《Bear & Cub》


 Chapter I: The War-god’s Due

    The birds'' wings were as dark, as the blackest of eclipses beat against the autumn air. The cawing bellow torn from the beaks of the ravens cut through the evening frost. The wind howled mournfully across the fields, two score onyx eyes gazed down upon swaying aspen trees. What might their cause in the shrieks of the wind have revealed? None may quite know, for neither man nor beast present thereupon the reddened fields had the remotest comprehension of their speech.


    From asp to asp the cries rang, clear as bells, and hungry as the panting of a hunting wolf. Their gluttonous gossip did little to betray what was hidden in the foliage, a short distance yonder from them. Hardly daring to risk a glance at the murder that roosted upon the aspen trees of the forest of Munthin, so distracted were the sons of Eadwald by the murder most foul. Or to be more apt, dear reader, murders most foul.


    "Eadwig, what have you done?"


    "Cease thy whimpering, Osbeorn, he came at me with a blade!" Eadwig spat savagely, his sword dripping scarlet blood upon the green field, as another would have dripped tears. "Would you have had him hew Ansgar and I?"


    "No, b-but-" Spluttered Osbeorn weakly.


    Ansgar cut through his words as swiftly as his knife had, at the throat of the girl at his feet. "Cease your womanish whimpering, Osbeorn. And help me find that boy!" Ansgar looked out to yon forest. "Come out, boy! We know you are there! Cease your hiding! Come join your brother and sister! The least you may do is die like a man!"


    Not a single breath or sway of the foliage betrayed, he who was hidden in their midst. Nor did the brothers witness the slightest indication that he who they sought at present, lay hidden past the aspen trees.


    Prompted thither by his elder brothers, Osbeorn crept ever so slowly towards the swaying trees, the whistling of the wind in his ears, frightening him all the more, as he glanced nervously at every sound, from the cawing ravens, to the whispering leaves, much to the exasperation to those behind him. Puffing with impatience, Eadwig soon crossed the distance between them, throwing the younger brother off his feet, as he took up the search himself.


    "Away with you, Osbeorn, if you must insist upon fearing a child: Leave the search to the real men." He grumbled, searching and cutting through branches and foliage as a butcher might through the meat of a hog.


    A sudden movement to the left captured their attention, with all three racing forward behind Eadwig, sword first, rend the air with his mighty blade with such fury as to frighten even a maddened wolf. The murderers held their breaths.


    The eldest of the sons of Eadwald bellowed with rage, the roots of his fulmination a mystery to his younger siblings and the ravens if for but a moment.


    All was soon made clear so to speak, when their eyes fell upon the rent bear-fur cloak that lay cut in twain, at the feet of the eldest of the killers. The cloth swayed in the breeze, noiseless and unmoving as the giver of this gift, who lay dead but a full score meters away.


    The trick that had been played upon them, the shedding of the cloak and the tossing of a stone towards it only to feign a sudden movement away should well impress you, dear reader. Anger was to stir at once within the large warrior. His pride, wounded by the clever ploy, drove him to such madness that he vented his wroth upon the nearest of brambles, twigs and aspen branches.


    "Boy, come and face me! Enough with these cowardly ploys!" The man gave vent to a number of oaths and threats at his wayward prey and his own younger brother. "If you had not whimpered like a girl, Osbeorn, we would have him! Come! He shan''t be far!"


    Ansgar followed without hesitation, sword in hand. He gave a baleful glare at the simpering Osbeorn, who followed hardly three inches behind him. Perhaps it is time, my dear readers, to glance whither to the prey, of which Eadwig spoke so heatedly of.


    After he had let fly the stone, he had travelled low, rather close to the ground, and with the swiftness of a fearful hare, fearful that the disturbance of a single leaf or twig might give him away. He had played in this forest time and again, so that he recognized the trees and stones far more than his pursuers. His heart hammered away in his chest so that it was all the lad could hear.


    Well, might you or any other have imagined the scene: Your imagination, it must be said cannot quite grasp all that he felt then. It could never measure in any way, up to as they say fright that overwhelmed him in that hour. Ordinarily, a mischievous youth, his present mien was such that it might well have inspired a sense of guilt in even the most callous of murderers. But those that currently hunted him, were far worse, for they had more in common with jackals, than men.


    The aspen trees left behind, he fell away from them in favour of the protective arms of thickly-waisted oak trees. It was to their cold, grey trunks that he clung as one might to a parent''s warm embrace. Since his earliest days, he had been sung tales of distant fey, of the magic that lay within even the most obstinate of trees.


    At this time, the youth sought the safety that could only be found in the earliest of his childhood memories - memories that brought to mind a large fire in the deadest of nights, near a thatch hut and the grey face of his father.


    Destined to stay there for as long as he could, so long did he cling to the arms and fingers of the great oak that dominated the woodlands. The largest of its breed at least where these woods were concerned, it was this very oak around whom countless children had over the years, chanted and danced. Countless more still, had lain their backs against its bark, over the past centuries that had flitted by slow, as the frozen breeze that cut through the autumn air. To thus clutch at this oak, was a wise act for this was no traitor tree as you might read in another tale, never would it betray its charge, nor might it leave him exposed to those who hunted him.


    Careful as a mother hen, it shielded the boy with such lealty that could well have inspired a thousand heroes, from the most ancient to the most recent. And the reason for the need for silence, and stealth ought to be made all the more evident to you. Imagine it if you can; the youngest of the men present there amongst the barken observers hardly moving, twitching or squirming even, as the cries of the murderers drew near.


    Their clumsy movements and angry gestures along with their chops, slashes and oaths all sent critters, beasts and birds darting away. A lesser oak might well have sold out its charge, and might well have left him exposed. But not this one. No sirree, never this oak. For it was the most true and devoted of trees.


    It not only remained silent, not only remained unmoved but did not so much as sway the wrong way so that the child remained hidden.


    The men drew near. So that he stood near enough to see him, to hear him, his breath and of course to touch him. Frightened he clasped his hands over his mouth and nose, as Eadwig stomped on by. Coming to a stop, he hardly noticed the tree¡­ or the hollow within the oak that hid his prey.


    All held their breaths. All save the oaks, sycamores, aspens and ash trees, for they were but trees. And thus could no more breathe, than they could speak or think.


    "He is gone, we must return to father, Eadwig," Osbeorn could be heard calling out to his eldest brother, his proposal drawing a snort from the older man. "If he should learn of this, from the boy or worse¡­ his father, who knows what father, will do?"


    "Or perhaps we should simply gut you, Osbeorn! He is but a child! Would you have us live with the shame of having been outwitted by a mere child?" Eadwig shouted enraged.


    "He is right, brother and you well know it," Ansgar chimed in, after a moment''s thought.


    Both men were silent, with the hunted able to see from a hole in the hollow the stunned reddened face of the infuriated heir of Eadwald.


    It was only for a heartbeat; however, it crossed his mind that the warrior might well lash out at his steely younger brother. It was too much to hope for though, for Eadwig soon turned away with a huff of anger that brought to mind a coyote that had been denied his prey.


    As he turned away, the boy tried not to squirm. He knew that to do so would result in his doom, for the hunting murderer was but hair''s breadth from where he lay hidden.


    A prayer flitted through his mind, one that he had heard years ago, murmured by his father shortly before he was to leave, for one of Eadwald''s never-ending feuds. It was one of the only times that he had seen his invincible sire pray in that manner, and the memory had stayed with him no matter that the child had been no more than three at the time.


    Just as he reached the end of the prayer in his mind, it happened that he was at last shown a little pity by the gods, or maybe it was that fortune had become taken with him. Regardless of which it was, it was just as Eadwig was turning towards the tree, his eyes high; searching amongst the branches if briefly so. It was as though he had seen something other than the rays of the suns and a bird or three amidst the arms of the barken sentinel that loomed high above him.


    "Come along, Eadwig," Ansgar called out.


    Reluctantly the man in question did as bidden, if with one last curse beneath his breath.


    Turning about, he stomped away hot on the heels of his brothers who led him away, each one of them no less discontented with their decision than he.


    When the last of their footsteps had properly receded, the thunder of their oaths and curses, and the complaints that shaped every single one of their exchanges, were all soon gone. They disappeared with the wind, as though they were naught more than shadows, or whispers carried along by the breeze. The echo was one that the boy was not unhappy to hear leave him in some semblance of peace.


    Tumbling down from his hiding place, he heaved a great sigh. Shaking and trembling, as he sat there froze with the remaining icy terror that had dominated him for the longest time. Still hardly daring to do aught else than pant and stare all about him, it was all that he could do to keep from crying as might a lesser boy.


    It was nonetheless quite some time ere he moved, from where he had fallen such was the uncertainty of where best to turn to in this most desperate of hours. The oak hardly of any comfort swayed in this hour with the wind. Hesitation is the enemy of right action, and resolve was near the end of an hour set aside in favour of the mentioned sort of action.


    Taking flight, towards the north where his home was to be found, he moved impulsively annoyed by his unmanly comportment. It was just as he overtook a small pond, and saw several hares take fright and dive down into their rabbit hole that he briefly hesitated once more.


    Listening out for any sound behind him, it was with a start that he heard what seemed to be the cracking of a twig somewhere in the distance.


    Suspicious of this sudden noise, he once more hesitated wherefore recalling what his elder brother had once taught him when out on a hunt about how hares might otherwise evade predators he chose not to proceed directly for home. But rather, he went first west, only to return the way he had hurried in all haste from.


    Arming himself with a large branch fallen from one of the many asp trees, he was to do battle with his tracks in the style shown to him by the aforementioned sibling. Covering what he could of his trail, only to continue thenceforth to the east, then back a little ways through a circular path. In this way, he travelled endlessly for hours, getting lost deliberately without ever losing his way, so that he might infuriate and further confuse his trackers, before ultimately continuing on his way.


    Doing so only after night had begun to fall, the stars beginning their long ascent and the suns in undeniable decline in the heavens. The brilliance of the latter was no longer quite so remarkable, as it was when he first set out for home, the breeze considerably cooler and the crowing of the unfed ravens worse than ever.


    It was in this frigid climate that the cub returned to the den, from whence he had sprung uphill a ways, almost half a league away from the daunting woods he had hidden in, for the better part of a day.


    It was undeniable that Hroegar had had a devil of a day. Out in the fields for hours, he had worked himself as always to the bone. Such was life for him, as it was for a great many in that age. He had arisen before the suns had begun their inexorable ascent in the skies. Still dark, he had thrown himself into the harvest.


    The harvest was a desperate battle. A battle he had fought every year, saving those whom he had toiled in a rather different kind of war. On those occasions, he had battled for Eadwald against those neighbouring Jarls and rivals of the lordly warrior. Answering the call, each time as much out of personal loyalty as he did out of a sense of obligation towards the man many dubbed the mightiest of all those, who lived west of the river Beran.


    Though the suns'' had risen high early in the day, and thus hinted that it was to be a good one, their radiance had come to hide timidly, behind several large clouds. This was but the first of many omens that had left Hroegar ill at ease. Feeling as though he were a ghoul haunting the very farm, he had tended and lived upon all his life. Most of the time, he could easily find his eldest son toiling in the fields before the suns'' had fully arisen, and at other times, the oaf was insistent on resting until noon. His beloved daughter began each and everyday, with an early meal, one that her younger brother was always eager to steal what he could from. And yet they were absent from the farm. Not simply for a few early hours, or even for lunch but the whole of the day. Thus, their duties were uncharacteristically; incomplete. Lost in his thoughts, he continued with the hoeing of his vegetables, his eyes darting all about, as he examined every inch and mile of his beloved farm.


    Alas, he reached the limits of even his patience and went forth to leave his farm to search for the errant youths. It was at present that he heard the cries of his youngest, fast approach. The panicked voice was heard, rushing hither towards Hroegar.


    "Murderers! Murderers!" This call chilled Hroegar''s blood beneath his veins. The boy rushed to his father, gasping for air, hardly able to speak.


    "What is this talk of murder? Speak sense and speak it now, boy!" The father said, speaking harshly, his large hands on his son''s two shoulders.


    The lad whimpered and whined, the man for his part paled. The revelation that was torn from the lungs of the youngest of his children was one that he could never have imagined. It was too terrible for words.


    Somewhere in the distance, a crow cawed.


    "Enough crying; who was it that murdered them? Which beasts must I hunt? Answer me!"


    Sigewulf took a few breaths, calming down his harsh breathing, his eyes still matted with tears ere he at last wiped at them, blew his nose on his sleeve and uttered the words that set the course for the remainder of their lives. "The sons of Eadwald, father. All of them. Eadwig, Ansgar and Osbeorn¡­"


    It was not long thereafter that Hroegar was taking his leave of the farm, a blade girded to his waist, his eyes full of that most human of passions; fury. His was the stride of the wronged lion, the one who returns from the hunt to find his cubs devoured and his lionesses nowhere to be found. But rather, in this situation he was, as not only a man possessed, but as one prepared to leave for the hunt.


    Away, away from the farm, they went the home of their ancestors, the home in which Sigewulf''s mother passed within, at the day of his birth, the fields that gave him sustenance, the herds that filled their bellies, vanished behind them. Away, away pass the willows and the ashes and the oaks of the forest. Whither to the fields upon which that most heinous of crimes had seen the light of day, under grey cloudy skies. To Sigewulf, who trailed after his father, clutching at the spear that has been thrust unto his arms, as a man in a desert clings to his wineskin. The fields, the forest and all their trees passed along as in a dream. But it was not a pleasant dream; no it was a terrible, endless dream, from which he could not awaken. The worst of this nightmare was the moment he once more stood over the corpses of his brother and sister. His face red with the exertion of keeping up with his father''s long stride, soon paled as he fought to suppress the tears that came unbidden to his eyes.


    Hroegar, for his own heart, stared long and hard at the remains, his back to Sigewulf. There was not a word uttered between them, nor was there a sound, safe for the blowing wind that wailed across the land.


    After some time, Sigewulf shivered involuntarily, as the wind grew cold, knifing him as surely as the sons of Eadwald had, his siblings.


    A long shuddering breath escaped Hroegar, and for a moment, his shoulders soon to shiver and shake. And it was then that Sigewulf was not certain if his father had begun to weep or not. "Come, Sigewulf."


    "Father? But what of the ravens?"


    "Never you mind them."


    "Where are we to go?" Even as he spoke, Sigewulf felt foolish, and knew the answer, even before his father snapped at him.


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    "We go to offer the ravens a larger feast. Thereby the house of Ealdwald."


    The house of Ealdwald was a stately place. Such was the magnificence of his domain that he could afford, for his three sons, two daughters and two wives a long house the size of four houses put together. More fortress than long-house, it was a heavily guarded place with a parapet wall of oak wood and pine, with a north gate and southern one. The main keep was a stately one with two minor buildings attached for the housing of servants and slaves, and the secondary building served as a barrack for huscarls. Those household warriors, sworn to the house of the Jarl, and who numbered nigh on two dozen in total.


    Sigewulf knew that his father had once served, in such a capacity in the barracks but that when he had returned to the farmstead of his ancestors he had done so, with the blessings of Ealdwald. Still sworn in times of duress and warfare, with a previously keen sense of loyalty and honour towards the Jarl, a divide betwixt the two men was thought even by him, impossible.


    This was why, the sudden appearance of an armed and bristling Hroegar followed by his nervous youngest son, startled all before them.


    Unwilling to answer any questions, and so familiar with him were the guards before the open north gates that they did not question or seek to challenge the warrior.


    "Where are Ealdwald and his sons?" Hroegar demanded of them, his eyes burning with such fire that those who knew him feared him all the more.


    "His sons departed for a hunt some time ago, only to have recently returned," One of the huscarls replied, trembling where he stood with wide eyes.


    The other huscarl was quiet, older than Hroegar by some twenty years there was an air of consternation about him though. He had never seen the fearsome warrior in such a state before, nor had any man for that matter.


    "And their father?"


    "He is there, though he is not to be disturbed," The caution in the grizzled man''s voice was ignored.


    Once upon a time, Hroegar might well have heeded the warning that lay beneath the words of his former comrade-in-arms. Times however had changed, with the younger man not at all of a mind, to pay heed or homage to another''s wisdom.


    Pulling the doors open ere the other man, could halt him the father of Sigewulf entered the large palatial home of his liege, head held high as the mountain peak. Trailing not far behind him, even as he shrunk from all eyes of those within the house, the boy met the gazes of Ealdwald''s sons but briefly.


    The eldest and youngest of the sons for their parts were present, along with their sisters. The eldest of those ''children'' he knew all too well, for she was the lady Wihtburg. Famous or rather infamous as much for her ill-temper as for her willful nature; she was the second eldest of Ealdwald''s brood. Born from his first marriage, she bore little resemblance to her father beyond her prominent brow and long dark locks. Her nose was rather longer than his, and her eyes darker and far more imperious.


    If his eldest daughter bore an uncanny similarity to a crow, the younger who was the daughter of his concubine Godgifu, was blonde and sunny if timid. Eyes blue as the sea, and but two years the junior of Sigewulf, Wulfrun had long been dubbed Sunnhl?t or ''Laugher-loving sun'' for her tinkling, sunny laugh. This ''gift'' that she had innately born in her, had in recent months, become rather more difficult to find for her joyous nature had become as the sun in recent days; clouded.


    Seated to one side with needles and cloth in hand, the daughters of the Jarl were almost hidden by the shadows of the right-hand side of the long house.


    The principal hall was bedecked in wolf and bear furs, gained from a lifetime of hunts. The greatest of these furs was that of a large dark brown bear, which was stretched along the ground of the house. To either side of the pyre at the centre of the hall, just below the one opening in the roof were a duo of poorly fashioned red-wood chairs.


    Standing across from the doors, was Ealdwald who had been speaking with the eldest of his sons turned, with a surprised if dour expression on his face. The younger men turned ashen expressions towards the doors, wherefore they looked from the newly arrived Hroegar to their thunderstruck father.


    A great bear of a man, at six feet tall Ealdwald was called ''Raven-feathers'' in some parts for the thick mane of pitch-black hair that decorated his jowls and head. A prominent brow was almost all that was discernible in regards, to his face beyond the dark storm-coloured eyes. Dressed in rich wool just as his daughters were, save where they favoured emerald and scarlet respectively, he was dressed in grey and dark brown. A great lover of bear-hunting, he was noteworthy for always having something of his preferred prey decorating his muscled, if scarred body.


    It was difficult to say, who was the most surprised to see Hroegar enter the home of Ealdwald; him, his sons or his daughters.


    The first, to recover from their shock, was the man himself so that he uttered irritably, "You were neither called nor desired here, Hroegar."


    The coldness in his voice might well have frightened Sigewulf. But not, Hroegar, for he feared nothing. "I came hither, not as your field-man, nor yet as thy warrior but as that which no man may equal in dignity, or in the esteem he enjoys from others; a father."


    "Hroegar, I have neither time nor interest in a discussion of fatherhood," Ealdwald interrupted with a hint of growing exasperation, "If you seek counsel on how to deal with your whelps, come back later. I am preoccupied with my brood, at present."


    "It is just that that interests me," Hroegar snapped in a voice no one had ever heard him use before, at least in regards to his liege. Always his was the respectful, the dignified voice but never the maddened one, with eyes blazing with a crazed fire he demanded. "Your sons have wronged me. They have taken that which I prized above all else, for this reason, I have come to you to rectify this injustice."


    At these words, the sons present and Wihtburg took on stricken and frightened dispositions in the face of the words of the new arrival. For his part, Ealdwald remained silent.


    Seeing no reason to stop, for his hosts had frozen where they stood and sat so that the father of Sigewulf carried on his voice hard as steel. "Hear the echo of my despair, Ealdwald! Thy sons have deprived me of my daughter after they had done the same to virtue ere they slit her and her brother''s throats. It is for this reason, I demand of you according to the eldest of our customs, to hang them for their crimes."


    At these words, Ealdwald''s jaw dropped while his eldest son scurried to stand behind him, terrified while Osbeorn moaned in fright.


    Only Wulfrun made a sound; squeaking in a manner reminiscent of a mouse.


    Seeing that the Jarl had no intent to answer quite yet, Hroegar grew impatient taking a step towards the youngest of the sons in question. "Well?"


    The youth for his part scrambled from his chair with a shriek, hurrying to join Eadwig behind the Jarl, "F-father!"


    It was only now that the father reacted taking a step to shield his son, with a furious look on his face. "What has come over you to demand such a thing Hroegar? Have you lost your wits? If thy children have not returned home, why seek to deprive me of mine?"


    "My son, Sigewulf saw all!" Hroegar bellowed interrupting the older of the two, the wroth in his voice almost bringing the other man short.


    Brought into the conversation, his sire pointed at him much to his dismay as everyone''s eyes fell upon him. The worst part was the undeniable hatred that lay within the gazes of Eadwig, Wihtburg and Osbeorn, along with those of Ealdwald.


    "What madness is this?"


    "Father, do not listen to him!" Eadwig burst out, visibly anxious at his father hearing of what had happened.


    "Tell them, tell them what it was that you saw boy," Hroegar commanded sharply of his sole surviving son who gulped and did as bidden if in a shaking and quaking voice.


    "It happened Jarl, umm that it happened that I was playing in the woods with my s-sister. My only intent was to frighten her when Eadwig, Ansgar and Osbeorn happened upon us, they came upon her, tearing and rending asunder what th-they could of her cloth and flesh. Sh-she shrieked until our brother-"


    "Lies!" Wihtburg shouted at the same time as Eadwig, "My brothers were with us! You must not listen to this pitiful mouse father, see how he whimpers? He has invented, in his mind all that he ''saw''."


    Her words awoke once more Hroegar''s rage, as he bellowed with such anger that the daughter now shrunk back from him, even as her sister seemed prepared to flee. "What did you say?"


    The young woman spluttered, evidently ill at ease in his presence.


    It was at this time that Ealdwald shifted stratagems. Turning upon his sons, he was to demand of them, "Is this true? Did you defile the maid and slay her and her brother?"


    Eadwig attempted to deny it, but Osbeorn burst out, "He came upon us with a sword Father!"


    If looks could well have murdered a man where he stood, the youngest of the sons might well have been the one they were in the midst of cremating.


    Looking from one son to the other, it was evident this answer had displeased the Jarl. Filled with disgust and disdain, he was to turn away from them after a long moment, he was to fix his gaze upon the grieving father before him.


    It was a long moment, and yet there was a great series of emotions that passed through his eyes. There was a measure of regret, exasperation and at last, a certain uncertainty that struck Sigewulf. This all came to pass when they chose to depart from the Jarl, who contrary to his expectations his face hardened. "Hroegar, you have hitherto now been a leal man, I should ask thee to remember thy prior service and to return to your farm."


    "Not without blood." At these words, to the stunned horror of even Ealdwald the wroth-filled Hroegar bared steel as might a wolf its fangs to one who threatens its cubs.


    It happened that Eadwig''s hand went to his own blade''s pommel, while Osbeorn and the women-folk took even greater fright.


    No less nervous, Sigewulf who held a spear prepared himself to put into practice those lessons, taught to him by his father. Much as he would have liked to make him proud, his hands would not however stop shaking, especially when anger again entered Ealdwald''s eyes.


    Word had as the confrontation had taken place, spread throughout the estate of the Jarl, of the arrival of Hroegar. Though, most could not quite grasp why or how this was of any great significance, the guards who had observed his arrival, along with those servants who had likewise seen him spread what they had seen. To their minds, they had never seen a more chilling figure, for he had appeared as might death itself spear in hand and icy gaze tearing through all he set his eyes upon.


    It was to be Ansgar who had carefully hidden himself for a time, who rallied the locality and gathered what warriors he could. Though there were not many who heeded his commands, there were still more than a dozen who set themselves forth as would sheep behind a wolf disguised as one of them.


    Just as it appeared that Hroegar might take the lives of all within the principal hall of Ealdwald, Ansgar who had previously absented himself arrived. Light flooded the hall from outside, alongside the heat of the wild summer just outside the long house causing all to turn now to stare in the middle son''s direction.


    "I should be cautious with thy demands, Hroegar," Ansgar menaced with such slyness that it somehow penetrated even Hroegar''s fury.


    The man for his part stared first from one man to the next, as he considered Sigewulf worried that he might throw himself forward, against the enemy. Such was the madness that had overcome him that, this was not outside the realm of possibility in his view.


    At this time, relieved to see several of his huscarls and fiercest son present therewith him, to guard him and his other children Ealdwald took to heart. Enough to make one last offer, one that he considered wholly reasonable, "Hroegar, it seems that there is possible evidence that what you in your folly accused mine of having done, that and your previous many services to me in mind moves me to make you an offer. One even you shall find quite generous."


    At these words, even Hroegar paused to consider what it was he intended to say, with Ealdwald reaching down with a large paw to remove from a nearby bench a large pouch. One which he drew up, opened to glance inside wherefore he satisfied threw it to the other side of the burning pyre at the warrior''s feet.


    The metallic sound of silver coins clanking and pouring out of the leather pouch onto the ground near the boots of the huscarl.


    "Twenty." Ealdwald said quietly, "Twenty pieces of silver, for thy daughter. And for your son, I am prepared to pay one hundred and fifty. A generous offer, even you must admit."


    "Father!" Ansgar hissed outraged.


    "But father-" Eadwig was of like mind.


    "You shan''t be serious- he has entered thy house to threaten us all, and you would act the knave and reward him?" Wihtburg exploded with the most anger, ever the fiercest in speech if the least courageous in action.


    "Quiet the lot of you!" their father interrupted furiously, whereupon they did so. Satisfied he turned once more his gaze upon the warrior who had against all customs and honour bared steel before him. "Well? What say you, Hroegar?"


    First, Hroegar stared at the coins. His face was expressionless so that not even his son could read or inject any suspicion of what his father might do next. It was the view of many present therein the hall that, he was liable to pick up the silver.


    Quite why they might have thought this was later to be beyond Sigewulf''s understanding. His father had, after all, always been one for obduracy and the harder choice of all those presented before him.


    "I say¡­" Hroegar said so quietly that all had to lean forward to hear him, even the child next to him. He repeated himself when at last he raised his gaze to meet that of the Jarl''s, "You insult me, with this pitiful offer. You might offer me a thousand coins, or all those in Brittia, or distant Roma, it would still be too little." He raised a hand, with a finger raised high in the air. "A pox! A pox upon thy house, I say, and shall add with the gods as my witness; you shall one and all pay for this insult and for what you have taken from me. For I promise thee Ealdwald, until the death-gods are sated there shall be no peace, nor harmony for thy house, not now and not ever again¡­"


    He turned to leave thence, stalking past the crowd of warriors who had arrived to the rescue, of Ealdwald. Quiet as the night he ignored the taunts of Ansgar, the queries of those he had once fought alongside and the whispers of the servants.


    Silent even in the face of the shouts that Ealdwald bellowed after him, "You will regret this choice Hroegar! Do not think to return, for more coin!"


    It was once the man was well and truly gone that sound once more returned, to the hall. A sound other than the howling, grief-stricken wind that is as Wihtburg went to reprimand her father and Eadwig sought to propose one of his foolish plans.


    The slap that echoed, made all (save for Ansgar) wince. It came near to sending Eadwig to his knees as he staggered, whimpering and weeping from the pain in his cheek.


    "You fool! You stupid, stupid fool!" Ealdwald growled, beside himself with rage.


    "Father, it was not my fault but that vixen, it was she who tempted me and-" The excuses began to pour out as might bile from a sick man. And make no mistake dear reader; Eadwig was indeed a very sick man, though not in body.


    "Quiet, I will hear no more of your whimpers," his sire hissed, turning away. "Now we have Hroegar for an enemy when I had no great desire to make one of him. To the contrary, he was to be a good-father to your youngest sister. You could have taken any stupid milk-maid or servant-girl, and you chose to seize his daughter and make a corpse of his beloved son, I have half a mind to give over to him the lot of you."


    "Father, there is no need to fear him, give me leave and I shall hunt him down and hew him where he stands." Ansgar offered impatiently, his offer startled the older man who studied him for a time.


    Ealdwald after a time reluctantly shook his head, "Hroegar will foresee it, and given how you have already made a mess of all set before you, I have no intention to place this matter in your hands. Valthair come hither." The head of the household warriors, who had been amongst those called forth by Ansgar stepped forth. "Gather what men you can, from here and the local farms, take the coin you see before you and hire those you can. Then, to-night when Hroegar has crawled into his bed slit his treacherous throat. I want this done swiftly, yet cleanly. There are to be no survivors and no further mistakes¡­"


    Valthair aware of the weight of this order, did as he had always done with no real thought beyond those given to him by his master, nodded his shaggy head dutifully.


    Night had fallen, and not even devils stirred. Such was the totality of the darkness that had crept over the land, such the weight of the night sky and the moon that not even the wind stirred. It was a time when the whole of the world held its breath. Never before, the warriors imagined, at least not since before the rise of the moon and the suns'' had there been such a night. Nor, could they imagine there had ever been such a silence for even the crows and ravens were fearful it seemed of cawing.


    Fifty they were. All of them were guilty of having served the wealthy Ealdwald in the past and all of them nervous about what it was that they were to undertake. Some might have been prepared others apprehensive yet none spoke. To do so, they suspected would have incurred Valthair''s wrath. Never something anyone cared for. Anyone with sense that is, so that they crept on in silence.


    Though he gave them no orders for the entering of the homestead, they did so with Valthair at last breaking the silence that hung over them all, bearing down on them for hours. "You lot enter the barn," He directed to a fifth of his men, ten muscular individuals, "Seize the herd and cattle. Ealdwald will like that, also make certain the snivelling son has not taken refuge there."


    This they did, just as the other forty entered the house, steel bared and eyes wide with impatience and glee. Devils they had become, for devils they had to be to undertake such work.


    Once inside, they found the bedrolls of father and son. The house was small and barely fit the forty, who at once fell upon the corpses, hacking and hewing and slashing and stabbing at them. They did so as men who had gone mad. And well they might have, such was the wroth they felt at the high-handed way Hroegar had previously acted, towards their liege and such the sense of betrayal they felt.


    Few of them at once wondered as to why it was that though, outside there had not been a star in the heavens to guide them or any other source of light, yet now they could see clearly. It was only when Valthair threw away the cover, to stare at the face of the man he had murdered that he realized it was not Hroegar he had hewed. But the corpse of a young man, one he recognized for he had once upon a time fought alongside him, but weeks prior.


