The Oath Breaker: A Novel of Germania and Rome (Hraban Chronicles Book 1)

by Alaric Longward

  'I have not slept with Ermendrud,' I told them frankly. 'No, I have not.' She was growing nervous at my denials, gritted her teeth and opened her mouth, but then closed it, fury playing on her face. She had hoped I would fight for us, but I was denying everything instead. I decided to go all the way and nodded at my friends while holding her eyes and took a deep breath. 'I am promised to the Chatti.'

  'What?' she said angrily then visibly struggled to be calmer. 'Chatti? You are betrothed?'

  I swallowed. 'Yes,' I said simply, trying to deal with the terrible fury and hopeless disappointment on her face. 'Have been since early Drimilchi.' I looked at Ermendrud pleadingly. She was disappointed, scared and angry. I waved my hand, tired. 'His accusations are baseless. This is Ermendrud, my friend, and Gernot is hoping to hurt me, as is his wont, but he tried to go further this night. He tried to be rid of me, all together,' I told Ansbor and Wandal. Ansbor scowled, and Wandal looked suspicious. Ermendrud's pretty eyes glinted with a warning. She had heard me say the same to Ishild earlier, about friendship. She could, possibly, destroy both of us and again, Hagano's story of foolish love came to me. We could both die in the swamp if she was hurt enough.

  'But you have been with Ishild, right?' Ansbor asked carefully.

  'She, too, is my friend.'

  'You have a lot of friends,' Ermendrud growled, nearly beyond control, and I thought she looked prettier when it was so, but shook my head to chase the thought away.

  'And you have not touched anyone, eh?' Wandal asked carefully.

  I threw my hand into the air in frustration. 'I was nearly murdered, and you only worry about my love life? No, I have not! It is not so. Felix? You have followed me around for my father for long months. Have I slept with a woman out of my own will? Is Gernot a bastardly piece of pig shit, who is lying as usual?'

  Felix perked and spit thin blood. He stepped forward and tore his tunic to emphasize his honesty. 'Hraban only touches himself, and he has no women. He makes love to his left hand and usually cries of shame after. I swear by your Tiw and angry Donor, may they melt my ears if I lie.' Ansbor was observing his ears carefully, but Ermendrud was looking at me furiously. I cursed Felix and his imagination for he made me look bad, no matter what.

  'But you have met a woman for weeks, have you not? She came to you that one day, and you two went away, and …' Ansbor kept on insisting, suspicious.

  I was no longer in the mood for explaining myself. 'Felix, where is my horn? Did you steal it or is it truly missing?' I asked as I gestured for Wandal to come closer.

  'Yes,' he said in a small voice.

  'Stolen or missing, boy,' I growled.

  'Loaned,' he told us with a small voice, and we all glowered at him.

  'I saw you receive coin for your services to Nihta,' I said calmly.

  'No!' he said, but went silent as Ansbor came near him, scowling, and so he gulped and nodded, almost embarrassed. 'Yes, I have that coin. And I got silver for the horn. I need it to go home as I don't trust your father to give me riches as he has promised. He should, for I know enough to make a sobbing husk of a man of him.'

  'You are my slave, Felix. You will not speak to Father about my doings, or spy on me, only for me, and if you do this, then one day, I will set you free. I saved your life just now, remember it. You will fetch the coin, all of it, and give it to Wandal.' Felix opened his mouth, but only a sad squeak came out.

  Wandal stopped, confused. 'To me? Eh? Why?'

  I pulled him closer to me. 'See the girl? My friend like you are?' He glanced at her, and Ermendrud's mouth fell open, her face reddened, but she saw my eyes and shut up as she understood there was a warning there, one that brooked no more problems for that night.

  'I see her, yes,' Wandal said, carefully, unsuspecting of his fate.

  'Remember the story Hagano told us? Gernot's stories might very well cause her to die a nasty, choking death at the end of a rope or at the bottom of a seedy swamp. Gernot will accuse me in front of everyone in this accursed village, lying about us. He hates me, and he certainly does not care for her honor.'

  'He is a bastard, eh?' Wandal said, growling, and I saw Ansbor's eyes brighten as he realized what I was doing. I think that somewhere deep in his mind, he was hurt I had not asked him.

