Sigrun's Secret (22 page)

There was a thump and Thrang’s voice was raised in protest. Heavy footsteps thundered down the stairs and some seven or eight armed men burst upon us. Maria screamed, and I cried out in terror. Two of the men made, not for my father, but for Leif and pinioned him between them. My father drew his own sword and rushed to his defence, but the tallest man cried out: ‘Put up your sword! We’re the king’s men, and any injuries will be punished!’

Father fell back, looking confused. ‘What’s going on?’ he demanded.

‘You have no business bursting into my house,’ roared Thrang, running down the stairs after the men, sword in hand. ‘What in Thor’s name do you want with my son?’

The tall man moved to stand in front of Leif. I saw his face and recognized Thorvald, the king’s eldest son. ‘Leif Thrangsson,’ he said, ‘we’ve been sent to bring you before the king.’

I looked from Leif to Thorvald in confusion. What was going on? If the king wanted to see Leif, why did he not just send a message?

‘And I tell you again, Leif had nothing to do with it,’ shouted Thrang.

‘To do with what?’ asked Leif, looking as perplexed as I felt. ‘What’s the matter?’

‘They’re arresting you, Leif,’ said Thrang. ‘On the king’s orders.’

‘Arresting … ?’ I murmured, not quite understanding. My father put a finger to my lips and I was quiet. He pulled me close, one arm tightly around my shoulders.

‘Where were you last night, Leif Thrangsson?’ asked Thorvald. ‘Can you account for yourself?’

‘I escorted these two ladies to Chieftain Thorhall’s house in Fossgate,’ said Leif slowly. ‘The chieftain’s wife was having a baby and Sigrun is a midwife.’

Thorvald looked round at me and bowed very slightly. ‘I apologize for bursting in on you like this, Sigrun,’ he said more quietly, ‘but we have reason to believe … ’ He left his sentence unfinished, and turned back to Leif. ‘And you stayed there all night?’ he asked, his voice hard again.

‘No, I left them there, and went back to collect them later. What’s this about?’

‘And what did you do in the meantime?’ continued Thorvald, ignoring his question.

‘Wandered around, had a drink or two. It’s really none of your business.’

‘But you didn’t come to the feast even though you’d been invited.’

‘Would you show yourself at a feast with a face like this?’ Leif asked him, indicating his bruise.

‘And how did you get that?’

‘I was attacked in the street,’ muttered Leif. I could sense his discomfort, lying in front of all these people.

‘That’s not true, is it?’ said Thorvald, perceiving the lie at once.

‘I don’t need to answer your questions until you answer mine,’ said Leif angrily, trying to shake off the men who held him.

Thorvald smiled unpleasantly and folded his arms across his broad chest. In the middle of all the confusion and panic, I noticed that he was looking fully recovered from both his illness and his wound.

‘You were given that bruise by Eadred, for trying to seduce his daughter, weren’t you?’ demanded Thorvald. ‘And now she’s disappeared, and you have no explanation of where you’ve been.’

‘What do you mean she’s disappeared?’ demanded Leif. ‘What’s happened to her?’

‘We’re hoping you can tell us that,’ said Thorvald. ‘Eadred is with the king, and very angry. He’s accused you of abducting her. The king is taking this seriously. If you’re found guilty you’ll be put to death.’

‘No!’ cried Thrang.

He rushed forward to protect his son, but two of the men held him back.

‘Father!’ I whispered, terrified, clutching his arm. ‘We must do something!’

Had Leif really been with Leola last night? Even if he had, he didn’t deserve death.

Leif was dragged away, still shouting and protesting his innocence. Thorvald paused beside me for a moment, looked as though he was going to say something, but then followed his men to the stairs.

‘We will do something, Sigrun,’ father said quietly. ‘But I’m sure the king will hear him out and this will be resolved happily. There will be witnesses and people to speak for Leif.’

I wasn’t so confident. A wave of nausea swept over me. I was terrified for Leif. I’d been afraid Leola would bring trouble on him, but there was no satisfaction in being proved right.

‘Bjorn, I must follow them, and see what I can do to help,’ said Thrang. His face was white, his voice hoarse. ‘Will you come with me?’