    "This is not Hroegar," He said loudly, at the same time one of his men shouted.


    "This is no boy, but a girl!"


    "What is that smell?" Asked another man, "It stinks of ashes and smoke."


    They all froze. This was quite the feat given the growing heat, in the packed house (which had only grown warmer and more stifling as they did their butchery). And as one they went to throw themselves as one against the door, to no avail. The reason for this was that not only was the door barred, but it had been blocked by several barrels, boxes and other items full to the brim.


    As the flames grew, eating up the screams, pleas and threats of the men sent to cut them asunder from the world of men, Hroegar turned at last to his son. The two of them had spent hours in preparation for what was to come. When Valthair and his men had arrived, they had slunk behind them, quieter than shadows and seen to the fastening of the doors and the barring of them.


    Though the boy still snivelled ever so slightly, he had unquestionably set the buildings reluctantly if shakily to the torch. He was all Hroegar had left in the world.


    Sigewulf hoped and prayed that the screams he heard that night, might one day dissipate as the mist so often did in the wind. He suspected this would never be the case. So that he whimpered and sought to turn away, tears of pity and grief for his lost home in his eyes.


    Ignoring him, his father who had stared at the flames with an unreadable expression at last, set the family gods of Tiwaz, Frey and Woden before his son. "Sigewulf, look." When the boy did not listen, he grabbed him roughly and forced him to turn his head, "LOOK! Here stands our family gods¡­ those who have guarded and nourished our kin and all others of these lands, since their creation."


    "Y-yes father."


    "You are no longer a child, for you have aided me as my huscarl, to take the lives of Ealdwald''s men." Hroegar declared to him, in the same rough, impatient tone as before, "Thus, now you shall be as hunted as I. Yet this was right, this was justice for our kin never forget this."


    Thinking back on the screams of his sister and the roar of his brother ere they expired, Sigewulf nodded his head and repeated his previous words, if without a single stutter.


    Withdrawing a single knife from his belt, Hroegar swore then a mighty vow. One not sworn in those lands by one of his line in centuries, as he called upon the Aesir, he loved and revered. "Hear me Woden and Tiwaz, we hope that this sacrifice¡­ this gift of fifty lives please thee, for we have many other such offerings to give you¡­ and grant us vengeance!"


    It was at this time that he cut his head, and let fall his blood upon the wooden statues of his gods, to seal the pact.


    This might have been the end of the matter. Yet it was not enough, for angry Hroegar, for next he turned to his son who shrunk back ever so slightly only to halt when he saw his father''s gaze. It was so arresting, so fierce that he found himself mesmerized.


    He hardly felt the knife, yet when he did his wound was opened and his blood mixed with that of his father, as he yelped in pain.


    "Now swear the oath, my son! Swear it! Swear to avenge thy kin, or you shall no longer be my son, but a castaway beast, left to perish in these lands!" Hroegar hissed at him, overtaken by his passion.


    "I-I swear to spill the blood of the house of Ealdwald, to hunt them whithersoever they go and to deliver unto them a thousand times the sorrow, grief and pain they have heaped upon us," Sigewulf said, repeating after his father who quoted him the words. "This I swear upon the blade of Tiwaz, and the spear of Woden!"


    At once there was regret on his part. Oaths as he had been taught, especially those of this nature were not to be sworn lightly. Yet he had sworn it. Now there could be no retreat, or backing from it ¨C not if he wished to retain honour and most of all his soul intact. Oath-breakers were scorned by the gods and all men after all.


    Yet as his father wrapped a cloth about his wounded hand, and he looked to the blood-soaked statues, thence to the burning house beyond them, he felt his fears die away. All he was left with was loneliness and sorrow, as he longed for yesterday, when his brother and sister were alive, and his father not such a stranger. He wondered where this oath might take them.


    Little did he know how far away it would take him: Neither did he know, through what hardships this promise was to one day drive him to, in the years that followed. Nor could his father Hroegar have known in that moment, what it was that they were to endure. Yet never let it be said that either of them, recoiled from their duties or their vow. They were to travel through a sea of grief, pain and rage and across many a year to achieve that which they swore to do on what became known to them as the ''Night of the Death-Oaths''.

 Chapter II: Wonders End

    Darkness blacker than the very worst of men¡¯s hearts spread its ugly wings overhead, in this manner naught could be seen or discerned, just as the waves below menaced every man aboard the ship. The Bear¡¯s Horn was a vessel like any other, in the frozen northlands that had spawned Hroegar, a long-ship more than eighteen meters long and four wide. It cut across the sea as might a man¡¯s blade through another¡¯s flesh. Sails high and open it accepted the good grace of the winds with a dignity and pride within every man¡¯s heart and soul with equal fervour for it was their hope, that they would soon see land, ere the first frost.


    Some took to the sea as might fish, others such as Amleth Oddersson took poorly to the waves and spent much of his time his back bent over the side of the ship. Yet for Hroegar, the rocking of the ship, the odd sighting of a whale and the almost perpetually rotten food did little to diminish his resolve. Were it not for why he was aboard, he might have enjoyed himself. Thus, unable to find the slightest enjoyment, most of his time on the Horn had been spent behind an oar or below deck, assisting in the kitchen. Anything to escape the melancholy and grief that perpetually dogged him. Though, if melancholy sought to drag him overboard and to drown him in the deeps far below when it was not preoccupied with haunting his every dream.


    At present, knife in hand, bent over a barrel of carrots below deck, so caught up was he in his own musings, mostly of what he would not give to cull the earth of all the gulls that had replaced the common crows at that moment. It was they whom haunted him worse than the melancholia, they that annoyed every man aboard the Horn, barring them from the sleep so many of them so ardently desired, with their endlessly, whining cries.


    Suddenly, from the shadows behind him, echoed the jeering laughter of several members of the crew, as they sniggered at a particularly raunchy song they had taken to singing. Music was something that was never in short supply, no matter the hour of the day or night.


    ¡°Hroegar! Are you still cutting up carrots? Come join us, we were just singing of your mother!¡± Gl?dwine teased him, always one to adore a good jest even if it was in poor taste or was ejaculated out at the wrong time.


    It was Hroegar¡¯s view that, given the hour, his friend ought to have kept silent. Or as silent, as the obnoxious sailor could be.


    Tall, though not nearly so as the former huscarl, Gl?dwine was as different from him as one could imagine. Bright, cheerful and friendly, he was the illegitimate son of a Jarl fostered with another and had spent most of his life at sea as either a merchant or raider. Blonde, with a short beard and vivid blue eyes, he was however no less a warrior than is friend. The captain was dressed in a hauberk and chainmail with a wolf-cloak thrown over his shoulders and pinned into place with a brooch, in the shape of a golden-crow. This emblem was his personal emblem and one he took pride in, for reasons that escaped his friend.


    Always with a tune on his lips, a romantic and kindly man, he, it was who had invited Hroegar and Sigewulf aboard the Bear¡¯s Horn. This in spite of how they were outcasts, rejected by all.


    More than three months before, Hroegar had discovered his eldest children to have been murdered, and by the hands of the sons of his liege-lord, Ealdwald. The act had driven him to the brink of madness, so that he had threatened him in his halls. The result; Ealdwald had sent fifty men to slay him in the dead of night. Those men had been burnt to a man, with Hroegar¡¯s only regret being that he had had to sacrifice the corpses of his eldest son and daughter, to trick them.


    Having the element of surprise, the former local hero-turned criminal had waited in ambush for the scouting-party that was sent out by Ealdwald. His impatience with the initial assassins, something that Hroegar had taken well into account, when he laid his first ambush against the fifty men.


    This new group of warriors approached the still burning house with considerable caution at first, wherefore at the first sight of the flames they froze with shock. Such was their bewilderment at what they saw that the six of them did not foresee the ambush, prepared for them.


    Hurtling a short hafted battleaxe towards one of them, the burly warrior in this way dispatched first one, then by throwing all of his body-weight against a second he knocked this man off his feet. Swift as lightning, his sword gifted to him more than twenty years hence by Ealdwald himself was buried in the gut of another man, ere he withdrew it to slash the next apart.


    In mere minutes, all the men had been cut down save he who had been thrown to the ground.


    Hroegar¡¯s blade at his throat, it was that he decided to spare one heartbeat to the next, though it was not out of compassion that he did so, as he soon revealed. ¡°On your feet knave, on your feet!¡±


    ¡°Wh-what do you plan, Hroegar?¡± The man asked in a pleading voice, suspicious that the older farmer had some devious scheme in mind.


    He was not far from the truth, with the bear-like warrior recognising the quavering coward as Sorin the Cattle-Farmer. Lip curling in disgust, as he had never liked the fellow since they were children (there was nigh on a seven-year age difference that separated them), he retorted. ¡°You will return to that coward Ealdwald, and deliver him a message; that I, Hroegar, shall hew down his entire family, tearing it asunder, from the root to the highest branches. This you may tell him, I have sworn to the gods with his men as my sacrifice to seal the oath!¡±


    The man was aghast, but could do little more than make haste for the home of Ealdwald less he have, his throat slit open.


    Once he had disappeared from sight, Hroegar turned next to his son, saying to him, ¡°And now we must prepare for the inevitable attack, by the whole of that clan of knaves.¡±


    What he could not have predicted, was how those who lived within and just near to the lands of the Jarl would respond to their newly formed feud. Most of the local farmers and cattle-herders, took not the view that their fellow farmer was justified, in his deeds.


    At the first, one of the neighbouring cattle-farmers sought to lure father and son to them; by offering them some apples from a garden he kept near where he raised his sheep. Offering them apples the day after the raid on the home of Hroegar, he had come without his own sons or wife. This was the first sign that something was amiss.


    Ignoring these misgivings as his own stomach had begun rumbling, after a night and morn¡¯ with nary any food eaten. This along with how their children had always played together, and the fathers had remained firm friends throughout the whole of their lives; Hroegar had little reason to suspect Horsa.


    Horsa offered several of his choices apples from the basket, to Sigewulf who devoured them enthusiastically, under the approving eye of the farmer. ¡°Hungry eh lad? Well, eat up; there are plenty of apples therein the basket for you.¡±


    Blonde of hair and beard, he was stout with a large belly and rosy cheeks; he was typically an individual who inspired naught but ease. At present, he did just that, wherefore the suspicions of Hroegar were allayed.


    Reaching down to pluck an apple of his own, he devoured it with nigh on as much enthusiasm as his son had. It was not until he reached for his second that he glanced up, at his old friend.


    Catching the stare of the other man, wherein he discovered the hint of something he had not seen there, ere that moment.


    ¡°You ought to have fed him better, hitherto now,¡± Horsa remarked to him, eyes upon the boy.


    It was at that moment that Hroegar heard the snapping of a bramble.


    It might well have simply been the wife of the cattle-herder gathering berries as she tended to do, but his own misgiving got the better of him. The brief flash of panic in the eyes of Horsa, alerted him to the great betrayal that lay in mind for them. A strange calm overcame Hroegar at that moment, as he stabbed into the other man with his gaze. ¡°Horsa¡­ what have you done? What, in the name of Woden, has come over thee?¡±


    Another man might well have differed, and though there was the barest of minutes spent attempting to deny his crime, Horsa seeing the futility of this act soon admitted the truth. His was a reaction of anger, as he drew steel, with a hardened look on his face, ¡°Amongst the men who were burnt alive, by you Hroegar was my son. You cost me, my son!¡±


    ¡°It was he who chose to invade my home, Horsa, he who followed Ealdwald,¡± Hroegar snapped without the slightest prickle of remorse. ¡°This after Ealdwald¡¯s sons cost me mine, and my daughter.¡±


    There was no sympathy in Horsa, who shrugged his shoulders, ¡°From what I had heard, if your daughter had kept her legs closed, none of this would have happened.¡±


    In the distance, a crow cawed. Black feathers came to decorate a nearby tree and the ash-trees nearest to that one, as it took flight. Many were the birds of that sort that flocked wherever or whithersoever father and son wandered.


    The cub who had paused in his meal, to stare in mute shock at the cruel condemnation, of the sister he had loved so much could hardly summon any words. Words that might well have defended his kin, or damned the man before him, he knew not.


    Utterances of any sort were meaningless, as Hroegar put an end to a man he had dubbed friend, since his most tender of years. The bellow of outrage, on the part of Horsa¡¯s brother and the subsequent charge, was soon cut short also, wherefore he turned to his son.


    ¡°Take the apples back, to the farm,¡± He commanded his son, with a dark look to the corpses of the two men before them.


    Never one to defy his father, Sigewulf did as bidden rather more eagerly, than any other orders previously given. Apprehensive at the sight of the bodies, he left his father to the bloody task of severing the heads and putting them atop two spikes.


    This act was not one that Hroegar had planned at the outset. But the insult to his children could not go unpunished.


    It happened in the days that followed, more of the farmers banded together to hunt him and Sigewulf, once they heard of the murder of Horsa. Great was the red-hot rage of the man¡¯s wife and daughters, when they discovered his and his brother¡¯s heads and raven-pecked corpses. Such was the wroth that overtook them that they swore thence, to aid Ealdwald in the murdering of father and son. A number of other families soon joined the two, for Horsa¡¯s wife had come from a large, family one well-connected to all in the area.


    Hardly blind to the danger, and with his own cattle hidden some distance north of where the farm had been whilst he and his son took to the woods. It was there that they throve for a time, resting uneasily and lighting a fire only to cook food, and that one was lit solely after most had gone to sleep. It was a dangerous time.


    A time that stretched into weeks, as they moved from forest to forest, from cave to cave, many days. That is, until they woke up one morn¡¯, to discover their herds gone. The animals had been grazing when he had fallen asleep, some hours away, from them.


    Unable to find them, Hroegar cursed himself for his stupidity as he failed to find them. How could he be so stupid? How could have allowed himself to nod off, in the dead of night, when there was the ever-present danger of one of the locals happening upon them?


    ¡°Where are they?!¡± He cried out, looking about and searching all throughout the landscape that he had left them, some hours away from where they slept.


    This query he repeated to himself, several times in an ever mounting frenzy, this in spite of his knowledge that they were gone because someone had taken them. His sense of panic, and horror, was one that his son sought to calm by calling out to him.


    ¡°Father! Father! There is naught to worry, we will simply find the herd,¡± He pleaded, seeking to calm his stricken father.


    Irritated with the boy¡¯s prattling, Hroegar was to push him away, forcing himself to breath in and out over the course of several long minutes. Sigewulf looked hurt, and stared at him with tears in his eyes feeling this rejection by his sire, indifferent to his pained feelings he ignored the boy.


    ¡°Come, we will track down the one who stole what is ours,¡± the warrior growled, his hand on his sword¡¯s hilt.


    This they did. They did indeed track down the animals, which was not terribly difficult for a man trained since his most tender years in the hunt. The truth though was to prove herself far murkier than originally expected. At the first they thought that it was one of Horsa¡¯s friends, Ivarr who had taken them all. But when questioned, after he was lured out into the woods and cornered with a blade to his throat, he confessed to have sold most of them.


    ¡°I found them in the field, I did not know they were yours Hroegar,¡± Squealed the other man, utterly terrified for his life.


    ¡°But all I saw out there, were chickens, where are my cows, sheep and donkeys?¡± Hroegar demanded of his soon-to-be victim, as the other man blubbered so pitifully that Sigewulf looked on him with pity. This was only noted absently by the father, so intent was he on his own work it was all he could do.


    ¡°I s-s-sold them! Hroegar you must believe me, had I known-¡±


    ¡°You did, and you hardly cared,¡± He gritted out from betwixt clenched teeth.


    In the distance, a crow cawed.


    It happened in that instant, just as he prepared another feast for the ravens and the crows that Sigewulf took it upon himself, to show mercy for the first. It was he who pressed his small hands, to his father¡¯s arm shaking his head even as he wordlessly pleaded with him.


    Hroegar should very much have liked, to have refused him. His violent instincts pushed him to do so.


    This was to prove a mistake. A raven crowed in dissatisfaction. This ought to have served as a reminder of what he had lost, of what he might yet still lose. Yet, in this moment as he stared into his son¡¯s blue gaze, he felt his arm go slack.


    It was foolish; it was putting the boy¡¯s life at risk which went against all that he stood for. And yet, more than that he could not bring himself, to disappoint those eyes in that moment. Swallowing his temper he pushed the man away, unable to explain to himself why he should let the worm go. He had stolen from them, taken advantage of the difficulties of those around him for his own profit and had little in the way of ethics.


    As said, this was a mistake. A foolish one, and yet, ¡°Go! Go and return to the farm, yet if I hear that you have sold us to that rat Ealdwald, I will hunt you! I will hew you where you stand, just as I did Horsa, and his filthy brother.¡±


    The man did as ordered, this after several more tears were shed. It was once he was well and truly clear of the woodlands that he took to shouting. ¡°I have seen them! They are here! Hroegar! Hroegar is here, he is in the woods!¡±


    Hroegar wished thence that he had slain the knave.


    Things only became worse for them, in the days that followed, after he chose to spare Ivarr. It was he who reported which forest they had taken to, where they had likely hidden, and just how Sigewulf had calmed his killer instincts.


    As they fled in the night west, for the lands of Yngvar the good-brother of Ealdwald it was difficult not to blame Sigewulf. Their journey was bloody, mostly noiseless and saw the warrior carry his child on his back as he raced through the night, his heart beating against his ribs. Never before had he known such fright, and never before had he been hunted in quite that manner.


    They fled through the night, just ahead of a hundred torches and screams, as the locals who had once been his friends, his nearest of kin, hunted him as one might a gazelle in the wild. They did unto him, as he wished to do unto the sons of Ealdwald.


    Dreadful as the night was, it was not until he had hidden the boy in a cave near to the estate of Yngvar with a sizeable amount of cow-meat stolen from one of his former neighbours. It was a risk, and one that had to be taken, as he turned back down the route he had taken to the cave.


    Offering up a prayer to Woden, he pleaded with the god of war and heroes for aid in the hours that were to follow.


    What followed was to prove itself, far more violent, than those that had preceded it. Tracking down first one small group of scouts, Hroegar was to evince little in the way, of mercy or reason. It was dark, and the locals carried torches so that the finding of them proved itself easy in the woods. The first group he ambushed happened upon him, quite by accident so that they hardly had time to scream before he had slit their throats.


    The second group gave him considerably more difficulty, as one of the men was a warrior he had once fought alongside and who was far more ready than the others. In the midst of hiding behind a nearby oak, the outlaw had resorted to sword and knife. Stabbing down with the former, just as the torch-bearer moved to pass him by.


    The strike drew a great shriek of agony unlike any other, he had ever heard, even with his thirty years of experience in violence and struggle against neighbouring warlords. This cry was primordial and silenced as swiftly as it was torn from, a throat that was slit even more quickly than the man lost several toes.


    Kicking him out against those behind the now dying man, his torch flying wild as it fell against one of the three in this scouting-party.


    His next sword stroke served to slice the man¡¯s throat even as he sought to put out the fire that had started, on his fur cloak. This sword-blow might well have been followed up by another, were it not for the speed with which the third man, recovered from his brief surprise. Pushing away from he who had fallen against him, he rolled back head over heels, wherefore he drew himself to his full height.


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    Sword in hand, he made a wild slash at the knife-hand. Drawing back now himself, hardly keen to lose a hand, Hroegar was to discard the weapon in favour of a buckler. Nervous about the clash with Alvis the Wonder, as some had once dubbed him. A formidable warrior, with no less than ten years of age over the father of Sigewulf, the other man was a warrior who had won for himself an unchallenged reputation. Such was the renown he had developed over the course of forty years of hard fighting that sagas are still sung of him.


    There was a time that the other man, had saved Hroegar, and whom he had saved half so many times with the younger man, having once considered the other something of an inspiration. Such was the friendship that had bound them together that they had considered themselves almost brothers. Or so Hroegar had considered them, after the many times they had fought together side-by-side, against the many neighbours of Ealdwald.


    Surly and unpleasant at the best of times, the other man was dark, with grey hair and pale skin that was almost snow-white in its colouration.


    Now they stood against one another.


    ¡°I would not have it so, Alvis,¡± Hroegar warned desperately.


    ¡°Because you know, you will die.¡± The other man sneered, charging once more, striking with all his considerable might and weight with his sword.


    Aware that weight lent strength, as did the straightening of one¡¯s sword arm from a previously bent position, the man struck at Hroegar hard. The blow hit his buckler hard, with such force that he felt it resound all the way up his arm.


    Hroegar attempted to strike back, and once again the sword of Alvis moved to intercept, and parried away his weapon. Twisting away to avoid losing his sword hand, the outlaw was to fall back almost losing his footing in the snow as a second strike, then a third followed.


    ¡®I despise defence,¡¯ Hroegar grumbled internally with more than a little panic, as he came close to tripping as he retreated.


    ¡°What is the matter, Hroegar? You did better in the battle of the Glacial-River!¡± Alvis taunted him, ¡°No wonder your son died squealing like a pig! If he fought as poorly as you do now, I can see how Ealdwald¡¯s limp sons might have bested him!¡±


    The fury that suffused Hroegar¡¯s being at those words, were unlike anything he had ever felt before. It was as though the whole of his being was full of molten lava, as his ears roared and his eyes saw crimson.


    The next time there was a sword blow, he did not avoid it as he had previously done, nor did he seek to back away. To the contrary, he stepped forward taking the blow to the shield, but this time it was not only him who felt his arm ache and his wrist purple but the mighty bear sworn to Ealdwald. Striking with all he had in him, against the sword with the buckler as he pressed forward with all his weight.


    Grunting in pained surprise, Alvis was to back away, flat-footed and distracted. This was exactly what his foe had been waiting for; next came the underhanded stab beneath shield and sword.


    Thrown forward by the momentum of his own rage and weight, Hroegar fell onto his foe from the slight upraised position he had assumed as they fought.


    The second, third and fourth stabs that followed had resulted in more grunts of surprise, but soon as the blood of the berserker soaked the snow and flooded the ground they lay next to one another. Both wounded, both aching but one of them, dying while the other would live.


    It was impossible to say how long they lay there; panting side by side as exhaustion nearly overcame victor and loser aside.


    ¡°Fly, fly from this place Hroegar,¡± Alvis breathed, eyes staring up at the stars heaving and struggling to continue breathing. ¡°You shall find naught save death, especially for that boy of yours in this place.¡±


    His words sounded almost kindly. There was a kind of softness to them that Hroegar wished to put his trust in. However, in recent days his trust in others had eroded so very much, so that he found himself instinctively mistrusting and bucking against them.


    In place of blindly doing so, he sought to ambush one more group of scouts ere, he returned to the cavern to retrieve his son and flee back into the lands of Ealdwald. It was a stratagem that served him well, with this last group fighting well it shan¡¯t be denied, but nowhere near as well as Alvis. Their screams served to attract the other scouting-parties and caused them to intensify the search.


    The trouble for these self-appointed justiciars was that the screams of the dying also served to attract the attention of Yngvar¡¯s own men. Men who came out in force themselves, to clash with the farmers and warriors who served Ealdwald, so that they were themselves chased out of the region.


    By that time, Hroegar had already returned whither to the east, making for near to the palisade-guarded home of Ealdwald.


    Unwise others might have dubbed his refusal to flee, to fly to the safety of Yngvar and his holdings, to hide there amongst his men or to entreat him to war with Ealdwald. Much as he might have liked to do so, he could not because much as he despised the Jarl he had once served, he clung to his previous hatred for Yngvar also. This was also to be a personal war, between him and Ealdwald, not two lords.


    This was the reason, he preferred to fly back to the lands from whence he came, leaving as ever a trail of blood and death. His still sleeping son, snoring softly on his back with the father by the time he stopped to put him down, did so several hours from the fort of his former liege. Hungry, he was to devour the remainder of their rations with his ever ravenous son.


    ¡°Father, how shall we take revenge now?¡± Sigewulf asked of him, speaking cautiously for fear of upsetting his father once again. He had noticed just how easily angered the man could become, at the slightest wrong-gesture or word, so that the boy had come to fear his sire.


    If it at all came to his attention, and if it bothered him at all, the chief-most warrior of the locality showed no hint of regret or any other emotion on his face at that moment. Not when there was some thinking to be done, as he considered this query. It was a good one after all, and made him stop if only for a moment to examine how best, to proceed with securing justice.


    ¡°I am not certain, but we shall soon see my son,¡± He replied to the boy, who nodded slowly, visibly unhappy with this decision.


    Two weeks later saw them still puzzling over this issue, as warriors and farmers wandered all about in the hopes that they might hunt down father and son. The gates often opened were guarded by at least three guards at all times, so that Hroegar would not risk, an attack lest he leave his son unguarded once more. Though, nothing had happened the prior time he had left his son alone, but the fear of his loss would not allow him to do so a second time.


    During that time, he noted the movements of the enemy, how often they ventured forth from the safety of their walls. What worried him most was the security of the enemy and the caution with which they now moved so that there was nary a single opportunity left to him, to wreak his vengeance upon them.


    Morn¡¯ became evening and dusk turned to dawn as the days passed swiftly, with Hroegar¡¯s despair mounting and his frustration grew. It happened one day that he would venture nearer to the walls, to attempt to slip into the fort when one day near to the end of the second week, it happened that Ealdwald with a large number of his huscarls departed at last from the safety of his walls. Stunned at this good fortune which took place at noon, when the suns were at their zenith with the warrior by this time weary, as he had slept but fitfully and rarely.


    Hardly believing his good fortune, he would have followed, however; his rival took to the north-west in the direction of the sea, though this hardly occurred to him at this time. So caught up with his thirst for revenge that, he could only curse and scream in a fit of rage when after several hours of trailing the warrior, he was left firmly behind. Thirty men a-horse could move with such swiftness that a man, with a child on his back, could not hope to follow.


    ¡°Father, we must turn back!¡± Sigewulf cried out, after hours of following the hoofmarks in the ground left by the steeds and ponies that the Jarl had relied upon, to transport him and his men. ¡°We shan¡¯t hope to follow, if we do not know where he is bound!¡±


    It happened that the father froze, debating this point internally. He knew his son to be right, though a part of him would have preferred to continue to charge forward. He had a need to move, needed to attack, Ealdwald directly. The trouble for him was that he was to stop to ask himself if he had seen the children of the Jarl or not. Uncertain of himself, he had to concede that for one thing he was destined to trail behind his objective with nary any success. Not without knowing where the children were, whithersoever they were bound, and how long they intended to remain gone for?


    Thus, they turned about much to the chagrin of Hroegar, so that they might seek out more knowledge from those near to the estate of the Jarl he had served for so many years. It was hours before they were to once more see the long-house of the Jarl.


    It was another several days ere they found out, what it was that Ealdwald had departed for. Impatient to throw himself against an enemy, as a warrior he was ordinarily fairly patient yet at present he had no wish to do so. He simply wanted retribution.


    All efforts to hunt him down, had begun to fade away he had noticed much to his distress, since he had a need for them to do so, if he was to truly extricate information from someone. Frustrated, Hroegar decided upon a rather more impulsive gesture that he might otherwise have refused to do.


    He opted to seek to set fire to the west-wall of Ealdwald¡¯s estate. The palisade¡¯s watch had been relaxed since the Jarl had departed, and though there was still a look-out here and there most of the time, it was not always watched as sternly as before. It was at this time, he struck with the vengeance so characteristic of his person, in recent days. Hroegar did so under the weary eye of his son, who might have otherwise preferred to find a place to sleep.


    ¡°Observe, and learn for the future, my son,¡± He was to instruct the youth, who did reluctantly as he was told while the fire was started near the dry wood of the walls.


    Once the fire had been started, the two fled the west of the wall so that they might circle about the estate to strike from the north-wall. This only after Sigewulf had been given instructions to go hide in the northern corner of the forest so that his father, may devote himself to the conflict with the estate.


    The siege, so to speak, was to begin once the fire was discovered, and before the enemy had come to the realization of who it might be who had started it. Throwing a spear, he had stolen from one of those hunting for him, days prior Hroegar was to toss it through the chest of one of the guards. The man fell ere he could scream, with the other guard next to him near to the gates began to cry out, just as Hroegar hurried over to hew him down.


    Throwing the cloak of one of the men, over his shoulders along with his helm, the father threw himself behind the walls. While all those who were awake, sought to move to put out the growing fire, and moved to open the south-gate that they might make way for the river that was to the east of the estate.


    ¡°You there!¡± Called out one of the many guards, who raced past the middle-aged warrior, wherefore he told him, ¡°Go awaken the Jarl!¡±


    Nodding his head dutifully, as he had done countless times in the past, when he had served Ealdwald, the only part of these orders that startled him was the knowledge that the Jarl was missing. Crossing into the long-house, he was to move through the interior, instinctively with nary any hint of hesitation so that he soon stood before, the bed of the Jarl. The bed in question was one made of hay, with the figure resting thereupon it was a plump one, with a short beard and balding hair.


    Bewildered by this discovery, along with that of the softer breath of the woman who was nestled against the man¡¯s side, for all knew that Ealdwald¡¯s wife had passed years hence.


    ¡°Wake up,¡± He hissed drawing his sword from its scabbard, and still the man snored, ignorant of the danger that loomed over him. ¡°Wake up, I say!¡±


    Now a swift kick to the side resulted, so that the Jarl awoke with a groan and a curse. He might have said more, as he froze mid-curse once he noticed the sword at his throat. ¡°Who-who are you? Wait, Hroegar how- why are you here?¡±


    The man before him, he realized at once as soon as he heard his voice, was not Ealdwald. Hardly able to see in the darkness and being far too unsure of the situation outside to take up a torch, he only now came to know that it was not in fact his enemy, but rather the man¡¯s younger brother ?lfred.


    A much more temperate man, if plumper and younger by some twelve years than his elder sibling the man before him, was one whom Hroegar had difficulty marking as an enemy. He had never fully gotten along with the Jarl, and had little to do with the upbringing of his nephews and nieces.


    ¡°Why are you not on Eadmund¡¯s estate to the north-west?¡± Hroegar queried, bewildered and angry.


