Disclaimer: Anything you recognise from the books by J. K. Rowling remains hers and hers alone, I make no claim on them.
Chapter 2
Flight and Fury.
The residents of Privet Drive had watched, in amusement when Mr. Dursley stormed out of the house, ignored his rant aimed at them and then continued to watch him disappear as he strode round the corner. All was quiet again outside, but they noticed there was much activity within the house. The upstairs lights flicked on, it was probably the first time they had seen every light in the house on at the same time. They sensed something momentous was happening inside and did not want to miss any part of what was going on. It was probably the first time anything the Dursley's did had united their community in such a neighbourly way. Some of them talking in the street for the first time, while others chatted who hadn't spoken for a long time, began to realise the reason was gossip from Petunia in the past. It seemed the melt down, apparently going on in number four, was uniting the neighbours. Some, who had noticed the changes in Dudley and Petunia, were reporting these to those who had not. Many discussed the long unexplained absence of young Harry. They were all agreed on one thing though, this was the best entertainment the street had seen for a number of years and wondered what would happen next.
After ten minutes or so, the front door of number four opened again, Dudley appeared carrying a large suitcase, he carried it to his car, opened the boot and loaded the case in, then went back inside, without closing the lid. Over the next half hour Dudley appeared numerous times each time carrying boxes or cases, all of which were loaded into his car. Once the boot was full and closed, he loaded the rest into the back seat and foot well, until that too was full. He went back inside again, only to reappear a moment later with his mother, both carrying hand luggage, locking the door on the now dark house, they climbed into the front seats of the car. The engine started, reversed out of the drive and drove away, without a glance at their neighbours or behind them. As the car turned the corner at one end of the street, Mrs. Figg appeared at the other end from the alleyway, one of the neighbours stopped her and told her about the events of the night. After a few minutes she nodded her thanks to the neighbour, then rushed to her house and went in. Knowing the excitement was over, at least until Vernon Dursley returned, the residents of Privet Drive returned to their houses and the excitement of their soap operas, not noticing a green glow shining from the gap in the curtains of Mrs. Figg's front window.
As the car turned the corner out of Privet Drive, Mother and son had but one regret, which was not being able to tell Mrs. Figg where they were going. It would have been too public and wasted too much time in which Vernon could return, if they had gone over to her house. Neither wanted to give the neighbours too much to talk about, even though if all went well they didn't expect to see them again, they had enough to talk about after this evening without adding more. They had just left, as things stood they were drawing a line under their past, doing the very thing none of them believed they could, leaving that dull street and the abusive man who had for so long kept them there. He was the other reason they had not delayed, there was no telling what he might do if he had found them packing the car, they also wanted to avoid the necessity for Dudley to defend his mother again. They had both had enough and so had left, although they had not planned their departure, they both knew it was inevitable it would happen, they had hoped for time to work out what they would do. In fact neither knew where they were going; they had no destination in mind. All that they wanted to do was to put as much distance between them and Privet drive as possible. Dudley just drove on, they passed the park and headed to the single main road out of Little Whinging, linking the town with the larger road network, soon they reached open countryside.
The car was heavy with luggage, Dudley had left his computer, TV and other electronic gadgets, he intended to go into the magical world to be near Maria, his new girlfriend who he had met at his cousin's wedding, if he could, and the technology was of no use there. If he could find a place for his mother live also, so much the better. Even if he had not packed all his belongings, he had all his clothes and some other bits and pieces, but most of the things in the car belonged to his mother. She had retrieved all sorts of Evans family heirlooms as well as her clothes and other bits and bobs from the house; she had left her wedding ring on the dressing table. She had made her choice; she never wanted to see little Whinging or Vernon again if she could help it.
After two hours driving aimlessly, though mostly through the southern counties, they needed fuel, they were close to a small town, they could see a large church at its centre. They had no idea of the name of the place, but an out of town shopping centre was sign posted from the bypass around it. They turned off the road and followed the signs, arriving at the services not long after, they found a petrol station attached to a supermarket, which meant the fuel was not as expensive as it often was at roadside services as well as a burger bar so stopped for a break. They refuelled both themselves and the car, then drove on, determined to put as much distance between themselves and their former lives as possible.
When Vernon arrived home, several hours after he had left, he was confident he had punished his wife enough and she would be more than willing to follow his lead again. He had spent the time enjoying a meal at his lodge in the main street, it had, of course, been an excellent four courses, over which he had taken his time and washed it down with a bottle of good red wine. He had dined alone, although he spoke with a number of other lodge members, many of whom he had introduced to the society and owed him as a result. Some were customers of his company; others were members of the local council and most owed him favours in one way or another. Alongside his home, business and family, the lodge was one of the few places where he was reassured of his place in this community. It had become a refuge, a haven for him when he wanted to relax away from home, as he had this evening. He knew that whilst he had a refuge to escape to, Petunia had only the social life she had with him, the one he allowed. He smiled as he thought of her waiting for him anxiously and the warmth of the welcome he would get when he walked back in. After all, she had no one and nowhere else to turn to, he thought to himself as he turned the corner into privet drive, confident in the certainty of his belief. The street was quiet, he was glad of that, the neighbours had returned to their own homes instead of poking their noses into his business. He looked along the street trying to spot if any were watching through their curtains, he saw no one, but he noticed there were no lights on at number four. He raised an eyebrow; this surprised him, he had expected to find Petunia sat up, waiting for him in the living room, worried out of her mind. He was annoyed that it looked like she had gone to bed, especially before he had returned. He went to the front door and opened it, in his annoyance he did not noticed that his Son's car was missing from its place on the road in front of the house. He went to the kitchen to get a drink, he turned the light on and got a bottle of juice from the fridge then a glass from the cupboard, banging the door closed. That would let Petunia know he was here, he should hear her voice calling down the stairs any moment. He smiled as he poured the drink then turned to sit at the kitchen table, there was an envelope lay in the centre of it. Vernon picked it up, it was addressed to him in Petunia's hand writing, he smiled she had left a letter of apology when she had been too tired to stay up. He knew she would come round, but she needn't have written, she should know he would forgive her. He opened the envelope and took out the letter, he might as well read it, and he unfolded the paper and read.
