Ragnar the Murderer Read Online Free PDF

He came closer to her and knelt by her. They were out of sight of the other huts and he put his head in her lap. She gingerly touched his feathery hair and again thought of Ragnar’s unruly chestnut locks which seemed to have a life of their own.
    Eadbald rubbed his head in her lap, putting his face downwards and pressing his nose between her legs. He took a great sniff, and made a slight moan. She froze. Luckily she had tucked her skirt well in around her.
    Where was Ragnar when she needed him? She prayed for him but to no avail.
    “ Oh, pardon me. I must control myself.” He lifted his face, drool on his lips. “I find myself wanting you more and more, and of course no other man will, so you will be grateful for an experienced lover like me.”
    “ Oh, there’s father,” she lied, making him look round.
    “ Where, I do not see- oh there he is.”
    She thanked God for the happy coincidence. Had her father heard her silent call for help?
    Eadbald leapt up and back to his seat, wiping his mouth.
    “ All going well?” asked Aldulf, not noticing her frozen, pale face.
    “ Oh yes,” gushed Eadbald. “Very well indeed. Your daughter and I are getting on splendidly.”
    “ I am glad to hear it. Let us talk about the wedding feast arrangements.”
    “ I’d like to use Cyneric’s hall if that is acceptable,” said Eadbald. He smiled lecherously at Aelfwyn, who looked away.
    “ Of course. Now, let us turn to the matter of the…”
    She sat there dumb, letting the men decide her fate.
     
     

Feower
     
    After Eadbald and his friends left, Aelfwyn set out with relief to the wood to fetch some kindling. She carried a large square of cloth in which to wrap the twigs in, it was frayed at the edges and she must weave another soon. Wondering what her life would be like after marrying Eadbald, she soon became lost in thought.
    At mid afternoon the leafless beech trees still looked cold and stark. The cold spring light penetrated the wood, removing the dark secretiveness of summer and autumn, when the trees’ leaves hid everything in shadow.
    Turning to search in a different place, a figure waited for her half a gyrd away. He had very blond hair, the sight of which jolted her. She stood up, preparing to run.
    “ On your own, tiny woman?” asked Kjartan.
    She turned and ran, dropping her bundle of firewood. Blindly stumbling away, she could hear him laughing. The dry, cold leaves and twigs cracked under her feet. Her mother would be furious if she didn’t return with the kindling. She would have to wait until Kjartan had gone before she went back to fetch it.
    Then she ran straight into someone. Or rather, into his chest. She recognised the same Huskarl uniform as Kjartan’s and knew she was trapped. Horrible thoughts ran through her mind, but she forced herself to look up, at Ragnar.
    Now her thoughts were confused. Was he Kjartan’s accomplice? Was he here by chance, or design? Was he going to-?
    “ What is wrong?” He interrupted her thoughts.
    “ I- I must get home, I- my mother-“
    “ Tell me why you are scared.”
    “ Kjartan, he- he is your friend and-“
    “ He is not my friend! What has he done?”
    “ Nothing! But he was going to! He called me tiny woman, he asked if I was alone, he-“ Her speech dissolved into incoherence.
    He put his arms round her. She tried to escape but he soothed her by stroking her hair until she calmed down.
    “ Are you going to rape me now?” she muttered, still frightened but accepting she could not escape.
    “ No! Kjartan-“ He bit his tongue because she resumed shaking at the mention of his name.
    “ Why are you here with him then?”
    “ We have to collect firewood as our duty. I don’t want to work with him, but… no choice.”
    She still slumped against him.
    “ Come on.” He lifted her up into the branch of an ash tree. “He can’t hurt you up here.”
    Their eyes met and they smiled at the ridiculousness of the situation. Kjartan could easily reach her,