by Bobbi Smith
“Stay here with my horse,” Ulf ordered Parr and Upton. “I will go on foot to take a look beyond. I would not want them to see us now.”
Staying low, Ulf made his way to the top of the hill to survey the scene before him. He stood immobile for a long moment, staring at Sir Edmund and his men spread out in the valley below. He pressed himself close to the ground, wanting to stay hidden as he tried to estimate their numbers. As his gaze swept over the area, he caught sight of his brother, tied at the far end of their campsite. Ulf scrambled from his hiding place and raced back to where Parr and Upton waited.
He related what he had seen, then gave his directions to the men. “We must take them by surprise before they start out for the day or there will be no way to protect Barge.” He practically threw himself on the horse’s back and the three galloped back to where Anslak waited.
“We found them!” Ulf bellowed.
Matilda heard him shouting and rushed forth to see what he had learned. She was standing with Anslak when Ulf reined in and dismounted.
“What about Lady Dynna? Was she with them, too? Did you see her?” Matilda ran to Ulf’s side, desperate to know her lady’s fate.
It had not occurred to him to worry about the Saxon wench. All he cared about was finding his brother alive. “I did not see her, but that does not mean she is not there. It was still quite dark.”
Matilda did not feel better. She worried that something terrible had happened to Dynna.
“Let us go now, while they are still encamped and not suspicious.” Anslak called to his men as they gathered around to hear what Ulf and the others had discovered.
Eager to free Brage, those with horses raced for their mounts. The rest picked up their weapons and prepared to move out.
Ulf turned to his father. “What shall we do with Matilda? I do not want her harmed in any way.”
Anslak showed surprise as his son’s concern, then turned to the young woman. “You will remain here until we return.”
“No. I cannot. What if Lady Dynna is with the others? What if she needs me?”
“We will see to her. You stay here away from the bloodletting,” Anslak repeated sternly.
“But . . .”
Ulf silenced her protest with a severe look. “I will come back for you as quickly as can.”
“Ulf . . . There is one thing . . .” She clutched his arm. At his questioning look, she continued, “There is one man who is friend to Dynna and who was kind to your brother. His name is Sir Thomas. Please . . . if you can, see that no harm comes to him.”
The warrior felt a sting at her words of concern for another man, and he wondered at the emotion. “You care about this man?” he asked harshly.
“Very much,” she answered, knowing how Sir Thomas had defended Dynna.
Ulf gave a nod, then walked away from her, donning his helmet as he went.
Matilda watched him go, and realized then that he might be injured or even killed in the upcoming fight. She found herself following him, wanting to speak to him once more, but his pace was too fast for her. She could not catch up. At last, she had to call out to him. As he was about to mount, he heard her voice.
“Ulf!”
He glanced back, wondering what she wanted.
“Be careful . . .” she told him.
He nodded again, but felt oddly pleased. He wheeled his horse around and rode toward the front of the force. He would ride by his father’s side into battle. Today, he would save his brother.
Brage sat in silence watching the Saxons in the camp around him and wondering what would happen when they reached the tower in another day. He wondered if his father was waiting there with the ransom they had demanded. He wondered, too, if he would live through the exchange.
These times of helplessness had taught him to forge his anger into determination. There was much revenge to be wreaked, and he would act upon it as soon as he was freed. The difficult thing would be surviving Edmund’s treachery. Somehow, he would have to find a way to warn his father about it.
The night just passed had seemed endless. He had sought sleep on the hard ground, but none had come. His thoughts had been too fierce, too disquieting. He could not dismiss memories of Dynna’s betrayal, and he had been filled with a burning need to avenge himself. One day he would find her again, and when he did . . . Brage had deliberately tried to distract himself with thoughts of home, but still his mind returned to betrayal and the need for revenge. The first thing he would do when he returned was find the traitor who was responsible for the deaths of so many of his men.
