Fenrir by MD. Lachlan Page B

when they moved in, unused to anything to keep the draught out. It was a small thing, a very small thing, but it seemed to bring home their barbarity to her. How could the Franks lose to such a rabble? Because, as her brother said, the emperor was fat and lazy and preferred to fritter away his people’s fortune in bribes to the Normans rather than face them in the field as a man. Eudes himself had shown they could be beaten, and more cheaply than they could be bought, but Charles insisted on paying them to go away. Her brother had maintained that payments in gold guaranteed the Norsemen would come back. Payments in steel meant they would not.
    They arrived at the house and she stopped the mules. Warriors were all around, some standing in full armour, some sitting down playing at dice, eating or sleeping. Then she remembered one of the packs contained her hair. What would the king make of that if he saw it? The Norseman called Fastarr put up his hand and addressed the warriors. She couldn’t understand what he said but Leshii, seeing her fear, whispered a translation.
    ‘This is the king, boys. Remember, for once, that I’m the one you elected speaker so let me do the talking. It’s me he struck the deal with and me he’ll want to hear from. I don’t want one word out of any of you, is that understood?’
    ‘What if he questions us directly about what went on?’
    ‘Say you just followed me. Any more questions, just say you don’t know and that I had a better view of it than you.’
    ‘What if he asks me about my cock?’ said Ofaeti, scratching himself. Leshii translated, seeming to find any mention of sex or the seats of corruption of the body vastly amusing.
    ‘Well, I could definitely get a better view of that than you. You can’t have seen it these fifteen years, you fat bastard.’
    There was laughter but Fastarr quietened it.
    ‘Seriously, no jokes. Don’t speak unless you’re spoken to. Let’s get in and out of here as quick as we can. Get the monk.’
    Aelis stood and watched as Confessor Jehan was dragged inside and Leshii busied himself with the mules. The Norseman had forgotten about him, too worried by the king’s summons and he wasn’t about to remind them. She felt cold and in her mind heard that voice again, the crack of a raven’s call.
    She looked down the slope towards the river, towards the formidable but battered tower on the bridge. She’d be shot by her own people before she even got within shouting range if she tried to swim for it. The only way was north, into Neustria, much of which was under Norman control. She would have to bide her time to escape; besides, it was her Christian duty to do her best to protect the saint.
    She was too much in demand, she thought. Wolfmen, ravens, the Danes, all seemed to want her. For the moment it was safer to be a mute idiot boy.
    She touched the leading mule’s ears and it nuzzled into her. At least, she thought, she had won an ally there.

10 Bargains and Threats
     
    Jehan smelled roast meat and a fire scented with pine needles. Fresh reeds had been scattered on the floor. There was a hum of conversation in the house which stopped as he was brought in.
    ‘Lord Sigfrid,’ said Fastarr, ‘we have captured this man, one of their gods, and we bring him before you to await your pleasure.’
    ‘Did you get the girl?’
    ‘No, sir.’
    ‘Why not?’
    ‘She escaped us in the darkness of the south bank.’
    ‘So why are you not there? It will soon be light.’
    ‘We had lost her, sir, and this man is such a valuable commodity we thought you would want him straight away.’
    ‘Or did you get bored, want to return to your drink and your women, and thought you might throw me a scrap to keep me sweet?’
    No one said anything and Jehan heard the king snort. There was a noise like metal on wood. A cup or a bowl on a table? A sword?
    ‘Did the Raven get her?’
    ‘Not as far I know, sir. He shot another shapeshifter but didn’t get her, I