Chapter Twelve #2
The child shrank away from Ulf and, with his gaze fixed on Aoife, he began to talk.
“I heard them talking about you last night, so I followed them. Hid in their boat. They were saying how you would be blamed for the fire and the Norsemen would kill you. When they left, I tried to put it out…” He stretched his arms out in front of him and winced.
Aoife took a step towards him, but Tormod placed a hand on her arm. She sighed. “They left in a boat?”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Who was it?” Aoife asked. “Who gave the order for the field to be burned?”
At that question, the boy baulked and pulled back.
“They said you would be blamed. I hid on the boat and crept out after we arrived on the shore. I couldn’t stop them from lighting the fire, but I tried to put it out.
It spread too quickly.” The boy put his face in his hands and started to cry.
“They said the Norsemen would kill you. I didn’t want the Norsemen to hurt you. I only wanted to help.”
“Elisedd, does your mother know where you are?”
He nodded at Aoife, tears running down his face. “I told her what I had heard. She sent me. She wanted me to find you, to keep you safe. My father is dead and…”
“What?” Her hands flew to her face. She turned to Tormod, who shrugged.
“I do not think my mother is safe there anymore. Without my father—”
“Elisedd. What happened to your father?”
“Car Cadell was attacked,” Elisedd replied. “More than once since Alt Clut. My father was killed. There have been… a lot of deaths. With you gone, and without my father there to protect her, I fear for my mother’s safety.”
“My father will see that she comes to no harm. He has always protected his own people.”
Elisedd stared at her. “Lord Cadell, he… Lady Ula makes most of the decisions now. Father Bricius advises her. And she knows of your friendship with my mother. She wishes to punish her for it, I think.”
Aoife gasped, then turned away from Tormod. He tried not to be disappointed that she had not turned to him for help.
“Ulf! Unchain the boy,” Tormod said, stepping forward. Ulf did so but stopped him from running towards Aoife.
Aoife looked at him, a pained expression on her face.
Then Tormod spoke in Norse to ensure all the villagers understood.
“The boy did not set fire to the field, but he knows who did so and he tried to put it out. That is why he has burns on his arms–burns just like H?kon’s.
The Britons wish for you to turn on my wife.
Are you going to give them their wish? Or shall we all work together and make the true culprits pay for their transgression rather than an innocent child? ”
There was a lot of murmuring around the circle. None of the villagers sought to enter the circle challenge the judgement. Perhaps the first flush of anger was wearing off, and they were beginning to realise the unlikeliness of this one child having bested them and their defences.
“The boy walks free this day and none of you shall harm him. Do we all agree?”
There was a general, if unenthusiastic, shout of agreement.
“Do we all agree?” Tormod repeated loudly. He would brook no disagreement about this.
A louder shout was more reassuring.
“What will you do with the boy?” Aoife asked, looking down at Elisedd.
Tormod turned to the farmer. “H?kon, will you take the boy in?”
“Take the boy in?” H?kon glared at Tormod.
“There are not as many burns on your body as there are on this child. Perhaps you did not try as hard as the boy to put out the fire in your own field,” Tormod said, relieved when there was a ripple of laughter from most of those gathered around the circle.
“He did more to try to put out the fire than anyone else. And he will recognise these men if they return.”
“And if he causes any more damage?”
“Then we will deal with him as we would any proven traitor.” Tormod stated. “And when we find those who attacked us in this way, they will be dealt with. You have my oath on this!”
Around the circle was a general murmur of agreement.
Tormod hoped they would find out who had done this, and quickly.
His people had to believe he had only their interests at heart.
Which he did, but he also knew they could not survive here surrounded by enemies that they were only going to antagonise and not at least attempt to work beside.
He could only hope that the attack had been a one off. Somehow, he doubted it.
Lord Cadell had lied. Or perhaps it was, as the boy claimed, that Lady Ula made most of the decisions there now.
“Bjorn, arrange a better watch on the eastern coast at night. Get the boy to tell you where he crossed Loch Garw and where he landed. H?kon, I take it you have searched and found no sign of a boat?”
