by Byrne, Lily
Summer had arrived fully now, and the mating calls of birds filled the air. The river murmured seductively over the stones, water gushing freely on its way.
“Is it those caves?” asked Thorvald, his eyes narrowing as he appraised the surroundings.
“Yes, we should dismount here, it’s too difficult for horses after this.” And of course Steinar didn’t want the couple to be disturbed by horse footsteps crunching over the ground.
They tied the animals to trees and stole towards the cave. To Steinar’s dismay, two other horses were tied nearby, but luckily they were unremarkable animals. The lady Yngvild didn’t have a favourite horse.
“We should be careful,” warned Thorvald. “Someone has beaten us to it.”
The group drew their swords.
“Let me, my lord.” Steinar crept forward to ascertain who or what was in the cave. He half wished he would find no one there, but Ragnar’s life depended on revealing this dirty secret. What he saw made his eyes widen.
Feowertiene
Torches flamed in the rock crevices, lighting the scene clearly.
Kjartan stood with his back to the cave entrance, white-blond hair loose down his tanned back and wearing only his leather belt. Yngvild lay on her side on the bear skin bed, naked, her full breasts quivering, her ample hips curving up from her tiny waist.
“You’ve been a very bad girl!” he said. “Now I must punish you.” He took his belt off.
“Oh, no, please don’t beat me,” she begged, giggling.
“I wasn’t thinking of beating you. Bend over the bed.”
She did so and he entered her roughly from behind, both giving primitive groans.
Now Steinar felt satisfied the Jarl couldn’t mistake what they were doing, and hurried to fetch him.
“You should see this, my lord. Not you!” he snapped to prevent the Huskarlr seeing it too. No point humiliating the Jarl unnecessarily.
Thorvald gripped his sword and stepped forward. Steinar waited at his shoulder.
“This will-teach you-to polish-my weapon-every- night-“ Kjartan said between thrusts, clasping Yngvild’s waist with both hands.
She made half groaning, half giggling noises.
“Oh, I’m such a bad girl, I feel so punished!”
The Jarl gasped. Unfortunately Kjartan and Yngvild were making so much noise, they didn’t hear, and kept going. Kjartan picked up his sword which lay conveniently nearby and waved it, slashing at the cave wall, then threw it to the ground with a clang as he gave an animal growl and shuddered. Yngvild’s moans reached a crescendo at the same time, then she subsided.
He drew himself out and crawled onto the bed. She climbed on to it as well and cuddled up to him, their breath coming in gasps.
“Oh, I needed that,” she puffed. “You’re a real man, not a politician like Thorvald.”
At this, the Jarl’s shock broke. He stepped into the cave with Steinar hovering behind him.
“So this is what you do while I’m away!”
Even Steinar jumped at the volume of his shout. Kjartan and Yngvild almost fell off the bed and she grabbed a bear skin to cover herself, pointlessly.
Thorvald strode into the room, his hand on his sword, drawing himself up to his full height.
“How long has this been going on?” He stood a few paces away from them, snarling with rage.
Yngvild couldn’t make a coherent sound, just stuttering noises. But Kjartan sat up on the bed and glared at his rival. Steinar tensed, unsure what would happen.
“I should kill you both now,” said Thorvald coldly.
“But my lord,” Steiner found his voice, “how would that serve justice?”
Thorvald turned, and Kjartan took the opportunity to get off the bed and grab his clothes from the floor. He put them on, feeling more in charge than while naked, and threw Yngvild’s clothes to her.
“How long has this been going on? I demand an answer.”
“It started not long after you married her.” Kjartan’s voice was soft and mocking. Yngvild couldn’t meet her husband’s eyes.
“So you’ve been pretending to be virtuous and pure for two winters?” Thorvald spat at her. “And pretending that you don’t want sex very often and-“ too humiliated to continue, he stopped.
“Why did you have to show me this?” He turned on Steinar, who flinched. “Why couldn’t you leave me in my blissful ignorance?”
“But-my lord-“
“Wouldn’t you rather know?” asked Bjarni, who had appeared at Steinar’s shoulder, “instead of believing people are trustworthy when they aren’t?”