Brage had tossed on the hard ground, seeking the final answer to the riddle that haunted him. Again and again, he went over everything he could remember that would point out the one who had turned against him, and again and again he was faced with the fact that there seemed to be only one person who would have or could have done it. Ulf. Ulf with his advance knowledge; Ulf who was supposed to protect his back.
As children, they had waged an almost savage competition against each other in their effort to win their father’s favor. Many times their boyhood battles had ended in draws, for Ulf had met him equally in all things. Yet he himself was the one who had earned most of his father’s praise, for he was the son of his father’s most beloved wife. Ulf had not been ignored, but he had been less favored than Anslak’s two sons by marriage, and now that one thing seemed the most damning thing. Where had Ulf been during the battle? Where was he now? Taking over his longship? Leading his men on raids?
Brage thought of his younger brother and began to worry about him. If it had been this easy for Ulf to get rid of him, he could only imagine how simple it would be for Ulf to dispose of Kris. If that were his plan, Kris’s death would leave Ulf the sole son and heir, legitimate or not. Though Kris would be a fine warrior one day, he was still young and inexperienced. He was no match for the ferocious Ulf.
Brage stared up at the sky and noticed that the eastern horizon was brightening. Soon it would be dawn. Soon they would be arriving at Alfrick’s tower once again. He did not look forward to it.
The first hint that something was amiss was when a panicked shout went up.
“Vikings!”
At the cry, chaos erupted in the camp. All eyes turned toward the rise, and it was then that they had their first view of mounted Viking warriors, topping the rise and thundering toward them.
“Turn your back!” Sir Thomas ordered Brage as he drew his knife from his belt.
Brage heard the urgency in his voice and did as he had said. He was grateful when the Saxon cut his bonds. Sir Thomas was truly a man of honor.
“There, Viking. You are free again. Save yourself!” Sir Thomas told him.
Brage turned, and for an instant their gazes met. Each saw respect mirrored in the other’s eyes.
“Go!” Sir Thomas repeated.
Brage ran as Sir Thomas turned toward the battle. Brage started hunting for a weapon, wanting to join the fight.
Sir Thomas picked up his sword, ready for the battle. He charged forward toward the fighting prepared to die with his own men. But it was too late. The rest of the Saxons were not ready to ride or to fight. The battle was swift, and the outcome was deadly. It was over almost before it began.
Sir Thomas was almost immediately surrounded by four large, angry-looking Vikings. They all stood with their swords pointed at him.
“Drop your weapon,” Ulf ordered as they closed on him.
Sir Thomas thought of attacking, but thought better of it. He quietly laid his sword on the ground.
“Where is he? Where is the Black Hawk?”
“I freed him.”
Ulf stepped forward and pressed the point of his blade to Sir Thomas’s throat. “Speak the truth or I will kill you now.”
“Ulf! Wait!! Stop!”
Ulf recognized the voice immediately and looked around to find Brage running toward them. Relief and great joy filled him.
“Brage lives!” he shouted for all to hear, d
ropping his sword from Sir Thomas’s throat and turning to welcome his brother.
“Do not harm this man!” Brage insisted as he came to stand before them. He saw what looked like happiness in Ulf’s expression, and he wondered when his brother had become such a good actor.
“But he is the Saxon who held you prisoner,” Ulf argued. “I saw him from the rise when I was scouting.”
“He is also the Saxon who saved my life,” Brage countered. He turned to Sir Thomas. “My debt to you is paid. We are even now, Sir Thomas . . . a life for a life.”
Sir Thomas nodded in response, but said nothing. Ulf eyed the other man with interest.
Around them, the last of the weak resistance was wiped out. The battle was done. The bodies of the dead and dying Saxons were scattered about the encampment. Edmund lay facedown where he was slain as he tried to run away.
Anslak finished fighting and looked up to see Ulf standing with Brage as he rode toward them, his gaze met his son’s. Brage saw his father coming and went to him. As soon as Anslak had dismounted, they embraced warmly. Anslak did not attempt to hide the depth of his feeling over finding his son alive. Tears burned in his eyes as he held Brage away from him to look at him.
