Read Online Fate's Needle by Jerry Autieri - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jerry Autieri
Tags: adventure, Norse, Vikings, Historical Novel, Norway, Historical Adventure, Dark Ages, viking age
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but Yngvar’s smile faded. “I will be gone a good while. I’ll have to catch Magnus’s attention. Planning with the others around will be tricky. If I’m not back by dusk, assume I was caught. In the meantime, gather something edible, and find clean water.”
He said nothing more, just threw his hood over his head. Ulfrik watched him dissolve into the green and brown patchwork of the woods. When Yngvar had vanished, Ulfrik kicked out the circle he had drawn in the ground.
***
By twilight, Ulfrik had returned to the spot after gathering nuts and locating a nearby creek. The nuts were laid out on the ground, his cloak spread beneath them. If he had a spear or a bow, he might have caught a squirrel or a rabbit, but now only one sword remained with Yngvar. A fire would be nice, he thought, though smoke would betray him. So he waited as the evening settled into darkness. Soon, even the birds singing from the branches would fall silent, and only owls would patrol the woods.
“I spoke with Magnus.” Yngvar appeared like a spirit out of the forest, making Ulfrik leap in surprise. Yngvar spoke as if it had been as easy as sharing a drink at the hall. “Grim survived,” he continued, “but apparently something else is going on. It’s all confusion with your father’s death. Magnus knows nothing more than that Grim is watching the north road, and that they guessed we are hiding here. They’re to search the woods for the next few days until more men can be spared.”
“So,” Ulfrik began as he stood. “Is Magnus going to help us?”
Yngvar nodded. “He has agreed to get his companions drunk tonight, steal their gear, and hand it over to us. The other men are young, and new, and he thinks he can out-drink them. I think he can, too.”
Ulfrik clasped Yngvar’s shoulder. “Then we can be away by dawn. Even the long way around should still leave us time to get ahead of Grim.”
Their course now decided, they ate the gathered nuts and Yngvar cleaned his face at the creek, as Ulfrik had done earlier. They both took a deep drink before seeking out Magnus.
It took longer to find their way back in the twilight, but Yngvar was a sure-footed woodsman, navigating the trees without stumbling. Ulfrik let him lead, and his thoughts wandered to Runa. He hoped the girl had not been caught. If she had, she’d probably be raped until her mind was broken and then thrown on his father’s funeral pyre. His father’s pyre—he had not even thought of that! If Grim intended to act the victim, he’d have to give their father a proper funeral. Ulfrik felt his chest tighten at the thought that he would not be there to witness it.
Distracted, he tripped, bucking Yngvar as he did.
“Odin’s balls!” Yngvar cursed in a low voice. “Keep your mind on your footing. You’re like a man walking through a dream.”
Ulfrik apologized, feeling his face grow warm with shame. He shook his head to refocus. Motioning for Ulfrik to stay, Yngvar crawled forward and gave a convincing owl hoot. In reply, a large shadow rose up and began to move toward them. It was Magnus, carrying a cloak full of supplies over his shoulder.
He was older than Ulfrik remembered, his curly black beard now shot with gray. But at nearly a head taller than Ulfrik, and with heavy shoulders and a face full of furrows, he still resembled a bear. His eyes glittered in the dark, and he smiled.
“Yngvar and Lord Ulfrik,” Magnus whispered. “There wasn’t enough mead to get them all drunk, but I took the first watch and they’re sleeping now. Here’s everything we will need.”
Ulfrik thought he misheard. “You are coming with us?”
“I can think of no reason to stay with these two fools. Besides, I don’t like Vestfolders. Your brother brought Vestfolders in and then Lord Orm dies conveniently, I won’t be part of that evil.”
“But your family,” Ulfrik put in. “What are you going to do with them?”
“My son is good with a sword and a bow.” His
He said nothing more, just threw his hood over his head. Ulfrik watched him dissolve into the green and brown patchwork of the woods. When Yngvar had vanished, Ulfrik kicked out the circle he had drawn in the ground.
***
By twilight, Ulfrik had returned to the spot after gathering nuts and locating a nearby creek. The nuts were laid out on the ground, his cloak spread beneath them. If he had a spear or a bow, he might have caught a squirrel or a rabbit, but now only one sword remained with Yngvar. A fire would be nice, he thought, though smoke would betray him. So he waited as the evening settled into darkness. Soon, even the birds singing from the branches would fall silent, and only owls would patrol the woods.
“I spoke with Magnus.” Yngvar appeared like a spirit out of the forest, making Ulfrik leap in surprise. Yngvar spoke as if it had been as easy as sharing a drink at the hall. “Grim survived,” he continued, “but apparently something else is going on. It’s all confusion with your father’s death. Magnus knows nothing more than that Grim is watching the north road, and that they guessed we are hiding here. They’re to search the woods for the next few days until more men can be spared.”
“So,” Ulfrik began as he stood. “Is Magnus going to help us?”
Yngvar nodded. “He has agreed to get his companions drunk tonight, steal their gear, and hand it over to us. The other men are young, and new, and he thinks he can out-drink them. I think he can, too.”
Ulfrik clasped Yngvar’s shoulder. “Then we can be away by dawn. Even the long way around should still leave us time to get ahead of Grim.”
Their course now decided, they ate the gathered nuts and Yngvar cleaned his face at the creek, as Ulfrik had done earlier. They both took a deep drink before seeking out Magnus.
It took longer to find their way back in the twilight, but Yngvar was a sure-footed woodsman, navigating the trees without stumbling. Ulfrik let him lead, and his thoughts wandered to Runa. He hoped the girl had not been caught. If she had, she’d probably be raped until her mind was broken and then thrown on his father’s funeral pyre. His father’s pyre—he had not even thought of that! If Grim intended to act the victim, he’d have to give their father a proper funeral. Ulfrik felt his chest tighten at the thought that he would not be there to witness it.
Distracted, he tripped, bucking Yngvar as he did.
“Odin’s balls!” Yngvar cursed in a low voice. “Keep your mind on your footing. You’re like a man walking through a dream.”
Ulfrik apologized, feeling his face grow warm with shame. He shook his head to refocus. Motioning for Ulfrik to stay, Yngvar crawled forward and gave a convincing owl hoot. In reply, a large shadow rose up and began to move toward them. It was Magnus, carrying a cloak full of supplies over his shoulder.
He was older than Ulfrik remembered, his curly black beard now shot with gray. But at nearly a head taller than Ulfrik, and with heavy shoulders and a face full of furrows, he still resembled a bear. His eyes glittered in the dark, and he smiled.
“Yngvar and Lord Ulfrik,” Magnus whispered. “There wasn’t enough mead to get them all drunk, but I took the first watch and they’re sleeping now. Here’s everything we will need.”
Ulfrik thought he misheard. “You are coming with us?”
“I can think of no reason to stay with these two fools. Besides, I don’t like Vestfolders. Your brother brought Vestfolders in and then Lord Orm dies conveniently, I won’t be part of that evil.”
“But your family,” Ulfrik put in. “What are you going to do with them?”
“My son is good with a sword and a bow.” His
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