was not as tall as Harald had been, but had a stockier, more heavily muscled build. He had been one of the carls Harald had recruited to help when he'd trained me to fight in formation, in a shield-wall.
"My name is Floki," he continued, when I gave no answer. "My brother, Baug"—when he spoke the name, he nodded his head back toward the carl scything to the right of where he had been—"and I were close comrades of Harald's."
I remembered that now, after he said it. The two of them, more so than any of the other carls on the estate, had been Harald's drinking companions in the evenings.
"Gudfred has told us, of course, that it was Toke and his men, not bandits, who killed Harald, up on the Limfjord," Floki said. "Had we known, Toke would be dead now. We plan to avenge Harald, and the others—Rolf, Ulf, Odd, and Lodver—too. They were all good men, and our comrades.
"But Baug and I have been talking, and thinking, about this tale you told Gudfred. About Toke's attack. And there is one thing we do not understand. How is it that everyone else—Harald, Rolf and the others, and even all of the folk of the estate up there—was killed, but you survived? Harald was the finest swordsman I have ever known, and Ulf a very skilled and experienced warrior. Yet they were killed, and you escaped unharmed. How did that happen?"
Floki's words took me by surprise. I had not expected them, nor the tone of his voice, or the scorn visible in his eyes. I could feel my face getting hot and flushed, and my feelings swirled in a confused mix of anger and shame, as I realized Floki believed—and was all but accusing me to my face—that I was a coward.
All but. And then, when I said nothing, he did.
"Did you run from the fight?" he asked, sneering. "Did you flee, and leave the others behind to die?"
Had this been Frankia, had this been a member of our army there, and I the warrior Strongbow, I would have killed Floki for his insult, or died trying. But this was my home, or so I had considered it. Here I was just Halfdan, not Strongbow. I had believed this man was one of my people, and I one of his.
Many moments passed in silence, as I struggled to gain control of my emotions while Floki stared at me with a disdainful expression. Finally, I answered, speaking in a low voice.
"Yes, I did run. In the end, we all did—all who were left alive. We beat back their first attack, giving better than we got. But we did not realize, in the confusion and dark, that those who'd surrounded the longhouse were Toke and his men. Harald thought they were the kinfolk of a man he'd killed in a duel, up on the Limfjord. In the lull after the first attack, he bargained with the attackers, seeking safe passage for the women, children, and thralls before the fighting resumed. The leader of the attackers—Toke, who was hiding his features and muffling his voice with a cloak—gave Harald his word that they could leave safely. As soon as they were clear of the longhouse and far enough away that they could not make it back to its safety, Toke and his men slaughtered them, in full view as we watched, helpless to intervene. Or so Toke thought. I did manage to hit him with an arrow, though it was only a superficial wound."
Floki's eyebrows rose at that. I suppose it did not fit well with what he'd believed had occurred.
I continued. "After that, Toke and his men set fire to the longhouse, and we were forced to flee into the open. We tried to stay together at first, using some of the beasts from the longhouse byre as shields from the missile fire Toke's men were raining down upon us, but we did not make it far before the beasts were all slain.
"Our only chance of survival was to reach the shelter of the woods. But it was at best the slimmest of hopes, for we were greatly outnumbered and surrounded. So yes, we ran from the fight, in the end. We all ran. Harald told me, as we made that last attempt to escape, that when he gave me the word, I must go, and leave him
"My name is Floki," he continued, when I gave no answer. "My brother, Baug"—when he spoke the name, he nodded his head back toward the carl scything to the right of where he had been—"and I were close comrades of Harald's."
I remembered that now, after he said it. The two of them, more so than any of the other carls on the estate, had been Harald's drinking companions in the evenings.
"Gudfred has told us, of course, that it was Toke and his men, not bandits, who killed Harald, up on the Limfjord," Floki said. "Had we known, Toke would be dead now. We plan to avenge Harald, and the others—Rolf, Ulf, Odd, and Lodver—too. They were all good men, and our comrades.
"But Baug and I have been talking, and thinking, about this tale you told Gudfred. About Toke's attack. And there is one thing we do not understand. How is it that everyone else—Harald, Rolf and the others, and even all of the folk of the estate up there—was killed, but you survived? Harald was the finest swordsman I have ever known, and Ulf a very skilled and experienced warrior. Yet they were killed, and you escaped unharmed. How did that happen?"
Floki's words took me by surprise. I had not expected them, nor the tone of his voice, or the scorn visible in his eyes. I could feel my face getting hot and flushed, and my feelings swirled in a confused mix of anger and shame, as I realized Floki believed—and was all but accusing me to my face—that I was a coward.
All but. And then, when I said nothing, he did.
"Did you run from the fight?" he asked, sneering. "Did you flee, and leave the others behind to die?"
Had this been Frankia, had this been a member of our army there, and I the warrior Strongbow, I would have killed Floki for his insult, or died trying. But this was my home, or so I had considered it. Here I was just Halfdan, not Strongbow. I had believed this man was one of my people, and I one of his.
Many moments passed in silence, as I struggled to gain control of my emotions while Floki stared at me with a disdainful expression. Finally, I answered, speaking in a low voice.
"Yes, I did run. In the end, we all did—all who were left alive. We beat back their first attack, giving better than we got. But we did not realize, in the confusion and dark, that those who'd surrounded the longhouse were Toke and his men. Harald thought they were the kinfolk of a man he'd killed in a duel, up on the Limfjord. In the lull after the first attack, he bargained with the attackers, seeking safe passage for the women, children, and thralls before the fighting resumed. The leader of the attackers—Toke, who was hiding his features and muffling his voice with a cloak—gave Harald his word that they could leave safely. As soon as they were clear of the longhouse and far enough away that they could not make it back to its safety, Toke and his men slaughtered them, in full view as we watched, helpless to intervene. Or so Toke thought. I did manage to hit him with an arrow, though it was only a superficial wound."
Floki's eyebrows rose at that. I suppose it did not fit well with what he'd believed had occurred.
I continued. "After that, Toke and his men set fire to the longhouse, and we were forced to flee into the open. We tried to stay together at first, using some of the beasts from the longhouse byre as shields from the missile fire Toke's men were raining down upon us, but we did not make it far before the beasts were all slain.
"Our only chance of survival was to reach the shelter of the woods. But it was at best the slimmest of hopes, for we were greatly outnumbered and surrounded. So yes, we ran from the fight, in the end. We all ran. Harald told me, as we made that last attempt to escape, that when he gave me the word, I must go, and leave him
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