‘Of course,’ said my father at once. He turned back to me. ‘Sigrun, we’ll do what we can. I promise.’ He stroked my cheek briefly. ‘You’re exhausted, my dear child. Get some rest. We’ll have Leif back here for you before you wake up.’

He gave me another hug, snatched up his cloak and followed Thrang from the house.

I tried to rest, but it was impossible to lie still with thoughts of Leif under suspicion, and in such danger. I had no experience of kings and their ideas of justice. Would he even listen to what Leif had to say? I sat up abruptly, a cold sweat breaking out all over my body.

‘They won’t execute him at once, will they?’ I cried out.

Maria laid a soothing hand on my shoulder.

‘No, Sigrun,’ she said. ‘Not today. You need rest, then maybe we can help him.’

I didn’t know if she was right or not, but her words soothed me a little. I lay back down but tossed and turned while my body and head ached with tiredness and worry. Then, quite unexpectedly, I fell into a deep sleep. I didn’t wake until the middle of the afternoon, and then started upright, feeling guilty. Maria was asleep beside me and my father was sitting quietly at a table on the other side of the room. I wondered if it was his arrival that had woken me.

‘What did the king say?’ I mumbled, the mists of slumber still curling around my brain. ‘Where’s Leif?’

Father crossed the room and crouched down beside me. ‘Leif is detained,’ he said. ‘I’m sorry, Sigrun, the evidence looks very heavy against him.’

‘Detained where?’

‘The king has a prison.’

‘I must see him. He was with Maria and me most of the night. If I could talk to him … ’

‘No one may visit him, Sigrun, it’s forbidden.’

‘But what will be done with him? Who will decide whether he’s telling the truth?’

Bjorn shook his head. ‘It’s decided on the whim of the king. Thrang says some prisoners are left for months in the prison and then executed or released quite suddenly, according to his mood. But don’t cry, Sigrun. All may yet be resolved.’

‘I’m so afraid for him,’ I said, wiping away hot tears.

There were footsteps on the stairs again, and Thrang appeared, looking haggard and weary.

‘The king has gone out of Jorvik on business,’ he said, sitting down heavily, unbuckling his sword and throwing it on the table with a clatter. Beside me, Maria awoke, and sat up, bleary eyed.

‘And what comes to Leif meanwhile?’ asked my father.

‘He remains where he is until the king returns or he tells us where Leola is hidden. Meanwhile the king’s son is in charge, and a more unpleasant fellow than Thorvald is hard to imagine.’

‘But Leif doesn’t know where she is!’ I exclaimed. ‘I’m sure of it.’

Even as I said this, a sneaking doubt made me squirm a little. I knew Leif was desperately in love. But so that he would steal Leola away? I truly didn’t know what to believe.

‘I’ve spoken to Eadred. He insists he caught them together just yesterday. Leif doesn’t deny it. And then the girl vanished that very night.’

‘Can Leif not say where he was?’ I asked. ‘He was at Thorhall’s with us for several hours.’

‘He’s very vague, the young fool,’ said Thrang. He laid his head in his arms and groaned aloud. I got up quietly and went to fetch him some ale. When I placed it beside him, he thanked me, but didn’t manage a smile.

‘I told the king that Leif had no intentions towards the Saxon girl,’ said Thrang. ‘That we’d been deciding his engagement to you at the very moment the soldiers came in. But he wouldn’t listen.’

I wanted to object, strongly, to Thrang spreading the word of our engagement. Neither Leif nor I wanted it. But it was not the time to say so if it could help Leif to be freed. My insides twisted again with fear for my friend. I had to do something.

That night a half-forgotten memory began to trouble me. Something that connected Thorvald and Leola. What was it? I didn’t remember until halfway through the night when I suddenly woke with the image of the golden bracelet in my mind. Leola had the same bracelet as Thorvald had given me. Had it been a gift from him? Was he her secret lover? I remembered his half-apologetic manner towards me as he took Leif, and wondered if I’d solved the riddle.

Early the next morning, I set out alone, wearing the golden bracelet, telling Maria I was going to see a neighbour with the gout and there was no need for her to come. Once out of the house, I hurried through the crowded streets to the jewellers’ quarter. There were many stalls there to choose from, and I went from one to another, asking who’d sold the bracelet. None recognized it.