“So this is why you’ve been praising Kjartan and whispering in my ear that he’s the best Huskarl and the most trustworthy?” Thorvald questioned his wife.
Yngvild rose from the bed, her eyes modestly down.
“I’m sorry my lord. You are so often away, and I am alone among men with no feminine company. I needed someone to talk to.”
Thorvald hesitated, but he wasn’t in charge of the area for nothing.
“You thought you would make an alliance with a Huskarl as insurance in case I was killed while away?”
She avoided his eyes.
“And you?” He turned to Kjartan, his voice contemptuous. “To climb your way up the social order you had to climb your way up my lady’s legs?”
Kjartan shrugged. “As good a way as any.”
Thorvald stepped forward at this, and Yngvild gasped. They both spoke at once.
“You cowardly and perverted dog!”
“Didn’t I mean anything to you?”
Kjartan looked from one to the other, then to his sword, a pace away on the floor.
“She means something to me, Thorvald. She is beautiful and like a crazed she cat when I’m inside her. She wanted my hard spear, not the wizened stick of an old man.”
Thorvald raised his sword but Kjartan, showing the speed of a whirlwind, leapt across the floor to his. They both stepped forward, but luckily Bjarni and Steinar were ready.
Bjarni grabbed Kjartan by the arms, pulling him towards the cave wall, while Steinar put his sword to Thorvald’s throat.
“I’m sorry, my lord, but it would do no good killing him now. He must pay for what he’s done.”
Shaking with rage, Thorvald gradually calmed down. Bjarni hustled Kjartan away into the arms of the other three Huskarlr, who had seen the action and drawn their own conclusions. Before he could do this however, Kjartan made the sign for cuckold at Thorvald, who had to be restrained again by Steinar.
“What shall we do with Kjartan?” asked the commander as he struggled with Thorvald.
“I must be seen to treat him properly. I will arrange another Thing and he shall be put on trial. And my wife. She must be part of the trial too.” He set his jaw.
“This is not the only way Kjartan has mislead us all lately,” continued Steinar and Thorvald’s struggles halted at once.
“What?”
“I think he has lied about the death of Eadbald, the potter of Byrnstanham.”
“We will find out at the trial.” Thorvald, mind still full of the sight of his beloved wife enjoying sex with another man, couldn’t take any more revelations. He had worshipped her pure and innocent demeanour, thinking her different to the other women, but to see her cavorting like a beast was too much.
*
The villagers greeted the additional Thing as a welcome distraction. The last one had been scandalous enough with the trial of Ragnar but this one promised even more to gossip about.
Everyone met in the same place as before, this time more onlookers gathering. The sun beat down, making them sweat.
However Jarl Thorvald sat alone in his carved chair today, at an angle to his wife and her lover, who were both shackled. The twelve Huskarlr were opposite.
“Today we meet to discuss one crime,” began the Jarl, trying to keep the tremor out of his voice. “My wife, Yngvild, has been adulterous with the Huskarl Kjartan Flokisson, also known
as Silverhair. We are here today to decide on the punishment for them both. I intend to divorce my wife, but I demand my honour be satisfied beyond that.”
Arnbjorn stepped up.
“My lord. You were most unfortunate to have discovered your wife and her lover in the process of-in the act. Therefore your honour is gravely injured. The penalties are fines, exile or execution. It is the duty of the twelve Huskarlr today to decide on the most just of these penalties.
“Firstly we must ask the lady Yngvild. You have dishonoured your husband with Kjartan. When did this relationship start?”
“Soon after marriage. Two winters ago.” Yngvild’s head bowed, her voice soft.
“Why so soon?”
“Thorvald was away more than here. I didn’t know anyone and I was surrounded by men with no female company. Kjartan was the only one to bother to speak to me.”
“So you lured him into your bed because of that?”
“She didn’t,” interrupted Kjartan. “I seduced her.”
“But I wanted it.”
They smiled at each other.
“Hm,” said Arnbjorn. “It is unfortunate for the Jarl that he caught you in the act, as that is a far greater dishonour.
