Housecarl Read Free Page A

familiar. “Supple.“ He grabbed me and twisted me. 
His touch was not rough and tickled and I giggled. He suddenly
grabbed me in both arms and held me close to him. I felt tears
steam down his face.  “That is how Gifu, your mother looked
when she laughed. Gods but you are her twin.” He put me down. 
“Go and find this Ridley, I have an idea.”
    Ridley was not hard to find for
he was watching us from beyond the cow byre. He approached the
fierce looking warrior nervously. “Come child you need not fear me.
I am Aelfraed’s uncle and it will save time if you call me uncle
too.  Will you do that?” Ridley nodded. “Good.  Your
silence is good sign that we shall get on.  Would you like to
learn to fight as Aelfraed does?” Ridley grinned and nodded so hard
I thought his head would fall off. “Good.  Then wait here
while I get you a sword.”
    And that was how it began. 
My training became much swifter as I had someone the same height as
me to fight.  Aethelward could see my posture better and he
corrected it. Ridley loved both the training and my uncle. 
His father, the Steward, was a serious man neither given to play
nor conversation and he suddenly found that someone paid him
attention. The exotic wounded warrior was an intriguing and
exciting grown up. We spent three days with just our swords and
learned to block, thrust and stab to Aethelward’s satisfaction. He
smiled at our bruises and said they were marks of honour marking
our progress and we proudly boasted of them to each other.
    Once, when I had turned my back
on Ridley and he had struck me I turned angrily around.  My
uncle restrained me. “No, Aelfraed, the fault lies with you and not
your opponent.  Always be ready for the unexpected attack.” He
pointed to his wounded leg with his stick.  “I discovered that
even those we think are dead can be deadly.  Remember too that
there will be more than one enemy on a battlefield and not all will
be to your front. No do not chastise Ridley, rather thank him for
providing a valuable lesson.”
    We had then practised with Uncle
trying to dart in behind our guards when we were engaged with each
other.  From his nods I could see that he approved of our
progress.
    “Tomorrow we shall see about
getting you two a shield each.”
    Our burgeoning and excited
questions were halted by the clatter of hooves in the yard as my
father and my brothers returned. All four of them stared
malevolently at uncle who turned to us.  “You two go and play,
I think the Thegn, your father, wants a word with me.” I must have
looked afraid for he suddenly grinned and gave me a wink. 
“Fear not.  I am going nowhere until I choose.”
    We watched as he limped over to
the hall.  It was then I noticed that he always wore his wolf
skin cloak about his shoulders and, just peeping from the bottom I
could see the tip of the scabbard of his sword, worn across his
back. It struck me as odd for I had never noticed them when facing
him but now, seen from the back, they showed that the warrior was
still wary and still prepared for action. We half heartedly prodded
and poked at each other in the yard but the raised voices from the
hall intrigued us and, without words, we ceased our training and
ran to the wall to eavesdrop.  We knew that we should not and
that, if discovered, we would be punished but the angry noise from
inside was just too irresistible.
    “Are you forgetting Edwin the
debt you owe me?”
    “It is not honourable for you to
mention that and the debt will be repaid when I am ready.”
    “It is not honourable to treat a
helpless boy like a thrall and to treat a warrior like a
criminal.”
    There was a silence and I
wondered what their faces showed for I had learned to look at the
faces of men when they spoke and, more importantly, when they
remained silent for they often told you more of their thoughts.
    I heard my brother, Egbert,
suddenly shout, “What is this debt?  We owe this man no
debt!”
    My