“Oh, Landwulf, thank you!” she exclaimed, taking it from his hand. “It’s pretty! I shall treasure it.”
Later, as she lay snuggled up in her warm bed, she smiled as she thought about meeting Landwulf by the seashore. She drifted off to sleep dreaming of seeing his face smiling at her, his blue eyes alight with life and laughter. It would be easy to fall in love with someone like that.
CHAPTER 3
H alvar stood inside Alfonso’s blacksmith’s barn, watching in fascination as Alfonso expertly fashioned a nail out of heated metal. He’d never made nails before; his village produced wheat, wool and cloth. He’d always bought whatever metal products they needed at the markets.
But now, watching Alfonso, he was certain that he could make nails, too.
“Try it!” Alfonso told him.
A few minutes later, under Alfonso’s patient guidance, he’d produced his very first nail. The head was a little lopsided but it was definitely a nail.
“You will get better with practice,” Alfonso told him.
“You mean you will let me do more?” he asked.
“Of course. Whatever you make, we can sell at the markets. It’s only fair that you get your share of the profits, too.”
“Thank you,” Halvar said, then changed the subject. “Alfonso, I want to marry Eira. As you know, we left my village because she and Kaarina needed to live somewhere safer. But it has always been my intention to marry her.”
“That is good news,” said Alfonso. “She is a lovely young woman and you are lucky to have her. She seems to have a great knack for reading people’s minds, though,” he added, perplexed.
Halvar laughed. “It got her into trouble in her village,” he said. “That is one of the reasons it is not safe for her to be there.”
He made no mention of the accusations of witchcraft that had followed Eira wherever she went. It wouldn’t do to jeopardize her safety here. He shuddered as he thought of what might happen to her if word got out in the surrounding areas. The sabbatati Christians probably wouldn’t believe it, but they might not be able to protect her.
“So, we have a wedding to look forward to,” Alfonso said.
“It is not that simple for us,” Halvar replied. “We have no parents to arrange it for us and the ceremonies that precede the wedding can take a long time. As much as we wish to begin our married life with the blessings of the gods, I am not sure we want to wait that long.”
Alfonso stroked his greying beard. “I can see that you have a problem,” he said. “Would you consider a Christian wedding? They can be arranged quickly and simply.”
“Would your pfaffo consider marrying us?” Halvar asked.
“Normally, he would only marry those of our own faith but since we know you both, I will ask him.”
“Thank you, Alfonso,” Halvar said.
He pictured going to the little meeting-house in the middle of the village with Eira and coming out as husband and wife. That was how it worked, wasn’t it? He’d never been to a Christian wedding and hadn’t even been inside the meeting house. The next time the Christians held their seventh-day stefna there, he would go along and look inside.
“Halvar! Halvar!”
Halvar looked up to see Ahren hurrying towards him as he cleaned out the barn. Soon the cattle would be able to graze on the pastures again and he was looking forward to that.
“What’s wrong, my friend? Why the hurry?” he called out as Ahren got closer.
Ahren slowed his pace, picking his way along the muddy path to the barn. Spring was approaching and the ground alternated between frozen and muddy. Too much haste was an invitation to fall into the mud.
“There are young men here to see you,” gasped Ahren. “They say they are from your village. Their business is urgent.”
Halvar felt fear clutching at his heart. He had left Canute in charge of village matters until his return in the spring. Winter was usually a quiet time in the village. The villagers used the time to catch up on mending, maintenance and other chores. They also made various crafts and homewares to sell at the spring markets. What could possibly have gone wrong? He hurried with Ahren to meet the young men.
“Greetings, Halvar,” Torsten said, dismounting to stand beside his horse.
“Greetings, Torsten,” Halvar replied. “What brings you here now? Surely you must have risked your lives to cross the mountains at this time of the year.”
“Indeed, it was a difficult and perilous journey,” Torsten replied gravely.
“Come, you must be weary after your long journey,” Ahren said. “Come to my house and rest your horses in my barn. Then you may tell us of the reason for your visit.”
“Thank you, kind sir,” Torsten said. “We will be glad to accept your offer of lodging.”
A little later, Halvar found himself seated around the fireplace in Ahren’s house with several of the young men. The others had opted to stay in the barn and care for the horses.
“Tell me, what was so important that you came to see me?” asked Halvar. “You know I told you I would return in the spring.”
“We have news that has terrified the entire village,” Torsten replied. “Do you remember the metal peddler, Bjarke?”
“Yes, he is a fine fellow. He always treated me fairly and I’m sorry I wasn’t there to do business with him. But why was he there so early in the season? Surely, it must have been difficult to get his cart through the snow.”
“He was on horseback. He was travelling through to his village to begin his work for the season from there. He spent the winter with kin instead of at his own village.”
“Very well. But what does that have
