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Back A Night of Flames
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

Leofstan placed his hand on my shoulder, pulling me back down onto the bench. The men all around us were laughing, listening to one of Beorn’s bawdier songs. I had believed them all caught up in the tale, but it seemed that Leofstan was not so easily distracted. He had drunk only sparingly, and his eyes were bright and clear in the flame light as he held me firmly, preventing me from rising.

“Let me go,” I said, my tone sharp.

“I will not,” he replied, speaking quietly, close to my ear so that only I would hear him. “You cannot act on what you feel, Hunlaf. We are guests here.”

I cursed silently. Had it been so obvious what I had intended?

“What do you mean?” I hissed. “Whatever you think, you are wrong.”

Leofstan shook his head. He could hear the lie in my words. See it in my face.

“We both know that is not true,” he replied, not releasing his hold on me. “These are not our people, Hunlaf. We will be gone in the morning.”

Angry now, I shook off his hand and stood. Gwawrddur was suddenly there, blocking my path.

“Sit down, Hunlaf,” he said. His tone brooked no defiance.

“I need to piss,” I said, my drink-blurred brain searching for an excuse to be free of the two of them.

“And you will,” he said. “Later.” His voice was calm, but as firm as Leofstan’s hand had been. “Now sit.”

I stared into his eyes, unmoving.

“Why do you care what I do?”

“Think,” he said, his tone instantly as sharp as a blade. “We have fought hard to be here. Would you throw all that away, all you have striven for? We have not yet reached our destination. Do you not wish to find Aelfwyn?”

His words dampened my ire. I sighed. Shaking my head, I let out a long breath, watching wistfully as Thurid, having bade her parents goodnight, slipped away behind the partition to her family’s sleeping quarters.

“I meant no harm,” I said, my voice sounding hollow to my own ears.

“I know, Hunlaf,” Gwawrddur said softly. Gently, he pushed me back down onto the bench. The men had not noticed our brief confrontation, and Beorn’s voice soared in the final verse of his song.