"So, tell me." "This Mara, what's she like?" " She died." " This is all for nothing?" "We have a bride." "Her name is Kela." "I hear the Warig are causing your father some concern." "They killed my mother, slaughtered our people" " and no-one came to our aid." " We're not prepared for an attack." "There used to be a stakewall." "Guard towers every 40 paces." "Then fix it!" "I knew it." "Whatever I have, you find a way to take it." "Heorot needs a real Thane." "And the Shieldlands need a true Jarl." "You could be one... and I the other." "We should light the tower." "Warn the other tribes." "No." "Leave the signal fire unlit." "We'll see how Beowulf fares if the raiders attack when Heorot's not ready." "I knew I was right about you." "What is it?" "Help me!" "Ah!" "Ah!" "The Draca Bridge." "Built by giants in old times." " Quickest way to Heorot." " We'll be exposed." "There won't be any guards." "Nobody's there." "Always impatient." "What if there are guards hidden in the trees?" " And what if there aren't?" " Enough." "If we go around, it will take a day or longer." "The warning tower in Bregan remains unlit." "They think we've fled." "And Heorot sits unwarned... unprepared and stuffed with gold." "Draven is right." "So let's cross this bridge." "Smash their hall and take their gold." "Let's tear them apart." "Gorrik said the Worig are preparing to attack." "Someone is cutting the salts so the trolls turn against the miners." "All the salt in Heorot has been sent to the mining camps." "Well, that should hold them off till I get back from Bregan with more." "It would suit the Varni very well if the miners suddenly needed their protection." "That's all I need... for the miners to rethink their arrangements with us and take their ore elsewhere." "If the Varni are behind this, someone in Bregan is helping them." "I'll find out who but right now we need to fortify Heorot." "I know." "I'm listening." "Ditch on the outside." "Earthworks on the inside and a wall on top of that." "When it's finished, it should repel an army." "But I need men to cut the trees for the stakes." "Men to shape them and... men to dig." "You shall have them." "What about weapons?" "Kela?" "I'm sorry..." "I didn't mean to pry." "It was my husband's." "It's the shadow of his face." "In gold." "We took it from the ashes." "There's so much gold here." "Even for the dead." "What's this?" "I heard you were asking for weapons." "These are mine." "The balance is a little closer to the hilt... than you're used to, I would think." "Makes for a more agile blade." " The craftsmanship is excellent." " The craftsmanship is Varni." " What did you expect?" " And you've used these?" " In battle?" " A long time ago." "I have no use for them now." " Well?" " I followed the Wulfings as far as the Draca Bridge." "Good." "So they are bound for Heorot." "I've done dark deeds for my sins, knowing that the man who asked them of me was good and true but that man would never have allowed the Wulfings" " to go against his own sister." " I didn't ask for your advice." "I know." "Now you ask for Hane's or Saray's." "But I'm giving it all the same." "You could be a great man still." "But this path that you've started down... it will destroy your soul." "As Jarl of the Shields," "I need someone to speak in my place if needed." "To be an ambassador in my stead and not twist my words to suit their purposes." "Has Slean returned?" "No." "He hasn't." "I think it's time someone explained our customs and history to Kela." "In detail." "Over a long period of time, away from other distractions." "An ambassador is not a nurse-maid." "Today it is." "Golden Hall, Heorot." "It's an ants' nest." "Let's tear it down." "Much better." "No heavy lifting, I said." "I'm a blacksmith." "And we need more weapons." "You saw the way the Worig fight." "Thanks." " May I ask something?" " Of course." "Erm..." "Beowulf and Slean were fighting... and you stopped it." "Does that happen much?" "That the fight." "Well... sometimes young men are headstrong." "Beowulf is the Reeve, while Slean is the Thane's son." "But still, he's allowed to fight him and walk free after." "It was just a quarrel between men." "Nothing of which to concern yourself." "What was the fight about?" "Was it something to do with you?" " Erm..." " There is a lot of history in any community." "It will take time for you to feel your way through all of it." "That's why I'm here to help." "Thank you." "And I'd love to hear more but I have a headache." "When you're feeling better, I'll be right outside." "You're guarding her... from what?" "Herself, it would seem." "She's taken a shine to Brinni." "It was not helpful..." "Slean brawling with Beowulf." "Of course now the girl knows something's between you even if she doesn't know what." "Couldn't have all just sat down and talked?" "Ah, have you never been in love?" "Once." "But I learnt my lesson." "I think we could