    ¡°I left my good-brother¡¯s estate at the call of Ealdwald,¡± The younger man explained, eyes on the sword at his throat, ¡°I had thought you followed Ealdwald!¡±


    ¡°No, now where is he?¡±


    ¡°He has gone.¡±


    ¡°Gone? Gone where?¡± The warrior growled, almost shaking with fury, as he stared almost blood-eyed at the man before him.


    ?lfred opened his mouth to answer, seemed almost to rethink it, then pleaded, ¡°If I tell you, will you at least let my Gilda live?¡±


    The fact that he did not plead, for his own life shook something in the warrior, even as he eyed the still slumbering woman, if briefly so.


    Slowly he nodded, with ?lfred sighing, a little in relief, wherefore he answered, ¡°He has gone west.¡±


    ¡°West where?¡±


    ¡°West, farther than you or I could imagine,¡± ?lfred continued bitterly, ¡°He has left me with all the enemies he has accrued over the years, and answered the call. The call of ?lle and Vengrist, and gone to Nordbeorn to buy passage with all his best warriors, for the isle of Bretwealda.¡±


    ¡°Bretwealda?¡± Hroegar queried, only to shake his head, ¡°Never heard of it.¡±


    ¡°It is called the ¡®Lordly-Isle¡¯,¡± Explained the new Jarl bitterly, his brow knitting together in consternation, ¡°You were such a terror, and with the neighbouring Jarls keen to pounce on the weakness demonstrated by us, he has fled. He will never return, and you shall never see him again, Hroegar.¡± Hesitantly, he added, as though keen to allay the warrior¡¯s fury. ¡°You have won, is it not enough?¡±


    The question caused him to tremble with fury.


    In spite of this sentiment, he would not strike down the younger warrior and preferred to sheath his sword. This did not mean that he was keen to allow the lesser man to escape him unscathed, so that he struck him with all the ferocity of a bear.


    The blow split the man¡¯s nose and bruised his cheek, and left his head spinning visibly, not that Hroegar paid his injuries much mind.


    Resolved to leave him with no other wounds, it was the view of the father of Sigewulf that this was the end of the matter of his conflict with ?lfred. This proved to be a mistake, as the other man was not without some measure of spite himself.


    Angry at the unjustified blow, or what seemed to be the case to his mind, he opened his mouth and called out to his men. ¡°To me! To me! Hroegar is here! Hroegar is within the home of ?lfred!¡±


    His home¡¯s infiltrator could well have stabbed him in that instant. The accompanying shriek of the lady of the house attracted all the more the attention, of those guards newly awakened to the danger to their liege. Arriving in time, only to find the Jarl attempting to calm his much beloved wife and coax her to cease her sobbing, he turned to his men.


    ¡°What is the matter with you lot? After him! After him!¡±


    ¡°Who milord?¡±


    ¡°Hroegar! He was just here, disguised as one of you!¡±


    But it was too late, the man in question had by this time had slipped out from within the estate.


    Retrieving his son once more, Hroegar was to carry him on his back once more, this time for nigh on three sleepless days. Angered by the attack on his person, and determined to end the blood-feud, ?lfred led his men himself throughout the hunt.


    An experienced tracker, no less the equal to his elder brother, he worked closely with his finest warriors to track his enemy. So that it was now the turn of the outlawed-man, to be stricken and full of fear as he moved north-west.


    At the first, ?lfred failed to realize exactly where it was that his prey was headed towards. Late one night, as he discussed the newest tracks and how Hroegar had taken to covering the said tracks.


    ¡°He is clever, yet careless,¡± Reported one of his men, remarking to the new Jarl, ¡°He is doubtless attempting to trick us into crossing into the lands of Jarl H¨®lmgeirr¡¯s lands. This way he could escape, in the confusion caused by the conflict between us.¡±


    ¡°That is not what he intends to do,¡± ?lfred grumbled, disbelieving his man, though not without due consideration.


    ¡°What does he intend to do?¡±


    The Jarl did not answer at once. Rather, he stared on at the horizon past the coloured leaves of the nearby trees, the first hint that winter would soon be upon them. It was times such as these that, Ealdwald¡¯s brother, wondered whether the gift of his newfound position was a curse, or a blessing.


    A sigh escaped him, wherefore he replied to his guards¡¯ queries, ¡°He intends to reach Steinnhl¨¦r, in the hopes find, passage on a ship to Bretwealda.¡±


    At the first, the dogged pursuit by Ealdwald¡¯s younger brother had been more annoyance than truly a source of fright. It was only after the first arrow had buzzed near Sigewulf¡¯s knee that Hroegar had swallowed his pride, enough to acknowledge him as the threat he truly was. This had led to the outcast struggling even more, in the days that followed, to stay ahead, to cover his tracks and to evade the hunting dogs and scouts of the Jarl.


    The fact that he had stayed a little ahead of the new lord was reassuring. Ealdwald, would have seen to cornering him by this time and would not have failed when given half the opportunities ?lfred had been offered.


    This only made Hroegar feel all the more irritated, with himself. He knew that as time went on, and he was prevented from sleeping properly, he was making more and more mistakes. He needed rest, and he needed to stop to eat a proper meal.


    At last, the enemy relented. It was not noticeable at the first, and yet it was a balm that allowed for Hroegar to temporarily slip off the path he had been treading whither north-west. Finding himself a small clearing in the forest, he was to allow Sigewulf to trap two hares which they cooked and ate, wherefore he fell asleep for the first time in days. His son on watch-duty, a task that he was grateful to give over to the child, though he promised himself it would only be for a brief time.


    When he awoke, it was well past noon, the intended time when his son ought to have woken him. Noticing that the moon was at its zenith, he glanced about in a panic, convinced that something had happened to the boy.


    ¡°Sigewulf! Sigewulf!¡± He called stricken and worried, only to stop when he heard the child¡¯s soft snores. The realization that he had fallen asleep on duty came as a shock, one that took Hroegar some time to recover from. ¡°Sigewulf, wake up, you little fool!¡±


    ¡°F-father? What is it?¡± Sigewulf asked, his voice thick with sleep and eyes blinking in confusion and irritation.


    ¡°You fell asleep,¡± it was all that he could squeeze out. The boy blinked once more in confusion, which was more than what Hroegar could take at that moment. The slap that followed threw the boy onto the ground and left him near the root of a large oak in a state of shock. ¡°You little fool! You were supposed to wake me at noon, and we were to continue on towards Steinnhl¨¦r! But in place of that you fell asleep, you stupid little fool!¡±


    ¡°I did not fall asleep, you just did not wake up,¡± Complained his son.


    ¡°Then throw water on me from the brook,¡± was the retort, as a finger jabbed towards the source of water in question. ¡°Be glad, you little worm, all I did was slap you.¡±


    His harshness towards his whimpering son, made the boy moan all the more. Not that his father was at all affected by his weakness, to the contrary, it only hardened him all the more against him.


    One day, he mused to himself, such a stupid mistake on the part of his son would likely cost them both their lives. A part of him also blamed himself, for entrusting the task to so unworthy a travelling companion.


    The only thing to be grateful for, he told himself, was that he had had time enough, to become fully rested. This meant he could once more push forward, with the same grit and determination that he had done days previously (and without the mounting number of mistakes on his part).


    Gathering together the few belongings they had, it was not long before they set out, with the darkness of night remaining for hours afterwards. It was with a great deal of relief to both of them that they did not encounter the Jarl, or his men, for the remainder of the evening and early morn.


    The road that stretched ever on, was one unfamiliar with the by now sullen Sigewulf, who had fallen into a cold silence towards his father. Ordinarily his son¡¯s quietness would worry the father, who did have a fondness for the child¡¯s chatter, but as they did not know where the enemy had gone or where or when they might next appear he paid it no mind. This only served to exacerbate the distance that divided them now, in spite, of how the elder of the two continued to physically at times carry the younger.


    In time, nearer to the end of the day when Sigewulf began to doze, not wishing to fall asleep as he stubbornly sought to prove himself to his father he asked of him, ¡°Where are we headed?¡±


    ¡°To Steinnhl¨¦r,¡± Answered Hroegar.


    ¡°Have you gone there before?¡±


    ¡°Aye,¡± Was the immediate answer, with the warrior hesitant to add yet feeling as though he must, ¡°Once, with Ealdwald more than ten years ago.¡±


    ¡°And if they do not like us any more than those from nearer to home, father?¡± Sigewulf asked doubtfully of him.


    ¡°We go there to seek out Gl?dwine, if he is there or his brother Ulf,¡± Hroegar explained to his son, his eyes set upon the horizon that stretched out before them.


    Sigewulf did not ask him much more, regarding his friends. Unfamiliar with their names, as Hroegar had never mentioned either of them ere this moment, the boy opened his mouth though to ask after them, only to close his mouth. The boy was to opt not to ask, out of preference to renew his sullen silence in the hopes to guilt his father into an apology, not that his father cared to do so.


    Rather more concerned with pressing forward, his thoughts and prayers with the road that stretched ahead of them.


    The city when it arose in the distance did so in grandeur, with the city one of a multitude of long-houses and small huts all cluttered together behind a large five-meter-high palisade. Inhabited by nigh on two thousand souls, it was the largest collection of people, in the whole of the locality. So that it came about that Sigewulf gaped at the sight of it, having never seen so bizarre and strange a place before, and thus utterly unprepared for it.


    ¡°Welcome to the city of Steinnhl¨¦r,¡± Hroegar grunted, amused by his shock, wherefore he added, ¡°It is from here that we will pursue Ealdwald.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°Because, this is the only port from which Hroeulf and ?lfgar operate from in this locality.¡± He told him, with the boy mouthing the names, only to hurry along after him asking who they were. But his father did not answer him, not being particularly interested in clarifying this information for him.


    The locality stunk so greatly that Sigewulf was to wrinkle his nose and complain irritably, ¡°Why does it stink so?¡±


    ¡°That is the stench of people,¡± Explained Hroegar with a shrug of his massive shoulders, searching about the faces of all those they passed as they entered for someone he might know.


    His gaze moving from one point to another, so that he searched about for a single point or person of familiarity, his search was brought to a halt when he saw a banner fluttering in the wind. It was a shock to him, when he noticed the banner of Ealdwald and ?lfred. The banner was that of a large black crow on a red bolt of cloth.


    It was at this moment that his stomach sunk to below his feet, with his son no less dismayed as he pointed at the banner planted in the earth just outside the tavern, and pointed at it frantically.


    The two turned to head for the opposite part of the town, when ?lfred and his men suddenly appeared just outside of the tavern. The men caught sight, at once, of the warrior and calling out his name to the horror of Hroegar who knew himself to be now well and truly cornered.

 Chapter III: To Choose the Tempest

    The fluttering wind swept through the whole of the land, along the mountains and down into the valleys and fields which covered much of the land from which Hroegar had sprung. These fields were ordinarily green as an emerald, and that had in recent days turned yellow and orange, with the gathered leaves that had fallen from the nearby trees that dotted the landscape. The trees and forests had begun to lose all as said, in preparation for the winter that was inevitable as the rising suns. Haunting every brook, every corner of the forests at this time was a murder of crows and ravens that hungered after the flesh of every unwary travelling who journeyed across the land.


    Amongst these travelers they lusted after, were Hroegar and his son Sigewulf. Both of whom, were in danger of becoming corpses themselves.


    The two of them taking flight towards one of the nearby houses that dominated the eastern-part of the village. Entering the building, they were to cross the interior in a few steps, heading thither towards the rear part of it in search of another door shortly after barricading the other door.


    The bellows and cries that echoed from behind them, past the door were hint enough to whether ?lfred had noticed them.


    The sound of squawking and shrieking voices were all that he needed to inform him, to the fact that there were women and children present within the house. Paying them no mind, Hroegar passed them in his search for another door, only to concede defeat after a few minutes.


    ¡°Is there some other door, or window from which we can escape?¡± His query was one that they took well to, with one of the women pointing to another of the doors, one of those he had discovered to be locked from the other side. ¡°There is a window within my eldest daughter¡¯s chambers.¡±


    Thanking her, ere he advanced upon the door in question which he gave a great blow to with his left foot. Shattering the lock to the door, with the scream that echoed from within the moment the door was knocked down ignored by Hroegar.


    The warrior ignoring the screams, had his son outside of the window ere she could do aught more, and was outside himself also in the next moment.


    ¡°What now father?¡± Sigewulf asked of him.


    ¡°Run!¡± Cried his father, urging him along refusing to tarry a moment longer, for fear that they might be caught up by the men of ?lfred.


    Moving past one house, then another they searched about urgently for a new hiding place, desperate and afraid of the new Jarl and his vengeance. It was only at this time that Hroegar thought to head for the quay, where he had already taken notice of a number of boats that had not yet set out. Several of them were quite large, built to house more than forty or fifty men, so that they were larger than any other boats he or his son had ever seen in all their lives.


    As they raced in that direction, they bustled and knocked aside several people between there and them, so that a great many took offence at their actions, and by their presence.


    ¡°Who do you think you are, to knock over my wife so rudely?¡± Demanded one man, only to be followed by another who called out much the same.


    ¡°Apologies, I must reach the boats,¡± Retorted Hroegar desperately, apprehensive and hardly allowing himself to slow his pace for a single moment in spite of his apologies.


    By way of apology in another time and place, he might have helped the woman he had knocked over in his haste, yet at present such a thought never occurred to him. Neither did it really occur to the ordinarily courteous Sigewulf, who was no less distressed by the thought of being caught by the Jarl and his men.


    The locals went on grumbling and complaining, some few of their number also wished to threaten them not that Hroegar paid them much mind. One of their numbers was to even go so far as to draw his sword, in order to menace the warrior who was not immediately aware of the encroaching danger that loomed behind him.


    The warning of what may soon befall him, came from Sigewulf who having been glancing behind and about them nervous because of the glares they were receiving. So that the child let slip a cry a warning to his father, ¡°Father! Look out!¡±


    Alarmed Hroegar who had not been prepared for any attack, seeing as how he was fixated on the path before them, towards the quay and had thought the matter settled glanced behind him. At first it was only to see what the matter with his sole remaining child was, but it was when he saw the flash of steel he realized what it was that had the boy so distressed.


    Gathering his son in his arms, he leapt away with all the agility of a fox, just as the blade flashed through the air. Silver and blue it was and scarlet was the colour it¡¯s wielder might well have wished to paint with it, and he might well have succeeded were it not for Hroegar¡¯s sudden loss of balance.


    Tripping over the outstretched leg of another man, he was to fall backwards with his son in his arms, just as the blade arced through the empty air.


    ¡°Galgair you fool!¡± Shouted one woman.


    ¡°Erm, pardon, did not think it might help him.¡± Galgair muttered sheepish at his own error.


    It was to prove itself the last of the great multitude of errors he had made over the course of his life, as Hroegar¡¯s dagger slipped from sheath to hand and into his leg in one smooth gesture. From there the blade cut upwards, as the warrior regained his feet, wherefore he slit the throat of the other man spraying his blood throughout the earth all about them.


    The opposing blades-man swept his weapon in a long arc once more, and this time Hroegar once more chose the path of retreat. Preferring to draw back, and lure his enemy away from the small crowd that had begun to gather all about them.


    It was at this time that though the crows had faded away into the distance, lacking proper interest in trailing after the warriors headed north, so that only the gulls took notice of them up in the skies. They it were who crowed and belched out loud cries as though they sought to announce their knowledge of all that turned about, if rather more obnoxiously than any raven might have. Their irritating cry one that captured the attention of several of the warriors onboard several of the dozen ships or so, who had been dozing in the afternoon air.


    Most were wearied from having floated about the sea with nary any rest, and had chosen to rest aboard their ships if only because there lacked room at the local inn. Theirs was however a group glad to be on firm land, after too much time at sea.


    If many might have been too happy for a new recruit into their ranks, they might not have been particularly pleased to see bloodshed in their homeland. The shedding of blood there could only mean a blood-feud, as they well knew better than anyone else could know. Or so they might assume were they to see the conflict between the man wielding the sword Hroegar.


    It was as the other man over-extended his next sword stroke, one that carried him forward even as he straightened his arm as a sword-strike must that he miscalculated. This miscalculation which had its roots as mentioned in over-extending his forward movement, was one that Hroegar was more than happy to see. Slipping forward beneath the horizontal slash that had done so much harm, to his foe he was to with his dagger stab between the man¡¯s rib-cage.


    In the next second as steel slashed through bone, flesh and organs bringing with them death, the wielder¡¯s face came within inches of the other man¡¯s. They both knew and grasped what it was that had just happened, and what law he had applied to the taller man; that of steel. The Law of Steel and Death as you may call it dear reader, is one that has had many names but that none in that time knew better than the people to whom Hroegar belonged to (none save for perhaps the Neustrians and Caleds both a Celtic people with all the savagery inherent in that breed of folk).


    Though, there was much condemnation in those dark eyes that glared into his soul, others did not judge the newcomer too harshly. Considering what had just happened, to be a masterful showing of manly capability as a warrior they cheered for Hroegar as they might have, one of their own.


    The gulls for their part continued to bellow obnoxiously.


    It was as he panted and his heart slowed back down to what might be considered normal, after so much exertion and the heated nature of battle, Hroegar turned now to his son Sigewulf.


    ¡°Sigewulf hurry, do not tarry!¡± Cried the warrior, keen to escape the scene of his dual murders aware that the anger of the locality, would soon awaken.


    It was as he backed away and sought to escape with Sigewulf that the warrior soon found his way blocked by the other urban dwellers. Most of the men reaching themselves at present, made visible efforts to reach for their swords, the desire to feed the ravens the flesh of the father and son who had invaded their city painted onto every face.


    Fearful, for he well knew the punishment for his crimes and that he could not fight all of them, Hroegar searched about in his mind for the means by which to escape them. All he could find was a name, and it was one that he threw out to them, ¡°I am here on the behest of Gl?dwine.¡±


    This caused them to hesitate, which was all the aid that the warrior had need of. Pleased to have slowed the flood of their bloodlust even if only for a moment, he was to persist in his demand for someone to go call upon Gl?dwine.


    It was at this time that the warriors sworn to the Jarl from the south, had caught up with the outlaws. It was to these men that his fear turned, as most of the locals of the city might well have preferred to turn him over to ?lfred if only to be rid of him.


    ¡°Hroegar is my enemy and a criminal of my lands, therefore turn him over to me,¡± the Jarl demanded of them as he arrived breathlessly.


    The people hesitated, glancing at one another uncertain of what to do or who should lay claim to the criminal.


    Little knowing that someone had by this time hurried whither to find Gl?dwine to call upon him, to discover if he truly knew of a Hroegar, ?lfred and most of the crowd were thus stunned by his arrival. Their shock was little in comparison to the relief that was felt by Hroegar who had wished to present himself in rather better circumstances to his old friend.


    ¡°What has happened?¡± Demanded Gl?dwine bewildered by the twin mobs braying for the blood of a man once revered by most present, for his heroics in several of Eadwald¡¯s blood-feuds with his neighbours. ¡°Why do you all stand here, blades in hand calling for the death of Hroegar?¡±


    ¡°It is that he slew Galgair and Yng,¡± Explained one woman in a plaintive tone, her voice high pointing at the corpses that lay at the feet of the man of whom they spoke.


    ¡°They came at me,¡± Said Hroegar, defending himself. ¡°What I did was done in defense of not only myself but my son, Sigewulf.¡±


    Gl?dwine looked from the crone, to him to the corpses then to ?lfred who glared with foul hatred at them all. It was with a weary sigh that the man, whom most deferred to in this hour turned to the Jarl, expectant of his own version of events.


    ?lfred did not disappoint, as he explained his position, and what had befallen him and why he gave chase after the warrior. It was with an incredulous exhale that he demanded of the other man who was about his own age, ¡°You give chase after he showed mercy to thee, and thy wife?¡±


    ¡°I give chase because he pointed a sword at me, and my wife,¡± ?lfred defended sharply, in no mood for the implications against him. ¡°He had no right to break into my estate, and to menace us in such a manner.¡±


    ¡°In that regard, I shan¡¯t disagree,¡± Replied Gl?dwine at once, speaking hurriedly when he noticed how most looked to him impatiently. Though in command of the situation, or so it seemed to his old friend, he was nonetheless subject to their whims, and as all know crowds are a fickle lot. ¡°Yet if you will, I must ask for what reason you have chosen to abandon your lands, to hunt down a single fool?¡±


    ¡°I did not abandon them,¡± Said the Jarl a hint of apprehension discernable, in his voice and somewhere in his eyes.


    ¡°Yet what of thy neighbours?¡± Gl?dwine asked of him curiously, quirking a single brow at him. ¡°I should gamble that he might well like, to invade the lands he has always felt to be his yet without you or thy brother present there to defend them, he may well succeed.¡±


    One of the Jarl¡¯s men snapped, stepping forward to confront him even as the noble¡¯s face had become ashen, ¡°You lie! He would not dare attack us, not after the previous massacre that had been inflicted upon him.¡±


    As they all stood in the looming shadow of one of the largest of long-houses, the suns¡¯ so prominent in the heavens seemed to disappear as far as each man present was concerned. The women who had gathered, all hid from those outsiders who had their swords out and ready, behind their men-folk who bristled at these interlopers into their beloved village.


    ¡°Why would I lie? It is a legitimate concern as during the previous invasions, Hroegar was present to serve as Eadwald¡¯s champion.¡± the merchant-captain answered calmly, with a hint of mockery in his voice, wherefore he turned next to Hroegar. ¡°And you Hroegar, why have you come north?¡±


    ¡°I came to hunt Ealdwald,¡± Confessed the man who though not formally on trial, knew his life to be weighing on a knife¡¯s edge. It was for this reason that even the gulls¡¯ cries and bellows sounded suddenly akin to his ears, to those of the ravens that had been so persistent in following them north. Apprehensive he broke into a nervous sweat, as he looked from one man to the next, hating that they had him surrounded.


    This revelation troubled Gl?dwine, who was visibly mystified by the question of how it had come to be that Ealdwald¡¯s champion had turned upon him.


    It was however not something that he chose to pursue, with the captain of the small fleet of ships that came and went ever so frequently from the lands in the west, studied every other man. Consulting with two of his men, both of them heavily bearded and looking no less uneasy than he himself, with all gathered eyeing him uneasily. Unsure of which way he might turn, whether he might come to the assistance of his old friend, or those who wished for the man¡¯s head.


    At this time Sigewulf exhaled and complained, ¡°Father I must pee!¡±


    His whine however carried, with some laughing jeeringly, while several of the women whispered amongst themselves, ill-impressed by this ¡®uncouth boy¡¯.


    Where a wolf could intimidate a man to death, with a single glance, and baring of his fangs; it was as naught in comparison to the glare that Hroegar gave those who murmured behind their hands against his son. Hardly blind to the hostility directed against him, the child did not withdraw to behind his father, preferring to glare back at some of those assembled around them. Imitating his father


    Aware as any other man might be that distance from his son might well result in either of their deaths, it happened that Hroegar once he had returned his look to his friend asked of him. ¡°My son needs to pee, if one of your men might guide him to attend to himself, by the quay while you decide my fate.¡±


    There was a measure of hesitancy on their parts, in particular some of the vipers that had spoken or railed against Hroegar.


    Gl?dwine considered this proposal wherefore he suggested, ¡°I think you ought to do so yourself, my friend.¡±


    ¡°What but you shan¡¯t decide such a thing!¡± Yelled one man.


    ¡°And what of the slightest against my honour and the threat against those under my protection?¡± ?lfred demanded of the sea-man.


    ¡°I shall compensate you both, for your losses,¡± Decided Gl?dwine firmly speaking over all those who shouted alongside the two man in question. His voice becoming a little impatient, when he made the offer to those still objecting to his offer, ¡°I shall offer forty silver coins per wergild.¡±


    This generous offer was one that quieted most, with the ship-captain approaching the Jarl to offer him twenty coins more if he should leave at once. The offer was one that made the nobleman hesitate so that he consulted once more with his men.


    Everyone waited with bated breath. None more so than Hroegar himself, to hear of what he had in mind for his own fate and that of his son, with the outcast man resolved to give up his life dearly should it come to it.


    ¡°What is it to be?¡± Demanded Gl?dwine impatient.


    ¡°There must be a punishment,¡± Replied ?lfred at once, ¡°He must be made to pay for his sins against my house and people.¡±


    ¡°On that we are agreed, what say you and all others here if I were to take Hroegar, his son with me to the isle of Bretwealda forever? He is to be exiled forevermore, with nary a single hope to ever return. And so the same shall be done for the whole of his line who are to be declared beyond all redemption, all forgiveness herein the north,¡± Proposed Gl?dwine loudly.


    This suggestion was one that stunned his friend who though he had little in the way of desire to remain, so long as Eadwald was out there. Some small part of him, still attached to the tombs of his wife and children rebelled at the thought.


    Seeing him pale, ever so slightly and hearing the charming captain¡¯s voice boom throughout the village with enthusiasm, captured the hearts and minds of all present. So that all cheered, even ?lfred seemed pleased at the notion.


    ¡°This notion pleases me, and I shall gladly take the sixty pieces of silver, you have offered me! And I shall disperse forty of the coins among those who have lost kin to Hroegar,¡± Said the Jarl with sincere joy and passion.


    Lo and behold dear reader that Hroegar and Sigewulf found themselves exiled from the lands that birthed them. This was to be the second of the great sacrifices that they made, in their pursuit of vengeance against the Jarl, who they once revered and happily followed.


    This was how the two soon found themselves, four days after their arrival in the village en route for the distant island in the west. Father and son given different duties onboard the ship Gl?dwine had a tendency to refer to as his ¡®child¡¯. The former was put to an oar, duty he found wearisome and that pushed him to his utter limits physically as it meant rowing for sixteen hours nigh on without end.


    His son in turn was made cabin-boy, to help the cook where necessary especially in the cutting of carrots, onions and the preparation of meals. It was work that he performed without too much complaint, save for when he accidentally cut himself with the sharp knife.


    The whimper of pain and accident earned him a rough slap to the head, by the cook who reprimanded him, ¡°Caution you little fool! Less you hew off your own thumb, hold the blade away from your fingers, like so¡­¡± And he showed him the proper way to hold it and cut, ¡°You never cut in air but with the blade and food on the table here.¡±


    ¡°But the boat rocks too much and oft¡¯ shakes the cut I am making,¡± Sigewulf disagreed at once, only to regret his words.


    ¡°Then learn to survive and feud with Eadwald without thumbs, fool,¡± Replied the cook.


    The incident was made worst, hours later when his dozing father was awoken for the morning meal and caught sight of the dried blood on his hands.


    Wishing to hide it from him, apprehensive due to the change that had in recent weeks overtaken the once faithful and occasionally wry-humoured father he had once known. Sigewulf was unsuccessful in doing so, as Hroegar caught him by the hands, swifter than he.


    ¡°Father, it was simply that I was pealing onions,¡± Explained the youth all in one breath, hopeful that he would not turn upon the cook.


    Even as he spoke, he winced as his father felt and pressed his small hand, in the larger ones that he had observed all but squeeze the life, out of countless other men. The man studied him with a frown, wherefore he shrugged and showed little to no sympathy, towards him (to his surprise).


    ¡°If such be the case, you ought to heed the cook¡¯s commands better,¡± The stinging rebuke hurt, and left him stunned.


    He had thought that his father might fly into a protective rage, yet to hear him show so little sympathy left him flabbergasted. Unable to do aught more than stutter an affirmative response, he slunk back to work on his father¡¯s orders, feeling as though he had never before been more lonely.


    In a sudden burst of emotion, he hated the man his father had become, hated the sea that left him hardly able to walk and hated the work he had been set. It was easier than that which he had been given, since he could walk on the farm, and yet it was utterly thankless. The cook smelt, and was crude paying little attention to him, the crew though at times kind was disinterested in him and he was usually left in the cabin to work and sleep.


    Attending to his duties provided little in the way of solace to his positive feelings, and was to serve only to accentuate his feelings of alienation that day.


    It was later, only when lunch had been served and he was bringing about the announcement that one of them for the first time, since his arrival aboard offered him thanks. It was Gl?dwine. ¡°Well done lad, now off to work with you,¡± Said he with sincere gratitude to the surprise of Sigewulf.


    Heartened he did so, but not without one or two glances towards his father, who continued to work at his oar with unbridled determination and ongoing focus. So that though he was happy to have a friend, he still felt somehow alienated from the only family he had left.


    Sigewulf did as bidden his burden a little more alleviated, ere he devoted himself to his duties in the kitchens of the ship.


    Over the course of the rest of the journey, it was Gl?dwine who always looked after him, who saw to his needs and who ensured that he was well-rested. Kindly and warm, even funny he was the first reminder of normality or a semblance of it that Sigewulf saw in weeks. His affection for his father¡¯s friend was one that proved itself, reciprocal with the man confiding in him.


    ¡°I must tell you,¡± Said the sailor late one night weeks after their departure from the north, ¡°I miss my wife and sons, and daughter, though you are smaller than they you remind me of Eadwulf. He is my second boy, who always trails after my eldest.¡±


    There was a longing in his voice, even as he drank from his mug of stale ale, eyes on the heavens above them, the stars that so fascinated him. All about them some of the men who had celebrated the passing, of the isles of Fresiala as they were dubbed by Gl?dwine, outlying low-land isles, for they knew this to mean that they were one week away from Bretwealda.


    There was little in the way to stop them from advancing upon the isle of Bretwealda. The locals of the region of Fresiala who were a series of northern islets and some proper land-based locality were more than happy to see the back of them. Given that there were more than three dozens of large boats with about thirty men at each of the oars.


    In total there were more than several tens of thousands, crossing from the lands from whence they came from, in favour of the ¡®Lordly-Isle¡¯.


    The question of how the isle would receive them was one that Hroegar asked of Gl?dwine while Sigewulf was bringing everyone their lunch, so that he overheard this conversation. ¡°How is it that the locals react to so many men and our kinswomen and children?¡±


    Gl?dwine grinned in amusement, ¡°There is little reason for worry my friend, Vyrtigyrn and his court will receive us as his men at arms.¡±


    ¡°Men at arms? But surely his barons and the Romalian people still there put limits to his imposing so many troops upon them?¡± Hroegar said with such wonder that Sigewulf paused in his work, as he stared in wonder at the two men.


