Wandal hissed. 'Surely they know we are coming? Eh? This is not subtle.'
I laughed. If Wandal understood it, they would, too. Father had some plan, and it did not involve a surprise, I thought, but decided I did not care. I saw Nihta grow restless. We rode to a depression, a some kind of a valley with a few unhappy trees, and there, on the left, sat a ragged man on a dirty horse, not moving north with the passing Marcomanni army but eating bread quietly, his eyes listless. I saw Nihta stare at the man, then at me. He stopped, and so did some twenty Marcomanni.
Felix shook his head in fear, which I also felt as we waited for the high warlords of the Marcomanni pass, the bearded men gazing at us. It took a long time, and then, after most men were gone, Nihta started to ride east. The ragged man rode around us, disappearing to the woods, and we followed. I saw Wandal tense as the trees closed around us, tighter and tighter until we had to fight boughs that brushed our faces.
Another small, mossy valley opened up suddenly. We stopped and waited in the middle of the pristine field. The sun was turning red and going down, and no one uttered a word. The wind was blowing softly, the trees swaying gently, and suddenly, we saw Odo emerge from the silent woods. Nihta nodded angrily and rode forward. They spoke harshly as men started to filter to the field.
They were Odo's men, half-mad, ugly, twisted men, easy to fool with promises of a better world and the favor of the gods, or they were from the north, from this Gulldrum their whole clan apparently came from. There were many, nearly a hundred such creatures. I saw Koun there, bruised, on a horse between two men. Nihta inspected the man and made a throat-cutting motion. Odo nodded, held out his hand. Nihta pulled out a ring from his finger and dropped it on Odo's waiting, twisted palm. They argued, apparently over Koun. Finally, Nihta cursed savagely, clearly unhappy and rode for me.
I spat. 'Wandal? Time for you to go. They will kill you. You, too, Felix.'
'Can I?' asked the boy with a small voice, but Nihta shook his head.
They would not go anywhere, and I spat at his horse's feet. He did not care. Nihta turned his tall horse and stopped near me. He hesitated and took out my bright helmet and sharp sword and gave them to me. 'For the times we shared, Hraban. Use them well. I was told by your father to cut your hands here where none can see, but I won't. It will make no difference, that I can see. Soon you are his, Koun will hopefully die, and if Odo lied about that, his mother and sister will bleed. I think they, too, have some weight in the madman's plans, so we are done. You will know their plans firsthand! Good luck, my friend Hraban.' Then he left with his men as Odo's men filtered closer. We were silent as corpses, even when Gernot and Ansigar rode past us. I stared at him and fought not to show my surprise, but he had fully chosen Odo's side. My brother smiled wickedly at me as he guided his lathered horse past us. I pulled my helmet on as I staring at him passing by.
Gernot's voice was low. 'I told you I have plans. I have a new master now, Hraban. In fact, my old master.'
'You serve Odo?' I stated more than asked.
'I won't marry the Chatti girl, but I will get Ishild for my services, when they have no more use of her. I will share her with Ansigar here.' He smirked as he said it, Ansigar nodding resolutely, and I wondered if they were determined on sharing all the women I had cared for. Apparently, Ansigar had refused reconciliation with me. He knew Odo would have a powerful master, though not Father. Woden danced in the mists of my raging mind, and I breathed hard. I hoped I would die and not be taken by the bastards.
'Gernot,' Odo said hollowly, welcoming my brother, 'will see power unlike he has seen before. He is wise to abandon his father, like you should have, Hraban. Today, he will prove himself to us, again.'
'Again? You know the toad tried to disobey you and tried to kill me?'
Gernot opened his mouth to refute me, but Odo waved him down, languid and happy, enjoying his moment of apparent triumph. 'I do know, but he will learn obedience. A wild dog has to be thrashed many times and only then will be useful. The god's prophecy is stronger than his weak attempts on your life, so I knew you were in no real danger.' I scoffed and thought of Manno's spear entering my chest. Odo continued. 'I will forgive him this one time. Oh yes, he has ever been useful to us, getting close to your father, listening in on his councils, even those Gernot was not invited to. When your father started to close his mind to us, we had Gernot. We all knew Koun held a secret, and so when your father made his plans to dispose of all of us, I learnt his treasonous plans from Gernot, who is a great one for eavesdropping. Therefore, I took Koun there to replace Isfried as an anchor around your father's thick neck, though I could not save poor Mother and Ishild. I think the prophecy will guard them, as well. Now I have you and the ring, and we can begin. We will travel far. Yes, Gernot has been useful through the years. He was close to you, Hraban, growing up. Not a friend, but a sneak, even then. That was useful, as well.'
