The Extremely Epic Viking Tale of Yondersaay (16 page)

“They also carried a longship on their shoulders. Usually in Viking times, and you may not know this, Dani and Ruairi, a longship was burned only at funerals. But not on Yondersaay. There have always been lots of very old people on Yondersaay, and not that many funerals. Yondersaanians rarely got a chance to burn a longship because of the lack of people dying. So it was long the tradition on Yondersaay that longship torching was no longer confined just to funerals, and the locals could and did perform the ritual at any big occasion, happy or sad.

“The villagers began gathering at the point chosen by the bride as the wedding venue. Brunhilda had decided against having the wedding at the harbor, an obvious choice since the sunset over the waves is exquisitely beautiful. It was too close to the promenade, the site of her groom’s embarrassment on not one but two occasions. She had decided against the clearing in the Crimson Forest for similar reasons, despite that spot coming alive in a chorus of animal music upon the setting of the sun. She didn’t choose anywhere on Mount Violaceous because her groom had fallen off the mountain so disastrously the day before. Instead, running out of options, Brunhilda chose as her wedding site the banks of the gargling brook by the clearing just beyond the dwelling place with the woods behind them and the shimmering sea in front.

“A stunning location without doubt, but Brunhilda was not to know that this was where Dudo had seen Ursula for the first time after his escape from the ice. Brunhilda was not to know that this was where, believing Ursula to be his Heart’s True Love, Dudo spoke to her for the very first time. Brunhilda was not to know that this was the spot upon which her groom was hurt more deeply than he had ever been hurt by any savage beast or by an adversary in battle.

“It was here on the banks of the gargling brook by the clearing just beyond the dwelling place with the woods behind them and the shimmering sea in front, that Dudo the Mightily Impressive, arriving for his marriage to the beautiful Brunhilda Thunder Thighs, realized that forevermore he would go through life an incomplete man. For it was on this spot that King Dudo the Mightily Impressive, crushed and broken, was coming to understand that he would never spend a year, a month, or even a day with his Heart’s True Love.

“Brunhilda was not to know this.

“He stood, balancing on his crutches, taking care not to move his wired jaw too much, thinking and waiting, as the islanders settled onto chairs and benches and stools behind him. Ursula approached him.

“‘Wintersuckle flowers,’ she said as she pinned some tiny flowers to his sleeve. ‘The bride’s handmaiden traditionally bestows these as a gift to the groom on the day of his wedding. They grow wild on the island and survive even the harshest of conditions. They represent continuity, stability, and fertility. May you and your bride have a long and loving life together, and may the gods reward your devotion to each other with many healthy children.’

“Dudo was taken aback by the sweetness and sincerity with which Ursula spoke to him. He saw a gentleness in her face that he had never seen before as she fastened the flowering buds to his clothing. ‘I am grateful for this gift,’ Dudo said to Ursula, and he looked into her eyes, deep into her eyes for the first time since he saw her on the ice. ‘Thank you. You make things seem very clear to me.’

“‘I do?’

“‘Yes, yes, you do.’

“Ursula blushed and started walking away. ‘I will bring your bride to you. As you are alone here on the island, Thorar will stand with you.’

“Dudo turned and welcomed the resplendent Thorar the Smoldering. Thorar smiled and slapped Dudo on the back. ‘My congratulations to you both,’ he said. ‘It is my pleasure to stand with you today.’

“Dudo instinctively turned to watch Ursula leave. He didn’t even realize he was doing it. Just as he was about to turn back and chat with Thorar, Ursula glanced back at him.

“Ursula saw Dudo looking at her, and Dudo saw Ursula looking at him. His heart soared. She reddened and looked away. Dudo turned back to Thorar, but he could not concentrate on what the warrior was saying. All he could think about was Ursula and the way she had looked at him just now.

“While he was deep in thought, soft music started up. The village musicians had fanned out along the bridge across the brook and were now playing sultry music that echoed and enhanced the atmosphere of the latening day. They played in the glow of the setting sun and the thousand candles laid out across the bridge.

“The birds were singing their evening tunes, and the night insects had started their mating songs when Brunhilda emerged.

“She truly was a striking bride—beautiful and radiant. White and flowing, her dress set off her raven hair, her blue eyes, her red lips, and ably presented the perfection of her form. It was clear to Dudo, as it was to everyone present, that this woman, his bride, was a natural beauty. From his conversations with her, Dudo knew her heart was just as pure and beautiful.

