Viking Love Beyond Time (Time Travel Romance) (44 page)

             
For a second Alfred hesitated then looking up quickly he nodded.  On his signal the hall fell into turmoil, with men at arms grabbing weapons and servants running here and there throwing food and supplies into bags.

             
Alodie felt strangely calm and walking over to Aehlswith put her arm round her friend’s shoulder.  “My lady, we must get the athelings out of bed and ready to travel, they are the hope of
Wessex
”

             
Nodding, Aehlswith beckoned to Alodie and the two women ran upstairs to the royal bedrooms.  Quickly, the children, Aethelflaed, Edward and Alfred’s nephew Aethelwold, son of his brother Aethelred, were woken and bundled into their clothes and, still bemused with sleep, half lifted and half pushed through the doors and down the steps.

             
Alodie felt a momentary prick of concern for her own two then realised that if the Viking army was investing Chippenham, Bredond, far to the south, would probably not be in danger. 

             
On impulse she ran into Swein’s room.  He was dressed and standing by the window but on her entrance he turned, his eyes gleaming.  “Do not stay here Swein” she whispered “your father has broken his word and someone might remember you are a hostage for his good behaviour and decide to kill you.  Can you drop down out of the window and wait until he has taken control of the hall?” Swein nodded then impulsively kissed Alodie on the cheek.   “Take shelter at Wat Coopers, you’ve been with me, you know where it is” she continued.

             
“You come too lady, Herger will be with the forces, he is your rightful husband”

             
She smiled and ruffled his hair “You never give up, Swein, do you?” she laughed.

             
The lad shook his head ruefully, then climbed onto the windowsill and jumped the short distance to the ground.  He landed with a soft thud and waving, ran off and was soon lost in the shadows.

             
The sound of screams and shouts seemed to be getting nearer.  Alodie closed the shutters and left the room, bumping into Edric, who breathed a sigh of relief on seeing her.  “Swein’s gone, Edric” she said simply.

             
“With your connivance?” He asked.

             
Alodie nodded “killing an innocent child will not stop King Guthrum from invading us, it would probably have an adverse effect, he would doubtless kill hundreds of innocent people in revenge”

             
Edric kissed her forehead and ran his finger down her cheek “fear not, my love, I will make sure you at least are unharmed” he replied, then taking her hand he led her back downstairs and soon the royal party, together with perhaps twenty followers and servants, (after what seemed an interminable delay but was, in fact, no more than twenty minutes after the alarm was raised), were heading out of the door and turning to the south west toward the dense marshes of Somerset.

**********************

             
Chippenham had indeed fallen to the army of Guthrum ‘like a ripe apple from a tree’.  The rest of Herger’s forces had arrived in
Gloucester
two days before the main army had set out and, due to Guthrum’s far superior numbers coupled with the surprise of the attack, such resistance as there had been was soon overcome.

             
Herger himself, with a handful of men, had arrived just as Guthrum’s men came within bowshot of the hall and the sight of his huge figure cutting a swathe through the town’s defences with a sword and an axe much bigger than most of them could even lift more than helped to persuade the remnants of the fyrd protecting Chippenham Great Hall to throw down their arms and surrender.  Guthrum was for slaughtering them out of hand but was stayed by Herger.  “These people are your people now Guthrum” he said as they arrived before the great studded oak door of the king’s residence.  “There is no sense in butchering them merely for obeying their orders, protecting their king, there may come a time when you will need their swords”

             
Guthrum grunted in reply and kicked at the door.  “Open, in the name of Guthrum, Amund, Herger and the forces of
Denmark
and
Norway
” he shouted.  There came no answer.  He then turned to one of his men “bring up the battering ram Gunnar”.

             
Herger put his hand on Guthrum’s forearm.  “One moment, that may not be necessary” he said and turning the ring on the door he pushed, it slid noiselessly open.   The two men flashed each other a look of astonishment and walked inside with drawn swords.

             
The scene that greeted them was not one they had expected.  Instead of the king and his servants disturbed in mid feasting, all that was left in the huge manor hall were upturned tables and chairs, a couple of dogs and quite a lot of food.  The fires were still burning and so were the candles in the huge candle wheel above the table and the torches in their sconces.  A sucking pig was slowly burning to a crisp on a spit and the fat was splashing monotonously into the flames.

             
“It looks as though the birds have flown my friend” retorted Guthrum, replacing his sword in its sheath.

             
Herger felt as though he had been punched in the belly.  The only reason he had answered Guthrum’s summons was to reclaim his wife, he had been looking forward to seeing her so much he could almost taste it.  He had dreamed of making love to her again, of running his fingers through her thick, golden hair, kissing her eyes, her cheeks, her lips, her breasts, tasting her honeyed flesh, exploring the depths of her, feeling the movement of her as she thrashed naked beneath him, he wanted her so much it was like a physical pain.

             
With a snarl he stalked up the hall.  On the top table was a bowl of beef broth, lifting it to his lips Herger tasted it, it was still warm.  Replacing the bowl carefully on the table he turned.  “They have not been gone more than a quarter of an hour, Guthrum” he snapped.