'So.' I looked at my brother's proud face. 'We did not take part in our childish games, and you found a creature to play with. This mongrel? Did he hump you, Gernot?'
'He did not!' Gernot shrieked, and even the madmen laughed at his outraged tone.
I pointed at him, and spoke to Odo. 'I enjoy it is the fool, not I, who is to be your slave. I will never find Veleda for you, with or without my hands and eyes,' I said, and drew my sword. 'I would rather die here today.'
'You will not, Hraban. Unless you kill yourself. I doubt you will,' he grinned. 'I will take from you what I promised, Hraban. Adalfuns spared limbs, Nihta as well, but that was temporary relief. In this one thing, your father and I see alike. Then we will travel to deep, dark Gulldrum. Your friends will not join us.'
I turned to my friend. 'Wandal?'
'Eh?' my friend answered, eyes full of terror, behind me.
I was whispering to him. 'Run, my friend. Try to look after Felix, and if you survive, and I do not, Ishild. My child? Please. Find Tudrus, he has a place for you, wherever he is.'
'Yes, Wandal. You look after me,' Felix said, with chattering teeth from behind.
Whatever he was going to answer, I do not know. It was then when noble Adgandestrius rode from the surrounding woods with the thirty Chatti who had been escorting Gernot until he had left them for this place. All smelled a fight, tough veterans each and every one. The Chatti lord rode to me, scoffed at the decrepit foe, and spat in disgust. 'I do not like my wards running away, Gernot. But it seems I came in time to see why.'
'This is not your business, Chatti,' Odo said evenly, his eyes calculating the numbers, weighing the odds.
'It is true,' said the adeling happily. 'But we do not run away from noble enemies, little less shit-born rabble.' He was brave, there were a hundred determined enemies facing us, not well armed, true, nor disciplined, but an army still. I looked at him gratefully. He grinned. 'Time to earn a haircut, no? Besides, this way I make sure Gernot does not marry the wrong Chatti girl.'
'Huh?' I asked him, entirely confused.
He leaned on me. 'Since my sister Gunda told me she would only marry you, that left only my lovely Albine free for a rutting by a Marcomanni bastard, and no, I will not risk our elders making such a drastic mistake, no matter if she is promised to Armin. Everything is possible in our family! My sister might have a bad taste in men, but Gunda had sight she would marry you, one day, so we should be fine in this battle unless she does so in the next life.'
I groaned at another prophecy involving me and smiled happily at his mirthful smile as I got down from my horse. The Chatti men dismounted as well and tightened around, making a tight shield wall bristling with spears. The enemy did the same, chanting harshly in the semi-dark, and all men in our wall feared. We faced a mad army, one whose leader was a baleful and powerful vitka. I was handed a serviceable shield and a spear, and I thanked Woden for the small hope Adgandestrius had given us.
Odo shrieked, grimacing at his rabble, unsure of the result. 'I will put a curse on you, Chatti. You will die before you see your child, your so
ul dragged to Hel by rancid dogs!'
'Best not keep them waiting, and not let the vitka start cursing the men, so they will fight bravely,' said the adeling nervously as he glanced at Odo, and I agreed, and let Woden loose. I screamed a savage yell of horrid hate, a scream of a beast looking for blood. The enemy stopped their chanting as I ran at them. We needed a miracle to win that battle, a madman to hearten us, and I wanted to be that terrible man. We needed a man gone berserk, untouchable by hurt, a terror greater than a rabid bear. I screamed a blood-curdling oath of bloody vengeance and lingering death, and all fear in our shield wall vanished.
The Chatti joined my scream and threw sharp darts. Men died and were badly wounded as the battle-hardened Chatti hit their marks, and then they ran after me in their rugged shield wall. I threw my spear at Gernot and saw him falling from his horse, whimpering in pain. I remember slashing my blade across a man's eyes, stabbing another through the chest, and ramming my shield to the first of the many men charging me, who were pummeling me back to the Chatti ranks with crude weapons and rotten shields. Nihta's lessons with a heavier weapon were making me deadly fast.
