BooksBarbecue
Back A Night of Flames Save as PDF
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

For a time nobody spoke. It was late and the food, drink and the events of the day had all taken their toll. Ida and Gamal finished sharpening and cleaning their blades, both sliding their swords into their scabbards and setting them aside. Bealdwulf shook out his cloak and moved to a dark corner of the hall to sleep. Oslaf, Sygbald and Pendrad had gone some time before to join the watch, and I knew it would not be long before I would be called to do my duty. My eyelids were heavy. I needed sleep. Emptying my cup of ale, I rose from the bench, preparing to follow Bealdwulf to the shadows with my cloak and a blanket, when a sudden commotion outside halted my movements.

Shouts and clamouring came from the direction of the river.

Instantly, every man in the hall was alert. It had taken us a long time to relax after the stresses of the day, and those yells in the night dispelled what peace we had found in an eye-blink. Pulling byrnies from the greased sacks where they had been kept after cleaning, we shook them out and wriggled into them once more, ready for what the night held in store for us. Belts were strapped tightly, and swords loosened in their scabbards. With a clatter, we each fetched our shield from the pile near the entrance.

Hereward flung open the door of the hall. Far off, we could hear yelling. A bright light sprang up from a fire down by the beach, where our ship was being built. Was this another attack? Could it be that the Norse had returned to exact vengeance? My throat was dry as I followed Hereward and the others out into the cool air of the night.

I peered into the darkness. There was movement there, a figure silhouetted against the fire. It was running towards us. I placed my hand on my sword’s grip, ready to draw the blade out.

“Oslaf?” Hereward called out, evidently recognising the man by his size and gait.

“The same,” Oslaf panted. “I did not think you would wish to miss this.”

“What has happened?” asked Hereward, his words clipped. “Another attack? Have they returned?”

“No,” said Oslaf. The pale light from the rush lights in the hall spilt from the open door and illuminated his face. His eyes were wide, excited, and a half-smile played on his lips. “But there are more Norse bastards down there.”

“What do you mean?”

“We captured two of the whoresons on the beach.”

Fourteen

By the time we arrived at the water’s edge, one of the Norsemen was already dead.