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

by Alaric Longward

  'Gernot,' I told him evenly.

  'Ah, then it is fine,' he said, delighted. Few liked Gernot and especially not Koun, whom Gernot had publicly lied about. He had not wounded him in battle. It was something no man could stomach, and I knew Koun would be my willing ally. He leaned forward. 'Am I testifying or accusing?'

  'I need you to testify. Someone else will accuse. He will need a witness that was there.'

  'I am that witness then,' he grinned happily.

  'Yes.'

  He sobered. 'But there is the matter of Vannius.'

  'Vannius,' I said, guardedly. 'Is he here?'

  'With Tudrus,' he told me. 'He has been ignoring me. He walks freely, armed to the teeth, so unlike me. I have a feeling he is not a prisoner anymore. I, the fool, sit here, and he might have turned Quadi. Find out how it is, and I will help you. You are, no doubt, heading that way next, since you still need your accuser.' He smiled, and I smiled back. He was a keen man. I thought of my father's words, about Sibratus and Quadi helping him and men close to Tudrus heeding his words. I wondered if Vannius was, in fact, a Marcomanni, not a Quadi.

  'I am indeed speaking with Tudrus soon. I will find out,' I told him.

  'This I must know, for I am bound by his safety, and will sacrifice even Gunhild for that,' he told me, not happy it was so.

  'I do my best, Koun.' I got up to leave.

  He nodded and hesitated for a moment before stopping me. 'You asked me about Balderich and Bero once?' I nodded miserably. I had deliberately forgotten that.

  'Find out, Hraban. About Vannius. Set us on our way. I will tell you something that will matter,' he told me gravely. 'As proof of my goodwill, here.' He handed me a scroll. 'He told me you should not open it until you truly need it. It will help you escape your fate one time. His first favor, he said. Not sure why he left it with me, but I guess the bastard knew you would come to me.'

  'Adalfuns the Crafter?' I asked in wonder. 'Why would he speak with you in the first place?'

  He snorted. 'He lives in our Burbetomagus, Hraban. He is a Vangione by birth.' I tried to deal with that while my mouth was hanging open, and I was gaping at Koun incredulously. Vangione? The bastard.

  Koun smirked at me. 'He travels all the wide lands, Hraban. He is not your enemy, nor mine.' The scroll was in my hand. It was vellum, bound in ox leather cover. I started to open it, but Koun slapped my fingers. 'When you need it! Find out what Vannius is about. If you find him working for your father, or some other lord, tell me. Then I will help you with Gernot, and tell you what I know,' he said and got up.

  'Your brother,' I asked. 'If he has turned from you, will you kill him?'

  He fidgeted but smiled. 'He is my brother. He has his wyrd. My wyrd, Hraban,' he said, leaning closer to me, 'is to be married to the most horrible hag in the world. Gunhild is quite unlike her. I will start over for her.'

  I grinned at him. 'Looks like I do not have to punish you for Hulderic, Koun. You will find your own noose soon enough.'

  'We hang on the same, strong bough, boy. I heard of Ishild,' he said, smirking at my pallid demeanor. 'Be quick, for I do not wish your father to marry Gunhild. My brother comes first, but if he is lost to me? Then I can act. Tudrus is up there, go and meet him. He is not happy, though.'

  Gods laugh, but I liked Koun. Vannius, had he betrayed his brother and Tudrus? I would find out. I hiked back to the smithy. 'Get ready to ride,' I told Wandal and Ansbor, both lying on rough benches outside in the sun. 'Look at you, napping like badgers while I am about to be given to my enemy.' I spilled Wandal to the floor.

  'What do you need us there for? Witness your humiliation and more lies?' Ansbor growled until I spilled him too.

  'I am sorry I lied, but I did not sleep with Ishild out of choice. Do not start to refute that. That is the truth. Where is Ermendrud?' I asked.

  'Working in the hall, eh?' Wandal said.

  'Have you already …' I started, but my voice cracked, and I shook my head in anger. None of my business.

  'We are not married yet!' Wandal said, angry at my brazen questioning, but I felt perverse joy over his virginity as I missed Ermendrud and our lustful moments.

  'Where are we going?' Ansbor asked, pulling on a tunic to cover his belly.

  'Grinrock, very soon,' I said with malicious joy, and they stared at me.

  'Isfried's home? The enemy of your father?' asked my friend. 'The man everyone says sent killers here last night. They are practically at war!'

