Aeleva; The Viking Saxon

Chapter 12

It was the dead of night and everyone had either gone to bed or passed out drunk. I put my boots and leathers on and sneaked past Hilda. Her red hair was sprawled over her face and she was snoring like a drunk priest.

The ground was still soft and the darkness made it all the harder to avoid the worst parts. However, I managed to sneak through the sleeping city, undetected, arriving at the old and rotting door.

I knocked hastily and waited for the sounds of movement. I glanced around the street, examining the dark corners and windows, but it was still. Eventually a rather sleepy looking monk answered the door.

"Aeleva?" Godwin whispered. His face screwed up as he wiped the sleep out of his eyes.

"I need you to write me a letter."

His eyes darted between mine and around the street.

"You best come in." He replied in a hushed voice. Godwin opened the door and gesturing me in as quickly as possible. He ushered me to a seat and shut the door.

"I need you to write to my brother." He said nothing and lit a candle from the smouldering fire. The wick hissed as it caught.

"I need to know if he's alive." I continued in his silence. He sighed and turned to me.

"Do you know how dangerous that is?"

"I do. And I know I ask a lot. But I need to know," I pleaded.

"How exactly would it get to him?"

"On a merchant boat that leaves tomorrow."

Godwin sighed again and sat down opposite me. The lone candle was shifting shadows all over his old and wrinkled face. I could tell he was torn. He didn't know what to say.

"Aeleva, he is most likely dead." He said in a gentle tone. His words made my heart sink.

I knew. I knew he was most likely dead, but if there is a chance. Then I needed it.

"Please Godwin." I begged in a whisper. He continued to stare for a moment. Something must have worked as he nodded.

"Ok." He said and got up to fetch a paper and pencil.

Godwin had a lot of persuasion in Kolding as he was close friends with the Earls, especially Harald. And so over the years has built up favours. Godwin passed my letter onto a man on the ship that was to sail, and told him to give it to the first monastery he came across, that was still standing. The idea was that it would be passed on until eventually it would make it to my brother, somewhere in Mercia.

I slipped away after an hour and tried to claim the last few hours of the night in sleep.

The next day Hagen had pulled me aside for some practice. He had found a hill that over looked Kolding. You could see the whole town and the port and even see miles into the sea.

"Same as before, shield up and spear posed on the top," he instructed as he acted it out. He spoke to me in Danish and that seemed to be the tongue I spoke in everyday now. "Your weapon is your spear and your shield; it is not just for protection."

We sparred for a moment to get used to the movements. "More fluidly. You're too stiff."

He leapt forward and hit his shield to mine, with enough force to expose my right. Which he then jousted at.

"Too slow."

"I did not mean to leave you alone in Kolding. I had to attended to the Earls." Hagen confessed as we sparred. I knew he was making conversation but it was odd to hear him apologise. "I heard you made friends with the old Monk."