woodsmoke and the stews bubbling in the pots on the home-fires. The weariness fled from their legs as they made their way along the mud-baked tracks, their progress only slowed by the biers carrying the dead at the rear of the column.
Guthrinc cracked his knuckles as he strode beside Redwald,looking the smaller man up and down. ‘It is true, then. Only the good die.’
‘A tough piece of mutton like you will be around long after I am gone,’ Redwald replied, raising one eyebrow.
‘Aye, to mop up the tears of joy of your woman, and give her some glee for once in her poor life.’
‘Leave him, Guthrinc,’ Hereward called back from the front of the column, grinning. ‘He would make a prettier head than yours atop a pike.’
‘Your face would affright even the ravens,’ Kraki the Viking growled, the merest hint of humour flickering in his dark eyes.
Guthrinc threw his head back and laughed, clapping Redwald across the shoulders so hard he almost pitched across the track. ‘I will let you buy me ale in the tavern later, apple-cheeks,’ he roared, striding off to the front of the column. ‘Would you not rather be back with your wife, Hereward?’ he called, adding without waiting for a reply, ‘ We would rather be back with your wife.’ The men laughed and Hereward too.
The gates in the palisade ground open as the warriors neared and more cheering rolled down the green slope from the settlement. Hengist ran a hand through his greasy hair and gaped at the large crowd they could see milling around within the enclosure. ‘Is every man and woman in the fens come to see us home?’
‘More new faces to join our army,’ Redwald exclaimed. ‘Word spreads of Hereward’s bravery. Soon we will have everyone from Northumbria to Wessex here.’ He could scarcely believe how many people he could see gathered beyond the gates. What had started as a trickle of new recruits had become a deluge pouring in from all parts of the land. Every time he thought it had reached its limit, yet more would arrive.
Kraki frowned, wrinkling the jagged scar that ran from above his left eye, across his nose on to his right cheek. ‘More strong right arms are good, but still there are far from enough to challenge the king. And soon the Bastard will come for us.’ Hereward flashed a black look at the Viking. Kraki shrugged,refusing to be silenced. ‘And how will we feed them all, eh? Answer me that. We can scarce feed the men we have now.’
Hereward glanced back once more, his face grim, and this time the Viking nodded and fell silent. ‘Every man’s belly will soon be full, you have my word,’ the Mercian announced. ‘We will feast like kings to celebrate the bloody nose we have given to the Normans.’
Redwald could see Kraki was troubled. ‘Is this wise?’ the younger man whispered. ‘I have heard Hereward worry about this with the monks at the church long into the night. He said it would not be Norman iron that defeated us, but starvation and sickness and the betrayal of our own—’
‘Quiet,’ Kraki snapped. His eyes flashed a warning. ‘You heard our leader. This is not the time to talk of such matters.’
Redwald nodded. ‘But this will not go away if we close our eyes,’ he murmured.
The column of warriors passed through the gates into the throng. The cheering enveloped them, the tumult doubling once word of the great victory rushed through the crowd. At the forge on the main street, Eni the smith downed his hammer and stumbled out into the sun. Penda the carpenter laid his chisel on the newly cut piece of oak and joined him. The rattle of the looms stilled. All the workshops emptied, and the rows of timber halls too, as people streamed past the barns and the stinking livestock pens to the gates.
Redwald saw many unfamiliar faces among those who were clustering around Hereward, reaching out to touch his arm with tentative fingers. Redwald thought his brother looked troubled by the reception. His smiles were
Guthrinc cracked his knuckles as he strode beside Redwald,looking the smaller man up and down. ‘It is true, then. Only the good die.’
‘A tough piece of mutton like you will be around long after I am gone,’ Redwald replied, raising one eyebrow.
‘Aye, to mop up the tears of joy of your woman, and give her some glee for once in her poor life.’
‘Leave him, Guthrinc,’ Hereward called back from the front of the column, grinning. ‘He would make a prettier head than yours atop a pike.’
‘Your face would affright even the ravens,’ Kraki the Viking growled, the merest hint of humour flickering in his dark eyes.
Guthrinc threw his head back and laughed, clapping Redwald across the shoulders so hard he almost pitched across the track. ‘I will let you buy me ale in the tavern later, apple-cheeks,’ he roared, striding off to the front of the column. ‘Would you not rather be back with your wife, Hereward?’ he called, adding without waiting for a reply, ‘ We would rather be back with your wife.’ The men laughed and Hereward too.
The gates in the palisade ground open as the warriors neared and more cheering rolled down the green slope from the settlement. Hengist ran a hand through his greasy hair and gaped at the large crowd they could see milling around within the enclosure. ‘Is every man and woman in the fens come to see us home?’
‘More new faces to join our army,’ Redwald exclaimed. ‘Word spreads of Hereward’s bravery. Soon we will have everyone from Northumbria to Wessex here.’ He could scarcely believe how many people he could see gathered beyond the gates. What had started as a trickle of new recruits had become a deluge pouring in from all parts of the land. Every time he thought it had reached its limit, yet more would arrive.
Kraki frowned, wrinkling the jagged scar that ran from above his left eye, across his nose on to his right cheek. ‘More strong right arms are good, but still there are far from enough to challenge the king. And soon the Bastard will come for us.’ Hereward flashed a black look at the Viking. Kraki shrugged,refusing to be silenced. ‘And how will we feed them all, eh? Answer me that. We can scarce feed the men we have now.’
Hereward glanced back once more, his face grim, and this time the Viking nodded and fell silent. ‘Every man’s belly will soon be full, you have my word,’ the Mercian announced. ‘We will feast like kings to celebrate the bloody nose we have given to the Normans.’
Redwald could see Kraki was troubled. ‘Is this wise?’ the younger man whispered. ‘I have heard Hereward worry about this with the monks at the church long into the night. He said it would not be Norman iron that defeated us, but starvation and sickness and the betrayal of our own—’
‘Quiet,’ Kraki snapped. His eyes flashed a warning. ‘You heard our leader. This is not the time to talk of such matters.’
Redwald nodded. ‘But this will not go away if we close our eyes,’ he murmured.
The column of warriors passed through the gates into the throng. The cheering enveloped them, the tumult doubling once word of the great victory rushed through the crowd. At the forge on the main street, Eni the smith downed his hammer and stumbled out into the sun. Penda the carpenter laid his chisel on the newly cut piece of oak and joined him. The rattle of the looms stilled. All the workshops emptied, and the rows of timber halls too, as people streamed past the barns and the stinking livestock pens to the gates.
Redwald saw many unfamiliar faces among those who were clustering around Hereward, reaching out to touch his arm with tentative fingers. Redwald thought his brother looked troubled by the reception. His smiles were
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