"Vernon.
We have gone, do not try to find us, you will not be able to anyway. We have had enough of your unreasonable behaviour. Your actions tonight were the final straw, you have driven us out and we won't be back. We have given you every opportunity to behave reasonably, learning from your mistakes as we have. If you can't accept the rest of our family, then you will never truly accept us for who we are, rather than who you want us to be.
Petunia and Dudley."
Vernon reread the note twice, each time he felt his anger rise further, the glass broke in his hand as he tightened his grip around it. His temper rose again as a result. What did she mean she had left, where could she go? What had been wrong with his behaviour? What mistakes? What family? She couldn't mean the boy could she? He was gone and good riddance, no longer a burden on him or his family. He had been perfectly reasonably behaved in the face of their treachery he believed. He fumed for a moment, building his anger, snorting like a bull preparing to release its onslaught on a tormentor. Then suddenly he balled the paper in his fist and charged round the house. Her clothes had gone, and so had Dudley's, only his son had left behind, the electronic gadgets. He noticed other things were missing too, but one thing had been left behind. He felt the vein in his temple begin to throb as his anger grew when he saw it; Petunia's wedding ring was on the dressing table.
The large man allowed his fury to continue to build as he stared at the narrow gold band on the polished surface before turning, he charged, back down the stairs, which shook, rattling every wall. The house shaking from the weighty impact of his angry steps, a picture of the three Dursley's fell, the frame and glass breaking. He grabbed his car keys from the hook, almost ripping it from the wall, not that he noticed as he stormed out of the house and into his car. Slamming the door shut, then swearing as he fumbled to get the key into the ignition. Finally inserting the metal into the slot he turned it and the engine roared to life as he slammed the car into gear and screeched onto the road leaving twin black lines of rubber on the drive. He would teach them to leave him after all he had sacrificed for them, when he found them, he would show them what reasonable behaviour was, how dare they leave him without his permission, they were his family, he was in charge, he made the decisions in this relationship not them. No one left him until he decided they would, but first he had to find them, he would find them and drag them back. He steered the car out of town, heading towards London, knowing he could be a long way behind them, but certain he would track them down.
As dawn broke, red and orange reflecting in the sky over the new day, Dudley and Petunia were almost 200 miles north of London and had been speeding up the motorway for the last few hours. Dudley was tiring by now so they pulled into a service station as the sun began to cast its light over the Yorkshire countryside, to rest and get something to eat. Although they had driven all night, they still had no specific destination in mind, after driving aimlessly round the southern counties they had happened on the western side of the M25 almost without realising they had been heading back towards Surrey. They had ended up simply following it until they had turned off to head north, memories of their time in Derbyshire drawing them up the country. They had in fact diverted from the motorway and driven through the village, but had not stopped. They had seen that the post office which they had run was now being operated by others, so with regret and the realisation that it was a place Vernon may look for them, they had driven on and re-joined the northbound carriageway of the motorway.
Sat in the restaurant of the service station, not far from the motorway, they ate full English breakfasts and drank coffee, while they talked over their options. The restaurant was beginning to fill an hour later, as they finished their meals and left to return to the car. Dudley opened the door, knowing they still had no specific destination in mind; they were just going to continue to head north. He regretted that they could not return to the Derbyshire village in many ways, it was after all the place he had learnt much about himself. He was about to get in the car when he heard a flap of wings and something heavy land on his car, he looked up wondering if the local wildlife was trying to dive bomb them.
"Tiberius." He said surprised, but recognizing the owl that offered him its leg, where a letter was attached.
Petunia looked up. "Harry's owl?"
"Yes." Dudley replied taking the letter from the owl's leg and opening it. "Harry and Ginny are back at home, he says we are welcome any time and hopes we are fine. He will tell us about their trip round France when we see him."
"Dudley, Harry will help us, I'm sure of it." Petunia cried out as if the obvious had just occurred to her, which of course was what had happened.
"I am sure he will as well, it's the safest place we can go. It would have saved us a lot of driving that's for sure, can't believe I didn't think of it before." Dudley smiled. "Fancy a ride home in my car Tiberius?"
The Owl hooted and flew to sit in a space between the boxes stacked in the back of the car, luckily there were very few others in the car park and no one noticed the Owl.
"Oh, err, Dudley, are you sure he will be all right in the car?" Petunia looked nervous of the owl.
"You'll be fine won't you Tiberius, no flapping or squawking while I am driving though, okay fella?" Dudley smiled getting into the driver's seat. The owl hooted gently and settled where he had perched staring straight forward.
Petunia apprehensively got in the passenger side. "Well if we are going to Harry's, I will have to get used to owls, I suppose. Where does he live Dudders?"
