Chapter 2.

They returned to the town in a slow, solemn procession. The king was was walking, holding the reins of his horse, his sister on its back barely able to remain in the saddle.

"We were in Kaupang in Norway before we came here, "Swein said, "Half the town was either infected with smallpox or dead from it. I didn't think any of us had been close enough to catch it."

'How typical, 'Thorstar thought bitterly, 'The new king arrives and the first thing he brings his people is death.'

They halted infront of the earl's house, keeping a safe distance. Vigdis and her sister were standing by the door with the king's wife, who held her small son in her arms. At the sight of her husband, she eagerly stepped forward, but he raised a hand to halt her.

"Don't come any closer, Gunhilda, "he said, "Thyra is ill from smallpox."

Her eyes widened and she stepped back, while the sisters went to fetch their father. They returned with the earl, who squinted in the bright sunlight after the semidarkness of the house.

"What is it I hear? "he asked in his usual gruff tone, "You have brought illness to my town?"

"My sister, "the king said.

"You cannot enter my house, "the earl said firmly, "you must be isolated. You will stay at the common house."

"I will look after her, "the king said, "I've already had smallpox."

He pulled back the collar of his red kirtle*, showing small, round scars on his shoulder.

"And I will stay with my king, "Kol said, sounding surprisingly cheerful.

The earl nodded. "And you, Thorstar?"

Thorstar flinched. He hadn't really given much thought to his own situation. He had merely felt sorry for the young woman, who had caught this horrible disease that only one in three survived.

"I ... " He paused. "I've touched her. I loosened her cloak."

"Did you touch the blisters?"

"Yes, "he nodded.

"Then you must go to the common house with the others, "the earl concluded sadly. Over the years he had come to think of Thorstar and his mother as kin. This was as difficult for him as if he had had to send away one of his daughters.

Vigdis gasped.

"Please, father, no!" She sent him a pleading look.

"That is my decision, "the earl put a comforting hand on his daughter's shoulder, "I cannot risk an epidemic."

So this was it.

Thorstar knew he had an ailing health. If he caught the disease, he would die.

"Have my wife and son sent to Heidabýr**, "Swein said. "She can stay with my cousin."

(Break)

The common house was made of stone rather than wood and grass grew on the roof, but the interior was exactly like that of the earl's house. Kol put Thyra on the bench, wrapping her cloak tightly around her.

The inside of the house was as cold as the outside, but a thrall soon left fire wood for them, dropping it by the doorway and hurrying back home. Another thrall brought them bread and cheese. And old blankets and furs. No need wasting new furs, as they would all have to be burned afterwards.

Thorstar stayed as far away from the woman as possible, even though he doubted that it would do much to change his fate. And that also meant staying away from the fire, and he was unbelievably cold, his muscles tightening and his body shaking.

'Oh, wonderful, 'he thought ruefully. 'Now I'll die of pneumonia instead.'

He started coughing just thinking about it.

Swein and Kol had left their sheilds and swords by the door. Normally, no one brought swords into the common house, but they would have to be here for days. The constant snow would ruin the expensive weaponry.

The king tended to his sister in silence, trying to get her to drink from a flask, but she was barely conscious and most of the water ran down her chin. Kol was sitting on the bench across from them, leaning against the wall with his eyes closed.

Thorstar took a bite of bread, grimacing. It was more than a week old and rather stale and to make it even worse, he could tell that his mother had made the flour for this bread. She hated working the millstones and never grinded the grains long enough.

After a few more bites, he lost his appetite and put the bread aside, leaning back against the wall like Kol and trying to picture Vigdis' green eyes, straw-coloured hair and blue dress with the green silk band at the hem. She always wore the ornate silver clasp on her cloak that he had bought for her on a market day in the summer right after her father had offered her to him in marriage. The earl had seen the looks the young couple had sent each other while working side by side in the field and sitting by the evening fire.

"Thorstar!"

He looked up and took in the rather large figure standing the doorway. It was a woman, wearing a brown dress that was slitted high in the sides to allow movement. "Mother! You really shouldn't be here..."

She snorted. "Please! I went through this when I was young."

She put her sword with the other and sat down on the bench beside him. "I'll get you out of here. We'll travel to another town ..."

"No, "he shook his head. "I will not put anyone else in danger."

"Then we will hide out in the forrest."

"No, "he insisted stubbornly. "I will stay here. Even if it kills me. It's the only way to keep everyone else safe."

"Now is not the time to be noble, "Hanna hissed.

"If not now, then when is?" He met and held her gaze for a long time.

Finally, she was the one to look away. "You are just like your father."

"Is that a good thing?" He asked, trying not to sound too curious. His mother had never told him much about his father and most of what she had told him sounded like horror stories.

"No, "his mother answered petulantly, "I never cared much for him."

"Well, you must have liked him at least once." Thorstar remarked, feeling annoyed."

"No, not at all, "she claimed. "He was just so incredibly handsome."

"And I'm guessing he beat you in swordsplay, "he said drily.

She made a sound that was neither here nor there.

(Break)

Kol was bored and whenever Kol was bored, disaster usually followed. Night had arrived, sleep following in her wake.

