page108 (1/1)

“Duty compels me to see Snorri to his homeland” I nodded When a course of action is forced upon you it’s best to accept it with grace and ht up to the moment the first opportunity to weasel out of the deal presents itself “We’ll see what these Hardanger scavengers make of a man of the Red March” Hopefully I’d find a way for it not to be a corpse

“What makes us think we’ll fare any better with nine than Snorri did with one?” Arne Dead-Eye wiped ale foam from his moustache, his voice hthe Uulisk”

“Fair question” Snorri reached out to point at Arne “First understand that there were very few men at the Black Fort, and it’s not a place that could ever be garrisoned to its capacity Everyor sack of coal ainst? Slaves labouring beneath the Bitter Ice, digging tunnels in search of a myth?

“Second, ill go better prepared, not dressed in what could be scavenged froo with clear heads, the murder in our hearts locked away until it is needed

“Third and finally What else are we to do? We are the last of the free Undoreth Anything that survives of our people is there, on the ice, in the hands of other men” He paused and set his broad hands upon the table, staring at the spread of his fingers “My wife My son Alltwitched at histowards a roar once more

“So I’ you victory, or a return to your old lives, or the proain Just pain, and blood, and red axes, and the chance to ether, this last time What do you say?”

And of course the ed ainst the table and wondered how I could get the hell out of this , then perhaps if Snorri fell in the assault and I lurked near the back I could run off once the spell had broken Of course, with nine men there aren’t exactly a lot of ranks to hide behind, and this Black Fort sounded inconveniently far froht run to

I decided the best policy for the noould be to drink myself insensible and hope the morrow had better to offer

“The ap where the Norsemen were all momentarily silenced by their tankards, “is not to act too hastily Planning is the key Strategy Equips that Snorri missed out on the first time in his impatience”

The longer we delayed, the ht wear off or so The i was for the Ikea not to sail before I’d exhausted all opportunities forI drained nalled for another

TWENTY-FOUR

Soovers are so horrific that it seems the whole world rocks and sways around you, the very walls creaking with the motion Others are relatively mild and it just turns out that in your drunkenness a collection of Vikings have thrown you onto a heap of coiled ropes in their longship and set to sea

“Oh, you bastards” I cracked open an eye to see a broad sail flapping overhead and gulls wheeling far above me beneath a mackerel sky

I sat up, threw up, stood up, tripped up, threw up, crawled to the side of the boat, voroaned at the thin dark line on the horizon, the only hint at the world I knew and ain

“Not a sailor, then?” Arne Dead-Eye, watching me from a bench, his oar locked before him, a pipe in his hand

“Vikings sht

“This one does You don’t get handed a book of rules, you know”

“I suppose not” I wipedthere on the boat’s side The quins were doing cou watched the waves from the prow and Snorri held the tiller at the stern After a while I felt strong enough to lurch over and collapse on the bench beside Arne Thankfully the wind carried his smoke the other way or ould have had a chance to see whether any of last week’s ht reappear if I tried really hard

“What other rules in this handbook that you don’t get have you broken?” I needed distraction fro so skies and moderate winds