Two Ravens by Cecelia Holland Read Free Book Online

happily because better men than you are doing it.”
    “I don’t agree to that,” Bjarni said.
    “I don’t care if you do or not,” Sigurd said. His neck swelled. He spoke in volleys of words. “That is my decision. You will kneel down at Mass tomorrow with the rest of us, or I will put you in stocks on the beach.”
    Bjarni went out of the hall. Ulf was outside on the boardwalk. He fell into step beside Bjarni. They walked down the rackety boardwalk toward the beach.
    “Are we leaving?” Ulf said.
    “Yes. Let’s hurry before he decides to take the ship.”
    “Gudrun.” Ulf stopped and looked back. Bjarni caught his arm.
    “Hurry.”
    Jon stood on the threshold of the sleeping booth; he blinked at them as if he had just wakened. He said, “What is the matter?” Bjarni stopped at the edge of the beach. The other men from Swan were gathering below them on the gravel. On the hillside above them, in the mist, each of the hall lights wore a ring.
    “I don’t want to leave Gudrun,” Ulf said, beside Bjarni.
    “I haven’t time to argue with you.” Bjarni pushed his younger brothers ahead of him. Ulf hung back, his tongue busy.
    “We can take her with us. I know she will go.”
    “Later.”
    “Just let me talk to her.”
    “Later.”
    They reached the edge of the water. The boat was already at the ship; Kristjan and another man were unloading the sea-chests from it. Bjarni and the others waded out to Swan.
    “Ulf,” Bjarni said. “Go into the bow and guide us. Put out the oars.”
    On the hillside near the hall someone shouted.
    They rowed Swan out of the anchorage. Sigurd did not chase them. Bjarni took Swan on her legs out to sea and turned her bow to the wind. The other men lay down in the hold to sleep. Bjarni and his brothers sat in the bow.
    “What did you do?” Kristjan said. “You ruined our chances with them. It was his fault, wasn’t it?” He pointed to Ulf.
    “Now we can all go back to Hrafnfell,” Jon said.
    “Maybe,” Bjarni said. “We have nothing to eat and we need line and canvas. Tomorrow I want to raid Sigurd for supplies.”
    Ulf opened the lid of his sea-chest and took out a bearskin. In a low voice, he said, “If we can steal food, we can steal Gudrun.”
    “Why don’t you forget her?” Bjarni said. “You hardly know her.”
    Ulf struck his shoulder. “Because I love her. Anyway, this will make it a real raid. We can’t go home with nothing, we will be shamed.”
    Jon said, “But—” and Andres elbowed him in the ribs.
    “Be quiet. With a woman aboard we will have to go back to Iceland.”
    “Sigurd has a hundred men,” Kristjan said. “What you are talking about is impossible. We can fish for food.”
    Bjarni said, “There is a way to do it.” To Ulf, he said, “Tomorrow they are sacrificing in their temple.”
    Jon shot up onto his feet. The ship teetered under him. “You can’t fight in a church.”
    “They won’t take weapons into a church,” Bjarni said.
    “Isn’t Sigurd leaving soon to fight against the Bishop?” Kristjan said. He looked from Bjarni to Ulf. “Wait until he goes, and we can take everything we want.”
    Ulf said, “You churlish Irish sneak-thief.”
    Andres said, “Well, really, either way, it’s stealing.”
    Bjarni stood and left them there to argue. He went back to the stern and fell asleep.
     
    IN THE MORNING Sigurd’s men went to the church, and Bjarni took Swan back into the cove. The Icelanders broke into the storerooms above the beach and took meat and cheeses and grain. Ulf and Bjarni went up the grassy slope toward the Christian temple. Ulf was looking around them at the other ships in the cove.
    “There are twice as many ships here as there were last night,” he said.
    “Just move fast,” Bjarni said. “It doesn’t matter how many there are if they can’t catch us.”
    “What happens if we are caught?” Ulf said. They climbed the walk toward the temple.
    “That depends on you,” Bjarni said. “I