Viking Gold Read Free Page B

Ragnar’s face. The
big man flinched, slipped on the ashes, and, twisting to miss the fire, landed
at the bear’s feet.
    Sinead yanked the tether and
a moment later the bear was free.
    Redknee
and Sinead made for the forest. As they wove through the trees, the pup still
tucked safely into Redknee’s tunic, they tried to close their ears to Ragnar’s
terrible screams.
     
    They
zigzagged through the forest, branches snatching at their faces and legs, the
pounding of hooves only a few paces behind. Eventually the sound receded and
Redknee felt certain they’d lost Ragnar’s men. But like fleeing deer, the two
of them tore blindly on. It was only after a long while that he felt Sinead
ease her pace.
    “Have we lost them?” she
asked, gasping.
    Redknee motioned for her to
stop, as his own heart hammered in his chest. He listened to the darkness. To
the sounds of his mountain. The shadows heightened every whisper. Sinead stood
rigid beside him.  He reached out and took her hand in his. Her skin felt
hot despite her soaking.
    “It’s alright,” he said. “I
can’t hear the horses.” The fear in her muscles eased. “But we have to get back
to the village. Ragnar and his men plan to attack at first light. And he’ll
want revenge after your trick.”
    Sinead snatched her hand away.
“You mean untying the bear? What else was I to do? We were trapped.”
    “All I’m saying is, if Ragnar
survived being mauled, he’ll be looking for us.”
    “Oh,” Sinead gulped. “We
should hide, then. No point heading to the village when we know that’s where Ragnar’s
going.”
    “What? And leave my mother
and uncle to die? Ragnar said he wanted to kill Uncle Sven. Just like he killed
my father.”
    “Well they’re not my family.
I’m just a slave. I don’t owe my captors loyalty.”
    He grabbed her by the elbow.
“You owe them your keep and protection—”
    “Look, I held my tongue,
didn’t I? I didn’t tell them the way to the village. That ought to buy your
precious family some time.”
    “They’ll find the place soon
enough – they’ve got this far,” Redknee said, letting her go. “But that was loyal of you.”
    “I was afraid,” she said,
rubbing her elbow. “I thought Ragnar would kill me if I told him. Once he had
no need of me.”
    “Typical,” Redknee said. “A
slave thinking of herself first. Especially a Christian one.” He sighed. “Look,
we’re wasting time. You do what you like.” He stomped off but paused after a
few strides. He had no idea where he was, or even if he was going the right
way.
    “You’ve no clue where you’re
going. Do you?” Sinead called. “Ooh, the great Redknee – jarl of the mountain –
totally lost.”
    “Be quiet!” Redknee spun
round. “You might not care about raising the alarm, but I do.” The night had
already faded to a smoky grey and he could see the outline of individual trees.
He ran his hand over the trunk of a tall pine. A fleece of moss shrouded its
north side. He turned to Sinead.
    “Oster-Fjord lies west; if we
go …,” he calculated west from the position of the moss, “… that way,” he said,
pointing towards a bracken-covered escarpment, “we should reach its shores. We
can follow the water to the village. Are you coming?”
    The pup slid from Redknee’s
tunic and stretched on the ground.
    “What’s that?” Sinead asked.
    “What does it look like?”
    Sinead glowered. “A skinny
little wolf cub.”
    The pup yawned, baring every
one of its sharp teeth and its long stretch of pink tongue. Then it sauntered
over to Sinead and nuzzled the hem of her dress.
    “Hey,” Redknee said. “Don’t
be a traitor!”
    “Aw, he likes me.” She
scooped him up and the pup obliged by licking her chin. “Don’t be jealous. He
just has good taste.” She set the pup on the ground. “Where did you get him?”
    “Rescued him.”
    “Really?” Her eyes widened. “Quite
the hero tonight.”
    “Yeah, well,” Redknee
muttered. “No point