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are better than us." He stormed off to his friends who were by the south cliff.
    Haaken began to rise, "Leave him be, Haaken.  He is young and he will regret his words. Take it as a compliment that all such as he wish to become as you."
    Sigtrygg said, "I do not agree Jarl.  That one is a bad seed.  I agree with Haaken."
    "Let us not be hasty.  We have months ahead of us to discover what he is really like."
    We left on the early morning tide and sailed down the coast of Frankia.  It was a slow voyage for the winds were not favourable but my men did not row.  We had to keep pace with the knarr.  There was an uncomfortable atmosphere for Magnus Slender Legs and his three companions had obviously felt slighted by Haaken's comments.  I did not disagree with them but sometimes he could be a little blunter than he needed to be.
    We passed the land which had once traded with us.  As I had been told they were now closed to us because of raids by other Vikings and so we ventured further south.  Here the land became hotter and fewer Norse had raided. I hoped to find friendlier ports. I did not mind raiding but I preferred to do it after we had exhausted the possibilities of trade.
    Towards dusk Karl sighted a wide estuary. It looked a perfect place to rest for the night. There were wide beaches on both sides of the river but Erik was loath to risk drawing our drekar on to the sand.  "We know not how much tide movement there is.  I would sail further upstream where the effects of the tide might be less." He pointed to the knarr. "If they are grounded then we might lose both them and their cargo."
    "You are the captain. We are in your hands."
    And so we rowed a few miles upstream.  At first I thought he had made a mistake for the banks were lined with reeds but eventually we discovered a small beach on the northern bank.  We pulled closer to the bank and left the four ships anchored in the middle of the river while we waded ashore.  Some of the men went and trapped a few of the birds which nested along the river and we ate well that night.
    Haaken had had enough of Magnus Slender Leg's petulance and he put the four of them on sentry duty. He was a harder task master than I would have been. I wondered if Cnut's death had had a deeper impact on my friend than I had realised.
    As we ate the food I asked Aiden.  "Do you think this might be Vasconia?"
    "It could be, Jarl. But I have no maps of the area as it is now.  I just have the old ones from the times of the Romans.  They are useful for many things but the names of these lands change so much that I just do not know. This could be Vasconia or it could be further south.  The maps show this river.  There was a Roman fort somewhere along it."
    "But not at the mouth."
    "No Jarl."  After we had eaten and I lay down I found myself excited by this. It was exciting for we were in the unknown. None had ventured up this river. This was what I had missed back in my home; it was the challenge of something new.
    I was woken by Ulf Olafsson just before dawn. "Jarl, I can hear men moving down the river." He pointed upstream.
    "Wake the others but do so silently."
    I shook Aiden awake and put my finger to my lips.  He nodded.  I strapped on my sword and walked along the river bank in the direction Ulf had indicated.  I had no helmet.  I needed my ears but my sword was drawn in case of danger.  Aiden was behind me and I knew that Haaken and the others would be there too. Every few steps I stopped and listened.  On the third occasion I heard noises from ahead. I regretted not having Snorri and his bow with me.  I held my hand up so that the others would know there was danger. I saw a faint hint of dawn to the east. I knew that we would be in darkness for we were to the west.
    Suddenly I heard voices.  I did not recognise the language. I looked to Aiden.  He nodded.  He knew their words. He had mastered many tongues.  He and Erik could speak more languages than the rest of us.