Chapter 27 #2
Ingunn stared at the boy. He meant it. He would very likely attack her, she who had cared for him after Dalla had died, she who had treated him like her own child.
Suddenly it was too much. Tears came to her eyes and she sobbed.
She turned on her heel and left the manor house, only to stop abruptly, unable to go on, though she wanted to.
By Thor, would it never end? She paused yet again, furious with the boy, but she knew what she had to do, aye, she knew. She had no choice.
King Guthrum rubbed his fingers over the richly carved oak post of his chair and stared at Magnus Haraldsson. Hea??d agreed immediately to see the man. He liked him and trusted him, as far as hea??d trust any man, and he was infinitely curious as to what he wanted.
a??So,a?? he said slowly, his eyes on his fingers tracing over the elaborate carvings, a??the boy is your get. I thought he looked familiar, as did Aslak. Aye, he has the look of you. His aunt bought him back from me and took him away. a??Twas yesterday she came. I assume he is gone now.a??
a??And a little girl? Her name is Lotti.a??
a??Aye, I recall the little one. The woman didna??t want her, though even my dear Cecilia knew she and the boy were inseparable. It is almost as if they acted as one. I assume she is still with my, er, niece Cecilia.a??
Guthrum heard Zarabetha??s sharp intake of breath and turned to her.
a??I recognize you now. You are the woman Magnus saved some months ago, the woman we believed had poisoned Olav the Vain. It is odd, aye, very odd indeed.a??
a??What do you mean, sire? And no, I did not poison my husband.a??
a??Aye, all know now that you were innocent of his murder. It was Toki, wife of Keith, Olava??s son, who killed him. She is dead now.a?? He rubbed his hands together, obviously pleased at the solution.
Magnus stared hard at the king, wondering at the vagaries of fate.
If he hadna??t returned, Zarabeth would have been put to death for the crime and everyone would have been pleased and relieved, certain that justice had been meted out.
Now Toki had been shown guilty and she was dead.
By the gods, it was more than a man could explain to himself.
Zarabeth echoed some of his thoughts, her voice disbelieving. a??Dead? Toki has confessed to what she did?a??
King Guthrum shook his head. a??Nay, a??twas her husband who told the council that it was she and not you who had killed his father. He said she confessed it to him when she was drunk. He beat her to death for it.a??
Zarabeth moved closer to Magnus. He felt the quiver of her flesh, the withdrawal of her being from the coldness of the kinga??s announcement.
a??Aye, Keith said she was a vicious shrew, filled with envy and malice.
He said she deserved to die by his hand, for as her husband he was in part responsible for the evil of her act.a?? Guthrum nodded wisely, his countenance certain and benign.
a??I agreed with him, as did the York council.
He prospers now and is gaining stature. He looks more like his father by the day.
He begins to strut about wearing silver and gold armlets and many rings, and he wears only the finest clothes.
He has taken a new wife, a lovely girl of fourteen who will bear him many sons. He has given me several gifts.a??
Fate, Magnus thought again. Its workings eluded him, as they did all men.
He took Zarabetha??s hand and squeezed her fingers as the king continued, his look one of a ruler endeavoring to be just. a??I had forgot that Olav the Vain had said you were to receive all that he owned were he to die.
Since you were innocent of his death, you should be recompensed.a??
a??Aye, I believe it just, sire,a?? she said. She looked up at her husband and smiled. a??I should like back the coin Magnus paid to Keith in danegeld for his fathera??s death.a??
a??It will be done.a??
a??Sire, we wish to fetch my son and Zarabetha??s sister. If my sister, Ingunn, took the boy away, then I must also know where to find Orm Ottarsson, for she is with him.a??
The king said nothing for many moments. Then finally he said, a??If the little girl is still with my niece, why, I will give her to you, for Ingunn Haraldsson paid me much for the boy.
Go, then, Orm Ottarsson lives by the River Thurlow, on the north side.
He has named his farmstead Skelder, and it is three hectares in size.
He is a good subject, a man who will bring me strength and coin.a??
The king gave Magnus a deliberate stare, but Magnus merely nodded and smiled. His voice was bland. a??Orm has always been good at many things, sire. My wife and I thank you for your kindness and your generosity. We will remain loyal to you, as always.a??
Magnus stared at his huge countryman, the master of the vessel Water Path.
Grim Audunsson was rough and crude and the strongest man Magnus had ever wrestled with.
