Page 46 of Her Dark Viking
"What did your brother do to him?"
"Olaf is of the opinion that Ulfric killed his sister and one of his brothers. He is wrong, but that is of little use to us now. The blood feud has gone on for years and, if anything, Olaf has become even more bitter as time has passed."
"His sister? And a brother?" Mairead clutched her baby to her as though she half-expected Olaf Bjarkesson to return and wreak his vengeance upon her child. "What happened?"
"Astrid Bjarkesson, Olaf's sister, was Ulfric's wife. She died, and Olaf is convinced Ulfric murdered her. It is nonsense, my sister-in-law died of a sudden illness. It could not be helped. Ulfric was not even present at the time but Olaf will not listen. The brother, Eirik, was betrothed to our sister. He met his end in a raid on a Celtic settlement on Orkney and Olaf blames Ulfric for the boy's loss because my brother led the attack. I was present also on that raid and can attest that Eirik made an ill-fated attempt to take on four Celts wielding pitchforks whilst he himself was armed with nothing more than a short sword. The lad was a fool, a liability. He was young and stupid, but even so his death was a grievous loss to both families. Our sister mourns her betrothed still, and Olaf refuses to accept that there was little Ulfric could have done to prevent the tragedy."
"I can understand the man's grief, but..." Mairead was uncertain quite what to say. She harboured little sympathy for a Viking warrior who perished when seeking to attack innocent villagers. Perhaps if her own community had been handier with their pitchforks she and the rest might not have been taken.
And she would not have become the wife of this darkly handsome Viking. Her children would still be fatherless, her little family would continue to eke out a living on the scraps handed out by others. No, she could not regret the events which had transformed her life.
Gunnar slung an arm about her shoulders and pulled her to him. "I believe we can all sympathise. The bonds of kinship are important, but Bjarkesson cannot see reason. There has been much muttering whilst we have been here, threats, murmurings of an attack planned upon my brother's settlement. Olaf goes too far."
"What will you do?"
"I shall warn my brother, certainly, and I will come to his aid if Olaf carries out his threats."
"Are we safe, at Gunnarsholm?"
"Yes, I am certain of that. My settlement is three days' ride away. Olaf is belligerent and vengeful, but he is also lazy. And his target is Ulfric, not me."
Mairead considered this reasoning and had to agree but still, she shuddered. Olaf Bjarkesson scared her.
"Tellme of your brother's home. What is it like?" Mairead again shared Gunnar's horse, Tyra sleeping quietly within her cloak.
Gunnar had sent the new slave, Edyth, and those men who could be spared straight back to Gunnarsholm so the party remaining with them was now much smaller. It did not do to descend on another settlement, however warm and genuine their welcome, unannounced and bringing many unnecessary mouths to be fed.
They were nearing the other Viking settlement, the place called Skarthveit where, Mairead assumed, most of the Celts taken with her would have ended up. The chief of her village, Taranc, was among those abducted along with his betrothed, Fiona. The last time she saw the daughter of the lord of Pennglas, the girl was lying injured beside the road. Mairead's own lowly status had meant that Taranc and Fiona were not among her friends, but she had come to like Fiona on the voyage over the North Sea and hoped she had fared well enough in her new circumstances. Though he had lived in the same village Taranc was a stranger to her, really, but she knew him to be a fine man and a good chief. He would not accept enslavement easily.
"Skarthveit is bigger than Gunnarsholm. It was built by our father and inherited by Ulfric on his death. There are morepeople there, many thralls and slaves as well as free Vikings or karls as we would call them. Ulfric is building a granary, and a harbour as he intends to keep his longships there."
"He has many ships?"
"Five dragon ships. Or perhaps six by now."
"He is engaged in much raiding, then?"
"Yes, but he trades also. And there is a small fishing fleet. The vessel you sailed on was a fishing boat."
"Why do you not live there? I know you and he are close."
"A village requires only one chief or Jarl, and I prefer to live a less rigid existence outside the confines of a Viking community. Even as the son of the chief, or nowadays the brother, my illegitimate status sets me apart. In my own settlement I can hunt, trade as I see fit, raid when I wish to. I answer to none, but Ulfric is my ally and my kinsman. We are the same blood and are bound together by that."
"And your sister? Are you close to her also?"
Gunnar seemed to hesitate before replying. Mairead turned to peer up at him.
"Yes," he answered at last, "yes, we are close enough I daresay."
It did not sound so, to Mairead. "Tell me about her. Has she married another, since her betrothed died on Orkney?"
"No, she has not. I wish she had."
Mairead did not comment, merely waited for her husband to elaborate. Eventually Gunnar obliged her.
"Brynhild never quite recovered from her loss, though I struggle to comprehend why. Eirik was a nice enough lad, but not exactly sharp-witted if you take my meaning. He would have made a piss-poor husband for her."
"Oh. You did not approve of the match?"