    ¡°Oh some have objected, mostly in the north but a great many of the cities are enthusiastic to receive us, with the barons either suffering fines, or executions at the hands of their King or receiving us happily.¡± Gl?dwine replied amusedly, adding when he saw the incredulous stare his friend sent in his direction. ¡°You will not believe me regardless what I say, but all I could tell you is that ?lle and Vengrist have come to dominate the realm, along with parts of the realm such as Morwyn.¡±


    The mention of the names meant nothing to Sigewulf, or at least those that were not ?lle and Vengrist. Those two he knew of, for he had been introduced to their names over the past several weeks, so that he knew now what it was that they were up to on the Lordly-Isle.


    Still Hroegar remained convinced that it could not be so simple as all that, ¡°What of the men in the fields, in the villages? I have heard that the people there are tribal by their very nature. They will not if they are anything at all akin to those in the lands being conquered by Claudius to the west of our homeland accept our colonization of their lands.¡±


    ¡°You will see their character, soon enough my friend,¡± Answered loyal Gl?dwine a hint of some sort of melancholia and sadness intermingled within his voice. ¡°It is¡­ a thing to be noticed, doubtless you will find it more amusing than I.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°It must be beheld, to be understood,¡± Insisted Gl?dwine with a sigh of exasperation, ¡°I would prefer not to speak of it, for as a father and warrior it brings naught but sorrow to me. I shan¡¯t imagine any other sentiment to feel, for them.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± It was evident that the father of Sigewulf did not, so that he asked cautiously, ¡°I understand that Vyrtigyrn usurped the throne, therefore I must ask what of Roparzh¡¯s line? That which has the most ancient of claims to the throne of the southerly kingdoms?¡±


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    ¡®Roparzh?¡¯ Sigewulf wondered about the name, bewildered by the reference to this particular name, it inspired familiarity within him though he knew not where this sentiment stemmed from.


    ¡°Roparzh? Why mention the old lineage of kings?¡± There was genuine bewilderment, ¡°And how did you come to hear of them?¡±


    ¡°It was my mother who used to tell me tales of them,¡± Admitted Hroegar, who frowned as he struggled to remember, ¡°I used to know a song or other but have since forgotten it. Roparzh though is the only name of the distant isle that I know of.¡±


    ¡°The current heirs are scattered.¡± Gl?dwine explained to him, eyeing him intently, ¡°There must be only three or so of them left I am not certain. Roparzh¡¯s line has not ruled over the whole of the lands of the Brittians, in many centuries. Not since the Romalians arrived, to establish their rule if not a little before that, when the mad Queen Alana sacked the principal city in the south at the time, Llynnenium.¡±


    ¡°A Queen burnt the city?¡± Hroegar asked disconcerted, having never heard of a woman capable of such an accomplishment. ¡°Do the women rule the isle, as they do among the Amazons to the distant south?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all,¡± Gl?dwine answered him with a snicker, ¡°She was the exception I am told, though I do not know all the details regarding her tale, doubtless you might find a minstrel or other who will tell you the tale when we arrive.¡±


    Hroegar did not answer at once, as always he preferred to keep his judgement to himself. Sigewulf would have liked it if he would only speak up, once more and was thoroughly disappointed when his father remained silent.


    Having paused momentarily, to listen to their discussion Sigewulf was thus surprised when another of the mariners, a large wild-cat by the name of Hengest suddenly stood up and swept him off his feet. ¡°I have waited long enough for my lunch! Give me my plate, or I will use you as bait for a proper meal!¡±


    The boy¡¯s blood chilled as he looked at Hengest straight into the feline¡¯s savage eyes. The wild-cat growled at him, catching the attention of all those present. All looked up from their work or their meals, to stare at the situation with great interest. Some, who had family also aboard the ship were compelled either to push their own kindred behind them whereas others moved to interfere.


    Fast as the Tigrun himself, Hroegar made his way over to the warrior¡¯s side. ¡°Put him down. Else I hew you down, and feed your carcass, piece by piece to the seas.¡± The two looked each other straight in the eye.


    ¡°He needs to pass the food along, not idle his time away, while we starve like some little mouse, waiting for his death dumbly unaware of his surroundings.¡± Hengest growled infuriated, the two men gazed into each other¡¯s eyes, a challenge passed between them.


    Not a soul dared to so much as breathe.


    Sizing up his opponent, Hroegar did not move. Hengest on the other hand held up a large knife, used more often for carving up meat but in this situation it could easily hew apart the flesh of a man with no less efficiency.


    One could hear the winds all about them howl, as there was none present who dared speak, as the two came ever nearer to a clash. It was a conflict that none were interested in stopping, and some were already in the midst of betting on the likely outcome of.


    Gl?dwine it was who came between the two with a bowl of food, offering it to Hengest. ¡°It is time to eat, not brawl. Let us sit, eat and share some songs, less the two of you prefer to become the subject of songs yourselves?¡±


    The two of them exchanged a glance, they might have been more than keen to vent their frustrations upon one another, but Gl?dwine was an entirely different matter. All knew his reputation, and all knew that


    The man looked back and forth, as the wild-cat grabbed the bowl aggressively, growled at Hroegar, gave Sigewulf a dark look and returned back to his spot.


    Gl?dwine let slip a heavy sigh, already wearied by the fractiousness of those on his ship, as he ordered sharply, ¡°Back to work the lot of you, soon as you finish eating get back to the oars, especially you Hroegar, you have loitered long enough.¡±


    Hroegar hardly amused, turned away to do just that. Grateful to him for rescuing him, Sigewulf was to thank him, only for his father to grunt back. ¡°If you are truly grateful, do as you are told rather than causing trouble.¡±


    Sigewulf studied his father, hurt by his brusque tone and disparaging words. If he could, he would have wept but to do so was weak and he would not allow himself that luxury, especially since it would only win him more disdain from his father. Only Gl?dwine looked on, noticing the boy¡¯s wounded stare and only he regarded him with pity.


    The sea continued to prove herself a harsh mistress, so harsh was she that Gl?dwine had the whole of his small flotilla of ships move towards the shore three days after the quarrel. His reasoning was simple; storm-clouds were gathering and he did not want his ships out at sea, when the storm finally struck.


    ¡°We shan¡¯t well carry on into a storm; we must make for land and offer a proper sacrifice to appease Aegir.¡± Gl?dwine cried out to all the ships, directing them towards the shore south-east of their present positions.


    ¡°But we cannot land there!¡± The captain of the Greywing shrieked recoiling at the thought of doing so.


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°Because, those lands are those of the Neustrian Kings!¡± The other captain yelled back at him, ¡°They are all mad! I daresay that it is not a sea-god they are descended from as they claim, but rather some sort of demon!¡±


    ¡°What is this nonsense of Kings and sea-gods?¡± Hroegar asked of his friend, startled by this exchange just as much as many of the newer crewmembers were.


    Gritting his teeth, Gl?dwine hissed at him, ¡°Not now Hroegar.¡±


    ¡°Explain what he means.¡±


    ¡°All he means is that he is daft enough to run afoul of a storm, and fears some petty rulers of these lands more,¡± Another crew-member snorted, this man was Wealdhere one of Gl?dwine¡¯s closest kinsmen. Hardly familiar with him, as he had never met him before the boat-trip, Hroegar regarded him coldly. It was a look the blue-eyed man returned with blazing eyes, his blonde beard trembling as he ran sausage-like fingers through the individual tresses. ¡°My cousin is right to say it is folly to defy a storm.¡±


    ¡°Which storm do you speak of? The storm destined to strike on-land or that of the seas?¡± Another man asked his voice scratchy and hoarse, with Hroegar unable to place the voice as he searched about the crew with his eyes.


    He was not the only one to do so, as all struggled to find the source of the voice. It happened that none were quite able to place the voice, so that Hroegar was to return his attention to lending his support to his friend¡¯s arguments. ¡°It happens that all present would prefer to weigh anchor near land, whoever these kings are, it is doubtful that they will even know that we are present.¡±


    ¡°It is said that some of them have sorcerers¡¯ in their service,¡± One of the women from another of the ships shouted, from over her husband the first mate¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Bah, superstitious nonsense, none of their sort trusts sorcerers¡¯ for those of the Quirinian faith are well-known to despise the magi.¡± Gl?dwine sneered scornfully, having no toleration for the woman¡¯s fear or those of his other crew-members.


    It happened that a large number of people, still continued to resist the persistent caution of their captain for reasons that escaped those of the same opinion as he. The ships weighed anchor as said, with the men of the distant north-east grateful to find that the locality was warm in marked contrast to their own homeland and the northern seas men called the Glacial Sea.


    Hroegar was among the firsts that was summoned before the captain when the ship swept up the north-western beach of the lands of Neustria. ¡°Hroegar my friend, I must beg thee to forage through the local forest away from the coasts, for wood and any food you and those with thee may find.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Gl?dwine,¡± the warrior agreed at once, more than eager to stretch his legs as he leapt down the plank that had been lowered onto the beach.


    The land of Neustria as he was to discover was a land, rife with woodlands and quite different from those of the Vaxians of the north-east. It was in this place that they discovered far more deer, than they had seen in days. Arriving in the darkness of night, with torches in hand the warrior might have given his left-hand for a hunting-dog to assist in the ferreting out of woodland creatures.


    ¡°Spread out,¡± He ordered his scouts sharply, ¡°But not too far, we have received too many warnings to risk our lives needlessly.¡±


    The moon tinkled down at them, shedding not light it seemed as it innately was supposed to. Oppressive and unpleasant it seemed as though it were sneering down at those far below it, quite why it should adopt such a mien was beyond the ken of mortals. Most might have tried to rationalize it in the elder days, those of the long forgotten Elves such as F¨¦alandvil and his wondrous, dreadful father who conquered his twelve elder brothers. Or even those men of more Dorian leanings might also have at one time rationalized the ill-mood that loomed over the woodlands.


    It was the view of Hroegar that some was not aright with the forest true, but that duty came before doubt and uncertainty. It was not for them to turn back now, not when there were thousands who depended on his fifty or so scouts to return with knowledge and food.


    Still though, the creaking and hooting of the woods, and the far, upwards reaching arms of the forest was as a looming set of towers. Towers upon which a flock of owls, bats and other birds were perched so that Hroegar felt as though he were tiny in comparison.


    In this hour of twilight and dusk, he treaded a path whither into the unknown. It had never quite frightened him before, and why should it have? He it was who held the axe, who had mastered the sword and had carved his name and his legend into the flesh of many men, transfiguring them into corpses. Never in all his life, had he felt such an ominous sense of doom than in that forest so that he did not blame some of his men for flinching when they heard an owl suddenly hoot and flutter off from its branch.


    ¡°This is madness,¡± One man muttered, hardly able to bear the darkness, ¡°I have heard that not even the Romalians dared to enter this place, we must be north from the lands they conquered centuries ago.¡±


    ¡°Bah, the men of Roma might well have fled from their own shadows,¡± Hroegar retorted uneasily, not believing his own words.


    ¡°Then you have heard little of their legends, I heard it said that they conquered all of South-Agenor and nigh on half of North-Agenor.¡± The other man replied firmly, with a shiver that soon spread to more than one man. ¡°If they took flight before an enemy, I say that there was good reason for that.¡±


    Hroegar did not speak again. He did not know how to answer, for he in truth did not know very much about the men and women of Roma. The few legends he had heard, seemed difficult to believe and others about the extent of their empire, seemed more a tale his father had used to tell him to frighten him back to bed late at night.


    Yet here he was, far from home and deep within lands that might once have been claimed by them. The notion sent a shiver up his spine, as he thought about how far the Romalian world had expanded to, and how mighty their armies must have been to march so far from their marble-city. But as ephemeral as Roma now was, what were not so vague were the shadows that haunted the dusky forest.


    It was as they journeyed ever deeper into the thicket and foliage of shadows that Hroegar was to grow suspicious that there was someone watching them. It was a suspicion that did not at first appear more than the vaguest of instincts, but it soon transformed into certainty as he called for one of his scouts to go recollect another of the groups of scouts.


    ¡°I want them brought back hither, lest they become lost and are never found again,¡± Hroegar commanded, attempting to master and suppress his own unease.


    ¡°They have been gone only two hours,¡± Cuthberht argued with him, unaware of the same oppressive sense of danger that the warrior was.


    ¡°And I do not like it,¡± Hroegar complained, scratching at his beard chin, ¡°There is something amiss in this forest. I do not like it.¡±


    No one spoke up against him, and no one dared to do more than whisper when they did speak. It was with a sense of apprehension now that Hroegar determined to inform his men. ¡°We will leave behind the greater proportion of our numbers here, but I will take a small group further into the forest if only to search for deer.¡±


    ¡°And if you find none?¡±


    ¡°I will return within the day, never fear,¡± Hroegar promised with sincere resolve, selecting his men with care and assigning the command of those left behind to, Cuthberht. Cuthberht was a man of formidable character, one who had taken to his own command with ill-grace. The selection of the man for the position was made on the basis that if the man disliked the remotest contradiction to Gl?dwine¡¯s orders, he was unlikely to compromise those of Hroegar either.


    ¡°Why entrust command to him?¡± One of his men asked, Godric who was amongst those who had followed after him unquestionably since first placed before an oar.


    ¡°Because he will not break from any orders, once he has received them.¡± Hroegar retorted evenly, turning away from the younger man to throw himself deeper into the shadows of the forest.


    What it was that he expected, he did not know but the slowly freezing air was not it. At first few of his men shivered, and yet within a few hours the air seemed to stiffen as it grew all the icier. Until it was that more than one complained harshly of this hunt, and stamped their feet with a little more force than before. Their unhappiness such that Hroegar began to feel certain, it was a mistake to have pushed them towards the forest.


    ¡°We must either find an end to this endless nightmare, or we must find a deer,¡± He grumbled only to add as an afterthought, ¡°Or we must turn back.¡±


    ¡°My torch is going out, Hroegar,¡± One man complained as his flame flickered.


    It was at that moment that a third possibility entered into Hroegar¡¯s spirit, so that he contemplated his friend¡¯s torch for one long minute.


    With a burst of laughter he praised Godric, ¡°Godric you mad dog! You might well have helped me figure out, how to frighten out our prey!¡±


    ¡°How is that?¡±


    ¡°Why should we shrink from this forest, when we have fire?¡± Hroegar asked of them, overtaken by his own good mood.


    Bending down to re-ignite the torch by starting a new fire, he was to narrowly be saved by this very gesture. A single deadly thread cut through the darkness or so it seemed, not unlike how one might cut through bread with a knife.


    In that moment death came on speedy wings to Godric, who succumbed at once as his throat was pierced and his life-blood poured out. The men were mortified by this, they leapt back in response, just as another half a dozen arrows cut through the nocturnal air with no less ease that the first arrow had Godric¡¯s flesh.


    Never before had he borne witness to the ruthlessness of archery such as this, so that Hroegar was mesmerized by the skill of those who inhabited the shadows. This state though was intermingled with a fury that might have otherwise pushed him to stamp along furiously at the cause of his men¡¯s woe. But just as he was a bear to his enemies, hirsute and brutal he was in matters of strategy something of a sage so that he at once ordered his men to form a shield-wall.


    ¡°Together! Together we shall live!¡± He yelled at the top of his lungs as he brought up his own round shield.


    The other men did as bidden, if with considerable trepidation. None knew what it was that they had stumbled upon, in that forest. Backing away ever so slightly, they were relieved to find that at first their shields caught the arrows and that after the initial six deaths there was not a single one of them who dropped to the ground. It was when several of them made to drop their flaming torches to the ground in favour of swords. Some made to grab their spare shields, which some had had the foresight to bring along.


    Hroegar had not.


    Several of the arrows that arched now through the midnight air hewed their way not only through the flesh and lives of another several men but through the hopes they had. It was with a start that Hroegar called to his remaining men to hold the line and continue to back away.


    His efforts were in vain, as his men had decided then to break and take flight, rather than heed his commands. Stricken with panic, and rage he cursed them then just before he followed their example, fearful of being overwhelmed by the force arrayed against him.


    What was it that lay hidden in those shadows? He did not know. He knew only that whoever it was, was a damn fine archer or set of archers and that they had been stalking him and his men for quite some time.


    This latter suspicion was borne, from the certainty that the sensation of being watched since some time ago. His heart pounding against his chest walls, he could not get away fast enough, racing about from one side to the other, he hid behind one tree after another. Certain that whoever the archers behind him were, could not get him if he did so.


    How wrong he was, when he tripped over one root just as an arrow lurched down from above directly where he had intended to throw himself.


    ¡°What?¡± Hroegar asked himself, startled by the direction from which the arrow had fallen down from. It was thence that he began to understand, just where the enemy had stationed themselves, thinking back rather rapidly on the fact that every shot fired had seemed to come from slightly above them.


    It was only when he had menaced the trees, the arrows had flurried down upon him and his men, so that now Hroegar grasped that those who attacked him now, were protective of the trees.


    What he did next was as much an attack against them, as it was an act of pure spite as he took up the torch he had picked up earlier and pressed it now against the tree next to him. Rolling away to dodge another arrow, he threw himself back against it with the flames beginning to climb up the length and breadth of the tree.


    The smoke provided cover, and the light of the fire blinded those above him, even as the licking and lapping flames arched their way up, slower and yet with more finality than the arrows did. It was a terrible choice that Hroegar offered to his enemy above him; death by smoke, or death by fire. The third choice would be to reveal himself, with the warrior hardly content to contain himself to the one archer, he moved to the next large oak that was thick at the waist and hardly billowed in the wind.


    Torching it also, he set fire to the thousand year old tree, ruthlessly squashing down the pity that surged naturally in his breast for it. It was either it or him, and he had made his choice, from the moment he had entered the forest.


    It was with a great deal of reluctance that at long last, the first of his attackers set foot upon the ground proper. He fell down some way, at which time he slowed his descent into a much more steady thing, thereupon the ground near where Hroegar stood. His descent was performed through some means and a length of rope that seemed otherworldly and not of the craft of men, for it was steady and firm to the touch yet seemed to wrap itself about a higher branch with little difficulty.


    Torch and axe in hand, it was when he set eyes on his attacker that Hroegar sprung into action; blade in hand hewing apart the bow of his foe and torch swinging wildly. His attempt to set his enemy ablaze was evaded, and thus ended in failure not that the man was to halt his advance therewith that swing. His next blow was a feint as he proceeded to then kick his foe in the gut, with force enough to send him toppling onto his back, with his head hitting the large oak behind him with enough force to leave him dazed.


    ¡°Now, to put an end to this- wait you are no man,¡± Hroegar muttered as he took a moment, a mere second to study his foe.


    The foe in question was lithe, yet strongly built as he himself was with a muscular, manly frame that was encased in leather armour and with his eyes ablaze with a vivid green colour. His hair was the same colouration, with his mane long and unfettered in spite of the bronze-coloured helm he wore on his brow. It was intricately made, with symbols carved that flowed along in the seeming shape of floral-leaves along its side just around his face. What was more was that there was atop it the shape of a duo of unicorns¡¯ on the top of the helm. The other great hint from his strange hair-colour and eyes were the long pointed ears that seemed a short distance past the back of his skull.


    The defiant thrust of his chin, he was to say to the man at first in a language that he did not understand with the long-eared figure adjusting his speech, to speak in a broken version of Hroegar¡¯s tongue. ¡°What are you thinking, you are doing? You who have violated the forest!¡±


    ¡°Violated?¡± Hroegar wondered confused, not understanding what it was that the Elf was on about, for he knew him to be an Elf.


    It was with a start that Hroegar was to raise his sword near to the other male¡¯s face, having noticed how the Elf¡¯s hand had strayed to a nearby arrow. The green eyes glowed without ever waning, as they glowered suspiciously at the bearded man¡¯s blade, ¡°What do you mean by violated the forest?¡±


    The Elf did not answer him, rather his gaze went to the flames that had begun to consume the entirety of the nearby tree.


    ¡°You have violated it.¡±


    Before he could ask how the Elf knew his language, or why he and his ilk were so protective of the forest, Hroegar was to remember just what sort of situation he was in. Casting aside his torch that he might grab the Elf so that he might take him prisoner, the large bear of a man was to begin the long backwards journey back thither to the shore.


    It is at this time that it must be explained just how Hroegar was saved, how it was that he came to be rescued from deep within the Wilder-Elf haunted forest. It was not a man, nor a warrior who strangely rescued him from the greatest harm he had ever placed himself in, but rather Sigewulf. The boy had slipped away from the boats in order to follow after his father. He had done so, while Gl?dwine had been preoccupied with securing the boats, and giving the different captains their orders. The one reluctant to set foot on land had done so, if with a reluctant expression on his face, so that the man had been mocked and jeered at by Gl?dwine for this.


    But the man held true to his beliefs that the land of the Faramondian Kings was cursed, or that they would find a way to ride out of the forest to strike them all dead. ¡°It would be better to risk the storm than to risk the wrath of those thrice cursed monsters! I have heard dark legends of how they treat their own, and if half of them are true, we are fools to even consider bringing our boats within a kilometer of their shores.¡±


    ¡°You speak as though they are demons, rather than men,¡± Gl?dwine snorted irritably.


    ¡°And maybe that is because they have more devil blood in their veins, than they do that of mortal men,¡± The other man hissed almost more to himself, but his voice carried so that all heard him.


    ¡°Oh never you mind your demons, you are but a fool,¡± Gl?dwine snapped impatiently, ¡°Only cowards wait aboard their ships, whilst their women and children set about to put their feet on land.¡±


    This insult was what convinced the man to defiantly do as bidden. He did so reluctantly, and with a great deal of displeasure, at the insistence of his wife and children who had likewise tired of his reluctance. At this time, noticing that there was no one to hold him back, and that his father was nowhere near there, Sigewulf began to grow bored.


    What was more was that he was tired of waiting. Waiting during a hunt, or when in a situation of life and death was different, from that of simply waiting for supper. It was an unpleasant feeling, and one that he held off for some time before he at last decided to leave for the forest, when no one was looking.


    This desire to find his father, and to join in the hunt, was in many ways the fault of the likes of Gl?dwine and Hroegar themselves. They had felt so protective of the boy that they would not place him, in the boat with the other children, but rather had kept him aboard that of the men. So that in this way, he felt wholly alienated from the other children, and had little interest in becoming familiar with the women, and they him. In this way, he was interested only in keeping to his father¡¯s side.


    Once apart, from the encampment on the beach-shore, he set about following after the loud cries and tramping scouts into the forest. Where others had felt a sense of trepidation upon entering it, Sigewulf felt none of that. To him, the forest was not a place of hostility but rather one of quiet fascination. It was an intriguing place, one which held mysteries both good and ill, yet somehow it did not seem menacing and he never had the impression that there were eyes on him at all times. To the contrary, he felt entirely alone in the universe and set about playing a little, pretending that he was hewing down Ealdwald and his wicked sons, with a stick he picked up, and then he had set about laying down his stick near one particular large tree.


    The trunk of this great oak was so thick that not even his father could have encircled it entirely with his arms, with Sigewulf watching it in awe for several minutes. Eventually, he was to lay down his stick before it, as though in offering. What he said to the tree then, was this, ¡°I lay this weapon of childhood before you, O Oak of Elder-Days. I lay it in full knowledge, and in the tradition passed to me by my brother, and sister, with the following oath; next I shall take up the sword. I shall never again play at being a warrior, because I will be a warrior and shall wield only an axe or a sword, and that in vengeance for my lost kinsmen. I thus offer to thee, this stick of mine along with my childhood and what remains of it, so that I might make father proud!¡±


    The words were selected with the utmost care, and might well have melted the heart of even the proudest and coldest of men. Hroegar though, was not present to bear witness to this weighty promise and had he been, he might well have been proud of his son and how he bore himself then. At present he was deeper in the forest, still searching about so that Sigewulf determined to prove himself was to venture deeper whither into the woodlands.


    It was in this spirit that the previously frightened, Sigewulf resolved to never again be scared, to prove to his father that he could be no less brave and fearless as he. Setting out foolishly, to defy shadows of a past this forest had little more than the barest connection to. Unaware as he was of the darkness that lay within the forest or of the wickedness that had been wrought against, the men who had journeyed into the dark of the woods.


    In this spirit of defiance, he stumbled upon the corpses of a great many of those who had stayed behind, on the orders of Hroegar.


    His will was at once tested by the vision of more than a dozen men, dead in the middle of the forest all adorned with a single or where some were concerned two arrows apiece. Each dart had carried with them death, and had left the men with expressions of surprise and pain, or even fear. Looking about, Sigewulf at once became filled with fear, and might have hidden himself were it not for the memory of his father.


    ¡°Father? Father!¡± He called out, determined to be brave and so stumbled further into the forest, after the shadow of his father.


    It was thus that, he stumbled upon the man himself who as though summoned from the ether or from some dream, stumbled backwards into him, his hostage still held tightly within his grasp. Very nearly losing his grasp on the warrior he had pulled along in his arms, he was to turn about to discover his son behind him, Hroegar was to gape at him for some time. ¡°Sigewulf what in the Woden¡¯s name, are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I had thought to come aid you,¡± Sigewulf stuttered only to set eyes at last upon the man with the long ears, strange hair and even stranger glowing and glimmering eyes before him. ¡°Father, who is that?¡±


    ¡°Never you mind, return at once my son to the ships lest we are all to be felled within this forest,¡± Hroegar bellowed at him, desperately thrusting his hostage away from him to seize his son into his arms.


    ¡°Is this your son?¡± The Wilder-Elf queried quietly.


    ¡°Be quiet!¡± Hroegar growled at the other male, striking him in the side so hard that his breath was stricken from his lungs.


    Ordered back, past the corpses in the direction of the shore, Sigewulf did not question his father when battle-lust was upon him. Dreading what was sure to come, if Hroegar was truly so frightened as to behave so irresolutely and irrationally as he had.


    The two of them fled then from the forest, leaving behind them the wild-man with the strange markings on his face, and the strange glimmering gaze. Staring over his father¡¯s shoulder at the distant figure, Sigewulf was to stare in fascination as the Elf was to turn away agitating his brothers at the distant trees. Calling out to his people, he was to speak to them, so that Sigewulf had the certainty that he was dissuading his kin from giving chase after them.


    It was to prove a lasting influence over him, in the years to come as he learnt then what it was to have mercy for an enemy. Because it could not be mistaken, for aught else than mercy what that Elf had done for them.


    Even the child could discern that though his father, had taken the other male hostage the truly vulnerable one in this situation, and was never the archer from deep within the forest. It was also at this time that he was to develop a fascination for the long-eared Elves, and their mysterious ways.


    The return to the boats heralded a great many cries, as several of the people there reacted to them with exclamations of alarm when they saw the members of Hroegar¡¯s scouts returning one by one. Eventually it became rather more three by three, or nine at a time where the last few to flee the forest were concerned. It was as they fled, that those thereupon the shore and by the boats took in the sight of them and their cries of monsters in the dark that most began to hurry back onto the long-ships.


    Ever a cautious fellow, the consternated Gl?dwine was to somehow by sheer force of will and personal authority, turn the desperate scramble into an organized one. Yelling at everyone to allow women and children aboard first, then men might follow, once this was done he was to turn next to Hroegar, to ask of him. ¡°What has happened? You are never a man to panic, yet here you are stricken with fear and desperation to regain the boats.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and let it be known that it is not out of some newly discovered cowardice for my part,¡± Hroegar told him with many a worried glances over his shoulders.


    ¡°What possible reason could you have, for wishing me to test the seas once more, just as a storm is on the horizon?¡± Gl?dwine demanded of him waspishly, not at all happy with his pressing now the same counsel that the captain of the secondary ship had, not long ago.


    ¡°There are too many numbers in that forest,¡± Said the chief-scout reluctantly, adding for good measure, ¡°I suspect they are all Elves there, and it seems that they blame us for the burning of several of their trees.¡±


    ¡°And did you burn any of their trees?¡± Gl?dwine asked impassively, a hint of disapproval in his voice.


    ¡°I had little choice, I needed a distraction Gl?dwine,¡± was Hroegar¡¯s justification, ere he added impatiently, ¡°Yet even before that they were stricken with hatred for us. We both know the tales of such creatures that, when dislike enters the hearts of the forest-folk that they are unlikely to leave any survivors be they full-grown, or no.¡±


    ¡°You are right of course,¡± Gl?dwine conceded with a heavy sigh, ¡°I dislike storms for they are risky affairs that are unlikely to leave even half the ships still above water, should we attempt to sail through them. But better less than half, than none.¡±


    Hroegar might have responded, as might have a number of others were it not for a hail of arrows that flew from the beach, high into the air only to land a short distance from where the encampment was to be found. Alarmed at this, the people were to pile onto the boats all the faster, with ever increasing flashes of worry and exclamations.


    Disconcerted Hroegar exchanged a glance with his friend, they both understood better than anyone what the hail of arrows were; a warning.


    They set sail once more, within the hour and try as they might to avoid the storm they could not quite succeed. It was the view of Gl?dwine that they must find themselves another place to pull their boats up and to wait for the storm to pass over. This he was open about, with the whole of his crew and his other ships as he joined the other men behind an oar.


    The crew threw their backs into their work. Desperation stoked by the hard winds and heavy waters that raged against their ships already.


    Though the storm had yet to hit, and the boom of thunder was distant there was nonetheless a great deal of panic to every single one of the rowers¡¯ movements. The wind was against them, and the storm was threatening each of them and they could barely see one another¡¯s ships. It was for this reason that Hroegar had ordered his son to sleep in the captain¡¯s cabin, the only interior part of the ship, and was questioning his own decision to push to leave the Elf-lands.


    ¡°Look-out! Look-out! You bloody oaf, Fathmir what in the name of the gods are you doing? Do you see anything?¡± Gl?dwine was to demand furiously cursing at the only man not behind an oar, as he pulled his friend from his thoughts. ¡°Is there land or no?¡±


    ¡°No- Oh wait there! There seems to be a speck of it, far to the north-west!¡± Fathmir the rat-faced and long-tailed Ratvian pointed out, finger extended as he turned to the captain excitedly. ¡°There seems to be an island!¡±


    ¡°Good! Row! Row! Harder you curs, lest we be trapped in this storm and meet the dread-king of the waves far below!¡± Hroegar yelled over the worsening wind at them all, as he bent forward even more than before.


