Heroes of the Valley

by Jonathan Stroud

  Halli, recalling his mother's stern injunction, sat still and said nothing.

  Ragnar wheeled away across the hall. 'See! He is struck dumb with guilt! It is as if my uncle's shade had risen from the ground and placed his gory hand upon his toad-like shoulder. One can easily see that—'

  Ignoring his mother's warning grasp upon his arm, Halli stood promptly. It seemed to him that now was not the time for silence. 'Pardon me,' he said, 'but I was silent in raw puzzlement. Setting inane riddles may, along with cow-kissing and bog-rolling, be a favoured pastime among Hakon's people, but I do not indulge in it myself. Make yourself clear, please, or make yourself scarce.'

  Several of the Lawgivers frowned, but most nodded in agreement. 'Enough theatrics!' the crone from Gest's House called. 'Let us hear the meat of the matter.'

  Ragnar nodded. 'Very well. Not long ago, when my uncle died by fire, an intruder was seen fleeing from the House. He was pursued for miles, but ultimately escaped. This is common knowledge throughout the valley.'

  'Quite,' Ulfar called, 'but the identity of the scoundrel—'

  'Is known to me. Halli Sveinsson did the deed.'

  Sensation in the hall. Hord Hakonsson rose from his chair, several of the Lawgivers likewise. All turned their heads to stare at Halli, except for the lady from Gest's House, who was looking the wrong way. Beside him, Halli sensed his mother stiffen, and his brother Leif curse under his breath. Inwardly, it was as if his guts had knotted and the knot were drawing tight; but he kept his face impassive, his expression nonchalant as he could. He stepped forward confidently. 'Does Ragnar have proof to back up these absurdities?' He smiled. 'I fear not. This is a blatant attempt to avoid paying the fine for Brodir's killing – a typical Hakonsson trick!'

  Ragnar's riposte was drowned out by shouts from Hord, from Astrid and Leif, and from the attendants of both Houses; also from several of the Council members, who were growing wildly excited by events. The old crone from Gest's House had risen and was swinging her stick dangerously around her head, while Helga of Thord's House bellowed for silence in the manner of a bull. At last, through sheer lung capacity, she overcame all other sounds. 'Quiet, everyone! All of you sit down! This must be dealt with appropriately and calmly! No – not a word more, Halli Sveinsson, until I say! Ragnar – what exactly is your accusation?'

  'That Halli Sveinsson murdered my poor sick uncle foully by setting him alight. His purpose? To avenge his own uncle's death. How do I know it? Because when I came to the window through the burning hall, I looked down upon the parapet of the wall below and saw him there, just before he leaped into the moat! I saw him, clear as day!'

  Helga said: 'Halli, do you deny this?'

  Halli spoke carefully. 'I did not kill Olaf.'

  'Astrid of Svein's House – what do you say?'

  Halli's mother stood. 'It is a ridiculous assertion! Halli is a child, and not a very big one at that – how could he kill Olaf, a grown warrior?'

  'It is unlikely, but presumably possible . . .' Helga tapped her fingers on an ample knee. 'Did he – or any of your household – go down-valley in the autumn?'

  'None of us, least of all little Halli! He was with us every day, helping in the fields, like the good dear boy he is!'

  'You lie,' Ragnar shouted. 'You, a Lawgiver yourself, lying through your teeth to protect your son! Ah, this is a vile sight!'

  At this Leif Sveinsson jumped up and made aggressive motions towards Ragnar, while the men from Svein's House bayed and gestured. On the opposite side Hord Hakonsson and his men leaped forward. Several local men from Rurik's House, each with biceps bigger than a pig's haunch, started towards them from the edges of the hall, though whether to make peace or join the fracas was not entirely clear.

  Helga of Thord's House gave a bray of outrage, which sent the rafters ringing and even the biggest men scurrying back to their places. She glowered around the company in awful silence. 'This is not a hero tale,' she cried. 'This is not a place of violence. We do things differently here, and have done for a dozen generations! Shame on both sides for this disturbance! We must talk. we must debate. we must discuss; at the end. we must abide peaceably by the judgement of the Council. Is that accepted, or are you going to cut each other's throats for the sake of honour? Think hard! Every act will be accounted for!'

  There was much coughing and mumbling into beards. Helga nodded grimly. 'Very well.'

