"I did!" His wife, Sif, had a voice like a screeching raven. "I found him laid out on the track. A pox on me if I'm lying."
Runolf smiled triumphantly, his face brightening. "I went to Isleif's home, found him gone and his sons already at sea. But his wife told me about these visitors. That's when I knew I should inform you, Jarl Orlyg." He bowed his head, then looked up at Toki with a smirk that begged to be punched.
Jarl Orlyg rolled his head to Toki with a look of long-suffering patience. "Do you have a claim to dispute this?"
"Well, I claim that my wife is no witch, and my family and crew will vouch." He looked up at the others lined against the ship rails. He paused at Runa, who gave an imperceptible nod that bolstered Toki's confidence. "Has Isleif or Sigvid witnessed anything suspicious?"
Isleif and Sigvid both shook their heads. Sigvid smiled without mirth. "Are you sure you were just not drunk again, Runolf? Last time you showed up naked and covered with bee stings."
"Who's talking about drunkenness? You piss yourself every night, Sigvid, and cry about your wife."
"Enough of this!" Jarl Orlyg's arm barred Sigvid from lunging at Runolf. "If they stole your purse and dagger, then they should have it still. Which one took your dagger?"
He pointed to Halla. Toki held his expression blank, but now suspected what happened while she was away. "My wife has no dagger or purse. If you accuse her, then she must tell her story. She was away this morning, true. But more has happened than this liar is willing to say."
"My husband does not lie!" Sif's arms flapped as if she could fly.
"Then your wretched voice has scrambled his mind," Toki said. One of the jarl's hirdmen laughed. "The accused should speak her story."
Jarl Orlyg waved Halla forward. "Let's settle this quickly, please. It's only morning and my head hurts already."
Halla let herself down and Dana followed. The two sheepishly came to Toki's side. Halla trembled and looked Toki in the eyes. He smiled and put his arm over her shoulder. "Just tell us the truth of this morning."
She sighed and paused, then started to tell how they left at night and found the edge of the village. She described her fears of slavery and their decision to return. "I was so childish. I should not have run from my husband. He is too kind to me." Sif clucked her tongue and Runolf rolled his eyes. "When we got on the track, this man blocked our way. We told him to stand aside, and he said he doesn't take orders from us. He came at us with his dagger. I feared what would happen. So my slave defended me. She hit him in the face and tripped him. Then she stomped on his stones. I took his dagger so he couldn't use it on me. We ran back here. There was never a purse, but I threw the dagger in the bushes by the track up there."
"Do you see what liars they are? Could two scrawny girls do that to me?" Runolf folded his arms as if his logic were irrefutable.
Jarl Orlyg smiled. He pointed to two of his hirdmen. "Go search the bushes for a dagger. You, slave, show me the hand that struck Runolf."
Dana held out her hand. Orlyg grabbed it, roughly flipped it over. He rubbed the red, scraped knuckles on Dana's hand. A low laugh grew from his belly. He folded Dana's hand into a fist and gently guided it to Runolf's face. He ducked away but Orlyg snarled at him. Dana's knuckles fit the line of bruises. In only a few moments, the hirdmen returned with an unsheathed dagger.
"It's a fine dagger," Orlyg observed. "Was that one picked off a defeated Frank too?" He and several others laughed at the joke Toki did not understand. "I'd check your stones, but I think there's enough proof to bear out the woman's story."
"This is an outrage, Jarl Orlyg!" Runolf's face twisted in shock. "These are strangers. You don't even know their names. How could you side with foreigners over your own people?"
"They are witches!" Sif began flapping her arms again. "They've caught you in their spells!"
"Not another word." Jarl Orlyg's voice registered no anger. "Not a single word. Or I will become very angry. Very angry."
Sif stopped flapping and Runolf bit back whatever he was about to say. Jarl Orlyg turned to Toki. He asked for his name and his homeland.
"I am Toki Sveinson from Denmark. You must have heard of me?"
"I've not heard of you. Not really interested. You're leaving, for good?"
"As soon as I have your permission to sail, I will be gone with no intention of ever returning."
Orlyg nodded appreciatively. "But your wife did steal his dagger."
"Which has been returned."
"Let me finish." Orlyg's voice held a hint of ire. "Your slave also assaulted and injured Runolf." Runolf began to protest, but Orlyg's scowl silenced him. "So you will pay him seven bits of silver for his troubles. This is the fastest way to settle and get you off my land. Can you pay?"
Toki agreed that he could, and asked Einar to bring the silver from the ship. He came with it cupped in his hand, and showed it to Orlyg. He judged the pieces to be a fair size. Runolf took the silver with a trembling hand. Toki could not resist teasing the fool. "Use the silver to buy yourself a codpiece."
"This will not be forgotten," Runolf said as he clutched the silver in his fist, shaking it at Toki. "You and your witches will pay."
"Forget it," Orlyg snapped. "You've been compensated for your troubles. And you forgot about your stolen purse?"
Runolf staggered like he had been struck. Orlyg and his hirdmen laughed.
"Make up better lies when you get me out so early. Toki Sveinson, be on your way before nightfall." Orlyg patted Isleif on the back and nodded to Sigvid, then left. Runolf and his wife followed.
Toki watched them go. As he expected, Runolf turned once he reached the track. He pointed his dagger at Toki before vanishing into the woods.
They launched Raven's Talon by early afternoon, after a final meal and farewell at Isleif's home. Toki worked the tiller as he guided his ship along the shore, seeking mercenaries Sigvid promised lived along the coast. The winds had remained strong and sea spray misted the deck. He inhaled the salty air, excited to renew his mission. Runa stood in the prow leaning forward as if she could force the ship to travel faster. The others scattered along the rocking deck, biding time until the next landing.
Toki called Sigvid to join him. He asked about their route, which Sigvid detailed for him.
"So what was the joke about Runolf and the Frankish knife?" Toki asked.
Sigvid chuckled. "Runolf is mad. All I know is he spent many years away. He claimed to have gone a-viking everywhere: Ireland, Anglia, Frankia to name a few. He says he went as far south as Micklegard, and has a coin to prove it. He constantly brags of treasure gained while a-viking in faraway lands-always after picking it off the body of a warrior he killed."
"He doesn't seem like much of a fighter to me."
"He might have been once," Sigvid said with a shrug. "I didn't know him then. But your two women took him out, could've slit his throat had they wanted. Doesn't much credit him as a warrior."
"The slave's Irish, and a good fighter for a woman."
Sigvid gave a gusty laugh. "No matter, these days Runolf is a drunk and a fool. But he married well, even if it doesn't seem so, and only Jarl Orlyg is richer. He has many friends, too. Not all of them good men. We did well to leave before he caused more trouble."
"He got all those riches while raiding? I think you don't believe that."
"Doesn't matter what I believe. He's been rich a good long time and people like rich men."
They spoke of other things for a while. Toki outlined the general plan and the goal of killing Hardar. He kept his voice low, and explained Hardar and Halla's relationship. Sigvid winced, and both looked at Halla.