‘We might,’ Ceadda said cheerfully. ‘We don’t care who you are, pup. Don’t care for your glory. Yeah, you fought well, but we won’t sing your praises to the gods and Valkyries when they come. You’ll see bravery soon enough. We do not go easily to our deaths, and if you think we’d be sacrificed to the gods like lambs, even to celebrate your … glory, you have a thing or two coming. Saxons are not soft people afraid of taking some Goths with them to the afterlife. We shall row together, merrily across the dead seas.’
‘Neither are the Goths soft fools,’ I growled. I turned the sword in my hand, so the blade flickered, and it was not lost on them, as their eyes hardened. I breathed steadily, and relaxed. ‘I am not here to take you to Woden’s stone, or to be hanged for some fool vitka’s pleasure, no. Not yet, at least, and should something like that take place, at some point, it will happen somewhere else. And I might join you in such a fate.’
Ceadda eyed me and stepped forward until I could see him properly. His hand was clutching his side, as if trying to find a weapon he had been accustomed to holding there, but there was nothing on his belt and his hand was clutching air, repeatedly. I stepped out, grabbed the hasta, the heavy spear of the guard, and came back in. The Saxon looked at me and shrugged. ‘You are here for yourself, yes? Where is the guard? He pissed in our food, you know.’
‘He has paid for it,’ I told him with simple bravado and he snickered nastily. It was like dealing with a snarling beast, but his mirth had a hopeful note, and the rest of the Saxons were looking at each other, surprised. ‘Yes, I am here for myself and for causes of my family, but first I have to do a very hard thing. Already have, in fact.’
‘What do you really want from us?’ Njord asked with openmouthed curiosity.
‘I’m in need of a guard and perhaps a crew. I’m leaving this place. I’m an adeling without a home and would find a new one. In the end,’ I said with a ferocious smile, ‘if you lot survive, you can go home and join some other crew of raiders next year. And if my plans for a new home fail, I’ll row with you.’ I had not told that to the girl or Aldbert. I needed the Saxons to give me a chance for an escape, should everything go wrong.
Ceadda nodded as if what I was offering was the most natural thing in the world and tugged at his long beard. ‘So, you tell us we will give you oaths of service until you are happy and settled in your new home. Where is that, if I may ask?’
I nodded towards the west. ‘The girl.’
‘A girl? That’s not a home,’ he snickered. ‘We cannot find you a girl, boy. Do we look like ones to hide girls in here? You came to the last place in Marka to find a—’
Njord grunted angrily. ‘The girl, you damn fool. He’s talking about the Svea princess. He wants to elope with the damned girl.’
‘Oh!’ Ceadda said with sudden, horrified understanding. ‘That sort of a tragedy, eh? That girl,’ he said emphatically, ‘was the bane of our lord. She will be yours, perhaps.’
‘She’s a girl, you brave Saxon,’ I mocked him. ‘What’s there to fear?’
He waved his hand towards the Svea lands. ‘You’ve not been out there, have you? We only went there for her, and a fine promise in treasure. I—‘
‘The Boat-Lord would have offered you cows, boats, slaves, even gold and silver for her, no? You went there to steal her away, because you knew she had been promised to the great Goth by the Svea.’
‘Oh, ho! You know a lot for a pup with wet ears, don’t you? Yes, perhaps. I don’t know how exactly Cuthbert heard of the deal the Svea and your Goth enemy made, but your Friednot did as well, and also heard of our plans. Probably had spies where we have them. He surprised us, didn’t he? But her village is a strange place, the people are queer and I will not say more about it.’ His words left me uneasy, and I faltered and wondered if I should take her across the sea instead, and build a life there, after all. Then I shrugged, and knew I could not. She didn’t seem like the sort of a woman who would appreciate a man who steered away from rushing, raging torrents for the comfort of the calmer waters. She’d expect I keep my word, indeed.
‘I’m taking your captive back to her home. I don’t really know a lot about the west, you are right, but I will tap into your well of hard-won wisdom.’
‘Shit,’ Njord said softly, rubbing his temple. ‘Not again. This had been a terrible week, hasn’t it? Cuthbert’s mother always told him not to seek out trouble with the wicked Svearna, but he did, and his curse is ours.’