    The islet in question, was hoped to be Bretwealda, the ¡®Lordly-Isle¡¯, but as was soon pointed out to them soon enough by a perplexed Fathmir, this could not be. ¡°Bretwealda is even further west, so what possible isle could that be? It was not there the last time, we voyaged past these parts captain.¡±


    ¡°What difference should such a fact make? We must reach it, ere the storm!¡± There was more that Gl?dwine said, but it was lost in the sea-spray that swept on deck from the side.


    It was quite some time before anyone said aught else, panicked and stricken by fear of the waves and by the wrath of the gods they threw their backs into the oars all the more fiercely than before. Scared, they knew themselves to be peons in the face of the universe, specks bare worth remembering in comparison to the vastness of the sea. It was with many a tears and curses that the women aboard the other vessels prayed for pity and mercy, from Njord the sea-father, and his twin-children. The children clung to their skirts and wept bitterly for fear, with the men every single one of them proving his worth by bending his back, grunting and throwing himself into rowing with all his might.


    Grudges were forgotten and rivalries left by the stern of the ship, as she threw herself into the storm. Rowing with all their might, they were utterly ignorant of the fact that they may well have been better with the Elves, than thereupon the islet where they were to seek refuge from Elf and storm alike.


    It was as they rowed, and threw all that they had in them, to combat the storm that the booming thunder neared, and the storm struck.

 Chapter IV: Isle of Malice

    Boredom was once unfamiliar to Sigewulf. It was not something he had known on some level, to exist until he first boarded the long-ship for Bretwealda. Nor was it something he had expected to become so acquainted with. It was a sensation that he did not know how during his time on the ship or when waiting for his father¡¯s return to properly cope with. Always on the farm there had been something to do, all had to contribute if they wished to survive. This had been the creed by which all had to live by, and it was one that he had lived quite happily by.


    This was not to mean that he greatly looked forward to danger and facing down death as he had come to do so frequently, in recent days. Quite to the contrary, though he did not intellectualise it, he would much prefer having a great deal to do, without the danger that seemed always to haunt him and his father¡¯s every step since his siblings had passed.


    What made his time aboard the ships bearable was the stories most of the men, especially Gl?dwine had told him. This along with the great myriad of chores he had been assigned, during his time on the ship a good break in the boredom that haunted the ship, while the men rowed endlessly.


    The time spent aboard the ships though had sadly come to an abrupt end. The storm had struck and collapsed two ships, and almost sent the rest to the bottom of the seas. Hroegar and the other men had struggled against all odds to rescue those they could, from the fallen ships. But a great many were lost, and had to be given up, no matter Gl?dwine¡¯s insistence that not a soul was to be abandoned.


    ¡°Come to your senses, Gl?dwine, if we continue to fight to remain in the middle of the sea we will all perish,¡± Hroegar had shouted at him furiously. ¡°We must salvage those we have aided, and bring them to safety!¡±


    It was perhaps not the most idealistic view, but it was echoed reluctantly by other members of the crew with one man pointing out, ¡°Those were troop transports we lost. They were carrying our supplies also, but what you risk are the vessels carrying our women and children, if we continue to risk them needlessly, we will eject you from the ship and elect a new captain.¡±


    Alarmed at this speech,


    ¡°We must leave this hall,¡± Sigewulf complained, to those around him.


    Trapped in the middle of a grand mead-hall, he was surrounded by a number of the other children, from the other ships and many that predated the arrival of Gl?dwine¡¯s ships on the islet¡¯s shores. Hardly allowed outside of it, most of the children had taken to their time in Senuna¡¯s castle with more than a little enthusiasm.


    ¡°But why?¡± another of the children, Adalina asked. ¡°There is food aplenty and no adults to tell us what to do.¡±


    ¡°Because,¡± Sigewulf struggled for a reason, it was true that his father often told him what to do, and rather harshly so. It was not something he particularly missed, however he knew it was for a reason; they had to exact revenge against Ealdwald and his ilk. ¡°We have to find them.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡±


    ¡°Because we must,¡± He answered simply if stubbornly.


    Sigewulf could see that his words had had little effect on the other children; they were reluctant to do as he wished them to. The hall was pristine; it was always kept that way with its gold shimmering chandeliers, marble white walls and similarly snow-white floors. The floors had dark inked patterns interwoven into the marble-stones, while the ceiling a true work of wonder seemed a worthy imitation of the blue skies and twin-suns that dominated summer days.


    It was a paradise of a sorts, and with its comfortable cushions of scarlet, blue and emerald colourations, long tables and delicious ostrich, pork, cow and fish meats and other rare delicacies it was hard to argue with this view. It was even harder to resist the fragrances that seemed, to perpetually escape from the kitchens, directly connected to the mead-hall they currently found themselves trapped within.


    Certainly the children were permitted to escape outside to play several times a day, and were encouraged to waste their other hours in meaningless pursuits. Mostly they entertained those ladies, who filled the court of the lady Senuna.


    It was something that genuinely bored and disgusted Sigewulf, who hated being constrained to the courtyard. To him, the forest, the glens, the mountains were home and he had always been able to run amongst them and to do as he pleased so long as he concluded the tasks at hand. To be deprived of the ability to run about as freely as he might like, was the cruellest punishment one could inflict upon him.


    It was the reason for which he had struggled on Gl?dwine¡¯s ship, and had proven himself quite eager to leave it. Resolved to explore he had however found his every attempt to do so thwarted, by the crones and elders of the court, along with those beautiful Nymphs who inhabited the castle. These Nymphs, were both forest and mountain Nymphs as well as Nereids, that is to say they were sea-Nymphs. All of them were beautiful, ethereal and utterly different from any girl that Sigewulf had ever set eyes upon. By far they were more beautiful, they were prone to sing-song speeches and were in possession (at least some of them were) of some of the sharpest fangs, he had ever seen on any woman.


    There was something strange about the manner in which their hair shimmered, their eyes were always seemingly aglow not unlike the Elves. But where there was a sense of mortality, of passion about the Elves that Sigewulf had seen even if from a distance, these women were always playing. It was as though they were children themselves, and this was something a great many of the children liked, even if he did not.


    Examples of their childishness, could be found in how they were often found by the indoor pond in the atrium (the children were occasionally allowed there), when they would spend time bickering about men, often times they would playfully push one another into the water. Quite how they could spend so much time bickering, and playing in such a manner was a mystery to some of the children, though many of them enjoyed joining them in this sort of game.


    Sigewulf always held himself back, he did not trust these Nymphs. Did not like their strange ways, and especially did not like the occasional flash of calculative intelligence that sparked in their other times vacant eyes.


    ¡°We must leave,¡± He repeated himself, ¡°We must find a way to leave and find our parents, when the Nymphs leave for the day.¡±


    ¡°Why, must we leave when they are gone?¡± Asked Adalfarus, one of the other boys, one whom had since some time ago become quite enamoured of life on the isle.


    ¡°Because, do you not see how they look at us sometimes? I daresay that they seem to consider us at times, as one might consider the hare caught in one¡¯s trap,¡± Sigewulf complained to himself, being careful not to speak too loudly. It would not do if the palace caretakers heard him, those who were elderly men and women, who happened to live there also.


    These people were seemingly warm and kind, though they never failed to make the youth shiver and feel cold.


    As though summoned, one of their numbers, a grey-haired, stooped figure by the name of Sarah approached the two of them, muttering as she did so. ¡°You two there, come play with the others we have had a ball brought hither, for the lot of you.¡±


    The first of the two boys eagerly accepted this as the finest news in his life; the latter was to regard the elderly Sarah with a pessimistic gaze. Watching the other children as they threw themselves here, there and everywhere, there was something in Sigewulf as the game went on for some time, he was to pay rather more attention to the old women that surrounded the playing boys.


    The young girls were busy being taught to knit, weave and otherwise received considerably more attention, as the old women were better familiar with the women¡¯s arts than men¡¯s. What was more was that he was to notice just how coldly the elders studied the boys foolish to play about in the centre of the large two hundred meter wide and large and fifty meters high hall.


    They had arrived there as the storm smashed itself against their ships, destroying a number of them and reducing the crew to the desperate action of dragging their ships as far from the sea as possible. Few there were who paid any attention to their surroundings, consumed with worry as they were for their remaining ships.


    Every man had to lend his shoulder, pulling furiously on the lines they had tied to the boat that they might tug and pull them along the sward and to safety. Once this was done, they had turned to the task of ensuring next that they were to see to investigating the islet in the hopes that they might find the resources necessary to repair their ships. The women also wished for refuge from the rainstorm that had enveloped the isle, as it had the furious sea.


    It happened that the men when they left in search of food, with another group searching for refuge and a third to stay near the shore to guard all that they had. Neither of the two groups that left in search returned.


    Concerned, Hroegar who had been refused leadership of one of the two groups, due in no small part to Gl?dwine¡¯s refusal to entrust him once more with command of any men, said to him. ¡°Gl?dwine I do not like this, there is something I do not like about this isle.¡±


    ¡°Bah, it is either it or the storm,¡± the chief of the navy of long-ships snapped impatiently, ¡°You worry over your son, old friend while I worry over our people.¡±


    ¡°He is right Gl?dwine,¡± Bernhard another of the men said in support, ¡°There is something amiss about this isle.¡±


    Another man, one of the more veteran crew-members of Gl?dwine¡¯s crews added, ¡°Where was this isle before on all our previous journeys? I do not recall seeing it, the prior time we ventured past this region.¡±


    This admission was one that displeased Gl?dwine who shook his head, wherefore he conceded to his men, if only marginally. ¡°Very well, we shall do as you wish and will tread forward with great caution. Let us look first to establishing a place of refuge for our women and children, we shall also keep the boats prepared, if only for after the storm abates.¡±


    This seemed a good middle-ground for them to compromise over, though not many felt that this was enough for them. Most notably Hroegar was of the view that all was destined to go wrong in a matter of hours, saying to some that, ¡°This islet is a place of great evil, mark my words.¡±


    Previously such mutterings had sparked irritation, especially when Sigewulf¡¯s father was the one to mutter them. It happened though that contrary to all other times, they nodded their heads and complained that Gl?dwine ought to listen to them.


    One woman in particular was to complain to him, ¡°You must tell Gl?dwine to consider returning to the sea just before the dawn. This place is one of death, of darkness and could yield only misery for us.¡±


    Gl?dwine continued to look unconvinced and as though he might wish to disagree with the woman in question, but did not. He was a sceptical sort, especially in recent days where those around him had begun to take a far less cynical view of the world around them and a more fearful one.


    It naturally fell upon Hroegar to agree with the woman, saying to her, ¡°Quite so Brynja, it is exactly as you have said, this islet is no ordinary islet.¡±


    ¡°Enough Hroegar,¡± Gl?dwine declared impatiently, ¡°Now let us build the place of refuge that the women and children have need of and then let us be away to explore it in search for our friends.¡±


    Some such as Hroegar did not take well to these ideas and made no secret of it. It was his view Sigewulf knew, they had made a mistake by stumbling upon the isle. This mistake was not made visible to all of them, until some hours after they had happened upon a cave set in the cliff that held up the grand palace that lay at the centre of the isle.


    It was into this gloomy state of affairs that the first of the inhabitants of the isle made their presences known. They came not in the dead of night, but after the night had begun to change to day so that the storm seemed to abate to the immense relief of all involved.


    Relief was in no short supply as they were to discover, when Sarah appeared before them. Doing so from seemingly out of nowhere, the old woman was the eldest of those who lived thereon the isle, if one was referring solely to those women who lived on the isle, who were not Nymphs.


    It was she who spoke to them, in a powerful voice, saying as she did so, ¡°People of the distant north-lands, of Valhol come hither, and follow me for my lady would speak with the lot of you.¡±


    This speech short as it was, had at once an effect upon those present who were to stare in amazement, with Gl?dwine to ask of her, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I am the Lady Senuna¡¯s servant, Sarah, and she has heard of thy plight from thy companions and has requested that you join her in her palace,¡± the servant replied at once.


    Some might well have said that they ought to ignore her, but some such as the women felt calmer and inclined towards trusting her. All save Brynja, who spoke out at once never one to blindly trust another person, especially so mysterious and strange a fellow as Sarah.


    ¡°I do not like this, who is this Senuna? We have boats and the storm has abated, why should, we join her in her palace?¡± the lady in question was to face a great deal of shushing and accused of being rude.


    ¡°We are guests here,¡± argued another woman, one by the name of Cyneburg, ¡°We ought to mind our manners, for this is not our isle.¡±


    ¡°Bah, it could be ours if we wished it,¡± Hroegar retorted impatiently, ¡°Though, I agree with Brynja, this isle has a peculiar stench all its own. We ought to put it firmly behind us, and never look back now that the storm has broken.¡±


    ¡°But it might be rude,¡± protested Sarah.


    ¡°It is rude of this stranger not to come greet us herself,¡± was the countered response by the likes of Gl?dwine who snorted in response to the elderly crone. ¡°Return to thy lady, and tell her that we will not be going to her palace, but rather continuing on with our journey.¡±


    This seemed to have settled the matter, or so it seemed to them. It was later when they returned thither to the beach, to begin to ready the ships for the journey onwards, to the land of Bretwealda that they were to be visited by the Lady Senuna herself.


    In all the time he had lived, Sigewulf had never seen anyone quite like her. Nor did he imagine, he might see her likeness again, so magnificent, so beauteous did she appear. Dressed in a long green gown, one that brought to mind the stretching emerald fields of Valhol, and that were cut in the style Sigewulf was later to be told, was favoured by Romalian women. The dress or stola as it was called, had long sleeves and were tied at the shoulders with a palla that is to say a kind of shawl thrown over the left arm and her head in place of a bonnet. The dress was hardly revealing, yet clung to a figure that was voluptuous and full in a way that few mortal women could ever truly equal.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Amazed at her beauty which seemed to shine with the same brightness of the twin suns¡¯, Gl?dwine was to gape at her just as all other men did.


    ¡°Greetings men of Valhol,¡± She said speaking their language just as her servant had, with an ease that startled all. Hers was an accented voice, yet was one that enchanted and awed all who heard it, who felt as though they had heard the most lovely choir of their lives.


    The first to shake himself from the spell cast by this strange woman, Hroegar who snapped at her, ¡°Who are you, O lady? I have neither ever heard tell of thee, nor have I ever seen thy likeness before now.¡±


    The lady all could tell hardly appreciated his tone, and was to frown at him in visible displeasure. Even this moue of displeasure though was a sight to behold, with some men sinking to their knees in adulation and others holding their breath in the hopes that they might be graced once more with the monument that was her smile.


    ¡°I am the ruler of this isle, that is all that thou needs know about my person and this islet,¡± She was to reply with all the iciness of the Glacial Sea.


    Gl?dwine was among those most mesmerised by her though, and was to take a few steps towards her, in order to say to her, ¡°Dear lady, do not take offense at Hroegar¡¯s thoughtless words. He is merely hungry, tired and still shaken from the storm that was the ruin of more than a few of our ships, one which was the cause for our seeking refuge, hereon your home-island. I would hope that you would be so kind as to understand our predicament, and mayhap even be willing to house us if only for a few days.¡±


    The Lady Senuna was to the surprise of all around her; let a great cheer escape her lips as she clapped her hands together, in a demonstration of happiness. ¡°Oh that would be wonderful Gl?dwine of Valhol, I would be honoured to have you and your people be my guests. It has been so long since we had proper guests.¡±


    This eager acceptance startled everyone, and was the source of a great deal of chatter. Many might well have mistrusted her before, yet now they were filled with certainty that she was little more than a lonely young woman. Quite what a young woman was doing with her own palace; in the middle of the sea was not something that many questioned.


    Brynja and Hroegar though were alone in their continued suspicion though, with the former asking curiously. ¡°You state that you have a home hereupon this islet, yet few are the women who might well survive in such a place, let alone have a palace of some sort on one in the middle of nowhere.¡±


    ¡°All will be revealed in time, for now follow me if you wish to have food, bathe thyselves and to rest until the morrow.¡± Sarah retorted evenly, rather disinclined to answer her questions, as she turned around to lead them away out of the cave and into the mountains that decorated the islet.


    Exchanging a worried look, Hroegar and Brynja were to turn next to Gl?dwine, saying to him, ¡°This is strange and I do not trust this woman.¡±


    ¡°Listen to Hroegar,¡± Brynja urged as she glanced after the strange woman, ¡°I do not like this woman; she is queer and dangerous in a way no earthly woman is.¡±


    ¡°We have lost much of the food we took with us,¡± Reasoned another man, with Gl?dwine quick to agree with this man, and to expand on his argument.


    ¡°I would trust Hroegar, if it was not for how it was he who angered the Elves on the Continent, and he who cost us valuable men, we might well have had need of, when at last we arrive on Bretwealda.¡± Gl?dwine snapped bitterly at the woman, who heaved a great and heavy sigh of her own in response.


    Pressing her fists against her wide hips, she was to retort, ¡°Long have we been friends Gl?dwine, I knew thee when you first took my good friend Eadburga to wife and have been as a second mother to thy sons. I will say this, and do not do so lightly; that woman has none of the gentle grace and goodness most often associated with my dearest friend.¡±


    Gl?dwine threw her an irritated look, before he hurried along with several others refusing to tarry, with each one nudging her pushing her out of the way as they advanced. Still others threw insults in her direction, some of which left even Hroegar pale with fury and trembling in outrage at them.


    He might well have given chase to do them harm, were it not for Brynja, intervening to stop him saying to him as she clung to him, ¡°Stop! Stop Hroegar think of thy son! They know not what it is they do!¡±


    ¡°They ought to know better than to speak to a fine woman, such as yourself in such a manner, Brynja!¡± he growled back, his voice booming throughout the caverns of the islet as he attempted to shake himself loose from her.


    Brynja clung to him harder, screaming as she did so, ¡°You must not go against them! Lest they kill you Hroegar! And of what use would such an action be?¡±


    Forced to see the truth, Hroegar was to curse and spit after those who had departed, until his temper had soothed itself. At which time, he was to reluctantly against his will set out after Gl?dwine in order to make his apologies and beg to join him.


    Never a particularly spiteful man, the formidable captain of the small navy transporting the colonists of Valhol was to smile and placing a hand on his friend¡¯s shoulder say to him. ¡°But of course I forgive you, old friend. How could I not?¡±


    It was in this manner that Hroegar along with the hitherto silent Sigewulf joined the procession of ¡®fools¡¯ as the father was to dub them. It was not only his view that this was a fool¡¯s errand, but also that of his young son. Most of the children were as taken by the Lady Senuna¡¯s appearance as their parents, but not the last son of Hroegar, for he knew to trust his instincts. And all of them cried out that it was folly, to trust this lady.


    His instincts had proven true, when the lady had after luring them all to her home, convinced the men and women to take up drinking at a celebration with her, wherefore she had begun to play the flute. It was her flute that had done it. It was that flute that had perverted and twisted the forms of all those around Sigewulf, at the feast, so that those who were not children had been transformed from their natural shapes and into those of beasts.


    If he could only lay hands on that flute, he could reverse its magic. It was for that reason that he watched with hawk-like sternness despite his youth, for the slightest hint of weakness or hesitation on the part of his captors in the hopes of escape. Once he had put the mead-hall behind him, he hoped to slip out and to steal away that magic flute of hers, and to reverse the magic that had transformed his father and friends¡¯ parents.


    This was the reason that he privately cheered at the sight of Sarah withdrawing from the main hall early, he knew that it could only prove to be temporary, yet it was exactly what he had waited for. Eager to take advantage of this show of weakness, Sigewulf was to glance about at the other elderly servants of Senuna, those still in the hall.


    Most of them had begun to doze off, were caught up in playing with the children, or distracted by idle chatter among themselves. In all, there were none that paid him any mind, or seemed at all interested in what he or Eadberht were up to, in the right-hand corner of the hall where they currently found themselves.


    It was entirely thanks to this, that the youth was to whisper to the only friend he had made during his sojourn in the palace of Senuna. The son of Gl?dwine the two had drifted together, in part due to their fathers¡¯ friendship and also because of how Eadberht missed his father. ¡°Now, Eadburht! While no one is looking!¡±


    ¡°But Sigewulf, what if we get punished for escaping from the mead-hall?¡± Eadburht demanded of him, a sour expression on his face.


    ¡°Bah, was it not thy father who said boys should question and should do as they please? Therefore let us do as we please!¡± Sigewulf rationalised with a glare at his friend, who sighed in defeat. It was perhaps not the best argument, he had to admit but Sigewulf knew it to be the only way to convince his friend, who was always more willing to listen when one mentioned his father.


    Gl?dwine was an inspiration to Sigewulf also, though for him he was more of a kindly uncle if a foolish one, who in his estimation really ought to have listened more to Hroegar. Casting aside such dark thoughts though, he was to focus the greater part of his attention on the more important matter at hand; namely that of slipping out the doorway.


    Once this done, he was confronted by a beige coloured set of walls, with an arched doorway a short distance further ahead of them. The walls for their part were decorated with only the odd image here and there, of strange figures in the midst of battle. The hallway itself was more than twelve meters long and four wide, so that there was plenty of space for the two boys to advance.


    Sigewulf took the lead and pounced on ahead, towards the other doorway, where light could be seen pouring in from outside. He did not make it quite so far though, as he was soon pulled to a sudden halt by Eadburht, who was to point up at the ceiling, with an awe-struck expression on his face.


    The ceiling was no less impressive than the rest of the building, as Sigewulf soon discovered. Covered in imagery that was highly reminiscent of the islet they currently found themselves on, it possessed painted frescos also of green sea-weed which seemed to be the Lady Senuna¡¯s personal emblem, one that if he was being honest, the youth had never before thought could be considered beauteous. That is until that moment, as he discovered in the triple strand images that decorated the parts of the ceiling that dominated the fresco.


    The images of the isle had at their centre a lady with lustrous blonde locks, a voluptuous figure dressed in white and a cerulean Romalian cut dress and an air of majesty as all about her bowed an assortment of Nereids, sea-drakes and even men and women. Such the explosion of colour that neither Sigewulf nor Eadburht noticed much else for an incalculably long time, that is until they heard the loud steps and coughing of one of the elders echo from behind them.


    ¡°What do we do Sigewulf?¡± Eadburht hissed as he tore his gaze from the ceiling.


    ¡°Hurry!¡± Sigewulf replied at once.


    The two tore their way down the hall, keen to reach the other end of the hallway so that they might find some place or other to hide. It happened that the hall they raced down, led to a split, with one path heading outward and the other inward, further into the building.


    Hearing the echo of footsteps, once more the two fled inwards shaken and unsure of where it was that they were going, they came to a stop when the hallway led to a vast atrium. Neither youth had ever hitherto this moment ever seen a Romalian atrium. It was an impressive sight that left them both baffled and awe-struck all at once.


    If someone had told Sigewulf that one could grow an open-aired garden inside of a house he might have believed the person to be daft. He had only heard the occasional talk and whispers of such things, mostly in sneering tones, as a great many who lived in the far north regarded this as a sign of the overwhelmingly corruption of Roma. That the people there grew gardens and debauched themselves within their gardens, without truly venturing out into the wild as they feared nature so.


    But this was not the building of a fearful folk, but rather that of a highly sophisticated people, one who seemed to embrace nature in a way that Sigewulf had never imagined to be possible. The atrium was vast, and was more a small park than a simple garden, stretching outwards in either direction for thirty meters. It was populated also with great trees some that he had seen in the north, and others that he had never seen before. Notably, he saw redwood trees, hazel trees, alders, hawthorns and many others all intermingled with the familiar ash, oak and birch trees that were so familiar to Valhol.


    There were also flowers embedded in the ground of the atrium, some which were white lilies, gold ones, red, blue and purple ones, along with red roses and other assortments of flowers. The garden that blossomed all about the forest of trees all about the atrium, were unlike anything either boy had ever set eyes upon before that moment. It looked not unlike how one might imagine an earthly paradise, with the light of the suns¡¯ beaming down on them and the trees and flowers glimmering gaily under them.


    It was with a start that Sigewulf realised he had begun walking without thinking through it, nary a thought to the noise of feet slapping the stone floor that had driven him and Eadburht forward with such intensity.


    The other boy threw him a worried glance after shaking himself out of his own temporary stupor, ¡°What are we to do Sigewulf?!¡±


    ¡°Hide!¡±


    ¡°Where!?¡±


    ¡°There, over yonder beneath that large oak with the thick branches,¡± Sigewulf hissed back at him, pulling him by the arm and thither under the tree.


    It was to his mind the perfect place to hide; with the large column behind them casting a long shadow over the children as the radiance of the suns¡¯ was covered up by sudden storm-clouds and the tree to their right and somewhat in front of them, none could see them. Or so it was believed by Sigewulf, who was to cling to the nearby tree with Eadburht by his side as he struggled to see past it.


    The servants whom they had believed had come to notice their absence, arrived not long after the two had hurried into the atrium-garden, and hidden themselves. There were in total four of them, with the four being elderly as all servants who were not Nereids tended to be. Two arrived just outside the atrium, from the more northerly halls, while the other two came hither from the southern ones.


    At the head of those who hurried along from the south, was Sarah who asked of the two who came from the opposite direction. ¡°Did the two of you find them?¡±


    ¡°No Sarah,¡± answered the other two dully, their wits as shorn as the colour from their faces in marked contrast to the elderly woman.


    ¡°Damn,¡± She cursed heatedly, ¡°Search again, they cannot have gone far!¡±


    This statement made both boys tense with fear.


    They exchanged a worried glance, aware that it was them that the maids searched for. The two of them felt their stomachs become gripped by the dark claw of terror, also at the tone of the maids¡¯ voices which were filled with a kind of hatred neither had ever heard them speak with. Sigewulf for his part had only ever experienced such a hate-filled voice, from Ealdwald¡¯s eldest daughter, so that he was a little less bewildered than his friend. Still though, he began to wonder if maybe it might be wrong to think of women as the fairer sex.


    The handmaidens remained for a little longer, than either of them might have liked, departing only after several long minutes of searching the immediate bedchambers near to the hallways attached to the atrium.


    Once their footsteps had faded away completely, Sigewulf stepped out from under the shadow of the trees. ¡°I think they have gone, hurry Eadburht.¡±


    ¡°I do not like this Sigewulf, we ought to return to the mead-hall,¡± Eadburht said to him with a worried glance after the two hallways both to the left that the servants had disappeared down.


    Sigewulf heaved a heavy sigh, annoyed by his friend¡¯s desire to go back the way they had come, swallowing his anger he was to carefully word his reply. ¡°Only after, we have properly explored and found your father Eadburht.¡±


    Eadburht did not look wholly convinced, yet did not say much more. Aware that his friend would not listen he was to instead agree to explore the halls and rooms to the right of the atrium. The two of them had almost made it part of the way down one hallway, when they suddenly heard the sound of stamping feet once more, followed by a number of screams.


    ¡°Catch them! After them!¡± Sarah was heard to shriek, as her feet slapped along the marble stone floor.


    The two boys searched about for a place to hide, with the first door they attempted to throw open locked, so that Eadburht hurried to the next one. He had just thrown it open when skidding around the corner, near to where the middle of the atrium-garden was to be found, a large boar the size of a small mare appeared. Seeing them, the large dark eyed beast plunged on ahead, with a trio of smaller pigs just behind him, this much to the surprise and bewilderment of the two boys who gaped.


    Sigewulf might well have hidden himself at that moment, and his destiny could well have been different from what it was, had the boar not plunged ahead towards him and the three little pigs not hidden behind him.


    Sarah seeing them took a moment to goggle at them, when she turned the corner also as she appeared but a moment after the pigs did. Setting aside her surprise, when four of her fellow elderly servants, each of them armed with spears turned the corner a moment later, she was to point at them. ¡°Now we know how it is that the pigs escaped the pen! We have a pair of troublemakers, likely the lady Senuna will not miss these two should something happen to them.¡±


    ¡°What? You would have us slay two of the children?¡± One of the old men asked.


    ¡°Give me that spear; if you will not you fool!¡± Sarah shrieked as she seized the man¡¯s arm, taking up the weapon so that she might charge forward against the pigs and children.


    She might well have done harm, might well have slain one of them were it not for the large boar. Shaking and slavering with rage, the boar that had stopped a short distance away from Sigewulf, to observe him with an intensity that had left the boy bewildered had by this time turned to confront the old crone.


    What occurred next was so violent, so horrible that it left them all full of not only shock but amazement as the boar leapt forth, easily evading Sarah¡¯s clumsy strike wherefore it struck her. Goring her with his tusks, the boar was to tear a large hole in the middle of her stomach, spilling her blood all over the marble floor.


    Hardly satisfied with only one blow, it was to tear at her a second time spilling her intestines and bowels all over the floor. It was by the fourth blow that she ceased to scream and simply lay thereupon the floor in a state of utter shock, just before the boar gored her throat open.


    Covered in blood, the large pig was to challenge those before him, proud as any king of the jungle and of men had ever been he defied those who might otherwise have done him harm. Daring them to attempt to bring the fight to him once more, as Sarah had just failed to do.


    Sheltered in spite of their advanced age, those who had sought to hunt the boar and those pigs it had taken under its protection, preferred to fall back. Screaming ¡®Murder!¡¯ as they went, it was not long before the whole of the palace knew what had transpired in the small hallway past the atrium.


    Alarmed by what had transpired, and by the sight of the blood and entrails that had been torn from the once domineering head-chambermaid of Senuna, the two boys were to exchange a worried look. Neither of them quite knew what to expect, they only knew that this particular boar was of a violent nature unlike any other, they had seen in some time.


    The boar advanced until it stood before them, shaking still with the force of its battle-rage and looking from the pigs that had huddled just behind them, to the two youths. Eadburht backed away, shaken and daunted by the beast that to him seemed to loom tall as a horse.


    Eadburht might have been overwhelmed by the ferocity of this beast, were it not for the animal¡¯s large dark eyes. He knew those eyes. He had seen them everyday of his life, hitherto his time on the islet of Senuna. It was with a start that Sigewulf spoke the name of this boar, recognising it as the man he had always feared the displeasure of, more than any other thing in the world and had always loved more than any other person on earth. ¡°Father.¡±

 Chapter V: Across the Waves of Hatred

    The servants of the goddess Senuna were to make their way into the hallway to find the corpse of Sarah, and were to freeze one and all. The men who were not men, had been raised all of their lives under the dominance of the lady Senuna and her Nereids, and were thus void of the courage that was so natural to those such as Gl?dwine and Hroegar. They were not alone in this regard, as the women were of no less a cowardly disposition and scarcely of the same calibre as the likes of Sarah so that Sigewulf found himself full of scorn for them also. It was a disgrace he thought to himself, truly it was. How could they claim to be the most stalwart and loyal of Senuna¡¯s supporters if they feared blood as they did? Even as a child, though he had felt much the same way when his siblings were murdered, Sigewulf now found himself mostly unmoved by the sight of it.