“You are well?” he asked, his voice gruff with emotion.
“Now that you are here,” he replied, smiling at his father. He had wondered if this moment would ever come, and he was thankful for it.
“We did not know what to believe when we landed and you were not there for the ransom.”
“I learned that Edmund planned to kill me, even after the gold was paid, so when the chance came to escape, I took it. What of the tower? What did you find there?”
“Nobody but the maid, Matilda. She is the one who told Ulf the truth of all that had happened. She led us here, but is waiting back where we camped.”
“So you took Alfrick’s stronghold?”
“We did. Alfrick is imprisoned. The tower is ours. Kristoffer holds it for us even as we speak.”
“Kris is there and he is well . . .” he repeated, relieved to find his younger brother was unharmed.
“He is growing into a fine warrior. He has proven himself well these last weeks, though he still has a long way to go to match you and Ulf.”
Brage looked around the campsite again and saw that Edmund lay dead. It pleased him to know that the man would never torment anyone again. “It is right that he was struck down while running away from a full-fledged battle. He was a coward and is deserving of a coward’s death.”
“Let us go home now. We have what we came for,” Anslak said, ready to return to the longships.
“Nay, Father, there is one more thing I must do before we sail.”
“What is that?”
“I must go back . . .” He stared in the direction of Dynna’s home, his jaw tight with anger. “There is someone I must confront.”
“Who is this person who is more important to you than returning to your own home?”
Brage gave a vicious laugh. “I return there not for any tender emotion, Father. I return for revenge.” As he said the word, he looked pointedly at Ulf. “These last weeks I was betrayed not once, but twice. I will see that the deceivers pay for their treachery.”
Ulf was the first to look away. “I must return for Matilda. I will join you soon.” He turned back to Brage and embraced him. “I am glad you are alive and safe.”
“As am I,” Brage replied.
When Ulf had gone, Brage and Anslak continued to talk. “Father, this man, Sir Thomas, saved my life. He is a good man, fair to all. He would command respect should he be placed in authority at the tower.”
“You think he is friend and not foe?”
“I know he is a friend. Perhaps it would be a good thing to trade with this land.”
“We will speak to him of such. A Saxon ally would be unusual, but profitable.”
Matilda had waited what seemed an eternity for Ulf’s return. The place where she sat was shaded and comfortable and secure enough, but the fear that something terrible was happening haunted her.
Matilda’s emotions were tom. These were the Vikings, the dreaded invaders, yet they seemed more civilized than Edmund ever had. And Ulf . . . She smiled in spite of herself as she thought of him. He was a big man, a gruff man, but despite his size, he had surprised her many times with his gentleness. She tried to tell herself that she did not care what happened to any of them as long as Lady Dynna was all right. She loved Dynna and needed to know that she was safe. She could not imagine that Sir Edmund let her go, not after the feverish ways he had been pursuing her all these months. She prayed fervently that her lady was unharmed. She wanted to be reunited with her at her parents’ home and live there for the rest of their lives in peace. Still, as she waited, she could not help but wonder if Ulf had survived the battle uninjured and would return for her . . .
The sound of a lone horse galloping her way drew her from her thoughts. Matilda was not sure whether she should run to meet the one who was coming or attempt to hide until she could see who it was. She chose the latter and hid among the trees there on the bank of the stream. Crouching low, she watched anxiously as the horse came over the nearby hill. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief, for it was Ulf returning to her.
“You are well! The battle is won?” she called as she forgot all caution and ran out to him.
When Ulf had ridden over the hill and had seen no sign of Matilda, he had been deeply worried. For a moment, he had feared that she had fled, but then he saw her emerge from the woods and he urged his horse in her direction. As he neared her, he did not rein in, but reached down with one arm and scooped her up to seat her before him.
“My brother lives!” His happiness knew no bounds. Then, unable to stop himself, he kissed her.
