Burden to Bear by Gregory Amato

Author:Gregory Amato
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sed Ferro Press
Published: 2024-07-03T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 24

A Feast for Ravens

I could sense two things that boded ill right away: They were not dressed as Danes or Norsemen. And Haldor would not have sent that many men to find me. These were the Rus I knew from having been chased by them, and a few friends with them. The knives they had carried before were still there, but only as backups. These men carried axes and spears, and one had an arrow nocked on his bow. A bit much to fight someone like me, I thought, but dead is dead. My eyes would not taste any different to the ravens either way.

They took their time coming down the hill when they saw me, fanning out to prevent me from changing direction. The only way out was back to the forest, and I wondered if I could outrun them again. Perhaps, but not if an arrow caught me. Going back to the forest seemed like a delay of the inevitable, but I did not see another option until the raven glided into view. Something about the presence of the bird stilled my feet.

Seconds later, I heard the hoofbeats of a horse coming fast behind those men. The Rus deferred to two riders and made way.

Gudbrand cut a nastier figure in full armor than I had seen that morning. His mail shirt was there, but a heavier second layer of mail hung down across his chest and back over a thick cut of leather that went halfway down his arms. His helm too had mail hanging off it to protect his lower face and the back of his neck. The smile and bright eyes from this morning were now metal eye sockets that took no heed of the armed men around him.

His horse panted but kept his discipline despite the exertion. That was a warhorse with a familiar rider. Gudbrand had a shield slung over his back, favoring the atgeir in his hand. A king’s staller might carry any weapon he wanted, even a good sword, expensive as that would be. Gudbrand pivoted his mount to give the Rus a good look at his weapon in case they had never seen it before. A heavy hewing spear, not a common weapon. It was a blade on a stick, and that much more imposing from a man on horseback.

Kari rode the second horse and came up to me straight away, dismounting to get a better look. He had that expression of concern he always had, the look that kept his shoulders so tight. But he smiled when saw me and seemed to relax a bit.

“Did you get lost?”

“I was in the forest,” I said. “I made a survey of some trees, but a bird distracted me so I had lunch with a wizard. Then I walked back, but I think he fed me some bad mushrooms.”

“So the raven spoke true.”

“I don’t know what he said. I think he likes to start fights.”

“The two of you have something in common then,” said Kari, eyeing each of the seven Rus in turn.

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