    What was more was that he had little in the way of affection for Sarah, whom had abused and sought to murder his father. Though, he did not know for certain how it had happened that his father had come to be a boar, he knew that the man¡¯s life had been in danger.


    None offered the slightest resistance when Sigewulf and Eadburht burst passed them, so intent were the servants upon the corpse. Bursting pass them, led by Hroegar who charged not in the direction of the goddess but in the direction of the entrance to the palace, or so Sigewulf assumed. Not quite familiar with all the labyrinthine passages of the palace they wove past one hallway after another, first going down one path that seemed to lead back to the mead-hall, only to twist down a leftward corridor. After a few minutes of racing forward, they were to twist down a rightward one, then another left and then another right, then right again then straight so that the children soon became utterly dizzied.


    When at least they burst outside, after a short flight of seven stairs it was with a surge of shock that Sigewulf saw his father race forward on all four legs leaving him behind, whilst he and Eadburht gaped. It had been so long since they had properly seen the light of the twin suns¡¯ that they could not help but stall if momentarily.


    The sad truth was that, just as they prepared to race after Hroegar a pair of arms enveloped both of them in steely grips that neither of them could quite escape from.


    ¡°And where in the name of her Grace the Lady Senuna do thou intend to flee to in such a hurry?¡± A sing song voice hissed, the voice being one that Sigewulf recognized at once as that of the Lady Lladriana, one of Senuna¡¯s favourites.


    A buxom maiden who appeared no older than twenty summers old, she was blond of hair and had wild blue eyes, with glistening skin, full lips and was often dressed in the same Romalian style that Senuna favoured herself. Her long mane of hair was tied in a series of braids that went down the length of her smooth back, with Sigewulf having only ever seen her in passing at a distance. Up close as he was to discover, she was far more beautiful than she had ever seemed before.


    ¡°Let us go! Release us at once!¡± Eadburht squealed struggling against the arms of the Lady Aven who had caught him up also, herself another beauteous Nereid, except she had blue hair and dark eyes that flashed with a hint of madness.


    ¡°Now why would we do such a thing? Especially since it might be best to feed the two to our cousins the sirens?¡± Aven asked of them with a short shrill laugh that made Sigewulf¡¯s stomach plummet to the ground.


    Lladriana herself was visibly annoyed at this suggestion and was to answer in a harsh voice, ¡°Now, now Aven we have already discussed this before, we shan¡¯t have them fed to the seas and our cousins.¡±


    The second Nereid was visibly discontented by this statement, glancing at her fellow Nymph with a moue of displeasure. Neither child could quite understand why it was that they could not struggle free, much to the amusement of their new captors.


    Recalling many of the lessons that his father had taught him, Sigewulf with a glance to his own captor was to try to swing his head back which the lady avoided with ease. This was a feint however, not that she could have possibly known this so inexperienced was she in the seizing of others and violence. Sticking out his elbow that he might knock the air, from the woman¡¯s lungs so that in spite of her greater strength than most mortal ladies was nonetheless forced from her. Stricken, Lladriana released him instinctively at which time Sigewulf regained his feet, hardly waiting for the Nymph to recover he twisted about that he might throw himself against the surprised Aven.


    Petite though nowhere near as much so as Lladriana, who was almost a foot shorter than she, Aven had little in the way to fight off Sigewulf half so well as she might otherwise have believed herself capable of doing. Thrown from her feet, by the large boy she was to struggle to push him away as he struck her over and over, as swift and fiercely as he could.


    Seizing him once more, now that she was fully recovered from his blow to her side, Lladriana struggled to pull him from above Aven and to hold him back.


    Struggling as best he could, Sigewulf turned to shout at Eadburht, ¡°Eadburht! Fly! Fly whither after father!¡±


    Eadburht had no need to be told a third time. Regaining his feet faster than either Nereid could have, he was to hurry from the top of the mountain down the path, and along the large stone bridge that led to the great palace of Senuna. Fast as lightning he flew to the surprise and anger of the pair of goddesses who were to exchange displeased looks.


    Seizing Sigewulf they might well have thrown him over the side of the cliff, if only out of petty vengeance against him, for having struck them as he had. Neither of the women though made it very far before Senuna regained control of herself.


    ¡°Wait,¡± She said to her cousin, ¡°Whither are thou taking him?¡±


    ¡°To the Sarvanian Rock, why?¡± Senuna snapped as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.


    ¡°But only criminals have ever been thrown from this here rock,¡± Lladriana declared shocked, and panting from the exertion of striving to hold onto the flailing arms of Sigewulf. Deeply maternal even if she was not particularly skilled at demonstrating it quite as plainly at that moment as she might have otherwise done, to slay a child as Aven was proposing was quite beyond her. Nervous and at a loss, she was to seek to reason with the other maiden, ¡°We have never before thrown a child from this rock.¡±


    ¡°What of it?¡± Aven demanded of her, infuriated she snapped at her, ¡°This boy has aided that pig in escaping us, and it murdered poor old Sarah!¡±


    ¡°Yes, but-¡±


    ¡°Release me!¡± Sigewulf cried out once more, struggling to break free from them, stricken with panic at the thought that they might truly throw him down below.


    This plea caused Lladriana to try to pull him away from Aven, moved by the desperation and fear in his eyes. The two women though were to come to a sudden halt, when they heard the voice of their mistress thunder through the air. Though of the fairer sex, Senuna was a woman with a voice as profound as that of the ocean, one that could thunder like the very worst of tempests just as it could soothe far more capably than any herb ever could.


    To hear her voice outside of her innermost chambers or the great tower where the said chambers were to be found, was a natural source of shock.


    ¡°Milady, what brings you hither?¡± Aven queried nervously, after a moment of silence.


    Senuna had heard of some of the troubles that had come to haunt her palace, this had made her descend from the said tower she had been locked away in with Gl?dwine to discover her chief-handmaiden Sarah dead and the other handmaidens in a panic. To find her Nymphs in a mad fury, with two of them eager to murder a child something of a shock to the goddess, who had never entertained such a notion prior to that moment.


    The figure who captured the eye of the pair and Sigewulf, though was not the goddess herself but rather the male figure who stood tall, bearded and was the image of youthful vigour; Gl?dwine. Dressed not in the manner of a Valhol warrior, but a Romalian gentleman that is to say in a tunic with a toga thrown over his left shoulder. This was a striking vision in the eyes of Sigewulf who had never seen a man dress in such a manner before then, so that he did not much ponder the particulars or history of the man¡¯s choice in wardrobe.


    It was thus with blazing eyes that Senuna had appeared in the doorway with a number of servants, her lips pursed, as she regarded the pair. ¡°What is the meaning of this? And who let out that boar that murdered my Sarah?¡±


    ¡°Milady, it was Sarah herself, who wished to prepare a special feast for the occasion, only for the boar to slay one of the handlers and escape.¡± Lladriana explained stuttering as she spoke, such was the fear in her voice, for none were greater on the isle of Senuna than Senuna. ¡°The boar found his way to this child, whom Aven wished to throw down the Sarvanian Rock!¡±


    ¡°You ugly hag, how dare you!¡± Aven shrieked dropping the youth¡¯s legs that she might leap nails first against her fellow Nereid.


    The two might well have struggled against one another, were it not for Gl?dwine¡¯s intervention. Leaping forward, to interpose himself just as Aven dropped the upper body of the child as she leapt away from her cousin, Gl?dwine was to scold the two of them furiously as one might disobedient children. ¡°Comport yourselves! This islet is a holy place, and after you have struggled to murder a child, you would heap more shame upon thyselves?¡±


    This served to soothe Lladriana who feeling safer behind Gl?dwine ceased struggling with the older Nereid, who was to only stop her efforts to claw at the other woman when she noticed her mistress glaring at her. Infuriated she was to accuse with a pointed finger in the direction of the other woman, ¡°She is to blame, just as this boy is for the murder of poor, sweet and innocent Sarah!¡±


    Sigewulf could not resist a snort at this description of Sarah. The woman had proven herself time and again, to be both a brute and highly unlikeable in his experience, so that he like all the other boys had come to regard her with thinly veiled scorn. His gaze was inevitably drawn away from Lladriana and to Gl?dwine in the hope that he might intervene on his behalf once more. The man did not appear fully inclined towards helping him; rather he seemed to be perplexed.


    ¡°How could he be to blame for what a wild animal did?¡± Gl?dwine asked confused, looking from one Nereid to another.


    ¡°I did not kill Sarah, though I would have done so quite proudly,¡± Sigewulf hissed at them all, ¡°It was my father who did so!¡±


    This admission startled everyone, with several of the servants nodding their heads in agreement. Both Nymphs were to also nod their heads if reluctantly so, each of them acknowledging the truth behind his words.


    This confession though, and the acknowledgement of it served only to confuse Gl?dwine who blinked his eyes, in bewilderment, ¡°I had thought that a boar was to blame for all of this?¡±


    ¡°That would certainly seem to be the truth,¡± Senuna agreed at once, keen to dissuade him from questioning into the matter further.


    ¡°If what you say is true, Hroegar is innocent of such a crime,¡± Gl?dwine replied attempting to understand failing to, the meaning behind the words of those around him.


    There was a tense silence that followed, during which the exasperated Sigewulf simply stared at the man he had come to like and regard almost as highly as he had his father. ¡°No, Gl?dwine! They turned him into a boar, wherefore he fought to free himself and gored Sarah to death!¡±


    This revelation stunned Gl?dwine who like all men in his situation had sought, to turn his gaze away from the painful reality that stared back at him. Gaping at the youth, he was to stare from him to the woman he had come to revere, studying her embarrassed expression he was faced with the reality of what she had done.


    It was at first with an innocent expression that she attempted to reach for him, at which time when he drew back, it was then that she turned dark eyes upon Sigewulf. The boy was to swallow audibly at the anger in those eyes. He had never seen such fury, not in the eyes of his father, nor in those who had murdered his brother and sister, nor had he ever seen it in the eyes of those warriors his father had defended him from.


    Those men had made clear what it was that they intended to do, and were far more likely to strike at him at once, while this woman gazed on him with such disdain and fury that he knew he had perhaps made an enemy for life.


    Frightened, Sigewulf was to look from her to his only protector to see that Gl?dwine had also noticed the momentary flash of hatred in her eyes. Seeing the consternation and the dawning realization on his face, Senuna sought to temper her earlier slip with immediate sweetness the likes of which the boy had never seen before.


    ¡°Oh, my Gl?dwine there is naught to fear,¡± She said to him, reaching once more for him, ¡°I will admit that I used Circe¡¯s flute to turn Hroegar into a pig, however it was he, and he alone that I did this to, I swear it!¡±


    Circe was of course the ancient goddess who had enchanted Odysseus, and had ensorcelled his ship-crew and turned them into beasts and animals. What none had of course known was that amongst her own servants and faithful friends, was Senuna who had of course when that ancient goddess had been slain by the latter day hero Francus when he had been shipwrecked in his youth on Circe¡¯s isle. It was he with the sword of Priam that was later renamed by the line of Francus, Joyeuse.


    It was at Circe¡¯s passing that the goddess Senuna had taken the flute for herself, and settled upon her own isle to continue that ancient goddess¡¯ mad doings. It was also for this reason that she had gained the ire of a great many of her relations and fellow gods, who hardly it was said cared for such behaviour on the part of even the lowliest of goddesses.


    ¡°Turned Hroegar into a pig? Does that mean the rest of the ship crew, has been likewise cursed?¡± Gl?dwine said with a moment of realization and horror.


    Before anyone could answer, he was to empty the contents of his stomach over the side of the cliff. Others might well have defended themselves, or sought to deny their wrongdoings yet not Senuna who studied him with visible frustration and hurt. Hardly able to understand all that he felt, or the depth of it she could only look on as he became ever more distanced from her where before he had clung to her, as a child might their mother or father.


    The moment of shock and horror was one that Sigewulf better understood; when he heard the man he had come to think of as a kindly uncle murmur, ¡°Does that mean that those pigs and deer we ate were my crew?¡±


    ¡°You are over-tired, my Gl?dwine, Lladriana, Aven, escort him back to my chambers,¡± Senuna commanded with an imperious look in the direction of her Nereids.


    ¡°But what of Sigewulf?¡± Lladriana asked with a worried frown on her full lips, and with a glance to the boy she was supposed to be holding prisoner.


    ¡°We should not discuss this here, let us discuss it in my bedchambers away from the presence of others, Gl?dwine,¡± Senuna said to her lover, who attempted to once more pull away from her.


    Still stricken with horror and disgust, Gl?dwine had little say in the matter, before Senuna made the decision for him. Certainly Senuna was not the goddess that any of the ¨¢synjor were, nothing compared to those such as Freyja, Gerer or even Skaei.


    To Sigewulf this was to be the strangest moment of his life. Thus far, he had always fancied the gods to be all powerful, or beyond mortal ken yet it was one thing to think such a thing, but an entirely different affair to witness some measure of proof of this fact. In the blink of the eye, they went from being just outside of the palace of Senuna to now finding themselves, in the middle of a large and spacious bedchamber.


    The room was more of an atrium, and was of a similar size to the mead-hall, with seven balconies to the right-hand side, while a doorway to the left led to a staircase that led down to the main floor. The chambers¡¯ decorations were far more ostentatious than elsewhere in the palace, with there being large sofas in place of bedding, with large cushions of bright purple, vermilion, brown and other colours strewn about.


    There were also tables all about them, with wine-pitchers atop them and with rare cooked meats on silver glimmering plates. Such was the wealth that was on display that Sigewulf almost lost himself in it, almost found himself longing for this sort of life.


    It was only the memory of how his father had once told him that wealth of that sort, when not earned was for the weak, and that it would serve only to weaken them.


    Gl?dwine for his part hardly noticed any of it, any of the fine curtains that hung near the balcony doors or gold-edged windows, or even the finely woven tapestries. Tapestries that displayed images of the great deeds of ancient figures such as Roparzh King, Cormac the Hero, Odysseus, Heracles and Sigurer. Utterly ignorant of most of these figures, Sigewulf was to recognize only the image of Sigurer¡¯s slaying of F¨¢fnir so that he stared at it far longer than any of the others. It was his favourite story, with the youth hardly caring for the others due to his great ignorance towards them.


    ¡°You had no right to do this, Senuna,¡± Gl?dwine growled furiously, angered by her choosing to move them from the entrance of the palace for them without so much as a ¡®by your leave¡¯. ¡°It was for myself to decide where I might go, and to discern the truth. It seems to me though that you have shown exactly, what the truth is. Therefore I demand that you turn over that flute, of which you spoke.¡±


    The demand for the flute visibly wounded Senuna. Never could she have imagined that he might make such a command, so that Senuna could only stare at him incensed. Observing the dawning horror and hurt on her face, Gl?dwine however did not relent. Not many men could well have stood strong against a woman¡¯s tears, especially a woman they had claimed as their own. So that Gl?dwine¡¯s accomplishment which was to say his steadfast defiance, on behalf of his friends and the son of one of those friend¡¯s.


    Proud and strong, and clever, it was these very qualities that Senuna most admired, and most revered in Gl?dwine so that she was as a beast caught in a trap of its own making. Seeing her struggle with this knowledge, might have amused Sigewulf were he not already made fearful of the strange and mysteries powers that could be wielded and found, in the sea-goddess.


    What neither the well to do Valhol, nor the child quite expected was what the goddess resorted to, in her desperation to forbid them from leaving. She was to blubber at first, saying to the man she had come to consider her own, ¡°But I could not risk thy departure, my Gl?dwine, please can we not discuss this?¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    ¡°No, we shan¡¯t not if you feel it appropriate to spirit us away to these bedchambers,¡± Gl?dwine hissed, ¡°If I am unable to be the man of the two of us, there is to be no future between us. Therefore, I say this to thee goddess, I intend to once more set out on the morrow, and I would very much appreciate it if you were to give over the flute, and break the spell that has been cast upon those I am responsible for.¡±


    The lady of the isle in response to this heated statement on the part of the ferocious warrior, was to the consternation of both males turn a vivid shade of scarlet. In this she was to comport herself hardly all that differently from noble Gl?dwine, yet where they differed was in how she was to retaliate to his decision.


    ¡°To me my men! To me! Take him away! I would not have him here, to poison Gl?dwine against me, not when I¡¯ve waited a hundred lifetimes to at last have him herewith me!¡± Senuna screeched pointing to the child before her.


    It was not simply the servants who gripped Sigewulf, and tore him from Gl?dwine¡¯s side. But also guards that were dressed in hauberks, with the guards having arrived from the staircase just outside the main room where Senuna lived. The guards dressed in dark hauberks, were to come to a stop before the three people present therein the bedchambers, their faces hidden by large black helms.


    So stunned were Gl?dwine and Sigewulf by the sight of them that they could hardly keep from gaping. Neither of them, had quite prepared themselves for such a demonstration of force on the part of the goddess, who had hitherto never indicated that she might have armed guards in her service. Disdainful of violence and weapons, this display was one that neither of them had imagined her capable of, though they ought to have known better.


    Still Senuna was Senuna, and was hardly to desire bloodshed then, saying to her guards once more, ¡°Away with the child but do not harm Gl?dwine!¡±


    The guards knew their duty and did as bidden, hardly thinking even as Gl?dwine sought to interpose himself between they and the boy. His best efforts were all in vain, as he was soon transported elsewhere in the palace, away from the bedchambers by Senuna so that Sigewulf had no protector.


    The boy did not seek to remain idle, but rather attempted to flee from the guards who seized him within short order by the back of the neck. Thereupon they took him up into their arms, and bore him away far, far down below into the bowels of the palace to back to whence he came. It was hardly dark as night by the time he was deposited back amongst the other children. However, the notion that twilight in some manner had arrived was one that Sigewulf could hardly escape from, such was his despair at being seized and deposited there.


    ¡°Do not let him out of sight,¡± One of the guards growled in a cold voice that could have come from a necropolis to one of the servants, who shook and trembled.


    Quite where they came from few of the children really knew. Later, it was to be whispered to Lladriana who was to in turn whisper it to Sigewulf that these were the lost boys of the isle. That is to say that the elderly and female servants taken in, were raised to serve while the young men on the isle were turned into warriors and guards to serve Senuna. None were to ever father children or to in any way behave with any sort of independent thought, as such things were corrupt or so they were taught and hardly suited them. The young men¡¯s energies were thus redirected as they were made to also farm, and otherwise live apart from everyone else until such a time as they had completed their education that turned them into witless puppets of Senuna¡¯s will.


    It was a terrible fate, and one that Senuna had reserved for the likes of Sigewulf and even Eadburht and the other boys. It was a fate that the servants of the isle considered wholly natural so long had they abode upon the island. Yet it was one that Sigewulf was determined to avoid at any cost.


    Left unharmed, and without news for days, Sigewulf was to begin to suspect that there was more afoot than some scheme to turn him into a guard. But now that he knew that Senuna was near the summit of the palace as he had seen the stairs that led upwards to the chambers and been dragged down them, with nary any stairs leading further up and dragged along to the feast-hall where the other children were he knew his way back.


    The only difficulty was that he did not know what had become of Gl?dwine, or his father or Eadburht. He suspected that his father would help protect and take care of Eadburht, but still fretted about the other boy.


    ¡°It is up to me,¡± He told himself late one night, ¡°To make my way back to Gl?dwine to help care for him and find some means to escape from this place. I must!¡±


    The only question was how? The truth was that since the day he had been returned to the mead-hall to stay with all the other children, he had been carefully guarded and kept always within sight of one servant or another. Few now trusted him, and even fewer were willing to allow him to whisper to any of the other children without ensuring that someone was near to overhear.


    What little trust they had previously had for him, was evidently gone. It was therefore going to be considerably more difficult to scheme up some way to escape from this hall. Telling the other children was also incredibly difficult, as most still believed Senuna to be their benefactor and had thus come to disdain Sigewulf.


    It was their view that he had in some way sinned, and that this was why the servants no longer much liked him, so that they now ostracized him. Some of the boys might well have attempted to beat him, were it not for him pounding such notions out of their heads with his own two fists first.


    Only little Sunngifu still trailed after him, and was willing to be friendly and this had much to do with the fact that she was Eadburht¡¯s cousin, her father Sigeweard, was Gl?dwine¡¯s elder half-brother. Sigeweard had remained in Bretwealda on account of being the elder of the two siblings, and on being closer to Vengest, so that it was the younger sibling¡¯s duty to go fetch his wife and daughter from Valhol.


    It was as he sat on the eighth day by the window, eyes fixed on the landscape far below, ears perked and listening for the sound of the crashing waves that seemed resolved to rock the whole of the isle. Many were the sunrises and sunsets that those waves, had seen long before the arrival of their ships¡¯ crews and many were those that they were destined to see long after they had disappeared from the land, he mused as he stared out across the heavily forested islet. Interrupting his thoughts, Lladriana was to ask him, ¡°You always stare out to the forests these days, do not tell me you hope to leave soon with some of the other boys?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Sigewulf told her, ¡°I am no fool, I know what becomes of them once they are gone.¡±


    ¡°What does happen to them?¡± Sunngifu queried unaware of Sigewulf¡¯s suspicions.


    ¡°They are taken away to be taught to be guards,¡± Lladriana interrupted, causing the two of them to leap a little and turn to glance her way.


    The resplendent Nymph stood there dressed conservatively for one of her breed, which was for one thing to mean she was dressed at all. What was more was that she had taken it upon herself to wear a Stola, which was tied at the shoulders in the old Romalian custom, and wore her hair in a bundle atop her head. It was quite a mystery to Sigewulf why he suddenly felt shy in her presence, certainly she was pretty yet there was still a part of him that felt mistrustful of her.


    ¡°And what is it that happens to them?¡± Sunngifu asked, feeling no less shy given her own quieter tone.


    ¡°They are raised to be guards of the Lady Senuna,¡± Lladriana explained at once, favouring the six year old girl with a full-lipped and toothy grin that brought a smile to the girl¡¯s own lips. ¡°It happens that most do not remain ever the same, during their training.¡±


    ¡°How are they trained?¡±


    ¡°That I do not know, I know only that Boris who is the chief guard near the south-western outpost is the keeper of that knowledge, him and the others. Most of the guards though cannot speak, but seem to communicate in some other way,¡± Lladriana replied at some length with a shrug of her delicate shoulders.


    Frustrated, Sigewulf could not help but feel this information, this knowledge to mostly be superfluous. He could see that Sunngifu hardly felt the same being of the view that he was alone in wishing that this knowledge, could be of some use to their immediate predicament. That is to say, help them in escaping from the palace and curing everyone of the curse heaped upon them by Senuna via Circe¡¯s flute.


    The knowledge of where she kept it, was kept secret by Senuna who was far more cautious than the goddess from whom she had learnt so much of her arts from. It was something that had she known Lladriana, might well have told him, whereupon she shrugged. ¡°Naught to do, save enjoy life such as it is, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°Hardly,¡± Sigewulf snapped pondering about what his father might have said, ¡°We must find a way out from this place. We must also rescue those who have been turned into animals to slake Senuna¡¯s boundless appetites.¡±


    ¡°But how?¡± Lladriana asked sceptical, ¡°You are mortal, and could never match Senuna for power or wrath. One single attempt to counter her influence and she will simply turn thee into a rodent and quash you underfoot.¡±


    ¡°There must be some way to resist it!¡±


    ¡°There is, but I do not know it, the Elves across the waves might yet I do not,¡± Lladriana snapped impatiently, ¡°But you would need a boat to reach them, and the aid of the sea itself.¡±


    ¡°I must also meet with Gl?dwine,¡± Sigewulf retorted sharply unsure of how to accomplish such a deed.


    It was not until the following day that he was to discover the means, by which he might escape, to Senuna¡¯s private chambers. Most of the guards were to leave in a few days¡¯ time he discovered if briefly so, for the south-west if only to participate in a series of exercises with a fresh series of recruits into their ranks. The recruits in question had arrived hither, a number of years ago, when last a ship crashed onto the island¡¯s shores, so that the palace was to be bereft of a number of not only her guards but also her servants. It was for this reason that Sigewulf became excited for this particular occasion, it was not this however that gave him a glimmer of hope though.


    What happened was that for sport several of the Nereids threw themselves from the window down into the craggy cliffs below. This was done out of boredom all of a sudden, so that they burst into water down beneath them all. Quite how they began doing so, had to do with another of the children asking if they truly were made of water (he had heard so from one of the servants). To prove that they indeed were as much water, as they were humanoid creatures the Nereids decided in their strange whimsical manner, to turn this into a game.


    Observing them gave Sigewulf an idea. He would have to rely upon some sort of aid once more, in his scheme to escape Senuna¡¯s palace, which was how he arrived at the conclusion he had to trust Lladriana.


    When he next saw her the following day, she was dressed in a similar manner as when he had last seen her, except her hair was down and flowing all about her pale shoulders, as she brought him his lunch. ¡°Deer meat from the local forest, and fish,¡± she rolled her eyes when she saw his hesitant expression. ¡°Taken from the forest, it is not a transformed man or woman.¡±


    Devouring it with a great deal more eagerness, than he might have shown otherwise, Lladriana watched over him with a slight smile on her lips. Annoyed, he tried to ignore her for the longest time, until at last he could not do so. ¡°Why do you stare?¡±


    ¡°There is no reason, only that I wonder how long it shall be before you have become a man,¡± Lladriana remarked curiously. ¡°Time does not pass the same for us daughters of Pontus, as it does for you sons of men.¡±


    ¡°A few years yet,¡± Sigewulf snapped not liking being reminded of how he was still a child, when all he wished to do was grow up to become a man to fight by his father¡¯s side.


    ¡°A few years yet?¡± Lladriana said looking far away with a dreamy look, it was a strange expression one that heightened the loveliness of her face and that made her seem all the same, even younger and more alien than she already seemed. Snapping back to herself a few minutes later, she was to pull from a satchel girded to her belt, ¡°Gl?dwine will be different when you see him.¡±


    ¡°Different how?¡±


    ¡°Different, put this in wine if he seems strange and give it to him.¡± Lladriana told him briskly, suddenly serious where she was not before, or so he thought. ¡°Now that I have given you this magic bean, will you tell me thy plan o Sigewulf?¡±


    Sigewulf told her what he had conjured forth, thinking he had no other choice. Of course his plan was not wholly completed, but he gave no sign of the doubt that this lack of completion daunted him. Keen to project the sort of manly competence his father always did when thinking up some ruse, to slip out from a trap he told her what he had in mind.


    Wincing when it turned out that the most dangerous part might be played by her, Lladriana was to hesitate before agreeing to it. Seeing her fear, Sunngifu reprimanded Sigewulf saying to him, ¡°You ought not to have poor, sweet Lladriana do all the dangerous work, and prepare the ship for the escape! Besides one ship will not be enough for everyone to escape this place!¡±


    ¡°One ship might not be enough for everyone, but it should be enough for a small crew,¡± Sigewulf retorted evenly, irritated by her scolding.


    ¡°It is quite aright, I shall do this.¡± Lladriana agreed heavily, shivering already with fright, ¡°But I will choose the time and the date, you hear me O Sigewulf?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Milady,¡± He bit out against his will.


    ¡°Good,¡± Lladriana said with visible pleasure, only to say to him, ¡°But I will only assist on one condition.¡±


    ¡°And what will that be?¡± Sigewulf asked, his stomach sinking already.


    Lladriana answered with a small smile, one that was like a knife across her beautiful face. ¡°I shall decide upon it, when the time comes many years from now. But until that time comes, I shall endeavour to assist and support you in all things Sigewulf, if you will promise that when the time comes you will find me near the Lladriana-River in western Brittia.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Never you mind that, you shall do so when I call and at that time shall join me,¡± Lladriana replied with a distant look in her eyes. ¡°Because if I am to be banished from this place of joy, and to be bereft of milady, I would like my own palace of happiness¡­¡±


    There was naught to do, save wait for Lladriana to put in effect the plan he had confided in her, with the lady taking a great deal of time to do so. The Nereid waited until the second day that the guards were gone for, on account of the fact that she did not wish to risk a confrontation with Senuna. On account of her fear of the goddess, who had power even over the Nereids, she was thus afraid with good reason.


    It was later in the day when at last Lladriana began to put the plan into action. Doing so with great reluctance, so that Sigewulf began to doubt whether she would do so, given the unhappiness that had followed her as a trail of blood followed the children of Ealdwald.


    The first to take notice of the smoke though, was Sunngifu who noticed the stench first, ¡°What is that smell? Wait, smoke!¡±


    Startled, the servants who had hardly set foot in the kitchens since the Nereids had volunteered to do the cooking that day at the insistence of Lladriana, they were to gape and stare as a number of the Nymphs burst forth from the kitchens. Screaming as they ran, a great many complained plaintively at that moment, ¡°It is all the fault of Lladriana! She stuffed by accident cloth onto the fires!¡±


    What did not help was how a great many servants began to appear in the mead-hall to call for aid. ¡°Fire! Fire in the servant-quarters and in the east-wing!¡±


    This led to a great many more shrieks and shouts that resounded throughout the whole of the palace, as fire began to overtake all corners of the great building. Horror decorated every porcelain face and every greying one, as they all began to shriek for someone to do something forgetting in their panic the children.


    It was Lladriana who glancing to one side looked to Sigewulf first to ensure that he had begun to move. He had not, for fear of capture. Heaving a heavy sigh, Lladriana shouted at the top of her lungs, ¡°Away! Away we must go sisters for fire is our bane! Let us be away from this place, and leave the battle with the flames to the servants and to our mistress! Someone send for her!¡±


    ¡°But you are the goddesses, do something!¡±


    ¡°Yes, let us leap now to safety!¡± And so saying Lladriana leapt then from the window to presumed safety; turning herself into water before she struck the bottom.