‘That’s not Jorvik made,’ said one man at last, examining the working of the gold carefully. ‘I’ve never seen that style, and I know all the goldsmiths working here. I’d say that was made in foreign parts: bought at Hedeby or Dublin perhaps.’

‘Thank you. Thank you for your help,’ I said to him.

I went to the king’s house next. The guards stopped me at the door.

‘I’m Sigrun, Thorvald’s healer,’ I told them with more confidence than I felt. ‘I’ve come to check on his wound.’

The guards conferred together and asked someone inside the house. At last they let me in. I stepped nervously out of the cold into the warm, smoky hall.

I was kept waiting a long time, sitting on the benches near the fire, twisting my cloak restlessly in my hands, trying out in my head all the things I could say to Thorvald. Most of them sounded stupid and I dismissed them, growing steadily more uncomfortable the longer I waited. I began to wish I’d brought Maria with me after all.

At last I was called in to see Thorvald. He was sitting in his father’s room receiving visitors and I could feel his keen enjoyment of being in charge. When I entered the room, he nodded to dismiss his attendants. I stood awkwardly before him as he lounged at his ease in the king’s great carved chair.

‘What is it, healer-girl?’ he asked at last. ‘My leg is quite recovered, as you well know.’

‘I’m pleased to hear it,’ I said and then hesitated.

Thorvald grinned. ‘Let’s not pretend. I know why you’re here. It has to do with that scumbag merchant’s son who’s made off with Leola. Am I right?’

I frowned. I disliked how much Thorvald was enjoying this. I could feel the satisfaction and pleasure in him. ‘I believe he’s innocent,’ I said.

‘So you’ve come to plead his case? A betrothed maiden would always believe her man innocent, even if he’s been seeing another woman. Why would I take your word?’

I took a deep breath to steady my nerves. ‘No,’ I said. ‘I haven’t come to plead for him. I’ve come to ask what
you
know about Leola’s disappearance.’

‘Me?’ Thorvald looked astonished. ‘Are you accusing
me
of making away with the wretched girl?’

‘Perhaps,’ I said. ‘I have reason to believe there is some connection between the two of you.’ I paused, aware that I needed to be cautious about what I said. I suspected that Thorvald was the father of Leola’s baby, but I couldn’t say so in case I was wrong.

Thorvald sat very still. ‘What makes you say that?’ he asked.

‘I noticed that she wears the same bracelet that you gave me,’ I told him. I shook back my sleeve to reveal the golden serpent. ‘The Midgaard Serpent is a strange thing for a Saxon girl to be wearing, wouldn’t you say?’

‘Leola has many admirers,’ Thorvald replied coolly. ‘Any number of them are Norse. Why me?’

‘You’re right of course,’ I agreed. ‘But the thing is: these bracelets weren’t made here in Jorvik. I asked the jewellers. They were bought abroad. By someone wealthy.’

‘What are you saying?’ demanded Thorvald.

‘I’m not saying anything. I’m asking you. Do you know more than you are saying about Leola’s disappearance? You can’t let our friend lose his life for something he hasn’t done.’

There was a long silence between us. We watched one another warily.

Then Thorvald leaned forward. ‘Listen,’ he said, ‘I may have had a passing fancy for the girl once. I may even have visited her a few times. But I haven’t seen her in months. I’ve no idea where she is now. For all I know, Eadred is right that it’s Leif hiding her.’

There was a sincere note in his voice that couldn’t be mistaken. I felt sure Thorvald was telling the truth. I was bitterly disappointed. If it wasn’t Thorvald, then who could it be? ‘Very well,’ I said slowly. ‘I believe you. But I need to see Leif.’

‘That’s out of the question,’ said Thorvald at once. ‘No visitors. The king’s orders. Sorry.’

‘I helped you when you needed it,’ I said quietly.

‘And you were paid well for your trouble.’

‘I was, but that’s not why I came. I would have done the same for you if you’d been too poor to pay at all. Please,’ I said earnestly. ‘I beg you. I just need to see him.’