  'So, she needs a husband. A man who will stand by her side, swear by her honesty,' I told Wandal, and felt a sting of jealousy. I liked Ermendrud, though not enough to marry her. He looked at me for the longest time, and then looked at her, and she actually smiled. It was my turn to be terribly hurt, but I shrugged it off, thinking of Gunda I had not met yet.

  Finally, Wandal, the dolt, looked back at me. 'Who will she marry? Eh? I don't know anyone who might be …'

  'Wandal, my friend,' I said, patient beyond reason. 'She will need a strong man. One with a fine profession, like a smith. She needs, my friend, a future warlord.' I said this loudly, and was rewarded by Ermendrud's glinting eyes, which suddenly betrayed interest as her devious female mind was spinning new plans and abandoning the old ones. 'We need one who has coin for a dowry, and I think Felix will give you a goodly amount of silver and bronze, certainly enough for a man to marry. I know no-one else with such coin.'

  'You mean me?' he said, his voice squeaky.

  'You,' I told him gravely. 'Save her. She needs you.'

  He was speechless. I looked at Ermendrud pleadingly, and she took a hesitant step towards us. She hated me, I saw that, but perhaps she understood that Wandal, who was not an ugly man, was a safer choice than I was. Her eyes turned to my friend, and I felt sorry for Wandal, and jealous. She was a joy to sleep with and nice company, steadfast and loyal. I resisted the urge to give him pointers on what Ermendrud enjoyed while making love.

  'I … eh?' he said, and I led Ansbor and Felix out.

  Ansbor growled as he saw Ermendrud on his knees before Wandal, who was lifting her up, and my fat friend spat. 'Why not me?'

  'Because Wandal will never get married without help; he is dead scared of women. You are not,' I said.

  'Have you slept with her?' he asked suspiciously.

  'Felix swore I have not,' I said, not willing to lie more. Ansbor smiled and spat. I went to my hut, imagining what Euric, Wandal's father, was going to do when Wandal came home with her.

  I went to my hut and fell into a deep sleep, clutching my seax, and saw many, many nightmares.

  Next morning, I ate a meager breakfast of old apples and water, and started to pack though I practically only had the belt. When I had done so, I went outside. A warrior stopped to look at me, and I realized that he was not alone. To them, I was an abomination, a man of no morals, a slayer of helpless vitka. An evil rumor is a powerful enemy, and Gernot's stories would take root, no matter if Ermendrud was vouched for by Wandal. I cursed but decided I would ignore the looks, try to, at least, and act as if they were all lies. Wandal and Ermendrud would stand witness. However, that was not to be, for Guthbert came out of Maroboodus's hall. He nodded his helmeted head towards the inside of the great hall, hand on axe. 'Sorry, lad.'

  Maroboodus sat on his high chair, slumped like a beaten man, and dismissed all others. The hall was near dark; with some light shared by some fluttering oil lamps burning on the table and a bundle of shingles was crackling in the fire pit. He waved me closer and got up, dread-looking as the flickering shadows played on his features. He offered me mead, but instead of giving it to my hand, he threw it in my face, and then grabbed me by my throat and roughly took away my seax. Surprised, I fought him, punching and hitting his armored body, even strangling him for a moment, but he was far stronger than I was.

  'I just need the weapon, Hraban,' he said arrogantly, pushing me to the floor. 'Gernot has made quite a mess out of it.'

  'You could have asked for the seax,' I protested, looking upon my weapon in his hand.

  He nodded. 'I have cursed you, now I have fought with you, so it is convenient you leave for Isfried. I hear you dealt with the girl?'

  'I have. Wa
ndal will marry her,' I said, morosely.

  'Wandal will marry her,' he mimicked me with a girlish voice full of scorn. 'If only that was enough.'

  'It is enough,' I spat. 'He will defend her, and challenge any rumor the hog lover can conjure in his mad, sad mind. Wandal's no weasel to run and hide, you know this.'

  Maroboodus growled. 'You god-cursed, dark-haired mongrel; things are hard enough without your trouble. I told you she was not for you. Do you think I am a fool? That I would not find you a nuisance to be discarded if you disobey me?'

  I spat again, finding my mouth drying quickly. 'At the moment, you look like a turd and a fool indeed, Father. You commanded that I deal with the matter. I killed Manno …'

  He laughed. 'Murderer, that is what you are. An oath breaker. Not to be trusted with your many passions. Hraban, things are happening you cannot possibly fathom, never able to understand.' He threw his chair to the wall so hard it fell apart.

