Free TLV - 02 - The Road of the Sea Horse by Poul Anderson Page B

counselor Rognvald, but Rognvald had fallen in fair battle, and here was dominion gained without loosing an arrow. The summer's gloom lifted from Harald, and he said gladly; "This must be considered, of course, but I can tell you now, Thorfinn, that we shall receive your offer well and send you home with honors."
    Come, now, he told himself, it was not so little he had: the Orkney realm and the Faeroes, besides the sprawl of Norway herself. Iceland and Greenland did not acknowledge his overlordship, but they were friendly and might in time come to him—even this mysterious Vinland the Good, with its dark-skinned Skraelings and limitless forests. Yes, surely St. Olaf watched over Norway, and Denmark would soon drop from the bough if he shook that tree enough. There remained Sweden, England, Ireland, Scotland ... An empire of all the strong young Northern folk? The thought was dizzying, but as weariness fell off him he was sure he had strength for the task.
    Then let the Wends rage and the Germans brawl and the Byzantines rattle dry bones in their golden cuirass; his sons, his kind of people and way of living, would have this earth at their feet!
    With a high and joyous leaping in his breast, he entered the king's hall.
    His two queens stood side by side to greet him. He scarcely saw Elizabeth; his eyes were for Thora. Tall and proud she stood, with a smile like flame on the wide full lips, eyes aglow and hair in a thick coppery coil. A costly dress of green silk was tight around her breasts, cut so shamelessly low that the great ruby in her massive necklace smoldered over the cleft; her round strong arms were weighted with gold, and an ermine stole was draped about the wide shoulders. The skirt was cut full enough that he did not at first notice the swelling of her. She came forward with the bold stride that was dear to him and said aloud, "Welcome, King Harald!"
    He took her hands and the fingers strained against his. Then, reaching up, she pulled his face down and kissed him heartily in the sight of all. This was not a mannerly thing to do, but as he felt how she had grown he forgot it. "Thora," he cried, "are you with child?"
    "Yes, already!" she laughed. "The next king of the North."
    "Oh, my darling—" he whispered; then, catching himself, he turned to Elizabeth and said courteously, "Greeting, my lady. I hope you are well?"
    "Yes," she replied. Her slight form was clad in plain bluish gray, with scant ornament; she had grown pale again, and lost weight; the eyes seemed to fill her thin childish face. By one hand she led her daughter, who was shooting up, fat and healthy though shy of Harald. He lifted the girl and she shrank away and burst into tears.
    "There, now," he said with as much tenderness as he could raise. "It's but your old father, home from the wars." He gave her back to Elizabeth.
    "You should let the little one get more used to you," said his wife quietly.
    "Indeed," jeered Thora. "He should stay home all his days and bounce her on his knee." Elizabeth's lips tightened. Clearly squabbling had been common between the women.
    "Enough," snapped Harald. "We have hungry men to feed, besides our noble guest Jarl Thorfinn."
    To cover his embarrassment, he spent the whole evening talking with the Orkneyman or listening to the skalds chant of the summer's work. Not till he was alone in the bedchamber with Thora did he let his longing slip. No word was spoken between them for some time, until they lay in darkness resting.
    She ruffled his hair and said huskily, "How I've missed you, my beloved! It's been one great hunger, these many weeks."
    "How have things gone otherwise?" he asked.
    "Oh, not badly, I suppose, though the highborn ladies are not overly polite to me. They know I'm your favorite, so now they turn to Ellisif." Thora snorted her scorn. "Let them! Am I a crofter's wife to gossip about what somebody said to somebody else?"
    "There has been trouble between you two?" he asked slowly.
    "Well, two women