Maroboodus: A Novel of Germania (The Goth Chronicles Book 1) (30 page)

Agin made sure it was true. I went to fetch Saxa’s ax and we left Snowlake burning. I kissed Saxa’s ring as we ran, and begged gods give her back to me.

T
o mirror our desperation, the weather was taking a turn for the worse. We were running through whipping wind, being pummeled by icy rain and everyone, including the hardy Svear, many of whom had wounds, was shivering uncontrollably as they jogged on. Some fell behind, and gods knew I would have loved to just lie down beside a mossy boulder and sleep. To make up for the men we started to lose, Agin was receiving reinforcements, but there were no more than some eighty men with us.

Agin was staring ahead as I jogged next to him, and he spoke of the battle in Wolf Hole. ‘The Goth, dog-humping bastard of Bero brought his men to us from two sides.’ He looked at me with respect. ‘Your Saxons did a good job with some of them, though. We found their victims all the way to Gunnvör’s village, where we learnt Hild never went there.’

‘Have you seen them?’ I asked, worried for the few that were left.

He smiled. ‘Boy, they probably went home. They paid their debt, right? Anyway, Bero surprised several families, even clans running to my banner that morning, but they also slowed Bero down. In the end we fought shield to shield, but they broke us and we fled. They killed forty men and took many women and burned the village. Luckily enough half took after you and we managed to pull out.’ He looked down at me. ‘You killed my father?’

‘I killed him,’ I said, puffing along, hot and shivering, wondering if he was bothered by the fact.

‘It was his time,’ he said steadily. ‘Too bad I wasn’t there to do it. He sent Saxa to our enemy.’

We passed a village that had been emptied, some halls burning after the passing of the Goths. Apparently we were on the right track. ‘Do you have any idea where Hughnot’s army is?’

‘Ahead? Someone will,’ Agin said, squinting at the wooded hills. ‘I’ve sent word to my chiefs and my people know how to track. But we’ll look by the Long-Lake. Hughnot had a lot of men. Some will have come over with boats and they’ll have to leave with boats anyway. Hughnot’s Spear Hall cannot be reached by walking across water. They’ll go out by boat.’

‘They had many boats in Marka,’ I panted. ‘Let’s hope they didn’t land too near your lands, but have to march across land some.’

Agin nodded to the hills ahead. ‘We run past Wolf Hole, cross the Three Forks, and start looking for them along the coast, and hope they haven’t left already.’ He didn’t sound hopeful.

Of course
they would have left, as fast as possible.

He went on, speaking tiredly, knowing it was likely so. ‘Be that as it may, I have scouts running up and down the hills, looking for signs. We are not sure of anything, but we will find out.’

‘And if they get back to Hughnot’s lands? Reach his damned Spear Hall?’ I asked. ‘Shall we go over the Long-Lake?’

‘Then,’ Agin said sadly, ‘we will die trying to get her back and yes, we’ll go after them.’

‘Damned madness,’ Maino spat behind us. ‘I’ll not go there after her. I’ll find my father.’

A Svea pushed him and Maino nearly fell, and was left behind, where he was pushed back to the column. ‘Brainless Goth,’ Agin grumbled. ‘I can see why you left your kin. That bit of fatty gristle would make anyone lose joy in life.’

‘We are not friends, and I rue the fact we are related,’ I said, and looked back at Maino, killer of Aldbert. I had restrained myself from attacking him after Agin’s rescue, and I was not sure why I had, but I was starting to regret that restraint.

Agin spat and coughed as we ran, having read my mind. ‘You did well not to. He will be useful, won’t he, if we meet his father?’

‘Exactly,’ I answered and nearly fell on a patch of mud.

‘What happened to my father?’ Maino asked from behind as he regained our lead. ‘Did he—’

‘Tried to gather his men,’ Agin spat. ‘We hurt them enough to slow them down and when you, boy, led half his men and nearly all his champions to chase after Maroboodus here, I think you might have forgotten his orders. He was left behind. If Hughnot missed him, he is alive still. If not, you can blame yourself for his death.’

