Page 37

" A ttacked? But, this is not possible. Who would dare...?"

"It is an old enemy, lady. A blood feud. Olaf Bjarkesson..." The messenger from Skarthveit sat at her table, answering her questions around a mouthful of her finest bread and Aigneis' cheese. "When will the Jarl be back? We need his aid."

"I do not know. A month at least. He left here a sennight ago. I had expected him to make a detour to Skarthveit on his way to Hafrsfjord. Did he not arrive there?"

"No, lady. He must have set to sea at once. A month, you say?"

"Yes, but you shall have all assistance that may be mustered here. My husband left men to guard his home and his family. They are at Ulfric's disposal."

"We would not wish to?—"

"Gunnar would do this if he were here. We shall leave within the hour."

"Ulfric would not expect you to come yourself, lady."

"I shall do so anyway. I may be able to help, if there are people injured..." Mairead bustled about her longhouse collecting necessities for a hasty departure. "Aigneis, you will remain behind and take care of Tyra. Donald too."

"I want to come," protested the boy who had been listening intently to the exchange. "I have been learning swordplay, I can help to fight."

"No," insisted Mairead. "You are too young still, though I know you are quite courageous enough. You will be needed here, with all the men gone."

Donald raised himself to his full height, his shoulders back and his back straight. "I promised Gunnar, before he left, that I would take care of you. I cannot do that if I remain here. I have to come with you if I am to make him proud."

Mairead steeled herself to insist, but one look at her son's determined face convinced her otherwise.

Gunnar's attention and almost casual kindness had brought about a profound effect on the boy.

She would not be the one to undermine Donald's new-found confidence and sense of duty.

"Very well. But be quick. We must leave at once.

" The lad managed one beaming smile before he sprinted outside.

Mairead hoped she had made the right decision, but it was too late to go back on it now. She had her own preparations to make if they were to depart for Skarthveit with sufficient daylight left to cover several miles before they must make camp for the night.

"You managed to fight the attackers off?

Thank the sweet Lord that you were victorious.

" Mairead dismounted in front of the longhouse at Skarthveit and acceded to Donald’s pleas that he be permitted to run off at once and seek out Njal.

She returned Fiona's hug. "Is there anything I can do, now that we are here? "

"We have a few injured who might appreciate your aid. But none too serious. We were lucky."

"We were not so much lucky as inspired. At least, one of us was." Ulfric had sauntered up behind Mairead and now bent to kiss Fiona's upturned face. "Welcome, sister. Is my brother not with you?"

"Gunnar is away. He has gone raiding, I suspect making use of your longships, Jarl. He would have come at once had he been at home when your messenger arrived. As it is, I thought to offer such assistance as we could."

"It is appreciated." Her brother-in-law's smile was broad. "Come inside, take some food with us and I shall allow Fiona to tell you of her heroic exploits in leading my Celtic thralls to aid in our victory. I find she is quite the warlike little savage beneath that meek exterior."

"She is?" Mairead peered anew at Fiona but could discern no obvious difference since last she saw the woman.

"He is jesting. I merely advised that we should make use of all forces at our disposal, which included the slaves.

In return for their freedom, they agreed to join the Viking force and defend Skarthveit when Bjarkesson attacked us.

Please, come inside..." Fiona led a bemused Mairead into the longhouse and called for one of the servants to bring food and ale.

Mairead sank into the seat offered, and took a deep draught of the ale which had appeared by her hand.

She glanced about as Fiona addressed the domestic mundanities associated with entertaining unexpected guests.

Beds were required, extra food for a feast that evening, a plump young ewe was to be slaughtered.

Fiona dealt with all of it, every inch the chatelaine of this home.

"So, Ulfric has freed his slaves?" Mairead offered the question when Fiona at last took a seat beside her. "All of them?" Her gaze was directed pointedly at Fiona's ankle. The last time she had seen the other woman, Fiona still wore the shackle.

"All of them. I was freed some months ago."

"I see. So, you have remained here by your own choice?"

"Yes, I have. I... I love Ulfric. And I believe that he loves me."

"I know that. I knew it that last time, when we visited here, before Brynhild disappeared."

"It was so obvious?"

Mairead merely nodded. "I am pleased for you, if you are happy here."