  'Armin and Isfried are fooled, and so I have served you well, Father,' I told him evenly.

  'I know,' he said, holding his forehead as if I should understand, but did not. 'I know much. However, your foolishness is putting us in danger. Even if I oust Isfried, I cannot appear less than a perfect Germani chief for the old families. If I let you run around without rules, it will appear as if a Roman senator rules here, and that, my boy, I will not survive, like Bero did not. Some other Maroboodus will come along and fillet me. Bark's accusations echo across the villages, they are gathering momentum and will do so, even if Bark joins Wulf in the afterlife. And even that is still undone.'

  I nodded, miserable. 'But as I said, she is to be married. Is that not enough?'

  He sighed and put his face in his palm. 'Gernot is a cowardly ass of many loyalties, you are a brute. You plough women not meant for you, then you are an idiot enough to get caught, you rebel and spew lies. You are like a rabid dog, Hraban, and you take too many risks for unworthy causes, usually for your own. You challenge the people and their beliefs, when you should find fine, subtle middle roads. If I elevate you, I tell people Maroboodus agrees to the breaking of traditions of morals. Do you have no concept of modesty, respect?'

  I stood there, red-faced. 'You admired my relationship with her not so long ago. I was brazen, and you had a good laugh back then. Now I have dealt with it. And we would not be boiling in this soup had you not put Felix on my trail.'

  He sneered at me. 'I admire men who keep secrets, who grasp for what they desire, but do not try to grasp all they fancy. I told you, keep away from her. Now, we have things to distract us. Very soon, we will go and war against the Matticati. The bastards have been raiding, more boldly each week, thanks to Armin, no doubt. Hengsti is ambitious and resents that I killed his cousin. Armin took him the skull, gathered favor by his handsome face and refined, respectful manners, and riled them against us. Hengsti is a natural ally to Bark and Isfried. Villages have been burned to dust, and so I am assembling armies. The Quadi, under Sibratus, will join me.'

  'Sibratus, Tallo, and Tudrus?' I asked, sensing something about his answer was strange.

  'We will see. Tudrus arrived yesterday, but Sibratus, certainly.' His voice was hard, very hard, and I flinched.

  'But before that, Isfried has to be dealt with.' He looked at me, his face a mask of uncertainty as I ogled him in confusion. 'I need all the Marcomanni people to stand behind me.'

  'So it is not enough I have Wandal marry her?' I asked, 'and you never told me not to sleep with her.'

  He smiled, finally. 'I am telling you these things,' he said, and we both heard a door open and light footsteps at the other side of the hall, 'because I am upset with you. But I know you need hope. There will be war, and war changes many things, ever has it been so, and it can restore even honor. I will protect you, but there are limits to what a man can do. You failed Odo in your simple task, Tear, too, and they have lost patience. Now, you have given them a weapon to use, by lying not only with Ermendrud, but also with Ishild. You gave Gernot an opening, he used it like a feral animal, and I cannot ignore what he is doing. You see, Gernot's new plans involve Odo and Tear, not Isfried, and Felix did tell them way too much of your women.'

  'What?' I asked, terrified. Odo knew about my one night with Ishild.

  Maroboodus nodded outside. 'Follow me soon, after they have talked to you, and congratulations, Hraban, for we have to think of a name.'

  'What in Hel’s name are you talking about?' I asked in confusion, but Maroboodus stepped out, fast as a shadow. I saw there were men in the yard, where a small Thing was in place. Elders of the village stood around, their beards were long, their looks stern as they spied me standing in the dark hall. Gernot was there, speaking to them, but then the door closed, and I was left in the semi-dark, but not alone.

  I turned to stare at the darkness behind me. Odo sat there, hunched in the shadows as an oil lamp was sputtering on a table near him, and Tear walked up from the dark. My enemies had dark rings under their hollow, mad eyes, they were exhausted by their long work of conjuring spirits and now they were there, to demand service and to judge me. Their eyes were gleaming, and I groped for my seax, but understood now why father had taken it. I saw the spear of Aristovistus on the wall as Odo was playing with his wand, his face filled with cool resentment.