‘I—’

‘You left him for your revenge,’ Agin laughed. ‘We’ll find him, dead or alive, but Hughnot first.’ He looked hard at Maino. ‘And you shall
not
go and find him on your own.’

Maino clutched his ax, but relaxed his grip, knowing better than to challenge Agin there. 

We surged through thick woods, and navigated the land, led by skilled Svea who knew the mosquito-plagued hills and valleys as well as their own halls. We could see the Long-Lake, then Wolf Hole, but there was no sign of life there. We kept going, crossed the Three Forks after hours of running, and we made good time after that, wet and cold.

Then, finally, a sweaty, leaf-covered Svea ran to Agin.

He was muddy, scratched, and out of breath and the column jogged slowly forward, as the man spoke to Agin, while trying to catch his breath. Finally, Agin clapped his back and went quiet, thinking hard.

‘What did he tell you? Where do we go?’ I asked him miserably. ‘We cannot run for much longer.’

‘No, we cannot, but we must,’ he said and squinted up to the hills again, as if expecting Donor to race across they sky in his flaming chariot, and provide us with answers, but he spoke, half to himself. ‘I hope they camped for the night.’

‘What do you mean?’ I asked. ‘Did you find them?’

He pointed his spear at a hazy string of hills on the horizon, by the lake. There was smoke rising from it. ‘That there is called the Dragon’s Tail. It’s a series of hills that squirms around a lush valley full of blueberry bushes and there are holy woods there, dedicated to Freya. The man said there are many boats on the shore by it, a dozen at least, and something strange is happening around one of the lesser hills. He said there was a small battle. Now there are smoke pillars rising, and the man said he thinks they are camping.’

‘How can he be sure they are camping?’ I asked. ‘You think Saxa is there?’

He grunted. ‘Smoke. There are no halls that can be burnt. That means they are camping, no?’

I felt relief, then elation, and finally so impatient I wanted to pass Agin and rush there headlong, but the column kept running at a sustainable pace and Agin slapped a hand on my chest as I tried to take the lead, and I brooded as we went on. ‘We must rush!’

‘We’ll go. In a bit we’ll exhaust ourselves. This is excellent, hopeful news,’ he grumbled happily. ‘This means we will have a chance, at least a chance. Gods sometimes drop men some small, sad morsels from their table, and now we’ll thank them and go,’ Agin said grimly. ‘We will be there, tired as dogs in the summer heat, half-starved, outnumbered by two to one, but we will be there.’

We ran, and found Hughnot.

And we also found Bero.

T
he Sunna was hanging low in the sky, giving no warmth after a dreadful night. The rays of the divine thing were blood-red through a hazy net of thin clouds, and there were some bright lights in the sky, twinkling coldly. We had lost men during the night. Some had been too hurt to go on, others had gotten lost, others deserted, but we still had seventy men and just before we reached the Dragon’s Tail, we found a tall, gaunt man barring the way, rising from a patch of blueberries. He wore the furs of Svearna, and with him there were fifteen men. Agin stopped, and leaned on his knees, gasping and gagging, shaking on his feet, and the troop fell left and right, groaning, cursing softly, the stragglers arriving far behind in ones and twos. I was one of them and cursed profusely at the chain mail I had liberated. It had been a horrible struggle to hold on to it during the night. I fell behind Agin, and vomited next to him, though my belly was mostly empty.

‘That the Goth?’ asked the newcomer Svea, staring down at me. ‘Looks weak as a newborn.’

‘That’s him, Fox,’ Agin said weakly. ‘Husband to Saxa.’

‘Trust her to find a man that unsuitable,’ the warrior snorted, and I entertained a vision of him hanging from a tree. ‘Looks like something I voided after a terrible hangover.’

