Ragnar the Murderer (16 page)

Steinar took a deep breath. This had to be done, however unpleasant. Ragnar had to be saved.

He accompanied the Jarl on horseback. Being of high rank, Thorvald had been trained to ride a horse but Steinar had learned by trial and error. So they progressed slowly, the horses picking their way over the uneven stones near the river bed. Four Huskarl bodyguards accompanied them, three chosen by Steinar for their steady, calm temperament, and Bjarni, as he knew where they were going.

Summer had arrived fully now, and the mating calls of birds filled the air. The river murmured seductively over the stones, water gushing freely on its way.

“
Is it those caves?” asked Thorvald, his eyes narrowing as he appraised the surroundings.

“
Yes, we should dismount here, it’s too difficult for horses after this.” And of course Steinar didn’t want the couple to be disturbed by horse footsteps crunching over the ground.

They tied the animals to trees and stole towards the cave. To Steinar’s dismay, two other horses were tied nearby, but luckily they were unremarkable animals. The lady Yngvild didn’t have a favourite horse.

“
We should be careful,” warned Thorvald. “Someone has beaten us to it.”

The group drew their swords.

“
Let me, my lord.” Steinar crept forward to ascertain who or what was in the cave. He half wished he would find no one there, but Ragnar’s life depended on revealing this dirty secret. What he saw made his eyes widen.

Feowertiene

Torches flamed in the rock crevices, lighting the scene clearly.

Kjartan stood with his back to the cave entrance, white-blond hair loose down his tanned back and wearing only his leather belt. Yngvild lay on her side on the bear skin bed, naked, her full breasts
quivering, her ample hips curving up from her tiny waist.

“
You’ve been a very bad girl!” he said. “Now I must punish you.” He took his belt off.

“
Oh, no, please don’t beat me,” she begged, giggling.

“
I wasn’t thinking of beating you. Bend over the bed.”

She did so and he entered her roughly from behind, both giving primitive groans.

Now Steinar felt satisfied the Jarl couldn’t mistake what they were doing, and hurried to fetch him.

“
You should see this, my lord. Not you!” he snapped to prevent the Huskarlr seeing it too. No point humiliating the Jarl unnecessarily.

Thorvald gripped his sword and stepped forward. Steinar waited at his shoulder.

“
This will- teach you- to polish- my weapon- every- night-“ Kjartan said between thrusts, clasping Yngvild’s waist with both hands.

She made half groaning, half giggling noises.

“
Oh, I’m such a bad girl, I feel so punished!”

The Jarl gasped. Unfortunately Kjartan and Yngvild were making so much noise, they didn’t hear, and kept going. Kjartan picked up his sword which lay conveniently nearby and waved it, slashing at the cave wall, then threw it to the ground with a clang as he gave an animal growl and shuddered. Yngvild’s moans reached a crescendo at the same time, then she subsided.

He drew himself out and crawled onto the bed. She climbed on to it as well and cuddled up to him, their breath coming in gasps.

“
Oh, I needed that,” she puffed. “You’re a real man, not a politician like Thorvald.”

At this, the Jarl’s shock broke. He stepped into the cave with Steinar hovering behind him.

“
So this is what you do while I’m away!”

Even Steinar jumped at the volume of his shout. Kjartan and Yngvild almost fell off the bed and she grabbed a bear skin to cover herself, pointlessly.

Thorvald strode into the room, his hand on his sword, drawing himself up to his full height.

“
How long has this been going on?” He stood a few paces away from them, snarling with rage.

Yngvild couldn’t make a coherent sound, just stuttering noises. But Kjartan sat up on the bed and glared at his rival. Steinar tensed, unsure what would happen.

“
I should kill you both now,” said Thorvald coldly.

“
But my lord,” Steiner found his voice, “how would that serve justice?”

Thorvald turned, and Kjartan took the opportunity to get off the bed and grab his clothes from the floor. He put them on, feeling more in charge than while naked, and threw Yngvild’s clothes to her.

“
How long has this been going on? I demand an answer.”

“
It started not long after you married her.” Kjartan’s voice was soft and mocking. Yngvild couldn’t meet her husband’s eyes.

“
So you’ve been pretending to be virtuous and pure for two winters?” Thorvald spat at her. “And pretending that you don’t want sex very often and-“ too humiliated to continue, he stopped.

“
Why did you have to show me this?” He turned on Steinar, who flinched. “Why couldn’t you leave me in my blissful ignorance?”

“
But- my lord-“

“
Wouldn’t you rather know?” asked Bjarni, who had appeared at Steinar’s shoulder, “instead of believing people are trustworthy when they aren’t?”

“
So this is why you’ve been praising Kjartan and whispering in my ear that he’s the best Huskarl and the most trustworthy?” Thorvald questioned his wife.

Yngvild rose from the bed, her eyes modestly down.

“
I’m sorry my lord. You are so often away, and I am alone among men with no feminine company. I needed someone to talk to.”

Thorvald hesitated, but he wasn’t in charge of the area for nothing.

“
You thought you would make an alliance with a Huskarl as insurance in case I was killed while away?”

She avoided his eyes.

“
And you?” He turned to Kjartan, his voice contemptuous. “To climb your way up the social order you had to climb your way up my lady’s legs?”

Kjartan shrugged. “As good a way as any.”

Thorvald stepped forward at this, and Yngvild gasped. They both spoke at once.

“
You cowardly and perverted dog!”

“
Didn’t I mean anything to you?”

