escape as quickly as possible and rushed off to wash the greasy substance off his hands. It took him several attempts to manage it, but he couldn’t get rid of the unpleasant stinging sensation on his hands.
He quickly slipped into his room and got changed. Judging by the haste with which his father and Bragi were preparing, the druids must have seen exactly when the ship would arrive in port and passed this information on to the jarl. Einar put on black-dyed leather trousers, heavy studded boots, a white tunic with bear heads embroidered at the neck, and a leather belt with a silver buckle in the shape of a bear’s head. He also donned a bracelet-shield and strapped on his sword.
Although he was not yet a warrior, he was strong enough to defend his right to bear arms. In any case, few people had tried to challenge him to a duel over this. Everyone knew full well how skilfully Einar handled weapons.
Before leaving the bedroom, he snatched the amulet made from a sath’s claws that his brothers had given him from the chest of drawers. He made his way briskly to the banquet hall, where the bustle before the feast had already begun. Clearly, his father hoped that the arriving ship was a good omen and that he would be able to welcome its captain with Ytren hospitality.
The whole family had gathered by the door and were already getting ready to leave. His father had even donned ornate chainmail, a thick bearskin cloak, and fastened a gilded axe to his belt instead of his usual one. His mother wore a long brown gown that emphasised her waist and held Athil, who was dozing peacefully, in her arms. Bragi must have been scolded by his mother, for he too was wearing chainmail with gilded rings, and a collar and sleeves trimmed with bearskin. Kari and Leif had also managed to get changed by then, but they hadn’t been forced to put on the mercilessly heavy ceremonial chainmail, which was why they kept grinning at their older
