Housecarl (15 page)

“Good afternoon father.”

He looked up as though I had
slapped him and I saw him hurriedly look at the two companions,
neither of whom I recognised.  From their dress they were not
locals but they looked like warriors. They also looked as though
they wished we had not chanced upon them and both of them furtively
scanned the woods behind us as though we were part of some trap.
“Aelfraed.  I did not know you were home.  What brings
you here?”

The suspicion in his voice made
me cautious in my reply. I suspected that he was up to something
but I had learned from Aethelward that you gained more intelligence
by listening than by shouting. “Oh we were given some time off by
Earl Harold and we went hunting.” I waved an expansive hand at our
kills.  “Successfully as you can see.  This is Wolf and
Osgar two Housecarls and Ridley you know.”

Good manners would have dictated
that my father introduce his companions but he did not instead he
exchanged a secretive look with his companions and then asked, “The
Earl, is he in Jorvik?”

Ridley blurted out the answer
before I could stop him, “Aye my lord. He is meeting with his
brother Earl Tostig.”

My father looked at his
companions.  “I will leave you gentlemen here and return to my
home with my son.  Thank you for your company.  I felt
much safer on the road.”

They just grunted and then rode
east towards the forest. It struck me as strange for if they had
been heading south east they would have taken the fork which was
further up the road.  It convinced me that my father was up to
something. We turned our horses south. “Who were those men father?
They are not locals are they?”

“No they are travellers I met at
the Roman Bridge.”

I played the innocent. “I am
surprised that you did not take a couple of warriors with you for
the road to the north is dangerous.”

He laughed uneasily. “I forgot,
for it is some time since I travelled the road.  Next time…”
He hurriedly changed the subject.  Since his companions had
left he had regained his composure. “You have had a good
hunt.  We will eat well tonight.  Did Oswin care for
you?”

“Aye he looked after us as
though you were there.”

“And when do you return?”

“On the morrow for it is a brief
visit.” I noticed that he had no interest in my life or what I had
been doing.  His only concern was with what the Earl was
doing. It merely confirmed my decision to leave Medelai and never
return.

Oswin looked relieved when my
father, the Thegn returned.  I could see that they were
desperate for conference.  I did not think I would gain any
more information and so the four of us took the dead animals to the
kitchen to be butchered. Mara the cook was a lovely woman who
seemed to be made of rolls of fat.  She had been the only
servant who had been kind to me.  I discovered the main reason
was she had been my mother’s servant and Nanna had kept her on
after mother’s death.  She threw her arms around me and
slobbered wet kisses on my cheeks, much to the amusement of my
companions. “Master Aelfraed, my you have grown but it does my
heart good to see you back.” She held me at arm’s length. “By but
you are the image of your mother.”She shook her head.  “What a
shame that fine lady is dead but she would be so proud of
you.  Ridley’s father said that you are one of Earl Harold’s
Housecarls.  She would have loved that.” She seemed to see the
animals for the first time. “Well look at that.  I have never
seen such a successful hunt in all my time here.  It is good
to have hunters in the house again. “She kissed Ridley on the
cheek.  “You shall have a fine feast tonight and I will get
one of the servants to make sure that tight fisted father of yours
has not hidden the good wine and ale, for this meat should be
served with good ale.” She spoke like this  all the time, like
a river in spate, in torrents.

I felt much better having spoken
to Mara.  There was none of the reserve and the deceit of my
father and the Steward.  She was as close as I would get again
to Nanna and her unreserved love.

Mara was as good as her word and
the food was magnificent. Much to my father’s annoyance she kept
popping into the hall to make sure that our platters were
full.  It was obvious that he was irritated but Mara was her
own woman. If the Thegn had chastised her then she would have
left.  There many lords in Northumbria who would have employed
her as a cook and she knew it.  She only stayed at the hall in
memory of my mother and grandmother.  His irritation only
served to fuel my appetite and I ate more than I had in many a
moon. Once the food had finished and we were in our cups I asked
about my brothers.

“Oh they are with the Earl’s
army,” he said vaguely.  “I have not seen them for some
months.”

