Page 66 of Summer of the Viking

Beside him, the boy quivered with a combination of excitement and fear. Valdar knew the same nervous anticipation ran through his veins. Like Oswald, he wanted it to be a Northman. He wanted it to be Girmir.

He could do this. He could vanquish Girmir and there would be no reason for anyone to know the truth of his origins.

He could lead a new life with Alwynn, one where he would build a hall on this bluff, have many strong sons and lead a life as a pillar of the community. The gods had granted him a second chance and he intended to grab it.

‘It’s not a Northman’s sail,’ Oswald cried out and collapsed back down to the ground. ‘It is just a Northumbrian fishing boat. They would have really laughed at me if I had gone running to the village.’

‘Some day it will be, Oswald.’ Valdar gripped his sword. ‘And we will be ready.’

* * *

‘Why did I have to come out here?’ Merri kicked a stone and sent it skittering into a mud pool. ‘Looking after Purebright takes time, you know.’

‘We need to find Urien. I don’t like this any better than you do,’ Alwynn explained for the fifth time.

‘Valdar could have done it.’ Merri became mutinous. ‘It is too hot.’

‘He has other duties.’ Alwynn concentrated on the road. The heat shimmered off the rough stones.

‘Do you think Lord Edwin will be back soon? Oswald says...’

Alwynn stopped in the middle of the road. Oswald again. ‘I have no idea and neither does Oswald. His tale-telling has become out of control. He has everyone running about like headless chickens.’

‘Are you angry with me?’

Alwynn winced. She had given vent to her frustration over Valdar and the heat. ‘No, sweetling, just tired. The heat makes me cross.’

‘It makes everyone cross.’ Merri sniffed. ‘I can smell burning.’

‘What sort of burning?’

Merri pointed. ‘There is smoke. It is coming from Cleofirth’s farm. I know it is. It is the only farm over that way.’

Alwynn’s mouth went dry.

‘Raiders?’ Merri whispered.

‘Don’t be ridiculous, Merri. Everyone has Northmen on the brain,’ Gode said. ‘It will be Urien. She will have found her husband in bed with that tramp from the village and her mind will have snapped.’

‘Whatever it is, they need our help.’ Alwynn began to run.

‘Why you are going this way? We should go back to the gristmill and get Valdar,’ Merri said. ‘I bet he is good at fighting fires.’

Alwynn stopped. Everyone seemed to have forgotten who had saved this estate in the first place. ‘Let’s get a bit closer. If we need to, you can go. You know the short way.’

They crept closer. From a small crest above the farm, they could see the barn and the house were ablaze. It was far worse than she had thought. Could Gode have been right? Was Urien capable of such a deed?

A woman’s scream tore the stillness.

Alwynn put a hand on Merri’s shoulder, preventing her from going closer. ‘Go and fetch Valdar now. Tell him to bring his sword.’

‘What is going on?’

‘I don’t know, but you were right. Valdar needs to be here. We need his help.’

‘What are you going to do?’

‘I’m not sure.’ Alwynn bit her lip. Had all this happened because she took Urien away? But she couldn’t have left her here, not with the bruising to her face and her admission of guilt. ‘Go now! Once Valdar is here, we can decide, but I can’t do this on my own. I need his sword arm.’

Just as she had hoped, Merri ran without looking back. Alwynn breathed a little easier. Whatever was going on here, Merri was out of it and safe.

‘Valdar will arrive soon.’

‘It depends on whether or not you can count on his help,’ Gode muttered.

‘What do you mean by that? Valdar is not an enemy.’ Alwynn knew her cheeks burnt bright red. She had to hope Gode didn’t know that he had made love to her. ‘He is my steward.’

‘He is also one of them.’

‘One of whom?’

‘One of the Northmen raiders!’ The words burst from Gode.

Alwynn’s stomach churned. Of course that was nonsense. Gode had been the one to cause this by falling asleep. ‘Impossible. You are wrong. It is wicked of you to say such a thing. You could cost Valdar his life. He is a stranger, yes, but not all strangers are Northmen.’

‘He and I made a bargain. He’d keep my secret. I’d keep his.’ Gode crossed her arms. ‘I never thought he’d do this. We have been harbouring a viper in our midst, my lady, a viper.’

Alwynn didn’t believe Gode. He couldn’t be a Northman. He was from Raumerike, somewhere in the Frankish lands. He had a Frankish sword and he’d looked properly horrified about the Lindisfarne raid. True, she’d never seen him go to church, but that didn’t mean anything. Work on the estate had kept him busy. And anyway, her father had stopped going after her brother died. And Northmen carried double axes, not Frankish swords.

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