Varangian (Aelfraed) (18 page)

“I know Aelfraed but I would go back to the times when we fought for your father.”

“Ah but we can never go back.”

Aidan gave a small cough.
  “Have you never thought of embracing the Church my lords?  You can find much comfort in God and Christ.”

“I dare say, Aidan, but when you have seen the cruelty we have you wonder if the God who allows that is your kind and thoughtful God.”

“But you believe in God do you not?”

“I believe in a
god but I think there are other forces directing us.”

He shook his head. “I can see the pagan world in you two.”

I waved a hand at the men behind us.  “I think you will find it close to all of the men who follow us.  They would all rather die with a sword in their hand than a cross. You are welcome to be a priest to them Aidan but do not be surprised if they do not embrace your ideas. To a man of God, your God is understandable and reasonable but to a man of war he is not.  We do not turn the other cheek.”

I did not mind Aidan’s attempts to change me.
  It was his job just as my job was to fight.  I think I did my job better for he never convinced us but I became even better at fighting and killing in this new Byzantine world.

Constantinople 1076

By the time we had reached Constantinople my wounds had healed and both Ridley and I could speak Greek well.  We could even speak some words in other languages. This was our life now; living in a world far removed from England. We bade a sad farewell to Aidan as we landed.  He had helped us immeasurably and, as a healer, he had saved many of my men’s lives. He would go back to the palace and his duties as a clerk. For a brief time he had been a priest once more but he had failed to convert any of us to his ideas.  My men were still the warriors they had always been. What delighted me was the swagger of them as they stepped proudly off the transports.  They had been involved in the most fighting of any of the warriors on the campaign and they had emerged with the most glory.  While they had not been lacking in confidence when I took charge now they were brimming with I and it showed.  I allowed Egbert, Edward and the others to lead them through the city.  We were the first to return as we were the easiest to transport and they enjoyed the cheers of the crowds.  Word had got out that the danger in the east had been averted and that the rebels had been captured.  We had spent some time securing the province and Roussel had been returned for over a year with Nicephorus taking much of the credit for his capture. I suspected Nicephorus had spread that tale.

Ridley and I headed for Isaac as I was keen to know what had become of my comrades, Eric in particular.
  While on the road I had worried about the youth and, although I knew that Snorri and Ragnar would watch over him I still felt a certain responsibility to his father. The journey took much longer than on our previous visit; the people seemed happier and more optimistic.  The streets were thronged and business in all of the shops and markets looked brisk. The threat from Roussel having been averted meant that life was easier. The name of Alexios was on everyone’s tongue.  Now that we understood their language it was easier to hear what they were saying.

Isaac’s premises were in the Pera, close to the other traders and merchants such as the Venetians and Pisans.
  Our last journey there had seemed swift and we were ready for the coolness of the interior when we arrived after the heat of the street.  He was delighted to see us.  “I have heard, my lord Droungarios, of your triumph.  When you and your Saxons defeated the Normans there were great celebrations in the city.”

I had forgotten what it was like to live in a civilised place where news could be delivered swiftly and one did
not have to rely on hearsay. “Thank you Isaac and we may be back for some time now.  We will be receiving our back pay tomorrow and we will return to invest it with you.”

“I am honoured that you trust me so.”

“Where are Eric and the others?”

He smiled, “Eric is here, he works for me now in the mornings and he is free in the afternoon to continue his studies in the libraries of the city. Eric, come to the front! We have guests.”

When Eric emerged from the back I almost did not recognise him.  Gone was the Danish boy and before me stood a perfumed, Greek scholar dressed in fine silks and with oiled hair. He made a slight bow and then rushed to see us.  He kissed us both on the cheeks.  Perhaps because we were still road weary and soiled but he smelled overly perfumed; despite the changes he looked well.  “No need to ask how you are doing, you have prospered.”

“Isaac has been kind and with the money from the voyage we live quite comfortably.”

“We?”

“Ragnar, Snorri and I share a house.”

“Snorri did not go back to war?”

“No it was not for him. I do not think his heart was ever in it.”

I could not understand that; Snorri had been one of the best warriors who had ever fought beside me.  He was the equal of Aedgart and Osbert which was the highest praise I could give. “What does he do?”

“He works with wood and Ragnar helps him.
  He is highly skilled and makes fine boxes and furniture which are much sought after by the rich of the city.”

“And you Eric, how do you fill you
r afternoons?”

“I spend my time in the libraries.
  I can now read and write in Arabic as well as Greek and I have begun to write poetry and histories of some of the Emperors from the past.  It is wonderful here for there are many such as I who like poetry and song.  It is different from home.”

“But they had songs and sagas at your home in Hedeby.”

He laughed and it was a high tinkling laugh which seemed to suit the perfume and the clothes he now affected. “No that was barbaric, with hairy men spilling their beer and chanting.  Here it is more civilised.”

I could see that Ridley was not convinced but the Norns had spun their threads and he was happy.
 
Wyrd
had sent him here. “We are here for a while.  We will try to visit you.”

He almost clapped his hands with delight.
  “Oh do.  Come tomorrow evening for some food.”

“Where do you live?”

“Just off the Makios Embolas close to the tower which is the biggest landmark along that street.  When you pass the tower ask for the shop of Eric and Snorri.”

As we headed back to the barracks Ridley looked perplexed.
  “He has changed.”

“I suspect we all have.”

“No I mean, was it just me or did he smell like a woman?”

I laughed.
  “I don’t know if you have noticed Ridley but many people in the east smell of perfume and they avoid us for I fear that we stink!”

