TLV - 03 - The Sign of the Raven by Poul Anderson Read Free Book Online Page A

disquieted not to find Svein's among them. But surely his enemy had fallen, perhaps gone overboard and been sunk by his mail. This had been one trap the fox could not have escaped.
    He felt no great need of haste. Leaderless, Denmark lay open to him. Svein had many sons, but the oldest was still a boy, and the best of the Danish chiefs who might have supported him were killed. Some fighting would remain, though, so he let his men rest, sent the badly hurt home with the captured ships, kept anvils rin ging with weapons to be mended. Meanwhile, a few craft under Ulf went down to Sealand as scouts.
    Finn Arnason brooded alone; he was sunk into sullenness, and those who spoke to him got a short answer. Thora and Magnus began to yawn and urge Harald to start again. Out in the fields, the hamlet's folk went about their work, caring little that they had changed overlords; only Carl was absent, having discovered an errand which required he take his whole family elsewhere.
    The fleet was busking itself to sail when Ulf returned. It was a day of gusty winds and sallow light; the sea tossed noisy and anchor cables creaked. Harald hastened to the strand when he saw Ulf's ship grounding.
    "Well?" he cried. "Have you learned aught?"
    The Icelander walked slowly up to meet him. His face was a block of dark, scored wood. "I have ill tidings," he said.
    Harald waited. A cold dampness sprang forth on his palms.
    "The Devil guards his own," said Ulf. "Somehow
    Svein Estridhsson has gotten back to Sealand. He has rallied not only the broken fleet, but men who're swarming to him from the whole realm. Everyone told us his host was already grown huge, and we saw troops of armed men hastening along the shore roads."
    There was a crackling in Harald's head. Tatters of darkness wavered before his eyes.
    "You're mistaken," he croaked. "They lied to you."
    "No. I sent in spies who came from the Ranriki border and so could pass themselves off as Hallanders. Everywhere the war arrows were passing, and word that King Svein was back."
    "Don't call him king."
    "We've not enough strength to fare against him now." Ulf took his lord's arm and steered him toward his tent. "Next year ..."
    "Perhaps we should call him king after all." Harald gave a rattle of laughter.
    They entered the tent. No one else was there. Harald sat down on the bench and dropped his face into his hands.
    "How can it be?" he asked wildly. "Is it possible to lose every single fight and still win a war?"
    Ulf put an arm around his shoulders. "It's no mean foe you have," he said. "The man bends easily, but there's good steel in him and he springs back. Never erenow have two such kings met."
    "Many are they who have cursed me," mumbled Harald. "So many prayers for vengeance, so much witchcraft brewed in lonely places."
    "Are you one to heed old wives' chatter?" snorted Ulf.
    "God is patient," said Harald. "He can as well torment a man with a lifetime's failure as strike him dead."
    "No man escapes his weird," said Ulf, "but who knows what his fate may be? We'll try it again next year."
    "And the year after that, and the year after that . . . How long can we whirl about in this stinking pool?" Harald groaned.
    "Well, yes, we may find better work for our hands," agreed Ulf. "Denmark is not the whole Midhgardh."
    Harald looked up. "Once I thought to engulf the world," he said. "Now it seems I cannot even take a few bogs and heaths."
    "It will look better tomorrow," said Ulf. "Let's drink ourselves to sleep tonight, and leave thinking for some other time."
    "Yes . . . yes, your rede is good. There will be other days." Harald got to his feet, head brushing the tent roof. "Best we call the chiefs now and tell them, then break out the beer."
     
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    Before sailing home, he summoned Finn Arnason. When he had met the jarl's gaze for a while, he said, "I can see, Finn, that you no longer wish the friendship of me or your kinfolk. So I give you leave now to return to your king, Svein in Denmark."
    "I