Dudley started the engine. "London mum and we are just south of Leeds, so it's about three and a half hours drive, depending on traffic. At least we can go direct into London this time, not round it on the M25. That took ages last night after we got onto it, one day I shall work out where we actually went you know. Once we get to London, I know where and how to get to his house from Charring Cross road, but part of the house's protection means I can't actually tell you the address. Oh yes and when we get there, you won't be able to see his house until Harry or Ginny tells you the address, mind when they do, it's well worth it."
Petunia looked worried. "Are you serious? They really need that much protection?"
"Mum you saw how important he is in his world at the wedding and how complicated his life has been, there are still people out there who would dearly love to kill him. He is heavily protected and while we are there we will be too, don't worry its fine and I think you will love his house, they have done a great job on it."
They re-joined the motorway, which was getting busier and turned round at the next junction to head back south to the capital, Tiberius swaying happily with the motion of the car, watching the road ahead intently.
Vernon had failed to track down his wife and son; he sat back in the kitchen of his house as dawn broke. He had re read the crumpled note several times since he got back; it had not left his hand after he had balled it up before he had left the house. He continued, trying to glean some clue as to where his wife and son had gone, convinced that once they realised they had nowhere to go, they would return. He sat waiting as the minutes turned to hours, still he could see no clue, still they did not return. He heard the mantle clock in the front room strike eight o'clock; he stood and went back to his car and drove to work, certain that they would have returned when he got back. He would pretend nothing untoward had happened, whilst there and that everything was as usual.
Mrs. Figg was waiting too, last night she had Flooed Hestia and Dedalus, she had told them what the neighbours had witnessed. She had watched as Mr. Dursley had returned and heard his car screech away not long after. She had waited for him to come back and then, when he had, she had nervously waited to see what he would do. She was worried that he would come over the road to her house, to demand she tell him where his wife and son had gone. She didn't know where Petunia and Dudley were, that worried her, but not as much as how she could convince Vernon of that. She was a squib; she would not be able to defend herself against that large angry man if he came. Her friends could not come when she had called, but they would arrive this morning. She breathed a sigh of relief, watching him leave with his brief case knowing he was going to work, trying to make it look just like any other morning.
Now she awaited the arrival of her friends, they would stay with her in case Vernon came round during the rest of the day and became nasty. They had a plan, but would only act on it when they knew that Dudley and his mother were safe. With Harry now in the magical world Mrs. Figg's first task, the reason she had moved into this house, was complete. With the change in Dudley she had then watched over him too, until now. If he and his mother had truly left, then this task was at an end and she would move with Dedalus and Hestia into the small group of flats she owned in a house near St Mungo's. She had lived there before Dumbledore had asked her to keep an eye on Harry, the house itself had been her husbands, when he had died she had divided it into three flats, one for her, the other two for her husbands and her oldest friends. They had looked after the place during the years she had lived in Privet Drive, the house Dumbledore had ensured was now hers as well. She was worried for the thin woman and her son; she had hoped to have received a message by now that they were safe, perhaps at Harry's, which she thought was the most obvious place for them to go. Harry would not turn them away, despite the way he had been treated by them as a child, she knew Harry and Ginny better than that, but so far there had been no reassuring note or Floo call. This could only mean they had not gone to the newlyweds for help, at least not yet.
At nine O'clock her friends arrived, Apparating directly in to the house, they sat in the living room discussing what to do, hopping to hear from Petunia or Dudley. They would stay here until they either heard from them or it was too dangerous to stay, they knew that when Vernon returned he would have guessed the old lady might have some information and were not going to leave her alone now.
Harry and Ginny had risen later than usual that morning; they enjoyed their customary bath together before going down to the kitchen for breakfast as had also become their habit when at home. Andromeda and Teddy, were due to visit later in the morning, they were looking forward to a day relaxing with their friend and godson. Being their first day back from honeymoon they also knew there was a very good chance of a visit from one or two of the Weasley's, the family knew they were welcome any time so the chances of a visit were high. It was one of the things Harry enjoyed about Ginny having such a large family; they looked after each other and had a great social life together. He could not remember having had that, until he had met the Weasley's, though he guessed he maybe did have such a life before his parents had been killed. Now he was, for the first time he could remember, a welcome part of a family, not that being friends with Harry had been easy or safe, because of the essential security that had gone with being close to him. The security could have created difficulties for the family on occasions, difficulties they had accepted willingly and without complaint. The couple finished their breakfast then made their way up to the sitting room to await the arrival of Teddy. As they climbed the stairs up to the Hall, the doorbell rang.
"It's all right Kreacher; it's probably Andromeda and Teddy. I'll get it" Harry called down stairs to the elf.
Ginny waited in the hall expectantly, as Harry went to open the door.
Dudley steered the car into the London square, they had managed a relatively clear run almost to London, before hitting traffic heading into the City, but at last they had reached their destination. "This is it mum." He told her.
"You mean Harry owns one of these houses?" Petunia asked looking at the large buildings surrounding the grassy square. Some of them looked tatty, but others were either in the process of being smartened up or had been done recently, it was obvious that restoration works were being done to the once opulent square.
Petunia was impressed that her nephew lived this close to central London, it was clear that much money was being spent to return the houses to their former glory, even so these houses would not have been cheap and made the house at Privet drive look tiny in comparison.
"Yep, his Godfather left it to him remember, he and Ginny have redecorated it and furnished it, it's a lovely house." Dudley told her.
"We can't park out here though Dud, where can we leave the car." Petunia had noticed the signs mounted on the lamp posts indicating only those with residents permits could park in the square.
