punishment, she had turned it to her advantage and made herself a martyr.
“ Those Danes are no good, taking our women,” muttered one of the suitors.
“ You’re not betrothed, are you Aelfwyn? I could marry you instead,” said another. Aelfwyn and Sigulf had been told to serve refreshments to the visitors, so they moved up and down the line with food and drink.
She shook her head. “I am betrothed, I’m afraid. To Eadbald.”
“ Eadbald?” The man chuckled. “I’d make a better husband than that old man.” Some of the other suitors laughed too.
She and Sigulf exchanged glances.
“ At least she is respectable, unlike you lot,” he chastised them. “She will bring our family honour.”
She sighed, envying Saehild for doing what she wanted without worrying about consequences.
* * *
That night, she stole out of Byrnstanham, knowing the dangers but not caring. The Huskarlr at the gate of Hallfridby were sympathetic as she had helped Ragnar with the tree, so they let her sneak in and gave her directions.
The Huskarlr quarters were a longhouse near the Jarl’s. A large wooden building, not as big as the feasting hall but with a similar sloped roof supported by huge wooden pillars in an upside down U shape. The benches against the walls were wider and covered in animal furs for the Huskarlr to sleep in. The fire pit lay in the middle.
Many of the men were sleeping and loudly snoring, off duty, others were eating, talking and playing some rowdy gambling game at one end of the building. There was an unfamiliar strong smell of sweat, smoke and ale, unlike that of her home. The longhouse smelt undeniably of men.
She waited nervously by the door, but to her distress, Kjartan appeared.
“ You’d better not rape me, or Ragnar will kill you,” she blurted. “So go and tell him I’m here.”
“ You have spirit,” he said. “Are you sure you don’t want my big stiff weapon inside you?”
“ I’m very sure thank you.” She turned her nose up at him. “Please get Ragnar at once.”
“ Did you enjoy it with him in the cave?”
She blushed.
“ How- how did you know?”
“ Ah, I know everything. Do you know everything?” What was he talking about? He must surely be insane.
“ I know quite a lot.”
“ You know it’s my cave?”
“ No.”
“ Do you know who I take there?”
Tiring of this game, Aelfwyn lied.
“ Yes, I do actually. I know all the women you take to your cave, and I know all your secrets.”
His eyes widened.
“ Did Ragnar tell you?”
“ Yes, he told me everything.” Tired and anxious after Saehild’s revelations, she wanted him to go away and stop talking nonsense, so she could speak to Ragnar.
“ Hm.” Kjartan appeared to be about to say something else, but Ragnar interrupted.
“ Get lost, fool,” he said, putting his arm round Aelfwyn. Kjartan stalked off, muttering.
Ragnar drew her to him and kissed her.
“ What are we going to do about Saehild and Bjarni?” she said afterwards.
“ I don’t know,” he sighed. “It’s a mess.”
“ And now my parents think I’m the virtuous daughter and I can never escape marriage to Eadbald,” she said, her voice shaking.
“ Shall we just run away together and forget them?”
“ Really? Do you mean that?”
“ Yes. Shall we?”
She hovered on the precipice of stepping over the edge and giving her all to him. But reason prevailed.
“ I can’t. My parents would be heart broken if I left too. I can’t hurt them.”
“ I know. You are lucky to have parents, you must treasure them.”
“ Don’t you have parents?”
“ Not really. I was born to my father’s slave and he never recognised me as his son. Only the kindness of Jarl Thorvald and his late wife saved me. They took me in and brought me up.”
He watched her, expecting shock and possibly revulsion.
“ You poor thing,” she gasped, hugging him tighter. “My parents annoy me but they always take care of me.”
“ I shall
“ Those Danes are no good, taking our women,” muttered one of the suitors.
“ You’re not betrothed, are you Aelfwyn? I could marry you instead,” said another. Aelfwyn and Sigulf had been told to serve refreshments to the visitors, so they moved up and down the line with food and drink.
She shook her head. “I am betrothed, I’m afraid. To Eadbald.”
“ Eadbald?” The man chuckled. “I’d make a better husband than that old man.” Some of the other suitors laughed too.
She and Sigulf exchanged glances.
“ At least she is respectable, unlike you lot,” he chastised them. “She will bring our family honour.”
She sighed, envying Saehild for doing what she wanted without worrying about consequences.
* * *
That night, she stole out of Byrnstanham, knowing the dangers but not caring. The Huskarlr at the gate of Hallfridby were sympathetic as she had helped Ragnar with the tree, so they let her sneak in and gave her directions.
The Huskarlr quarters were a longhouse near the Jarl’s. A large wooden building, not as big as the feasting hall but with a similar sloped roof supported by huge wooden pillars in an upside down U shape. The benches against the walls were wider and covered in animal furs for the Huskarlr to sleep in. The fire pit lay in the middle.
Many of the men were sleeping and loudly snoring, off duty, others were eating, talking and playing some rowdy gambling game at one end of the building. There was an unfamiliar strong smell of sweat, smoke and ale, unlike that of her home. The longhouse smelt undeniably of men.
She waited nervously by the door, but to her distress, Kjartan appeared.
“ You’d better not rape me, or Ragnar will kill you,” she blurted. “So go and tell him I’m here.”
“ You have spirit,” he said. “Are you sure you don’t want my big stiff weapon inside you?”
“ I’m very sure thank you.” She turned her nose up at him. “Please get Ragnar at once.”
“ Did you enjoy it with him in the cave?”
She blushed.
“ How- how did you know?”
“ Ah, I know everything. Do you know everything?” What was he talking about? He must surely be insane.
“ I know quite a lot.”
“ You know it’s my cave?”
“ No.”
“ Do you know who I take there?”
Tiring of this game, Aelfwyn lied.
“ Yes, I do actually. I know all the women you take to your cave, and I know all your secrets.”
His eyes widened.
“ Did Ragnar tell you?”
“ Yes, he told me everything.” Tired and anxious after Saehild’s revelations, she wanted him to go away and stop talking nonsense, so she could speak to Ragnar.
“ Hm.” Kjartan appeared to be about to say something else, but Ragnar interrupted.
“ Get lost, fool,” he said, putting his arm round Aelfwyn. Kjartan stalked off, muttering.
Ragnar drew her to him and kissed her.
“ What are we going to do about Saehild and Bjarni?” she said afterwards.
“ I don’t know,” he sighed. “It’s a mess.”
“ And now my parents think I’m the virtuous daughter and I can never escape marriage to Eadbald,” she said, her voice shaking.
“ Shall we just run away together and forget them?”
“ Really? Do you mean that?”
“ Yes. Shall we?”
She hovered on the precipice of stepping over the edge and giving her all to him. But reason prevailed.
“ I can’t. My parents would be heart broken if I left too. I can’t hurt them.”
“ I know. You are lucky to have parents, you must treasure them.”
“ Don’t you have parents?”
“ Not really. I was born to my father’s slave and he never recognised me as his son. Only the kindness of Jarl Thorvald and his late wife saved me. They took me in and brought me up.”
He watched her, expecting shock and possibly revulsion.
“ You poor thing,” she gasped, hugging him tighter. “My parents annoy me but they always take care of me.”
“ I shall
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