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Back A Burning Sea
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

‘Same reason I would. In Sveäland, he’s still seen as your father’s man. Folk know he only changed sides to avenge himself on your brother. But he could bring more spears from both sides of the Kolmark. I heard the thanes of Skania make much of how they stood and fought with him at Bravik. I’d lay my best axe he could swing them to stand with you.’

Erlan. So was he the key?

How hard had she tried to erase every trace of him from her mind? How many times had she suppressed his memory and buried it deep beyond her conscious thoughts? Their love had had to die – a corpse she had laid to rest inside a barrow-tomb. And yet here it was again like some revenant wight, knocking and knocking to be released into the light.

She suddenly gathered up Einar’s hands in hers. ‘Will you come with us?’ She realized as she spoke that she had already assumed Gerutha would stay with her. She dropped one of Einar’s big paws and seized Gerutha’s hand instead so that all three stood facing one another. ‘Both of you are with me?’

‘Aye,’ said Einar.

‘Aye,’ echoed Gerutha. ‘To the end.’

‘Then I am strong already,’ Lilla murmured and smiled. ‘We leave tonight. Here’s what we shall do.’

CHAPTER SEVEN

Illustration

Erlan and Leikr stayed in the village two days while Ramedios and his crew completed their business. All the while locals came swarming out of the surrounding country like ants to spilled honey.

The hours of trading were long, the barter hard. Erlan doubted there was any man could best Ramedios in a trade, even in the busy northern markets of Sigtuna or Helgö. When the time came to reload their cargo, not an ounce of it was the same. Where before, Ramedios had carried manufactured goods – glass beads, containers of wine and oil, delicate wares like mirrors and drinking vessels, and finely wrought weapons – his men now stowed bales of fur, quantities of bone and antler, honey-pots by the dozen, barrels of millet grain, and, of course, slaves.

Ramedios didn’t like dogs. Thus, Aska’s passage came at the cost of a silver arm-ring, leaving Erlan with only two others and the gold torc around his neck. Leikr hadn’t a scrap of hack-silver to his name. As to their own passage, their weapons were sufficient recompense, should they be called upon to use them. Erlan had traded his seax knife for a decent spear to arm Leikr. He had his ring-sword. With any luck, they wouldn’t need either until they reached this place called Byzantium.

Leikr was quiet, muted by his grief for his brother. Erlan remembered losing Kai. No words could have brought him comfort back then, only time could do that. And so he let Leikr be.