"Don't worry mum, Harry has a workshop where I can park the car, getting in is a bit of a knack though, I'll need his help, I'm sure he will sort it. Right here we are mum." Dudley pulled the car over and parked it. "Wait here with the car please Mum, I will go and tell Harry we are here, I shan't be a minute and I shall be able to see you from his door, even though you can't see it yet. You coming with me, or waiting here Tiberius?"
The owl hooted as Dudley got out of the car, Petunia got out as well; wanting to stretch her legs after the journey and Tiberius hopped to the door, stretched his wings and flew onto her sons shoulder.
Dudley laughed. "All right then fella, if you are comfortable there, I'll take you, I won't be long Mum."
Petunia watched as Dudley headed between two houses and vanished. Looking at the houses around where he had disappeared noticed that oddly the house next to number eleven, was number thirteen. She felt incredibly alone as she stood by the car, although she knew her son was mere yards away, although she could neither see nor hear him.
Dudley climbed the steps of number twelve, which he had watched reveal themselves as he had parked the car outside it. He rang the bell and waited. It wasn't long before his cousin opened the door.
"Dudley!" Harry exclaimed surprised, but not upset. "We weren't expecting you cousin, I see Tiberius found you though." He smiled.
"Yes he did Harry, err… we need your help, I have mum with me, we didn't know where else to go." Dudley said sheepishly as Tiberius flew into the house.
Harry looked into the street, he saw his aunt next to the car full of luggage. "You two have left Privet Drive haven't you?" He said, Dudley nodded and Harry took control. "Right, let's get Aunt inside and the car off the street."
Ginny had heard everything, she walked past them saying, "I'll bring Petunia in she will not want to go through the workshop. You two deal with the car." She said.
"Yes dear." Harry replied cheekily, but they followed her down the steps to the car anyway.
Petunia watched as first Ginny, then her nephew alongside Dudley appeared, as if out of thin air and crossed he path towards her. "Morning Aunt, glad you have come." Harry said cheerfully as she ran to greet them. "Welcome to Grimmauld Place, Ginny will take you inside whilst Dudley and I get the car into the workshop, we'll deal with your luggage once all is inside."
"Thanks Harry, I am sorry about landing on you so unexpectedly, I'm afraid things came to a head last night and we had to get away. Mind you, I can't wait to see the home you two have made for yourselves." She replied.
"Oh yes of course, I forgot you hadn't been before, you need to read this, don't say it out loud though Petunia." Said Ginny handing her a slip of parchment.
Petunia read the parchment, which disintegrated when she had finished, she looked up and saw number twelve Grimmauld Place appear, seeming to push the other two houses out of its way.
"Good grief." She said surprised "Did it really just move the houses out of the way."
"No, it's always there, you just need to know about it to see it, though it does look like that, I know. I will hear no more apologies either; you are family and more than welcome so come on in." Said Ginny Kindly. "Let's get you a drink, you look exhausted."
Ginny took the older woman's arm and the two ladies went to the door while Harry and Dudley got into the car.
"Ready Dud?" Smiled Harry, knowing his cousin thoroughly enjoyed what they were about to do.
"Sure am Harry, I love this bit" Dudley grinned, expectantly looking at Harry who laughed, then tapped the road with his wand and closed the door as the car began to sink below the road.
Petunia turned as she entered the house and started as the car sank down through the tarmac.
"Don't worry; they'll join us in a moment, once the car is parked." Ginny reassured her, guiding her in and closing the door.
Kreacher was waiting in the hall, for them to return, knowing his master and Mistress had gone out of the house, he knew it could not have been Madam Tonks at the door. Ginny led Petunia towards him "Kreacher, Harry and Dudley are in the workshop, they will be up in a minute can we have some drinks please, Andromeda will be here soon with Teddy."
"Yes Mistress, would Masters Aunt like me to take her coat?" The elf asked.
Petunia removed her coat and handed it to Kreacher. "Please call me Petunia, Kreacher"
"That would not be proper Madam Petunia; you are a guest in my Master and Mistress's house." He said shocked.
"Don't worry Kreacher, Petunia is not used to house elves, she was being polite." Ginny soothed.
"Very well Mistress." He said and popped away.
Ginny took Petunia into the sitting room and explained about house elves. Petunia was at first surprised, then amazed as she understood the relationship. She apologized to Kreacher for the misunderstanding, when he arrived with the drinks.
"That's quite all right Madam Petunia; I should have remembered you are unfamiliar with our world." The house elf bowed. "Should you require anything whilst you are here, please just call for me."
Harry and Dudley walked in laughing. "I love that ride into the workshop, it's just brilliant." Dudley chuckled as they joined the women.
Harry picked up his drink "Well it is good to see you, but you both look like you have been up all night."
"We have Harry." Said Dudley "Your guess was right, we have left Privet Drive."
Petunia and Dudley told them the story of the night before and how they were now homeless, Harry looked at Ginny who nodded.
"Of course they can Harry, you know that." She said.
"Right, first you are not homeless; we have plenty of space if you want to stay. Second we shall, if you wish, get you registered with the Ministry so you can live and work in the magical community. That said, we must let Mrs. Figg know you are safe, if Vernon works things out she could be in danger from him. Then we shall let George know you are here and importantly Maria, both of them have been worried not to hear from you, we are told." Harry said.
"Well that's all fine with me Harry." Said Dudley.
