‘Dawn tomorrow?’ Finan asked. ‘Why not go now?’

We were standing in warm sunlight. It was a calm day with no wind to speak of, certainly not the west wind I wanted, but the river was running fast, helped by an ebbing tide, so that even with tired rowers it would be a quick passage to the estuary, and the afternoon could well bring a breeze to take us northwards. And like Finan I wanted to go home. I wanted to smell Bebbanburg’s sea and rest in Bebbanburg’s hall. I had thought to leave in the dawn, shrouded from curious eyes by the remnants of darkness and a river mist, but why not leave now? The city seemed quiet. Jorund had told us the previous night that ships wanting to leave the docks were searched, but no East Anglian soldiers were taking any interest in our wharf. ‘Why not go now?’ I repeated.

‘Let’s just go home,’ Finan said forcibly.

So we told everyone; the freed slaves, the children, Father Oda, and Benedetta to board the boat. We had cooked more shit-speckled cakes with the last of the oats and they were carried on board with whatever plunder we wanted from Gunnald’s yard. Among that plunder were four good large shields, a dozen mail coats, two boxes of coins and hacksilver, ten leather jerkins, and a heap of other clothing. The last cask of ale was loaded.

The ship was crowded. There were children crammed in the stern, the freed slave girls huddled at the prow, and all of them staring fearfully at the oarsmen who were ragged-haired, filthy, and frightening. ‘I am your new master,’ I told those oarsmen, ‘and if you do what I ask you will all be freed.’

There must have been men from several races because I heard muttering as my words were translated. One man stood. ‘You’ll free us?’ he sounded suspicious. ‘Where?’

He had spoken in Danish and I answered in the same language. ‘In the north.’

‘When?’

‘This week.’

‘Why?’

‘Because you are saving my life,’ I said, ‘so as a reward I will give you your life back. What’s your name?’

‘Irenmund.’

I stooped to the deck and picked up one of the short-swords we had taken from the ship’s crew, then walked the passage between the slaves. Irenmund watched me suspiciously. He was still shackled, but he was a formidably strong young man. His hair, blonde and ragged, hung to his shoulders, his blunt face was fearful, but still defiant. He looked at the sword in my hand, then back to my eyes. ‘How were you captured?’ I asked him.

‘We were driven ashore in Frisia.’

‘We?’

‘I was a crewman on a trading ship. Three of us, the master and two seamen. We managed to get ashore and were captured.’

‘And were sold?’

‘We were sold,’ he said bitterly.

‘You were a good seaman?’

‘I am a good seaman,’ he said defiantly.

‘Then catch,’ I said, and tossed the sword hilt first to him. He caught it and looked at me in bemusement. ‘That’s my pledge that I’ll free you,’ I said, ‘but first you have to get me home. Finan!’