Two Ravens by Cecelia Holland Read Free Book Online Page A

promise you that if Sigurd takes you he will take me also.”
    He looked over his shoulder. His crew was scrambling up over Swan’s rails and settling at their places. From the bow, Jon waved to him.
    “They are ready. Let’s go.”
    They went into the church through the front door. The altar was at the other end of the building and the Christians were kneeling, so that their backs were to the door. Ulf and Bjarni went in among them. Gudrun knelt in the first row; three or four people were between her and Sigurd. No one noticed the Hoskuldssons until Ulf reached her side and pulled her to her feet.
    A roar went up from the Christian men. Ulf hoisted the girl over his shoulder and ran down the room toward the door. Sigurd bellowed. His men swarmed after Ulf.
    Bjarni went out the door. He let his brother through and slammed the door shut. The bar was tilted against the wall; he seized it and pressed it over the double door to hold it shut. Before he could fit the long bar into the iron brackets over the door, Sigurd and his men reached the other side.
    Their first rush nearly threw the doors open. He strained against them. The doors bulged and he saw, through the gap into the church, Sigurd’s face red as fire. Bjarni shoved with all his strength on the bar and forced the doors shut. The bar slipped into the brackets. He wheeled to run.
    A shout sounded on the other side of the building. Someone had gotten out the side window. Bjarni raced down the boardwalk; where it swerved off his course he jumped down to the marshy grass and ran for Swan . Right behind him came the man who had climbed out the window. Ulf had reached the water and was splashing out to the ship. Gudrun waded beside him, her hand in his.
    With a splintering crash the church door gave way and spilled Sigurd and his men out after Bjarni. He glanced over his shoulder. The man behind was almost within reach of him.
    Swan rocked from side to side. Ulf was climbing inboard. Bjarni drove himself faster. The men in Swan were not waiting for him. Their oars ran out. They leaned into the first stroke. A body struck him from behind, just above the knees, and he fell hard onto the cobbles of the beach.
     
    SIGURD’S MEN BOUND HIM and threw him into a storeroom. There he lay for hours, trussed up so tight his fingers went to sleep.
    Eventually Sigurd came into the storeroom. He said, “That was an unfriendly thing to do.”
    “I’m sorry to offend your hospitality,” Bjarni said. He was lying on his face. By twisting his head he could look up at Sigurd, but he had no wish to see him; he lay still, with Sigurd’s boots before his eyes.
    “You know, your brothers are not coming back for you,” Sigurd said. “We chased them for above three hours, and they went due west, straight for the north-running sea.” Sigurd squatted down to peer into Bjarni’s face. “I only wish I had your sneaking brother Ulf as well as you. I don’t care so much for my daughter, and neither will he when he knows her better, but I want to repay him for robbing me in my own church.”
    “You don’t need Ulf for that,” Bjarni said. “That was my idea.”
    “Was it,” Sigurd said. “Then I will have my revenge after all.”
    He walked up and down the storeroom, through the fringes of dried fish that dangled from the beams. Bjarni worked the ropes that bound his wrists. His brothers would return for him; they were only putting Sigurd off. Sigurd came back and sank down on his hams before him.
    “My old friend Hoskuld was right about you, and right to send you here. You will be useless to anyone until you are broken. And I am the man to do it.”
    He went out of the storeroom. When he came back he had a smith with him, and a length of chain.
    During the day Bjarni was chained to the mill, and he ground the corn. At night he was chained to an anvil in the forge. The first night, he tried with all his strength to move the anvil, but it would not yield.
    Sigurd loaded his men into