  I nodded, nonchalant, and stirred myself. 'Get the horses ready. It is late already. Euric will give us food for our trip, and he can ask for payment from Maroboodus. You get horses from his stable,' I told them quickly.

  'Did you hear what he asked, eh?' Wandal said, distressed. 'You are saying we will be roasting with you in the Thing or dying with you in Grinrock, eh? Is this how it goes? This is what you ask of us?'

  'Yes, if you would be so kind,' I told them, tapping my foot.

  Ansbor was looking for his comb. 'Best look good for our hanging. What are we doing in Grinrock, if we make it out of Hard Hill alive?'

  'Just trust me,' I said as I left and called out, 'Father has a plan, and if it goes well? We will all be great men amongst Marcomanni.' Ansbor laughed sarcastically. 'It will be fine,' I said, and heard Ansbor snort, but then he scrambled after me.

  'We will be up there, with our spears,' Ansbor said resolutely, despite his sarcasm. I did not deserve their friendship.

  'Don't forget the supplies,' I said casually, but I was nervous. I hiked for the Red Hall, and soon spotted Quadi men, with blue tattoos along their arms; riding away from a hall I had seen my friend's standard at. There, Tudrus was standing in front of the door, his chest bare. Nearby, men and women were hiking to the place of judgment, before the Red Hall, the Thing ground. I spied Nihta and Leuthard up there, not far, and Gernot, in my father's saggy red tunic, was giving orders to slaves, nervous at what he was going to do. He could barely wait to see me before him, but I noticed a line of people before him, waiting for their case to be heard, a horde of onlookers around them. Gernot had other people to judge first. I had some time. I waved at Tudrus who was chatting with two Marcomanni guards. His eyes opened wide as he spied me coming. 'Greetings, where are your wastrel sons?' I asked him, and he roared, pulling me into a bear hug from my skittish horse.

  'Maroboodus sent you?' he asked as I tangled with one foot still over the horse. 'They say you have been an extremely naughty boy.'

  'He does not want me near you,' I said, while freeing my foot, and a slave took the horse. 'Thinks you are a poor influence.' We smiled, but he sobered quickly.

  He looked about, whispering so the guards could not hear. 'You realize your father will know you came to me? He has given me hints he wants me to stay away from you.'

  'That you have to worry about such things, tells me you have … reservations.' Tudrus nodded and took me inside to his bedside, strewn with rich pelts and fresh hay, and sat down heavily, leaving me standing. His assorted gear was there: a heavy silver bracelet, some bright coins, a pair of sharp daggers, and an axe.

  He pointed a finger at me. 'I have reservations, yes. Your father retrieved his sacrifice, a sacrifice he had promised Woden. I had my boys spy on you after you left, to make sure you would be fine. They saw him give the great sword to the gods. He likely says the gods gave it back, but Agetan saw Ansigar diving like an otter there. He is dishonest. I work with him, but I do not like him. He has many needs. Too many. And not enough respect for the old ways and the way the tribes are set up. He, I think, never forgave me when I refused to join your tribe.'

  'I have a need,' I told him, feeling sorry to ask.

  He rubbed his chin. 'So you are a spearless boy, and you have no means to pay your pretty boyfriends for their meager services. Right?'

  I shook my head. 'They demand much food, eat like horses, in fact, but no. That is not it. They wait patiently for my spear and shield, so we can start to serve and grow rich and f
amous, but I fear for them.' Euric kept us fed; Ansbor had grown heavier.

  'I hear you are famous already,' he mumbled. 'Infamous.'

  'Lord …' I started, but he waved me down.

  'Before you go on,' he said, 'take this.' He looked embarrassed as he lifted a sack, and grunted. It had weight. I took it and peeled the sack off. In it was a bronze helmet. 'It belonged to the man who stopped you from killing my boys, remember? He died that night. Much honor in it,' he told me gruffly, wiping a tear.

  'He was a great one, we all saw him die so well. But what are you giving me?' I rummaged around the empty sack.

  'The helmet, you cow-licking Marcomanni,' he said and slapped me sharply. His men eyed us, laughed. I saw Vannius's face in the crowd. Tudrus noticed. 'Yes, he is with us. Popular with the Quadi, he is. Leads some men occasionally though not alone. My brother likes him.'

  'Sibratus?' I asked softly.

  'How do you know that? It could have been Tallo,' he asked me, his eyes narrowing.

