"Why not raid farther south? What's wrong with Mercia or Ireland?" Gunther belched, then raised his horn for another drink. Humbert emerged from the darkness to fetch the horn.
"We can't be gone so long. Hardar's cousins harry us. They just robbed me of half my flock. Imagine what they could do if I were gone an entire summer."
Now Gunther turned away and a few of his men smirked. Realization sparked for Ulfrik.
"You've come to summon me, haven't you? Jarl Hrolf has not forgotten me after all."
Gunther sighed, nodding his head. "Jarl Hrolf the Strider is summoning all bondsmen to attend him with as many men and ships they can muster. You have a month to prepare and travel to the meeting place in Denmark."
Ulfrik straightened, then steadied himself before speaking. He projected confidence into his voice, though his mind raced through the depressing implications. "Hrolf makes war on the Danes, then?"
"Not at all; he has allied with them. Jarl Sigfrid is a mighty Dane, much like Jarl Hrolf. He had led an army to Frankia and demanded payment from their king. He refused, and now Sigfrid plans to plunder Frankia as a show of strength. He spoke with Jarl Hrolf, and the two made a plan to assemble a great army."
"Like the great army in England?" Ulfrik had heard stories of the great army's victories against the Saxons, but considered them overblown.
"A greater army," Gunther spread his arms as his voice rose with excitement. "This army will swallow the Franks. We are going to sail up their rivers and destroy everything in our path. Sigfrid is demanding seven hundred pounds of silver!"
Ulfrik sucked his breath at the enormous sum, as did others gathered to listen. "Even a king would struggle to raise that much silver."
Gunther and his men laughed. "Now I know you've been on these islands too long. The kings of Frankia are wealthy beyond imagining. But wealthy and weak. Their fat bastard of a king couldn't even hold a knife in battle. The king is a reflection of the people. We'll stomp the Franks into the earth if they find guts enough to oppose us."
Gunther's men grumbled and nodded in agreement. Humbert, hovering at the periphery with Hrolf's refilled horn, used the moment to present it to him. Ulfrik watched the slave, who trembled as he handed over the horn. He recalled the promise of hidden gold inside the walls of Paris.
"Tell me this, do Hrolf and Sigfrid plan on attacking Paris?"
"More than plan on it. The fortress town is on an island in the middle of the river that gives access to the richer cities beyond."
"The Seine," said Humbert, who lingered at the table. His dark eyes flashed and he glanced hopefully at Ulfrik.
"He speaks Norse?" Gunther asked.
"A little," Ulfrik said. "He is a Frankish priest I've taken as a slave."
"He'll be useful to you then. But yeah, it's called the Seine or something like that. It's a big river with plenty of ripe towns along the way, waiting for us to beat the gold out of their churches. How do like that, slave-priest?"
Men laughed, but Humbert did not flinch. Instead Ulfrik saw a wave of irritation pass across his face.
"So you've come to summon me and my crew, but find us under attack. I'm afraid I can offer only two ships at best." Ulfrik looked to Toki and Snorri for support, and both nodded. Gunther's laughter died.
"Then it's two ships you bring. I ensured Hrolf remembered your name, and came to ensure you didn't miss this chance."
"Gunther, I appreciate your troubles. Yet being away over winter will invite disaster come summer. If word of my absence travels north, my enemies might even dare a winter attack. I am bound to protect my people."
Leaning back on his bench, Gunther's expression flattened and his men looked to him for a reaction. Ulfrik held his gaze steady. The two regarded each other for long moments before Gunther replied.
"First, we will be returned before summer. The Franks cannot withstand an army of Danes and Norsemen. We'll rip them apart and leave rich as lords. Second, you are bound to serve Jarl Hrolf, and that comes before anything else. But third, and this is most important, I want you there."
"Why? I'd bring eighty more men to share in the spoils. It's better if you had less."
Gunther waved his hand between them, wrinkling his nose. "Jarl Hrolf sees to me, no worries there. You must go because Jarl Hrolf sees farther than Sigfrid. There's potential in Frankia to not only demand wealth but land as well."
He let the words resonate with his listeners, Ulfrik catching himself leaning forward. "Land is a great thing, but I am surely a small and unknown jarl. When land is handed out, I might get a scrap to farm if I am lucky."
"But you are lucky."
Gunther's seriousness drew a dismissive snort from Ulfrik. "I'm holding onto this land by my fingernails."
"Bah! You are the right man for this. Hrolf needs leaders, strong war leaders, and you are one. Remember what I told you? I find a man like you once every ten years, if that. Were you truly so poor, truly so unlucky, you would be alone at this table. But men still follow you, and that's a sign to me. I'll put you near Hrolf in the battle line and you will do the rest."
Snorri clapped Ulfrik's back and other men banged the table in support. The loyalty of his men warmed his chest, and he nodded to each of them, even Thrand who merely scowled.
"Your praise does me honor, but why do you care for my fate? Let's be honest, there must be a benefit for you or you would not have undertaken the journey. Tell us, Gunther, why would you help me so?"
Gunther winked, then guzzled his horn of ale until it spilled out the sides of his mouth. Finishing, he slammed the horn on the table. "Because I like to win. Hrolf is breaking with his father. He had troubles with Harald Finehair, as you can imagine. Losing his father's support means losing some capable warriors. Whether or not Hrolf wants to admit it, he needs men like us to realize his vision."
"So it's just plain loyalty that drives you, nothing more?"
"Aye, plain loyalty to the winning side. I will be high on that winning side, and I want my own friends beside me. Do you take my meaning?"
Ulfrik stroked his beard, his eyes darting among the faces of his friends. Each man searched him for a sign of his thoughts, which he made no attempt to hide. A bold plan was forming: a promise of glory, land, and position in a new kingdom and a chance at Humbert's treasure to fund his estates. Yet he was time-bound by the seasons to complete everything before summer returned enemies to his home. Such a daring plan would entertain the gods, and they favored men who bring them entertainment. His smile widened as he twisted the tip of his beard.
"I take your meaning, Gunther, and I like what I hear. I am glad you sought me out, but I will have to discuss with my men before giving a final answer."
"We have talked much tonight, and I'm finally beginning to feel that ale. I'm going to curl up in a corner and let you sleep on the matter." He stood, stripping the wolf pelt off his shoulders and folding it over a thick arm. "Think carefully. If you refuse, I'll take my ships and never return, but you'll never be free to sail from these islands again. You'll be an oath-breaker, and a wanted man. So decide if you really love this land of sheep that much."
Despite the threat, Ulfrik laughed and stood with Gunther. "You've given me much to think upon. Rest well, Gunther One-Eye."
Men drifted from the tables, though Humbert approached Ulfrik. He said nothing, but gave a knowing stare and a slight smile alighted on his face. Ulfrik provided a subtle nod, his pulse quickening to the promise of glory and adventure.
"Duty and honor require me to answer the summons of my lord." Ulfrik surveyed the faces of his ten closest men, those who had followed him from Norway or those who had earned their seats, like Thrand. Toki and Snorri flanked him and the others sat around the high table in the empty hall, a wan light of a gray afternoon streaming in from the open smoke hole. Ulfrik heard Gunther's men loitering outside, gruff voices vibrating through the walls. "I don't plan to disobey, but you are my closest companions, and I desire your counsel."