Runa remained facing the hall. The sight of it made her think of poor Aren, a young child who did not know how to play with others and was liked by so few. Only Ulfrik accepted him, and then only because of Runa. If she ever died, she wondered what would become of Aren. Finally, Konal found his reply.
"He is my son, Runa; the only family left to me in the whole circle of the world."
"And what would you have me do? Ulfrik has chosen to raise him as his own. Did you come this far to insult Ulfrik and claim one of his sons for your own? Or do you have other designs?"
"I only desire to know my son, and be near family."
Runa smiled, but did not laugh. Troubles with Konal ran deeper than Aren's parentage. He had lost a fortune in jewels that Ulfrik now possessed in secret. To this day, only she knew of the treasure and its hiding place. As touching as Konal's story had been, his loss of status and wealth likely hurt him more. Could he have more in his heart than a wish to see his kin, she wondered. Could he be here to dig out treasure he long considered his own?
When Runa did not answer or face him, she heard him sigh then walk off. She closed her eyes and prayed the gods Ulfrik had not let a traitor slip into his own hall.
Chapter 14
Unable to locate Runa in time to respond to the news, he collected his three sons along with Einar, Snorri, and every hirdman in the hall and lining the track to the southern gate. The wind tangled his cloak against his body as he lined up before the dark log gates. The guards atop the walls and at the bar of the gate watched for his signal, which he gave with an impatient flick of his wrist.
Even Gunnar, still sullen from his rebuke, began to smile as the heavy bars lifted and hirdmen dragged open the gates. His other sons stood beside him, but were far more skeptical of the commotion. Half of Ravndal had gathered behind Ulfrik's group.
"His timing's not bad," Snorri said, standing behind Ulfrik. "But how many more visitors are we taking in?"
"This is family," Ulfrik corrected, his own smile broadening.
Wood stuttered along the pounded earth as the gates swung wide. Framed in the rectangle view of the fields and forests beyond Ravndal stood an orderly column of warriors, spears and shields held at ease. At their fore was a strong man in freshly scoured mail that flashed white in contrast to the dark, curly hair that flowed from beneath his helmet. Once the gates had widened enough, he stepped inside.
Ulfrik strode forward, his arms outstretched. "Toki, you miserable bastard! Welcome!"
They clasped arms then embraced as brothers long-parted. His oldest and dearest friend had been gone six years, sent to rule Nye Grenner in Ulfrik's stead when they had still been struggling to breach Paris. Now the two examined each other as warriors did, looking for new scars or missing parts. Toki appeared as he always had, but for missing a few teeth and a spray of gray in the roots of his black beard. Toki gently slapped Ulfrik's cheek.
"You've had a few near misses, I see, but you've kept both eyes. You look well and strong." Toki pulled back and scanned Ravndal. "And you're as powerful as rumor claims."
"But it is good to see you, brother." Ulfrik hooked his arm around Toki's shoulder and turned him to face the others waiting for him. "And I'm not the only one glad to have you here."
Toki's astonished face took in all the changes time had wrought in his absence. Gunnar struggled to maintain a dignified stance as he clearly wanted to leap into his uncle's arms like he had done as a child. Hakon was only in swaddling when they had last met, and Aren was not known to him.
"Is that over-muscled boy Einar and the snow-haired man leaning on him Snorri? That proud young warrior can't be Gunnar, can it?"
All pretense of dignity fled and suddenly Toki was swamped with his old friends clamoring to greet him. Ulfrik stood in the middle, experiencing a lighthearted happiness he had long forgotten. No matter Toki had brought thirty people with him that would be challenging to feed in winter, for now he let himself go with the joy of the reunion.
"Where is my sister?" Toki asked, his face suddenly grave.
"Runa went to fetch wool or some such chore," Ulfrik explained. "We will certainly find her back at the hall. Be warned; sitting in the hall all day has made her as feisty as a mother hen."
Toki instructed the rest of his column to enter and all shifted aside to allow the group to assemble. Soon the gates closed and the bars dropped back in place. Ulfrik examined the crowd and took heart that most were warriors. A group of women sheltered Halla, Toki's wife, in the center, but she had only come forward to offer an insincere greeting that bordered on insult. Despite being engrossed in talk with Snorri and the others, he caught his wife's shameful display with a sharp bark. Ulfrik played it down, knowing the real conflicts would begin once Runa and Halla met again. Many good reasons kept Ulfrik away from Nye Grenner, but the bad blood between Toki's wife and his own had been chief among them.
They took a leisurely walk to the hall, where Ulfrik gave a history of all that had happened, starting with the recent battle with Clovis and working backward to when Toki had departed. By the time they arrived inside the hall, Toki had a general sketch of events from the last six years.
Runa met them at the door, and Ulfrik feared her reaction upon meeting Halla, who now walked with slaves and servants and two young girls who Ulfrik knew were her daughters from the platinum white hair they shared with her. However, Runa only had eyes for her brother, and the two embraced as if reunited for the first time. She was courteous to Halla, which gave Ulfrik a breath of relief. Inside the women had set aside their baskets of wool and moved their looms to the wall and were flitting about the hearth to prepare a welcome meal.
They passed the afternoon swapping news and stories, and of all the happy voices in the hall none was louder than Ulfrik's. For a moment he forgot the troubles of rulership, the pressures of holding and expanding territory, the thanklessness of enforcing law, and the duties of being a gold-giver to hundreds of men. With Toki at his table again, he returned to a simpler time where wind flowed through his hair and sea spray misted his face as they sought fortune together. Only by evening, when the second meal of the day had been completed and the autumn sun fell behind the horizon, did Ulfrik finally ask the question no one had dared yet to ask.
"Why have you come?" Ulfrik's question drew sharp looks from everyone at the high table. Only Hakon's squabble with his younger brother distracted attention, and Runa hushed the boys as she added her own question.
"And why have you come with so many men?"
"Men are needed for rowing and for security. It's not a light undertaking," Toki answered. Halla, who sat at his left, turned from her children and peered at him with as much interest as the others. "I came because I've heard so much of the prosperity and peace here. I wanted my daughters to know their family."
Ulfrik studied Halla's face reddening as she stared at Toki, and immediately recognized she had been told something else to convince her to make the journey. She made a better showing of her temper than Ulfrik had expected, sitting back on the bench and returning to her plate without a comment. Still, Toki had more to share and he would not do it before everyone.
"Never a better reason," Ulfrik said, extending his hand to the girls. "Two beautiful maidens to brighten my hall, what more could I ask?"
The oldest girl flashed a smile, and he saw the familiar twist in it that had passed from Toki and Runa to her. The younger girl melted behind her sister and blushed. Their reactions drew laughter all around, successfully diffusing the tension. Ulfrik nudged Runa, and she responded with a nod.
"I must check on the servants, but please sit and enjoy the evening." She stood and dragged Hakon away as he whined in protest, whereas Aren followed without interest in anything beyond his mother. In the same moment, Gunnar approached the table. Ulfrik smiled at him, but Gunnar ignored it. Instead he asked to sit with Toki.