  'My father speaks highly of fine Sibratus. Why did you give me the helmet?' I asked, stricken by the worth of the gift.

  He threw his horn to the wall, ignoring my question, upset over his brother. 'Sibratus? Sibratus is coming here. The Quadi who wants to make his men Marcomanni. Do you know something about that?' he asked loudly enough to be heard over the hill. I cringed. His men glanced at us, but evidently used to such outbursts from the old man, got back to their revelry. He sobered, and nodded at the helmet, embarrassed. 'I gave it to you, a lord's gift, because I like you, and I hear you still do not have what your friends have. They do not have such a device. See, there, symbol for Woden, Donor, and some other god or creature I do not know. It comes from afar, they say. Athens?'

  I laughed. It was a thing of beauty. I held it reverently, turning it around. 'I thank you. I wish I had a lord like you, and a father. I think you are in danger, so I wanted to ask; why are you here?'

  'Danger? I am a guest. Your father wishes to talk with Sibratus and with me, he says, to smooth over the ripples in the Quadi tribes. We won't let Sibratus break off. That would be the end of the Quadi, and so I am here to make that clear.'

  'I do not know, Lord, but I hear Sibratus is not coming to smooth over ripples, but to make them. My father tells me he is preparing Quadi men to go to war for us,' I said, warily.

  'Sibratus is coming here,' Tudrus said, scratching his chest, 'but not to join your father. No, that is not so, I just told you. We do not let him, both Tallo and I have said no, and it is the law Sibratus cannot leave us.'

  I shrugged, worried that I was betraying my father. Yet I felt chills thinking about my father's words when we had hunted. He had plans, and he did not like Tudrus. I put a hand on Tudrus's shoulder. 'Sibratus is going to be a chief for Maroboodus. He will work with Father. My father is unhappy about your single-minded drive to being a man of the Quadi. He has bigger plans for the Quadi.' Tudrus the Older shook in anger, tried to drink, and noticed his horn was no longer in his hand. He sat still. In the hall, men laughed. One had fallen from a long bench, in a drunken stupor.

  Tudrus poked me in my chest, hard. 'I like you, Hraban. However, you and your father are trying to make peace. They told me this, when I asked. He defended you against Tear.'

  'As long as he is set on avenging the death of my family, I will obey him. But I will not let my friend die,' I said affectionately. 'You have enough wealth? Coin?'

  'Coin? You just said I am your friend, boy, and now you beg for coin! Sell the helmet, whelp!'

  I shook my head. 'I will never sell the helmet. I will die with it on my head. What I meant is I can pay you if you keep my friends safe and find Ishild if my wyrd is to die young.'

  'Pay me?' he asked, surprised.

  'If things go wrong, they will need a lord,' I told him. 'I can pay you some for that.'

  He fixed a speculative eye at me. 'I do not need such coin. Of course, I will. Ansbor, Wandal? I assume not the rat-faced one, Ansigar?'

  I sighed. 'No, kill Ansigar if you ever see him alone. In addition, a rat of a Gaul, Felix, save him as well. He is playing many games, and thinks he can profit from all of us, but I like him, gods help me. Moreover, save Ishild too. And Wandal's wife-to-be, Ermendrud.' I cursed her silently.

  He ran his fingers across his face. 'You started with two and ended up with a tribe. Yes. If I can. Ishild, too. Yes. But that puts me at war with your father.'

  I nodded. 'You might be in one anyway. In thanks, I can give you information. Right now, I think you should leave. Maroboodus, he is out to change things, and such men drown honest men,' I said sibilantly, and he laughed.

  'You speak as if you had seen the world! Yet, you have seen but few villages, boy!' he said. Then he poked my chest. 'I will think about what you said about cursed Sibratus, and the rest. And if I leave, I won't tell anyone when and how.' His eyes glittered mischievously.

  I nodded, trying to be vague, realizing I was once again taking middle roads that tended to get me in trouble. 'In a few days, he is planning for something big. Then he rides to war with the Matticati. You should leave today. Don't trust Vannius either.'

  He waved his hand. 'Vannius is a good lad. Seems he is fairly happy with us; we hardly need to watch him. Gets along with the boys well enough. I hope he is on my side if your father's side no longer… suits me,' he shrugged.

  'Agreed, but do not tell him when or how, either,' I said, and we grabbed each other's forearm in a fierce grip.