    Nereids being the most vulnerable and feeble of the gods at least ordinarily, were hardly known for their valour, all those present taking fright as one of the eldest of their numbers leapt out the window were to follow after her example. ¡°We also shall go away to safety! To our father!¡±


    While the Nymphs fled, the servants panicked and shouted, ¡°Do not abandon us! You cannot abandon us!¡±


    Free from the watchful eye of a great many of the servants, if only for the moment, Sigewulf elated was to at last slip away. The halls were filled with a number of women, most of whom panicked and stricken knew not what to do. There had not been a fire started within the halls of the palace of Senuna in all the time they had been there so that none knew how best to deal with such danger. What was more, was that those men present were not in command, or were too young, to respond as swiftly as the guards might well have done. This along with Lladriana¡¯s panicked leap out the window had caused a great many of the Nereids to leap out the windows that they might all the swifter return to their home-rivers and take refuge.


    None paid him much mind, when he arrived at last at the foot of the stairwell that led upwards to the bedchambers of Senuna. Climbing the steps four at a time, Sigewulf very near came close to falling back down the way he had come, panting and heaving he was more than a little grateful to see the door loom before him, as he turned rightward.


    Throwing open the door, a moment later he was however overwhelmed with consternation such that Sigewulf came to an abrupt stop, near Gl?dwine. The older male was seated upon a collection of cushions, and upon closer examination to the confusion of the boy, he bore an almost sedate smile and hardly seemed to notice much of anything. There was a strange almost drunken manner to him, so that Sigewulf had no doubt that the man could hardly comprehend him. This along with the slurred speech bespoke of a great deal of drink, though the manner in which he bobbed and moved his head, did not seem at all reminiscent of any drunk that Sigewulf had ever set eyes upon.


    Confused and bewildered he was to hiss Gl?dwine¡¯s name several more times before he asked of him, ¡°What has Senuna done to you, Gl?dwine?¡±


    ¡°She has taken care of me,¡± Gl?dwine replied in a slurred sing-song voice, one that furthered the apprehension that had begun to unfurl within Sigewulf. ¡°She has given me wine, would you care for some wine Sigewulf?¡±


    Sigewulf was hardly to be tempted by such an offer so great was his disgust and suspicion of it. Looking from it to the sedated eyes of his friend, he knew at once what was to blame. Knew that it had to be something in the wine of Senuna that had diluted Gl?dwine¡¯s wits, drugged him and robbed him of his very self.


    It was however at this time that he recalled back to what Lladriana the Nereid had said to him. She had never agreed to take a rod for him, or for Gl?dwine to be robbed of his wits, and how she had given him a bottle containing honey. The honey she said would cure Gl?dwine of all that ailed him, wherefore Sigewulf took the wine-goblet and turned away that his friend might not see him cleanse the drugged wine of whatever drug inhabited it.


    Once he had he mixed in the wine, only to turn back and offer it back politely, ¡°Before I drink from it,¡± He said hoping to hide the gleam that entered his eyes, ¡°I would like you to drink first.¡±


    Though drugged and hardly able to think, this however struck Gl?dwine as odd, ¡°Why?¡±


    Struggling to find an excuse of some sort, Sigewulf¡¯s gaze however fell at that moment upon one of the tapestries of Odysseus. He did not then recognize the hero, for he did not know the man¡¯s stories, he only knew that the hero appeared at the start to the left, as a mendicant old man, and later massacred his enemies. Seeing the part of the tapestry where it was shown that the invaders of Odysseus¡¯ home were invaders was what gave him the idea.


    ¡°Because, I will only drink after you have done so.¡± Sigewulf told him, with rather more confidence than he felt then. ¡°It only seems polite to me, given thy higher rank to my own.¡±


    This still might have seemed odd to another man, yet not to one so heavily drugged as Gl?dwine was at that moment. Shrugging his shoulders he took up the goblet, wherefore he drank deeply.


    It took several minutes of him drinking, swallowing and then smacking his lips before the effect of the bean given by Lladriana took effect. The effect when it occurred was instantaneous. Gl?dwine¡¯s eyes which had been glazed suddenly cleared. Pleased by this transformation, Sigewulf was however startled when the man¡¯s expression twisted with rage and a great bellow was torn from his lips.


    ¡°That wench! I shall have her head, divine or no!¡± Gl?dwine burst out with such explosive fury that his entire frame shook.


    ¡°Gl?dwine, are you aright now?¡± Sigewulf queried timidly, though he knew the answer to that very obvious question.


    Frightened by the great roar that had been torn from the lips of his friend, he glanced over his should towards the doorway from whence he had come. The door remained closed, as he had shut it upon entry into the large bedchambers though now he regretted that he had not properly closed it. Of course, this concern was noticed by Gl?dwine who guessed what it was that worried him so, and quickly regained his wits.


    ¡°Did you forget, young Sigewulf Senuna can transport herself from one place to another without the use of doors, and move even our own persons from room to room without our consent,¡± Gl?dwine reminded him sharply. ¡°Never you mind the door!¡±


    ¡°How are we to escape if not through the door? Someone will have heard your road!¡± Sigewulf scolded him pointedly.


    ¡°We? No, Sigewulf you will escape now.¡± Gl?dwine replied at once, ¡°Tell me what has happened while I have been¡­ asleep, while we work.¡±


    It was on the tip of Sigewulf¡¯s tongue once more to argue with him, to vouch for the two of them to escape together however he saw no need to while remaining idle. Not while Gl?dwine had a plan for them to escape, and one that the clever commander of the fleet of Valhol ships¡¯ had already begun to put into motion.


    Aware that there was no other place to escape from, save the balcony which overlooked the sea and the land of Senuna, Gl?dwine had reached for the bed-sheets, the tapestries and drapes and even the cloth coverlets that covered the tables and the pillows.


    Working hurriedly, while Sigewulf informed him of what had happened, Gl?dwine soon within a few minutes had all the bits of cloth tied together into a makeshift rope, one which once secured, was tied all around Sigewulf¡¯s chest before he could so much as blink.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± He blurted out, while Gl?dwine glanced over his shoulder.


    ¡°You do not know this Sigewulf, however Senuna is never far from this place and may come and go as she pleases-¡±


    ¡°I know that!¡±


    Gl?dwine continued as though he had not been interrupted, ¡°And what is more is that she has my dear boy, the means to see all that happens here and all throughout her isle. The manner in which she does this is with a special pool of water herein her chambers, in the bath near here, so that she will have certainly heard the commotion as she brought a portion of that water away, just as she did so before in the past.¡±


    ¡°But still, you must come away with me!¡± Sigewulf hissed at him, as Gl?dwine helped him climb over the edge of the balcony that overlooked the fields down below.


    ¡°Once you have dropped, take this knife,¡± And he thrust the handle of a knife into the youth¡¯s hands, ¡°Sever the line and go down to the beach to where the ship, you have arranged for and fly, fly from this place!¡±


    ¡°But what of yourself?¡±


    ¡°I shan¡¯t leave quite yet,¡± Gl?dwine hissed at him, just as a strange sound akin to a bottle being uncorked was heard, and the sound of water flowing from a bottle followed thereafter.


    ¡°Why?¡± Sigewulf demanded frustrated, but it was just as Senuna¡¯s voice was heard that the cry of a baby could be heard from another room.


    Gl?dwine¡¯s face became pained, ¡°I cannot leave, not without Ealhswit!¡± Before Sigewulf could utter another word, the goddess called out and the worried warrior pushed him over the edge.


    The last thing Sigewulf saw of his friend was the angry face of Senuna and the back of Gl?dwine.

 Chapter VI: An Unexpected Rescue

    The journey across the straits that separated the isle of Senuna from the mainland was one that Sigewulf hardly enjoyed and that he accomplished only with the greatest amount of aid. Where did that aid come from? Why from the likes of Senuna strangely enough. The goddess had maintained from what he was quick to discover thanks to Gl?dwine¡¯s instructions before his escape, a single ship. Certainly he was young and perhaps too small to be attempting to traverse the seas that separated the islet, but with the aid of Bada this was no great challenge. And as to who might Bada be? He was one of the crewmembers from another of the ships, he had apparently suspected Senuna and had refused for this reason to go anywhere near the palace of Senuna.


    It was for this reason that he had kept his distance. It was he who happened upon Sigewulf before the boy had the chance to find the cavern in which the small ship was to be found. At first he had panicked when he had been swept out from the light of day and into the shadows, yet when he realized who it was that had seized him, and hearing him shush him whilst saying he had felt considerably more at ease. ¡°Silence boy! Else they will find you!¡±


    To his surprise at the time, a number of the guards of the islet had passed them by. Startled the youth had looked up once released, ¡°Bada, what are you doing still a man?¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Everyone else my father included have, all been turned into pigs!¡± Sigewulf told him, only to then realize the other man had previously been utterly unaware.


    ¡°I did not know, for I dared not venture forth,¡± Bada replied at once, if a little defensively his eyes wide with horror.


    Much as Sigewulf would have liked to condemn him for his cowardice, he knew this would have been unfair. He had fled himself from the guards of the palace, with the boy rather embarrassed when he was caught staring at one of the man¡¯s facial scars. Bada was a tall man almost six-feet three inches tall, not unlike Hroegar in this regard, however he was blonder in hair and beard with both neatly trimmed and with piercing blue-grey eyes not unlike a waiting storm. Dressed in the lightest armour one could find, he wore them easily and was easily twice the bulk of most men, though it was all muscle from what Sigewulf had observed. The man had however three scars on his face; one ran across his left brow near to the eye along his cheekbone, the second ran across his forehead and stopped near to the first one and the third scar ran along his right cheekbone. That last scar stopped near his upper lip and near to his right nostril and was partly covered by his short if thick beard.


    There was an air of suspiciousness and desperation that hung about Bada, so that he had never seemed particularly likable to a lot of the children. Many of whom liked to pursue him and taunt him for some reason, mostly for his scars and for cowardice as he was rumoured to have fled thrice from battle. One of those times being fairly recently from the Elves of the forests over in on the mainland just before their arrival on Senuna¡¯s islet.


    The man had shown him the cavern where he had lived over the past year, after they exchanged stories; of their survival revealed he had been planning his own escape. Eager to get away from the goddess Senuna, he was to be swept up by the mood when he was shown where the small ship was to be found, ¡°Oh such a wonderful discovery! Let us be away from this wretched place!¡±


    It was at this time that Sigewulf began to dream. What did he dream of in the middle of the day and while still awake? He dreamt at that moment, of nothing less than the possibility of finding aid to rescue his beloved father, and all the others who had been captured by Senuna.


    Maybe it was that he might find only despair thereupon the coast, a part of him despairing of the darkness he had seen there the last time he had visited that place. It was the only place they could go for the moment, with Sigewulf hopeful that the coast was not being guarded. Certainly, it had been more than a year since last he had journeyed there.


    He was also concerned that they might meet with a storm such as that which very nearly knocked their ships down into the bottom of the sea. Thinking upon it, he wondered what he might do to stop the wicked goddess from finishing what she had begun, and devouring those she had already turned into beasts.


    O please o gods, please Wotan protect them, do protect and shield them and if you are not the god for this please intercede on their behalf with the correct god who might have influence over our fates, Sigewulf was to pray if only deep within himself. He was later to repeat this prayer later that night when at last they made landfall.


    Terrified of what might await him, he was to lose himself to his brooding and pondering what he might do were he to lose his beloved father? Sigewulf did not wish to even consider this possibility and yet there was a small voice deep within his being that whispered that he was already too late. Anxious, he only grew ever more worried and stricken at the thought of what he might have already lost, and what lay upon the horizon.


    *****


    His mind was wrenched however from memories of the prior day by the ship lurching from side to side, with Sigewulf very nearly knocked overboard. Curses flowed from Bada¡¯s lips as loosely as might blood from a fish stabbed by a pike.


    At any other time Sigewulf might well have chortled or grinned, as cursing was rapidly becoming something he was well accustomed to in men. It seemed to be the adult¡¯s tongue he mused to himself, as he considered the man seated to the front of the ship. It was their way just as it was the way of children to bully and push one another to greater feats of madness.


    It was vastly preferable he also thought to the slyness and pettiness of the women in Senuna¡¯s service or those girls who had taken the higher rank over all others, among those children kept in her halls. ¡°What is the matter?¡±


    His query won him a sidelong glance from the corner of the man¡¯s eyes as he looked up from the bottom of the ship before him to look back at the boy. ¡°It would appear we have a hole in the bottom of the ship.¡±


    ¡°What? How will we survive such a disaster?¡± Sigewulf begged stricken at the news that there was a hole in the ship.


    ¡°Never fear, the hole is still small,¡± Bada retorted calmly, adding with a serenity that the boy could only envy. ¡°I was born at sea, and know all that one need know about them, and therefore can say to you with all the certainty in the world that we shall not sink at once into the sea below.¡±


    ¡°But still-¡±


    ¡°Naught shall happen, if you cease tarrying and move hither to help me plug the hole,¡± Bada growled at the boy impatiently.


    The boy needed no further prompting, moving around the older male who pressed himself to the other side of the boat. Reluctant to move about the boat, he was however to swallow his reticence so that he struggled not only physically to move about, but to do so in spirit. His spirit wavering with every lurch of the ship and every millimetre that he moved away from the isle of Senuna, such was the terror that continued to grip him by the throat. Suddenly he missed not only his father, but more than Hroegar; he missed his elder brother and sister. They always knew what to say, what to do to comfort him.


    Comfort when he thought of it, was something his father had always been quick to offer. That is to say in the days prior to the deaths of the eldest children of Hroegar, so that Sigewulf missed his father of old. The man who had told him he had to be strong when his mother had died, but had also patted him upon the head as they stared into the hearth-fire. The man, who had held him as he wept and never said a word, only stroked the back of his head as he held him. It was that man also who had also taught him boisterously and happily how to trap a rabbit, and how to skin it. It had not been an experience that Sigewulf had wished to do, as he had pitied the hare and yet seeing the proud face of his father had made it worth it.


    ¡°I know it is neither easy, nor does it at first feel right to slay and skin such a thing. Yet with time, you will see my son that it is right, and proper so take heart.¡± Hroegar murmured as he had wiped at his tears with his thumb, ¡°So wipe away these disgraceful tears, wipe them away and cast them from your heart, as your brother and I had to, and your grandfather before us did. There is no shame in crying the first time, there is only shame in repeated tears every other time.¡±


    And yet he had never cast shame nor ridiculed him for crying the third or fourth time. It was the fifth time when the youth failed to cry that Hroegar had praised him.


    That man though had been replaced by one who never expressed his joy, who never comforted him and never had much more than a grunt to offer. It often felt to Sigewulf as though the father he had revered so, and loved and honoured for so many years, had disappeared and in his place was a figure with his face, whom he did not recognize.


    Tearing his thoughts from the memory of the past, he once more turned away from them to confront the present. The present was not at all half as beautiful as the past, yet merited no less the same attention he told himself, remembering this piece of wisdom from his late brother.


    Struggling to draw out the water with the bucket that the older male gave him, and throw it out over the side, Sigewulf sweating and panting soon felt his muscles screaming out at him. He wished he could say that he lasted quite some time, before he began cursing and longing for it to be over, yet he could not.


    How could this happen, he asked himself. How could the water keep on tearing its way through the small hole? It seemed the more he threw it over the side, the more it poured into the boat. The more he found that water seemed to leak in, and the larger the hole became.


    ¡°How is this hole growing?¡±


    ¡°The wood is utterly rotted through,¡± Bada realized with a flash of horror in his voice and eyes.


    His words struck the boy with all the force of a club to the gut, knocking the wind out from his lungs even as the wind was torn from the ship¡¯s only sail, so that it began to slow still further still some distance from the shore. The ship that they had struggled to keep level above the sea soon drew near enough to land, for Sigewulf to say, ¡°I think we should swim.¡±


    ¡°But what of the ship?¡± Bada asked of him surprised.


    ¡°It is already failing us, we are fortunate to have made it so far with it.¡± He retorted sharply at the sailor who glaring at him took several minutes to ponder his words.


    The man did not like his suggestion, at all. Nor did he like the idea of taking orders from a child, never an easy thing for any man to do. He might well have argued were it not for the boat jerking from side to side and the water seeping even more into the boat, so that they were now all of a sudden up to their knees in it.


    Gaping down at the water that continued to enter and pour into the boat, as the hole continued to widen and the old, rotted wood that formed the base of the boat gave ever more way. It took several seconds ere either of them could gain some measure of mastery over themselves. Neither one of them wished to jump overboard, despite the knowledge that it was absolutely necessary for them to do so.


    It happened though that Sigewulf was to prove himself the braver of the two, as he leapt out into the sea first out of the two of them. Bada for his part, forever shamed by this act on the youth¡¯s part was to throw himself forward with a greater and infinitely louder curse than that uttered by the child.


    Both of them had been taught since birth to swim. It was natural for those born in the lands of the Valhol to do so. They were among the most northerly of the lands from whence they came from. It was for this reason that it was their first instinct, just as it was their view that they ought to take matters into their own hands.


    Fighting against the sea was a battle that both had considerable amounts of experience with, if only as a kind of a pass-time. In this situation though, it was a battle of life and death. A battle that though it might not have seemed all that great an obstacle so to speak for the likes of Bada however for the likes of Sigewulf it was one of the most difficult he had ever encountered. A small child, he had not the arm-length or the leg-strength that an adult man or even a slightly older child might well have possessed. So that for him this battle, was one that he soon began to find too great a challenge for him.


    As far as he pushed himself forward, as much as he might wish to advance he found that for all his efforts he could not swim swiftly enough to reach the shore.


    ¡°Sigewulf, I have you, never fear!¡± Bada called out as he seized a hold of the boy. Crying out, he added almost at once, when the child began to panic when he seized hold of him, ¡°Wait! Hold there is no reason to panic!¡±


    Somehow though, the thin man who had helped him to make it so far from the islet of Senuna, pushed them both by


    The forest loomed large as it had nigh on a year prior. It was with more than a little trepidation that Sigewulf eyed the forest. The trees of this particular place rising high as ever, without a single one of them having been disturbed since last he saw them. Each tree was covered in a great many green leaves that were considerably bigger than Sigewulf¡¯s hands. The trees¡¯ branches hanging high overhead as the wind whistled through and about them not unlike a menacing vulture in mid-flight.


    Quite why he had thought to return hither to this place, even he did not quite know only that he had been told to find aid. This notion was one that had come suddenly to him, along with the memory of how Gl?dwine had remarked that the Elves were the finest archers in the world.


    ¡°We should not tread further into this place,¡± remarked Bada in a hushed voice, genuinely alarmed by the sight of the dark forest.


    Sigewulf glanced in his direction. ¡°No we should not.¡±


    Yet still he made to move forward thither, into the woods to the alarm of Bada, who seized him by the arm. ¡°What are you thinking boy? This place is cursed! Did you already forget how they fired upon us with their arrows?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then why do you advance to yon woods?¡±


    ¡°Because, they are mighty and magical, and therefore may know or understand the goddess Senuna better than you or I,¡± Sigewulf replied at once, speaking not from his mind but from somewhere deep within his being.


    ¡°They will kill us, they are dangerous!¡±


    ¡°As are all men and creatures of the earth that are strong and magical,¡± Sigewulf replied quoting now something that Gl?dwine had once told him whilst aboard their ship.


    Paying him no further heed, the boy marched on towards the forest while the sailor stared on after him in alarmed consternation. Pondering the situation over, with several repeated glances back and forth from the sea to further on in the forest.


    To his mind the trees loomed higher than they had nigh on a year before, mightier and even more glacial than ever before so that he questioned the wisdom of returning to this place. The boy had lost his wits, he told himself.


    The trouble was; how to convince him that he had? And where was he to go? The forest seemed to cover the whole of the land, and the only way to go anywhere was by sea not that they had a boat. And if they began knocking trees down with the axe he had brought with him, they would risk the ire of the local Elves.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    How did it come to this? How did I come to attract the rage of Wotan and the other gods? Bada asked himself internally hardly able to believe the misfortune that had befallen him.


    It was only then that he took notice of the fact that the boy had already thrown himself into the forest, with nary a glance behind him.


    Hardly glancing behind him, he charged forward into the forest, he did not yell at once, but rather chose to wait to do so until he had trodden further into the forest.


    It was as he saw the boy take leave of him that panic spread into Bada¡¯s heart so that he raced after the boy, and made to seize him. ¡°What do you think you are doing boy? Have you gone daft?¡±


    ¡°No, but I do know that they are not evil and that- I think you should hideaway behind this tree!¡± It was a good thing that Sigewulf spoke up then. Otherwise poor Bada who had instinctively made to do as he was bidden might well have lost his head as an arrow flew through the air in the direction of where his head had previously been.


    Terrified by this, he was to let loose a shrill cry and with one desperate act attempted to pull the boy behind the tree if only to shield him there.


    Quick as his good-hearted actions were, they were not nearly as swift as those of the boy who cried out to those who slunk in the trees above. ¡°Wait! Wait! Bada meant no harm! He is good and true, it is only that we need aid!¡±


    Another arrow fluttered through the air, this time a short distance above the boy¡¯s head. The message was a very obvious one; he was to leave the woods.


    Sigewulf though would not be dissuaded as he cried out, ¡°Wait! Do hear us out, we have need of help, for you alone can aid us against Senuna! She has taken all those we love, including my father and valiant Gl?dwine and all the children!¡±


    The Elves when at last they appeared did so quietly. Such was the stealth with which they appeared that neither of the two of them saw them until it was too late. Though they did not let loose a volley of arrows, they pounced with all the stealth of jungle-cats, striking from the shadows with such ferocity that both Bada and Sigewulf could only blink as one second they were on their feet and the next they were held firmly against the ground.


    The cry that was torn from the boy¡¯s throat startled the Elves, who stared down upon him for quite some time.


    Allowed several minutes to once more catch his breath that he might beg for his and Bada¡¯s life, the youth pleaded. ¡°Please, do not slay us.¡± When the Elves remained silent and instead made to notch their arrows, he added, ¡°We come from the isle of Senuna we need help! We did not know whither to go or who else to turn to!¡±


    Startled the Elves stared once more.


    Neither the man full grown nor the boy quite knew what to make of their peculiar reactions. It was with a start that they heard the sound of whispers as the Elves communicated among themselves. Confused they could only wait as their captors made up their minds, as to what to do with them.


    ¡°Did you say Senuna?¡± One of their number asked of them sharply, in the Valhol tongue.


    ¡°Wait you speak our tongue?¡± Bada asked of them.


    ¡°Yes indeed, we have had dealings with your people before, as they have travelled across our lands,¡± one of the Elves snapped back with no less venom than before. This one though caught the attention of the boy and the man, with the two staring at him.


    He was taller than the rest, being a good foot taller than the other Wilder-Elves. His hair was also darker as were his burning, glowing eyes and his ears slightly longer surpassing the great knot at the back of his back in which his hair was braided into. His face was like all Elvish face completely without hair on its chin and cheeks, with his eyebrows thick and powerful and his jaw-line a mighty one. His arms were bared and muscular, in the same manner as that of Hroegar and his clothes consisted of a simple if well-woven green tunic and dark trousers and still darker deer-skinned boots.


    ¡°I am Pellas,¡± he said just before he sent several of his brothers as he called them (though they bore little resemblance to him), to go, ¡°-find the rest of our tribe, all four hundred of them. If it is indeed true that Senuna is once more causing trouble as she once did hundreds of years ago, then we will have need of all our warriors.¡±


    ¡°You will really help us?¡± Sigewulf asked eagerly.


    ¡°Patience, young one, first tells us this tale of yours, and then we shall decide whether we will aid you against her¡­ or kill you ourselves, that is if we find you to be lying about this matter.¡±


    *****


    When at last the Elves finished their rapt listening to the tale of the youth, they did not react as Bada feared they might, and skinned them alive. To the contrary, it seemed that they were sincerely and genuinely indignant at the comportment of the goddess, Senuna. Their expressions shifted from that of amusement to anger. Truly they may not have been terribly fond of those who had invaded their forest almost a year prior, however despite these sentiments they could no more stomach Senuna¡¯s behaviour than they could the desecration of their forests.


    And so it was that the leader of their hunters, Pellas having previously remained silent throughout their tale, spoke up at last. ¡°This news grieves us, for we well knew that Senuna was indeed still alive however we had hoped that she had learnt from Circe¡¯s mistakes.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean you will help us?¡± Sigewulf asked hopefully.


    It was now that Pellas hesitated. He by all rights lacked the authority to make such a decision. It ought to have been left in the hands of his chieftain, to determine the matter, however a great number of the Elves began then to cheer. It was thus; with more than a little surprise that the boy took note of the fire that was to spark to life in the glowing eyes of more than one of the Elves.


    ¡°My brothers; we have here the request for aid from a child, one who has lost kith and kin. We the chieftains of Gaullas, face once more a difficult choice; the previous time we aided men it was the sons of Roma who in more recent times turned in upon themselves, and have since disappeared from the earth, save for slivers of their civilizations here and there.¡± Pellas said in his deep voice that resonated throughout the forest.


    ¡°Yes, and look at what is left of our own people,¡± countered one of the Elves in the same tongue as that used by the two Valhols¡¯ to communicate with them.


    ¡°Indeed, and that is entirely thanks to our alliance with Roma, which saw to our protection from many of our enemies.¡± Pellas retorted adding for good measure, ¡°We also if the memory of Roma does not remain, took an oath to ensure that Senuna will never commit such crimes again.¡±


    His words left quite the effect upon a number of the other Elves.


    Confused, by his words Sigewulf asked him for further clarification, ¡°Does this mean that you will help us?¡±


    The Elves were to study him with long, searching stares, whereupon the formidable Pellas spoke up, ¡°We shall bring the matter to our chieftain.¡± When the boy made to follow he held up a hand, ¡°You and your friend will remain here, to wait for us here.¡±


    The Elves departed, and were to be away for a brief period of time. So brief was the period that they were away for that Sigewulf who had seated himself by a tree had just begun to doze off when he was shaken by the newly returned Pellas.


    Exhausted after a day full of lengthy travel across the sea and trying to argue his case before the Elves, Sigewulf could blink in relief as Pellas informed him, ¡°Our chief has spoken.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± Bada asked with bated breath.


    ¡°We will aid you.¡± Pellas informed them, to their immense relief as he smiled down at them.


    *****


    And so it was that the Elves of the mysterious westernmost lands of North-Agenor, tore from their hidden places, their boats. None of these were particularly large ships, so that they were built for short trips, yet there were a few longer than the rest. It was upon these slightly longer vessels that they traveled across he waves, cutting through them to reach Senuna¡¯s islet. Leaping down from the ships, the hundreds of Elves all armed with their Elf-Steel swords, bows and spears they were to make for the high hills upon which the road to the palace sat. It was with the aid of this road that one could reach the great palace of the goddess.


    It was upon this road that they journeyed, upon this road that they journeyed. They arrived thither before the palace, spears, bows and swords all glimmering in the moonlight, for ¡®twas night when they arrived yonder. It was with the aid of a hook, and a great rope that one of their own slipped inside and opened the gates.


    Once inside, the men-folk of the Elves threw themselves forward blades sundering through flesh and bone. Theirs was not the honourable killing of warriors who meet upon the battle field, as had happened between Hroegar and the Wonder of Valhol, in days past. This was the ruthless killing of those who knew themselves to be outnumbered, and who had long grown weary of the cruelty, the ruthlessness and the savagery of that which they had dealings with. Certainly in those days many were the gods and goddesses who comported themselves badly, yet time and again they had been given pity and mercy, so that they might better their ways. It was said that a great many had, yet still there were those who refused.


    It was for this reason that when at last awoke the house of Senuna to the danger that stalked their halls there was at first horror, then a great wail that arose throughout the house. The Elves of this particular tribe, though ordinarily merciful in the view of Sigewulf, showed little of this virtue to their enemies. It was in their view unacceptable.


    Pity could not be shown to the servants of the Senuna, Pellas was to proclaim as the Elves went from room to room, beheading and running through each and every servant, every sleeping, drunken guard and eviscerating each of those they came across. It was as though a great tide of death had washed over the castle, never to be completely removed from them.


    It was as they poured into the rooms of the Nereids, and other Nymphs, slaughtering guards and servants that Sigewulf reminded his friends, ¡°Remember! Do not harm them, for it was Lladriana who rescued me!¡±


    ¡°Of course, never fear young Sigewulf,¡± Pellas agreed at once, adding with a glance into one of the bedchambers, ¡°We cannot slay them, harm them perhaps yet our steel is not true steel. It bears no relation whatsoever to the steel made by the gods or of dragon-scales or bones, and therefore can no more slay a goddess or Nymph than we could pluck the moon from the sky.¡±


    Reassured if only slightly, Sigewulf still insisted that no harm was to come to Lladriana whom was soon brought before him, having been caught unawares. The maiden was dressed only in a simple gown and was thrown at the feet of Pellas who looked on her with suspicious eyes.


    The Nereid frightened looked all about her, fearful of the Elves who bore upon their armour, their blades the blood of many of those she had lived with for many years. It was only when her gaze met that of Sigewulf that she seemed to relax and showed some relief.


    Currently in the middle of one of the hallways near the atrium, there were more than twenty Elves present, who glared with dark glowing eyes at the Nereid. Few if they were not constrained by nature¡¯s laws would have shown mercy, if they were able to deny her it that is. Aware of this and to whom she owed her survival, the astonished water-spirit bowed her head in thanks to them.


    ¡°I see that I owe you a debt Sigewulf,¡± Lladriana remarked only to add with a great deal of warmth, ¡°I also see that when I chose to bind myself to thee, I chose wisely.¡±


    This statement drew a number of stares from the warriors who stood all about Sigewulf, who flushed scarlet. He felt embarrassed as though he had been teased about his affection for his mother or sister, and yet this felt different. It was more pointed, for reasons that escaped him.


    The warmth with which the young Nereid looked on him with was not only remarkable, but also very much a unique thing so that Sigewulf had the suspicion that the fondness with which she regarded him with thenceforth was for him and him alone.


    ¡°Erm, thank you and where is my father and the other sailors and people from Valhol?¡± Sigewulf asked of her.


    ¡°They should still be down near the farms to the south-west, some are in the courtyard outside past the west-gates, they will not be hard to find.¡± Lladriana replied at once, only to glance fearfully over her shoulder towards the stairs that led up to Senuna¡¯s bedchambers. ¡°If I may, could I be permitted to depart from this place? I should prefer not be present when Senuna realizes that it is I who betrayed her.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Sigewulf agreed at once, on behalf of the Elves who withdrew a few steps to murmur among themselves.