They came at me, trying to claw me down. I heard Odo scream at them to take me alive. Fingers raked at me, a man pulled me forward by my shield, and I cursed as I was yanked in the midst of the enemy, who were gritting their teeth in determination. Behind me, Adgandestrius finally earned the right to cut the hair covering his brow. His spear transfixed itself in a man's mouth, and he pulled me back. Around us, the Chatti chanted, killed, and died as they were pressed from all sides, but the fight around me raged the hottest. The fur-clad men and even hollering women managed to contain us, dying in dozens. We tired as well, our strikes falling slower and slower, our weapons spent. Wandal bellowed next to me and crushed a woman's face with a hammer, his father's tool.
Then, the disciplined Chatti were broken, for a gigantic, fat man charged us. He came with a boar spear, a huge hasta that he used to skewer a young, wounded Chatti through his belly, and he breached the wall. He lifted the Chatti up with an animal-like grunt, and ran forward with his load so that others could follow, dying in the process, but achieving much. We fought grimly, hacking at clawing arms, struggling with fearful eyes and lost many men as the Chatti rebuilt the shield wall at a great loss.
We were all praying, for it was a desperate place.
The smell of blood, strong piss, and shit was heavy in the evening air, and the thick blood and spilled guts made the ground slick. Oh, we prayed. Such a battle is a thing to make anyone the most devout of men. Odo's face was glistening with sweat as he saw our efforts, and he was cursing us, guiding his horse back and forth. Gernot and Ansigar were flanking him carefully. It took time, and too much blood and many a brave dead man and woman, but soon we fell back as the enemy stopped coming. There were some fifteen of us left, and we looked around at the carnage. Some disoriented, confused enemy still chased after us, but we killed them with trembling arms and broken weapons.
I grimaced as I saw Gernot leaning against a tree, hate flickering in his eyes, and I gestured at him, but he ignored me. There were thirty enemy left, dazed at the butchery, slipping on red grass full of intestines and blood. Many had run away, and refused to rejoin the battle. 'Come, dogs!' I screamed. 'Come!' Woden still whispered to me of blood, and I wanted to give him his heart's desire.
Odo hissed at Gernot and Ansigar, but they shook their heads. Odo pointed at Gernot. 'Lead them,' he said with a violent hiss.
'No,' Gernot said, holding his leg where my spear had scratched him. 'I have a wound …'
Odo leaned from his saddle. 'Go and die, but go! You have no other place but at my side. Run, and I will send a death hound after you! Bring the damned Hraban here alive!' Odo told him with a slap.
Gernot swallowed and took up a spear, stained with his blood. He shook in fear, pushed Koun's horse and his guards aside and came forth, Ansigar following him timidly. Odo's men followed him, heartened by his example and fear of the chanting Odo, and ran for us unsteadily, stumbling on the corpses and the wounded, and we braced ourselves. Ansigar and Gernot both aimed for me, their numbers came at us in an uncontrolled manner, in ones, twos, and the Chatti grimly hewed and stabbed the first ones down. I was facing some five of theirs, the better men, and all warriors. I grunted and spat as I only had my sword, which did not have the reach of a spear. Wandal braced next to me, a Chatti on the other side. They came at us, shields up, and Gernot poked at me from high. Ansigar tried to take me from the side, and my shield arm was tired. They scored a hit on my helmet, and I staggered, and then the Chatti fell next to me, his fur-clad assailant blocking the view from Ansigar who had been closing to slash at my leg. I stabbed at the fur-clad man from below his shield, tickling his gut with the wicked blade, and pushed him towards Ansigar. Two of the enemy came at me. One slammed his shield in my face, and we would have all died, but for Koun.
He was suddenly there, wielding a club, bloodied and raging. He had a nasty wound on his brow, one eye closed by blood, but he had killed his guards. I saw Odo, his face screwed in shock, holding a broken hand while slouching on his horse, regarding the carnage Koun was causing. Laughing, my former foe ploughed into the mass of the enemy ranks. He brutally killed the men trying to slay me, the Chatti cheered, and we gave one final, supreme effort.
