with Karl the Woodcutter and two others. It
seemed Olaf was still Sven’s right hand man.
“These men will join me,”
Sven said. “You may bring three of your men inside. The rest must wait here.”
Ragnar nodded and the group
entered the longhouse. The village breathed a sigh of relief as the door
slammed behind them. Most went back to work, but some, including Koll and
Magnus, stayed to watch the rest of Ragnar’s men. And Redknee too, stayed
close, for he’d seen an uncharacteristic tremble in his uncle’s hand.
Magnus wiped the sweat from
his brow. “That was a close one,” he said.
Koll laughed. “Thought you
were going to faint. You might have a year or two on this little one,” he said,
prodding Redknee in the shoulder, “but he stood fast, didn’t you, lad.”
Redknee said nothing – he’d
been shaking inside.
“What’s happening?” a female
voice asked.
Redknee turned to see Sinead
standing a little way off. He went over to her. “Did you see Ragnar’s face?” he
asked.
She shook her head. “I was
hiding.”
“You’ve got to stay out of
sight … if he sees you—”
“But I want to know what’s
happening.”
Redknee watched as Ragnar’s men
joined some of the villagers drinking mead on the beach. Koll and Magnus
followed them, their weapons drawn and ready. Satisfied the men were well
guarded, Redknee waited until they were settled, then whispered to Sinead,
“Alright, I know how we can find out.”
He led her into the grass at
the back of the longhouse. “There’s a loose board here,” he said, crouching. “I
used it to watch for Ragnar’s men before. When no one believed they were
coming.”
“I believed you,” she said,
kneeling beside him.
“You don’t count.”
“Why not?”
“You were there, you knew they were coming. Besides, you can’t fight.”
“The men don’t think you can
fight either,” she said, folding her arms across her chest. “Guess that makes
you no better than me.”
“Shh, they might hear us. Besides,
I have Flame Weaver now.” He pulled his sword from its scabbard.
“Where did you get that?” she
asked, quickly adding, “it doesn’t make you a warrior.”
“Maybe not,” he said. “But
you might be glad I have it one day.” He returned the swordto its scabbard
and eased the board open. A longhorn stuck its nose through. “Away with you,
stupid beast,” he said, pushing it back.
They pushed their faces
through the gap and stretched their necks until they could just see the men
moving about the far end of the longhouse.
Ragnar spoke first. “I must raise
the, ahem … delicate … matter of an unpaid debt .”
“I owe you nothing,” Sven
replied.
“Sit down, old friend,and
hear me out.” Sven remained standing, but Ragnar continued anyway. “Now, if I
remember rightly, your longship got to that monastery first—”
“First?” Sven sniffed. “I
didn’t know it was a race.”
“ Come, let’s not fight
over old scores. You won, after all. But I hear you went back this spring –
why?”
“How do you know that?”
“Ah well, nothing, it seems, remains
secret forever,” Ragnar said, a sadness in his voice. “But I would like to know
why you returned.”
“Slaves – it’s an easy
target.”
“Come now, you’re an
experienced raider. You can get slaves anywhere. There must be more to it.”
“What does all this have to
do with King Hakon?” Sven asked. “We’re allowed to raid who we like, so long as
it doesn’t affect him.”
“He’s been baptised.”
“So?”
“The religion of the White
Christ is … different. It frowns, unfortunately , on the raiding of
abbeys and monasteries.”
Sven snorted. “My heart
bleeds—”
“Yes, well. He believes the
spoils from any religious institutions should go to a true Christian. This
brings me to the, ahem , point of my visit. There are rumours you have … a
book. ”
“A book?” Sven asked. “What
interest does a book hold, compared
seemed Olaf was still Sven’s right hand man.
“These men will join me,”
Sven said. “You may bring three of your men inside. The rest must wait here.”
Ragnar nodded and the group
entered the longhouse. The village breathed a sigh of relief as the door
slammed behind them. Most went back to work, but some, including Koll and
Magnus, stayed to watch the rest of Ragnar’s men. And Redknee too, stayed
close, for he’d seen an uncharacteristic tremble in his uncle’s hand.
Magnus wiped the sweat from
his brow. “That was a close one,” he said.
Koll laughed. “Thought you
were going to faint. You might have a year or two on this little one,” he said,
prodding Redknee in the shoulder, “but he stood fast, didn’t you, lad.”
Redknee said nothing – he’d
been shaking inside.
“What’s happening?” a female
voice asked.
Redknee turned to see Sinead
standing a little way off. He went over to her. “Did you see Ragnar’s face?” he
asked.
She shook her head. “I was
hiding.”
“You’ve got to stay out of
sight … if he sees you—”
“But I want to know what’s
happening.”
Redknee watched as Ragnar’s men
joined some of the villagers drinking mead on the beach. Koll and Magnus
followed them, their weapons drawn and ready. Satisfied the men were well
guarded, Redknee waited until they were settled, then whispered to Sinead,
“Alright, I know how we can find out.”
He led her into the grass at
the back of the longhouse. “There’s a loose board here,” he said, crouching. “I
used it to watch for Ragnar’s men before. When no one believed they were
coming.”
“I believed you,” she said,
kneeling beside him.
“You don’t count.”
“Why not?”
“You were there, you knew they were coming. Besides, you can’t fight.”
“The men don’t think you can
fight either,” she said, folding her arms across her chest. “Guess that makes
you no better than me.”
“Shh, they might hear us. Besides,
I have Flame Weaver now.” He pulled his sword from its scabbard.
“Where did you get that?” she
asked, quickly adding, “it doesn’t make you a warrior.”
“Maybe not,” he said. “But
you might be glad I have it one day.” He returned the swordto its scabbard
and eased the board open. A longhorn stuck its nose through. “Away with you,
stupid beast,” he said, pushing it back.
They pushed their faces
through the gap and stretched their necks until they could just see the men
moving about the far end of the longhouse.
Ragnar spoke first. “I must raise
the, ahem … delicate … matter of an unpaid debt .”
“I owe you nothing,” Sven
replied.
“Sit down, old friend,and
hear me out.” Sven remained standing, but Ragnar continued anyway. “Now, if I
remember rightly, your longship got to that monastery first—”
“First?” Sven sniffed. “I
didn’t know it was a race.”
“ Come, let’s not fight
over old scores. You won, after all. But I hear you went back this spring –
why?”
“How do you know that?”
“Ah well, nothing, it seems, remains
secret forever,” Ragnar said, a sadness in his voice. “But I would like to know
why you returned.”
“Slaves – it’s an easy
target.”
“Come now, you’re an
experienced raider. You can get slaves anywhere. There must be more to it.”
“What does all this have to
do with King Hakon?” Sven asked. “We’re allowed to raid who we like, so long as
it doesn’t affect him.”
“He’s been baptised.”
“So?”
“The religion of the White
Christ is … different. It frowns, unfortunately , on the raiding of
abbeys and monasteries.”
Sven snorted. “My heart
bleeds—”
“Yes, well. He believes the
spoils from any religious institutions should go to a true Christian. This
brings me to the, ahem , point of my visit. There are rumours you have … a
book. ”
“A book?” Sven asked. “What
interest does a book hold, compared
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