The Sword of Cnut (Danelaw Saga Book 5) by Griff Hosker

Author:Griff Hosker
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Sword Books Ltd
Published: 2024-04-05T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

Eorl 1021

Mary and I had lived in this land for long enough for us to become attuned to the rhythm of the seasons. When we returned with the seals, the whole village worked hard to render the fat and preserve the skins. The village all shared in the oil, meat and skins. We would not be trading them this time. Similarly, the jet was shared equitably. It could be used for trade in the future but some, like Osgar, wished to use the jet for ornamentation. The share of Bersi, Gandálfr and mine was stored. We would trade it but not this year. The drekar was dragged up the slope and secured beneath the trees. We did not clean the hull immediately. We had learned that the birds, small animals and insects would do much of the work for us before we had to toil and take away the weed and the worms. In the short days of Mörsugur, we would remove anything that was left and coat the hull in a mixture of pine tar and the potion made from poisonous plants to keep away the worm. The ropes and the sail were stored safely in my hall. Each winter the women of the village would work, with my wife, on the sword design on the sail. Every year it grew more elaborate as they repaired and maintained the vital part of the drekar. Their close attention ensured that the sail never weakened. I knew that we would need a new one in a year or so but we had not endured bad storms and my philosophy was that if something was unbroken then do not try to mend it.

It was a good Christmas. I was not sure why the Christians celebrated the birth of the White Christ the way that they did. However, it seemed to me that the winter solstice was as good a reason to hunker down for a few days, drink well and eat the last of the food left from the harvest. Leaner days would come. Therefore, I celebrated with the rest. We hunted and had deer that were culled. I knew that in the spring we would also need to cull the wild pigs but we would let the sows give birth so that the herds were stronger.

It was during the celebrations that romance blossomed. That was not an unusual event. Too much mead and ale allied to a full belly had an effect on both men and women. The thrall who cooked for us was a Dane called Frigga. She had been taken by the men of Wessex as a young child and we had captured her when we had raided the land of Wessex. She had lived with us in Agerhøne and, although we had never given her freedom, she seemed happy enough to live in the land that now had a Danish King. She had shown great skill as a cook and she and Mary got on well. She had nurtured the young orphan we had taken in, Seara, and all had been harmonious.

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