"Yes, a fresh start would be good for me too; I certainly won't be going back to that man." Petunia said determinedly, a flicker of pain flashed over her face which then softened as she turned to Ginny. "I was wondering if I could talk with your mum too Ginny. It would be good to talk to Molly about things and find out about the life my sister found here." she asked.
"Of course, tell you what, let us deal with the other things while you both rest, I will invite mum and dad for dinner, give you chance to talk." Ginny said, as the doorbell rang. "Ah that will be Andromeda and Teddy, here for the day. Kreacher will sort out rooms for you then go and get some sleep, if either of you want a bath he will sort that out for you, he will get your luggage to your rooms as well. Don't worry, he has magic to help him and will love it. We might go out with them during the day, but don't worry Kreacher will be around anyway."
Kreacher came in with Andromeda as usual led by Teddy who ran to Harry and Ginny, "Hello Teddy" Grinned Harry "We brought you something back from France."
"Oh Harry are you spoiling him again," Grinned Andromeda, sitting next to Petunia "Hello Petunia, good to see you again. We met at the wedding, remember? So how have you been?"
Petunia did remember and the two ladies chatted while Ginny asked Kreacher to sort out rooms for the two Dursley's and retrieve the luggage from the car.
Dudley and Teddy kept each other entertained, allowing Harry to busy himself at the fireplace, contacting everyone they needed to, starting with Mrs. Figg. The relief to hear from him was palpable, she was pleased to hear Dudley and Petunia had arrived safely at Grimmauld Place. Dedalus and Hestia were with her and Harry promised they could visit as soon as they liked once Arabella was settled back in her flat with them. The next call was to Kingsley, who promised to help Mrs. Figg move that day for her safety and sent a ministry maintenance crew to help her. That done he agreed to bring the necessary paperwork over to help Petunia and Dudley. When he called George, he immediately offered Dudley a job in Wheezes, he wanted help developing some new lines based on Muggle jokes, as well as some suitable for the Muggle Market, who better to get that off the ground than Dudley. Then Harry contacted Maria, she was excited and relieved to hear Dudley was now in the Wizarding world, Harry invited her to dinner that evening and she readily accepted keen to see Dud again. Harry knew she would have no problem getting past the security, Ginny had given her the address at the wedding, but Maria had no idea where the house was and her parents preferred her not to use the Floo until she knew the location she would be arriving at. They had been unable to attend the New Year Party when special arrangements had been made by the ministry to get people past the wards, even though her father worked there, so Harry suggested she came via the Burrow. Her parents accepted this idea so he promised to call her back after he had spoken to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley to make sure they were coming and happy with the arrangement. That was his next call, Molly agreed to bring Maria and was delighted to come for dinner, and that she would let Arthur know. So Harry let Maria know to be at the Burrow in time.
All calls made, Ginny and Harry took the Dursley's to their rooms where they left them to rest. Today was not going to be as quiet as they had expected, but then they didn't mind, when had life ever been quiet for Harry.
Late tenth Century, Tang, near Jorvik.
It was almost time for the midday meal before Utred's father could move again, by then he had been carried into his hall to be laid on his bed, unmoving until whatever had happened at the training session wore off. The others affected had been carried to the barrack building to recover, where they had been out of sight, but they knew too many had seen what had happened for it to be kept quiet this time. The men were understandably upset by the incident, but his father dismissed them and their concerns of the incident, even so he spoke to Utred. "I don't know what you did boy, but by Odin; it would be bloody useful in battle, or suicidal depending who you did it to." He said in his gruff tones, happily slapping his son on the back before turning to receive a horn full of beer and bowl of food. "Try it while you are out hunting over the next few days and you might have the best catch ever Utred." He added after draining the horn.
Utred revelled in his father's praise, but truth be told he had no idea how he had done it, let alone if he could do whatever it was again. It was yet another strange occurrence around him, to add to all the others that could not be easily explained.
Utred had loved hunting ever since his father had first taken him, when he was six, shortly after his battle training had started. It had not been a very successful trip, he was not, at that age, good at silent tracking, but he had thoroughly enjoyed trying and was keen to please his father by learning the skills required. Over the following months and years he learned the arts of tracking, capturing, killing and butchering the forests animals ready to be prepared for storage or immediate use when they returned home. It had been, alongside his battle training, one of the most enjoyable aspects of his childhood. It was now one that he had become very skilled at. So much so that he was regarded as one of the best hunters in the household, so although he was yet to prove himself as a warrior, he was definitely proven as a skilled huntsman. He could move almost silently through the undergrowth, recognising the tell-tale signs of a beast moving through the forest, or the movement of leaves and branches in the canopy above, where birds moved. He could approach the fowl on the lakes without them taking flight and his skill at catching fish with spear or hand was unrivalled. Hunting of course provided food for the family and community to supplement what they raised or grew for themselves. The skins also provided blankets and clothes, or could even be traded. As could those from the beasts they raised, raw Bones and Antler was often sold to craftsmen in Jorvik, who shaped them into combs, dice or pins amongst other useful items once they had been dried. Utred had two bones that had been fashioned into a pair of ice skates, which he often tied to his shoes in winter, whenever the becks and rivers froze; he as well as others pushed themselves over the ice with poles, a swift way to reach the city, whilst others struggled through snow. Of course Antler could also be collected when the deer shed it each year in readiness for a new set to grow, if you could find it in the dense forest, but if a stag was caught in the hunt, why waste any part of it that could be used? So hunting was not just for the fun, which he enjoyed, but it also provided important materials, which could be traded or used by the small community with his father at its head.
