The knights made short work of them. Only about half were killed-the rest ran off when they saw the way the fight was turning. Alex shouted to the knights not to pursue but to regroup, and then they continued their sweep through the city.
But they were not the only ones fighting. In other parts of the city, Freya could see other shadows clashing.
After perhaps half an hour, the sounds of ringing steel and cries of exclamation grew less frequent. The movement of the knights slowed, and instead of swarming, they started to cluster in groups heading toward the centre of the city, toward the Langtorr.
“Is it safe to leave, do you think?” Freya asked.
“I should hope so. While the knights are still on their guard and the yfelgopes are running scared, there won’t be a better time to declare our presence.”
“Then let’s go.”
They went down the stairs and found Frithfroth, peeking through the small gap between the large iron doors. He turned a startled, rabbit-like expression up toward them as he saw them descend. Modwyn stood behind him, looking poised, ready to welcome visitors.
Freya stepped past them both and opened the door, then paused. “Wait,” she said. “I forgot something.” She dashed back down to the Sl?pereshus and came back a minute later.
“Did you get what you need?” Vivienne asked.
“Yes. Shall we go?” Freya paused with one hand on the iron door and looked back at Modwyn. “Are you coming?”
Modwyn took a step forward and then stopped immediately. She was obviously torn. Without waiting for her to make up her mind, Freya pushed open the door.
“Freya! Aunt Viv!”
She looked up and saw Alex running toward her. He gripped her by the arms and then immediately hugged and kissed her, then drew back as if he couldn’t believe their good fortune.
“Hello. .” Freya said.
“We heard the horn and came as quick as we could. You wouldnae believe all the places we’ve been to! Would you believe we were in Germany when we heard the call? We came instantly. I mean instantly! There was a sort of shimmering, telescoping, tunnelway-thing. .” He made some vague and hurried motions with his hands. “I can’t describe it. But here we are!”
“Yeah, I blew the horn and something weird happened to time,” Freya explained, instantly feeling ridiculous.
“I’m so proud of my young nephew,” Vivienne said. “Such a fighter! It looks as though you’ve liberated the city.”
“Aye, and it does at that, doesn’t it? But we had an easy time of it. Those yfelgopes didn’t put up much of a fight. Is that all there is to it?”
“No, I don’t think we’re going to be that lucky. Did you run into Kelm? A big guy shouting orders? He headed off down that direction.” Freya pointed across the city; more knights were making their way toward them through the darkness. How many of them were there? What were they going to do now?
“A big man, you say? I don’t think so. I’ll ask my lads when we regroup. In fact. .” He turned and called over his shoulder, “Ecgbryt!’
The large knight had been instructing some of the others in how to take the heads off of the yfelgopes. He looked up at Alex’s shout and saw Freya.
“Little aetheling!” he shouted and bounded toward them in long strides. He picked Freya up and squeezed her in an embrace that robbed her of air. “Vivienne!” He hugged her no less exuberantly.
“Have you run across the yfelgop leader, Kelm?” Alex asked.
“He’s very large, as tall as you, and fat,” Freya said.
Ecgbryt pulled his beard and then shook his head. “I remember talk of him-he is Gad’s hereheafod, is that so?”
“Right. He took a bunch of yfelgopes and went that way.”
Ecgbryt pulled on the arm of one of the knights who had come from that direction and conferred with him for a moment.
“He hasn’t been seen,” Ecgbryt reported as he turned back. “He must have fled. Remember the western well? That portal lies in just that direction.” The knight’s eyes wandered to the Langtorr. “My lady richeweard,” he said with a slight bow.
Modwyn stepped out of the doorway of the Langtorr.
“Wes?u hale, good Ecgbryt,” she said imperiously, descending the steps in a smooth glide. Her sudden self-possession reminded Freya of when they had first met her. “Thank you for coming to aid our city. I am sorry you do not find us in better preparation for you.”
“My queen!” Ecgbryt said.
“Wait, before we go into formalities, has anyone seen Daniel?”
“He is not with you?” Alex said.
“No, he left to try to kill Kelm, almost as soon as we got here. You haven’t found his. . his body? Is there somewhere that they might have locked him up?”
“Ecgbryt, help me with this,” Alex said. The knights had now collected in a large group around them. There were perhaps sixty of them and they were still regrouping. They all looked different, but some shared certain peculiarities-the same shaped shield, a certain type of padded armour, a style of helmet-but no two looked alike. Some looked very much as Swi?gar and Ecgbryt had looked when they first woke up; some looked more like Freya always thought knights should look, with big triangular shields, long swords, and bright tunics worn over chain mail. Others of them, however, looked very much more basic, in simple leathers and wielding large weapons.
“You! Tu! Everyone, listen!” Alex yelled. “We’re looking for a man, a warrior, like me, but younger and thinner, with dark hair. He may be dead, hiding, or imprisoned. Go through the city and look for him, as well as any others that might be living-enemy or ally alike. Bring them here. Ecgbryt?”
Ecgbryt shouted out the same instructions, but in a different language, and some of them relayed the instructions in several other languages, and so gradually the knights dispersed.
“Okay, good. Now, what else?” Alex said. “Did you find Ealdstan? Any sign of Gad?”
“No, we didn’t but. . we did find some things out.” Freya looked to Vivienne for support and Vivienne nodded.
“We found a great deal out about Ni?ergeard’s founder,” Vivienne said. “As well as the history of this place. As noble as its original intention may be, and that of those who work here, we may assume the heart of the leader to be corrupted, and the city was led into danger and the sad state you found upon arriving. There is evidence of Ealdstan making dark alliances throughout history with the enemies of Britain, not least of which were the Nazis.”
“He also sent more than Daniel and me on that bizarre mission,” Freya put in. “We don’t know how many children, but Modwyn has admitted that they failed-that they died-where we only barely succeeded. They tricked us all-everyone in the city was complicit in those deaths. Not just her,” Freya said, pointing at Modwyn, who was still clutching her cloak at her breast where the dagger had been. “But Godmund, Frithfroth. . and you, Ecgbryt,” Freya said.
“Is this true, Ecgbryt?” Alex said, turning to him in confusion. “How much did you know about this?”
“In truth,” Ecgbryt began, and then faltered. His face had grown sterner as he listened to Freya, and now he looked at her with an even, steady gaze. “In truth, I knew little then and know little more now. When we first arrived, while you slept, we were bound to secrecy by Ealdstan and by Modwyn on revealing certain knowledge to you-but we did not know, Swi?gar and I, we never knew that you were being used for any purpose other than what Ealdstan told. We had been asleep, after all.”
“So, Modwyn,” Freya said, her voice as dry and cold as the stones around them. “Do you know Ealdstan’s true plans?”
Modwyn finally managed to choke out a reply. “I–I-he never revealed anything to me other than the next step to be taken. But I trust him. Although his intent may be clouded to us now, I believe it must have been good, true.”