Kjartan looked from one to the other, then to his sword, a pace away on the floor.

“
She means something to me, Thorvald. She is beautiful and like a crazed she cat when I’m inside her. She wanted my hard spear, not the wizened stick of an old man.”

Thorvald raised his sword but Kjartan, showing the speed of a whirlwind, leapt across the floor to his. They both stepped forward, but luckily Bjarni and Steinar were ready.

Bjarni grabbed Kjartan by the arms, pulling him towards the cave wall, while Steinar put his sword to Thorvald’s throat.

“
I’m sorry, my lord, but it would do no good killing him now. He must pay for what he’s done.”

Shaking with rage, Thorvald gradually calmed down. Bjarni hustled Kjartan away into the arms of the other three Huskarlr, who had seen the action and drawn their own conclusions. Before he could do this however, Kjartan made the sign for cuckold at Thorvald, who had to be restrained again by Steinar.

“
What shall we do with Kjartan?” asked the commander as he struggled with Thorvald.

“
I must be seen to treat him properly. I will arrange another Thing and he shall be put on trial. And my wife. She must be part of the trial too.” He set his jaw.

“
This is not the only way Kjartan has mislead us all lately,” continued Steinar and Thorvald’s struggles halted at once.

“
What?”

“
I think he has lied about the death of Eadbald, the potter of Byrnstanham.”

“
We will find out at the trial.” Thorvald,  mind still full of the sight of his beloved wife enjoying sex with another man, couldn’t take any more revelations. He had worshipped her pure and innocent demeanour, thinking her different to the other women, but to see her cavorting like a beast was too much.

*  *  *

The villagers greeted the additional Thing as a welcome distraction. The last one had been scandalous enough with the trial of Ragnar but this one promised even more to gossip about.

Everyone met in the same place as before, this time more onlookers gathering. The sun beat down, making them sweat.

However Jarl Thorvald sat alone in his carved chair today, at an angle to his wife and her lover, who were both shackled. The twelve Huskarlr were opposite.

“
Today we meet to discuss one crime,” began the Jarl, trying to keep the tremor out of his voice. “My wife, Yngvild, has been adulterous with the Huskarl Kjartan Flokisson, also known as Silverhair. We are here today to decide on the punishment for them both. I intend to divorce my wife, but I demand my honour be satisfied beyond that.”

Arnbjorn stepped up.

“
My lord. You were most unfortunate to have discovered your wife and her lover in the process of- in the act. Therefore your honour is gravely injured. The penalties are fines, exile or execution. It is the duty of the twelve Huskarlr today to decide on the most just of these penalties.

“
Firstly we must ask the lady Yngvild. You have dishonoured your husband with Kjartan. When did this relationship start?”

“
Soon after marriage. Two winters ago.” Yngvild’s head bowed, her voice soft.

“
Why so soon?”

“
Thorvald was away more than here. I didn’t know anyone and I was surrounded by men with no female company. Kjartan was the only one to bother to speak to me.”

“
So you lured him into your bed because of that?”

“
She didn’t,” interrupted Kjartan. “I seduced her.”

“
But I wanted it.”

They smiled at each other.

“
Hm,” said Arnbjorn. “It is unfortunate for the Jarl that he caught you in the act, as that is a far greater dishonour.

“
We must hear from him. Jarl Thorvald, please tell us what you saw and how you found out. I am very sorry to ask you this, but we must know.”

“
My trusted comrade and friend, Steinar, told me that a weapon horde had been found in one of the caves by the waterfall. We went there with bodyguards but instead of weapons, I found my wife having sex with that- that-“ He gestured at Kjartan.

“
You saw another type of weapon,” he sneered.

The Jarl stepped towards him, then thought better of it.

“
I see,” interrupted Arnbjorn. “Why did Steinar tell you it was a weapon horde?” He turned to the commander.

“
I heard that Kjartan was fucking the lady and thought my lord should know. He’d never have believed me if he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes,” replied Steinar.

“
And where did you hear about them?”

“
The Huskarl Bjarni Halldorsson told me. And he was told by Ragnar Long Reach.”

The crowd gasped, Jarl Thorvald and his Huskarlr company did the same.

“
Continuing. Steinar, you speak of Ragnar Long Reach, who is accused of murdering Eadbald of Byrnstanham? He knew previously that lady Yngvild and Kjartan Flokisson were having sex?”

“
Yes,” said Steinar.

“
Why did Ragnar not tell the Jarl? He was like a son to him, was he not?”

“
Don’t know. You’ll have to ask him.”

“
Call Ragnar Long Reach, and Bjarni Halldorsson.”

Some time passed while two Huskarlr went to fetch them.

“
Ragnar, when did you learn of Kjartan and lady Yngvild’s relationship?” asked Arnbjorn.

The shackled Dane’s auburn hair, unwashed and matted due to his imprisonment, hung down lankly over his back.

“
I went for a walk and caught them at it in a cave. They blackmailed me so I’d keep it a secret.”

“
Why didn’t you tell Jarl Thorvald?”

“
I- I didn’t want to upset him, or to risk being killed for telling him.”

A ripple of laughter went through the onlookers. The Jarl looked down ashamedly, the hot sun making his blush doubly uncomfortable.

“
Why did you tell Bjarni then?”

“
It’s well known that Bjarni is Ragnar’s bitch!” shouted Kjartan, straining at his shackles. “They tell each other everything when they lie together.”

Outraged murmurs grew and threats were shouted at Kjartan. tempers were short in the heat. Yngvild cowered behind him.