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Chapters (76)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise forMATTHEW HARFFY
  3. BY MATTHEW HARFFY
  4. Title Page
  5. Copyright
  6. Dedication
  7. Maps
  8. Epigraph
  9. Contents
  10. Place Names
  11. One
  12. Two
  13. Three
  14. Four
  15. Five
  16. Six
  17. Seven
  18. Eight
  19. Nine
  20. Ten
  21. Eleven
  22. Twelve
  23. Thirteen
  24. Fourteen
  25. Fifteen
  26. Sixteen
  27. Seventeen
  28. Eighteen
  29. Nineteen
  30. Twenty
  31. Twenty-One
  32. Twenty-Two
  33. Twenty-Three
  34. Twenty-Four
  35. Twenty-Five
  36. Twenty-Six
  37. Twenty-Seven
  38. Twenty-Eight
  39. Twenty-Nine
  40. Thirty
  41. Thirty-One
  42. Thirty-Two
  43. Thirty-Three
  44. Thirty-Four
  45. Thirty-Five
  46. Thirty-Six
  47. Thirty-Seven
  48. Thirty-Eight
  49. Thirty-Nine
  50. Forty
  51. Forty-One
  52. Forty-Two
  53. Forty-Three
  54. Forty-Four
  55. Forty-Five
  56. Forty-Six
  57. Forty-Seven
  58. Forty-Eight
  59. Forty-Nine
  60. Fifty
  61. Fifty-One
  62. Fifty-Two
  63. Fifty-Three
  64. Fifty-Four
  65. Fifty-Five
  66. Fifty-Six
  67. Fifty-Seven
  68. Fifty-Eight
  69. Fifty-Nine
  70. Sixty
  71. Sixty-One
  72. Sixty-Two
  73. Author’s Note
  74. Acknowledgements
  75. About the Author
  76. An Invitation from the Publisher

“Aboard Brymsteda I am king,” he said, his voice loud and clear. “If you do not obey my command, men will die.” He stared into Eadmaer’s eyes. The young man’s skin was sallow beneath his tan, his eyes white-rimmed with fear.

“Enough,” repeated Hereward.

“Whether by accident or my hand,” Runolf snarled, not loosening his grip on Eadmaer, “men will die. Do you understand me?”

Eadmaer tried to speak, but all he could muster was a croaking, gagging sound. Runolf held him for a moment longer, before pulling him back from the brink of the ship and throwing him down onto the deck.

“Do you all understand me?” he shouted, looking over the men. “There is no time for questions aboard a ship. And no space for men who do not obey orders.”

Several nodded. Nobody spoke.

Hereward opened his mouth, but after a glance at Runolf’s face, he thought better of it.

Leaving Eadmaer sprawled on the deck behind him, Runolf stalked back towards the stern and took the steerboard from me without a word.

For a time, there was silence aboard, the only sounds the hiss of the water beneath us, the groan and creak of the ship’s timbers, and the sorrowful cries of the gulls that followed in our wake. I wondered at the force of Runolf’s anger. Glancing at him, I saw that his face was pale, his eyes brimming with tears.

As we passed the broad mouth of the Tine on our right, with the charred remnants of the minster at Gyruum to remind us of the importance of our mission, Runolf began to shout orders to the crew as if nothing had happened. The men leapt to do his bidding. I helped to unship the oars, ready for the final approach to the wharf at Uuiremutha and the now familiar cluster of huts and buildings there.

Glancing over to Brymsteda’s port side I noted that Eadmaer stood beside Alf, silently coiling a slack halliard with a sailor’s easy skill. Perhaps sensing my gaze on him, he looked up. His hands never stopped working, but his face was clouded with a barely suppressed rage.

Eighteen

That night, the atmosphere was subdued in Uuiremutha.

Despite his moment of fury with Eadmaer, Runolf had leapt onto the newly built wharf with a grin for Wihtgar who was excited to hear how Brymsteda had performed. There was no doubt that the ship handled well and Runolf happily answered the carpenter’s questions as we disembarked and secured the ship.