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Authors: Anna Markland
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them?
The men left to guard her were friendly and the freed thralls treated her with respect, grateful for her part in their liberation, but she was still the only woman among them. How long would she be safe? They were vulnerable here. She sensed it, though the Danes doubted Gorm would attack, especially with the persistent fog.
Suddenly, Torgrim drew his dagger and ordered her back to the lodge. A boat had pulled into the cove. She shielded her eyes to determine the threat. As the fog lifted she saw that it was not a longboat. Someone waved. She narrowed her eyes and gasped. “Dieter?” she whispered. She had not seen her brother-by-marriage for several years, but was sure it was he waving frantically. Then she heard his voice on the wind. “Ragna!”
Relief surged over her. “Dieter has come to our rescue, Thor.” She would not be marooned on this lonely shore. She would see her family again. Waving both hands high over her head, she jumped up and down. Thor ran round in circles, barking loudly. “Dieeeeterrr!” she bellowed, running into the waves. Torgrim ran after her, trying to pull her back. “No, no, Torgrim, it’s all right. It’s Dieter. I know him. Put away your weapons.”
Her excitement spread to the other survivors and they too waved their arms, shouting and beckoning for the ship to come into shore.
Dieter leapt into the waist high water and strode towards the beach. Ragna waded out to meet him and collapsed into his outstretched arms. “You came,” she sobbed. “You didn’t give up.”
Dieter grinned broadly, hugging her tight. “Ragna! I am relieved to find you.”
Laughing, they waded out of the water, Thor leaping in the waves and chasing his own tail. Dieter’s hand went to the hilt of his dagger when he saw the Danes with their weapons drawn, but Ragna reassured him. “We are safe with them. They were left here to protect me.”
The shipwreck survivors mobbed Dieter, shaking his hand and thanking him.
Ivar’s crew came ashore and introductions were made. The Danes knew Ivar and obviously felt comfortable with him. They too became swept up in the celebration. Ragna had not given any thought to how isolated and vulnerable they too must have felt. They had been left behind because of her, when they would rather have gone to fight with their leader, their prince.
The newcomers were welcomed into the lodge and invited to break their fast. Dieter was given dry clothing and his apparel strung on the drying line. Everyone shared their story. Ragna shuddered when she told Dieter of jumping into the sea.
He laughed. “I heard the tale, and I knew that if anyone had the courage to leap into the sea, it was Ragna FitzRam.”
Ragna was astonished that her fate had hinged on the ramblings of a dying survivor of the wreck. The newcomers learned the details of Reider’s betrayal, and that he and Kjartan had gone to regain Reider’s birthright.
Like the Danes, Ivar also believed Dagfinn Alfredsen would fight with Reider. “He’s a good man. Murder of a rightful ruler would not sit well with him.”
~~~
The thought occurred to Ragna that Ivar might be a good source of information. “Captain Ivar, tell me about Margit.”
The seaman looked at her curiously. “You speak of Margit Hansdatter?”
Ragna felt her face flush. “I do not know her name. She was Reider’s betrothed,” she murmured, hoping her nervousness was not obvious.
Ivar drew on his pipe. “Margit came from Heide as an arranged bride for Reider. She is a beautiful woman…”
Ragna’s heart fell.
“…on the outside. But I always thought her devious.”
Torgrim snorted his agreement, spat into the hearth and said something in Danish. Ivar explained. “She betrayed Reider with Gorm.”
No wonder Reider mistrusts women.
Dieter came to his feet. “You can stop worrying. We will be on our way as early as the morrow. Ivar will take us back to Hamburg.”
Ragna should have been elated, but her thoughts were
The men left to guard her were friendly and the freed thralls treated her with respect, grateful for her part in their liberation, but she was still the only woman among them. How long would she be safe? They were vulnerable here. She sensed it, though the Danes doubted Gorm would attack, especially with the persistent fog.
Suddenly, Torgrim drew his dagger and ordered her back to the lodge. A boat had pulled into the cove. She shielded her eyes to determine the threat. As the fog lifted she saw that it was not a longboat. Someone waved. She narrowed her eyes and gasped. “Dieter?” she whispered. She had not seen her brother-by-marriage for several years, but was sure it was he waving frantically. Then she heard his voice on the wind. “Ragna!”
Relief surged over her. “Dieter has come to our rescue, Thor.” She would not be marooned on this lonely shore. She would see her family again. Waving both hands high over her head, she jumped up and down. Thor ran round in circles, barking loudly. “Dieeeeterrr!” she bellowed, running into the waves. Torgrim ran after her, trying to pull her back. “No, no, Torgrim, it’s all right. It’s Dieter. I know him. Put away your weapons.”
Her excitement spread to the other survivors and they too waved their arms, shouting and beckoning for the ship to come into shore.
Dieter leapt into the waist high water and strode towards the beach. Ragna waded out to meet him and collapsed into his outstretched arms. “You came,” she sobbed. “You didn’t give up.”
Dieter grinned broadly, hugging her tight. “Ragna! I am relieved to find you.”
Laughing, they waded out of the water, Thor leaping in the waves and chasing his own tail. Dieter’s hand went to the hilt of his dagger when he saw the Danes with their weapons drawn, but Ragna reassured him. “We are safe with them. They were left here to protect me.”
The shipwreck survivors mobbed Dieter, shaking his hand and thanking him.
Ivar’s crew came ashore and introductions were made. The Danes knew Ivar and obviously felt comfortable with him. They too became swept up in the celebration. Ragna had not given any thought to how isolated and vulnerable they too must have felt. They had been left behind because of her, when they would rather have gone to fight with their leader, their prince.
The newcomers were welcomed into the lodge and invited to break their fast. Dieter was given dry clothing and his apparel strung on the drying line. Everyone shared their story. Ragna shuddered when she told Dieter of jumping into the sea.
He laughed. “I heard the tale, and I knew that if anyone had the courage to leap into the sea, it was Ragna FitzRam.”
Ragna was astonished that her fate had hinged on the ramblings of a dying survivor of the wreck. The newcomers learned the details of Reider’s betrayal, and that he and Kjartan had gone to regain Reider’s birthright.
Like the Danes, Ivar also believed Dagfinn Alfredsen would fight with Reider. “He’s a good man. Murder of a rightful ruler would not sit well with him.”
~~~
The thought occurred to Ragna that Ivar might be a good source of information. “Captain Ivar, tell me about Margit.”
The seaman looked at her curiously. “You speak of Margit Hansdatter?”
Ragna felt her face flush. “I do not know her name. She was Reider’s betrothed,” she murmured, hoping her nervousness was not obvious.
Ivar drew on his pipe. “Margit came from Heide as an arranged bride for Reider. She is a beautiful woman…”
Ragna’s heart fell.
“…on the outside. But I always thought her devious.”
Torgrim snorted his agreement, spat into the hearth and said something in Danish. Ivar explained. “She betrayed Reider with Gorm.”
No wonder Reider mistrusts women.
Dieter came to his feet. “You can stop worrying. We will be on our way as early as the morrow. Ivar will take us back to Hamburg.”
Ragna should have been elated, but her thoughts were
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