The folk of the steading at Fjell had become extremely attentive to their own business. Haakon was angry. And this was not a good state of affairs. It had begun at mid day when Haakon went in search of Gudrun, the girl he'd planned to use for the sacrifice prior to naming and launching his new ship. But she had disappeared.

This came as no great surprise to anybody save Haakon himself. He was not used to being disobeyed by his own people. The fact remained, however, that Gudrun was nowhere to be found. After searching in the house and in the dairy, it finally occurred to him that only one person amongst the people at Fjell would have the temerity to try thwarting him. His sister Sigyn undoubtedly had hidden the slave.

Sigyn was a severe embarrassment to Haakon with her soft hearted ways. It would be just like her to think she could sway him from his plans for Gudrun if only she could hide the slave for a long enough time. He walked purposefully toward the wash house--which ought to be abandoned today since all the women should be working on the ship-naming feast. Therefore it would be the perfect place for two women to hide.

Haakon smashed his fist into the side of the wooden shed. "Sigyn!" he bellowed, "tell me where you've hidden Gudrun."

Silence.

"You can't defy me in such an important matter, Sigyn."

More silence.

"Girl, if I have to come in after you, it will be the worse for you."

This time the silence was broken by a soft voice that asked, "What will you do to me if I refuse to tell you where she is?"

Haakon considered sister's words for several minutes before answering. "It will go much against my wishes, but I'll sacrifice you in Gudrun's stead." He smiled in grim satisfaction as Sigyn emerged from the wash house. "Some would find you the better choice."

"That's an empty threat, Haakon. You'll not give up whatever advantage you can gain by marrying me off to one you would have as an ally."

"Who says I don't value the sea trolls as allies? I'm told they prefer virgins to used goods." Haakon's sarcastic tone made Sigyn wince.

"Gudrun is no slut! What makes you think she's not a virgin?"

He shrugged. "If she is, she won't be when my men are finished with her. Either way, the sea trolls will be well pleased."

Sigyn frowned. "That's irrational. Your men might prefer a virgin… but the sea trolls are getting used goods either way!"

Haakon tapped his fingers impatiently against his great axe, Head-Basher. "It's how things are done and you know it. There must be blood sacrifice at the ship naming or the voyages won't prosper. You were raised properly, Sigyn. It's not right to do things in a slapdash way. What matters one Christian slave? I'll get you a new one when we reach England. The country crawls with ill-protected wenches available for the taking! I'll give you a dozen if you want them."

"But this one is your half-sister!"

"You goad me beyond tolerance. That's one reason she's valuable as a sacrifice. Her mother may have been a Christian and a whore, but our father favored her. The bitch was lucky he never shared her. He recognized her whelp was his get and he let Gudrun be raised instead of exposing her."

Sigyn rounded on her brother furiously. "Nothing of the sort would have happened! Father was too just to kill a healthy infant."

Haakon shook his head and smiled at her crookedly. "If you want to believe that, you go ahead. The old man grew weak in his last years and he was always over-soft where you were concerned. But he tolerated no nonsense from anyone else. And that included slaves who coupled without his permission. You're too young to remember. That's all. When Shefa betrayed his bed, he waited four months for Yule then laid her son on the ice with his own hands. And he tied her so she had to listen to the baby scream until it froze and cried no more." His expression hardened. "We all had to listen. It would have been better if you'd been old enough to understand."

He prodded his sister's arm then shoved her roughly toward the ship. "I'll not have my men say I'm a weak and unworthy son to a strong father. Get the wench for me, Sigyn, or by Odin you'll take her place."

"You dare to invoke him?" Sigyn sneered.

"Enough!" Haakon's fist knocked his sister to her knees. "I won't coddle you further. Tell me where she is." He pulled a leather thong from inside his tunic. "The choice is yours. You or Gudrun. The sacrifice will be made before my ship launches."

"You won't kill me." Her tone belied her confident words. Too many people watched now that they were well away from the wash house. And their loud voices must have been heard from inside the shed before they emerged into the yard. Haakon would never back down. Not when his people knew that she refused what he demanded. He would not permit her to refuse.

"Sigyn, both of you are sister to me. I get the same advantage from marrying either of you off or sacrificing either of you." He held up his hand as she opened her lips to speak. "All right. It does matter, but only a little that she's slave's get. Father acknowledged her. She's my blood and therefore she's as much a bargaining piece as you are. Choose. Tell me where to find Gudrun or else you take her place."

"Haakon, no." Sigyn looked up at her brother with tears in her eyes. "Gudrun raised me after mother died. You can't do this to her. You can't do this to me!"

"Stop," a gentle voice sounded from inside the shed. "I'm here, Haakon. Let Sigyn be." A moment later, a young woman with brown hair stood in the doorway. Sigyn jumped to her feet and threw herself in front of her half-sister, but Gudrun walked around her and stopped before Haakon. Then she turned back to the younger girl. "It's no good to rail, Sigyn. He will use me anyway at the first storm. I'm less to him than his horse. And you know that the men will expect him to sacrifice his horse if the winds turn fierce." She smiled bleakly. "And if we reach England, what? When he claims land there, he will need someone to give the house trolls before building his garth. Who else would he choose?"

"What of me?" Sigyn's voice broke on the question. "It works both ways, Gudrun."

The brown-haired girl shook her head. "No. It does not. Haakon is angry at you for embarrassing him in front of his people. But he loves you well. I am nothing in his eyes and a Christian to boot. At need, he'll give the sea trolls his horse. He'll find a slave for the house trolls. He will never give you to either of them. But if you are gone, he will hate me because he has lost you and he will use me when he wants." She swallowed. "I'll die before a two-month is out, one way or the other. Let it be now, Sigyn. I've no stomach for the wait."

It was the truth and they all knew it. Haakon nodded curtly. "You're my father's daughter after all it seems." He turned to look at the ship awaiting them. "We'll begin now. There's nothing to be gained by stalling." He took Gudrun's arm and the two walked toward the shore. Sigyn stood frozen at first. Then she gave a great cry and ran toward them. Haakon stopped and turned to his sister. "Would you cheapen the girl's consent with your childish ranting?" His contemptuous words halted Sigyn. "The slave's get shows herself stronger than you."

Gudrun shook her head. "Leave be. Both of you. I accept my fate." She turned her face away and added cryptically. "It's for the best."

Sigyn halted staring at the two in confusion. "Gudrun, no. I won't let him--" A movement at the corner of her eye caught her attention. But before she could turn, she felt a stunning blow. After that, she knew no more.