Page 30 of Summer of the Viking

‘The Franks have many accents.’

‘Please. I am old, but my wits are keen.’

‘I’ve no wish to patronise you, but an accent is a fragile link.’

‘I saw the hammer and ravens you have embossed on the arm ring, the one in your pouch.’

‘You looked through my things?’ Valdar silently cursed. Of course she had. He should have expected it and thrown the arm ring down a well as soon as he could crawl. He would dispose of it tonight.

‘No Christian man would carry such a thing.’

‘I come from the North, but I had nothing to do with the raids on your churches and monasteries.’ He spread his hands. ‘There’s no challenge in killing defenceless people, no glory. It is the surest way to start a war. I come in peace.’

‘You are but one man. The wolves from the North hunt in packs, destroying churches. There was no ship spied near here or the entire village would be up in arms.’ She cackled. ‘And people think I am soft in the head.’

Valdar frowned. ‘And what will you do with your knowledge?’

Gode shrugged and stood up. ‘All the pain is gone now. Occasionally my food disagrees with me. Nothing more than that.’

‘You didn’t answer the question.’

‘My lady is far too honest. She would feel the need to betray you, but I am old and have learnt to judge a man by his actions.’

‘And your verdict?’

‘Lord Edwin thinks me a fool and tells me to get off the road when his great horse lumbers past. You take a broom from an old lady and sweep the dust into a neat pile.’ The old woman took the kettle off the hearth and poured the hot water into the mortar to make an evil-smelling paste. ‘You exposed Oswy, who for far too long has been cheating my lady. That counts for something as well.’

‘Why did she trust the man?’

‘She liked to believe him because he once bore arms with her father. But I never trusted him, not even when he claimed to have routed Mercians. These old eyes have seen much.’

‘Why didn’t you tell Lady Alwynn your suspicions?’

Gode rolled her eyes. ‘Without solid proof? The feud between Oswy and me is well known. What he did to my sister means that he will never be an honest man in my eyes and my lady knew that.’

The need to protect Lady Alwynn filled him. He pushed it down. He would do what he could, but he had to leave at the summer’s end. Even staying that long was a risk.

‘And you think she will heed my advice?’

‘You keep up the good work and I will make sure your secret goes with me to the grave.’

‘My gods have turned their backs on me.’

She tilted her head to one side. ‘Because you went into the sea?’

‘No, when I failed to save my friend from being slain in his sleep. I broke an oath,’ Valdar admitted. ‘The gods do not easily forgive such men.’

‘It seems to me that the men who slayed him were the ones who broke their oaths, but then what do I know?’ Gode gave a near-toothless smile. ‘I am but a simple old woman.’

‘You are anything but simple.’

She gave a cackling laugh. ‘There is more to you than a pretty set of shoulders, Warrior. That is good.’

‘I will take that for a compliment.’

‘Now, my lady has decreed that you be made fit for work in the shortest possible time. Off with your tunic.’

Valdar eyed the evil-smelling poultice. ‘Do you think it will work?’

‘It has never failed me before.’

He winced slightly as Gode applied the medicine. But the pain was rapidly replaced by a cool burning sensation. Whatever it was, it felt as though it was actually doing something. He did feel better.

Gode put her finger to her lips. ‘My lady comes. I will have your promise, Northman. Nothing about my little bother. No need to worry her. She has enough to keep her occupied.’

He blinked in surprise. Gode had sharper hearing than he’d credited. But he, too, could hear the slight cracking of twigs and the delicate hum of Alwynn’s voice. His heart ached to see her.

He ruthlessly ignored it. Starting something between him and Alwynn was a poor idea. It was simply because she had saved him. If it suited her purpose, she’d betray him and he could never trust her to give him her heart.

His father’s words echoed in his ears: a witch had cursed his grandfather that neither he nor any of his descendants would ever find love. Any woman they loved would never love them back.

He and his brother had refused to believe the pronouncement. His brother had been happy until his untimely death. And Valdar’s sister-in-law had grieved, but had confessed after her husband’s death that she wasn’t sure she had loved his brother in the way she should have done.

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