Oathsworn 2 - The Wolf Sea by Qaz

dry, a lizard look I did not care for much.
    `Small wonder, then, that they wanted to avoid us,' he offered, passing it all off as casually as he could, though his fevered eyes spoiled the stone-smoothness he tried for. 'Why was Starkad not here?' he asked, recovering, and it was a good question.
    Because he was on a second ship and still looking for Martin. It seemed to me that he had sent his men racing ahead, armed and prepared to undertake this quest for Choniates, but it was my bet Starkad couldn't give the steam off his piss about it, did not want to waste time sailing all the way back to the Great City. He did it for the payment, but he wanted Martin the monk — no, not even that. He wanted that stupid Holy Lance, so he could go home. He had sailed on to Serkland, as rune-bound in his way as we were in ours.
    I just had to say that little monk's name, though, and everyone understood.
    Kvasir spat pointedly. 'We were no threat to those men of Starkad, if they were armed with all this,' he noted with a grunt. 'Loki played a bad trick on them when he made them sheer away from us, right into the path of wolves with better fangs.'
    A Loki trick that had won us a rich cargo. Finn beamed when I said this, his beard slick with lamb grease.
    `Just so, Trader, and a fine price it will pull down for us.'
    `True enough,' mused Radoslav, running that dagger blade over his head again, his circle of runes puckered on his forehead as he frowned. 'North-made blades sell well in Serkland — those watered blades especially.'
    Finn scowled. 'I will not sell the Godi.'
    `The what?' demanded Radoslay. 'Is this another marvellous sword that demands a name, like this Rune Serpent?'
    Finn grinned and explained about the snake-knot of runes, adding, 'But my blade has been named. The Godi.'
    Ìn honour of me, no doubt,' said Brother John drily.
    Ìn a way,' Finn answered. 'Since I seem to be killing more Christ-followers these days, it seems the name to give my blade — because it's the last thing they see before they die. A priest.'
    Òf course,' I went on casually into the laughter that followed, 'there is always the other matter.'
    Finn looked at me quizzically and the others sat up, interested.
    `We also have a secret message, about something to be picked up in Larnaca — where is Larnaca anyway?'
    `The island of Cyprus,' Radoslav said. 'Orm has the right of it. Whatever they were to get for Choniates is worth much more than what we have.'
    `Gold, perhaps,' I said. 'Pearls, silver . . . who knows? Choniates is a rich man.'
    `Gold,' repeated Finn.
    `Hmearls,' breathed Arnor through his ruined nose. He fretted about it, for a slit nose was the mark given by lawmakers to a habitual thief and he did not like having such a sign. That and the pain, though, was forgotten in the bright balm of promised riches.
    `What of Starkad?' growled Finn like a loud fart at a funeral. There was silence and shame as everyone worked out what the cost of delaying on a hunt for gold and pearls in Cyprus would do to letting Starkad escape with an even greater treasure.
    Then I told them what I had thought out; Einar would have been proud of me. 'Trapping is better than hunting. Instead of chasing Starkad all over the sea, let us have Starkad come to us. This treasure Choniates desires might be worth the price of a runesword to Starkad. He cannot afford to fail two masters. We have this letter, to be carried to an Archbishop who has never seen Starkad or his men. At most he may have been told Norsemen are coming.'
    Radoslav grinned. 'We are Norsemen.'
    `Just so,' I replied and turned into Finn's grin.
    `You are a man for clever, right enough,' he growled. 'Where, on this chart of Radoslav's, is this Cyprus?'

    4 The Volchock was no sleek drakkar, or even hafskip, as I have said. It bounced on the waves rather than slicing them, and fought us, as a little bear might.
    But you could see why the people of the Middle Sea called ships 'she' — that was how you sailed