             
Guthrum laughed and striding past Herger made his way to where Alfred’s huge ornately carved wooden throne dominated the room.  Waiting until the room had filled he quietly sat down, picked up a chicken breast glazed with mustard and thoughtfully began to eat it.  “We have no time for this, Guthrum” snarled Herger “Alfred has escaped, your belly must wait”

             
Guthrum glanced up at him.  “Correction Raven” he said “Alfred has fled leaving the spoils of war...............” he waved his hand expansively round the room “.................to the victors.  The king has fled and most of the nobles, I am informed by those same spies of Alfred’s who I bought last year, were last seen hurrying south to that nest of craven cowards,
Gaul
-
Wessex
is ours”

             
“Ours?” boomed Amund’s voice from the door “Ours?  There is only room for one arse on a throne Guthrum and I have no wish to rule an undersized whimpering people such as these.  Let’s take the spoil, give the lads some fun with the wenches,
grab
a few thralls and leave”

             
Guthrum glanced up at the white haired warrior “Oh Uncle, Uncle, you never did have much ambition did you?  This land is like a good woman, fair, soft and fertile.  It is warmer than our northern lands, the soil is good.  We now have the whole
land
of
Wessex
in our grasp, the best part of the island, the plumpest, most beautiful part.”  He wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and reaching for another piece of chicken chewed and swallowed before continuing “Halfdan has the north where the summers are hardly warmer than our own and we have Mercia but for that we owe fiefdom to Halfdan.  No,
Wessex
is ours and before long
Cornwall
of the Celts will be ours and that barbarous land to the west, Cymru - old Rhoddri Mawr has just divided the place amongst his six sons, they are ripe for conquest!”

             
Herger snorted and held up his hands in a mock salute “Hail Guthrum, king of
Cymru
,
Wessex
and
Cornwall
!”

             
“You’re growing too big for your
britches
Guthrum” snarled Amund, pulling off his leather gauntlets and throwing them onto the table “don’t forget that without my help and that of Herger you would have got no further than the outskirts of
Reading
!”

             
Guthrum grinned and got to his feet.  “Take your spoils old man, take what you want and then go home to your wife and bairns, I will rule here with Herger, what say you Raven?”

             
The huge Viking still had the sword in his hand, he placed the point of it in a crack in the stone and leaned on it, bringing his helmeted head close to Guthrum’s.  “I?  I am with Amund, I want the loot, I have lands enough without the cares of ruling more, nor do I wish to be a king of people such as these.  You, obviously do but Guthrum, be warned, they have a king by right of birth, Alfred, who is still alive and very much at large.  Unless you catch him and kill him no one will rule anything”

             
Guthrum snorted “let the nithing run with his nithing bodyguard, what care I?”

             
“Because unless the ‘nithing’ is caught and killed and the people see he is dead they will never accept you Guthrum, you will spend your time fighting the people instead of ruling them and this so long planned for victory will be for naught.  Now get off your arse and let us follow them!”

             
Guthrum took a deep swig of wine, it ran down his chin and splashed onto the table.  “I do not see your woman Raven, the beauteous Lady Alodie.  Where is she?  Was she not at home?”

             
Herger turned away.  “No, she - she was supposed to be here.  When my men and I got to Bredond I was told that she was now the queen’s chief lady in waiting”

             
“.................and has fled with her mistress and the king - now we know why you are so keen to follow them.  Loki’s balls man, I have never known anyone so besotted with a wench in my life!  Did you not manage to have her when you played the part of my brother so well?  You never did say.  Did she spurn Herger the great lover?  Perhaps she preferred that blond Bohemian between her legs - what was his name?  Luke!”  It was a harmless enough quip but with a snarl the dark haired warrior turned and, grabbing Guthrum by the front of his jerkin and twisting his fist in the material, lifted him bodily into the air.

             
Shocked, Guthrum dropped his goblet with a clatter onto the stone steps, the noise of it careering down onto the floor being the only sound which broke the deadly silence in the hall.  Herger pushed his face close to Guthrum’s.

             
“Do not
ever
deride my wife in my hearing again Guthrum or I will break you in two!” he snarled “without Amund and myself you are nothing - a crowing cock of a younger son who fancies himself king of the world!  You owe allegiance to Halfdan, you always will owe allegiance to Halfdan, Halfdan is king of
Denmark
, and just because he prefers to live in
Northumbria
and has retired from the fray for the time being it does not give you the right to take what is his.  Halfdan could break you like a twig and...............” Herger pushed his helmeted face even closer to that of the by now almost purple Guthrum “..........if he should discover that a certain crowing kinsman of his is babbling about being a king in his stead, I think that is what he will do.  You are a Viking, Guthrum, a Norseman, we are free adventurers, we do not try to set ourselves up as kings to  rule over a people who do not want us.  We are pirates, we take what we want and, when we have made enough gold, we retire and enjoy it.  I myself have made enough to last ten lifetimes but without my woman and my children by my side I will be able to enjoy nothing - now you can stay here if you wish, I am going after Alfred” with that he dropped Guthrum spluttering back onto the throne and turned to the men.  “My warriors and all those who wish to follow me, you have fifteen minutes to eat and pack as much food and you can carry then we will give chase to Alfred”

             
Striding to the other end of the table, Herger sat down, removed his helmet and began to eat.  For a second or two no one spoke then, one by one, the men  seated themselves on the benches and followed suit.

             
Where was Alodie?  Had she given herself to Edric of Lamporth?
Had she married Edric of Lamporth? 
Questions buzzed round in Herger’s brain as they had been doing all day, all through the long cold route march to get here.  He stretched out his feet and felt something brush past his leg, something covered with cloth, not an animal.  Without any more ado he kicked out. His feet made contact with what felt like a fat backside and a grunt of pain issued from under the table.  In a flash the Viking was on his feet and, along with several other men, lifted the heavy oak table into the air.  There, on all fours, with his head in his hands and his backside sticking into the air, was the trembling figure of Wulfric, bishop of
Winchester
.  Herger recognised the fat prelate from his visit as Rorik - the man had been insufferably rude to him.