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A Burning Sea

Theodore Brun
Chapters (54)
  1. CAST OF CHARACTERS
  2. PART ONE
  3. CHAPTER ONE
  4. CHAPTER TWO
  5. CHAPTER THREE
  6. CHAPTER FOUR
  7. CHAPTER FIVE
  8. CHAPTER SIX
  9. CHAPTER SEVEN
  10. CHAPTER EIGHT
  11. CHAPTER NINE
  12. CHAPTER TEN
  13. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  14. CHAPTER TWELVE
  15. PART TWO
  16. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  17. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  18. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  19. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  20. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  21. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  22. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  23. CHAPTER TWENTY
  24. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  25. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  30. PART THREE
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  34. CHAPTER THIRTY
  35. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  42. PART FOUR
  43. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  44. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  45. CHAPTER FORTY
  46. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  47. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  48. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  49. CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
  50. CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
  51. CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
  52. CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
  53. HISTORICAL NOTE
  54. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
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A
BURNING
SEA

Also by Theodore Brun

A Mighty Dawn

A Sacred Storm

Theodore Brun studied Dark Age archaeology at Cambridge. In 2010, he quit his job as an arbitration lawyer in Hong Kong and cycled 10,000 miles across Asia and Europe to his home in Norfolk. A Burning Sea is his third novel.

For Sara, without whom I wouldn’t have finished this book.

Also, for my parents – Olaf and Dibby – without whom I wouldn’t have finished anything.

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CAST OF CHARACTERS

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AT THE HALL OF DUNSGAR D, ESTLAND:

Osvald, son of Ostein – King of the Livi and Lord of the Estlandish tribes

Erlan Aurvandil – the Wanderer, a crippled warrior sworn to King Osvald

Aska – his one-eyed wolfhound

Valrik Viggorsson – a merchant-warrior, and skipper of the Fasolt

Adalrik – Valrik’s son, a karl of King Osvald, and companion to the Wanderer

Leikr – Adalrik’s twin brother

Vassili – an itinerant holy man

AT THE HALLS OF UPPSALA, SVEÄLAND:

Ringast Haraldarsen – King of the Twin Kingdoms, a Dane by blood, eldest son of King Harald Wartooth

Lilla Sviggarsdottír – his consort, Queen of the Twin Kingdoms, a Sveär by blood, and only surviving kin of Sviggar Ívarsson, the murdered King of Sveäland

Prince Thrand Haraldarsen – King Ringast’s younger brother, and Lord of the Danish Isles

Sletti – King Ringast’s steward

Gerutha – Queen Lilla’s servant and friend.

Einar the Fat-Bellied – one of the king’s karls, a Sveär still loyal to the old Sveär king Sviggar and his kin

EN ROUTE TO BYZANTIUM:

Ramedios – a Greek merchant and slaver

Ildur – a slave

Bayan – a translator

Jarpr – a junior member of Valrik’s crew

IN THE CITY OF BYZANTIUM:

Emperor Leo III, the Isaurian – Basíleus of the Byzantines, previously Strategos of the Anatolikon Theme, the most powerful general in the Empire

Empress Maria – Basílissa of the Byzantines, consort to Emperor Leo

Arbasdos – Strategos of the Armeniac Theme, the second most powerful man in the Empire, and Leo’s personal ally

Katãros – Lord High Chamberlain of the Palace, or parakoimõmenos. A eunuch of Northern origin

Princess Anna – the Basílopoúla, only child of Emperor Leo.

Germanus – Patriarch of Byzantium. A eunuch

Daniel – the Eparch, chief administrator of the City

Alexios – commander of the palace guard

Davit – spatharios to General Arbasdos

Silanos – steward to General Arbasdos

Lucia – a servant of Arbasdos

Orlana – an actress and star of the Hippodrome

Alethea – a beggar-woman

Domnicus – a priest of the Imperial Household

IN THE CAMP OF THE AR ABS:

Prince Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik – Commander of the Arab Armies and half-brother to Caliph Sulayman of the House of Umayyad

Abdallah al-Battal – Prince Maslama’s envoy to the Emperor Leo

AT THE HALLS OF PLISKA:

Tervel, son of Asparukh – high khan of the Bulgar nation Prince Kosmesy – his son and heir

PART ONE

EARTH

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CHAPTER ONE

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Blood dripped off the tip of his blade into the mud.