by M J Porter
Eadric hadn’t gone alone. He’d taken his brothers along with him, but left behind his father and Northman took to spending his time avoiding the old man. He’d do anything not to have to speak to him, even to the extreme that on cold wintry days, he’d insist on riding out to check the borderlands.
He’d arrive home, frozen to the bone and he’d shrug free from his soaking wet cloak and leggings, and make himself comfortable around the fire. The first time it happened, he noticed a girl similar in age to him was watching him, and he wondered who she was. The next time, she watched him again, and yet, during the normal day-to-day running of the household he never once laid eyes on her.
Confused, he was distracted from his musings when Olaf returned four days later, bringing with him the first snows. Impatient, Northman met him in the stables, and there Olaf told him the truth of what had befallen his father. Northman smirked with wry amusement when he repeated the words that Leofwine had spoken to the king, but at the same time, he felt a stirring of fear. It wasn’t good policy to cross the king. Not ever.
His father had been full of his quiet belief that the king’s anger had been unfounded, and Northman knew he was right, but still, no others knew of Leofwine’s journey to Swein, only that he’d helped bring about the truce. Would the king make it widely known as a way of punishing Leofwine? Northman truly wasn’t sure. And he prayed earnestly that Eadric would never hear the truth of it, for he would savage his father, regardless of his own many and inexcusable acts that had damaged the king and his efforts to better the Raiders.
More than a month after Eadric had left for the king’s court, Northman returned from another of his forays to the border to find the girl sitting in his place by the fire with a whimsical look on her face. He’d finally found out who she was, Mildryth, Eadric’s niece, daughter of his disgraced brother Brihtric by a servant girl he’d taken a fancy to as a youth.
The girl had been accorded high status within the house as to date she was the only female in the younger generation, and usually served Edith, the king’s daughter. That was why in all his years he’d never before seen her. She was secreted away, Edith having taken an instant dislike to Eadric’s father, and for perhaps the first and only time in their marriage, Eadric had acted to divide the warring parties and had bowed to her wants. Edith spent most of her time within her rooms, or upon the balcony level, avoiding the old man and almost everyone else.
Northman knew she was often sad and pitied her the marriage her father had made for her. If he was aware that how Eadric treated her, Northman doubted that Eadric would have been allowed to continue. Although, if he was honest with himself, Eadric seemed to be authorised to do anything he damn well please, so maybe he would.
He walked towards her, his eyes aglow with interest, and sat beside her.
“It’s cold today?” she asked quietly, her eyes downcast as she spoke.
“Bitter would be a better word,” he offered in reply, pleased that she’d talked to him. On the other side of the fire, Eadric’s father watched and glowered, and Northman chuckled a little at his annoyance. He’d been accorded no greater responsibility when Eadric had left, and it had turned the bitter man even more malicious. Northman did his best to avoid him and antagonise him all at the same time.
“I thought I might go out later, but if it’s that cold, I think I’ll stay inside,” Northman noted she had her cloak on her knees, and he wondered if he should? If he could offer to walk with her?
And then Olaf slumped down beside him, unaware of anything he might have been interrupting, and simultaneously Edith had shown her face before the fire and Mildryth rushed to her side.
Northman sighed when she left in a swirl of sweet smelling air, and Olaf looked at him in confusion,
“What’s the matter with you?” he said while working his jaw around a piece of bread he’d gathered from the table.
“Nothing Olaf, nothing at all,” Northman said incredulously, amazed his friend could be so dense on occasion.
“Good, as long as it had nothing to do with that girl. You need to stay away from her because I think she quite likes you.”
Northman glanced at Olaf in shock. Perhaps he was paying more attention than even he was.
“Why do you say that?” Northman asked, intrigued.
“She sits here every time you go out knowing full well that you’re going to come in and sit there. She must be doing it on purpose. I can’t think of any other reason.”
“Every time?” he pressed.
“Yes, every time, but stay away from her. You know who she is?”
“Yes, I do. Eadric’s niece.”
“Good, then stay away from her. You don’t want to be dipping anything in something that’s a part of Eadric’s family. Think what your father would say.”
Northman sobered a little then, and the flush of excitement that had shaded his face faded instantly. Olaf was right. He shouldn’t have anything to do with her. But still, she was a lovely thing and if she liked him? Well, he was sure he could speak to her without getting in trouble with his father.
The darkest time of the year came again, and Northman found himself looking for Mildryth whenever he returned from a journey outside. He also saw her watching him in the great hall. With Eadric gone and his father taken to his bed with a winter illness, Edith spent more time in the company of the others in their hall, happy to take advantage of the warmer fire and warmer company.
They never spoke again, but Northman couldn’t stop from thinking about her all the time, and he grew a little less aware of everything going on around him. So much so that it took an outraged Olaf to remind him of his duties to his father, and that he should seek him out again, or at least send Olaf to do it for him.
Consenting to his friend’s agitated demands, Northman watched him disappear into the low cloud on a chilly morning at the beginning of the New Year. There was a covering of snow on the land, but it had lain for more than a week and was frozen firmly in place. Provided it didn’t snow again; Olaf would have a pleasant trip.
