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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

We passed the threshold, the air fresh and cool on my face. The light from the stars and moon were bright after the inky darkness within the hut and I scanned the night for threats, ready to swing my captive into the path of any weapon that might come hurtling towards me. If I could trap a blade in their flesh, I might even be able to wrest it away and thus arm myself.

But still, no attack came.

Drosten pushed into the moonlight, moving quickly to one side to split us up and divide our enemies. Behind us, I could hear the rest of our band surging to their feet, their whispers and grunts loud in the night as they began to force their way out of the hut.

I moved further into the night, away from the building. Confused at the lack of resistance, I peered into the gloom, but I only spied one other figure there.

“Hunlaf?”

My mind spun. There was something familiar about the voice, but I was filled with rage and horror. I had believed men had come to slay us, and so my mind did not immediately grasp whose voice it was I heard beneath the northern stars of Hǫrðaland. As the truth of it finally penetrated through the fog of my battle-fury, I relaxed my grip on my captive. I was suddenly aware of how slender the body was that was pressed against me, how unlike the brawny shoulders and chest of a warrior.

I gawped, staring into the darkness at the face of the woman before me, searching for proof that it was indeed her. The wide eyes glimmered. The full lips, always so quick to smile, were set in a sombre scowl, but there could be no doubt. At last, I was certain, and a great shuddering breath left me in a rush. I grew weak, releasing the figure I had been clutching so tightly, choking with my arm. I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could utter a sound, another figure stepped from the hut and rushed past me.

“Aelfwyn,” Eadmaer said, and an instant later, he had enclosed my cousin in a tight embrace.

Fifty-Four

Eadmaer clung to Aelfwyn for what seemed a long time.