four from yesterday appeared on deck. Paying no heed to Tahon’s warnings, nor to the fact that I was unarmed, he attacked me with his sword.’ This time, the atmosphere at the table merely grew even more sombre. ‘Again, in self-defence, I disarmed him, and as he fell, the legionary struck the quay and fainted.
‘He fainted because you first broke his wrist, then threw him off balance, and he hit his face on the stones.’ The voice came from between the shelves.
‘Never mind how, the important thing is that he lost consciousness,’ replied Einar, turning back to his father. ‘The druid said they’d be able to speak by evening,’ the boy concluded.
‘Did they do anything to you?’ His father’s tone didn’t bode well.
‘No,’ the boy denied. ‘I managed to finish it surprisingly quickly.’
The silence that hung over the library was truly oppressive. Olaf rested his forehead on his hands and sank into his thoughts. Einar stood beside his father, trying not to let his gaze linger on any of those gathered; he even began to wonder whether it might be wiser to follow Tahon’s example and feign a keen interest in the books.
Captain Svenson, with a very grim expression, stared at the jarl, awaiting his reaction. The gnashing of the legate’s teeth as he glared at Hex and Pleinselin added a touch of dread to the atmosphere. The other officers seemed to want to vanish, or at least move as far away as possible. The only person who appeared unfazed was Ceet, leafing through some random book. The next few minutes passed without change.
The silence was broken when the door swung wide open and Einar’s brothers and the second knight entered. All five were in good spirits and seemed to have been discussing something animatedly. Bragi was just about to say something when he glanced around the room and instantly realised that something was wrong. He looked at Einar, then at their father. Kari, Leif and Surt nearly bumped into their eldest brother, but before they could say a word, Bragi silenced them
