Harald Fairhair: A Viking historical fiction adventure (Viking Kings of Norway) by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub

Part four

CHAPTER 66: BETRAYAL

Møre, spring 866

Bjarn kicked damp soil over the fire, rolled up the reindeer skin and packed away what little equipment he had. He left the hare carcass where it was, found a branch and erased his tracks coming from the north. You can never be careful enough when you have reason to be , as his grandfather used to say. He had left Solve’s farm after midnight and felt certain no one had followed him. Riding in the light of a full moon, he met Krake, one of Harald’s scouts, just before dawn. Bjarn shared what information he had, before he rode south again. In the morning light, he set up camp, ate and slept for a while.

Bjarn looked around the small camp. Something was amiss. The campsite looked almost unused. He should have burned more wood and left more tracks. He went to the hare carcass and found the parts he had not roasted. He pressed a finger along the skin and looked at the result. It would have to do. He ran his fingertip across the skin under one eye, then the other. Then he threw away the carcass, shrugged, and mounted his horse.

He was just about to lead the horse to the path a few paces away when he heard voices. He considered hiding, but he had just gotten on the horse. It was better to appear confident and unconcerned. The bedrock of every lie. Bjarn whistled as he found the path and turned his horse south. The voices fell silent.

Horses came into view. Three riders. Bjarn was not surprised when he recognised Solve and the two empty skulls he’d nicknamed Kvist and Kvast, so named in Norse after the twigs they resembled. He had all but expected this meeting every full moon night he had gone to meet Krake or one of the other scouts.

‘Bjarn,’ said Solve.

‘Solve,’ Bjarn nodded. ‘What are you up to?’

‘That was my question for you. Where have you been?’

Bjarn raised his eyebrows. ‘Where have I been?’

He put a hint of irritation in his tone. It was not particularly difficult. His gaze slid over the two twigs.

Solve sat relaxed on his horse. Carefree. ‘Listen, Bjarn, don’t make this worse than it is. We – I – have some questions. Can we sit?’

Bjarn did not answer immediately. The silence stretched between them like a whiff of burnt tar. Kvist’s horse was restless, and Bjarn let his gaze slide from Solve to the animal circling around itself. Bjarn smiled, while Kvist struggled to direct the animal forward again.

‘Fine,’ Bjarn said and got off his horse. He did not mention the campsite a stone’s throw away. Not yet.

Bjarn took the rolled-up reindeer hide from the horse and sat on it. Solve squatted opposite Bjarn. The other two dismounted but remained standing. Bjarn held out his hands, palms up and fixed his gaze on Solve, indicating that the young man should get on with it.

‘Why are you sneaking off in the night, Bjarn?’

‘Sneaking?’

‘Yes, that’s what I call it when you set off in the middle of the night without being seen.

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