The tents billowed in the night breeze, and sentries dozed around dying fires. Shadows of men flickered as they passed from moonlight to darkness. For now, Thrand still looked like a Dane and no one challenged him. Arriving at Ulfrik's camp, the green standard of Nye Grenner flipped petulantly around its pole. Thrand halted as he drew nearer, watching the banner twist overhead.
Within moments he would break all his oaths, betray his lord, and become an outlaw. The green standard appeared dark gray in the night. Ulfrik had once been a jarl worth following, but no longer. His experiences had changed him, made him less generous and more careless with his men's lives. This entire camp was a testimony to his callous greed. All of them would die trying to climb over the walls of Paris while he accrued wealth and glory. He did not care what happened to those who served him, like his brother, Njal. His body rotted at the bottom of the ocean, and his name was hardly mentioned nor his brave deeds ever recounted.
Leaving Ulfrik and taking his treasure was more than right; it was justice.
Slipping into the tent, Humbert shuffled forward to greet him. Moonlight filtered into the tent from the open flap, and Thrand saw two shining points from Humbert's wide eyes.
"You have what we need?" he whispered in a hoarse but strong voice. The past week Ulfrik had been treating him to better food and more freedom, and his body grew straighter and stronger. Thrand considered the slave took heart from knowing his freedom was imminent.
Without a word, Thrand placed the shields and helmets on the ground, then shook out the surcoats. Humbert snatched one from his hand, holding it up.
"No blood stains on them, if that's what you're looking for. I'm not that dumb."
"And you did not drink too much today? Good. You will need a clear mind." Humbert moved with uncharacteristic confidence, nothing like the bound and beaten priest of days before. He unpinned his favorite red cloak in order to wear the surcoat. "Hurry, and get into your disguise."
In moments, Thrand and Humbert were dressed as Franks. Humbert fixed his red cloak over his shoulder while Thrand snatched two skins from the bedding in the tent. They each huddled into their furs, tucking their distinctive helmets underarm. Thrand handed a shield to Humbert. "I doubt Ulfrik will return tonight, but let's move quickly."
His neck throbbed and his breath came in ragged drags. Stepping outside the tent was his first step to a new life. His legs itched to run, but he and Humbert ducked their heads into their furs and walked as slowly and carelessly as they could contrive. At such a late hour, no one expected trouble and so the few alert sentries either ignored them or failed to spot them. Nevertheless, gaining the outer edge of the encampments felt like half a night's work. Now they turned north and strode toward the trenches.
"When do we drop the Danish disguise?" he asked Humbert. "Will the Franks see us in this light?"
"Hurry."
Humbert made no other reply, and instead began to jog. In the weak light, they located boards that crossed the trenches into the no-man's land before the tower. Bounding across these planks, Humbert dropped his fur and placed the conical helmet on his head. Then he flipped the long and pointed Frankish shield so it read easily against his silhouette. Thrand did the same. He could hear his heart beat. His head grew warm and the rush of blood thundered in his ears. If the Franks mistook Humbert, they would die. The thought repeated to the exclusion of everything else.
The tower loomed ahead. Humbert's jog increased, then skidded to a halt. Steams of foreign curses flowed and Thrand crashed into him from behind.
"A couple of Franks escaping to the tower?"
Ulfrik barred their path. Arrayed with him were Snorri, Einar, and Ander. Though they had left camp in normal clothing, all of them now wore mail that shimmered in the moonlight.
Thrand's mouth fell open, and for the first time in his life he had no words. Ulfrik's smile was that of a cat cornering a rat.
"We've been watching you, Thrand. Since that time in the woods, I've wondered what you've been about. Kolbyr looked like he had something to tell me, until you put a sword through his neck."
"Toki heard part of your talk with Humbert," Ander said. Darkness filled the creases of his frown, making him look like a troll on the hunt. "We didn't want to believe it. We all wanted to think he was still dreaming."
"You and Kolbyr were going to kill me that day, isn't it true?" Ulfrik's hand dropped to his sword hilt. "But you are a coward. Isn't that also true?"
"Why would you do this?" Snorri asked, his voice rich with anger. "If there's a treasure, we'd have shared it with you. No reason to steal it from us."
Thrand shook his head. If he fled, Ulfrik might kill him, but if he begged for mercy he might live. Ulfrik was soft enough to allow it. "Share? You think yourself a generous lord? How many of your men are prepared to die to for you, and you have no intention to share the treasure with them."
"It's a fair question." Ulfrik's hand did not stray from his sword hilt. Snorri and Einar began to move to either side, starting an encirclement Thrand doubted he could slip. "If that was in your heart, you should've asked me. All my men will benefit from whatever treasures I take, including this conniving priest's fabled gold. I will repair their homes, buy them weapons and armor, restock their flocks, and slip them gold as I can. But what would you do? Waste gold on drink and gambling, like all the other gold I've given to you. You've no thought for how I've carried you since your brother's death. Your drinking floods away all the generosity I've shown you."
Snorri and Einar moved ever wider while Ulfrik stood still. Thrand's hand flexed for his sword hilt, then Humbert shouted.
"Stop!" The command struck all of them like a slap. He threw his arms wide and looked up to the skies. He shouted something in his native language, long and tortured words. He repeated it again, and Thrand saw points of orange light gathering to one spot on the tower. Then Thrand dropped his head and slumped his shoulders.
"It is done, Lord Ulfrik. You have caught us, and we submit to you. Poor Humbert and his foolish dreams. Thrand, stay your hand and surrender to your lord. Let there be no more bloodshed, in God's name I ask this of you."
Ulfrik folded his arms and leaned back. "Such a fine speech, Humbert. Maybe your god inspires you to wisdom after all." Ulfrik and the others laughed. Humbert turned to Thrand, and nodded him forward.
Weak with defeat, Thrand agreed with Humbert and joined him at his right side. Both bowed their heads as Snorri produced a rope and Ander came forward to seize Humbert.
"Drop your shields and weapons," Einar commanded as he reached out to grab Humbert's arm. The slave nodded.
Then chaos erupted.
Humbert jerked his shield up, slamming the rim into Ander's throat. In an instant, Humbert ripped the sax from its sheath across Thrand's lap. In one smooth motion, the blade plunged to the hilt into Ander's stomach.
Ander stumbled back, blood pouring in sheets from his mouth. No one, Thrand included, moved, but Humbert sprinted ahead.
Snorri and Einar both leapt for Ander, who collapsed at their feet. Ulfrik sprang forward, his blade half from his sheath, roaring for death. His face was etched with murderous rage, and galvanized Thrand into a run. Toki, his leg rendering him helpless, stumbled forward to Einar.
Humbert ran straight for Ulfrik, his shield braced in front of him. Ulfrik screamed and slashed with his sword. But Humbert was not there.
He ducked beneath the blow, then slung his shield into Ulfrik's unprotected shins. He let the shield fall, creating uneven footing for Ulfrik so that he careened forward. He snatched Humbert's red cloak, tearing it from the fleeing priest, but could not catch him. Humbert bolted away like a deer fleeing a hunter.