    Pellas amused and hardly interested in punishing the Nereid, was to remark, ¡°On condition Lladriana that should we ever


    When at last they came into the bedchambers of the goddess it was to find her already awake, and her flute in hand. That terrible tool she had seized, which had enabled her to follow in her terrible mentor, Circe¡¯s footsteps in her oppression and horrific crimes against the race of men. Seeing it filled Sigewulf with fright so that he very nearly turned to flee, he had nary enough time to utter a warning to his guards.


    To his astonishment though, not only did they not shrink away but stared defiantly at the equally shocked goddess. His lip curling with disgust, Pellas said to her with visible disdain, ¡°Milady if I may lay down the flute else we will have need to resort to more extreme actions.¡±


    The goddess to her credit continued to attempt to transform them into beasts to no avail, which served only to further her despair.


    Unaffected by her witchcraft, they pressed forward torches in hand, and eyes aglow with fury hewing apart the flute with a simple flick of one of their swords, breaking the spell she had cast upon the interlopers onto her island forever. It was with a shriek as Pellas¡¯s blade sliced through the bronze instrument and as she leapt back that Senuna was dealt her greatest moment of humiliation.


    ¡°You cannot do this to me! I am a goddess, of the line of Pontus whereas you- you are but mere Elves!¡± She shouted furiously.


    ¡°Milady, with due respect you have defiled those who have come to your island, and plundered their wealth unjustly when we on our last visit warned against such actions. Now we have come to mete out the justice of thy own ancestor, who forbade such practices as those you have given yourself over to; violating mortal men and turning others into pig that you might devour them is against the oaths sworn by the gods. Need we remind thee of how might Roma take such violations when she becomes aware of them?¡± Pellas snapped menacingly to the goddess who shrank back, terrified.


    Whimpering she was to offer no further counters or arguments. She was defeated, this much even Sigewulf could tell.


    Paying her no further mind as Pellas doled out his conditions for her and her islet¡¯s submission, Sigewulf let out a great cry when he discovered Gl?dwine to one side. The middle-aged hero lay on one of the sofas, visibly discombobulated as he had been before, the last time Sigewulf had seen him. At present though he blinked his eyes and seemed to only at present become aware of himself, and of the world around him.


    Confused he glanced about and struggled to his feet, staring at the Elves in visible bewilderment, ¡°Sigewulf what-?¡±


    ¡°It is alright Gl?dwine, you are among friends now!¡± Sigewulf assured him eagerly.


    ¡°Friends? Friends who have the courage to thrust bloodied blades against the face of a goddess I see,¡± Gl?dwine remarked visibly amused only for his humour to dissipate as he exclaimed, ¡°Wait, who does that blood belong to? What of Ealhswit?¡±


    ¡°Ealhswit?¡± Pellas asked suspiciously.


    No sooner had he spoken than Gl?dwine plunged forward to the same room connected to the large chamber that he had gone to the previous time they had spoken. Once more there was the sound of the baby¡¯s cries, with the Elves staring in stunned amazement. Evidently they had not known that the goddess had birthed the man¡¯s daughter, with several of them turning to stare at first at Sigewulf who squirmed having forgotten this detail himself.


    It was only as they turned once more to study the goddess who glanced from them to the Valhol, who held her daughter that they at last decided upon her punishment. ¡°You who have stolen away the children of thousands, and abused them and devoured the flesh of men, ought now to face a similar punishment as that which thou hast inflicted upon others.¡± Pellas pronounced with a glance towards Gl?dwine as to Sigewulf. ¡°Just as we Elves do not believe in the slaying of children, we can neither inflict a direct punishment upon a mother before her child. Therefore, we shall ask of the wronged parties present herewith us to-day; what say you to the division of mother from child? It is a wrong yea, however is it any lesser than her own similar misdeeds?¡±


    ¡°No! You cannot take my child, my baby from me!¡± Senuna exclaimed in horror, her face twisting with grief.


    ¡°What say you Gl?dwine the Sea-Master?¡± Pellas inquired ignoring the goddess entirely, then when she made to leap forward, he once more pressed to her cheek the bloodied blade he held. ¡°Do not move goddess, lest we scar your person even if temporarily with these fay-blades of ours!¡±


    Once more properly subdued, the goddess turned her pleading gaze to Gl?dwine, who head bowed, eyes on the child in his arms took some time before he answered. Certainly, he might have been expected to return her stare, however his gaze moved not to her, but rather to the boy whom he had saved but a few days prior. Studying him for some time, he eventually nodded his head.


    *****


    It happened that after the palace was seized in its entirety that it was discovered that all those who had been transformed into beasts were restored to their proper form. Hardly surprised by this, Pellas and his people revealed that they had long expected this, as the flute was the ¡®container¡¯ or the ¡®bottle¡¯ within which the magic that had transformed men into beasts resided. ¡°Once destroyed,¡± they explained, ¡°all those affected by its spell returned to as they were.¡±


    It was thus with immense relief that children were reunited with their parents, each of them having been distressed and frightened the morning after the attack, to find their previous ¡®guardians¡¯ slain and the bloodied corpses being tossed into the sea, and all travel outside their rooms restricted by the imposing Elves. That is until the parents had returned, to reclaim their infants.


    An isolationist people, once they had observed how the surviving Valhols mistrusted them, they swore to take their leave, and to the amazement of the newly restored parents this is what they did within hours of their conquest of the palace.


    ¡°The power of Senuna is broken, she cannot turn you into animals anymore, for this reason we shall return to our home.¡± Pellas told them, thereupon the sward where they had but a few hours prior docked their ships.


    Startled at how quickly they had elected to take their leave, Sigewulf and Gl?dwine sought to plead with them. ¡°Will you not join us?¡± the former asked.


    ¡°Yes, indeed we could use your assistance on Bretwealda, I am certain my lord would be more than happy to receive you into his service.¡±


    ¡°No Gl?dwine, we must return to the forests that spawned us, as we have little in the way of interest in conquest, especially of a land such as that of Bretwealda which has little to interest us south of Kadrianus¡¯ wall,¡± Pellas retorted with a shake of his dark-haired head.


    ¡°Pah, we are better without ye,¡± Hroegar grunted with more than a little disdain in his voice, the arrows they had used against him and the flames he had ignited hardly forgotten even after a year so that his coldness was returned.


    Sigewulf resisted a sigh of exasperation. Much as he revered his father, the man had hardly greeted him with much more than a swift inspection to look for injuries, then a curt nod before he had hand going to his newly reclaimed axe, glowered at the Elves. It was evident then as it was now that they stood on the shore, he had little in the way of interest in Pellas or his people.


    A sentiment that was returned, as the Elf turned from him to the man¡¯s son, saying as he did so, ¡°Sigewulf, if there is ever a need again do not be afraid to call upon us, as we shall doubtless someday do with yourself and beware of those Nymphs you have met. They may not always be quite so friendly as one might think, as tragedy often hounds them whithersoever they go.¡±


    Speaking no more to them, Pellas chief hunter of his people turned to go, taking to the ships that had carried them there. This after they had exchanged some measure of gifts, directions and had sworn shared oaths of friendship.


    Though Hroegar stared after them with unmitigated coldness, Sigewulf followed their ships until they had disappeared from sight. It was to be Gl?dwine though who was to turn away with a small smile, ¡°Let us now be away to our own ships that we might rebuild what we must and repair what was must. We have tarried too long upon this wretched islet, and must now be away to Bretwealda, and our new home there!¡±

 The Great Replacement of the Brittians

    The waves crashed against the shore with a fierceness that had not dulled in their more than million years of life. The shore had hardly dulled or retreated either, to give the enemy of the sea her due. To the contrary the shoreline seemed to have to her eyes only grown, so that it menaced now the quay with ever more water, she thought with a small smile. The rain had not helped she knew, as it tended to pour down upon the Lordly-Isle with ever increasing fury. An island is a land where no man may rest easy, her father the former lord of Nairlam had always loved to say.


    ¡°A man who rests easy is a man after all, who lacks not only fear but also knowledge,¡± he would say to any who might listen, ¡°It is why, men of this island are constantly battered by storms. The storms that batter us do not weaken us but strengthen us.¡±


    He had had many proverbs, and many sayings that he had passed down to her, as he had had no other children. He had fathered a number of sons and daughters, yet none save she had reached adulthood.


    The memory of him was never far from her memory whenever she visited Auldchester. He had walked those very halls many times for he had been one of the most formidable warriors in Brittia. So much so that he had won for himself the approval of the Romalians, who had esteemed him enough to grant him proconsular authority over the lands and tribes of Norlion that he might help lead excursions into the northern lands. He had also aided in the reorganizing of the northern forces so that the Romalians could rest easy, and concentrate upon taming Cymru and Ergyng which had begun to be colonized by ¨¦rians and become a hot-bed of rebellions.


    This dual problem of ¨¦rian pirates and colonists, combined with the residents of the western hinterlands rebelling and throwing out their regional governors. It was entirely the fault of the Romalians, she told herself resentfully, what use were they if they could not guarantee the stability of the realm in those regions where they had pushed the most recalcitrant and violent of the Bretwealdan tribes.


    Pushing these thoughts from her mind, as she followed after her husband Judica?l, himself a tall blond haired man of some forty years, with grey eyes and a long beard. He was muscular, and with a hesitant streak that while it had guaranteed him the favour of her father, had yet to wholly win over a great many of those who populated the vast estates and lands of Judica?l. His father had been a formidable giant of a man, with a robust air about him, a loud laugh and a steely edge honed to a fine point by years of military service to the Romalian governors of Brittia.


    Alana could not quite put her finger upon why the castle felt different. It was the same stone building built so long ago by the Romalians with wooden extensions and three stone towers that she had played in as a young girl. She had visited it a number of times in her girlhood, though she had not realized it then but she was a hostage.


    Now at the age of twenty-four almost twenty years after she first stepped foot into the hallowed halls of Auldchester, here she was again. This time though, the happy memories of the reign of King Llyr II were wiped away. How had they been erased? By a storming of the fortresses of Britannica? Or was it by a thousand arrow-wounds? No, it was none of these things that had seen the realm of Roparzh II¡¯s great kingdom and preserved in some form by the Romalians changed.


    It was the Valhols. They had arrived at first as little as five hundred men at the start, with those men having arrived nigh on a century prior. Arriving as Foederati they had swiftly proven their quality as warriors in a number of battles in the north of the Lordly-Island. Afterwards they had returned home, only for their descendants to return seventy years later, this time under the command of Botwulf who fought well for Maximus for a full decade. This barbarian commander had of course died in the midst of another war against those from the north as the Pechs had begun to use ¨¦rian ships to circumnavigate the Wall of Kadrianus. This had increased the frequency of attacks, with some Pechs even somehow managing to assail the Great Wall and to overtake some parts of it, due to how most of the Romalians had retreated from the Lordly-Isle.


    It was because of this departure that the native people of Brittia were now defenceless. Her tribes without protectors save for the most token of defences in the shape of a great wall and three Legios composed each of six-thousand men save for that of Legio XII Bretwealdas which had declined to a mere two thousand men. This decline was as much on account of an inability to find recruits as it was from a great many losses suffered over the course of the great wars and skirmishes with the Pechs.


    It was with a great deal of disconcertment more than six years prior that the nobility of Romalian Brittia that they had heard of how Vyrtgeorn had slaughtered a great many of the men of Legio XII. Quite why was still not entirely evident to Alana, who wondered if it had something to do with the King¡¯s passionate dislike for Roma. A dislike she never could quite divine the cause of, and lacked the nerve to ever ask him.


    It was as they neared the end of the long fifteen meter long winding hallway within the old Romalian estate that husband and wife came to a halt near the windows. At present they were on the fourth of the seven floors of the building, with the two in the east wing where they had through the openings (which lacked curtains of any sort) able to discern down in the quay a number of ships beginning to pull into the harbour. They were the same sort of large long-ships twenty meters long that the likes of Vengest and Witta had arrived hither in. Both husband and wife stopped short as firmly as all the people of the city of Auldminster did, for none had seen so many ships in a long time; there had to be forty ships!


    It had been only a year since twenty of the same sort had arrived, carrying more reinforcements and now there were forty, Alana thought her mouth gaping open. How was Brittia to hold them all? House them all? It was beyond all reason she thought, it was pure madness if Vyrtgeorn truly believed the Valhols¡¯ presence to be in the best interest of the kingdom.


    Where they were few nigh on a century prior, all had changed. They were still few a mere fifteen years before. Then they had come merely as warriors, with some of those men taking on Brittian wives, or even Cymran ones, with one or two having even stolen away women from the Pechs. Few had brought any women with them at that time, and none had brought with them any sons¡¯ fifteen years prior.


    And now they were everywhere. Not simply in the fields and in the keeps, but everywhere in the castle, numbering by the thousands. It was an odd feeling to look on them and know that this was her land, her home. Yet it was now theirs. It was for this reason that she could not abide them, and had begun to ponder just how things had gone so wrong. At first all had seemed well, yet when most of the Romalian troops had retreated from the isle of Bretwealda, promising to return many were terrified of what it could. The moment that Vyrtgeorn had called for the Valhols to reinforce him all had seemed well at first, even Alana had believed in the lies of the King. The foreign barbarians would do battle with the northern Pechs on behalf of the sons of Brittia. No more Brittian men would be drafted to mount the walls as had become custom in the past several years since the departure of Roma and her subsequent collapse.


    But then a number of the men of the north, notably of the Norlam region had revolted and had chased out with the assistance of the only legion remaining in Bretwealda Witta and Vengest. It had resulted in the death of Witta to the horror of his brother so that Vyrtgeorn had been forced to cast the remaining Valhols out from his realm.


    And where had they gone? Not far. Some though had gone back to Valhol, at first everyone had believed they had done and would not return.


    How foolish they had been, Alana mused as she wandered the halls of Auldchester¡¯s chief palace, Auldminster her thoughts going back to Vengest¡¯s revenge. He had returned in force, with ten times as many Valhols as before. Where before he had had five thousand, he had returned with fifty-thousand and had crushed Beorn for having dared to kill his brother. The man¡¯s head had been paraded grotesquely throughout the old capital before it had come to decorate the main gates. It had remained there atop the gates, where the ravens had pecked out the eyes and flesh even as it rotted away.


    ¡°A disgrace is what it is,¡± Judica?l muttered to himself, ¡°The castle is in disrepair, why has it not been properly repaired and set in order?¡±


    The troubles of which he spoke were ones that Alana had noticed more than once, during her prior stays in the castle, since the beginning of Vyrtgeorn¡¯s reign. The stone and wooden fort had endured for more than two centuries so that to see it in disrepair was as terrible as a sword-wound. The pillars and columns utilized by the Romalians had been neglected until they began to crack and crumble with every year that passed.


    ¡°This place has been a disgrace since the reign of King Wictgils and Governor Maximus,¡± Alana grumbled only to add by way of explanation, ¡°Or so my father always used to say to me, whenever we visited.¡±


    ¡°Must I hear of this again?¡± Judica?l sighed wearily.


    ¡°But it is!¡±


    ¡°Do stop, I am aware that you spent much of thy childhood here, and it is not what it once was, but we shan¡¯t have this disagreement here.¡± He answered sharply with a significant glance all about them.


    Alana felt her frustration with him grow all the greater until a part of her wished to shout and shake him, swallowing her exasperation she muttered. ¡°Do not speak to me as though I am a fool, when it was yourself who began this by complaining about what has become of Auldchester.¡±


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    ¡°I suppose I did, it was a mistake though,¡± Judica?l murmured wearily, running a hand through his hair. ¡°We must not speak of such things at present, not while the servants might be listening, else you would have us be accused of treason like so many before us and executed.¡±


    ¡°I would have us stand and fight,¡± Alana retorted evenly, weary of the conversation also.


    Judica?l smiled if wearily so. She could see then the toll that the invasion by Vengest and Witta had taken upon him and that he longed for much the same as she. Once again the young woman felt grateful to her father for having wed her to him, even as she worried about the haunted air that hung about her lord and husband.


    Her husband for his part was to murmur to her just as they drew near to the door to the throne-room, ¡°As would I, my love however there is no courage in needlessly throwing our lives away. This is precisely what would happen were I to rebel, without allies and without support. Tush now Alana, for we have arrived and I would not offend our King with such talk since as all know little offends him more.¡±


    It was on the tip of Alana¡¯s tongue to remark that there was little that did not otherwise offend Vyrtgeorn. Bitter as she was to see him bow and grovel before a man such as their King, she regarded the great doors to the throne-room with a great deal of reluctance in her heart.


    *****


    It happened that when the lady Alana entered the throne room, it was to find King Vyrtgeorn pacing the length and breadth of the hall. A stout man of fifty-five years of age, he was bearded with short silver hair and vivid blue eyes and was always dressed in a hauberk, iron-breeches and greaves. He had dressed in that manner since the first assassination attempt it was said had been attempted some fifteen years prior. Since that time he had become ever more violent and petty towards those around him. This vindictiveness reflected in his eyes and his words during every single one of Alana¡¯s visits, so that she often asked herself if mayhaps her husband¡¯s loyalty to the man was a mistake.


    As to the throne room itself it was a poorly lit, and poorly decorated almost ramshackle room of only ten meters in length and width. It happened that it was home to a large three meter tall wooden throne with a large bear-fur cloak thrown over the back of it. The bear was said to have been one that Vyrtgeorn had hunted and slain. Alana had her doubts, though a competent hunter she knew him not to have killed the beast on account of how it had been Vengest who had delivered the bear¡¯s fur to the King.


    Judica?l who had entered the throne-room with her, was to fall to one knee before the King who waved him back onto his feet with visible impatience. By the man¡¯s side stood Vengest, who¡¯s eyes continued to blaze with the same fury that now seemed to always possess the man since his brother¡¯s death.


    Tall blond of hair, and thickly bearded he was thirty-nine years old and had been fighting in Brittia for a dozen years, and was still young looking and muscular. His hauberk was decorated with the emblem of a wolf, while he wore over his shoulder a fur-cloak made from wolf-skin that was kept in place with a bronze brooch.


    ¡°On thy feet Judica?l, I have no need of a man who kneels overlong but a warrior is what I require at present,¡± Vyrtgeorn growled furiously at the startled lord who struggled back to his feet.


    Startled, Alana attempted to intervene on behalf of her husband, whereupon she was soon silenced by the furious ruler, ¡°Milord, all that Judica?l meant was that you have his undying fealty and-¡±


    ¡°Judica?l guard thy wife¡¯s tongue, it is only as a courtesy that I have allowed her into my presence at present.¡± Vyrtgeorn bellowed startling the young woman who looked at her husband in bewilderment, with him no less startled.


    Neither of them had seen him in such a mood in some time, so that neither one nor the other quite knew what to do to appease. He was always a vicious man even at the best of times, so that neither one nor the other quite knew how to manage him or what to make of him.


    By his side was the blond-haired, bearded Vengest. A man of above average height at six-feet, with clear blue eyes and a once smiling face, dressed in a hauberk and with a wolf-cloak thrown over his shoulders, he had once been handsome. Even Alana had thought him intriguing looking when she had first met him when she was twelve years of age, however since his banishment and return to the kingdom, he looked wilder. There was an air of violence, and rashness about him that combined with the haunted gleam in his eyes along with how he looked thinner, and had let his beard and hair run loose and ragged, so that he resembled a starved, dying wolf.


    ¡°Not only should she guard it, but she should remain on guard to keep from losing it,¡± Vengest hissed as menacing as a serpent.


    Judica?l stiffened, visibly displeased by the threat even as Alana drew back, frightened. Instinctively she bowed her head and muttered a quick apology, her cheeks burnt with shame when she heard one of the other women suppress a snort of laughter. The humiliation was more than she could bear, so that she met the gaze of the other woman, with a furious one of her own. It was one of the daughters of Ealdwald, the lady Wihtburg if her memory served correctly (and it ordinarily did).


    It happened as it were that the lady spoke then, if in fawning tones to the King, ¡°My liege it appears that the lord Judica?l is not near the man you or even Vengest are. Never could I imagine the ladies of thy house, especially not thy wives ever speaking in such a manner. It speaks to the difference in the sort of men thou are, and the divide between thee and he.¡±


    Her words were the worst of the insults, for Alana treasured Judica?l and would never knowingly do aught at all to harm his interests. It was thus that she fell into a mortified silence, even as her husband purpled with rage at the lady¡¯s slights.


    Most of those around them chortled at the young couple¡¯s expense, so that if looks were daggers each of them might well have been felled in that hour.


    Talk was to resume on the subject that most interested the King, who having ordered Judica?l to one side alongside the lord¡¯s wife, turned now to Vengest. ¡°Vengest what of the war in the north, against those who continue to defy my claims to the throne?¡±


    ¡°The Romalians such as they are, are caught between the invading Pechs, and my own forces. The trouble lies in that with Cymru and the northern peninsulas to either side, with a great many tribes in those places, we are caught out.¡±


    ¡°Tell me in the plainest speech; can we conquer them or not?¡± Vyrtgeorn growled irritably, never one to like speeches that were not utterly direct and straight as an arrow in nature.


    Devious as he was by nature, Alana could not help but observe how much the man disliked it in others, with only Vengest being able to get away with such a vice and still retain the man¡¯s affection. She wondered if it had something to do with how the two had fought in battle together, or Vengest¡¯s charm.


    The man was young to have risen so high, had lovers it was said in every village of Brittia and had the scars even on his handsome face to show for his battle-prowess. Blond of hair, blue eyed and wolf-like in appearance he was often called the Wolf of Finnesvaldr for his victory and bloodthirstiness demonstrated in the aforementioned battle.


    Shuddering at the thought of what had taken place in the village north of Vuldruin and how brutally the warlord had put the revolt down, just after his return from exile two years prior, Alana near jumped out of her scream when a sudden burst of sound exploded.


    The noise echoed forth from outside, and was the combination of three great sounds; one was a war-horn which all knew at once to be that of Gl?dwine. Famous for how it could echo from as far as the eastern shore and across the Channel, for it to be blown nearer to their side of the shoreline meant that it resounded all the more.


    The second great burst of noise was the cries of those on the port while the third great din of noise was that of shouts erupting throughout the city as criers travelled across it and into the palace.


    ¡°What is that sound?¡± Vyrtgeorn wondered to no one in particular, as a great din suddenly exploded throughout the whole of the city. The sound was one that shook everyone it seemed, from the likes of Vengest, Ealdwald and his sons¡¯ to the nobles, to even Judica?l and the wives of those nobles that were present.


    As one every single one of those present raced away from the great throne-room of the King to the windows, throwing open the doors to the grand hall as they did so. It was once they stood before the great windows that they stared with gaping mouths and wide eyes at the great ships that had just arrived.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Brenius exclaimed visibly alarmed, ¡°More of them?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, though they are a year behind the time I had expected them, it is good to see them arrive at last,¡± Vengest declared with more than a little triumph and amusement. The first to recover from his amazement at the sight of Gl?dwine¡¯s ships, he turned then to Vyrtgeorn, ¡°You see sire? It is just as I promised, almost ten thousand men have arrived, and with another thirty thousand not long thereafter, when the other recruiters and ships I have sent to Valhol return.¡±


    ¡°Really now? Wonderful, with such numbers behind me, along with the forty thousand already present, hereupon my island we shall soon have all in flawless order once more, just as it was before those filthy Romalians abandoned the isle!¡± Vyrtgeorn crowed at once, with a great laugh one that was as triumphant as it was full of relief. ¡°Soon, lord Wyrgeorn and all others who have rebelled alongside him against my authority such as Maelius will have a taste of our steel Vengest!¡±


    This moment with the King was to remain forevermore in her mind, as the young woman as she watched as the dozen or so ships of Gl?dwine made their way into port with a sense of cold dread. Her husband might well have had his concerns allayed with the promise of a high position on the King¡¯s council, yet his position was almost certain from the very beginning. It was for this reason that she could not help but question his decision to submit to Vengest. Frustrated she watched as the largest boats she had ever seen in the whole of her life, came to a complete halt, so that thousands of warriors streamed down from the planks that were hastily thrown up connecting the ships to the port.


    It was with a glance to the town near to the quay that she saw how amazed, and even frightened the Brittians were by the vision of so many Valhols in their midst. The men from the east along with their wives and children seemed to pour out, and pour out, and continue to pour forth from the ships that had carried them forth from the distant eat.


    How could there be so many of them, she asked herself more than a little disturbed. While the Brittians aged, and had steadily less children than they had before, these Valhols arrived in ever greater numbers. Their ferocity such that only the Romalians, Elves and Wolframs seemed capable of matching them, she told herself disliking to see so many of them thereupon the Bretwealdan shore.


    ¡°This is a disaster, how could there be still more of them? Thousands upon thousands the prior year, and even more the one before that and now thousands more?¡± Judica?l murmured his voice filled with horror and amazement at how many there were.


    ¡°And each one of them come hither to serve my crown,¡± Vyrtgeorn remarked with a hint of triumph in his voice, ¡°That I may better king over this land of ingrates, fools and weaklings!¡±


    If any took offence from his condemnation of his people they spoke not of it. None could quite bring themselves to speak in that hour, so amazed and frightened were they by the men and stores of weapons that were in the midst of being brought ashore.


    Only the sons¡¯ of Valhol looked eager and pleased with themselves, with Alana forced to look away to hide the horror and feeling of sickness that pervaded her. Looking down at the port, she met the gaze of one man, a blond-haired savage in furs with vivid dark blue eyes. He was helping a young boy down from the ship and happened to raise his eyes when he caught her gaze, with the lady seeing in those eyes an untamed ferocity not unlike that of a bear. Never before, did she ever happen to pray as hard as she could for the return of Roma.

 Chapter VIII.1: The Lordly-Isle

    The sea crashed unendingly against the sides of the Lordly-Isle, with all the fury of an ox. Carrying with it the dreaded burden of still more men and families that had become not only a burden to the people of the province but also a source of hatred.


    Dark was the sea that day, and darker still did the heavens soon become hinting at their own great displeasure with the arrival of the north-men onto the fair land over which Vyrtgeorn reigned. The wind threw itself upon the shore, upon the land and upon her great and magnificent towers with all her might to no avail it seemed. All remained eternal, though the fear among the inhabitants who had built Bretwealda into what she was not so eternal.


    Gl?dwine¡¯s ships at last arrived into port with a hiss that echoed from ship to ship, with every ship¡¯s crewmember breathing a massive sigh of relief. None were immune to the apprehension that had gripped them, with every lip mumbling prayers of thanks to Njord the god of the seas. Taking in the sights of the massive city of Auldchester, built by the line of Roparzh King from millennia ago, burnt by the Dark Elves then rebuilt and expanded upon by the Romalians, the Valhols were amazed and dazed by the large buildings that populated the city, the most preeminent being the royal castle which lay at the heart of the city forum. The stones utilized to build the great keep and many of the oldest buildings had once been damaged in a great blaze many centuries ago, when Roma first invaded. Since that time they had been replaced, with the sons¡¯ of Roma having replaced those damaged stones in their entirety with marble stones that outshone any and all that had come before them.


    Such had been the care and respect with which Roma cared for all that was old in their provincial-isle that few were the buildings and monuments of the line of Roparzh they did not reconstitute or preserve. There were also a great many they had beautified beyond the imaginings of the Brittians so that they had called the rule of the Romalians liberty, and the chains they wore freedom as it was said in Roma.


    Looking on all this with bemused uncertainty, Hroegar could hardly decide whether he should admire the city and its great fortifications or look on it with disdain. He might well have admired the local people if it were not for how plump so many of them were, and how they looked on the newly arrived Valhols with visible disdain. It was a sentiment he more than returned.


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    Hroegar never a particularly eloquent or poetical sort of man, could not have described the Brittians in this manner, however the fury that the crowds looked on their arrival with and bellowed against it was not unlike how a small dog might begin to bark at a larger canine. The Valhols for their part were visibly displeased at this poor treatment.


    Disciplined as they were from a hard life in the north, they could not help but look to their chieftain for direction, with Gl?dwine ever charming attempting to soothe the Brittians. The tongue he spoke then was wholly unfamiliar to the hardened north-easterly barbarians who stared at him in amazement.


    The newly arrived families and warriors could not have known that the tongue he spoke was a mixed one that mingled Romalian with the Brittian tongue. The latter tongue was one which had more in common in those days with Neustrian and the ¨¦riu tongues than the Valhol one.


    The crowds were hardly pleased, and continued to glower at them. There was not one man who looked as though he were eager to welcome the newcomers to their island. Some of the women looked on them with interest yet most remained no less guarded, for they had borne witness to one too many of the crimes of the Valhols.


    Most of the crime, bar-brawls and also murders could be attributed to them, for which the Valhols had won for themselves a considerable amount of suspicion.


    In turn the children excited greater alarm than any of the newly arrived men or women, for they signalled by their very presence the aim of the foreigners. They had arrived thereupon the Lordly-Island not to simply invade, but to remain and take what was theirs. The children though paid little mind to the inhabitants of the island captivated as they were by the beauty of the great towers and stone-fortifications that loomed high over them all.


    ¡°Men can build homes as high as the heavens?¡± Sigewulf gasped amazed and no less struck by the beauty of the buildings of the Brittians and Romalians than most of those around him. Certainly they had seen the home of the goddess Senuna, which was far in a way more impressive than any of the hovels and small temples that dotted the northern Valhol lands.


    ¡°This is Bretwealda? The Lordly-Isle?¡± Sigewulf gasped stricken to his stomach and knees with awe at the great wonders built up by generation after generation of the men of Roma and Bretwealda.


    ¡°Yes, my dear boy, this is the Lordly-Island,¡± Gl?dwine assured him with a small smile, a hint of pride in his eyes.


    ¡°It is magnificent! I did not know men could build such impressive monuments!¡±


    ¡°You did not? But the palace of the goddess Senuna was built by Dwarves, Men and Ogres,¡± the captain of the large fleet informed him.


    ¡°What? It was?¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Hroegar grunted no less amazed than his son, ¡°I suppose we had best not take them lightly when the time comes to cross blades with the sons¡¯ of Bretwealda.¡±