Read Online The Thrall (The Viking Hero Series Book 1) by Njord Kane - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Njord Kane
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return.
The Jarl's Hall gradually began filling up with
men from the village. They were curious as to what was going on.
Rowan could hear the murmur of them speaking amongst themselves.
After a few minutes, a man stepped forward Rowan recognized as Thorn,
the brother of his master Bjord the blacksmith.'
Thorn spoke before the hall to Jarl Erling, "I
demand justice for my brother and his son Sven. Justice that this
thrall be put to death for his crimes of murder."
Rowan was horrified when heard this. It was
exactly what he feared might happen. He did not do anything wrong,
but how in the world would he prove it.
The karl that brought Rowan in, which Rowan had
now learned was named Oleg, quickly countered by saying, "I take
claim to this thrall."
"How do you have the right the take claim of
the thrall?" contested Thorn.
"I take claim for finding the thrall that was
trying to escape after having slayed his master. He no longer had a
master and belongs to the first to claim him." explained Oleg.
"That is nonsense." protested Thorn.
"The thrall, and any other property belonging to Bjorn, would be
passed to his heirs."
"There aren't any legal heirs, as the thrall
has claimed the blacksmith and his son, his only son, are now dead.
Without any heirs, the property is up for grabs." Oleg pointed
out.
"That is not the only heir and I am his
brother!" blasted Thorn, "besides, the murderer will be put
to death for his crimes and not claimed by anyone!"
At this point Jarl Erling stood up and called for
the men to settle down. He stepped down from his throne seat and
calmly said, "we're not even sure yet if Bjorn and his son are
even dead. Let us hear from his household first to verify."
This paused the two men of their bickering. The
Jarl turned around and stepped back up on his throne and sat in his
chair . He motioned to one of the
guards that was standing off to the side and leaned in to whisper
something in his ear. When the Jarl sat back, the man quickly headed
out the door of the hall on some unknown task.
The chatter in the
hall gradually became louder and louder as more men continued to come
in and inquire as to what was going on. It was then when the
blacksmith's wife, Gwenda, showed up along with her mother Helga that
the Hall began to quieten.
The men in the hall
fell silent as Gwenda and Helga made their way past them. Gwenda was
helping her mother and supporting her as they walked to the end of
the Hall in front of Jarl Erling.
Gwenda stood before
the Jarl, still helping her mother along. She looked briefly at Rowan
with a puzzled look before facing the Jarl and asking, "my lord,
why have you summoned us to your Hall?"
"Woman, where is
your husband and son?" asked Jarl Erling.
"My lord, they
have gone into the forest up the mountainside a couple days ago.
They left with our thrall, the three of them."
"A couple days
ago with your thrall? Why did they go into the forest?"
"My lord, we had
been awakened in the middle of the night by a loud screech and the
sound of our livestock panicking. Our sheep were the most panic
stricken and they ran out of their pens into the house until they
finally ran through the door and escaped outside. We never seen what
was causing them to become so afraid, but our thrall said that a
strange cat had chased them."
"A strange cat?"
inquired Jarl Erling.
"Yes, our thrall
claimed that there was a cat that woke him up by sitting on his chest
trying to crush him him. He said when he tried to get the cat off of
him, it went after our livestock."
She briefly paused,
looking around at the faces of the men in the Hall. Many had puzzled
looks and were shaking their heads in disbelief.
"Yes, I
understand. Please, continue." Jarl Erling encouraged.
"Well,.. we ran
outside to fetch the frightened sheep, but they already ran up the
hill and went into the forest. We could hear them in the darkness
screaming as they ran. It was too dark to try to find them in the
night, so my husband decided
The Jarl's Hall gradually began filling up with
men from the village. They were curious as to what was going on.
Rowan could hear the murmur of them speaking amongst themselves.
After a few minutes, a man stepped forward Rowan recognized as Thorn,
the brother of his master Bjord the blacksmith.'
Thorn spoke before the hall to Jarl Erling, "I
demand justice for my brother and his son Sven. Justice that this
thrall be put to death for his crimes of murder."
Rowan was horrified when heard this. It was
exactly what he feared might happen. He did not do anything wrong,
but how in the world would he prove it.
The karl that brought Rowan in, which Rowan had
now learned was named Oleg, quickly countered by saying, "I take
claim to this thrall."
"How do you have the right the take claim of
the thrall?" contested Thorn.
"I take claim for finding the thrall that was
trying to escape after having slayed his master. He no longer had a
master and belongs to the first to claim him." explained Oleg.
"That is nonsense." protested Thorn.
"The thrall, and any other property belonging to Bjorn, would be
passed to his heirs."
"There aren't any legal heirs, as the thrall
has claimed the blacksmith and his son, his only son, are now dead.
Without any heirs, the property is up for grabs." Oleg pointed
out.
"That is not the only heir and I am his
brother!" blasted Thorn, "besides, the murderer will be put
to death for his crimes and not claimed by anyone!"
At this point Jarl Erling stood up and called for
the men to settle down. He stepped down from his throne seat and
calmly said, "we're not even sure yet if Bjorn and his son are
even dead. Let us hear from his household first to verify."
This paused the two men of their bickering. The
Jarl turned around and stepped back up on his throne and sat in his
chair . He motioned to one of the
guards that was standing off to the side and leaned in to whisper
something in his ear. When the Jarl sat back, the man quickly headed
out the door of the hall on some unknown task.
The chatter in the
hall gradually became louder and louder as more men continued to come
in and inquire as to what was going on. It was then when the
blacksmith's wife, Gwenda, showed up along with her mother Helga that
the Hall began to quieten.
The men in the hall
fell silent as Gwenda and Helga made their way past them. Gwenda was
helping her mother and supporting her as they walked to the end of
the Hall in front of Jarl Erling.
Gwenda stood before
the Jarl, still helping her mother along. She looked briefly at Rowan
with a puzzled look before facing the Jarl and asking, "my lord,
why have you summoned us to your Hall?"
"Woman, where is
your husband and son?" asked Jarl Erling.
"My lord, they
have gone into the forest up the mountainside a couple days ago.
They left with our thrall, the three of them."
"A couple days
ago with your thrall? Why did they go into the forest?"
"My lord, we had
been awakened in the middle of the night by a loud screech and the
sound of our livestock panicking. Our sheep were the most panic
stricken and they ran out of their pens into the house until they
finally ran through the door and escaped outside. We never seen what
was causing them to become so afraid, but our thrall said that a
strange cat had chased them."
"A strange cat?"
inquired Jarl Erling.
"Yes, our thrall
claimed that there was a cat that woke him up by sitting on his chest
trying to crush him him. He said when he tried to get the cat off of
him, it went after our livestock."
She briefly paused,
looking around at the faces of the men in the Hall. Many had puzzled
looks and were shaking their heads in disbelief.
"Yes, I
understand. Please, continue." Jarl Erling encouraged.
"Well,.. we ran
outside to fetch the frightened sheep, but they already ran up the
hill and went into the forest. We could hear them in the darkness
screaming as they ran. It was too dark to try to find them in the
night, so my husband decided
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