The Realms Thereunder

6

Freya walked as fast as she dared down the almost pitch-black corridor. The lamp from Ni?ergeard that she still carried with her seemed to be glowing dimmer now, and she couldn’t always make out the ground in front of her.

She thought that she saw two spots of light ahead of her, like two dim stars. She dipped her lamp to see better and watched as the bobbing lights came nearer. She started to see outlines forming in the gloom, like the silvery outlines of a ghost.

“Freya?” she heard Daniel call.

“Ecgbryt, Daniel-” She hurried towards them.

“Are you okay?” Daniel asked after Freya released him from a hug. “I found Gad’s soul and killed it! It’s done, we can go back to Ealdstan and he’ll let us go!”

“We don’t need to do that. I think there’s an exit nearby.”

“Really? How can you tell?” Daniel asked.

“I passed it on the way to find you here.”

“Where’s Swi?gar?”

Ecgbryt was already standing over her and peering into the darkness behind her.

“He’s . . . back there. Come on, I’ll show you.”

Freya led them both back the way she had come, to an intersection of pipes and ducts. And there, in the centre of the crossroads, lay Swi?gar’s body, his broken spearshaft beside him, the spear’s head still buried in his chest.

“Is he not sleeping?” Ecgbryt asked to himself. “Can he not be woken yet?”

He stepped forward and bent over the body and touched the cold face, then turned to Freya with an expression that nearly shattered her. She was already crying and through her misty eyes she saw a look on Ecgbryt’s face like a wounded dog that had been kicked in the belly and it didn’t know why.

“How did this happen?” he asked. “This should not have been possible.”

Freya wanted to break down and tell him everything. She took a deep breath and felt her stomach tighten till it was as hard as steel. She heard the words come out.

“We ran into Gad, and they fought. Swi?gar-he fought long and hard; I thought they would go on forever. Then Gad grabbed the spear and shoved it into his chest. And-it was over. I was terrified. Gad came up to me-I wanted to run, but I couldn’t.

And he stood over me, and then-then he grabbed at his chest and keeled over. He started spitting up blood and then-I think he was dead. That must have been when you-did whatever you did, Daniel.”

Daniel and Ecgbryt just looked at her with impassive faces.

For a while she couldn’t tell if they were buying it or not. She held her breath and prayed for one of them to say something, anything.

“Where is Gad now?” Ecgbryt asked, looking around.

“He’s back there,” Freya said, indicating one of the paths.

She continued hurriedly, “Swi?gar wasn’t quite dead yet and he walked this way with me, but then he stopped and died.”

“Did-did he say anything at the end?” Ecgbryt asked.

“Anything about me?”

Freya felt a sweat immediately break out. This wasn’t in the script. “I don’t-no, he didn’t. He was really weak, and we were hurrying to get to you. I’m sorry, Ecgbryt, I’m so sorry.”

Ecgbryt turned back to Swi?gar’s body.

“Wela, bro?or, wela. An bealocwealm ?u habbe. Caru ond anlipnes is min.” He sighed. “Did I fail you when you needed me most? My hand too slow to rise with yours? Did you want for me in your last moment? Did your heart cry my name, or was thought of me absent? I am sorry that I gave so much cause for you to speak against me in all the years we walked side by side.”

Ecgbryt pulled the body of Swi?gar by its arms out of the rank and reeking sewer water and onto a dry stretch of paving and set about arranging the dead knight’s clothing and armour.

“So your dear spear is broken. And where is your shield? Will you not fight again in this world? Swa, swa-continue the fight in the next world, and tarry there until I come join you.

“And I vow before you now never again to speak word of our past adventures. The uttering of them will taste always as stale water and dry ash if you are not to share such food of remembrance with me. No more will Ecgbryt drink to the health of dead kings or raise a horn to the memory of forgotten battles. My head will not again be warmed with thoughts of past glories and triumphs, but will be lit only with ideas of future conquest and the defeat of enemies-of returned bloodshed and vengeful violence.

“We have traveled many roads, you and I, long and dangerous roads, but the way always seemed shorter when I walked with you and burdens lighter.” Ecgbryt placed a massive hand around the dead body’s belt and hefted the enormous mass onto his back and across his shoulders. “So come with me a short distance yet and I will honour this which you have been left behind. You are not so heavy, for the greater part of you yet has gone on.”

He turned to Daniel and Freya. “I would like to inspect Gad’s body myself.”

“No, Ecgbryt,” Freya urged. “You have to help us get out of here first. There might still be yfelgopes around here.”

“Very well,” Ecgbryt said. “Which way did you think was the passage out?”