He looked indignant.
  “I do not stink! But he seems a different person now.”

“Did you like him still?”

“Of course but be seemed different.”

“Do you remember in Jorvik, when you had your berserk moment?” He nodded.
  “Well I was busy fending people away from Reuben because they thought that he was different.  We cannot all be the same and I would not wish it so. If Osbert met us now he would say we were different.”

“Not me!”

“Did you trim your beard, or comb your hair in Medelai?”

“Well no.
  We were living in the wild.”

“For the past few months we have been on the road but you have begun, as have I, to look a little cleaner.”

“Well that is just because the other officers all do so.”

“Exactly we want to fit in and Eric is doing t
he same.  He is fitting in with the other poets and scholars.  Change is not a bad thing Ridley.”

He was silent for the rest of the journey.
  I knew Ridley and this was what he did. He ran the new ideas through his head and worked out the answers himself.  He would see what I had seen but it would take him a longer walk to do so. Ironically the first thing we did back at the barracks was to go to the bath house and enjoy the rest of the afternoon in hot baths, cold plunge pools and then a massage and an oiling of the body. Andronikos had told us of the pleasures as had Egbert and Edward.  I think Ridley was more impressed by the recommendation coming from fellow Saxons than the Greek but he enjoyed it none the less. That evening we were shown, by the men, to our officer quarters.  Ridley and I both had our own chambers complete with bed and chests for our war gear while the others shared one room.  This was different from the crude camp in the forests north of Medelai and was a reflection of our new status and role.

The next day the Imperial Quartermaster came down to give us our back pay.
  It took time as the officious fellow scrupulously checked his lists. The cynical side of me thought that it was astute as they saved the money on those who died.  We were, however, well paid and Ridley could not believe the purse he received. Edward explained that we received a bonus from the money levied from the captured cities and the ransomed knights; a totally different experience from that of fighting for your beliefs. We were given the rest of the day off as Alexios wanted to brief the Emperor before meeting with his officers. We decided to buy some clothes that were not for war; clothes which would be cooler in the hot streets of Constantinople.  Isaac advised us and we returned in the afternoon to pay him our money. He also agreed to buy us some wine for our quarters.  Much as we both enjoyed ale and beer, the east was not the place to find such drinks and so we followed the trend of Byzantium and drank wine.

When we reached the new home of our old friends I was impressed with it.
  The stonework was fine and there was a wonderful mosaic in the entrance.  Ragnar had not affected the Eastern style of dress and he knelt to kiss my hands.  I raised him to his feet.  “No Ragnar, we are friends now, old friends.  I am no longer your master.”

He mimed that I would always be his master and I shook my head.
  He and Ridley embraced and then Ragnar led us through to the courtyard which had a small fountain dotted around with lemon trees, olive trees and oranges. Before reaching Miklagård I had never even seen one of these exotic fruits and now my friends cultivated them! Even the functional and practical Ridley was taken with the serene qualities of this oasis in a busy city. I almost did not recognise Snorri when he emerged from the upstairs chambers with Eric.  He had shaved his beard and his hair was cut in the style of the Byzantines with oil slicked upon it.  He was dressed in flowing robes and, like Eric, heavily perfumed.  His eyes had not changed and I saw in them the real Snorri.  He strode over to embrace me.  “My lord, I am glad that you have returned from the east with so much success.”

“And I am pleased that you too have found success.”

He embraced Ridley and then said, “Success, peace and happiness.”

“You no longer yearn for the shield wall?”

He laughed, “Yearn for heaving sweating bodies and the likelihood of death?  No, my lord, I think not. Come sit and take some of this.”

He poured us a drink chilled with ice and flavoured with lemons.
  It was refreshing.  What a change from the lives all three of them had lived before they came to Constantinople and, as we sat at the table to eat I thought again about the Norns.  I was happy for them to chatter on about their day to day lives while I thought back to the thread which bound us. Had I not fought with Calum, Earl of Fife and fled to Leith I would not have boarded the boat to Denmark.  Eric would still be unhappy at his father’s court, Ragnar would still be languishing with the thralls and Snorri would be dead in the land of the Pechengs. One life, two if you counted Ridley as a separate being, affected so many others.

Eric, who was always sensitive to others, sensed my distraction. “Come Aelfraed, what of your life and your adventures?”

“You have probably heard much on the streets but it has been interesting.” I told them of our journey and Ridley added details which I had forgotten.

Eric nodded.
  “That is interesting, for Nicephorus, who returned last year told a slightly different tale.  Oh do not get me wrong you and Alexios were given credit but the ideas, the strategy were claimed by Nicephorus Botaniantes.” I could not speak in Isaac’s shop for, although I trust him, there are others there in the pay of the various factions in the city.  “Nicephorus is now a strategos and is close to the Emperor Michael who, it is said, tires of being Emperor.”

I could not conceive of tiring of such power.
  “So you are saying he is more powerful than he was?”

“I am saying that he is a good man to stay on the right side of for he may be the next Emperor or if not he will decide who the next Emperor will be.”

“He was just one of the staff when we left and now he has been promoted.”

“His family have influence and he is ambitious.” He shrugged, “When we read and study we also talk and many of the others have ears around the city.”

“What happened, my lord, to your wish to serve with the Varangians?”

“A Norseman called Olef, Snorri.
  He fought at Stamford and hates all Saxons in general and me in particular.  I was told in no uncertain terms that I would be dead if he or his men found me!”