reached out to me first. He has done so enough times that I know the touch of his mind. When I closed my eyes, he tried to use Edmund, probably because he looked young enough to overpower.’
‘But why?’ Elspeth pleaded, shuddering at the thought of someone else inside her head, looking out through her eyes. ‘Why does he want to look through our eyes?’
Aagard looked solemn. ‘Because he is hunting the crystal sword.’
Elspeth frowned. ‘But I felt nothing,’ she said. Involuntarily she glanced down at her hand. If Orgrim wanted to find the sword, why not try the person who held it now?
‘It’s possible that the sword protects you,’ said the old man, looking at her thoughtfully. ‘On the other hand, most of those touched by the Ripente know nothing about it. I have studied hard, so I may feel the signs, but I could never do what Edmund has just done, and fight him off when he had taken hold of my mind.’ He turned to Edmund. ‘I had heard that one Ripente can drive out another.’
‘I don’t know,’ Edmund said. ‘It … he … left me alone. I saw the gap in my mind, but I don’t think I drove him out.’ He looked drained, as if talking was an effort.
‘You fought him,’ Aagard said with quiet certainty. ‘You recognised his presence at once, and you were able to combat him. In time, you will learn to defeat him altogether.’
‘You mean he really will come back?’ Edmund groaned. ‘
Why?
Even if I have the same skill, I’m nothing to him!’
‘He has seen you with me,’ Aagard explained. ‘And he will wonder what I have told you about the chest. Perhaps I have drawn attention to you by accompanying you this far. But that cannot be helped now. Orgrim’s power is growing. The book of spells has taught him to conjure dragons, and he brought the storm that sank your ship. He must have known the crystal sword was aboard, and he wanted to prevent it from reaching Gaul.’
Elspeth shook her head in disbelief. She wanted to shout:
You mean Orgrim will be hunting me now? Then take the sword back! I did not choose any of this!
She looked down in dismay at her hand and felt the gauntlet’s grip, the hilt’s cold pulse. Again she clenched her fist, crushing them to bits.
‘Master Aagard.’
Gilbert was running up to them, his broad face anxious. ‘We’re riding now for Medwel,’ he said, gesturing to the armed and mounted men behind him. ‘Will you come with us? I fear your skill at healing will be much needed.’
Elspeth saw Aagard’s face darken. ‘I will come and do what I can,’ he said to Gilbert. Then he turned to Elspeth and Edmund. ‘You must go on, both of you. If Orgrim’s men are this close, you are in even greater danger than I first thought.’ His eyes narrowed as he looked at Elspeth. ‘Are you really set on returning to your village? It might be safer for you to headsouth into Dunmonia, hide there until the heat of the chase has cooled.’
‘Hide?’ Elspeth echoed in dismay. ‘Never! I did not choose the sword. This sorcerer can have no quarrel with me! I’m going back to Dubris.’ Aagard had forbidden her the sea. He could not banish her from her father’s house as well!
The old man sighed. ‘Then the two of you must travel east together. To reach Sussex and Kent you will have to go through Wessex, towards the very danger that you must avoid. Orgrim holds sway over the entire kingdom, and the road runs right through Venta Bulgarum, his stronghold. You must skirt the town, and on no account enter it.’ He hesitated. ‘Perhaps I should go with you –’
‘No!’ Edmund argued, and Elspeth was surprised by the note of command in his voice. Wherever Edmund came from, he must live in a longhouse at least as big as Gilbert’s. Perhaps he even had slaves to pour his wine as well. ‘You must go back to Medwel,’ Edmund insisted. ‘They need you! It’s my fault they were unprepared for the raid, and I cannot let you abandon them again.’
‘We will
‘But why?’ Elspeth pleaded, shuddering at the thought of someone else inside her head, looking out through her eyes. ‘Why does he want to look through our eyes?’
Aagard looked solemn. ‘Because he is hunting the crystal sword.’
Elspeth frowned. ‘But I felt nothing,’ she said. Involuntarily she glanced down at her hand. If Orgrim wanted to find the sword, why not try the person who held it now?
‘It’s possible that the sword protects you,’ said the old man, looking at her thoughtfully. ‘On the other hand, most of those touched by the Ripente know nothing about it. I have studied hard, so I may feel the signs, but I could never do what Edmund has just done, and fight him off when he had taken hold of my mind.’ He turned to Edmund. ‘I had heard that one Ripente can drive out another.’
‘I don’t know,’ Edmund said. ‘It … he … left me alone. I saw the gap in my mind, but I don’t think I drove him out.’ He looked drained, as if talking was an effort.
‘You fought him,’ Aagard said with quiet certainty. ‘You recognised his presence at once, and you were able to combat him. In time, you will learn to defeat him altogether.’
‘You mean he really will come back?’ Edmund groaned. ‘
Why?
Even if I have the same skill, I’m nothing to him!’
‘He has seen you with me,’ Aagard explained. ‘And he will wonder what I have told you about the chest. Perhaps I have drawn attention to you by accompanying you this far. But that cannot be helped now. Orgrim’s power is growing. The book of spells has taught him to conjure dragons, and he brought the storm that sank your ship. He must have known the crystal sword was aboard, and he wanted to prevent it from reaching Gaul.’
Elspeth shook her head in disbelief. She wanted to shout:
You mean Orgrim will be hunting me now? Then take the sword back! I did not choose any of this!
She looked down in dismay at her hand and felt the gauntlet’s grip, the hilt’s cold pulse. Again she clenched her fist, crushing them to bits.
‘Master Aagard.’
Gilbert was running up to them, his broad face anxious. ‘We’re riding now for Medwel,’ he said, gesturing to the armed and mounted men behind him. ‘Will you come with us? I fear your skill at healing will be much needed.’
Elspeth saw Aagard’s face darken. ‘I will come and do what I can,’ he said to Gilbert. Then he turned to Elspeth and Edmund. ‘You must go on, both of you. If Orgrim’s men are this close, you are in even greater danger than I first thought.’ His eyes narrowed as he looked at Elspeth. ‘Are you really set on returning to your village? It might be safer for you to headsouth into Dunmonia, hide there until the heat of the chase has cooled.’
‘Hide?’ Elspeth echoed in dismay. ‘Never! I did not choose the sword. This sorcerer can have no quarrel with me! I’m going back to Dubris.’ Aagard had forbidden her the sea. He could not banish her from her father’s house as well!
The old man sighed. ‘Then the two of you must travel east together. To reach Sussex and Kent you will have to go through Wessex, towards the very danger that you must avoid. Orgrim holds sway over the entire kingdom, and the road runs right through Venta Bulgarum, his stronghold. You must skirt the town, and on no account enter it.’ He hesitated. ‘Perhaps I should go with you –’
‘No!’ Edmund argued, and Elspeth was surprised by the note of command in his voice. Wherever Edmund came from, he must live in a longhouse at least as big as Gilbert’s. Perhaps he even had slaves to pour his wine as well. ‘You must go back to Medwel,’ Edmund insisted. ‘They need you! It’s my fault they were unprepared for the raid, and I cannot let you abandon them again.’
‘We will
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