Envoy of the Lord by S.W. O'Connell
Author:S.W. O'Connell [O'Connell, S.W.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Legatum Books
Published: 2021-09-21T22:00:00+00:00
Chapter 14
Fromm liked the canteen. He had already had two of the better whores. Both were Saxon women and slaves of the old Frankish warrior who ran the canteen. The warrior, named Boso, had taken over the canteen when he put down his arms. It was a fitting sinecure for a landless warrior who had served his masters well. Hook-nosed, creased of face, and bald of pate, the wily old Frank was a deal-maker with a strong sense of garrison politics, gossip, and rumor. Fromm knew the type. The deals he kept to himself. The gossip and rumor he passed on to Lothar.
âYou look like youâre ready for your third wench, Norseman,â Boso said with a wink and a nod.
Squeals and grunts came from behind the dirty blankets that lined the back wall, behind which several ale-soaked soldiers thumped away.
âIâm ready. But first, letâs have another draught of that ale and a joint of something to gnaw on,â Fromm said.
âAnfelisia!â Boso made a sign and one of the slaves, a slender dark-eyed girl, ran quickly to fetch the food and drink.
âThatâs a right pretty lass.â Fromm belched.
Bozo glared. âSheâs no whore, Dane. If she were, Iâd be a rich man.â
âI find that hard to believe. Sheâs the comeliest wench I have seen here.â
âDo you think you are the first sod to drool over her?â
Frommâs mouth broke into a wide smile as the girl placed a large mug of ale and a leg of mutton before him. Her doe-like eyes and long dark hair on caramel skin were unlike anything he had seen in the north.
âYou Norsemen like dark-eyed girls. That much I have learned in my forty years,â Boso said.
âWho wouldnât? Although I do prefer a bit more meat on them. She canât be more than thirteen. Slip of a girl, she is.â
âSheâs eighteen. And a virgin, if youâd like to know.â
Fromm put his ale down. âI find that hard to believe.â
âShe is under the protection of Willehad.â
âHis mistress?â
âI told you, she is pure, as they say. The rumor is the fat old cleric fathered her on a journey to Italy. She says sheâs a Lombard, but clearly, Roman blood runs through her veins.â
Fromm laughed. âWhy didnât the bishop marry her off? Or put her in a convent? You Christians seem to like to do that to your women when it conveniences you.â
âThatâs because we are civilized. Unlike you pagan Norse. They say someday the entire race of Norsemen will sail from their homelands to raid, leaving their women behind.â
âAn interesting idea.â Fromm took another gulp of his ale.
Boso leaned forward and spoke softly. âSome say Willehad plans on making her his wife. Others say he looks to sell her to the Avar chief, Dgno.â
âI donât know which would be worse for a poor lass like that.â
Boso shrugged. âYou came in with the missus, didnât you?â
âYouâre an observant man, Frank,â Fromm said.
âI rode with him once. Yes, itâs hard to believe but I once wore the brunia. Melchior was but a lad.
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