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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

“On my lands, young man,” he said, “yes.” He levelled his gaze at me and I thought I knew how the thrall girl must have felt, or how a vole must feel when staring into the eyes of an owl. I wondered then at the man’s voracious lusts and appetites, and suppressed a shiver. Did his sins not stop at gluttony and lust for women? “And now you reach the heart of the matter,” he said, holding me in his stare. “You see, Ljósberari is no longer on my lands. He has taken his villainous band of savages up the Lågen and into Hǫrðaland, the realm of Kaun Solvason.” He let out a long breath, seeming to gain control of himself again after his zeal. “Now, it was not so long ago that I was at war with Kaun Solvason. I married my daughter to his son that we might have peace. I will not break that peace by leading my warriors into Hǫrðaland. No, he will use whatever he can over me. He already uses the presence of Ljósberari in his land to charge me more silver for the iron ore he ships to me. By Óðinn, if I know that man, he is probably in league with Ljósberari himself. Nothing would surprise me about him. Gods, how he must have laughed when he heard of Hjalti’s death. Kaun always hated him. Well, I will be laughing soon,” Hjorleif said, sliding his huge hand up the young thrall’s back and gripping her neck so that I feared he would choke her in a salacious show of passionate rage. But he did not strangle the girl. Instead, he pulled her face to his and kissed her deeply. “Yes, I will be laughing,” he said with a chuckle, “and you will have your trade agreement, Lord Mancas. Just as soon as you have played your part.”

“Speak my words exactly,” whispered Mancas to me, the tension clear in his tone after I had interpreted the king’s speech to him. “Lord king,” Mancas went on, loud and formal, “as I have already said, we are your humble servants. However, we are here to discuss trade—”

I never got the chance to translate more of Mancas’ words, for Runolf stood up and called out in his booming voice.

“We will go, lord King Hjorleif. We will kill this beast, Ljósberari, for you.”

Mancas scowled, understanding the meaning of Runolf’s proclamation.

Hjorleif paid the Northumbrian lord no heed.

“Good!” the king said, picking up a slice of a fatty blood-sausage and pushing it into his mouth. “Bring me his head, that I may pluck out his eyes, as he did to my brother!”

Runolf bowed.

“It will be done,” he said. “We will load up Brymsteda and sail in the morning, my king.”