I ignored his ominous words. ‘And you will guard us as we travel where she would go. I will—’
‘You will marry into power, eh?’ Ceadda said with almost fatherly desperation. He leaned closer. ‘I like you, lad. You would probably do well in the shieldwall and pulling at our oars, you would, and I smell determination born of desperation in you, you know? You are a man who tries to make things better, no matter the obstacle.’ He pointed towards the village and withdrew his hand as if it was terrible luck to invoke her name. ‘But this obstacle? That terrible kitten? She caused our lord to go mad. Utterly crazy. Marching through your Goth lands to capture the future wife of the Boat-Lord? Mad. We had men, but never enough to pull it off, and he should have known it. He didn’t and went ahead anyway, and every moment from the minute he saw her, to the minute he died holding her, our lord was as desperate as you. His face was gray, his voice weak, he was feverish, and stared at her like a faithful, stupid dog would stare at a cruel mistress who never feeds it. Now you would take eighteen men to the west on her behalf? Mad, mad. Here we are, all men you have been told are like animals. We are Germani like you, Suebi all, but still pirates and raiders. You think we fear nothing? We do. You want us to go back there, but perhaps we are not so desperate? There is nothing there, Goth, that promises a better end than we might get here. We would die less tired here, to be honest. Won’t have to run from a nation of Goths, and Svearna both.’
‘Coward,’ I said with spite. ‘Too lazy to grasp at a branch offered in good faith, one that might see you to your homes.’
Ceadda’s eyes flashed and his fingers twitched aggressively. ‘Perhaps so. But why should we go with you? What could you do, boy, if we just helped ourselves now?’ They took a step forward, all of them and even the two wounded tried to sit up.
I pushed the spear in Ceadda’s chest, the tip breaking skin. His eyes widened, but he clearly contemplated walking on, anyway. I shook my head at him, begging him not to. ‘If you have no honor, you do have sense, I am sure. You will help me, or die here. I have never seen a Saxon die happily in a cage, fed, rested. Think of the songs they shall sing of Ceadda and Njord, the fat, lazy sacrifice. They will, you know.’
‘Wait a minute, I—‘ Ceadda began but I didn’t let him finish.
‘They shall laugh in your halls. Except for your sons. They will weep as they are mocked.’ His face went slack and he looked away and I knew I had won. I went on, brave as a young god. ‘You could kill me, but you know it’s a bad idea, because you would be running around the Goth lands until my people catch you again and they will string you up like wingless sparrows, a feast for the crows.’
‘We’ll row out,’ Njord said stubbornly.
I snorted. ‘The oars have been taken from the boats. Paddle with your hands and feet?’
‘We can make oars,’ he insisted.
‘They will find you,’ I said with a bored voice, hoping they would listen. ‘The horses are guarded, most of them, despite the fire. Come with me. This way you will help a high lady of your enemies, and those enemies can and will help you in return.’
‘Interesting thing, that fire,’ Ceadda said darkly, ‘but I’m sure we don’t have to know what’s going on there.’
I had nothing to hide. ‘You will know everything, or most if you come with me. We are in the same floundering shitty tub together, my friend, I admit that much, and it won’t be easy. You can, if you wish, stay here, and wait for one of the damned vitka to sober up, and start to ponder how to fulfill some fools reque
st. There will be a chief, who is wondering which cow he should buy from his neighbor. Then he will need mighty magic to find an answer, and perhaps your blood will decide which one it shall be? Soon they will sacrifice some of you to Woden. The rest will be split up and sold as slaves, nonetheless, and you won’t be Saxons any longer. Some few might go home if a ransom is paid, and that could take years. Your wives will take new husbands and your children will call them Father, and forget you, and just think of the mockery they’d endure. Imagine, slain by Bero, the least of the Goths.’ That didn’t go down well with them. They all twitched with anger. ‘Or,’ I said, ‘have an adventure with me. Free as birds, or dead.’ I leaned closer. ‘And I doubt you are honorless men, no matter if you raid, rob, and murder. We do as well, don’t we? I’m here to offer you freedom. You can go and try to figure out a way to get some oars together, but you won’t get far. Help me,’ I said proudly and bowed to them.
Ceadda laughed softly as I straightened, and shook his head. ‘My, but you are a wordy one. Bowing to a Saxon? Should be happy you don’t have an ax in your skull. You are leaving the Goths? All the Goths? And really wish to travel to the west, boy?’