There was a long pause and some shuffling of feet, then H?kon took a deep breath and sighed. “No, herre.”
“So, there is no way that the boy acted alone.”
“No, herre.” There was silence for a moment, then H?kon continued. “Herre, if the boy proves to be a good worker, I will be happy to take him in.”
Tormod nodded at the man. Inwardly, he breathed a sigh of relief. This could have been disastrous, however, it seemed there was a chance it would work out for them all.
“Swear this to me,” Tormod ordered.
H?kon stepped forward and swore the oath to Tormod.
“Justice has been served!” Tormod shouted.
The other villagers nodded, not overjoyed, but satisfied.
“H?kon will take the boy in and give him a home in exchange for work,” Tormod explained to her.
“Elisedd,” Aoife said. “His name is Elisedd.”
“Elisedd,” Tormod addressed him in Brythonic. “H?kon will be your new master. He will take you in and take care of you, and in return you will help him work on and protect his farm.”
“But…” the boy began, fear etched on his face as he looked at the farmer who had only recently been calling for his death.
Aoife knelt down and leaned towards Elisedd.
Tormod envied the easy affection visible between his wife and the boy.
It reminded him of the way Ingrid had focused all her attention on her son, Einar, as she plotted to have Tormod killed.
He had hoped that there would be some affection possible in this marriage, but with a child from amongst her own people to fuss over, would Tormod be an outsider in his own family once more?
If he kept Aoife and Elisedd apart, would his marriage stand a better chance of success?
He tried to push the thought from his head.
This was a good solution to the current problem for all concerned.
It was not about him being selfish. He couldn’t assume Aoife was anything like his first wife.
He should try to trust her. He sighed. It was difficult.
It would be difficult for any man, let alone one who had already suffered due to the lies of a woman.
“I will come and visit you,” she said, then glanced at Tormod, a scared look in her eye. He forced himself to nod at her. He must try to be benevolent, and was gratified when she smiled. “I will visit you and make sure you are all right and we will make a new home here.”
Elisedd bit his lower lip and tears filled his eyes as H?kon approached.
Aoife looked desperately at Tormod.
“No harm will come to you,” Tormod assured the boy and glared at H?kon before repeating the statement in Norse.
H?kon agreed and put out a hand to Elisedd. When the boy did not react, H?kon knelt down and repeated the gesture.
“Go,” said Aoife. “These people have been kind to me so far. We must learn to trust them.”
Elisedd dashed the tears from his eyes, then took the offered hand and walked out of the circle with H?kon.
Tormod stared around at all the other villagers, meeting as many of their gazes as possible, hoping that none decided his judgment had been wrong.
They seemed cautious but not averse to his decision, and Tormod took that as a positive.
No one had challenged him before. He had to hope they would not start now.
Aoife was straining to watch the boy leave, so he led her across the causeway and back towards the hall.
They waited until the boy and H?kon disappeared out of sight on the path over the hill.
There had been no sign of H?kon mistreating the boy, and Tormod was sure he wouldn’t.
The man had no sons of his own—only daughters who were almost grown now—he may welcome the boy in the long term of his own accord. His wife, Magda, certainly would.
“Thank you,” Aoife said.
“There is no need to thank me. I do not think the boy had done anything wrong. If I did, I would have acted differently. His burns had been tended,” Tormod said by way of reassurance. “I believe H?kon’s wife, Magda, will care for him well.”
She stared at him, then nodded slowly. He paused, unsure how to broach the next subject. Then he decided to just ask what needed to be asked. “Could your father have been behind this? The agreement was we would live side by side in peace, and yet someone has attacked my lands.”
Aoife pulled her hand from his and took a few steps away. He let her go and waited until most of the villagers had started to make their way back to their homes.
“Perhaps news of our wedding and of the alliance has not spread to everyone yet,” she said. “I am sure once it does…” she trailed off, avoiding looking at him.
“Let us hope it is the case,” Tormod said, unsure of what he would do if it turned out not to be the case. Aoife was clearly as unsure as he was himself.