Sven Forkbeard and his warband had tracked the vikings they had encountered at Solvenden, they found one dead from his wounds but no sight of the other two. They hurried on down into the valley of Burnacumb, where locals said they had seen a couple of camp fires the night before ...
---oXo---
The vikings were getting ready to strike camp....a few men remained in their tents and some were still out foraging....
A viking keeping lookout could see a group of warriors approachng
Sven could see the camp in the distance, he ordered his mean to make haste.....
Hearing of the approaching warriors, the viking leader Snorri Ragnussen barked orders, the horn was blown to call in the foraging parties ...
a defensive line was formed a short distance from the camp, men roused from resting in the tents and ones who had been foraging ran up to join their comrades...
Sven Forkbeard halted his advance and drew up his men, the fyrd behind split up to move to the flanks ....
Both sides prepared for battle ....
Sven Forkbeard, straightened out the shield wall as the vikings advanced ...
The Vikings wasted no time, as soon as they were close enough they charged .....
The shield wall held, men started to go down on both sides...
both sides pressed forward hard, trying to break through the opposition's ranks ,,,,
As the viking centre started to gain an advantage, their flanks suffered heavily....
the saxon fyrd started envelope the viking flanks, while Sven's and his retinue only just held on in the centre...
With the viking centre pushed back, Snorri Ragnussen and the remainder of the vikings were almost surrounded ....
They just managed to disengage and withdraw.....
the saxons who were exhausted from marching and the fight, could not catch them up ....
---oXo---
Still the vikings has lost more than halve their number. Snorri Ragnussen and his men headed for their longship. Sven Forkbeard and his men rested, preparing to return home; it was possible the rest of the vikings would be caught by Thegn Rodor's mounted patrols by the coast.
[Note: Post re-done on older Blogger I/F after tryout of New Interface ; known Blogger issue with images displayed small when clicked on to enlarge when viewing posts]