  'You have touched Ishild,' he uttered with a rasping voice, and I felt conscious of her mother's look, one of anger and concern. Damn Felix for telling Gernot, for he should have died rather than squeal to the little bastard. 'You have touched her. You have fouled her,' Odo hissed, 'and you failed at bringing the girl to me, our Veleda, for no strands of hair will fool me, a vitka deep in the confidence of the dark, chattering spirits.' I was inching for the spear, trying to see how it was fixed on the wall.

  Tear spoke with a voice that promised swift justice. 'You knew we would not be fooled, as you know we whisper to the gods, and you know we are kin to them. We have learned some truths while away, Hraban. Goddesses and gods have been generous with us. Bero has been most useful, even if you have not. But in a way, you have not failed, Hraban, no.'

  'She was meant to go free that night?' I asked them calmly as I moved slowly for the spear.

  Odo's eyes smoldered as he answered, 'She was. Before she is found, she has to be truly lost, lost to us, and the prophecy moves forward because you let her go in your soft, merciful moment of tears and snot. Other things will take place before she is found, and these things you are to take part in, and so you will come with us and travel far. However, you will come with no weapons and no honor. Your father will give you to us. And for what you did with Ishild, you will come blind as a mole, deaf, and a pained cripple.' He shook his wand. 'I have put a curse on you, Hraban, and there is no happiness for you with my sister.'

  'Why do you care who sleeps with your sister, you pile of vomit?' I challenged, moving next to the spear. 'I will go nowhere with you. Try to force me.'

  Tear looked sad, scanning Odo and me, and I turned to her. 'What say you, great one? Will you dance to your son's wishes, or be a mighty, wise woman who can give her daughter freedom? We spoke of this once. You were worried Veleda has to die, so let her go, and let Ishild go. Surely your son is not more important than they are, and you know Odo will slaughter Veleda.'

  She sighed. 'Kill her? No, we do not know if that is needed, and her blood might do. Yes, she is my daughter, too, taken from me by Woden. No matter if she has to die or not, I will find out the truth if Bero lasts or Antius finally delivers onto me the scroll of Shayla. There, the whole truth is to be found, but, for now, we have clues where the road begins, and Hraban, we are on it.'

  I laughed like a cornered man would, bravely but nervously. 'But I can stop it. Remember the dark rune in the forest, on its side? I can stop walking the road, in fact, I will. I will do no favors for you, you rotten mad creatures, and I will keep my eyes and hands as well. Where is Ishild? Will you not think of her and let her go? If you do, I promise I will not touch her again, nor d
id I mean to start with. We are not meant for each other.'

  'Again?' she asked incredulously, angry like a mother would be, not like a doom-ridden völva, and that made me feel better for some reason. No wise mother would believe I had been a victim of their daughter's schemes, even if it was true. She was truly a mother, as well as a völva.

  'Let her go, and let us forget this, all of it,' I told her, near the spear now.

  She thought about it, considered agreeing, walking far away and disappearing to the wide lands of the east, but Odo hissed at her, and she hesitated, gathering the will to go forward. It was hard, as if all her considerable determination, faith, and anger had been drained after Bero's fall, but she shook her head at me in denial. 'You refuse to come with us?'

  'Yes,' I told her, grabbed the spear as fast I could, and got tackled by shadowy men and women, the servants of my two bitter enemies. They tore at me from the dark, cackling, and grabbing me painfully, and soon they raised me up.

  'Take him out, by the backdoor,' Odo said softly, gloating at my struggles as one man placed a gnarled hand over my mouth, and I could not scream. He came closer, his hand making involuntary jerks. 'I will eat your bright eyes, Hraban. I'll do it, and feed my shit to you. Your wise brother, whom I told to find Felix and learn from him what is going on, will join me for the dinner. I like to share, and there are two orbs on the plate.' Gernot and Odo, I thought in panic, struggling like a maniac, a perfect pairing of shit and piss. I fought like a wild animal, but they dragged me along nonetheless. Then I heard a commotion outside, and men surged in. Wandal bellowed, and so did Ansbor. Maroboodus screamed orders for them to stop their mad charge, but my friends came forth to spring me from the jaws of darkness.

  Javelins flew in the air, Ansbor impaled a man in the shadows, and Wandal shook a hammer in the air as he ploughed into some drab-dressed figures. A man howled, and then fell under me, spilling me on the floor. I flailed around and grabbed a club from his belt, got up, enraged as a stung bear, flaying around me brutally. A man was unlucky and stepped in the way, the club caved his head in, and he fell heavily, moaning.