  Ulfar Arnesson held up a hand. 'I have a question. Ragnar is a noble young man. we all know this, but I don't understand why he has delayed charging Halli, why he has kept even his father in ignorance!'

  Ragnar shrugged. 'No one but me saw Halli there; no one but me knows his guilt. I decided not to take the matter further, since I had no other proof. Besides, I know my father wished to end these troubles swiftly, not drag them out still further. But today, when I saw Halli's horrid face gloating at me opposite, I could keep silent no longer. Whatever the verdict, I have said the truth.'

  Ulfar nodded. 'That is well spoken. I am inclined to believe this story.'

  'Just as you incline towards the Hakonssons always!' Astrid called. 'How is your poor daughter today, cousin? Locked away ready for her marriage to Ragnar here?'

  Ulfar gave a hoot of rage and danced to his feet. As Helga hushed him, Halli said, 'It's clear to me that Ragnar is talking through his leggings. Let me ask him this. The mysterious figure on the parapet. Did it turn towards you?'

  Ragnar shook his head. 'No.'

  'So you did not actually see this person's face?'

  'No.'

  Halli smiled over at the Council. 'In other words it might have been anyone.'

  Now Ragnar was on his feet. 'Who else has your repulsive proportions?' he cried. 'I did not need to see your face! Your curiously squat outline was enough, illuminated for a moment by the flames.'

  Halli shrugged. 'The figure was down low and you were up high. It would have appeared foreshortened.'

  'Nothing could be that foreshortened. It was you.'

  Halli bared his teeth. 'Is that so? I remind everyone that this is the first anyone has heard of this charge. I submit that it is pure invention, spurred on by hatred of my House. Last time I saw Ragnar, remember, he was treading on my neck.'

  Ragnar laughed shrilly. 'Yes, the odour lingers on my boot sole even now.'

  'What more evidence does anyone need?' Halli said. 'Why pick on me, Ragnar? Go accost someone with a more obviously criminal appearance. Your father, for instance.'

  Ragnar drew in an audible breath. He had been white-skinned before; now he was whiter. Over on the far bench, Hord leaped up in outrage, veins popping.

  Helga gave a bellow. 'Hord, return to your seat! Let us keep order here! Halli Sveinsson, restrain your comments.'

  Halli bowed. 'Your pardon. I spoke in the heat of the moment; it is a way I have. But at least I do not knife people at such times, like old Hord over there.' Once more Hord leaped forward, arms swinging like a bear, but Halli skipped back out of reach. 'Why not stab me now?' he shouted. 'Get some friends to hold me down securely first – but wait. would I even then be helpless enough? Fix a knife to a long pole so you can kill me from the next room and so avoid any possible danger to yourself.'

  Even as he spoke he knew he had gone too far. The tendons on Hord's neck stood out like tent-ropes; his face was purpled, his eyes unseeing. With arm drawn back and fingers clenching, he lurched forward towards Halli, who darted nimbly away, only to bump into his chair and fall sideways against his mother's lap.

  Hord loomed over them, fist raised. Astrid screamed; Halli held up an ineffectual hand, shielding his mother and himself—

  A shadow moved from left to right. At its point of furthest reach, Hord's head snapped back as if a hammer had connected with his chin. He staggered, eyes staring woozily, but did not quite fall.

  Leif, lowering his hand, rubbing chafed knuckles, said, 'That is why it is sensible to wear your beard long. He hadn't any cushioning.'

  A moment's silen
ce; then – bedlam all around.

  Several of the Lawgivers uttered piercing shrieks; onlookers cried out in alarm. From left and right the men of Svein's and Hakon's Houses came running: some vaulted chairs, others hurled them aside in their efforts to reach their enemies. The Ruriksson attendants sprinted in with equal speed – across the centre of the hall there were multiple collisions as men met and grappled with each other, grabbing beards, exchanging blows, kicking, punching, biting with unleashed zest.

  Halli, rising, attempted to pull his mother from her chair. Now, from behind the teetering Hord came Ragnar; eyes staring, mouth agape, he flung his arm round Halli's neck.

  Over by the Council, Helga stood on tiptoe, roaring orders nobody could hear. A number of Lawgivers rushed past her, among them the lady from Gest's House, swinging her stick with alarming, if unfocused, skill.