Northman watched him go and then he turned back towards the fire. He was determined that in his friend’s absence he would find the will to talk to her. He wanted to speak to her, spend time with her, know what she thought and spoke. If Edith liked her, and Edith genuinely seemed to enjoy her company, then Northman realised she mustn’t be at all like her father.
So resolved he wondered with intent to her place near the fire. She was busily sewing a new outfit for Eadric’s growing son, and seemed to be completely absorbed in her work, or so he thought until she sat beside him.
“Your shadow is gone, I see,” she stated, not looking up from her work.
“To visit relatives yes,” he responded, not wanting to give away his real purpose.
She laughed softly, and not unkindly,
“It must be wonderful to have family who cares about you enough that they worry when they’re not near,” she said, and Northman realised that no messenger had come to them from Eadric. Whatever the king and his disloyal Ealdorman were doing, it didn’t involve them or concern them. Still, he was surprised that no message had come from the king. That was most unlike him not to even enquire about his daughter.
“It is yes, and I miss them greatly.”
“I don’t miss my father or my uncle, and wish I had the courage to pray for the death of old Æthelric, but I don’t.” She grimaced as she spoke and Northman realised that her life, for all that she was an acknowledged daughter of a king’s thegn, was not as perfect as it should be.
Hoping to find more neutral ground on which to speak he asked,
“The Lady Edith is well, and the boys?”
“Oh yes, they, like I, thrive in this atmosphere without her husband, my uncle. Long may it continue?”
“I agree wholeheartedly, but I worry about what the king is planning with Eadric.”
Again she laughed, a little mockingly.
“You know it’ll be no good, as i
t always is. Eadric needs to become his favourite Ealdorman again, and the only way he can do that is to trample over someone else, so I imagine that he’ll be planning someone’s downfall and the king will be going along with it as he always does.”
“You don’t have a very high opinion of the king?”
“Are you surprised? Look at his daughter. His flesh and blood and yet she’s here, at the farthest reaches of our kingdom and he never sends messengers to see how she fares or to ask after his grandchildren. And that’s before even considering his inability to fight off the Raiders. He has men at his command who would do good work. His sons would govern well too, but he listens to no one but himself or whoever fawns upon him.”
“The king is a fool and my Uncle a sly fox. He knows how to get what he wants. He made a mistake with his haul of coins and treasure for Thorkell. He wanted the king to give him the Eastern lands as well as Mercia. He hoped to drive Ulfcytel out or have him killed, and he almost succeeded and all for his gains. He cared not all for those who perished, and he cared not all that he made no agreement with Thorkell for when he should stop.”
“You seem to know a lot about this?” he said, surprised by her summing up of her king and her Uncle. He’d not realised that anyone else saw quite so well through the lies and the deceit.
“Eadric likes to brag of his plans to the Lady Edith. She sits and she listens, and she nods for if she doesn’t, he grows angry. He doesn’t beat her, nothing like that. But he castigates her with his tongue and sometimes I wonder how she can sit so still and not lash out and murder the smug bastard. I know I would.”
Taken aback by the vehemence in her tone, Northman looked around to ensure that no one had heard what they spoke off.
“Don’t worry Northman. Eadric is fully aware of my feelings for him. It makes him smile when he sees me so riled, and then he will hit me instead of his wife, but that is all for the better. I would rather feel his wrath than her.”
Northman was shocked by what she said, and then everything fell into place at once.
“Is that why I rarely see you when he is at home? Do you hide your bruises away?”
“No, but he makes me. I wear my bruises proudly. I want him to see what he’s done to me and feel some remorse, and he does. For he leaves me be afterwards until Edith offends him again or I offend him. I know when it’s going to happen now, and I bait him on purpose to get it over and done with all the sooner.”
She stood abruptly, and walked away from him, and he watched her go with unease. His need to protect her had just increased ten-fold, as had his need to spend more time with her, but that just made his life more difficult. Eadric already tolerated him only out of a perverse need to offend Leofwine. If he returned home and found him friends with his niece, he might harm her more.
His head was pounding with his newfound information. Northman returned to his sleeping quarters to change out of his wet clothes and slump tiredly onto his bed. Closing his eyes, he saw her in his mind, laughing, smiling and joyful, as she would be if he took her away from Eadric. If only he could do so.
Chapter 32
AD1012 – Northman
Olaf returned with a snowstorm, cursing his bad luck and foul tempered to boot. Northman wandered to the animal barn to speak to his friend and found him filled with rage and grief combined.
“Olaf what ails you?” Northman asked fearfully.
“Nothing for you to fear Northman, and nothing for you to concern yourself with. Your family are well, your father still in good spirits and even Wulfstan seems fitter than I’ve seen him for some time, although that can be a bad sign,” he offered as a side thought, but Northman was too caught up in getting to the bottom of the problem now.
“Then what is it?”
“My father,”
“What of him?”