Hea??d lost to him three times to date. Grim was also wily and greedy, and blessed, in his view, with little conscience.
Magnus watched him spit and shake his shaggy golden head.
They stood on the dock at the harbor, beside the Water Path, the smell of fish strong in their nostrils, the harbor wind sharp in their faces.
a??Aye, Orm was here and he was as mad as the white death.
He didna??t try to hide it from me. He used to hide his anger years ago, or perhaps he didna??t have it when he was younger, but he doesna??t bother to hide anything now.
A berserker, Magnus, thata??s what he seems now.
His eyes were black with excitement, his hands fisting and twisting, ready to kill anything he could catch.
I can easily see him clothed in naught but a bearskin, whipping himself into a frenzy before he kills without fear, without conscience.
He is not an easy man now, Magnus. Nay, he is more dangerous than a berserker, for his rages come on viciously with a simple taunt, a smile, even a jest. Aye, he is as unpredictable as a Frenchmana??s moods, and he would speak so calmly whilst he cut your throat.
Aye, I gave him the woman and the children.
What else could I do?a?? Grim shook his head and spit into the water.
a??I wonder if hea??d kill the woman. He looked ready to, Ia??ll tell you.a??
a??The woman is my sister, Ingunn. The children are mine. Orm took them all, stole them from me, and set fire to my farmstead.a??
Grim shrugged, but his eyes narrowed. a??I am sorry, but again, what could I have done?a??
a??You could have killed him yourself. You are the strongest man I know.a?? He looked at the flexing muscles in Grima??s arms. a??Does age sap you, Grim?a??
Grim gave him a huge smile, showing a large gap between his front teeth.
a??I could have snapped his neck with my hand, a??tis true.
But he paid me, Magnus, paid me ten silver pieces.
The woman had already given me silver pieces to take the boy back to Malek, so I am now rich enough to buy my wife a new brooch.
Shea??s a lively little creature. I stole her from a village in the Rhineland.
She ran from me but I caught her about the waist and flung her over my shoulder.
I married her six weeks ago. She has fine black hair, such a color as Ia??ve never before seen, and the blackest eyes you can imagine, and that sweet womana??s nest between her thighs, well .
. . I was thinking about that jeweler on Coppergate, Old Gunliek is his name. What do you think, Magnus?a??
a??I think I should kill you.a??
Grim laughed, an uncertain laugh but one that conveyed the message that he could laugh and escape punishment.
Magnus knew that Grim had tightened his body, had prepared himself for action.
He wasna??t a fool. Whatever Grim was, he would remain.
It wasna??t up to Magnus to make him sorry.
He felt Zarabetha??s hand lightly touch his back.
He drew upon what little control he had left.
Brawling with Grim Audunsson would gain him naught, Zarabeth was right about that.
Besides, Magnus thought, his lips twisting, he just might end up with his face smashed or a broken arm, which wouldna??t do him any good at all.
He could imagine Zarabetha??s reaction to that.
a??Did Orm tell you he was returning to his farmstead?a??
a??Aye. He said he had preparations to make at Skelder. He said he was expecting a visitor and he wanted to ensure his visitor had a proper welcome.a??
Magnus nodded, then turned to leave. He said over his shoulder, a??I shouldna??t use old Gunliek. He cheats on the gold weights. Go to Ingolf on Micklegate.a??
He led Zarabeth from the harbor.
a??Orm knows we are here. He knows you will come.a??
a??Aye, he knows.a?? He hugged her close. a??We must move carefully now, Zarabeth. Everything depends on how we proceed now.a??
a??If only Ingunn had left Egill and Lotti alone! If only she hadna??t interfered! We would have them with us now, safe and sound.a??
a??It would seem my sister at last realized what she had done. She was trying to save them, even Lotti. And herself, it would seem.a?? He looked at his wife straight and said, a??All that you say is true. However, we still wouldna??t have Orm. And I will have him, Zarabeth.a??
Ingunn couldna??t move. Shea??d tried, two times now shea??d tried to move, but the pain had been so great shea??d nearly lost consciousness again.
She lay huddled on the earthen floor, the cold seeping through the thin material of her gown, her bruised flesh rippling with agony, her cheek pressed into the dirt.
She knew several ribs were broken, as well as her left arm.
She was thankful she couldna??t see her face, for hea??d struck her with his fist repeatedly.
Shea??d tasted blood and her own tears on her mouth.