I wondered why he had lied to
me.  I knew that they had been in Jorvik a short time ago and
my father was frequently at court there so why the lie? I would
have to broach the subject with Aethelward.  He was the only
man with whom I could confide my suspicions and he was also the
only man who might be able to unravel this particular ball of
wool.

As we mounted our horses the
next day Oswin and my father came to see us off. “You must come and
stay again.  You and your friends are always welcome.” The
words were inviting but the look in my father’s eyes was not.

“We will and it was good to be
in the bosom of my family again.” Ridley shot me a sharp look but I
cared not, if my father could be a hypocrite then so should I. We
turned our mounts and headed away from Medelai. “Well Ridley did
you find out anything about my father?”

Ridley had spent some time with
the other servants listening for snippets of information.  He
had always been a quiet child and the servants were used to his
silence.  He had not enjoyed being a spy but I had pointed out
that he was Earl Harold’s Housecarl now and that entailed a
different loyalty.

“He has been north of the
Tyne.”

“Scotland eh?  I wonder why
he was so close mouthed and I wonder who those men were?”

I heard Osgar snort behind
me.  “There you go again, thinking. It will do you no good
Aelfraed.”

I turned in my saddle. “This
time it might Osgar. The Scots have been raiding Northumbria and my
father meets with them.”

“It could be a peace
mission.”

“It could. Wolf but in that case
why travel alone and why not mention it?  That is not a bad
thing and would be something worth boasting of to one’s son. No I
will be happy when we have shared this information with the Earl
and my uncle.”

I spent the rest of the journey
to Jorvik running over all the possibilities in my mind. 
Eventually I decided that it was too big a problem for me and
older, wiser minds could wrestle with it. On reflection I was
pleased that I had visited my home; firstly it confirmed the low
esteem in which I was held by my father and secondly, more
importantly, the hunt had bonded the four of us as blood brothers
and that was no bad thing.

I was as patient as possible
when we reach the mighty fortress.  We found our quarters and
while the other three went to explore the city I waited, kicking my
heels, outside the chamber in which Earl Tostig, Earl Harold and my
uncle were in conference. I knew that it was petty of me to expect
to be seen swiftly but I felt that the news I had was of such
import that the great men would need to hear of it. When they
eventually left the hall Earl Harold and my uncle were still in
deep discussion. I was acknowledged with a flick of the head but
then ignored and I trailed in their wake like a child trying to
attract the attention of a parent. The two men walked out of the
hall and headed for the Roman walls.  I dutifully
followed.  It seemed an age before they deigned to turn and
speak with me but eventually they did. “Well nephew, having dogged
our tracks for an unseemly length of time what do you have to tell
us that is so important?”

“When I went home I found that
my father has visited Scotland although he pretended not to and he
travelled south with two strangers.”

I felt sure that my information
was of such importance that they would immediately act but their
faces gave nothing away.  “Your father went to Scotland
and…”

“Well my lord he, well he was
evasive when he told me and he didn’t have a good reason.  He
travelled alone…” I could feel myself reddening and feel the
flimsiness of my tale as I told it.  I was making something
out of nothing.

Earl Harold smiled and patted my
shoulder. “Thank you for the information Aelfraed.  It is good
that you keep your eyes and ears open. Do not look so disappointed
for your knowledge may be important.  We, your uncle and me,
have to think of the bigger picture.”

Aethelward took my arm, “You did
right to tell us and it may well be important but we need to think
more on this.”

I felt a little better, as
though they were taking me seriously and we completed a circuit of
the walls before returning to the hall as dusk settled. I had not
been in the warrior’s hall before and it was enormous.  More
importantly it was filled with warriors, Thegns and lords. My
comrades and I had been afforded great honour being allowed into
the hall. I saw my friends and made my way towards them.

“Jorvik is a fine city,” blurted
Wolf.  “I have never seen such stone. I wonder why the king
does not abide here?”

“I think it is a little far
north and besides the King favours the Normans not the
Northumbrians.”

Osgar nodded, “And yet this city
could withstand a siege far more easily than wooden
Winchester.  I agree with Wolf.  Were I king then I would
live here.  Far safer.”

