As the crowd pushed forwards, the men guarding her were in danger of losing their feet. They stood shoulder to shoulder, leaning forward against the weight of the crowd. Then the crowd abruptly surged away from them when someone called for help to set up gallows. The men stumbled forwards and she was again left exposed.
“She deserves to be hung!” one of the women shouted, pointing at her.
“We do not want armr women in our village!” yelled someone else. “If she will not leave then we shall get rid of her!”
As the men again stood in front of her, Eira was convinced that she was about to die and terror shook her from head to toe. She longed for the safety of her father’s arms. This was more awful than she could ever have imagined. She doubted that he would have allowed her to be sent away if he’d known that this would happen.
"Enough of this madness!" a voice thundered. “Stop this instant!”
The guilty crowd sprang back at the command of their clan leader. No one wanted to be singled out when he was angered like this. The men guarding Eira heaved a sigh of relief; surely now they would get some sense out of this situation. The villagers stood undecided, wanting to pursue their murderous intentions and unwilling to let the matter go. Some of them began to mutter accusations again.
"I said, enough!" the leader roared and this time, his axe was drawn.
Quietly, the crowd began to disperse, creating a path for him to walk through as he jumped down from his horse.
"What is this nonsense, Canute?" he asked, walking up to Canute and his men. "I leave for a hunt and this is what happens when I place you in charge?"
Canute knew he had to play it cool while Halvar was angry. "I respect your decision to place me in charge in your absence. I am grateful for the trust you have in me. But this is not as it seems."
"Well, then. Explain the reason for this display of madness to me."
Canute knew that Halvar’s anger had cooled a little. He signaled to the men to break the line they had formed around Eira. "She is the cause of it all, Chief."
Halvar sucked in a deep breath of shock as the men moved aside to reveal Eira. He hadn’t expected the cause of the ruckus to be a woman, much less one as beautiful as this. Her long hair hung in silky golden strands down her back. Her green eyes were mesmerizing and her skin was smooth and even. Her delicate features revealed a frightened expression even though she was trying her best to appear unemotional. He judged her to be older than the average marrying age. But then again, so was he. Regaining his composure, he faced Canute.
"Now, tell me what she has done that would warrant the entire village screaming like animals? And who set up the gallows?" He waved a hand at the hasty construction behind him.
Those responsible tried to sidle away unnoticed.
“She says she's the daughter of Bjarni, chief of the Ottarsung clan of Thvengr. She came here to seek her uncle."
"Bjarni? Did you say Bjarni?" he asked.
Canute nodded.
"He is a good man. A fierce warrior, too. I have had the occasion of meeting him several times at various events that concern our people. Go on."
"Well, she told us that she has been banished from her village because they assumed she is an evil witch,” Canute replied.
Halvar looked from Canute to the girl and back to the crowd. Then he turned to the girl.
"This uncle of yours, have you met him yet?" he asked her, taking in her beauty again. Her full, rosy lips framed perfect white teeth and her green eyes shone from her smooth oval face as she spoke. He struggled to concentrate on her words.
"No, Sir," she answered. "I have been here for less than two hours and this is the farthest I have come into the village. I met a man along the way who advised that I turn back."
Halvar sighed deeply. Leading the village was hard work sometimes. He wondered why anyone would accuse this beautiful girl of being an evil witch. Weren’t witches supposed to be old hags with warts and crooked noses?
"I see,” he replied, realizing that she was waiting for an answer. “And what is his name, this uncle of yours?"
"Taft Havardr."
The chief's eyes widened in surprise. "What is your mother's name?" he asked.
"Astrid."
He drew back from her and turned to the crowd. "Have you all lost your minds?! This girl is one of us! Her mother left this village many years ago to marry Bjarni of the Ottarsung clan. There have been strong ties between our clans for years. What were you all thinking? Has Loki entered into your brains?”
The murmuring started again, much to the chief's disgust.
"You treat one who is weak and defenseless as though she were an animal! Whatever happened to your sense of reasoning? Have we descended so low that we can no longer show any sympathy or concern for one of our own?" He glared at them, trying to keep his anger in check. "Was it not her cousin who laid down his life that this village may continue to enjoy the peace you all enjoy today? Or have you forgotten how he led the men against the invaders who took your sons and daughters as slaves? For years, we have thrived because he made the sacrifice to ensure we have
