Tales of Infamy (Viking)

2 - Ailmær

We saw land after nine days at sea. I almost killed Hringr thrice during that time, but by some miracle, we all made it to land.

Reifr and I joined the group of men surrounding the jarl, while Hringr worked on getting his land legs back. Jarl Valtar looked around the circle of men surrounding him, almost to check if we hadn't lost anyone to the waves.

"We will split up into three groups." He announced. "West, North West and South West. Each group will have five days to loot and get back. We will wait two extra days if one of the groups has not returned, but after that we will have to leave you here."

I didn't like the plan, but it was not up to me. We should stay as one group, we do not know where in England we have landed and who came here before us. No one ever spoke back to Valtar, as odd as he is for choosing the company of men over women, he is a great Viking.

My brothers and I were assigned to the group Skarde lead. It wasn't ideal, but at least we were all together. Even if father did not want to look out for his sons, I wanted my brothers to return home with me.

Skarde was a silent man, he did not feel the need to speak courage into his men, or to reassure us when we had been walking for two days and had not come across a living soul. If we did not find anything today we would have to turn back empty-handed. It felt bad to be this far away from our boats. That was where our strengths lie, that was what we should be using.

"Down!" Skarde said, we all dropped down to the ground within seconds. Reifr was right in front of me, we both started crawling up the small hill. Our father's reputation aided us during the raids, people often trusted our skill even if we were younger.

It was a town, not a large one by the looks of it but they did have a church and plenty of people walking around. They were carrying baskets with crops or grain in them, they had not been looted.

Reifr and I smiled at each other. We would return with something this year. Behind me, I could see Hringr's eyes filled with worry. I scooted over so he could see too. The people of this settlement weren't warriors, it was easy pickings this season. The gods must be making up for last year.

The gods, I grinned to myself. I was never one to think of them much. My father told me that our lives were already laid out for us, so praying or thinking about it was nothing more than a waste of time. No, this was Thyra who was rubbing off on me. She carved more runes in one year of marriage than I had seen in my entire life. She could speak of the gods like she had seen them herself. Sometimes I wondered if she was one.

"Wait." Skarde said, holding out his arm to stop Reifr from getting up. Everyone was dead quiet, gripping our axes and shields as we prepared to attack. Skarde looked behind him, and then back to the settlement.

"We attack at nightfall." He decided. We slowly made our way back, so that we were out of hearing range of the saksens. I knew that I couldn't question the jarl's judgement, but that did not mean I couldn't question his friend's.

"We should attack while we have the light." I said, when several men plopped down on the ground to rest. "We do not know the layout of the town and escaping is far easier in the dark."

"The Christians will be caught off guard if we attack at nightfall." Skarde countered. "We will trample them, and avoid losses on our side."

"They don't know we're here now-" I said, but Skarde cut me off.

"No more of this Ailmær." He said. "We attack at nightfall."

I'd like to say that I took this defeat in stride, but I must have looked especially pissed off for Reifr to try and console me. Waiting was stupid, it only increased the chances of us being discovered and of guards following us back through woods that they knew far better than us. I felt Skarde's eyes on me as I sat down with my brothers. I laid down on a fallen tree, with Hringr sitting beside it and Kulli by my feet.

We spoke about nothing. About how English land was different from ours. Of things we hoped to find and jokes about Kulli's skill with an axe. The tree was digging into my back, it did not make for a very comfortable bed. Still, I kept my eyes to the sky, watching the birds fly over us and the wind blow the leaves.

"What is it like being married then?" Hringr asked me. I smiled up at the sky, at the sun.

"It is like the sun." I answered. "Even if you are standing in the middle of a snowstorm, there is always a sun with you to warm you right back up." They were quiet for a little while, until Njótr spoke up.

"Father did not think of mother like that." He said. We did not often speak about our mother. Reifr and I were old enough to understand that it had not been Hringr's fault, but Njótr and Kulli still blamed him for her death.

"I suppose I answered the wrong question," I said before they would start fighting again. "Being married is a security we will all have. The pure love of a woman, that is like the sun."