survive,’ he snapped, annoyed by the effect the churchman’s words were having, ‘as we always do. No land is dead. If there are no birds, there will be lizards. And if not lizards, there will be rats. And if we find none of them, we will dig for worms and insects. You will eat what carries you to the next dawn. And by then, if God wills, we shall have found a village—’
His words drained along with the blood in Hengist’s face. A rare spark of sanity gleamed in the man’s eyes as he pointed past his leader’s shoulder and out to sea. Hereward turned to see sails billowing, red, yellow, blue, on ships of varying shape and size. He counted at least thirty. Some were warships, others little more than merchants’ vessels. But all of them had the shields of warriors hung along their sides. Spurs of light glinted in the molten sunlight, reflecting, he guessed, off helms, and axes, and perhaps mail-shirts. These were fighting men.
‘A war-fleet,’ Alric said, his brow knitting. ‘Here?’
Hereward narrowed his eyes. ‘We knew the sea wolves were hunting one of their own who had stolen something from them.’ His gaze flickered towards the woman who sat alone, further along the beach.
‘You think that woman is the prize?’ Alric asked, his brow furrowing. ‘What value could she have? And why would Ragener the Hawk have stolen her from his own, risking their wrath?’
‘The ruined man said she was cursed,’ Hengist reminded them.
‘Then give her back,’ Sighard called, flashing a sullen look. ‘At least then we will not have to fear their anger.’
‘We have offered this woman the hand of friendship. Now that she is in our care, we defend her with our lives,’ Hereward said, his voice cold. He did not deign to look at the younger warrior. ‘And you are mistaken if you think a pack of sea wolves will think twice about slaughtering us, if we give up this woman or not.’ He half drew Brainbiter. ‘They would kill me for this alone. And some of you still have your axes. No, they will take from us what they want and leave us as a feast for the gulls.’
His men shifted with unease. All knew there could be no gain in standing their ground.
‘We will head inland,’ Hereward said. ‘They will find the wreckage on the beach and see our footprints, and follow. Our only hope is to keep going until they deem it too far to be worth their while.’
Alric gripped his forearm. ‘What about the others? If any have survived—’
‘We will return when we can,’ Hereward snapped. It was an inadequate reply, and all there knew it, but there was nothing else he could say. His missing spear-brothers deserved more than to be abandoned while enemies roamed all around. But he had no doubt that Kraki, or Guthrinc, or any of them would have insisted that he follow the same course.
As he began to climb towards the rocks at the shore’s edge, Hereward felt Alric tense beside him. The monk’s gaze was turned to the approaching ships. From the bellows and jeers that echoed across the sea, there could be no doubt that the small band of men on the shore had been seen. On the lead vessel, a dragon-headed craft in the style of the Northmen, the oars plunged into the swell to guide it home. One of the pirates danced along the row of poles, pausing only to shake his axe at the English.
‘A forest of spears at our backs, a sea of sand and rock ahead,’ Hengist muttered. ‘I do not like this choice.’
‘It will keep your mind off your empty belly,’ Hereward replied with dark humour.
When the woman stood before the Mercian, she looked into his face with the same fierce defiance he had seen when she had leapt out from beneath the bloody sailcloth. Here was someone as strong as the good wives who had stood firmly at Ely while the vast army of William the Bastard waited beyond the walls, threatening to end their days. He pointed towards the ships. ‘Them,’ he said. ‘Or us.’
She looked back and seemed to
His words drained along with the blood in Hengist’s face. A rare spark of sanity gleamed in the man’s eyes as he pointed past his leader’s shoulder and out to sea. Hereward turned to see sails billowing, red, yellow, blue, on ships of varying shape and size. He counted at least thirty. Some were warships, others little more than merchants’ vessels. But all of them had the shields of warriors hung along their sides. Spurs of light glinted in the molten sunlight, reflecting, he guessed, off helms, and axes, and perhaps mail-shirts. These were fighting men.
‘A war-fleet,’ Alric said, his brow knitting. ‘Here?’
Hereward narrowed his eyes. ‘We knew the sea wolves were hunting one of their own who had stolen something from them.’ His gaze flickered towards the woman who sat alone, further along the beach.
‘You think that woman is the prize?’ Alric asked, his brow furrowing. ‘What value could she have? And why would Ragener the Hawk have stolen her from his own, risking their wrath?’
‘The ruined man said she was cursed,’ Hengist reminded them.
‘Then give her back,’ Sighard called, flashing a sullen look. ‘At least then we will not have to fear their anger.’
‘We have offered this woman the hand of friendship. Now that she is in our care, we defend her with our lives,’ Hereward said, his voice cold. He did not deign to look at the younger warrior. ‘And you are mistaken if you think a pack of sea wolves will think twice about slaughtering us, if we give up this woman or not.’ He half drew Brainbiter. ‘They would kill me for this alone. And some of you still have your axes. No, they will take from us what they want and leave us as a feast for the gulls.’
His men shifted with unease. All knew there could be no gain in standing their ground.
‘We will head inland,’ Hereward said. ‘They will find the wreckage on the beach and see our footprints, and follow. Our only hope is to keep going until they deem it too far to be worth their while.’
Alric gripped his forearm. ‘What about the others? If any have survived—’
‘We will return when we can,’ Hereward snapped. It was an inadequate reply, and all there knew it, but there was nothing else he could say. His missing spear-brothers deserved more than to be abandoned while enemies roamed all around. But he had no doubt that Kraki, or Guthrinc, or any of them would have insisted that he follow the same course.
As he began to climb towards the rocks at the shore’s edge, Hereward felt Alric tense beside him. The monk’s gaze was turned to the approaching ships. From the bellows and jeers that echoed across the sea, there could be no doubt that the small band of men on the shore had been seen. On the lead vessel, a dragon-headed craft in the style of the Northmen, the oars plunged into the swell to guide it home. One of the pirates danced along the row of poles, pausing only to shake his axe at the English.
‘A forest of spears at our backs, a sea of sand and rock ahead,’ Hengist muttered. ‘I do not like this choice.’
‘It will keep your mind off your empty belly,’ Hereward replied with dark humour.
When the woman stood before the Mercian, she looked into his face with the same fierce defiance he had seen when she had leapt out from beneath the bloody sailcloth. Here was someone as strong as the good wives who had stood firmly at Ely while the vast army of William the Bastard waited beyond the walls, threatening to end their days. He pointed towards the ships. ‘Them,’ he said. ‘Or us.’
She looked back and seemed to
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