As Utred was one of the best huntsman in the community now, it was almost a foregone conclusion that he would be amongst those who went hunting for supplies ahead of the Yule feast, a much more indulgent festival than the sober Christian Christmas, full of church and clergy, that would begin a few days after the Winter solstice festival was over. He looked forward to each hunting trip he could go on, which was at least once a month in the autumn and winter, but this one was the most special to him. Over the years he had killed many a boar and deer in these woods, even a wolf or two on the occasions when he, or those he was with had been attacked by the canines, whose fur was prized, even the meat was good to eat.
After they had eaten next to the fire in his home, Utred rode his stallion out of the gates of Tang. Riding either side of him were his usual companions, Ulf and Erik, two of his Father's most trusted men. The two had usually accompanied Utred on hunts these days, they had a dual role, hunting and as the body guards of the future Lord. The three got on well, knew each other's style and trusted each other. That was important when stalking the woods, with spears and arrows, for obvious reasons. As a team and individually they were the best huntsman his father had, which was why they were the ones to go on this occasion, this was to be the last hunt before the mid-winter feast. The meat they brought home would be the basis of the largest feast of the year. Utred relished the chance to make a good catch, in readiness of at least four days of festivities.
As they made their way to the small hunting lodge deep in the forest, the two men teased Utred about the morning's incident. He, as usual to such comments, responded rudely, laughing along with the men. It took an hour of fast riding to reach the lodge where they tethered the horses in the small fenced compound next to the lodge, dumped their bags of clothes and food, then immediately went hunting, before darkness fell.
Utred's grandfather had built the lodge, as a base, for the regular hunts. It meant that the hunters did not need to cut their day short to return to Tang, instead they could shelter there and start early, finishing late without worry of the forest spirits and Sceadugengan which came out in the darkness to hunt men. It also enabled them to hunt much deeper in to the forest than they otherwise could, during the last four days they had hunted far from Tang, in dense undergrowth. The lodge was old and was a simple rectangle, large enough for up to seven hunters, with a separate storage area for the catch. The Wattle and Daub woven walls were old but well maintained, although covered in moss and growth, supporting a heavy roof made of branches covered in the forest turf, a hole at the ridge allowed smoke from the central fire to escape. There was a wooden door at one end, which could be locked with a padlock to prevent anyone who stumbled across it from being able to occupy it. The windows were simply square holes with wooden flaps, which could be fastened to the frame to secure and cover them, but they held no glazing as some in the city did. Inside as well as the storage, there were seven simple beds that had been made by driving posts into the earth, then stretching animal skin between them as a mattress they had brought fur blankets to cover themselves with in the bags from Tang. The beds were arranged around a central fire place, the fire providing heat and light as well as the way of cooking their meals. A metal tripod over the fire provided a support from which the cooking pot hung, when all had taken food from it, the last to take a portion added more meat and ingredients to the stew to replace what had been taken, ensuring there was food cooked ready when needed. Twenty feet from the hut, which stood in a small area, clear of trees, but protected by the canopy of branches above, were three hurdles around a pit. Fixed above the pit was a plank with a large hole bored through, this was a place they only visited when they absolutely had to, the cesspit, bundles of moss hung on the hurdles where they could easily be reached. Utred had learned, painfully, at an early age to check there were no thorns, nettle leaves or twigs in the moss before using it to clean himself after using the pit.
The forest was a dangerous place at the best of times, but now as winter was beginning to hit available food, wild animals stalked prey and hunted anything they could eat. Wolves were an obvious danger, but far more dangerous to them were the Boar. The pigs would attack on sight, the only warning a brief crashing through the undergrowth before the large animal struck, knocking its victim over then turning to charge again, this time its tusks would be lowered and were as effective on flesh as a sharp knife. These omnivores had been known to kill the unwary who wandered into their territory, then devour any flesh they desired, certainly given the chance they would eat small animals as well as the vegetation. It was these fearsome beasts they would hunt that day, the first kill would provide their meat for the days of hunting.
Silently the trio crept through the scrub between the trees, watching for traces of the movement of a boar. Utred spotted a fresh pile of droppings and some damaged branches of a shrub indicated which direction the animal had gone. He waved his companions over, they began to stealthily follow the trail of clues they knew to look for. They tracked the beast for over a mile, following the fresh damage and occasional trotter tracks left where the ground was soft. Finally they spotted the large boar grazing beneath a large Oak tree, scuffing up the earth with its snout for grubs, worms or even truffles. The two men and the boy silently moved through the trees to get a clear throw with the long spears they had brought with them for today's hunt, tomorrow and afterwards they would add arrows to their weaponry as well as carrying swords. They reached what they judged to be the best position, the beast had not noticed them yet, it was still grunting as it fed. Utred would throw the first spear, if he hit the beast just right it would die instantly, if not the other two would throw their spears before the boar could run off injured with the spear into the forest. Utred reached a spot where he could get a clear shot, he slowly, silently raised his spear, taking his time to be careful in his aim, he knew it was better to miss the chance than to rush and potentially injure the animal only for it to escape and possibly die slowly, suffering. Still the boar had not detected them, so Utred prepared to throw, he put as much power behind the spear as his arm would allow and thrust the long weapon through the air. The spear flew almost silently, at speed straight towards its target, the boar heard it at the last moment and raised its head, just as the blade hit, square in its side, the beast squealed briefly, then dropped to the ground with a heavy thud, the spear had pierced its heart, killing it almost before it knew it had been hit.
