mead splashed on to the mud. Kraki had grabbed her arm and was dragging her away. ‘Watch this one,’ the Viking slurred drunkenly. ‘She has a sting like a wasp.’ Acha glowered as she stumbled back towards the fire.
‘If he treats that one like a mare to be broken, he will get kicked where it hurts,’ Alric said uneasily. Hereward observed Acha’s murderous glare and began to worry that a kick would be the least of the dangers lying ahead.
They strolled around the perimeter of the feast. Hereward watched the men slicing hot slabs of beef and wolfing down the meat before they had trudged out of the ashes. ‘They eat as though there will be no tomorrow,’ he muttered darkly.
‘The hunger will pass, God willing,’ Alric exclaimed, grabbing his friend’s elbow. ‘Come, let me show you the fruits of your promise.’ He pulled the Mercian through the crowd until he found the red-headed youth and his darker brother, and the girl who had accompanied them to Ely, sprawling on the slope of the Speaking Mound. ‘Meet your new Masters of the Larder,’ he announced. ‘Sighard, Madulf and Edoma.’
Sighard jumped to his feet, wiping his greasy hands on his tunic. ‘Alric said it was your idea.’
‘What idea?’
The red-headed lad plucked up a sack and held it open for Hereward to see. ‘Burdock and rape, from the forest,’ he gushed.
Hereward turned up his nose. ‘That won’t fill many bellies.’
Standing, Edoma pushed back her blonde hair and said shyly, ‘We bring back only handfuls so the monks can tell us if they are of use. But we know where they grow now.’
‘Not just these plants,’ Sighard said with an enthusiastic sweep of his arm. ‘We have travelled far and wide around Ely. We know where the boar roam, and the deer. Good land where we can plant barley and wheat …’
‘If we can buy seed,’ Madulf added sullenly. The brown-haired brother remained seated.
‘… and in the Camp of Refuge, the women are building willow baskets to catch eels,’ Sighard continued.
Alric pointed towards the church tower on top of the hill. ‘At the minster, we have a barn which we are starting to fill with the food our new Masters of the Larder have found. These three have uncovered skills they did not know they had.’
‘Then you deserve the thanks of all here,’ Hereward said. He knew the monk was being kind; few others in Ely had the desire to spend their free hours foraging. ‘This work is as vital as any we do.’
‘I would be fighting,’ Madulf growled, drawing himself up. ‘That is why we came to Ely.’
‘Be careful what you wish for,’ Hereward said sternly. ‘But if that is what you want, you will get your chance.’ He noticedEdoma was looking past him, distracted. When he followed her gaze, he saw Redwald leaning against the wall of a house, studying the bonfire.
‘I think I will see if your brother knows how to dance,’ she mused. As she walked away, the two brothers watched her go, scowling. They flashed each other a look and then both hurried after their friend.
‘Edoma has won two hearts, it seems,’ Alric observed. The youths positioned themselves either side of the girl as she chatted with Redwald.
Hereward grinned. ‘They are too young for her. She has a taste for tougher meat. But they will learn.’
For a moment, Alric watched the small group, lost to his thoughts. Then he murmured, ‘You trust Redwald?’
The Mercian glanced at the monk, taken aback. ‘There is no man I trust more.’ He pursed his lips. ‘Though if you held a spear to my neck, I would say you could match him,’ he added grudgingly. ‘Why do you ask?’
Alric shrugged. ‘I have not shared the years, like you and he. I know only what I see, and I do not see enough to make a fair judgement. He smiles easily, and he has the face of a boy.’ He paused, choosing his words. ‘But what hides in his skull I am not sure.’
‘You have spent too many days in my company. You start to see
‘If he treats that one like a mare to be broken, he will get kicked where it hurts,’ Alric said uneasily. Hereward observed Acha’s murderous glare and began to worry that a kick would be the least of the dangers lying ahead.
They strolled around the perimeter of the feast. Hereward watched the men slicing hot slabs of beef and wolfing down the meat before they had trudged out of the ashes. ‘They eat as though there will be no tomorrow,’ he muttered darkly.
‘The hunger will pass, God willing,’ Alric exclaimed, grabbing his friend’s elbow. ‘Come, let me show you the fruits of your promise.’ He pulled the Mercian through the crowd until he found the red-headed youth and his darker brother, and the girl who had accompanied them to Ely, sprawling on the slope of the Speaking Mound. ‘Meet your new Masters of the Larder,’ he announced. ‘Sighard, Madulf and Edoma.’
Sighard jumped to his feet, wiping his greasy hands on his tunic. ‘Alric said it was your idea.’
‘What idea?’
The red-headed lad plucked up a sack and held it open for Hereward to see. ‘Burdock and rape, from the forest,’ he gushed.
Hereward turned up his nose. ‘That won’t fill many bellies.’
Standing, Edoma pushed back her blonde hair and said shyly, ‘We bring back only handfuls so the monks can tell us if they are of use. But we know where they grow now.’
‘Not just these plants,’ Sighard said with an enthusiastic sweep of his arm. ‘We have travelled far and wide around Ely. We know where the boar roam, and the deer. Good land where we can plant barley and wheat …’
‘If we can buy seed,’ Madulf added sullenly. The brown-haired brother remained seated.
‘… and in the Camp of Refuge, the women are building willow baskets to catch eels,’ Sighard continued.
Alric pointed towards the church tower on top of the hill. ‘At the minster, we have a barn which we are starting to fill with the food our new Masters of the Larder have found. These three have uncovered skills they did not know they had.’
‘Then you deserve the thanks of all here,’ Hereward said. He knew the monk was being kind; few others in Ely had the desire to spend their free hours foraging. ‘This work is as vital as any we do.’
‘I would be fighting,’ Madulf growled, drawing himself up. ‘That is why we came to Ely.’
‘Be careful what you wish for,’ Hereward said sternly. ‘But if that is what you want, you will get your chance.’ He noticedEdoma was looking past him, distracted. When he followed her gaze, he saw Redwald leaning against the wall of a house, studying the bonfire.
‘I think I will see if your brother knows how to dance,’ she mused. As she walked away, the two brothers watched her go, scowling. They flashed each other a look and then both hurried after their friend.
‘Edoma has won two hearts, it seems,’ Alric observed. The youths positioned themselves either side of the girl as she chatted with Redwald.
Hereward grinned. ‘They are too young for her. She has a taste for tougher meat. But they will learn.’
For a moment, Alric watched the small group, lost to his thoughts. Then he murmured, ‘You trust Redwald?’
The Mercian glanced at the monk, taken aback. ‘There is no man I trust more.’ He pursed his lips. ‘Though if you held a spear to my neck, I would say you could match him,’ he added grudgingly. ‘Why do you ask?’
Alric shrugged. ‘I have not shared the years, like you and he. I know only what I see, and I do not see enough to make a fair judgement. He smiles easily, and he has the face of a boy.’ He paused, choosing his words. ‘But what hides in his skull I am not sure.’
‘You have spent too many days in my company. You start to see
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