No One's Viking : Viking Trading Lands Book Two (Viking Trading Lands Series 2) by Formanek Megan & Formanek Megan

Author:Formanek, Megan & Formanek, Megan [Formanek, Megan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Life Itinerant Publishing
Published: 2023-02-24T00:00:00+00:00

Fifteen

Jol 882CE

By the time I was well enough to leave my bed, it was Jol. My recovery had been slow and, though I could walk without pain, I still had not left the house. With the town continually iced, the paths were made slippery. For me, walking outside was ill-advised. Sven had set a chair by the door for me to sit. Wrapped in my furs, I watched Aldeigjuborg’s inhabitants as they prepared for the celebrations. All day I sat or paced in the hearth room until Sven returned from his work stripping wood for Mikel and Luca.

The first days of quiet observance bore little action. The sky was dark, and the days were filled with heavy snowfall. Then the decorating began. People emerged from their houses, armed with wreaths, carvings and runes bound for the evergreen trees that grew outside the city walls. Though I might have liked to follow them, I lacked the strength. But Sven reported the ornaments were hung on the fir boughs in such a manner that would have pleased Odin.

‘You should see it,’ he beamed, after returning from the spectacle.

‘Tell me, you’ll need to describe it,’ I commanded, scooting my chair closer to the fire.

He sat on the floor next to me. ‘There were so many carvings I did not think mine would find a place. And runes! Everywhere, the tree was so full.’

‘You spent so long on those figures,’ I smiled.

Sven had chipped away at the twin forms of Thor’s goats; Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjostr, for three days. He had perfected their shaggy coats and horned heads until they bore so much vigour that I thought they would leap from their place and join the wild hunt led by Odin on his eight-legged horse, Sleipnir.

‘Gisle chose them for the front of the tree.’ Sven radiated with pride.

‘The prize position,’ I congratulated him, but I had not missed the vital information. ‘So Gisle is back from Holmgardr? Did the others return also?’

Sven nodded. ‘Most of the merchants called to attend the Grand Prince have returned. They arrived in a sleigh. You would have thought…’ he trailed off.

I wrapped the furs around me tighter. ‘I’m sure it would have been quite a sight.’ Sven did not have to report anything. I knew Kjarr would not be with them. He had gone onto Kyiv with Oleg. There would be no return. ‘Was there any message? Did they say anything?’

Sven shrugged. ‘Only what you were already told. The capital is to be moved to Kyiv, and someone from Oleg’s retinue will come in the spring to appoint Gisle to the position he assumed after Eryk’s death.’

‘We knew it would happen,’ I agreed.

Sven nodded. ‘Do you want to get out to see the rolling of the Sun Wheel? Alla and Gunhild worked on the wreath this past week. It’s so huge it remains outside, propped up against the guildhall.’

‘When will they set it alight?’ I asked.

‘Tomorrow. Then they’ll roll it down that big hill at the bottom of David’s farm.

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