Maroboodus: A Novel of Germania (The Goth Chronicles Book 1) by Alaric Longward

Author:Alaric Longward
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, azw3
Publisher: Hardhill Productions
Published: 2016-03-30T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 12

‘I’d rather just try to dodge them,’ Ceadda growled, shading his eyes with his hand as he checked for any sign of the dogs, and clutched his spear tightly. The Goths had rowed on, passed us by, fast like wild spirits, but not all, because there were bound to be parties behind us. They had risked the river at night, and we had had to navigate boulders and trees and the harder trails and so we were slow. We had moved all day and afternoon and knew the enemy was ahead of us. The Saxon leader fidgeted as he looked north to the Long-Lake. ‘We could swing further north? Sneak by the lake, just out of sight? It will take time, but it’s better than getting caught here. We could wait for the night and try to find something that floats and cross to the other side.’

Saxa sighed. ‘While the north shore belongs to Svearna, they do not particularly like Goths or even my tribe. Feuds are many between our clans, just like yours, and there is no safety there. And we don’t know where Hughnot’s lands begin and end. We might row into a Goth ambush.’

‘I hate his land. I do,’ Ceadda cursed as he brooded, thinking about our predicament. ‘It will be so euphoric to be home,’ he added. ‘Nice and flat there, like Njord’s wife.’

‘Shut up,’ Njord said dryly. ‘Won’t turn hilly and fat like yours.’

Saxa slapped his head, and he went silent with astonishment, though he smiled mischievously at her. She spoke vehemently. ‘No crossing. No waiting. We should press on. It’s a risk if they’re ahead of us—’ she began, but Njord interrupted her.

‘They are,’ he said gloomily. ‘Didn’t you notice? They are gone. There will be men behind here, looking for us, but most passed us in the night.’

‘Since they are ahead of us,’ she went on after another slap, ‘and perhaps they hope we just hunker down while they make the net around us tighter and tighter. Best go now while they are still rushing.’

‘She is right,’ I said. ‘We shall have to risk it. We’ll rush on, cross the Three Forks rivers somewhere, hope there are no Goths sneaking and skulking nearby. It’s simple. No time to take longer routes. We’ll go where it’s likely we would go, and hope they think we are trying to be clever and do otherwise. We’ll brazenly hack our way to this village of Agin’s if we must. Then we will be as safe as we can be, and think how to get rid of the lot of Goths rowing about the land.’ Njord was opening his mouth. ‘Except for me, of course. I’ll stay here.’ He looked mildly disappointed at the lost opportunity to mock me, but it probably saved him from yet another slap.

Ceadda was cursing, and then he nodded. ‘So let’s hope we find the village before they find our trail, then. And I want a beautiful boat after this miserable trip. The very best, I say.

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