Sigurd's Swords by Eric Schumacher

Author:Eric Schumacher [Schumacher, Eric]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bodn Books
Published: 2021-06-27T22:00:00+00:00

18

We exited the gate and trudged north, toward Sigurd’s estate. I walked quickly, anxious to get there as soon as possible. Olaf caught up to me and grabbed my arm. “Set your worries aside, Torgil,” he warned. “It is not Turid. She is too smart to land in trouble.”

“How can you be certain?” I countered.

“She knows the rules. If she breaks them, she will be sent away. I do not think she would sacrifice this opportunity. Fighting is what she wants the most.”

Only he was wrong. It was Turid.

She knelt outside Sigurd’s hall, shivering despite the fur cloak draped over her shoulders, her arms bound behind her. Before her paced Sigurd. He was speaking, though I could not hear what he said. Off to one side stood the remainder of the recruits, as well as Oleg, Gerd, and the rest of the household. As soon as I saw them, I raced ahead with Olaf on my heels. Sigurd saw our approach and frowned.

“What happened?” I asked as I came to a skidding stop near Turid.

It was then that I saw the blood. It coated Turid’s clothes and part of her face. At first I thought she was wounded, though I could see no injury on her except a giant welt on her left cheek. Tears welled in her eyes when she saw Olaf and me, which only made her look away.

Sigurd pointed to a body that lay in a pool of crimson some ten paces off to Turid’s right. I had not seen it lying there and now I studied it more closely.

Bjorn.

His arms had been lashed with a blade, but it was the gaping puncture hole in his chest that had killed him.

“I am sure there is an explanation,” I muttered as I studied the body.

“There is,” Sigurd growled. “And it is precisely what I feared might happen with her among the men.”

“Which is what?” I asked, feeling my anger start to boil.

“Torgil. Don’t,” Olaf warned.

Sigurd scowled. “Watch your tone, Torgil.”

“What happened?” I asked again.

Sigurd lifted his chin. “I have been told that Bjorn attacked her in the barracks while they slept. She stopped the attack with her knife.”

“And you doubt that story?”

“No,” he said. “It is corroborated by the others and by the place he fell when he died, which was close to Turid’s bed. I am trying to decide what her punishment should be. My rules are clear, Torgil. No fighting. Though I know not how it applies in this circumstance, as you can see.”

His response made little sense. In my view, she had defended herself from that pig of a man. That she should be punished for protecting herself defied logic.

“My lord,” Olaf interjected, his voice calm. “If I may.”

Sigurd nodded.

“If your concern is that this will happen again — that Turid will be a distraction or worse, lead to something like this — then why not put it to the men? It is they who must train with her and fight with her. Frankly, after

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.