I nodded. ‘I was offered a place with the Black Goths. My father told me never to trust Hughnot and I agree with him. I don’t love Bero. I even hate him. I know I hate Maino. And now I don’t trust my father, either. Moreover, there was an incident in the hall, as well. In the Bone-Hall.’
‘I thought the sword had a red tint,’ Njord said. ‘I smell guts and shit on it, pup.’
I shifted the weapon, but didn’t smell a thing on it. ‘No shit, but blood. It visited a throat. But you have a good nose. Look, we don’t have all—‘
As if to make my point, a man was screaming nearby, apparently chasing a horse spooked by the fire that still seemed to be ongoing.
I took the spear away from Ceadda’s chest. ‘You will make oaths to me. Your brothers, fathers, and relatives will hear, across the oaken floors of Valholl, and hold you to them. I need you to help us get there. Take it or leave it because I have to run, nonetheless.’
‘Gods above and below,’ Ceadda said, looking desperate as he tugged at his beard. ‘What say you, boys?’
They said nothing, but somehow Ceadda read an answer in their weather-beaten faces and the sullen silence and turned to me. ‘When she is home, we go free. We won’t come to the Svea village, though. They’d roast us.’
‘Get us there,’ I smiled. ‘And you go free. We will try to get you a boat and you can take the Long-Lake back to the sea, if it is feasible.’
‘The wounded,’ Njord whispered. ‘We must leave—‘
‘No,’ Ceadda said sadly. ‘We help them to Woden’s care.’ He eyed the two men, who shuddered with fear, but did their best to look brave, clutching their wounds. He leaned on me. ‘They have heard us speak, as well.’ I flinched as they approached their brothers. They seemed half dead, horribly wounded anyway, but the deaths were brutal, neck-breaking affairs in the dark, and I realized I was in league with real killers. After the deed was done, Ceadda nodded at me and came to stand before me. ‘Oath?’
‘Give them,’ I told him. Outside, yells were getting more desperate. I heard pained whinnying of horses as the hall was probably a terrible inferno and likely, the fire had indeed spread, perhaps elsewhere, further away, helped by Hughnot’s seedy men. Ceadda kneeled and so did the shadowy, murderous Saxon crew. ‘We shall honor you as our lord …’
‘Maroboodus,’ I said.
‘Lord, Maroboodus,’ he went on, ‘the Pup, and shall fight to the death to get you to the safety of the Svea village. Then, we are free to go. Moreover, we would appreciate some help in the form of a boat, when we get there. Long-Lake is Goth and Svea waters, dangerous, but better than walking.’
‘And you shall honor the girl,’ I told him. ‘She must be safe, no matter how much you fear her and her village.’
‘Yes,’ he stated simply. ‘Of course. Do we have to spell everything out? You wish to have a Thing here and settle terms? Trust our word.’
I had one more point. ‘And you will take me with you, if this is a terrible idea,’ I added.
He cursed, for he had probably thought about leaving that option open still. ‘And that, lord Pup. An oath on that as well, damn you, though I don’t know where we shall go, if it is that desperate and there is no boat.’
I shrugged and wiped my stubbled chin. I hesitated for a moment and then handed him the spear, which he took after a moment of stunned silence. I felt like I had given a wolverine claws, but it was a tamed beast for a moment as he grabbed the weapon gratefully. For a few moments, I wondered if he would be ramming it in my belly and by the look on Njord’s face, he was as well. Ceadda did not, but set about speaking to his men in a way that left me confused. They rushed about, picking up their few personal items. ‘Shall we?’ I asked him.
‘Lead on,’ Njord said, eyeing the spear unhappily and enviously. ‘I’m better with a hasta, brother.’
‘You’d confuse it with your cock,’ Ceadda said and pushed me on. ‘I’ll keep it.’
