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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

“Then when the fighting starts, you will see Lambi’s blood on the ground before anyone else dies.” Lambi let out a small cry and I hated myself. But I had no other option, I told myself. The Lord had seen fit to provide me with this path. I had to take it. Thurid’s eyes were filled with tears and she looked upon me as one seeing a monster. I did not flinch or soften my gaze. I knew that I would never harm the boy. I could never bring myself to kill an innocent in cold blood, but the only way that this might work was if everyone watching believed me capable of such a vicious murder.

I stared at Tannskári. He narrowed his eyes, appraising me. I wondered whether the older man could see through my act. Lambi struggled and I twisted the neck of his tunic in my fist, making him cry out. Whatever Tannskári might suspect, he could not risk me killing his son, so, after several heartbeats of inaction, he turned to Eddarrnonn.

They spoke in quick, angry words in the language of the Picts. The exchange did not last long. Nobody else moved. The dog was silent now, its leash held in Thurid’s trembling hand. Tannskári turned back to me, his expression desolate.

“Eddarrnonn says they have come here for Drosten, and they will not leave empty handed. Please,” he pleaded, “let my boy go. You have my word that my men will not cause you or Brymsteda’s crew any harm.”

I heard the terror in the man’s voice. I kept my face stern.

“Do not do this,” said Runolf, lending his voice to Tannskári’s pleas. I flicked a glance at my friend and saw a new anger there. I recalled how he had fought his own people in defence of children on Lindisfarnae, and how he had entered the hut at Werceworthe to rescue Wulfwaru’s son, when the babe had been held hostage. “Let the boy go,” Runolf said, his face a disappointed scowl. “You are a better man than this.”

I wanted to tell him that he was right, that I would never harm the child, but I could not speak out. Swallowing my own disgust at my actions, I turned back to Tannskári.

“If they refuse to leave empty handed, offer them the silver Lord Mancas paid you. Either we leave with Drosten, or we stay and fight for him.”

“You would all be slain.”

“That may be so, but Lambi will be the first to die. And many more will follow before the bloodletting is over. Your treachery has failed, and there is only one path out of this now that sees your people safe.”