  Hord's fingers rubbed his jaw; now his eyes had cleared. He straightened his back, staring hard about him – and was knocked to his knees as the Gest's House crone brought her stick down hard between his shoulder-blades.

  Halli reared back with Ragnar's fingers on his throat. He thrashed from side to side, jabbing his elbows behind him to no avail.

  Astrid swiped, her fingers clawing. Ragnar jerked back, his cheek streaming blood, letting Halli go.

  Now from the Law Seats came Ulfar Arnesson, hurrying to the Hakonssons' aid. He directed several wild punches at Leif 's back and midriff, all of which went quite unnoticed; Leif and Halli helped their mother over several toppled chairs towards a clear space in the hall.

  A number of onlookers from Rurik's House, finding themselves without anyone obvious to fight, stood uncertainly on the sidelines, then set to fighting each other. They blocked the way; Halli and Leif turned, wondering where to go.

  Ulfar Arnesson kicked Leif hard upon his backside; Leif, registering dim awareness, turned and punched once, sending Ulfar spinning like a top across the room, to connect neatly against the flailing stick of the crone from Gest's House and ricochet across into the ample skirts of the largest, loudest Lawgiver. Her chair collapsed under them.

  Leif and Astrid made tentatively across the centre of the room, between little knots of fighting men. Halli, following at their heels, looked back. He saw Hord Hakonsson rising slowly to his feet, saw him looking about befuddled, then with renewed understanding. He saw Hord look up and see them; saw him reach inside his jerkin, draw out a hunting knife . . .

  Halli pointed, cried out, but his voice was lost amid the din.

  Hord started forward, his knife held ready.

  Halli backed away, jostled, knocked, impeded by the chaos all around.

  Closer, closer came Hord.

  Helga of Thord's House, finding her cries inaudible, got with stately menace to her feet and, picking up her chair in one hand, strode swiftly forward. With the ease of one who habitually carries lame sheep down from high pasture, she swung the chair in a lively arc and dashed it down neatly on Hord's head.

  Hord toppled like a stunned ox and crashed to the ground. The knife spun away from his grasp, out across the floor, and came to a halt, still spinning. As it spun, it glinted.

  As if it had made a great noise, everyone's eyes locked onto it; men let go of each other's beards, noses, ears and pigtails, and stood in silence up and down the hall. Halli, Astrid, Leif, Ragnar, the crone from Gest's House, Ulfar Arnesson still entangled with the kirtle of the Lawgiver from Orm's House: everyone stopped dead and watched the spinning knife.

  The knife's rotation slowed, slowed . . . Now it had halted.

  Helga, still holding her chair in one hand, raised the other to her face and brushed the hair back from her forehead. She was sweating mildly. 'I think we can stop right there,' she said, and this time she did not have to shout. 'We are all shamed that such a disgraceful exhibition has taken place at our sacred Council. To see violence break out in place of calm words and careful negotiations makes my blood boil, makes my arms itch to batter the sense into all of you. But I am just as much to blame.' She flung the chair aside; it clattered briefly. 'None of us are absolved,' Helga went on. 'We are all still tainted. It seems that no matter how many years pass, no matter how our families link and interlink by marriage, the old madness that afflicted the heroes lingers in our blood. How swift we are to rise up against each other, every one of us – old and young, man and woman. Yes, we are all tainted. But only one side' – and her tone hardened – 'has dared draw steel – has dared draw it again, I should say, since it is that very crime that we were supposed to hold in judgement today. Hord Hakonsson, we have all witnessed your intentions here, and there is no reason to doubt the evidence we have heard concerning Brodir Sveinsson's death. You shall be fined for that, and fined severely. You shall also be fined for producing that knife in sight of all. The many fields you lose shall, I hope, be sufficient lesson for the rest of us to hold our uglier passions back, to fight only to keep them under control. Now we must clear up this mess.'

  Hord lay flat upon the floor, blinking, puffing his cheeks in and out like a stranded fish. But now Ragnar, a handkerchief pressed upon his cheek, set up a clamour. 'What of Halli?' he croaked. 'What of his wickedness? Where is his punishment?'

  The eye Helga bestowed upon Ragnar was cool, contemptuous. 'You have no evidence whatsoever for your assertion, and the honour of your House has been so eroded that I see no reason to believe one word you say. If it is mentioned again in our Council, I will press for further sanctions upon your House.'