“He's grumpy and foul tempered and demands that I leave here and return to the family home. He says I’ve been gone too long and that I should be thinking of other things than keeping you company. He would like me married, or commended to a Lord, and he thinks that your father should demand the same from you. When your father refused, my father commanded me to return home. I’m sorry Northman, but I’ve come only to say goodbye.”
Northman’s heart sank at the news. He knew he’d been with Eadric too long, but while he could remain he’d decided to. Eadric needed watching and other than Mildryth, who had no recourse to anyone, he seemed to be the only person who could do it.
“My friend,” he said, standing next to him and offering him an arm clasp of friendship, “it’s not your fault. Your father has been generous to allow us to remain together for so long. Don’t hate him for a reasonable request.”
“I will Northman. It burns inside me, the dishonour of the thing. I came with you to be your companion while you were forced to endure Eadric. It’s not my fault it’s been so long, and my father should see that.” He grumbled as he spoke, apparently having rehearsed his arguments many times over on his return journey.
“Did my father say nothing about my leaving?”
Here Olaf looked at him slyly,
“He said it was your choice to make. You could petition the king to leave now if you so wished. Eadric clearly thinks little enough of you that he didn’t even take you with him. But he knows, and I know, that you’ll do no such thing.”
A little dismayed to find that his father was allowing him to make his own decisions in this matter, Northman didn’t know what to say or how to feel. His father was accepting he was a man now, and that was a strange thing to discover in the animal barn, knee deep in manure, in the middle of a snowstorm. The thought of going home made him happy, a crazy smile lighting his face, but then it fell again. If he left, he’d never see Mildryth again, or be able to save her from Eadric, and he’d know next to nothing about Eadric’s latest plans, even if he had excluded him from a winter at the king’s halls.
“It pains me Olaf, but, you’re right, I feel I should stay, but that shouldn’t stop you from being pleased to return home. If I didn’t feel as though I had to watch Eadric, I’d go.”
“And no one has considered that I’ve made the same commitment,” Olaf roared, and Northman started to realise the root of the problem.
“Your honour won’t have been impinged if you leave. Few even understood why you came with me in the first place.”
“Oh stop trying to make it better,” Olaf snapped, striding from the barn, “we all know it isn’t and I’m not going to forgive my father for this. Never.”
Into the sudden silence, a traitorous thought entered Northman’s mind. With Olaf gone for good, he could continue his friendship with Mildryth. There was no reason for anyone to know. Not while the winter still raged and Eadric was absent from his home.
Two days later Olaf left again, for good this time, in a foul mood made even fouler Northman suspected because Olaf had realised that rather than ignoring Mildryth in his absence, he’d grown closer to her.
“You’re a bloody idiot Northman,” he whispered harshly as he mounted up, “your father will disown you and so will I. You know it, she knows it, so get it through your thick head. And to make matters worse, you’ll be playing straight into Eadric’s hands. Why do you think he left her here?”
Without so much as a goodbye, Olaf left then, his shoulders tense, his horse side stepping in frustration as it tried to gauge the mood of its rider.
Northman turned away, just as angry and cursed himself for not being able to see the truth in front of him. Olaf was right. It was a trap, pure and simple and one that he’d unwittingly fallen into, thigh deep. But then, he returned to the warmth of the fire and Mildryth’s gentle presence. Cursing himself, he knew there was nothing for it. He was head over heels in love with the niece of his father’s enemy.
He spoke with her a little, sat with her a lot and watched Edith’s haunted eyes as she watched the beginning of a relationship born out of mutual affection bloom before her eyes. She never chastised ei
ther of them and Eadric’s father, newly restored to health although weak and frail, seemed to view it with satisfaction now. And still, Northman couldn’t keep away from her.
As the weather began to warm, Northman found himself spending more and more time outside, luxuriating in the gentle heat of the sun. He'd walk to the small river nearby and sit on the banks, or lie flat out watching the birds’ overhead, listening to the delighted cries of the animals released from their winter pens. He’d still ride to the border, but it was more out of habit than anything.
It was on the bank that Mildryth came upon him one day, a huge smile on her face at finding themselves utterly alone.
“Northman,” she said, sitting beside him.
“Mildryth,” he responded, noting how the sun made her auburn hair shine brightly and brought a glow of deep blue to her bouncing eyes. She was truly beautiful, and he wanted to take her in his arms more than anything, but he held himself back. He didn’t want to take their relationship any further but had a feeling that she perhaps did.
Un-braiding her hair, she let it fall like a curtain around her face, and he couldn’t stop himself from reaching out to brush it back.
“You shouldn’t hide behind your hair. You have a beautiful face,” he muttered softly as he ran his hands along the curve of her chin. She felt soft under his touch, soft and warm and he closed his eyes as he wound his hand around to the back of her neck.
He wanted to kiss her, more than anything in the world. Everything else had faded away to nothing. There was no sound, no noise, and no commotion that could disturb him now.
She leant into his touch, further forward until she pressed her body against his, and there was no time for thought or to stop it.
He kissed her once, gently, her lips pliant under his own. He pulled away quickly, worried he’d caused offence, but she didn’t move, her eyes meeting his own. They met again in another gentle kiss, longer this time, and far more intimate.