“Nevertheless, Dudo could not help his heart from yearning for the woman simply attired in an everyday dress with neither makeup nor jeweled adornment, who was walking quietly, her eyes on the ground, behind his bride.

“When the heiress reached the king, their hands were joined by an ancient man in flowing green robes. He was the resident ceremony-official-maker. Dudo had noticed him earlier, snoozing on the ground, propped up against a rock. He had been hoisted into position by the jarl and Thorar while everyone else’s attention was diverted by Brunhilda’s arrival. Dudo had never seen anyone so old.

“The ceremony-official-maker raised his arms, and the crowd quieted. He began, ‘It is with very heavy hearts that we gather here to mourn the loss—’ The jarl leaped with great speed to the ceremony-official-maker and whispered something in his ear.

“‘
What
?’ the old man shouted. The jarl whispered a bit louder. ‘
Oh, I see! A marriage, not a funeral
.’ The old man turned to the bride and groom and smiled. He slowly raised his arms, closed his eyes, and lowered his head. The assembled wedding guests, everybody on the island, awaited the old man’s pronouncement.

“The old man did not move. The jarl cleared his throat. The ceremony-official-maker was standing upright, his head bowed down as though in preparation, and his arms were raised in the air. After a minute, a soft snoring sound came from the old man and carried all the way to the back of the crowd. The jarl gave the old man a swift kick to the ankle. He roused himself with a snort and started speaking again as though he’d never stopped.

“‘We are here on this beautiful evening to celebrate the coming together in marriage of’—and here the old man paused, and his eyes flickered toward the jarl who coughed.

“‘Cough—Hilda!’

“‘Brunhilda! And …’ Again, the old man glanced toward the jarl.

“‘Cough—Udo.’

“‘And King Dudo of the Danes! Let us hear from the groom,’ the old man said and bowed his head again.

“Dudo turned to the assembled crowd. He looked into the faces of his would-be subjects. He thought briefly of the treasures buried deep beneath Rarelief’s roots.

“‘My liege,’ King Dudo said. He spoke loud enough for the entire congregation to hear, but he was addressing the jarl— a man who had been hospitable and generous when he had not needed to be. ‘This island represents the culmination of a lifetime’s dreaming. Yondersaay would be the jewel in the crown of Denmark. The young men of the island would be a huge asset to my Viking fleet. I would be honored and proud to go into battle with any one of you. My fellow countrymen would hail me as their greatest king for centuries if I were to sail home and proclaim Yondersaay mine.

“‘As you know, there have been songs sung and legends told of the mighty king who will single-handedly engineer the island’s surrender, who will possess the island despite its being hidden from view in the northern-most seas and inaccessible to the merest mortal. I have come to love this island over the past few days; it has come to feel like home to me. I have seen myself so many nights in my dreams as this one heroic king.’

“Here, King Dudo paused for a moment. He drew a deep breath and continued, ‘Your daughter is a genuine beauty. Brunhilda possesses a perfection of heart, mind, and body so pure as to bring light and hope to the most dejected. So it is, indeed, with the heaviest of hearts that I say to you’—and Dudo looked at the jarl and then turned to his bride—‘that I lay bare my soul and confess: I am not the king of the legends.’ Here King Dudo looked back at the jarl. ‘It sorrows me deeply to say I cannot marry your daughter.’

“The crowd drew a collective intake of breath. They gasped in shock. Soxolf the Unshod, silent when Dudo first met him, could plainly be heard, by everyone, to say, ‘He’s ditching her at the altar? What cretin would do such a thing?’

“‘I’m sure he has his reasons,’ Pal the Friendly whispered back.

“‘My lord,’ Dudo continued, despite the crowd’s rumblings getting louder and louder, ‘I must relinquish my life’s dream and leave your island disconsolate, empty-handed, and alone. I hope, nevertheless, my lord, that I will always be welcome at your table. You and yours will always be welcome at mine.’

“King Dudo turned to face Brunhilda. ‘It is with the utmost sadness and regret, Brunhilda, that I renege on my promise to marry you. That I should do it today of all days, on your wedding day, while you stand before me at the altar, is unforgivable. I have been a coward and a fool, and I should never have allowed myself to take our courtship this far. You have done nothing wrong, and I will be eternally ashamed at the way I have treated you, at the humiliation I have brought upon you, and the disappointment you must feel.’