  I decided to go forward with my plan of thwarting Gernot. 'Are you still bragging about the Hermanduri war? I heard some men talk about it just now.' An evil spirit was laughing somewhere in my head at my devilish plan, and I hoped I would not get Tudrus in terrible trouble.

  'Yes, they must hear about it daily, the breaking of the shield wall.' He waved his hand at his men. 'Now, back to the drinks.' He got up and saw my troubled face, stopping midstride.

  I looked up to the ceiling, apparently embarrassed. 'You, Lord? Surely, the truth could come out, and they would laugh at you? Was it not someone else who broke the enemy shield wall, leading your men?' I asked carefully.

  He stared at me, dumbfounded. 'Truth? Your father broke them on the left, but it is hard to claim they did it before the Quadi broke them on the right first! That is the truth! Vannius!' he screamed, and the former Vangione came to us and looked at his master uncertainly.

  'Did we or did we not break the Hermanduri on the right?' he bellowed, mad as a wounded bull.

  Vannius looked at Tudrus in confusion, and then at me. He shook his head to clear it and smiled. He had an infectious smile, long, blond hair and curly beard, and I liked him, no matter what he was planning. 'We did! Though it was my first fight with you, I was there, and saw it well. Their chief fell on your blade, and his men converged on you to avenge their lord. We pushed over and through them, leaving them bleeding and dead with few men to cover the breach. Only after that Maroboodus routed them on the left.' Tudrus laughed and clapped Vannius, but I kept a stern face, looking down at my dirty shoes.

  Tudrus noted this. 'What? Tell me!'

  'I … well,' I started.

  'Tell me!' he roared, and the hall silenced, the guards coming in to eye us curiously.

  'There is a man telling it was his initiation and bravery that broke the Hermanduri on the right, that it takes a Marcomanni chief to do such deeds for the Quadi, and that you were limp as an old man's penis during the battle. That he led the charge and killed this chief.' Men shouted in rage, surging towards me, but Tudrus kept them at arm's length. His face was blue, and he was quaffing air as best he could while groping for his sword.

  'Who? Who says such things? Who?' he whispered.

  'Vannius heard him, too, last night,' I said mischievously and looked at the dumbfounded Vannius in the eye, flipping two bright coins between my deft fingers, and his greedy eyes flickered briefly to the coins and then to me.

  He nodded. 'Yes, I did, but I told him to be silent as
a corpse. Did he not shut up?'

  I shook my head. 'No, he was bragging to me just now. And to some admiring women. And to the many men who are gathered on the Red Hall. He claims old Tudrus has no stamina: not in war, not in bed. It's age, he says.'

  Tudrus shivered. 'What? Who?'

  Vannius was shaking his head. 'He is a rat-faced runt, isn't he?' I nodded. 'And to call our lord a beggar is cheap. It is not true. He is a great man, and his horses do not look like starving cows, like he claimed,' Vannius added carefully, playing along with the lie, and I smiled at him.

  'Well, this rat is stealing credit from men who died, so he is a liar,' I said vehemently. 'He has done that to me often. Lied over me. I believe you, Tudrus, that it was you. Though alas, many do not.'

  Vannius nodded. 'So I hear, he …' Vannius looked at me carefully.

  'Gernot, my brother. He is a bastard, and I should have known he lied.'

  'Gernot, yes. Bastard,' Vannius said while smirking at me.

  Tudrus exhaled angrily. 'Where is the boy now? He was hiding in the trees when my men died.' Tudrus was storming around the hall, flipping benches and looking for his shield, cursing, and it was chaos as men armed themselves.

  'He is with my father up this hill. Gernot sits as the law ruler today. He is, after all, a great warrior,' I said, and so the Quadi rushed out, and I flipped the well-earned coins to Vannius.

  He smiled. 'You are a rotten boy, Hraban. Shall we go see the next part?'

  'Koun is there,' I said slowly, and his smile faltered. 'Best not see him, and let him suspect you and Father are …' I hissed at him softly, so a Quadi left behind to watch him could not hear. I wondered how he would react. Was he truly a man of Maroboodus, and not of Tudrus?

  Vannius sighed. 'Yes. I suppose so. So, you are …' My heart fell for Tudrus. Father had gotten to Vannius.

  'With my father now, he approves of me it seems,' I told him happily.

  Vannius clapped my shoulder in congratulation. 'Indeed? I am happy for you. And the pregnant girl?'