We rushed out. I ran in the shadows of the village’s halls and sheds, the Saxons followed me nearly soundlessly, but most everyone was fighting the fires and indeed, there was more than one hall on fire. We flitted from shadow to shadow, hall to hall until Ceadda stopped us near a ship. He hesitated, his eyes glinting and I felt rage creeping into my heart. ‘You renegading already? I told you they don’t have oars. You cannot seriously think you will get away—’
He shook his head and grinned like a naughty child. ‘No. Let’s release one of them. Push it off, perhaps it will drift away through the islands with the currents, going far to the sea, and they shall look for us there? Or it will just look silly, stuck on some branches over there in the bay. But first, we need weapons.’ He nodded at me, I nodded back, and they climbed the boats. Some came back with spare spears, some had bows, none had shields, but they also found axes and seaxes, long, thick daggers. It was Hughnot’s ship they found most in and I grinned at the thought of the lord’s fury, and then felt cold claws of fear dance on my back as I remembered his face when he had told me not to fail. I was failing, spectacularly. Finally, the Saxons let the ship go after pushing it mightily and we ran for the end of the beach, a line of fugitives, and nobody cared to stop us, not even the few dogs that came near to sniffle and wonder at us. I scuttled to the woods and turned to look back at the village. I eyed the ferns and thick woods, hoping to see a glimpse of Aldbert. Ceadda pulled me around, nervously looking at the burning hall, where hundred men were trying to put it out. ‘Are we going?’
‘We need her, first,’ I said. ‘And my friend.’
‘Oh, they are here,’ he nodded towards a pair of shadows and I saw it was so indeed. There were horses and I saw their faces in the pale light of the conflagration. I walked forward, cursing as I struck my toe on a root, and felt sudden reluctance, as I was afraid the woman would reject me in the end. ‘Do not tarry, lord Pup, and let us get on with this,’ Ceadda said darkly as he eyed the woman he so feared. Aldbert rode forward and looked sheepish as the beautiful woman rode next to him. Her eyes were cold as the north as she eyed the killers of her kin, blue and icy and her lips full and without emotion, drawn in silent rage. Her long, dark hair was braided thickly and her animal skins clung on her round hips. My eyes did not leave hers and I felt the Saxons making some signs to ward off evil spirits and bad luck. She had been unlucky for them indeed. I bowed to her stiffly but she did nothing in return.
‘Boat over the Long-Lake, across it to the Svea lands?’ I asked. There was a long stretch of water, and while it was called the lake, it was a sea and lake combined, and ran for days to the west, separating Hughnot’s and our lands, leading deep to the lands of the Svea, past our gaus.
‘Yes,’ she answered. ‘That would be good. That or a smaller boat down one of the rivers leading west. There are some this side of the Long-Lake.’
‘No,’ Ceadda said and rubbed his face, as his eyes gauged us, anticipating an argument and it was easy to see the girl was about to give him one, because a furious storm gathered behind her eyes. Ceadda lifted a hand before she unleashed her spit on him. ‘You don’t know shit about boats and being hunted in one. We would be visible to everyone. We don’t have the time to go slowly, to avoid villages, and wait for the night. We’d have to row fast. They would come after us, send messages ahead, and if there’s a lord out there with some boats, they will find us. All they would have to do is ask the first fisher they meet, and they would happily tell them when and where we are. No. We, my crew will escape carefully with a boat, taking our time, but we take you two where you want to go through the woods and hills and hope they think we are stupid enough to try the lake. Even the Saxons rowing about with great many boats try to avoid that bit of cold water. It’s a death trap. Though it seems we must brave it to get home later, as you know.’ He gave me a resentful look, knowing I might be with them then.
The girl sighed. ‘You promised them a boat?’
I nodded. ‘Yes. And we might wish to listen to them. We should.’
There was still rage on the face of the girl as she looked at the Saxons, but she finally nodded. ‘Do so,’ she said coldly. ‘Over the land, then.’
‘Lord Pup,’ Ceadda said and I nearly shouted for him to remain silent, but the girl bent down and put her cool hand on my cheek.
‘When we get where I wish to go to, I will marry you, mighty Maroboodus. I see power in your future. I also see and smell blood and death, I see unhappy sons, dying lords, betrayed tribes and many riches for you, and I see you will be both happy and unhappy. You’ll ride to war a king, with an old sword and a ring. I will marry a man the Red Lady so richly loves. Freya approves of you.’
I let her keep her hand on my face, and braved a question. ‘Do you see us together, sharing such riches and happiness?’
She hesitated and shrugged, straightening in the saddle. ‘I don’t know. It is possible. Anything is. But I see we will have happiness, though as for the future and how far that happiness lasts, it depends on our choices.’
Maroboodus: A Novel of Germania (The Goth Chronicles Book 1) Page 18
