Free Brotherband 4: Slaves of Socorro by John Flanagan Page A

so Thorn continued.
    ‘Just wanted you to know, there’s been no . . . funny business between me and your mam. No . . . hanky-panky, if you know what I mean?’
    For a second, Hal was tempted to pretend ignorance of what Thorn meant, and tease him for a minute or two, making him explain further. Then he realised how mean-spirited that would be. After all, Thorn was simply trying to explain how things were between him and Karina. Hal put his hand on the well-muscled shoulder in a friendly gesture.
    ‘There’s no problem so far as I’m concerned, Thorn,’ he said sincerely. ‘If you and Mam are –’ he hesitated, not sure of a delicate way to phrase the next thought, then settled on an old-fashioned term that Skandians used to describe courtship ‘– walking out together, I couldn’t be happier.’
    To his amazement, Thorn blushed a deep red. ‘Well . . . not sure that it’s come to that. We’re friends, is all. Good friends, though,’ he added.
    Hal nodded reassuringly. ‘I’m sure you are. And if you become more than that, then you have my blessing.’ He frowned at the words. It seemed odd to be offering Thorn – rambunctious, roistering, unkempt, fearless Thorn – his blessing. But the grey-haired warrior nodded his gratitude.
    ‘Yes. Well, that’s a weight off my mind. Of course, Karina may not feel the same way. We haven’t really talked about it.’
    ‘Maybe you could talk about it now,’ Hal said, looking over Thorn’s shoulder to where his mother’s diminutive form was striding along the quay. Come to say goodbye to me, Hal thought, and stepped up onto the shore to greet her. Thorn grunted in surprise, then stepped up behind him, staying back a few paces.
    Hal moved forward as his mother approached, prepared for the usual lengthy exhortations to do nothing silly, to take no unnecessary risks, to come back safely, to eat regularly and to keep his socks dry whenever possible. He smiled. It was nice to be fussed over, he thought.
    The smile faded as Karina swept past him, barely registering his presence, threw her arms around Thorn’s neck and kissed him soundly on the mouth. For a moment, Thorn was caught by surprise. Then he responded eagerly. A muted cry of ‘Whoooooo!’ came from the crew, who were interested spectators. Finally, Karina broke off the kiss and stepped back, looking up into Thorn’s eyes.
    ‘Don’t do anything silly. Don’t take any unnecessary risks,’ she said. ‘Eat regularly. And come back safely to me.’
    Thorn, still taken aback by the whole thing, nodded sombrely. ‘I will,’ he said.
    ‘And try to keep your socks dry,’ Karina added. Then she turned away from him, seemed to notice Hal for the first time, and patted him absently on the cheek.
    ‘Look after yourself,’ she said. Then, chin up and back straight, she swept off down the quay, back the way she had come.

    Erak and Svengal were out on their morning walk around Hallasholm. Erak said that a daily walk helped him keep in touch with his subjects, and see what was going on in the town. Svengal knew there was an ulterior motive. Erak walked each morning to keep his waistline down. Life as the Oberjarl was essentially a sedentary one and Erak didn’t get the sort of exercise he used to enjoy as a raiding sea wolf. Svengal was content to keep his old friend company. Today, he noticed, Erak was distracted and a little grumpy.
    ‘Beautiful day, chief,’ he observed. And it was. There were a few light clouds in the sky, chasing each other from one horizon to the next. Other than that, the sky was a clear, brilliant blue. The sun was warm even though the air itself was always somewhat cool, even in Skandia’s summer.
    ‘Hmmmph,’ Erak grunted.
    ‘Something wrong?’ Svengal asked. He was pretty sure he knew the answer.
    ‘I miss my staff,’ Erak grumbled. ‘I’ve got used to it.’
    And in fact, he had. He had enjoyed striding along, swinging the long staff out in front of him and planting