TLV - 01 - The Golden Horn (28 page)

When the ships reached Sealand, Harald steered for the nearest hamlet, cut down the folk on the beaches who tried to stop him, and plundered and burned. Svein, coming later, reproached him in a shocked tone: "Is this the way to gain the good will of the Danes?"

"They're pledged to Magnus," said Harald grimly. "Let them come over to us if they'd be spared."

"But—"

"I've no time to waste!" Harald roared him down. "This is the quickest way to get them back under you. If you mislike my ideas, we need not remain allied."

Svein bit his lip and said nothing.

Like a viking host, their men swept over the islands, fire and sword and bondage for those who fought against them. Valgardh the skald later put the story in verse:

"The whole of Sealand, Harald,

was harried by you;

wolf packs fed upon the fallen;

foe
men did you slaughter.

With many folk, you mighty,

made you then your landfall;

hot it was 'neath host-men's helms,

and shields were sundered.

"Brightly fire was burning

buildings south of Roskilde;

king's men down did cast

the coal-swart, smoking houses;

high the slain were heaped up,

here no few found Doomsday;

horror-stricken hid

the hinds themselves in forests.

"Still were many, stricken,

who stayed behind made captive.

When folk had taken flight,

then fair young girls were captured;

loaded down with links,

they were led to where ships waited;

links bit in the limbs

of lovely Danish maidens."

Halldor said to Harald, when they stood watching a garth blaze while weeping folk were hurried out under guard: "This is no way to fight . . . against women and harmless farmers."

"You're too
tender-hearted
," said Harald roughly. "They can be ransomed, or set free when the country has yielded. If men are slain, well, they didn't have to stand against us."

"Still . . . caught between you and Magnus, like ants between two millstones!"

"That's true." Harald gripped Halldor's arm with bruising force. Teeth gleamed in his flame-splashed face. "Can you not understand? Can no one understand? This is the only way to make sure that someday my own wife and children won't walk out in chains while the house burns behind them. It's the only way to make sure that the whole North is not overrun."

Halldor regarded him gravely. "The world has wounded you," he said at length. "It's hurt you more than you perhaps know yourself. God be praised, I've not been so knocked about in my youth that now I must think all are my foes who are not my thralls."

Harald spat an oath and went from him. They did not speak for some days.

Through most of that summer, Harald and Svein made war in the islands. Where folk yielded to them, they gave peace, but elsewhere they fared ruthlessly. No outcry was raised. Thus did all men fight; the Danes themselves had looted and burned and killed where they went. Magnus had set the land afire, and all knew that the Normans in France were more cruel than this. Harald felt neither guilt nor pleasure. This was merely the road he must walk to reach his goal. Like Ulf, he slept with a number of Danish girls, who were not unwilling to try new men when they had an excuse, and feasted merrily after each victorious battle. His banner Landwaster, which Elizabeth had made for him, seemed to carry luck with it.

They had laid the islands under them when they heard that Magnus had raised a levy and was sailing toward Denmark. Harald laughed aloud. "That's what I hoped for!" he told Svein. "Now I shall take my own men to Norway."

"Is that wise?" asked the Dane.

"Are you so little a man that you can't hold your own realm?" countered Harald scornfully.

Svein did not answer, but his eyes were resentful.

With a number of ships, Harald sailed through the Kattegat and the Skagerrak, up into Oslofjord. When he saw the hills before him, rolling in a flame of autumn, his heart sprang, and he went into the bows so that men should not see the tears in his eyes.

They had brought horses along, and Harald rode with half his troop toward the thorp where he was born. Trees murmured above him, a vivid splash of scarlet, hot bronze and fluttering gold and sober brown. A little wind drove a gust of yellow leaves across his path, hoo, hey, off in viking to the other side of the road! The air was sharp and clear, thin blue overhead, flowing over a land wrapped in quietness.

"Home," he said, as if the word were holy.

Ulf
looked sidewise at him. "
Perhaps I see what you've had in mind all these years," he said.

They trotted into open fields, and now the thorp lay before them, smoking into the sky, and the lake blinked beside it. There were new buildings, Harald saw, it all had a rich look. They must have prospered here. He smiled, weighing the pouch at his belt; it held a necklace of diamonds and rubies that he would hang on his mother when she welcomed him home.

Armed housecarles stood warily at the garth as he rode up. Two men among them were tall and stout, well clad; it was with a small shock that Harald recognized his brothers.

They stood in silence for a while. Then Halfdan spoke: "Is it you, Harald?"

"Aye." He dismounted, smiling crookedly. "I'm back at last."

"I hear you are the king's foe," said Guthorm.

"For the time, at least," answered Harald. "Let us not speak of that now. Where is our mother?"

"You do not know? She is dead. Five years ago she died."

Harald stood without moving. A sudden emptiness was in his breast, he felt all at once how tired he was. "What did she die of?" he asked dully.

"Some sickness. It was a quick death, by Christ's mercy. She asked us to stand by you when you returned, for she never doubted you would."

Harald looked at the ground.

"We shall," said Guthorm hastily. "We swore we would. But it were better to make peace. Halfdan and I are content to be free yeomen."

"No matter," said Harald. He shivered and drew his cloak about him. "Come, let's go in, it's cold."

