Page 67 of Summer of the Viking

But then there were the tiny insistent doubts, the things she should have questioned. How did he know what Northmen did or how they raided? Who had he prayed to in his fever? Even now, her mind shied away. He was unlike any Northman she had ever heard of. Had she been taken in again? Had she trusted the wrong person?

‘Is this true, Gode? Tell me, please tell me the truth.’

Gode hung her head. ‘Yes, my lady. I didn’t want to worry you and he was only one man. Plus, he seemed like a good man.’

‘I don’t have time for this now. Believe me, Gode, when I say—Valdar is no Northman.’ As she said the words, Alwynn prayed she was right. ‘He would have told me if he was. But he has done so much good here. Everyone says so.’

‘He is a Northman. I’m telling the truth.’

‘And what secret did he keep for you in return?’

Gode looked down and paused before taking a deep breath. ‘I’m ill, my lady. I’m dying. The monks have confirmed it. I didn’t want to worry you when you had so many things to take care of.’

Alwynn’s heart knocked against her chest. It would explain Gode’s slight yellowish colour and why she had been moving so slowly. She kicked herself for not questioning Gode more closely.

‘Gode, no! This can’t be happening. We’ll talk about this later. Right now, I have a farm to save. And some outlaws to catch.’

‘As you say, my lady...’

‘And I am not going to do anything. I am just going to watch and make an assessment of the situation.’

Alwynn crept closer with Gode following hot on her heels. The fire had taken hold. But no one seemed to be fighting it. An eerie silence hung over the yard.

‘Urien! This is not the way!’

The echo ran about a silent farmyard, mocking her.

‘My lady,’ Gode whispered. ‘There is something about this place that I don’t like. We should go. Come back with men. You can do nothing about this fire by yourself.’

Then she saw them, off to the right and nearly out of the farmyard. The raiders. Northmen. She could no longer tell herself it was outlaws. The men were dressed in a motley gear and speaking a foreign tongue. Her heart knocked. Since when did outlaws speak in a foreign tongue? Or brandish double axes?

She wiped her hands against her gown. Valdar was from the North. Of course he was. The ship with the broken mast. It made sense. He had known what was hidden in that cove and he had distracted her. She had silenced every single doubt because she’d believed in him, in a person who didn’t exist. This raiding, this was his reality.

She’d been such a fool.

Steadily she began to back away, hoping against hope that in the confusion no one had seen her.

A crunch of footsteps behind her made her pause.

‘Valdar,’ she whispered. ‘Please let it be you.’

Chapter Twelve

‘This way, Oswald! A slicing motion.’ Valdar showed the boy how to make the correct movement with his sword for the third time. After the incident with the fishing boat, Valdar was keeping half an eye on the cove. Girmir would return here, he was sure of it. It was the perfect spot for conducting raids. When he did, Valdar would be ready for him and his murderous crew.

That boy, Eirik—why now could he remember his name?—would never have given up the sunstone readily. Valdar’s blood ran cold to think about what must have happened to him. All he knew was that he had to prevent Girmir and his gang of mutineers from harming anyone else.

‘A sword is not a pitchfork. Do not attempt to prod people with it. Now you try it. Slowly and carefully.’

‘Valdar! Valdar! There is trouble at Cleofirth the Plough’s farm.’ Lady Merri entered the glade at a run. ‘Come quickly. There is a fire.’

Oswald dropped the sword with a loud clang. ‘Can’t you see Valdar is teaching me to be a warrior?’ he proclaimed.

‘Oswald, son of Oswy, so help me...’ Merri drew back her fist.

‘You will never become a fine lady if you go around punching warriors.’

‘Hush, Oswald. A warrior always listens to a fair lady in distress.’

‘Cleofirth the Plough’s farm is on fire.’

‘Where is Lady Alwynn?’

‘She has gone there with Gode. Urien escaped and now the farmhouse is ablaze.’ Tears ran down Merri’s face. ‘I am so worried. I should be there. I should be helping. But my stepmother sent me here.’

‘Lady Alwynn is sensible. Return to the hall with Oswald. He can protect you.’

Both looked aghast at the prospect.

‘It is what needs doing.’ Valdar glared at them both. ‘Oswald, you protect Lady Merewynn. It is what a warrior would do—protect a fair maiden. And, Merewynn, you stay out of harm’s way. Behave like a lady.’

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