Read The Long Hunt (The Strongbow Saga) for Free Online Page A

dishonor myself or Harald's memory. I have a man I must hunt and kill."
    Ivar nodded his head to me in return. "Then good hunting to you, Strongbow. And good fortune." To Hastein he said, "Bjorn and I will ready our ships today and sail on the morrow. Will you be coming?"
    Hastein let out a long sigh. "I do not like to leave unfinished what I have begun," he said again. He was silent for a time, then added, "I will not sail with you tomorrow."
    "And Ireland? In the spring? Will you join me then?"
    "Much could happen between now and the spring. We will see."
    After they'd left the longhouse, Hastein pulled me aside. "There are more than just Ivar and Bjorn and their men who do not wish to continue on. It is unfortunate that we did not catch Toke unawares here."
    Was Hastein telling me that he, too, would be leaving? "I understand," I said. "It is my fight, and no one else's." Though in truth I did not see how I could carry on, how I could hope to find Toke and defeat him, on my own.
    Hastein shook his head. "It is not your fight alone. I have chosen to make it mine, too. I have told you I would help bring Toke to justice for the slayings of Harald and the others, up on the Limfjord. I did not make such a promise lightly, and once made, I will not break it." He sighed and shook his head. "Not if there is a way. But even among my own followers there are many who feel as do Ivar's and Bjorn's men. They have already been long away from their homes and families. And we do not know how long the pursuit of Toke will be, or where it will lead us." He sighed again. "I will speak with Svein and Stig and the men. There are some of the warriors I know I can count on to follow me anywhere. But I will force no man to undertake this journey who does not wish to, and I fear there may be many who will not want to take this road."
    *   *   *
    While Hastein met with his captains and men, I wandered the grounds of the estate. As I passed the work sheds, Gudrod the Carpenter came out of the one where he kept his tools.
    "I have been waiting for a chance to speak with you," he said. "I confess I did not recognize you at first yesterday, even after you removed your helm and spoke to Gunhild." He smiled. "You have changed greatly from the boy—and the thrall—who used to help me here in the carpentry shed."
    Gudrod looked much older than I remembered. His head had for many years been bare on top of any hair, but the long fringe hanging to his shoulders around the sides and back, which I recalled being brown, was now almost entirely gray.  Had he aged so much during this one year, or was my memory playing tricks on me? At least seeing him brought back memories of my former life here that were not painful. He had always treated me kindly. He'd valued the skill my hands possessed with tools and wood, and by doing so, he had made me feel more than just a piece of Hrorik's property. And most importantly, he had taught me how to make and shoot a bow.
    "It is good to see you again," I told him.
    "Gudfred has told us—we carlsof the estate—what you told him yesterday. How it was Toke and his men who killed Harald, up on the Limfjord." He shook his head. "I never cared for Toke, even when he was just a boy. He always had a meanness in him. But I would not have guessed he could be so treacherous. And then to come back here, and live among us, Hrorik's and Harald's own men. Gods, but I wish we'd known.
    "And some of the jarl's men told us, last night at the feast, about the war in Frankia. So that is where you have been. From what they said, our warriors won a great victory there. They told us about you, also. That you are one of the jarl's chosen warriors now, and a member of the crew of his own longship. They even said you saved the life of Ragnar Logbrod himself during a battle with the Franks." He paused and ran his fingers through the hair hanging from the back of his head.  "I did not realize old Logbrod still lived. And to think that you,