“We must hear from him. Jarl Thorvald, please tell us what you saw and how you found out. I am very sorry to ask you this, but we must know.”
“My trusted comrade and friend, Steinar, told me that a weapon horde had been found in one of the caves by the waterfall. We went there with bodyguards but instead of weapons, I found my wife having sex with that-that-“ He gestured at Kjartan.
“You saw another type of weapon,” he sneered.
The Jarl stepped towards him, then thought better of it.
“I see,” interrupted Arnbjorn. “Why did Steinar tell you it was a weapon horde?” He turned to the commander.
“I heard that Kjartan was fucking the lady and thought my lord should know. He’d never have believed me if he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes,” replied Steinar.
“And where did you hear about them?”
“The Huskarl Bjarni Halldorsson told me. And he was told by Ragnar Long Reach.”
The crowd gasped, Jarl Thorvald and his Huskarlr company did the same.
“Continuing. Steinar, you speak of Ragnar Long Reach, who is accused of murdering Eadbald of Byrnstanham? He knew previously that lady Yngvild and Kjartan Flokisson were having sex?”
“Yes,” said Steinar.
“Why did Ragnar not tell the Jarl? He was like a son to him, was he not?”
“Don’t know. You’ll have to ask him.”
“Call Ragnar Long Reach, and Bjarni Halldorsson.”
Some time passed while two Huskarlr went to fetch them.
“Ragnar, when did you learn of Kjartan and lady Yngvild’s relationship?” asked Arnbjorn.
The shackled Dane’s auburn hair, unwashed and matted due to his imprisonment, hung down lankly over his back.
“I went for a walk and caught them at it in a cave. They blackmailed me so I’d keep it a secret.”
“Why didn’t you tell Jarl Thorvald?”
“I-I didn’t want to upset him, or to risk being killed for telling him.”
A ripple of laughter went through the onlookers. The Jarl looked down ashamedly, the hot sun making his blush doubly uncomfortable.
“Why did you tell Bjarni then?”
“It’s well known that Bjarni is Ragnar’s bitch!” shouted Kjartan, straining at his shackles. “They tell each other everything when they lie together.”
Outraged murmurs grew and threats were shouted at Kjartan. tempers were short in the heat. Yngvild cowered behind him.
“Quiet!” shouted Arnbjorn.
The Jarl and Steinar went round the crowd to subdue them, but they weren’t enough and the Huskarlr had to break rank and join in.
Eventually they restored order.
“We have all noted that grave insult to Bjarni and Ragnar. Insults such as this should be punished by exile or death,” said Arnbjorn. “It should also be noted that Bjarni is married to Saehild, daughter of Aldulf, and Ragnar, obviously, is in love with Aelfwyn, also daughter of Aldulf. So their honour is not stained.
“Continue please. Why did you tell Bjarni?”
“He was-he- I-“
“Because I was telling him how decent and honourable the Jarl and his lady were,” interrupted Bjarni. “I said the Jarl would never believe he’d kill Eadbald and so justice would be done. Little did I know that the Jarl had been corrupted by the whisperings of an immoral lady, who-“
“Sh!” corrected Ragnar. “Don’t make it worse.”
“So, Kjartan and Yngvild blackmailed Ragnar to keep him quiet,” summarised Arnbjorn. “Then Kjartan testified that he saw Ragnar creeping out of the Huskarlr longhouse on the night of Eadbald’s murder, carrying the sword later found near the potter’s body.
“Can we believe the testimony of this dishonourable man?” Arnbjorn gestured at Kjartan and turned to the crowd, who booed and jeered, waving anything they could get their hands on-farm implements, spears, fists.
“We should hear from him, I think.” He turned to the white-blond Huskarl.
“When you realised Ragnar knew about lady Yngvild and yourself, did you think he’d keep the secret? Didn’t you suspect he’d go to the Jarl and tell him?”
“I thought he would.”
“So you blackmailed him. With what?”
“I didn’t blackmail him. I said he could use the cave when he wanted. To take women there, you know.”
The crowd laughed, making lewd noises.
“But you didn’t think this was enough to keep him quiet. Tell me, what happened on the night of Eadbald’s murder?”