‘I don’t seem much better,’ Agin complained. ‘Give him a damned break. This,’ Agin said with difficulty and nodded at the man, ‘is Fox. He is one of my warlords and apparently knows how to think on his own, as he is here. You have been following the Goths?’

‘You sent word. I spread men around and yes, we found lots of Goths,’ he said, still looking at me with disgust. ‘There is—’

‘Tell me,’ I gagged and struggled to my feet as I interrupted Fox. ‘Is Saxa out there?’

He shrugged, sucking in his breath. ‘Saxa? There are some women with them. As for her? She might be. I don’t know. Can’t be sure. I know none has left since they arrived. There are nearly twenty Goth boats on the shore by the hill, and they could have rowed out yesterday, but they decided to stay, and not one boat has been rowed out.’ Fox was smiling ferociously. ‘Why, you ask? Because they are besieging a fool. It was that bastard Goth that attacked our village, Crow Bero. This lot was heading for the boats, and Bero was caught napping near Wolf Hole. They fought a skirmish back there,’ he nodded to the west, ‘and were chased off. The huge band of bandits took Bero’s boats in Wolf Hole, a great many of their boats joined them in there, and here they finally cut off Bero’s retreat. They had chased him by the Lake, and through the woods and Bero could not run anymore. He has some fifty quivering Goths on the middle hill and the Lord below him, I think Hughnot, is a happy man. We saw him dance when Bero was surrounded. It looks like the Goths aim to kill each other. Who would have guessed? I know they have feuds amongst themselves, but—’

‘Hughnot has nearly two hundred men, though?’ Agin interrupted, scratching his chest. ‘Why hasn’t he just attacked and killed him?’

Fox looked genuinely astonished. ‘Why? Do I look like a Goth lord, privy to their councils? Do I sit there and give them advice while they serve me mead? No, they do not, and I do not,’ Fox said forlornly. ‘That shit-rooting Bero is negotiating with the turd Hughnot, in case you wish to know why they haven’t killed each other yet, but I don’t know what they are blathering about.’

‘My father would not negotiate with him,’ Maino said through gritted teeth, his face red from both the rigors of the run and the accusation. ‘Never! Not if his life depended on it. He is—’

‘A damned coward,’ I concluded and ignored the red-faced fool. ‘An indecisive bastard.’

Fox scratched his chin. ‘Well, lots of Goth adelings in the woods today. Bero’s son? Looks confused, doesn’t he? As for negotiation? He is a dead man if he doesn’t. He is croaking and begging. His life depends on the mercy of Hughnot, and he is negotiating. Lost his nerve. Your father, eh?’ Fox spat. ‘I don’t know what they are talking about, but it’s not likely the harvest.’

‘We have to find out more,’ I insisted. ‘Any way for us to get a prisoner?’

Fox looked at me blankly. ‘A prisoner? I doubt a simple Goth commoner would know anything more than I know, and I told you I’m no seer. The guards don’t know what they talk about up there, nor will they ever. They’d just gossip like girls.’

‘Are they all on this side of the hill?’ Agin asked, looking at the streams of smoke rising from below the hill.

Fox shook his head. ‘No, no, of course not! Bero would walk out, and it wouldn’t be called a trap, if it only had one wall, eh? I know there is a standard of a raven’s wings on this side, but there is another on the other side of the hill, where Bero is hunkered down. They have them well-surrounded, a near hundred on the west and east side, a dozen to scout the sides, but the raven standard on the east side was taken up the hill yesterday, and perhaps it will go up this morning. There, at the camp over the hill, there is a great young noble bastard who seems to do the talking for the hunters, and he doesn’t look like the sort of a negotiator who discusses terms, but tells them to surrender or die. Blond, broad chin, the man has. Sword, chainmail. He rides up in, arrogant as a king.’

‘Hrolf,’ I stated, and Maino frowned. ‘Hrolf commands the east camp. Hughnot the west one, and the old bastard guards the boats as well. Probably Saxa. He will not go far from the boats and keeps Saxa near as well.’