“‘Actually, to be truthful, I really don’t mind,’ Brunhilda said, smiling and hugging Dudo. ‘Not at all. If we’re being a hundred percent honest, I could happily have gone either way.’

“Thorar beamed a glistening, white-toothed smile at Brunhilda. Brunhilda caught the smile and smiled widely back at Thorar.

“‘No, I know you’re just covering up your humiliation and disappointment,’ Dudo said, slightly affronted. ‘My poor, brave Brunhilda.’

“‘No. No, I’m really not, my king,’ Brunhilda said. ‘You are a very nice man, courteous and kind, but frankly, you’re not really my type. I’m more into men of action.’

“‘Men of action! I am King Dudo the Mightily Impressive!’

“‘If you say so.’

“‘Poor, sweet, broken-hearted Brunhilda,’ Dudo said, patting her on the head.

“Brunhilda shrugged at Dudo and turned toward Thorar the Smoldering, who came to her side and stood close to her. So close that no one in front of them could see that secretly, behind their backs, they were holding hands.

“Dudo turned to address the jarl once more. ‘I feel I owe you an explanation, my liege. I have met my Heart’s True Love. I simply cannot take another as my wife. It is therefore with ease that I give up this island and the glory it would bring. I would happily give up my throne and my entire fortune for just one day with her. For she is my Heart’s True Love.’

“‘I see,’ the jarl said.

“‘It just so happens that this woman, a woman who has spurned me, I might add, is not”—Dudo indicated Brunhilda—“the heiress of Yondersaay. In fact, she is a simple peasant.’

“Throughout all of this, as he spoke, as Brunhilda and Thorar were secretly united, Dudo was aware of Ursula, standing still a few feet away, looking straight ahead. He did not turn toward Ursula as he spoke of his Heart’s True Love, nor did he indicate her in any way, nor so much as glance at her. He was simply aware of her.

“The gathered crowd took in the news that there would be no party. This was disappointing. They were all dressed up now. Soxolf had washed his feet and everything. The people whispered among themselves, trying for the life of them to come up with some reason, any reason, to keep the party on as scheduled. Dudo, in this moment, as the crowd got louder and louder chatting among themselves, allowed his mind to wander.

“His mind paced its way back to all of his encounters with Ursula, from seeing her on the ice to now, this moment. He remembered something, or he figured out something. At least, something occurred to him that hadn’t occurred to him before.

“When Dudo had tried to talk to Ursula at the brook and she blanked him, it hurt. It hurt even more when, seemingly unmoved by the encounter in any way, she had hummed a song to herself. Ursula, Dudo now realized, hummed the same song when he saw her in the woods, and the same song was on her lips while she conducted her menial tasks around the dwelling place. In fact, every time King Dudo had seen Ursula, every single time, either as he encountered her or as she wandered away from him, she was humming the same song.

“His mother’s song.

“The song Dudo sang to the bear on the ice.” Granny said and paused to look at Dani and Ruairi who were bouncing up and down with excitement.

Dani leaned into Ruairi and whispered, “I knew it!”

Granny went on. “The assembled islanders were still chattering away to one another about how and where to best continue the festivities. Their attention was no longer on the wedding party in the clearing; they were neither watching nor listening to what was going on.

“Dudo turned to look at Ursula with his realization fresh in his mind. Ursula had not moved an inch; she was still standing off a little to the side, looking straight ahead.

“‘Look at me,’ he said.

“Ursula did not move.

“Dudo limped over to her and softly repeated through his wired jaw, ‘Look at me.’

“Ursula looked at the king, and for the first time, Dudo saw what she had not allowed him to see all this time. Dudo saw his heart in her eyes. He saw his love for her reflected there. He saw what he had been looking for his entire life.

“‘I will go away now, and you will never see me again,’ Dudo said to her almost in a whisper. ‘Just tell me one thing before I do.’

“‘If I can, my lord,’ Ursula said.

“‘Tell me you do not love me,’ Dudo said.

“Ursula did not speak. She looked away from Dudo; she looked to the jarl and to Brunhilda, trying to get them to tell her what to do. They looked back at her, but their faces held no answers. Ursula turned back to the king and said in a low voice, ‘I cannot tell you that.’