“I saw Ragnar sneaking out with his sword under his cloak.”
“How do you know he had his sword?”
“I could see he was holding something under his cloak. I presumed it was his sword. Either that or he was going to meet Aelfwyn holding his stiff love weapon.” He laughed.
The crowd laughed again in accord with him. Bjarni and Ragnar exchanged uneasy glances.
“How did you know he intended to kill Eadbald?”
“I didn’t. I just worked it out afterwards. Anyway, they found his sword near the body, didn’t they? So it must have been him.”
“Did you follow him? Did you see him go to Eadbald’s hut? Did you see him kill him?”
“No.”
“Why would he kill Eadbald?”
“Because he was marrying Aelfwyn of course. Ragnar was jealous. He thought killing Eadbald would free Aelfwyn for him.”
“But Ragnar has always been honourable. Wouldn’t he have left things as they were?”
“But he didn’t want that fat pig’s bladder on top of his woman, did he? It drove him mad to think of her with the potter’s spear driving into her again and again. He knew she’d have a terrible life with that puffed up toad.”
“That’s no way to talk about the respected and well loved potter of Byrnstanham! A far greater man than you!”
“Respected and well loved? More like dishonest and cowardly! He went back on his word to me with no thought!”
“Why would he keep his word to you? You were beneath him.”
“Beneath him? Not in honour! He made an agreement with me then broke it. I never go back on my promises. He crossed me, so I paid him back with my sword.”
Kjartan bit his lip, realising what he’d just said. The crowd hushed, listening intently.
“But you kept your honour?” continued Arnbjorn, taking the attitude of a concerned friend. “Eadbald broke your agreement, so should have been the one to pay. That sounds reasonable to me.”
“It was! He owed me money for what I promised, I needed that money!”
“What did you promise?”
Kjartan hesitated.
“You have gone too far now not to tell me. Continue.”
“He knew that Ragnar was the lover of Aelfwyn a
nd stood in the way of the marriage. He wanted Ragnar out of the way and so did I, so I promised to kill him in return for money. Then I could run away with Yngvild and have enough money to be happy with her.”
“But he changed his mind? And wouldn’t pay you? Did he threaten to expose your agreement?”
“Yes. I had to keep him quiet, so I slit his throat and stuck my sword up his arse to show what type of man he was.”
The crowd gasped and stared in shock. Clouds began passing overhead.
“So, you killed Eadbald in a fit of anger because he went back on his word.”
“Yes! He jeered at me, saying I’d never be worthy of the lady Yngvild and I was lower than a slave. He intended to marry Aelfwyn so Ragnar would just have to bear it. I needed that money to run off with Yngvild. Then I thought if I killed him and made it look like Ragnar had done it, I’d get revenge on both.”
“So you went out that night to kill him and lied about seeing Ragnar leaving the longhouse.”
“Yes. If he hadn’t told Bjarni about me and Yngvild, it would have all worked out.” He glared at Bjarni and Ragnar, who glared back.
“My lord, that was the testimony of Kjartan Flokisson,” said Arnbjorn to Jarl Thorvald. “We must now decide on his punishment.”
Drops of rain began to fall. The twelve Huskarlr conferred, then the leader stood.
“We favour execution, my lord. For the framing of the innocent Ragnar, the murder of Eadbald and the gross insulting of Ragnar and Bjarni’s brotherly relationship.”
Kjartan sneered, but Yngvild cringed.
“And what do you say about the lady Yngvild’s crime of adultery?” asked Arnbjorn.
The leader of the group replied.
“We favour exile in this case, as she has dishonoured her husband severely.”
Yngvild gasped and tottered, steadied by Kjartan. Exile meant an uncertain fate.
“No!” he exclaimed. “Don’t exile her, she won’t survive!”
“Her life, like ours, depends on the will of the gods,” said Arnbjorn, glancing at the strained face of the Jarl.
Kjartan brought his hands from behind his back, holding the short seax he’d used to cut his bonds. He grabbed Yngvild and held the knife to her neck.
“Come near me and she dies!” he growled. “Then she’ll come with me to death and we’ll be together forever!”