"I am happy. I just..."

Mairead studied her new friend. "You miss your father? Others left behind?"

"My father, mainly. And of course Brynhild. For all her faults, I would not have wished harm on her."

"Ah, yes. Is there still no news of Brynhild? No clue at all?"

"Nothing. We are baffled. Njal does not speak of her so much any more, and Ulfric neither. But I cannot settle, cannot rest until we know."

"Gunnar is the same. He bitterly regrets the angry words he exchanged with his sister, the last time they spoke. They quarrelled because of me, because I am a Celt."

"Brynhild hated Celts. She despised all of us. There was no reasoning with her."

"Even so, it pains Gunnar that the last words between them were of anger and hatred."

"I can understand that, though most of the words I exchanged with Brynhild were angry ones, particularly by the end. I could not in honesty say that I miss her but for Ulfric’s sake I would do anything to help find out what happened."

"As would we all." The two women sat in silence for several moments, remembering their shared adversary.

Mairead patted Fiona's hand. "But now, you must tell me what Ulfric meant by one person being inspired.

You were actually involved in the battle?

You fought alongside the Vikings?" Mairead could not hide her astonishment. She was very impressed.

"I did, though as I have said, my fighting was done from a distance."

"You are magnificent. Ulfric clearly thinks so too."

"I am not entirely sure what Ulfric thinks."

"How can you not be? He is proud of you, and utterly devoted. It is obvious..."

"To you, perhaps. I think so too, but at times I am not so certain.

" Fiona got to her feet and straightened her skirts, clearly ready to change the subject.

"Shall I take you to our injured now? There is one man who has a fractured arm.

It has been set, but still pains him a great deal. Perhaps you can ease his suffering."

Mairead followed the other woman, ready to do what she could.

The conversation may be over, but she had heard sufficient to form a view of what was going on here.

The sooner that oaf Ulfric got his house in order, the better, in Mairead's opinion.

Gunnar and Ulfric might be brothers but it seemed to Mairead that these Freysson Vikings had little in common when it came to their dealings with the women who loved them. She much preferred Gunnar's approach.

Mairead was not certain whether or not to share the news of her pregnancy, but she was sorely tempted.

These people were her family now. She had a sister in Fiona, or so she thought of the other woman, and sisters shared such confidences, did they not?

Thus fortified, she whispered her news as they sat together for the night's feasting.

As was usual in large Viking gatherings, most of the folk gathered to share in their meal ate from their laps and sat on the many beds, benches and upturned buckets which had been brought into Ulfric's dwelling, the largest longhouse in the settlement, to accommodate everyone.

Fiona let out an excited squeal and hugged her hard. "I am so pleased for you. And for Gunnar. You must be sure and tell him so."

"I shall," promised Maired.

"What is this? Are you seeking to conceal your news from me, little sister?

" Ulfric was seated on Fiona's other side. He leaned back to eye Mairead over Fiona’s shoulders.

"Tell my brother I wish him well, and that I will only excuse his borrowing my longship without my permission if he brings his new family to visit us soon. "

"I shall pass that message on, Jarl."

He grinned and waved to summon one of his servants.

"Bring more food for our guest. She has need of sustenance if she is to breed fine, strong Viking sons for my brother.

" Mairead might have preferred a more discreet response, but accepted the proffered plate of marinated whale meat, a delicacy for which she had yet to develop a particular taste.

Whatever the circumstances which had brought them all here, these people were her family now and she harboured no doubt at all that she belonged with them.

She had only to glance across the room at Donald, seated beside his friend Njal and laughing at the antics of an excited puppy, and she knew she had been right to place her faith in Gunnar Freysson.

Mairead arrived back at Gunnarsholm three days later.

She barely had time to unpack her belongings and feed Tyra before another delegation from Skarthveit was at her door.

She had been shocked enough at the news of the attack by the Bjarkessons, but she was utterly stunned by the tidings which had now arrived.

"They are leaving? All of them? All of Ulfric's family, every one of his people?" Mairead gaped at the messenger

"Aye, lady. Skarthveit is to be abandoned, left to Olaf Bjarkesson if he wants it so badly. The Jarl is minded to seek a more peaceful home elsewhere."