Viking Love Beyond Time (Time Travel Romance) (56 page)

             
Alodie gratefully dismounted and rubbed the small of her back before leading her palfrey to the tinkling stream which ran across the woodland path.  The mare snorted and lowering her head, began to drink.  Feeling her hand being taken and kissed Alodie turned and smiled brightly.
             
Edric pushed her gently back against the horse’s flanks.  “Lady, if it was not for the fact that we are surrounded by the court I would tumble you right here on the ground, now!”  He took her in his arms and kissed her softly.  Alodie sighed and put her arms round him, feeling yet another stab of guilt. Since his triumphant return he had begged her to share his bed but she had refused. 

With a whinny the palfrey moved away and Alodie staggered backward with a small scream.  Edric laughed and tightened his grip.  “Fear not my beauty you are safe with me” he whispered lovingly, then turned toward the king.  “Sire, how long do we stop here?  I have things to discuss with milady and would like a word with her in private”

             
Alfred grinned “Jesu Edric” he replied.  “the sooner we get you two to a priest the better, we will stop here for one hour”.  Edric bowed and taking Alodie by the hand pulled her off the path and through the trees.

             
Despite her melancholy Alodie began to laugh.  “Edric, where are you taking me?” she spluttered.

             
“There is a beautiful glade near here I want to show you” he said “with some lovely long grass”

             
“Edric, my reputation will be worth nothing!” she gasped.

             
“As lady of Lamporth your reputation will be irreproachable my precious - ah here we are”

             
They had walked a little way upstream and the woods had opened up into a beautiful glade, covered with bluebell and campion.  To the left the ground rose slightly.  An irregular copse of yew, laurel, hornbeam and myrtle shaded an undergrowth of shrubs and flowers, violets, ferns, harebells, forget me nots and anemones.  In the shade grew rosemary, asphodel, foxglove and wild geranium.  The sun shone and the birds sang.

             
To her chagrin, Alodie was reminded of another glade near
Winchester
two years before.  Grinning, Edric took her hand and pulled her into the middle of a thick patch of long grass and sitting down he patted the ground next to him.  Alodie smiled primly then, straightening her skirts, joined him.

             
The sky was incredibly, unbelievably blue and the grass incredibly, unbelievably green.  Taking a stalk she began to nibble it.  Edric leaned up on one elbow and looked down at her, then ran his finger down her cheek.  “You are breathtakingly beautiful Alodie and I love you, do you love me?”  Alodie opened her mouth then closed it.  “Well do you?” he continued “I need to know, you see you were in my mind constantly when I was in the field.  When I was fighting Ubbe hand to hand all I could think of was you and that if I did not return you would have no one to care for you, to look after you”

             
Alodie gnawed her bottom lip then took a deep breath.  “You are the dearest kindest soul I have ever met Edric and I am very fond of you, I - I do not know what else to say”

             
Edric smiled a little sadly.  “Oh my love, at least I got an honest answer”.  He took her chin in his hand and kissed her gently.  His lips were soft and warm, his breath smelled of mint, he kissed wonderfully - but he was not Herger, he never would be.  She put her hands on his chest and pushed him away.

             
“Edric, I must talk to you about the wedding”

             
“Ah yes, my love, I thought tomorrow, after the baptism, old Wulfric could kill two birds with one stone...”

             
“No, Edric, I am not prepared”

             
He sat up and picking up a pebble threw it across the field, disturbing some rooks which rose in a black cloud, cawing loudly.  “You were prepared enough on Twelfth Night” he said quietly.

             
“Edric, I want to be married with Godgyth and the children present”

             
Edric lay back down and put his hands behind his head “You’re making excuses Alodie.  What has happened since I have been away that has made you have a change of heart?”

             
Alodie felt a bead of sweat begin to trickle down her forehead, she was totally and completely trapped, there was no way out of this, she was going to break Edric’s heart whatever she did.  “Not excuses Edric, I just want to postpone it until Godgyth and the children can be there”

             
“It was never a factor the last time we attempted to go through with the ceremony, you accepted the fact they would not be present”

             
“That was in the depths of winter, and Godgyth was too ill to travel - I am sure she is well now”

             
Edric did not answer for a moment then got to his feet.  His face a mask of anger.  “Come Alodie” he snapped “we will go back to the others, it is quite obvious that my presence offends you” with that he walked off into the trees leaving Alodie to keep up if she could.

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

             
The sound of stone rasping on metal filled the small cave where Herger and a handful of men had been hiding since the defeat at Ethandun.

             
Herger wiped his hand across his mouth and rubbed his upper arm muscle where an unsightly bruise still discoloured the skin.  “Make sure that blade is sharp Hrolf, it has to skewer a thick skinned Saxon” he snapped.

             
The tall blond Viking looked round and grinned.  “I could skewer Saxons with my eating knife Herger”

             
“Ah, but this Saxon is different, Hrolf, he killed Ubbe Ragnarson, he is a great warrior”

             
Hrolf sighed.  “Do you think it is wise Herger, this attack on Wedmore?    Most of the fyrd will be there”. 

             
Herger snorted in reply and took a bite of barley bread.  “So will a lot of Guthrum’s men, and once they’re free they will join us and we will wipe out these West Saxon bastards once and for all”

             
Hrolf shrugged and glanced round at the other men.  Herger was a changed man - bitter, harsh, cold, especially with women.  Unreasoning now in his hatred of Saxons, especially Edric of Lamporth who he had sworn to kill.

             
The young warrior glanced at the sword, then handed it to Herger.  “Sharp enough for you my lord?”