I sat down, and Agin looked at me shrewdly. ‘What are you wondering about? You had a look like this old man Gunther when he tried to dye old fox skins and sell them off as the very best quality, though he was always roaring drunk and got caught every time.’

I shook my head and looked at the lake that was glittering in the morning light. The waves were lapping on the muddy banks, and I could smell the burned timber. ‘Well, I know why they are negotiating.’

‘Blurt it out, you damned bastard of a dog-lord,’ Maino yelled. ‘My father is in danger!’

‘I’d piss on him if I could,’ I told him cheerfully. ‘But what part does Hughnot have in Boat-Lord’s plans? He’ll be going back to the old man on the island, but they needed you, the Svea and Saxa for alliance.’

‘To kill your family,’ Agin said. ‘To conquer lands in the south.’

‘Yes,’ I said. ‘The Boat-Lord and Gislin both wanted our land. But Whisper knew a lot about our family, spoke with Hughnot last year. The Boat-Lord’s greed aside, he wants something Grandfather, Friednot stole from him. Something they took away from the islands.’

Even Maino understood. ‘The sword. The Head Taker.’

‘And the ring,’ I said darkly. ‘Both are on that hill there.’ I thumbed that way. ‘The Boat-Lord hates our family for leaving Gothonia, but more for taking the family heirlooms with them. Hughnot wanted to wrest them from Bero’s cold hand; they wanted to make sure they could, with the Svea. With the turmoil I caused and Bero here without most of his men, he can. He was lucky, and found Ber, floundering around like a wingless duck.’

Maino blushed. ‘You had better watch out, Maroboodus, how you speak of my—’

‘You watch out, you simpleton,’ I said, and we both clutched our weapons. Agin slapped both.

He spoke after we let go of the weapon hilts. ‘That’s right. He got Saxa, but more, he found a chance at victory here in the woods. Hughnot is about to get all he desires soon, an alliance with the Svea for glory and lands later, and now even the items he hardly dared to hope would be so easy to—’

‘Gislin is dead, though. Many of the men in Snowlake as well. There is no leader in the west for a long time, probably. Saxa is worthless as a hostage, perhaps,’ I said and regretted it because I realized she was in grave danger. Maino’s eyes glittered with malice.

‘True,’ Agin breathed. ‘If he touches her, I’ll touch him. And he won’t enjoy it. But for now, he doesn’t know Gislin is dead, and let’s keep it that way for the time being.’

Maino stared at me blankly and shook his head. ‘Draupnir’s Spawn. He wants My father’s ring. The sword. But why negotiate? Why not just take them? What’s stopping him, eh? Just march up the hill, slit their bellies, get it over with? I’d—’

I shrugged. ‘The ring, at least, can easily get lost in the battle, no? Bero might threaten to destroy it if his terms are not met. If he has any terms. He’s probably witless with fear. But in theory, all Bero has to do is to bury it, or toss it away.’

Maino spat at my words, and I read such bloodlust and a wish for revenge in his eyes, I knew we’d soon be enemies again. ‘Now we have to figure out how to make the best of this messy situation.’

Agin opened his mouth. Fox as well, but both went quiet, brooding. Maino pressed his hands on his head, thinking, and I wished Saxa were there because she’d come up with an idea.

We stood there, silent, and wondered and soon the Sunna was higher, the fog was dissipating around us in the woods, men were crouching, eyeing us, and finally Maino pushed me.

‘We need to get up there and help him,’ he growled. ‘We cannot let him face all of them alone. It’s as simple as that. We all go up there and then we’ll fight.’

‘Like you helped Aldbert?’ I whispered in my frustration but shook my head. ‘He doesn’t have the balls to fight them,’ I told him. ‘And his ego won’t let anyone else lead. He is the ring carrier, no? He holds the Head Taker. How would we help him, if he were already resigned to giving up? Why else didn’t he try to leave the hill in the dark? He should have gone last night, taking losses, but running and escaping with what he could have salvaged. No, he stayed because he is listless with worry and about to cave in. We go in there; he might just sell us out to sweeten the deal.’

