proceed now' – he took a deep breath – 'is by mediation and settlement. Your mother is right. The old ways lead to feuding and more cairns on the hill. None of us want that.'
'Brodir liked the old ways,' Astrid said, 'and sought to act on them. Where is he now? Under a white sheet, with a cold house waiting.' She smiled palely at her son. 'Halli, Halli, I know you loved his tales, I know you even admired him. But his values were those of the past. We do not follow them. The Lawgivers of each House will gather as soon as can be arranged. Indeed, Ulfar Arnesson rides today to alert the down-valley Houses, and Leif goes to the upper ones, so with luck the Council will meet before winter falls. To them you will state what you saw. They will pass judgement. And you will be chief witness, Halli! Think of that! It is a very important role for someone so young.'
Halli said blandly, 'But what will happen to the Hakonssons then?' 'They will be forced to give us a very good settlement.'
'You mean land ? That's it? They give us a bit of land?'
'Land is not to be sniffed at, boy. It is where our wealth lies.'
Arnkel Sveinsson sat staring towards the fire, a gaunt and ageing man. He spoke softly, as if to himself. 'Mediation is the only way, and even here we may be forced to settle for less than we desire. Hakon's is a powerful House.'
'Mediation has taken lands from us before,' Astrid said, her lips compressed. 'This time, at least, it will work in our favour.
Ah, here is Leif, all ready to depart!'
Leif wore his travelling cloak, and his beard was newly trimmed. He bounded onto the dais and began discussions with his parents about his exact route to the upland farms. He was exuberant, eager to be off; he displayed no great grief at the circumstances of his mission.
Astrid patted Leif 's arm fondly. 'You look most handsome, my son! A fine emissary of the House. Do you not think so, Halli?'
But Halli had left the hall.
In the passage beyond the drapes he slowed his pace and came to a standstill, breathing deeply, willing his anger to subside.
'Halli.'
Aud Ulfar's-daughter had appeared from the guest room. It would not be true to say that Halli had forgotten her existence, but recent events had pushed her from the forefront of his mind. She wore travelling clothes in a state of some disorder, and was doing something with her hair. Two bone hairpins protruded from between her lips. Amid the flow of his emotions it was hard for Halli to adjust to sudden conversation. 'Oh. Hello.'
'Sorry about your uncle.' Her arms were behind her head, fiddling. The hairpins bobbed and quivered as she spoke.
'Thanks.'
'Those bloody Hakonssons. They don't give a damn about anyone. First time they've killed someone like that, though – a free-man from another House, I mean. I expect they kill their own people all the time. What had your uncle done ?'
Halli's face was expressionless. 'Nothing. He was drunk.'
'Yes, wasn't he? Seems a bit harsh, though. Think yourself lucky they're not your neighbours. They're always shifting the boundary posts to their advantage, and of course my father never does anything about it, just bows and scrapes and kisses the ground beneath their boots. He's in a dilemma now , of course – his cousin Astrid on one side and Hord Hakonsson on the other . . . He'll have to tread carefully in the mediation. Still, Father never does anything that isn't careful. Does anyone?' With a quick movement she plucked the pins from her lips and inserted them into her hair somewhere behind her head. 'Damn, nearly lost it there . . . No, it's fine . . . We're off to inform the Lawgivers now on our way home.'
'I know. My parents just told me. They're eager for the settlement.' His voice was bitter.
Aud turned her head, pointed to her hair. 'How does it look?'
'Sort of lopsided.'
'It'll do. So you were fond of him? Your uncle.'
'Yes.'
'I'm sorry. You know my mother died last winter. So I know how it feels to lose the only
'Brodir liked the old ways,' Astrid said, 'and sought to act on them. Where is he now? Under a white sheet, with a cold house waiting.' She smiled palely at her son. 'Halli, Halli, I know you loved his tales, I know you even admired him. But his values were those of the past. We do not follow them. The Lawgivers of each House will gather as soon as can be arranged. Indeed, Ulfar Arnesson rides today to alert the down-valley Houses, and Leif goes to the upper ones, so with luck the Council will meet before winter falls. To them you will state what you saw. They will pass judgement. And you will be chief witness, Halli! Think of that! It is a very important role for someone so young.'
Halli said blandly, 'But what will happen to the Hakonssons then?' 'They will be forced to give us a very good settlement.'
'You mean land ? That's it? They give us a bit of land?'
'Land is not to be sniffed at, boy. It is where our wealth lies.'
Arnkel Sveinsson sat staring towards the fire, a gaunt and ageing man. He spoke softly, as if to himself. 'Mediation is the only way, and even here we may be forced to settle for less than we desire. Hakon's is a powerful House.'
'Mediation has taken lands from us before,' Astrid said, her lips compressed. 'This time, at least, it will work in our favour.
Ah, here is Leif, all ready to depart!'
Leif wore his travelling cloak, and his beard was newly trimmed. He bounded onto the dais and began discussions with his parents about his exact route to the upland farms. He was exuberant, eager to be off; he displayed no great grief at the circumstances of his mission.
Astrid patted Leif 's arm fondly. 'You look most handsome, my son! A fine emissary of the House. Do you not think so, Halli?'
But Halli had left the hall.
In the passage beyond the drapes he slowed his pace and came to a standstill, breathing deeply, willing his anger to subside.
'Halli.'
Aud Ulfar's-daughter had appeared from the guest room. It would not be true to say that Halli had forgotten her existence, but recent events had pushed her from the forefront of his mind. She wore travelling clothes in a state of some disorder, and was doing something with her hair. Two bone hairpins protruded from between her lips. Amid the flow of his emotions it was hard for Halli to adjust to sudden conversation. 'Oh. Hello.'
'Sorry about your uncle.' Her arms were behind her head, fiddling. The hairpins bobbed and quivered as she spoke.
'Thanks.'
'Those bloody Hakonssons. They don't give a damn about anyone. First time they've killed someone like that, though – a free-man from another House, I mean. I expect they kill their own people all the time. What had your uncle done ?'
Halli's face was expressionless. 'Nothing. He was drunk.'
'Yes, wasn't he? Seems a bit harsh, though. Think yourself lucky they're not your neighbours. They're always shifting the boundary posts to their advantage, and of course my father never does anything about it, just bows and scrapes and kisses the ground beneath their boots. He's in a dilemma now , of course – his cousin Astrid on one side and Hord Hakonsson on the other . . . He'll have to tread carefully in the mediation. Still, Father never does anything that isn't careful. Does anyone?' With a quick movement she plucked the pins from her lips and inserted them into her hair somewhere behind her head. 'Damn, nearly lost it there . . . No, it's fine . . . We're off to inform the Lawgivers now on our way home.'
'I know. My parents just told me. They're eager for the settlement.' His voice was bitter.
Aud turned her head, pointed to her hair. 'How does it look?'
'Sort of lopsided.'
'It'll do. So you were fond of him? Your uncle.'
'Yes.'
'I'm sorry. You know my mother died last winter. So I know how it feels to lose the only
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