             
Herger tested it on his thumb and drew blood.  Looking at Hrolf he nodded.  “Aye, it will serve my needs”.  Climbing to his feet he walked over to the mouth of the cave.  “It lacks one hour to sunset.  Pack your equipment and let us go slay some
nithings
” he rammed his sword into its scabbard and pulled on his leather jerkin.  “and lads, Edric of Lamporth is mine.  As for the women, take them as you wish except for the blonde ones.  Any blonde women are to be brought to me before you have your fun.  Is that understood?”

             
The men glanced at each other and nodded.  It was the first time their commander had openly allowed them to rape women on a raid.

             
Herger stalked from the cave and grabbing his horse’s bridle leaped onto its back.  “To Wedmore then, let’s see some West Saxon blood spilled before tomorrow’s dawn!”

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

             
The feast was in full swing.  Gwen had first Alodie seated almost at the bottom of the table but on Aehlswith’s insistence she was now seated next to Edric and the atmosphere was terrible.  He had spoken hardly a word to her since they had rejoined the royal party.

             
She toyed with her chicken in mustard sauce, usually her favourite dish, and idly pushed her mushrooms round her trencher.  At length she looked up.  “Edric, I am sorry, I do not know what else to say, you have always known how I feel”

             
Edric turned and looked at her “I knew you did not love me as I loved you Alodie but before I went away there was at least warmth in you, now it is like loving an icicle, it is almost as though you did not want me to return”

             
Alodie gripped his wrist.  “That is ridiculous Edric and you know it!  I prayed daily for your safe return”

             
“You have had second thoughts since I went away”

             
Alodie shook her head “No, not that, all I said was that I wanted to postpone the marriage until we get back to Bredond”

             
“So if we set off back to Bredond tomorrow you would marry me as soon as we got there?”

             
Alodie bit her lip.  “Of - of course Edric”

             
He began to smile “So you do love me?”

             
“Edric - what can I say”

             
“Nothing, I think any further words would make things worse between us - Jesu, what on earth is my father doing?”  Alodie glanced up, Aelfric had dribbled beer down the ample cleavage of a giggling serving girl and was in the process of lapping it up.  Edric got to his feet, grinning.  “You filthy old goat father!” he shouted  “leave the wench be!”

             
Aelfric lifted his head and shaking it, made an obscene gesture toward his son.  “T’is alright for you fair lad, we don’t all have your luck between the sheets, more’s the pity”

             
Alodie felt herself blushing to the roots of her hair.  Edric laughed and putting his arm round her gave her a smacking kiss on the cheek.

             
There was a sharp gust of cool air as the door opened and Wulfric walked in accompanied by Guthrum and Swein.  Guthrum was dressed in the coarse habit of a penitent with head bowed.  His long golden locks had been shorn and around his neck was a plain wooden cross. The room fell silent.

             
The bishop coughed and gesturing to Guthrum, announced in a loud voice.  “This man, along with three hundred of his followers, have turned to the one true God - I have catechised him and he has answered well and truly.  I believe in his sincerity and in his willingness to accept baptism”

             
Alodie had to struggle not to laugh, Guthrum turning to God was about as believable as Earth beating Ferloin at soccer in the Galactic Cup, even with the strict handicap of a five goal start for the other side the six legged Ferloins had been the holders for the last one hundred and twenty years.

             
Guthrum glanced up and caught Alodie’s eye.  He seemed surprised, for a moment, to see her, then Edric, noticing the direction of Guthrum’s glance, put a protective arm around her shoulders.  “I do not believe him Edric” she said quietly.

             
“I think you worry unduly my love” he replied.  “I have spoken to him and found him penitent.  I honestly believe he has seen the error of his ways”

             
Wulfric clapped his hands.  Several serfs came in staggering under the weight of a huge wooden tub which was filled with water.  Stripping off his robe, Guthrum, clad in a loincloth, climbed in and crossed himself whilst Wulfric said the words which would make him a Christian.

             
At length they were finished and Guthrum climbed out, shivering slightly and, without drying himself, put on his coarse horsehair robe.  Alodie shuddered.  Smiling, Alfred got to his feet and lifted his hands in the air.  “My friends” he said “I never thought this day would arrive, but it has.  We now have a new ally in Guthrum here who, on the pain of most fearful consequences, has agreed to withdraw to his lands in
Mercia
and be a friend to
Wessex
evermore, Guthrum......” Alfred opened his arms and they embraced, Guthrum  towering head and shoulders above him.

             
“How do we know we can trust him though my liege” shouted one of the  thegns.

             
Alfred released the Viking and smiled “I will let Guthrum, from this moment forward to be known by his Christian name of Athelstan, answer that question.”

             
The Viking smiled and turned to the assembled throng.  “My friends” he said, in surprisingly good Saxon “I do not expect you to trust me, that is something I will have to earn, but believe me in this, I have turned to your God” this was greeted by jeers and boos.  He held up his hands.  “I know you think this ceremony is a sham and I am doing this thing to save my skin but my friends that is not so.  I should have won at Ethandun - the night before the battle I sacrificed to Odin  - and Thor too for good measure.  You were outnumbered and outclassed.”  There were catcalls at this and again the Viking had to wave his hands for silence.  “Outclassed my friends.  You are part time soldiers, small in stature and only half as strong in body as my northern giants.  I command some of the strongest warriors in the world,  men who have spent their lives fighting.  Think about it, the odds were against you but you won a resounding victory”.  He gestured to Edric.  “Take that man over there, Edric of Lamporth, he killed Ubbe Ragnarson in single combat.  Now he’s a big lad is Edric but Ubbe Ragnarson was six and a half feet tall, he lifted anvils over his head for sport, not much of a commander mind but a big strong man, why I have seen him crush a man to death - squeeze him until his eyeballs popped out...”