get a good edge on this if we wanted to." "Or melt it down." "The more the merrier." "Any time you feel like helping to carry this," " that'd be great help." " Elvina said no heavy lifting." "I'm sorry." "Stay inside." "Quietly!" "The hall." "You'll be safe there." "Agh!" "Vishka, throw me the axe." "Throw it!" "Ugh!" "What's a barghest doing here?" "It's not a barghest." "It's a Wulfing dog." "The hall." "Kela." "The corral." "Hide!" "Ugh." "Now we go." "Come on, clear out!" "We go!" "Move!" "Roth?" "Stop!" "You!" "Ah." "She's pretty." "Ah." "She'll fetch a price." "Take her!" "Ugh." " Where is Thane?" " Let go of me!" "Ride!" "Ride!" "My mother cannot remain Jarl if my marriage doesn't take place." "Gorrik will take your support." "I will lose the support from Heorot with it." "And bring suspicion down upon you." "Go home." "Be what they want you to be." "Marry the girl." "And for now, play the part your mother has set for you." "Let her think you have accepted your role as a dutiful son." "She'll not be expecting it" " when we take power from her." " No." "Slean." "I need a man of judgement." "And I need him in Heorot." "Right in the Golden Hall." "Right in its heart." "If I do this, I'll be Thane of Heorot." " Yes." " And you'll be Jarl of all the tribes." " Together we'll rule the Shieldlands." " Yes." "Now go." "Go." "Get him in shackles." "His name is Jogan." "I want his head." "On a pike." "By sundown." "Take the Huskarla!" "Take the Huskarla?" "And leave this place open and undefended?" "While we ride off into a forest?" "Into what might be a trap?" "!" "Wulfing raiders killed my husband." "If we don't strike back," " they'll think we're weak." " We are weak." "You have a captive." "Find out how many and where their boats are." "And then... take our revenge." "Where's Kela?" "What's your name?" "It's not a complicated question." "Did they take a girl?" "A hostage." " You don't speak the common tongue." " If he won't talk, he's no use to us." "Give him this... and end his troubles." "Give him the poison and have done with it." "Go on." "You understand every word we say, dont you?" "Your people ran off." "They've gone into the forest." "And I don't think they're coming back." "Is that what you do?" "Eh?" "Leave each other in your enemy's hands and run off." "We raided your Golden Hall!" "We took your treasure!" "You took some gold." "We have a lot of gold." " Our dog tore through you." " I killed your beast." "You're the one on your knees in shackles, not me." "Tell me where they will take the girl and what will happen to her and maybe I'll think about letting you go back." "You think... they took the daughter of the Thane from here?" "Without the girl... there's no betrothal." "There's no alliance with the Mere." "I've done all this work for nothing!" "I told you... to watch over her!" "I don't care how you do it but you will get... her... back." "Ugh." " I should never have let him come." " He was of age." "It was his decision." "He brought this on himself." "They will trade for this." "I cannot leave him." "No." "You'd risk all our lives..." " for him?" " I would risk no-one's life but my own." "Go to the boats, lie off-shore and wait for us there." "I'm taking the girl." " We should've been there." " Ugh." "We should've had your back." "Left it to Slean and Vlade." "So where were you?" "I had my hands full enough." " Couldn't get to you." " Agh!" "Stop wrenching the damn thing." "Go." "Saray will finish the binding." "Ugh." "You're a healer now as well?" "So full of surprises." " Ugh." " What did I do to earn that man's dislike?" " Don't worry about Hane." " Treats your wounds... gives you advice." "Should any man have that much power over his Thane?" "Or any woman." "Here." "You should eat." "If he wanted you dead, you would be." "Have you never seen a Wulfing before?" "Yes." "But not one so young." " I'm old enough to kill." " And old enough to die, no doubt, with your life barely lived." "It must be easy for you." "Your soft life." "Your comfort." " Any word on Kela?" " We think the Wulfings took her." "Do you think they know she was to be married to Slean?" "I don't know." "I have something you need." "Wulfing at the gates!" "Rheda of Heorot!" "Jogan." "Jogan the Wulfing." "Rheda." "You used to be a fisherman's daughter." "Now look at you." " I have something of yours." " And I of yours." "Then we'll trade." "Your husband's mask for the boy." "I would give up a Wulfing so easily?" "There's a girl." "Return her." "And the mask." "She's important to you?" "She's a daughter of Heorot." "They're all important to me." "Now let's get on with it." "We're old enemies, not friends." "Your husband would've had more courtesy... even to an enemy." "I was sorry to hear of his death." "He was a great man." "Brought down by small men... your brothers." "No guards, no weapons." "Or I will kill the girl." "It's your lucky day." "So... you sent