After a full day of observation, Helgi gathered the latest intelligence:
2,000 pirates were lingering outside the camp
400 more remained at the beach guarding the ships
He calculated his own strength:
30 cavalry
1,600 militia with low morale
900 natives with poor equipnt and equally low morale
Nurically, his forces held a slight advantage.
But in equipnt and morale, they were inferior.
Helgi felt uneasy.
In his estimation, their chance of victory was no better than fifty percent.
If they lost, he would be forced to retreat to the harbor and hold out there—helplessly watching the pirates destroy the hard-earned crops.
Yet one question still puzzled him:
Why had these pirates co all the way to the Canary Islands in the first place?
Before the Battle
At dawn the next day, the sky was just beginning to lighten, and the air carried a faint chill.
Helgi stepped outside.
Cooks and servants had set up dozens of large cauldrons in the open field. Inside simred oatal porridge mixed with salted fish. Nearby, wooden baskets held stacks of hard bread—each person would receive half a loaf.
Soon, the camp filled with the aroma of food.
Yawning workers ford long lines.
To boost morale, supervisors and foren loudly announced new incentives:
"Listen carefully! After this battle, any worker who performs well will be released from plantation duty and granted thirty acres of land!"
"You can raise livestock, grow wheat, or plant sugarcane—your choice!"
Forming the Lines
After breakfast, laborers and small farrs assembled into sixteen companies of one hundred n each, forming a long horizontal line outside the southern gate.
Across from them, the pirates ford their own loose formation:
curved sabers
round shields
a handful of archers on the flanks
They advanced slowly toward the militia.
When the distance shrank to one hundred paces, both sides opened fire with bows and crossbows.
Then both armies slowed, bunching together behind shields as they continued forward.
Waiting for Reinforcents
"Why haven't they arrived yet?" Helgi muttered anxiously, scanning the horizon.
According to the plan:
Once the blue flag was raised over the camp
Chavatu would lead his n from hiding
Circle around to the pirates' southern flank
Then signal readiness by imitating bird calls
Helgi turned to the cavalry beside him.
"Did anyone hear bird calls?"
No one answered.
Minutes passed.
The distance closed to twenty paces.
Both sides stared into each other's faces.
Their steps slowed.
At ten paces, they stopped.
Tension peaked.
So n began shouting instinctively, faces flushed red, hoping to intimidate the enemy.
Soon the shouting spread across the battlefield.
The roar beca deafening.
Even if the Guanches had signaled with bird calls, Helgi would never have heard them.
The Clash
After a long exchange of shouting, voices grew hoarse.
Silence fell.
Then both lines moved forward.
With a piercing cry—
Close combat began.
The mont weapons t, the militia faltered.
Their line buckled under the pirates' pressure, retreating step by step.
Helgi could wait no longer.
He led his twenty cavalryn in a flanking maneuver toward the western side of the battlefield.
The Unexpected Arrival
Just as he prepared to charge, he suddenly spotted a small group of Guanches erging from the forest.
Then more appeared—
From the west.
From the east.
From scattered points in the trees.
They ca in loose clusters, shouting strange, unintelligible cries.
Helgi pulled his reins sharply.
"What is going on?"
According to the plan, Chavatu should have led a coordinated flanking attack from the south—the pirates' rear.
Instead, the warriors were arriving in scattered groups.
Still—
Reinforcents had arrived.
Even the small number of native archers firing arrows caused panic among the pirates.
Seeing more figures erging from the forest, the pirates grew visibly nervous.
The Decisive Charge
"The mont has co—charge with !"
Helgi pressed his heels into his horse and led the cavalry straight into the pirates' exposed left flank.
They smashed through dozens of enemy archers with ease.
Under multiple pressures—fear, confusion, and the sudden cavalry strike—the pirate army collapsed.
Their casualties were still less than ten percent, but their morale shattered.
They beca nothing more than prey.
Victory and Aftermath
With the battle decided, the Guanches surged forward enthusiastically, capturing prisoners.
The shaken militia soon recovered and joined in the pursuit.
"Take them alive—go easy!" Helgi shouted, though his voice carried little authority amid the chaos.
Then he spotted Chavatu and Adrian.
"Why did your troops arrive scattered like that?"
Chavatu looked embarrassed.
Adrian answered on his behalf:
"When the flag was raised, the n were drinking at a nearby stream. The formation was in disarray. The chief had no ti to reorganize them and ordered them straight to the battlefield—so they arrived in groups."
Hearing this explanation, Helgi felt a chill.
If they had arrived even a few minutes later, the battle might have ended very differently.
The Pirates Withdraw
The chaos continued into the afternoon.
By the end of the day:
Guanches and militia captured 800 pirates
More than 1,000 others escaped by sea
Before fleeing, they burned ships they could not take with them, preventing pursuit.
As the sails disappeared over the horizon, Helgi's mood remained heavy.
Repelling the land assault was only the beginning.
If the pirates lingered offshore and began raiding passing rchant ships repeatedly—
how would he deal with that?
Londonium — Mid-April
Three ships carrying sugar and rum sailed into the harbor.
Reports of the pirate attack passed through multiple levels of command until they finally reached Vig.
"Pirates?"
In the ninth century, North African pirates were at the height of their activity.
Their main targets were:
Italy
The Eastern Roman Empire
They raided monasteries and coastal towns, selling captured inhabitants into slavery.
Southern Italy suffered especially badly—many towns were destroyed, and survivors retreated inland to build defensible hilltop settlents.
Vig rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"North African pirates robbing Viking pirates… how interesting."
At this point, he had not yet received news of the large-scale invasion of Sunshine Island. He assud the incident was rely a small raid.
Still, he decided to act.
The Convoy System
Vig ordered the implentation of a convoy strategy:
From now on:
Single rchant ships were forbidden from sailing to the Canary Islands
Multiple ships must travel together
Fleets would assemble in Londonium before departure
Naval warships would escort them to the islands
This system would improve safety—at the cost of efficiency.
It would be tested first, then adjusted based on results.
May — The First Convoy
In May, ships bound for the Canary Islands began assembling.
The convoy included:
five rchant ships
carrying migrants, iron tools, and livestock
For security, the navy assigned:
three warships as escorts—more than enough to handle small pirate bands.
As usual, the fleet stopped at Gijón in northern Iberia to rest.
After so many visits, the locals had grown accustod to the Vikings' presence and eagerly used the opportunity to trade goods.
June — Toward Sunshine Island
In mid-June, aided by a faint northeast wind, the convoy slowly sailed toward Sunshine Island.
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