Swein, Hanna and Thorstar were asleep on the benches, while Thyra's eyes were wide open and unseeing, as she tossed and turned, moaning.

He considered compelling her to calm down, but he doubted he'd be able to make any contact with her. Nevermind. With the others asleep he could at least take a sip from her. Who cared? She was as good as dead, anyway.

He moved silently over to her, reaching under the blankets and grabbing her arm. He pulled her sleeve up almost to her shoulder. His teeth lengthened and he bit gently into her upper arm, making as small wounds as possible.

Her blood tasted vile, like poison or sewage, but it was better than nothing. In all honesty, he would rather have had a taste of Hanna's healthy blood, but he had long ago learned that she was a light sleeper and impossible to compel.

Maybe because she knew.

The way she looked at him, the way she always put herself between him and her son. Yes, she knew, what he was.

Thyra stopped moving after a while, her eyes closing and she drifted into a peaceful sleep, her features relaxing.

"What are you doing?"

He let go of her arm and wiped his mouth carefully with the back of his hand, before turning his head.

Thorstar was in a semi-upright on the bench, blinking slowly.

Kol smiled. "Just checking on Thyra."

He knew Thorstar's vision was terrible. There was no way he could have seen exactly what had happened.

Kol stood up and stretched lazily, before walking over and taking a seat beside the boy. Thorstar sat up, moving a bit away from him.

"Are you cold?" Kol asked, not really caring.

"Always, "Thorstar grimaced. "I hate winter. I always get ill and I can barely breathe."

Kol regarded him for a minute. He was heavily built like Hanna, but unlike her he was also short, pale and sickly. If it hadn't been for his mother, he would've been left out for the wolves by the elders, as soon as he had been born. Every time Kol returned to the town, he always expected to find Thorstar's grave, but somehow the boy kept hanging on to life.

Maybe by some miracle, he would survive this as well.

"You think this is harsh, you should try Greenland's winter, "Kol commented drily.

"You've been to Greenland?" The boy looked at him with some interest.

"Oh, yes. We made a halt there on our way to Iceland three years ago. Nothing but snow as far as the eye can see. No trees at all, just ice and great white bears. And there's so incredibly quiet. The only sound is your own breath."

"Wonderful, "Thorstar had an almost dreamy look in his eyes. "I would like to see it for myself one day."

"And I'm sure you will." Kol took a flask that was attached to his belt and handed it to the boy. "Here. This should warm you up a little."

He took a sip, then grimaced. "That is not ale."

Kol smiled at him. "Really?"

"I've been drinking ale every single day my intire life. That is simply disgusting!"

"When we were in the new world, my brothers and I travelled south for awhile. We picked this up from the natives. It is made by a plant called agave."

"You've been to the new world?" Thorstar handed the flask back to him. "My mother lived there, when she was young."

"I know, "Kol nodded. "I travelled back here with her and her father."

"That was before I was born." He sent him a thoughtful look. "Exactly how old are you?"

Kol mentally kicked himself. He had gone his own way after they had arrived at the Denmark's coast and did not return until five years ago. He had been showing up once in awhile since then. And even that was long enough that some people were getting suspicious.

"Have you mother ever told you about what happened over there? "Kol asked. "Why she left?"

Thorstar visibly shivered. "A little. That men turned to wolves under the moon and an intire family was killed, then returned from the dead the day after. They ate people and burned in the sun."

Kol nodded slowly. "I was out of that family. We are not like everybody else."

"Exactly, how are you different?"

"I'll tell you some other time." Kol took a sip from the flask, before reattaching it to his belt. "You should get some more sleep."

"I probably should." Thorstar looked tired. And a bit cautious, but not frightened. He lay down, wrapping himself in furs and blankets, and was soon sound asleep.

Back to boredom, then.

He considered slipping out and finding a woman to keep him intertained for a couple of hours, but then loud voices came from right outside the common house. Swein and Hanna jumped to their feet, ready for battle and instinctively reaching for their weapons, that wasn't there.

A man entered, dragging another man, an old man, who looked half dead, his head head hanging.

Kol recognised them as some of the king's men, who had returned with them from England.

"What has happened?" Swein demanded.

"Alf is ill. It's smallpox, "the man explained.

"Put him here." The king grabbed some blankets, while the man placed Alf on the bech, then covered him with them. "What about you?"

"I've already had it."

"You must bathe and burn your clothes, before you go back into town."

"I will, but it's no use, " the man shook his head sadly. "There are fifty of us that travelled with your sister from Kaupang and we have been all over this town."

Oh, did disaster come easily this time!

The king was biting the inside of his cheek, the air of dignity, that usually surrounded him, gone for a moment and he suddenly looked his age; 18 years old.

"Well well, we better make some arrangements, "Kol said, his voice vacuous, "I'm guessing that from now on, they'll just keep coming."

AN: The aztecs made beverages of the agave plant. It was what was later developed into tequila.

*Kirtle: A knee length shirt worn by viking men.

**Heidabýr: Hedeby or in German Haithabu. An old viking town situated in the north of Germany, which was part of Denmark until 1864.