I felt proud that my two friends
felt that way about my city.  I had not been there often but I
was proud of my heritage.  We were the bulwark against the
Scots and the defence against the northmen. My good feelings were
shattered when the hall doors burst open and Earl Tostig’s
Housecarls boisterously entered. Unlike us they were armed and
armoured and extremely loud. I suppose I should have expected that
for it was their hall and we were guests but it seemed somehow
false and over loud. The four of us drew back into the shadows so
as to be inconspicuous. I suddenly saw my three brothers who
appeared to be louder and noisier than the rest.  I suspected
they were drunk for they appeared to be unsteady upon their feet. I
thought briefly about leaving, for I felt sure that if they spotted
me then they would cause a quarrel.  I was not afraid of a
fight but I was afraid of letting down the Earl for I was his
Housecarl. Ulf followed them in and I could see from his expression
that he was not impressed.  He saw us and wandered over.

“They are arrogant pups.” We
said nothing but watched them as they behaved like young boys
rather than Housecarls. “It seems they chased the Scots over the
border and they are celebrating their victory.”

“Did they kill many?”

Ulf laughed and said
scornfully.  “They killed none! The Scots were already leaving
and they followed them like a pack of dogs slink after the bear,
afraid to beard it. They had yet to draw blood but they believe
they are heroes all.”

He went to the ale barrel and
poured himself a beaker of the frothy beer.  As he returned to
us, Edward, my brother spotted me and, with Egbert and Edgar in
tow, lurched towards us.  “Why it is the runt!” What brought
you back from Harold’s court, failed at something did you? 
Wet the bed because Nanna wasn’t there?” He and my brothers thought
that this was hilarious and fell about laughing. 

I was unarmed but I moved
forwards ready to smack Edward in the face. Ridley and Osgar held
my arms.

“Ooh does my little brother
think he can take on one of Earl Tostig’s Housecarls?”

Ulf stepped forwards his hands
like enormous pans. He grabbed hold of Edward’s mail. “You have an
ill mannered tongue Northumbrian.  It is Earl Harold to you
and the warrior you abuse is a Housecarl himself.” He dropped
Edward, who had been dangling in the air, to the ground, “and you
would be wise to watch your words around him.”

I could hear from his slurred
words that Edward was drunk and trying to impress both his brothers
and the other Housecarls. “Earl Harold! Who is he? He has not
defeated the Scots and sent them back over the border, that was the
work of Earl Tostig a worthy warrior.”

The hall fell silent as the
other Housecarls saw Earl Harold, Earl Tostig and my uncle walk
towards us.  Edward and my brothers were so full of themselves
that they failed to realise the perilous position in which they
found themselves. We all smiled at them as the trio appeared behind
them.

“Oh my brother and his pathetic
friends find it funny.  You are jesters now are you? Or have
you fallen even further and now service warriors with your pretty
little arses.”

I felt Wolf stir beside me and I
turned to him. “Forgive my brother, firstly he is drunk and
secondly he was always a dick head.”

Edward’s hand went to his sword
but it was grabbed by my uncle.  “I apologise Earl Harold for
the foul mouth of this toad who, I am afraid is my nephew. He was
deprived of my sister’s wise words and dragged up by an apology of
a man.”

Egbert and Edgar dropped their
hands to their scabbards but Ulf grinned evilly at them. “Please
take out your swords and your bodies will be carrion bait by
nightfall.”

Earl Tostig’s voice boomed
out.  “The three of you apologise to my brother and these
warriors now.”

Suddenly sobering, the three of
them mumbled an apology to Earl Harold and looked to the ground in
embarrassment. I could see that Harold was amused more than angered
and may, even, have been enjoying himself. He turned to his
brother, “Brother I forgot to introduce these four
Housecarls.  They were valiant warriors in the battle against
Gruffyd in which they defeated his Housecarls and against the Earl
of Mercia where they defeated his mounted horse.” Tostig’s
Housecarls looked at us with new eyes for they had heard of the two
battles.  “This warrior,” Harold put his arm on my shoulder,
“also defeated the Welsh champion Gryffydd of Rhuddlan who had
singled him out for combat.”