The commanders began to talk among themselves. The officer who had pursued Hárekr expressed:
"We cannot do it... They are going to chop me into little pieces..."
The other commander looked at him and sighed. He knew they were both loyal men, but there was no way to contain the Viking army. Even if they won now, an even more massive army would come. He took him by the shoulder and said:
"Surrender for the common good."
He said it looking at the frightened civilians below. The officer, being an upright man, took off his armor, prepared for his fate.
Thus they opened the gate. The Viking troops entered like hungry wolves, looking at everyone waiting for a sign from their lord. But Hárekr at no moment gave the order to plunder. He only stared fixedly at the commander who had made them suffer and told him:
"I have a minimum of respect for you. You will die by my own axe."
The Saxon did not understand the language, but he understood the intention and prepared himself. The axe fell, and blood spurted onto the ground. Then Hárekr spoke with authority to those present:
"Troops of King Osberht, you are enemies of King ?lla. I, Hárekr Ragnarrsson, give you my word: if you fight under my banner against King ?lla, I will give you freedom, and you will be respected by me and mine." This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
The interpreter translated every word. The commander who had negotiated the surrender looked at the other two officers leading about two hundred men, plus the levies they could gather, totaling about four hundred. He shouted at Hárekr in Saxon:
"This was not the plan. What do you intend?"
The interpreter translated. Liv, who had remained silent, spoke to the Saxon officer:
"Ealdorman Cynric, Lord Hárekr is a man of his word... Please, accept for the good of the Christian brothers."
The commander recognized her and reproached her:
"You have betrayed us. Now you speak for the good of a Viking?"
Liv sighed and replied:
"See how things are... Thinking with common sense, we have no power to counter them. Why not see the positive?"
Cynric knew it well; if they faced Hárekr, someone worse would come. He told the woman:
"I agree, but I do not know if the others will want to do it."
Liv translated it to Hárekr, who nodded, satisfied.
Hárekr left the city with his army and settled outside; he would not sleep alongside the Saxons.
Hours later, in the main camp, Torstein and Einar expressed their annoyance at the decision:
"Why did you make this decision? We could have plundered them."
Hárekr measured them with his gaze and asked:
"Are you contradicting me?"
Both veterans, seeing Hárekr’s cold expression, sighed and fell silent, praying to their gods that the move would not go wrong.
Thorir, who fully trusted him, looked at Liv and asked his brother:
"Why did you decide this, brother?"
Hárekr answered him:
"It is not for her. We have plundered enough and I do not want to risk my host. I prefer to use their hatred against King ?lla."
Hárekr shared his thoughts only with Thorir, who understood the logic. Thorir’s only concern was that the Saxons would betray the plan at the decisive moment.
In the following days, the only Saxon officer who marched with them was Cynric, who contributed thirty elite men and the recruited levies, totaling two hundred soldiers. The rest of the commanders preferred to stay safe inside the city. You are reading on novelping dot com, the official source.
Cynric, who rode near Liv, looked at her and asked:
"Why do you trust this Viking so much?"
They had known each other for a long time, as Liv was originally from that same city. She replied with conviction:
"Lord Hárekr is different from his people... And he has a luck worthy of a king."
The Saxon commander let out an ironic laugh and shot back:
"You fell in love with a Viking."
Without adding more, Cynric tightened the reins and kept riding.
When they finally crossed the borders of King Osberht’s son’s domains and stepped onto the lands under the direct rule of King ?lla, Hárekr gave the order to unleash the raids on the nearby villages and fields.
Commander Cynric, seeing the smoke rising over the houses, sighed heavily. Inside, he felt like a traitor to his own people, but he knew he had no other choice. His family and his people had been left behind in Bamburgh, and Hárekr had kept his word to respect them; that was the deal, and he had to uphold it.
Thus the march continued amid minor raids, as the rural lands offered no great riches. After days of advancing, the host looked in the distance at the walls of Streoneshalch, a prosperous and prestigious coastal city, famous for its great abbey and closely aligned with King ?lla’s crown.
Hárekr, noticing the great coastal city that looked much more prosperous and rich than those of northern Northumbria, sent for Cynric. Hidden in a discreet position overlooking the valley, Cynric arrived within minutes and stopped beside him, waiting for his orders. The interpreter remained with them.
Hárekr, after staring fixedly at the city’s walls and towers, told him:
"If your troops do it well... I would not mind supporting the little king so he can rule parts of Northumbria."
Cynric, upon hearing such a proposal, was frozen. The Bamburgh faction desperately needed military backing to sustain their claims, and for a Viking chieftain himself to offer such an alliance took him by surprise. After hesitating for a few seconds, he answered:
"I cannot make that decision by myself."
Hárekr nodded serenely and ordered him:
"Your troops will go in the vanguard."
Then he turned his face toward Torstein:
"Old man, send a message to Dunbar. It is safe to bring the ships now."
He said it taking for granted that he would conquer the city and everything in front of him. Cynric watched him in silence, not knowing quite what to think. Since he had begun marching at his side, he could not stop being surprised by the absolute confidence this Viking radiated to all his men.