Nithing: The Story of Hengest (English Dawn Book 1) by Webster Christopher

Author:Webster, Christopher [Webster, Christopher]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Christopher Webster for East Keswick Press
Published: 2022-03-06T00:00:00+00:00

O ne morning, Hengest heard a commotion in the yard and went to see the cause of it. The bear was raging again, watched by a small audience of assorted thegns and common folk, among them a few women, including Hildegyth and Eowynn. Tumbletoes was cavorting around the bear’s cage rattling his marotte on the bars, and mocking it: “Ha! everybody loved my tumbling, but your tumbling frightened the wits out of them – they couldn’t bear you, bear!”

The bear’s keeper, meanwhile, was pleading for Tumbletoes to stop, but the crowd were urging him on.

“Stop?” laughed Tumbletoes. “Nobody tell me what to do, not even the king! That is a jester’s privilege!”

By now, the cage was rocking dangerously. The crowd backed away, and several were heard to side with the keeper: “Yes, stop. Please stop!”

In reply, Tumbletoes made a somersault and rattled the cage again. It was the somersault that did it, confusing the bear and making him angrier than ever: with a great roar, the bear ran towards him, hit the side of the cage and toppled it over. When the cage hit the ground it fell apart, and suddenly the bear was free. He trampled the jester down and ripped his throat with his dagger-like claws, leaving him dead in a pool of his own blood. The keeper, from a safe distance, was calling soothing words: “Now, now, settle down and I’ll bring you a sugar beet,” but the bear ignored him. Slashing throats was much more fun.

Everyone else fled. In the panic, Hildegyth had fallen, and the cowards had left her there. Not one thegn, even the most boastful in the mead-hall, even the one who had offered to fight the bear, dared go back to save her, but Hengest quickly took up his sword and ran to protect her. The creature was looming over her, and raw terror shone in her eyes, but Hengest distracted the bear with a shout: “Hey! Pick on someone your own size!”

The bear look round, turned and lumbered towards him, slashing at him with its great claws. Hengest backed off, looking for an opening, and trying to keep out of the way of the bear’s slashing strokes. How he wished for a shield just then! The bear made a lunge for him, but he hopped back, mentally thanking Guthlaf for the dancing skills he had taught him, and recovered his guard. But the guard position proved to be useless against the strength of this creature. With a terrible ear-splitting roar, the bear lashed out again and knocked the sword out of his hand. Then it tries to grab him, but he twirled around and skipped aside, saved once again by his dance moves. The bear came after him, but he kept dancing, his eyes on his sword, now several paces away. The bear was backing him into a corner, and there was no chance of reaching his sword. It would be over for him soon if somebody didn’t come to help him.

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