I thanked Woden for brave Koun and surged past the dazed Gernot who looked at me as if I was a snarling animal. Wandal came after me and swung his hammer at Gernot, who collapsed as the weapon clipped his cheek. I slammed my sword hilt at Ansigar's face, whose spear was useless at such close quarters, and he fell over a corpse. Some men converged on us, and I roared like a bear, in bloodlust.
I went forth, keeping my shield ahead, killing the lightly armed, unskilled men and women with short stabs. I saved Adgandestrius, and Koun, I think, saved me again. Wandal followed me, hollering like a mad thing and then finally, I put down one of the last enemy wishing for a fight, a lanky older man who did not say a word as Nightbright went to his spine. Killing had become easy, leaving me cold. It was butchery work on animals, hard work, to be sure, but something I could see through. I thanked the gods for Nightbright.
We turned and faced off against Gernot and Ansigar, who were on their feet again, watching us warily. Felix was standing in the field behind us, his mouth agape at the carnage. Koun was now seated on a horse, looking for Odo, but he had guided his horse away to the shadows of the woods. Koun grinned at me. 'Got this from him after I killed the guards,' he said and showed me the ring. There it was. Draupnir's Spawn. 'He was reluctant, but his finger gave it up quickly enough. Too bad I could not wring his neck, for you were about to die.'
'Gunhild,' I said, disappointed as Odo was alive, 'wants you to go and get her.'
'With this ring,' he said happily, 'Maroboodus might let her go.'
'It is mine, Koun,' I told him, and his face screwed up in anger, but I turned to regard my trembling brother. 'Well, Brother. A sorry sight we are.' The few surviving Chatti chased the last of the enemy off, killing two more at the edge of the wood.
Gernot nodded, his face ashen from deep pain and terrible fear. 'Yes, Brother. Think how different it could have been, had you just let me join your games,' he said, voice trembling.
'You were no good for such games. You were weak as a babe and lazy as a fat Gaul, still are,' I told him, remembering how Balderich had said the very same thing Gernot had, blaming me for some of Gernot's problems. I felt brief shame as I looked at him, but steeled my soul. Wyrd.
'I was stronger than Hagano and much more stealthy,' he sneered at me.
'Hagano? Why bring him up?' I asked him in puzzlement, dreading his answer.
He grimaced, shrugging, no longer caring about his secrets. 'Odo accepted me long before, but that day, when you went to meet Tear, we saw the small turd there. He saw us, and Odo told me to silence him. I did.'
I stared at him in disbelief. 'No. You …'
He wiped a tear from
his face. 'I did. They were kind to me.' Ansigar sneered at him, but Gernot took no notice. 'Odo listened to me, a friend I never had. After Hagano died, I had no choice but to obey them. You see that? They would have told everyone.'
I cursed at him, but deep inside, I felt pity mixed with shame. I was suddenly tired to the bone. We were both victims to secrets, both pawns to bastards, and damned fools to boot. 'Did Hagano expect a friend when he saw you?' I asked. 'You could have let him go.'
He shook his head, tired, and hurt. 'You know, when you decide something and do it, there are no words or deeds to undo what has passed. I did it. I thought it would make me strong. It worked for a while, but then you disgraced me before all our people with lies. I am no hero. I killed none that day against the Hermanduri, but Hagano? I suppose I was happy to kill a man before you, the warrior incarnate in our family, did. But you took it all away from me.'
'I? If you had fought Tudrus the Older at the Thing, he would have respected you, perhaps spared your life. Men would not remember shit-smeared, trembling lips and wetted pants, but a young warrior, erring, but brave,' I said, tiredly.
He shrugged. 'I am no warrior, Hraban.'
I nodded at him, 'I am sorry, Brother.'
He blinked and grimaced at his light wounds. 'I am sorry, too.'
The few Chatti came back, exhausted. Adgandestrius grabbed a horse by its mane and pulled himself onto the beast, riding for us as his men started to sort out the wounded that might make it. The adeling's forehead was bare, the unruly hair crudely cut. He was now a true warrior. Gernot put down the spear but Ansigar would not.
'You will have to take it, and I am not a weakling like Gernot here. I have no sordid tales to tell. I just always hated you for riches and fine family I never had. Now, I will fight, finally,' he told me, and so he did.
The Oath Breaker: A Novel of Germania and Rome (Hraban Chronicles Book 1) Page 45