"Good throw Utred, a clean kill." Erik smiled and they went to collect the large beast, their meal for that evening, breakfast for next morning and for the next few days secured.
They quickly removed the spear, which was deeply embedded in the side of the mighty beast and lashed it alongside the others they carried then tied the Boar to it by the legs, making it easier to carry back to the lodge through the trees. The need for stealth gone, they could now crash directly through the scrub, two carrying the prize, whilst the third would defend them from threat if needed, which it rarely was, the noise they were making would scare most beasts off, to scurry away into the forest.
The next day started just as each day whilst they were at the lodge would. Having risen they would ensure the horses were tended before an hour's weapons practice for Utred. After that they would eat breakfast then they would gather the weapons needed before going out on the hunt. As each kill was made, if it was a large animal such as a deer or boar, the carcass would be taken back to the lodge store to await processing. If it were a small animal they would place it in a sack, they each carried one, which they emptied each time they returned to the lodge. Evenings were spent carrying out the basic butchery and filling the barrels that had been brought out on carts during the week before, ready for the hunt. The trio would also spend time training, wrestling, playing dice or Hnefatafl, exchanging tales, eating and drinking the ale in the large Butt that had also been brought out for them, before settling to sleep in the warm lodge after which the cycle would start again.
They spent the next four days hunting in the forest around the lodge, catching two dozen boar and a similar number of deer in that time as well as numerous partridge, hare, pheasant, duck, geese and pigeon, as well as a few Squirrels which had emerged from their drays to hunt for food. The trio were cheerful as they sat at the lodge, awaiting the arrival of a cart to ferry the meat back to Tang, it would be a good celebration this year, with far more meat than they would need, meaning the surplus could be salted and preserved for use later in the winter too.
The first boar they had caught had been large enough to provide the three men with their meat during the whole of the four days, the rest of the kill would be transported to Tang by a wagon, that had been due to arrive by lunchtime, together with some of the land workers from the lands around the settlement. They were overdue, the meat was already butchered. They had spent the evenings doing the task, ensuring the meat would keep. They had barrels full of blood for black pudding other barrels full of the offal that were to be transported with the partly butchered meat. The carcasses had been left whole, except for the removal of the offal, skin and any antlers from the deer, ready for preparation for the feasts to come and the process of preserving the surplus to take place. The Skins would be tanned by their own tanners, before being either traded or used within the community; the antler would be sold or bartered with whichever trader in the city gave the best price. It was a very good haul to add to the salted meat and fish caught in the river and lakes earlier in the year that was in store already back at the hall, several of the cattle and sheep may be added, there would be plenty of meat for the hundred mouths that would be at the feasting, more if friends from elsewhere arrived in time.
They sat laughing and talking, on a fallen tree trunk that had been dragged next lodge at some time, waiting for the overdue transport, their horses restless nearby. Smoke curled lazily from above the fire as they chatted and watched for the wagon's arrival, it was long past lunchtime, the land slaves were late, they were beginning to fear that something must have gone wrong. Perhaps a wheel had come off and they were mending it, or one of the mules pulling it had gone lame, a nuisance certainly, but not unknown.
They waited, watching the glow of the sun behind clouds through the branches, an hour must have passed since they first began to get worried and the sun was already lowering in the sky. Soon it would be too late to load it and return home before dark, if that happened then there would not be room for them all in the lodge when the cart arrived, besides there was not enough in the pot for everyone.
"I believe we should go and find them, ensure they are on the way. We can do it before Dark if we set off on horseback now." Ulf suggested.
"One of us will need to stay here; we can't leave that amount of meat unguarded." Utred observed.
"Well it can't be you Utred, as the Lord's heir you cannot be left unguarded and anyway two ought to ride back, it's not a good idea to ride through the forest alone if it can be helped." Erik said firmly.
"So which of us goes with you on the ride is the real question." Ulf chuckled.
Erik and Ulf drew lots that Utred had prepared and held for them to draw from, it was the only fair way to decide which of them would stay at the lodge alone, guarding the results of their hard few days' work. Ulf lost so it was Erik and Utred who set off on their horses to search for the missing cart and slaves, galloping off down the track that lead back towards Tang.
With each stride that the horses they rode took along the track, that widened as other forest paths joined it the closer they got to the edge of the trees, Utred's anxiety grew, as they neared the edge of the forest Erik stopped their headlong gallop. "Utred, something is seriously wrong, no sign of the wagon that is two hours late can only mean one of two things. Either bandits have taken them or they never set off for some reason. I have never heard of bandits in this part of the woods, nor of any who would attack and steal an empty cart leaving nothing behind, such as the bodies of those with it. They cannot have lost their way, they brought the supplies out for us last week, they knew their way through the network of tracks in this forest, each of them has passed along it often enough to know the route by heart. There is only one thing that I can think of left, something is wrong at the hall of Tang, which prevented the cart setting off in the first place, there is no chance that it was simply forgotten to send it, your mother would never let that happen. Of that I am certain at least. We should approach cautiously from here, son of my lord." The Warrior concluded formally, knowing this would indicate the seriousness of what he said.
Utred thought for a moment, recognising the use of the formal address for what it was. "If there is trouble, should we not rush there to assist?" He asked.
