Three dragon ships glided upon the shore of Northumbria.
Thulot took his time fastening on his blade and tying back
his blond hair. His dark eyes scanned the land as his army
gathered their swords and shields. Already he felt terror
falling upon the place like suffocating ash. He had slain many
men. He had even found pleasure in watching his enemy's
final gasp, as blood pooled beneath his fallen weapon. He
had seen the expression of men who knew death leaned
over them. But in the last battle, he had watched a friend die.
He saw the blade split Barok's shoulder, blood seeping
through the maille. He watched helplessly as his friend drowned
beneath the tide of the shield wall. Then a hawk had flown over
the battle, screeching what Thulot believed to be a prophecy.
Before Barok had been given a proper burial, Thulot had heard
a monk speak of the Danes as demons who would be eternally
cursed in flames. He had killed the monk, but the curse troubled
him, for he had seen Barok's expression. He had seen the hawk.
Thulot touched the ring bands on his arm and joined the others.
Thulot's fingers folded around his hilt, blood sticky in his grasp.
He no longer heard the pleas of the villagers. They lay broken in
the dirt like red leaves. Danes trampled past, gold clinking
against their armor, and vulgarity soaked with ale. Thulot watched
flames claw down the last bones of buildings. Then a young
woman, clutching a broken cross, hurried past. Thulot bounded
forward and grabbed her by the wrist. Her eyes were the color of
the sea, and her black hair flowed over her light linen frock. Thulot
knew she understood: his pleasure or her death. Her lips parted
as if to protest, but then she touched his bruised jaw. Thulot took
off his helmet and closed his eyes. He felt her fingers follow
down his hair and loosen his leather garb. She pressed against
him, and her body beckoned him like the sea; he being the mighty
Dane ship. She danced wildly beneath him. He rose and fell with
the waves as her heart beat like the lapping of water against his
planks. He rode the waves, his hull groping for the pleasure of the
battle against the torrent. The woman washed over him , engulfing
him in a tide. He drank deeply of her depth, like plunging his oar
against the energy of the sea. Then Thulot awoke. He touched the
given ring band from his lord. On the floor by his blade lay the
broken cross.
Seo Gealgu
Prie draca sundwudu srip on seo ofer of Northumbria. Thulot niman
his lange faestnian his beadomece and bregdan his gold locfeax.
His deorc eage loc the gelendan as his fyrd ge-gad*erian their
beadomece and bord. Already he gefelan broga fylian upon the
lecgan gelic aesc. He had ofslean fela aeld. He had even findan
lustbaere brinnan sceawian his feond ende frpfridende as blod
beswillan beneath seo befeallan weapon. He had sceawian seo
andwlita on aelde who ongytenes deap gehende. Butan in seo last
beadu, he had sceawian a freond gefaran. He sceawian the blawan
brecan Barok's eaxle, blod beswillan geond seo maille. He
sceawian as his freond besecan beneath seo flod of seo bord geat.
Then a hafoc had flowan over the beadu, hleod*or what Thulot
gelietan to be a foresceawain. Beforan Barok had been given a
gecynde byrgen, Thulot had hiefan a munuk gecwed*an of seo Danes
as scynscapa who would be ece awiergan in brond. He had
acwellan seo munuk, but the awiergan earmcearig him, for he had
sceawian Barok's andwlita. He had sceawian the hafoc. Thulot
aethrinan the beag heap on his earm and lucan the od*er.
Thulot's fingers forwundian his mundgripe, blod sticky in his grap.
He na hieran seo hleod*or of seo ceorl. They laewede brecan in
the greot eac swa readfan leafa. Danes beatan geardagas, gold
clinking ongean their herepad and fracod beswillan with ealu.
Thulot sceawian lig grap dune the last ban of scurbeorg. Then a
geong faemne gebindan a brecan gealgu, hreading geardagas.
Thulot beatan forward and grap her by the folme. Her eage were
the bleo of seo brim, and blaec locfeax flowan over her leoht linen
ge-gyria. Thulot ongytenes she forstandan: his lician or her deap.
Her mud* sceadan as if to flitan, but then she aethrinan his bealo
andwlita. Thulot ongyrwan his helm and closed his eage. He
gefelan her leaw folgian dun his lecfeax and ongyran his leather
scrud. She ad*springan ongean him, and her bodig ceallian him
eac swa the fam; he being seo mihtig Dane ceol. Hio daunsa
wildly beneath him. He araeran and fyllan with seo hwear fian her
heorte beatan eac swa lapping of flod ongean his holt. He rode
seo hwearfian, his ceol groping for the lustbaere of the beadu
ongean seo torrent. The faemne washed over him aweccan him
in a flod. He drincan deoplic of her deop, eac swa sceotan his
ar ongean the grodscipe of seo fam. Then Thulot awacian. He
atillan the giefend beag heap aet his leodgeloyrga. Aet the
perscelflor by his gud*sweord laedan a brecan gealgu.