Slean back." " Yes." " And he's comfortable with his role?" " He is." " Do you trust him?" "I trust he'll do what I want." "That we can use him." "I trust his loyalty." "You've always been a..." "sound judge of men." "Women, though..." " Meaning?" " Saray is not what you think." "And how do you know what I think, Hane?" "In the raid, I saw her kill like a servant." "No hesitation, no remorse." "What if she's a spy?" " Sent by your sister." " She's not." "You don't know that." "We've just been talking about you." "Hane thinks you're a spy sent from Heorot by my sister." "I told you he didn't think well of me." " I'm not a spy, Hane." " No." "You're a merchant's daughter." "No." "Not that either." "Although, I never knew my parents... so perhaps it's true." "Orphans make the best assassins." "No family." "No ties." "And no-one ever suspects... until it's too late." "You were hired to kill." " Never ask questions." " Who?" "Just get close." "With Abrecan..." "I got too close" " and then I couldn't." " Who hired you to kill him?" "!" "A man you never meet again." "Gives you the money and tells you your target." "If whoever it was finds me, they'll kill me." "They'll have to come through me first." "So now you know." "Walk slow... and sure." "We'll meet again." "But you'll not know it until my blade is in you." "Did you practise that?" "Almost sounded convincing." "Kela?" " Let me go!" "Let me go!" " Get the horses!" "Just go!" "Jogan!" "You would risk your life for this girl?" "She's not just a girl." "She's to be married to Rheda's son." "She's worth more to them than any gold." "And taking her is our revenge." "They're not far behind." "Ride." "They dismounted." "Came by the river." " To throw us off." " Then we follow." "Here." "What good are you gonna be in a fight without a weapon?" "I realised a long time back, the best weapon... is to think faster." " More Varni training." " More a desire to live." "They're heading for the estuary." "Let us hope the people of Heorot are not burning their victims as we do here." "Why didn't you warn them about the Wulfings?" "And of course, there's still the matter of the sword as well." "They must have noticed by now." "What do you want me to do?" "Find the Wulfing ship." "Give word when they set sail." "We want to be sure Bregan is safe." "I'll handle Heorot's questions myself." "Vlade." "I know your heart is loyal." "She's there!" "Where are Jogan and the boy?" "Keep your eyes open." "The boy!" "There." "I have him." " Beowulf!" " Agh!" "Get Kela!" " Draven, run!" " No!" " Go home." " No." "Go home." " Ugh." "I could've managed." " You're welcome." "It doesn't have to be this way." "There is no other way." "They have left you." "And there's nowhere left to run." "So the Wulfings are no longer a threat." "Good." "Good." "Beowulf approaches." "Now come those questions." ""Why wasn't the signal lit?"" ""Who cut their salt with sand?"" ""Is there a traitor in Bregan?"" " What will you say?" " Well, I won't have to say anything." "I'll just show him the traitor he's been looking for." "Thank you for your loyalty." "Go to your ancestors in peace." "Why didn't you warn us about the Wulfings?" "There was nothing we could do." "They cut through our guard and... tore down the tower." "You didn't send any men to hunt them down?" "I thought they'd sail home, not go to Heorot." "How do you explain the salt?" "It was treachery." "Of that there is no doubt." "I sent more salt to Heorot... but Varni gold corrupts even the best of hearts." "Vlade was one of my most trusted men." "Really?" "He was behind Scorann's kidnap." "I know that now." "And he tampered with the salt supply." "As soon as I realised, I put him under guard." "I meant to give him up to you... but he escaped the guard and then... he escaped his life." "Perhaps the guilt was too heavy for him to carry." "Shame he isn't alive to talk." "We've all suffered at the hands of the Wulfing." "I have men dead... and I have shed my own blood in defence of our home... and yours." "I believe this is yours." "I found it on one of their dead." " Where's Slean?" " He's gone back... to marry his bride." "You should go." "Help him celebrate." "He needs you, you know?" "Though he does not say." "I hope your wound doesn't trouble you too long." "There's a boat down at the water's edge." "Water and provisions enough to get you back to your people." "You see, I keep my word." "The price of your freedom is the Wulfings' agreement to my proposal." "See you keep yours." "You have hid in the shadows for too long." "If you want power, take it." "This land needs a warrior at its heart to bring its people out of the darkness." "A man of strength." "He demands Breca's life for the killing of his brother." " You said it was a woman's husband." " Detail." "You will be Thane." "You just have to believe it." "She'll be dead in moments." "You get on your horse and you never come back."