"No, we have no way to know what the situation is until we have a chance, rushing in could make matters worse, besides we could ride into a trap that way. Not knowing what might have happened at Tang, or if anything has, we need to go with caution. I may be worrying about nothing, but we should have seen the wagon by now, or if it had been attacked, the bodies of slaves maybe, even if they had been hidden there should have been some sign of a struggle at the very least. Anyway as this is all odd, my first priority is to make sure you are not at unnecessary risk, please from here on in, follow my lead and do as I ask if I need to, son of my lord. Hopefully there is a simple explanation and all is well, but I am not going to take chances with your life just in case it is more sinister. " Erik told him thoughtfully,
Utred nodded his agreement and they walked the horses on, watching carefully for any signs of what may have happened. They soon saw the edge of the woods and Erik signalled for them to dismount. They tethered the horses off the track, to some trees so they could not be seen from it, then Erik indicated they were to proceed through the trees silently and led Utred into the undergrowth at the side of the track slowly, as if stalking an animal. They silently made their way to the edge of the woods, taking a much longer time to do so than was strictly necessary, falling to a crawl for the last twenty yards. They hid beneath a dense, evergreen bush just at the edge of the stand of gnarled trees where the forest gave way to the cleared land in which Tang stood. They crouched behind it and peered out over the clear view they had gained towards his father's hall.
The acrid scent of burning hung in the winter air as they took in the scene of devastation in front of them, the green grass showed patches of red stains. Utred slowly moved his gaze, bodies were left where they had fallen or had been dragged near the earthen bulk that had supported the wooden palisade, but the stakes and tree trunks that had made it were gone, blackened stumps were all that remained, the buildings inside burnt to the ground. Tang was gone and men were picking over the remains, hunting for anything of value they could find.
"A hall burning." Erik muttered in disgust. "Keep quiet, some of them will still be about."
No sooner had he spoken than a troop of half a dozen warriors, dressed in chain mail, swords in their hands, shields on arm and bright helmets on their heads, walked into view along the tree line from the right of where the two were hiding. The symbol on their shields showed the badge of their Lord, by which his presence on a battlefield would be known by enemy and ally alike. The black wolf, teeth bared, red eyed creature painted on the wooden disc's to scare enemy's, also told them that although the men themselves could be Northmen like themselves, they were the sworn men of a Saxon. Not just any Saxon either, but of the house hold of the puppet king. Utred held his breath as the six men passed within feet of the bush.
"There's no more alive here." They heard one say. "Why are we wasting time up here, there's none left to try to escape."
"No they're all dead now, shame about the woman, the king wanted her." Another added.
"Too loyal to that Norse scum of a husband, he would never have got her loyalty; the king didn't just want rid of these particular Norse, he wants their gold too. I've had enough of this, come on, they are trying to find his hoard down there, they find it we won't see a single coin if we aren't there when they do. Gather the others; it's time we showed them how to find treasure. " The first sneered.
"They haven't found the boy's remains in the hall though, I suppose the flames destroyed it, sometimes happens with ones so young. It was a ferocious blaze, like the fires of hell, the fools deserved to die like that." Another laughed, as the group made their way towards the destroyed compound.
Utred stared at the retreating figures in shock, taking in what the men had said, they had implied that everyone he had known was dead, his parents, his friends and they thought he was too, completely turned to ash in the deliberately set inferno. Everything he had known was gone; he wondered what he could do now. He had recognised one of the men; he knew that despite the shield the man had carried, he was not of the household of the King that had been in Jorvik when they had left Tang to hunt. Utred knew the man was sworn to another, a lord that had proved to be untrustworthy, although he did not know how that had been shown. He was certain that the man he had recognised was one he knew was sworn to the king's worthless brother.
They watched as the men headed for the black, still smoking, compound, one paused on the rampart and blew his horn. Utred counted thirty men gather and start sifting through the ashes, metal poles and spears being used to prod the ground, trying to find softer earth where a hoard could have been buried.
Erik looked to Utred. "My lord we must return to the lodge, as quickly as we can, then flee to the summer house. Your safety is essential to the survival of your house, now more than ever." He whispered
Utred's eyes widened, he realized what Erik had called him, the implications of his words. His father was dead, he might not have the ring, but he was the Lord of Tang, Lord Utred now. He opened his mouth to speak when the sharp crack of a twig breaking sounded, right behind them.
The two froze rigid where they lay, the sound of someone breaking that twig under their own weight, told them both they had been discovered. All they could do now was to await the order to stand or for the fatal impact of the sword that would surely come from above them, they were trapped.
Authors Notes:
My thanks as always to Balthazar91 for his work as Beta for this story.
My thanks also to those of you who reviewed chapter 1 and those who have favourited etc it as well.
Best wishes
Tgfoy
Historical Notes:
The Forest surrounding Jorvik and in which they hunt was called Galtres forest.
Wolves and Boars were eventually hunted to extinction by Tudor times in the UK, however a successful project to reintroduce Boars has taken place recently in a number of modern forests, I am not aware of any plans to do the same with wolves.
It may surprise you that Rabbits were not on the list however whilst Hare is an indigenous animal to the UK Rabbit is not, being introduced into the wild after 1066 and the Norman invasion, which is after Utred's time.
Hall burnings were intended to eradicate an enemy whilst they slept and whilst seen as a dishonourable act were often used for political murder.
Nobles of the period often had a summer and winter residence as with Utred's family.
The lodge construction is based on archaeological evidence found from an entire street discovered in the 1970's in York but is of the first generation of buildings found, later ones were of boarded walls and had cellars. Interestingly in another part of the city another row of similar buildings, one reusing the planks from the hull of a ship has been unearthed in the last few years, from the same period adding to our understanding of the only known planned city of the period.
