“Of course not!” Somerled snapped. “I’m afraid of having to pass judgment on you, my oldest of friends. You’re such a fool you haven’t worked that out even now. Eyvind, I know you as well as anyone does. You just don’t have the capacity to win this. I have my own rules here, new ones. I don’t convene assemblies, I hear all cases myself. Judgments are summary and swift. That’s essential to maintain discipline. I’ve called you in here because it’s the only way I can save you. You disobeyed a direct order, you made wild accusations, you fought against your fellow warriors. If those charges are brought against you formally, and proven, I can only pronounce a sentence of death. It would be carried out within a day.”

“Death?” This was new indeed. In the formal hearings of Rogaland, a lifetime’s banishment was the harshest penalty a man might receive. Of course, unofficial executions by fire or ambush were possible, but these attracted their own penalty; such feuds could last for generations.

“It’s indeed so; I have decreed it. Necessary in these times of instability. I can’t afford any insubordination, any half-baked rebellions. Now, Eyvind, what’s it to be?”

“I’m not sure what you mean.” Eyvind rose to his feet, and instantly regretted it; after the day’s forced march, the old weakness had returned to his legs, and he had to set a hand on the table for support.

“I’m offering you a chance to redeem yourself. More than offering—I’m begging you to take it.” Somerled was pale; his eyes were deadly serious. “Let there be no more talk of Ulf and of murders. Let there be no more talk of Engus, of the battles we have won here, of treaties and the like. You cannot make the dead live again, Eyvind. Come back to my side; let us go forward as we planned once, long ago, a great king and his peerless Wolfskin. Your behavior can be easily explained, readily forgiven once the full tale is told, of how these islanders took you prisoner after Ramsbeck and played tricks with your head so that you could no longer tell friend from foe, right from wrong. You’re clearly still very weak in body as well as mind. Why else would the foremost of my warriors give himself up so easily? You can have rest, good care, as many little islander girls as you want to warm your bed. No need for any sort of hearing; I’ll announce that I’ve pardoned your indiscretion, and we’ll move on from there. What do you say?”