Matilda was shocked by his kiss, but did not fight him. He was the victor returning with the good news of their glory. And besides, she admitted faintly to herself, his kiss was not unpleasant.
When Ulf ended the exchange, he gazed down at her seeing the glow in her eyes and the slight curve of satisfaction to her lips. He wanted her. He had since the beginning. He would take her back home with him. Before he could say a word, though, she began to question him.
“What of Lady Dynna? Was she there?”
“No. Your lady was not with them. Brage did not speak of her. But we ride to her family’s home now.”
“I will go with you,” she stated. “I must find out what has happened to my lady.”
Ulf nodded, and they went to rejoin the others.
After learning how poor the defenses were at the other tower, Anslak ordered half his men to remain behind with Sir Thomas and guard the survivors of the battle until they returned. He saw Ulf riding back in with the maid and ordered the men to prepare to leave.
Matilda pleaded with Ulf as they neared the place where Brage and Anslak stood. “I must speak with your brother for a moment. He will know about Dynna.”
Ulf nodded and rode up to him.
“Brage . . .” Matilda called out to him as Ulf helped her to dismount.
When he turned toward her, his expression was stony and his eyes cold. She shivered in spite of the warmth of the day.
“I am glad you are well, but I must know. Where is my lady? Did she get away safely or did Edmund harm her?”
Brage’s answer was terse. “Your lady,” he almost spat the words, “is at her father’s tower. She is awaiting my justice.”
Eighteen
“Your justice?” Matilda was staring at him in confusion. “I do not understand. Has she not been hurt enough already by Sir Edmund? Did she not save your life?”
“Only to forfeit it again in exchange for her own comfort?”
“What are you saying?”
“I tell you, your lady is as deceitful as Edmund ever was. It is a shame he is dead and they did not have time to marry, for they would have gotten along well together.”
His words were sharply spoken an
d took Matilda aback. “You are wrong about Lady Dynna.” She started to protest, but Brage cut her off.
“Enough! I will hear no more about it. Let us return to Lord Garman’s tower. It will be yet another day’s ride.”
Brage was given one of the Saxon’s horses, and Matilda got her own mount back. Many of the men who previously had been walking were now riding, and the pace was much faster. Brage rode at the fore with his father while Ulf rode a short distance back beside Matilda. They had been traveling for some time before Matilda spoke.
“I do not understand what could have happened between them,” she said, glancing over at Ulf. “He spoke of deceit, yet I cannot fathom how she could have deceived him. Had she wanted to see him dead, she had but to leave him behind when she made her escape.”
“True enough. There is naught to do but wait. Neither of us have a say in it anyway.”
“I will not stand by and see my lady hurt,” Matilda declared, knowing she would do whatever was necessary to ensure Dynna’s safety.
Ulf shot her a sidelong glance, seeing the strength in her profile and the determination in the set of her jaw. She was a fighter, this one. She had a headstrong way about her, and he was certainly enjoying her spirit.
Dynna sat in her bedchamber ever aware of the two guards, Balder and Ives, sitting across the room from her. She had had no peace since Edmund had ridden away with Brage as his prisoner once more. Guilt consumed her, though she knew there had been nothing else she could have done.
Each day, Dynna prayed fervently that Brage was all right, that his father would be waiting for him at Alfrick’s tower with the ransom, and that the exchange would be made without incident. But knowing that Edmund was as treacherous as a snake, she did not put any trust in him. She despised being this helpless, and she chafed at the restrictions on her. Had she had a moment’s freedom, she would have found some way to help Brage, but she was entombed in her chamber, with only a single daily visit allowed by her parents.
Dynna was glad that her parents were unharmed. Lord Garman and Lady Audrey had been given free rein of the tower the day after Edmund had left. But not Dynna. The guards were following Edmund’s orders to the letter, for he had terrorized them with the threats of what would happen should she turn up missing. They were not taking any chances with her, and she was suffering from their dedication.