Maino opened his mouth to refute the claim but shut it so hard his teeth made a chomping noise. ‘Perhaps,’ he allowed after a time. ‘But the fact is he needs me. He’ll listen to me. We could sneak past and add our men to his after I speak with him.’

‘No,’ Agin said tiredly. ‘Our men on the top will not help. We are barely a match for one camp. We have to surprise them. Surprise them so that they’ll not recover. We cannot fight fairly. We have to attack them together, at the same time, from front and back. But Bero won’t help, will he? It won’t matter if you speak with him, boy.’

‘He is helpless, like a limp cock,’ I said, perversely enjoying the look on Maino’s face. ‘His champions are dead, he has no advice, few heroes left.’ I rubbed my face.

Agin sighed and nodded at Maino. ‘Do you have a better plan, though? Get him there, I say. Make a plan if Maino leads them.’

‘Finally words of sense,’ Maino said with hope. ‘Yes.’

‘He might lead them if Bero cannot,’ Agin said. ‘The men up there must be enraged at Bero’s cowardice. Come, let’s agree on a plan. How do we—’

‘How well is their camp guarded?’ I asked Fox while looking at Maino. How I enjoyed the look of hope on his beefy face, his hands shaking with eagerness.

‘It’s a small bit of hill there,’ Fox said and pointed a dirty finger on a hazy, wooded elevation at the middle of the Dragon’s Tail. Dragon’s Tail was a series of humps, with lower valleys in between the humps. ‘They have men north and south as well, but only guards. Hughnot’s is in a field below the hill, on this side, and they guard the boats, as I said. There are tracks that take them quickly to the shore of the Long-Lake, a dozen men guard the boats, and the tracks up the hill are very well guarded,’ Fox said carefully. ‘But I can get a few men anywhere.’

‘Fine. We’ll go there, up the hill. I’ll find a way and an opportunity,’ I said. ‘Surely Hughnot’s men are also tired, having run in the woods for days. They won’t be at their best. I’ll be fine.’

Agin raised his eyebrows. ‘You two go? No, let Maino go alone and we wait for word. Fox will go with him, in fact, and will wait below the hill. What guarantees do you have Bero won’t slit your gullet and leave you wallowing in the dirt? That’s why they came here after all. Quite a risk.’

‘It is,’ I said and stretched, groaning. I wiped some lingering bits of vomit from my beard. Then I pulled my sword and put it to Maino’s throat. He moved uncertainly, his face gray. ‘But Maino won’t go.’

‘What—’

‘Shut up, Maino. Fox and I shall go up the hill. He’ll show me where the guards are, and I will go all the way. You will stay with Agin here. That way Bero won’t disagree with me, or grow too timid when I suggest we fight Hughnot rather than run away or surrender. He loves his lovely little boy, doesn’t he?’

‘You would dare?’ Maino asked his face white, and I saw the rage in his eyes. He surged up and met Agin’s fist and fell like a limp sack of wheat.

‘Wanted to do that,’ Agin muttered and pointed a finger at some men. ‘Tie him up like a roast leg of goat.’ They grabbed him and did a thorough job. ‘How will this help with Saxa?’

‘Risky,’ I murmured as the birds started singing around us. It would be. It would be terribly dangerous. ‘It will have to be well-timed. I have an idea. Just like Maino’s plight will force Bero to fight for us, we will need something to keep Saxa alive when we attack. She might die if we just simply charge them. She won’t be far from Hughnot and he is no fool. He’ll have her skewered before we get anywhere near rescuing her unless my idea works.’

Agin rubbed his face. ‘So, how is battle going to help her?’

‘We need to have something Hughnot values,’ I told him. ‘Something he loves enough to stay his hand from slaying her, something he cannot do without.’