XVI

How Svein Was Angry

1

Now came a time of whirlwind, and Harald wore out many horses. Riding into the Uplands, he met the yeomen and asked that they name him king. They looked at him sullenly, gripping their weapons, and said they would not; one king was enough, and they were well pleased with Magnus Olafsson.

The levy to Denmark had not been large, coming as it did in the time of harvest and butchering, so the country was full of armed men. A war word could be borne across the land, from house to house, in days. Harald stared for a while into the ruddy, bearded faces before him. "I will not fight you now," he said tonelessly, "but you may be hearing more of me."

Leaving the field where they had met, he took his warriors down into the great valley Gudhbrandsdal. Here he was found by another troop, at their head young Thori of Steig. This was a powerful chief in the shire, and a kinsman of Harald's, who gave him friendly greeting.

"It is ill that you are denied your right," said Thori as they rode side by side toward the meeting
place of the Thing, "but no better that you and your nephew must bear arms against each other."

"I'm willing to reach agreement with Magnus," said Harald. "We could have done so this spring had it not been for Einar Thambaskelfir."

Thori stroked his chin. "What then do you plan?"

"I can hardly remain much longer in Norway; as soon as he learns I've come hither, Magnus will return with a bigger host than I can fight. But if he and his counselors can be shown that I have friends within the realm
..."

"It's a risky course," said Thori. "Still, we Dalesmen are not glad to see all the power lie with the Throndish chiefs. I may be able to persuade the Thing to hazard Magnus' wrath."

"If you do," said Harald, "I shall not forget."

The assembly was a huge one, for the valley was thickly peopled. Harald mounted the Thing-stone and addressed them with fair words, pleading his case and promising he would not be swayed by advisors from the north country alone. His cousin Thori also argued on his behalf, and the end of it was that they hailed him king, and a number of the younger men joined his following.

"Now I must go back to Denmark," said Harald later, "for otherwise there would be war. Thori, you must speak to King Magnus; it's setting your life at stake, I know, but I doubt he will provoke an uprising by acting to harm you, the more so when you come as peacemaker."

"It would be an evil day indeed if you two kinsmen threw a death spear against each other," said Thori earnestly. "It's for that reason, as well as our mothers being sisters, I do this."

"Some Danes are friendly to Magnus," Harald told him. "Let your folk carry word secretly to them of what is happening here, and they can tell me. I stand by what I said: half the kingship; but I am not unwilling to yield on other points."

He made his fare
wells and rode back to the Oslo
fjord. Winter came striding behind him, and it was a stormy passage to Sealand. On the way, Ulf remarked dryly: "I wonder what your friend St. Olaf thinks of your locking horns with his son."

"So far I have succeeded," Harald answered. "If I must defy Heaven too, I will."

Halldor shuddered and crossed himself.

The ships went down the Sound and were drawn up at Hafn, a hamlet living off the herring fisheries. Harald told some of the men to lay the craft away for winter, and rode with the others to Roskilde.

On a gloomy day, with snow thick out of a leaden sky, he entered the town. A church bell was ringing, its sound as far and muffled as his horse's hoofbeats in the drifted street. Houses lifted dim on either side, providing a glimpse of galleries and carved eaves; a few people wrapped in cloaks were abroad, leaning on their spears as they watched his troop go by.

Firelight leaped in Svein's hall when he entered the main chamber, dusting snow from his breeches. The king rose to meet him, and guardsmen on the benches sat watchfully.

"Well, my friend, it's good to see you again!"

Svein beamed and took his hand. "I feared for your life. How went it?"

"Not so well," replied Harald, "but some are on my side." More than that he didn't care to say, for Svein's force was immensely bigger than his. "But what of Magnus?"

"He withdrew before we came to grips. I thought he would, with you at his back, so I was in no haste to meet him." Svein led Harald to the high seat. "Now we can look for a peaceful winter. Even Magnus would not campaign at this season. I've gotten a dwelling for you, and had your wife brought here before the weather got too rough."

"Thanks," said Harald curtly. He spoke little while they drank. It did not trouble him that he was planning to cast Svein aside; the king was not famous for keeping oaths. .But maintaining the secret of his plans all winter would be hard. He left as soon as he could and went to his own hall.

Elizabeth met him in the entry room. She was swollen with child and walked slowly. "God be praised, you came back," she said.

He kissed her lightly, and was surprised at the hunger of her response. The thin hands tightened on his shoulders. "I was so afraid," she whispered. "It has been lonely here."

"Well, well, that's done with for a while." He ruffled her hair and then, his guardsmen coming in, led her off with proper stateliness. Not till they were alone that night did they have a chance to talk.

He was pleased to see how well she had been running the house. Even one of the shut beds which stood in the corners of the hall had been rebuilt to fit him. As the fire pits darkened and men stretched out on the benches, Harald and Elizabeth entered their bed and drew the panel. The straw pallet rustled beneath them as they wriggled out of their clothes. She snuggled into his arms in lightlessness, and he told her how matters stood.

"So we get peace with Magnus?" she sighed. "That is
...
I cannot say how good that is."

"Much depends on how long we can hoodwink Svein," he answered. "I'll have to keep my men ready for battle."

"There is naught to fear. Now that your cause is good, God will watch over you."