  Ragnar stared dumbly at Helga, then towards Halli, who winked cheerily from the sidelines. Then, expressionless, he bent to help his father. Now Hord had risen to his knees; he moved stiffly, and seemed to be having trouble standing. His nose was red and swollen from where it had hit the floor; his eyes stared in various directions. But when he spoke his voice was steady. All in the hall heard him.

  'It is well known that the judgements of the Council are often womanly, driven more by concern for easy peace than the dictates of justice,' he said. 'But Helga's statement sets a new low in this regard. See, there – my brother's killer walking off scot-free, while I must bow and scrape to enrich his House! Well, I do not accept this verdict. Know that I shall not deliver one single clod of earth to the Sveinssons. Know that if anyone seeks to impose this judgement upon my House. we will resist them with force of arms. Know also that I shall have my vengeance upon the House of Svein and in particular upon that runtish scoundrel grinning at me there before a year is passed. Until he is in his cairn there shall be no peace in this valley, and I invoke the name of Hakon, greatest of the heroes, to endorse this vow. Now I depart this hall, and I advise none to try to stop me. I thank the Rurikssons for their hospitality.'

  All heard him. All stood silent as, helped by his son, he rose painfully to his feet. All drew back, feet shuffling on the boards as, with hesitant steps, the Hakonssons progressed towards the doors. Hord's back was bowed, his nose protuberant. Ragnar's cheek was scratched and bleeding. They reached the doors, they swung them wide. Now they were gone, and bright daylight spilled into the room.

  In Rurik's hall the silence held. Then there was a general exhaling.

  Leif and Astrid stood staring at each other. As one they turned to gaze at Halli.

  Halli clapped his hands together cheerfully. 'So,' he said. 'That went well.'

  19

  IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE Svein's House grew rich and splendid, and Svein himself likewise. He took to wearing jewelled brooches, torcs and rings, and intricately patterned cloaks made far down-valley. The traders who brought such delicacies were welcomed in his hall, but other visitors – beggars and wastrels drawn by wealth – aroused his irritation.

  Svein had boundary posts erected at the margins of his land; within this area his word was law. He had a special chair carved and placed upon a dais in his hall, and from this Law Seat uttered judgements on thieves, loafers and other miscreants. His edicts were firm and not many disregarded them; a gallows in the yard helped
keep his rules fresh in the memory.

  For some time after the Hakonssons' departure, Rurik's hall remained a place of intense activity. While servants hurried to drag away smashed furniture, and others retired to bathe black eyes and minor wounds, the Lawgivers of the valley, Astrid included, huddled together discussing the situation. It was an unheard-of trouble; not since the early days after the Battle of the Rock, when several old feuds were still being pursued by the heroes' followers, had one House declared itself free of valley law. Opinion was divided about what action to take. One or two of the more warlike Lawgivers (the crone from Gest's House among them) wished to organize a punitive expedition against Hord and his family. Others pointed out that no one had any swords, and that anyway this would further destroy the careful peace the valley had long enjoyed. The majority view was that Hord would soon regret his hasty words, and retract them; all trade with Hakon's House would in the meantime be withheld, the better to encourage him in this regard.

  'The snows are coming,' the Chief Lawgiver, Helga, said. 'Hord's anger will cool. He will have the winter to reflect on his intemperance, and in the spring we'll approach him again. Doubtless you will get your lands next year, Astrid.'

  'I hope you are right,' Halli's mother said. 'But what if Hord carries out his threats? What if he seeks to attack us?'

  'He would not dream of it! Think of the sanctions we'd impose! Between you and me, I view this as a positive development. It is good to rein Hord back a little.'

  'Even so, I fear the consequences for my House and people.' Astrid's face was grim; she spoke almost reluctantly. 'And also for my son . . .'

  Helga nodded. 'Ah, yes. Halli. I was going to mention him. He was a little outspoken in the debate. was he not? Not entirely diplomatic on occasion? I think that might have contributed somewhat to Hord's overwhelming wrath. I wonder if you might educate him during the winter on the merits of restraint?'

  'Oh, don't worry,' Astrid said shortly. 'I shall.'

  'Why blame me?' Halli roared, rubbing his throbbing ear. 'I did not strike a single blow!'