Guthredd Sleeve-Heart's Tale Pt. 02

Meanwhile Prince Ketil consulted the astro-orbs and charts to determine all he could of Guthredd sleeve-heart, her life as the upstart of a whore and where her heart might lean.

And once this learning was passed to Arinbiorn and his training complete and Prince Ketil beheld Arinbiorn truly pleasing his entire harem, then did Prince Ketil bid his father meet him in the secret chamber behind the tapestry of King Midas.

"Well, what is't thou hast been a crafting whilst leaving me a thumb-fiddling these moons past?" asked King Onund.

"An army to conquer Guthredd Sleeve-heart."

"Bah; 'tis but one man, you puff up your achievements like a peacock but with nothing to show."

"Does not love conquer all?"

"Love? You have created love using the arts? This is an abomination, Ketil and will give us reason to regret."

Prince Ketil again toyed with the old glass conical and said;

"Father, clear it is you have no knowledge of the arts for surely is love eternal and having been created, cannot be so again. But shy of this have I created a man most likely to win Guthredd's heart, for indeed the charts revealed the weakness of the name 'Sleeve-heart'; for she listens to her heart.

Nowise was Arinbiorn told the purpose of his testing and training over the waxing and waning of four moons for surely would Arinbiorn have refused his role, being a kind and honest man.

Erstwhile did Arinbiorn and Prince Ketil put to sea and made good voyage across the dark sea to the mainland by the sand. Prince Ketil ordered anchorage whilst still the boat lifted to the swelling of the deep sea and there it was he made Arinbiorn slumber that he might cast a weirding thought upon Arinbiorn.

Prince Ketil had read deeply of the forbidden books, but even so, was he not so great an enchanter that he could perform the arts without resort to material aids. He took a jar of fleas from his concealed pocket and spoke these weirding thoughts to the fleas in the jar:

"Not of the king's will are ye, Arinbiorn, but a traitor to the King. For how can a man as upright and good as ye be, see the robbing of the poor in the name of fee-taking. And one other thing besides; at the hearing of the name 'fail-sword' will all your secret learning be kindled."

The jar was smashed against the boat and Prince Ketil ran from the hold. And in every bite from the tiny fleas did Arinbiorn's mind seem to think;

"Not of the king's will are ye, Arinbiorn, but a traitor to the King. For how can a man as upright and good as ye be, see the robbing of the poor in the name of fee-taking. And one other thing besides; at the hearing of the name 'fail-sword' will all your secret learning be kindled."

Until his very blood pumped this mantra about his brain and Arinbiorn was filled with the weirding thoughts. Still a slumber, it took four men to carry his giant body to a small rowing boat and cast him adrift so that the tide did carry the small boat into the dark sea of the sound.

~~~~~~~~~

It was a day when Guthredd had gone to visit Jofrid in her cavern, and having made sure Jofrid was well and having bid Jofrid again indulge her in the story of 'fail-sword' she bid Jofrid farewell.

Guthredd was seen by three of the King's men who chased her across the heath. Guthredd ran as far as a thicket and laid down, singing to the spirits for concealment.

Through the bottom of the thicket, Guthredd espied the boots of the three King's men as they beat the thicket with their swords. Guthredd pulled 'fail-sword' half from its scabbard when a sudden the three men fell, reddening the soil with their blood.

Not of the king's will am I, Arinbiorn, but a traitor to the King. For how can a man be upright and good and yet stand by and see the robbing of the poor in the name of fee-taking."

Guthredd arose from her hiding and beheld Arinbiorn; tall, broad shouldered and fair to look upon.

And so Arinbiorn joined the rebellion against King Onund and proved himself a great sore in the side of the king's men whether leading raids upon the king's supply ships or adding his might to battles and ambushes.

But it was not long before the words 'fail-sword' reached Arinbiorn's ears and the weirding thoughts, placed there by Prince Ketil in the hold of the boat, were kindled.

His peepers were drawn to the beautiful Guthredd who wore 'fail-sword' at her belt and it was many hours, when away from battle, that Guthredd and Arinbiorn spent together.

Arinbiorn lavished gifts upon Guthredd, and acted the fool that she might laugh a little. He would bathe her feet in the stream at the setting of the sun and fetch her blankets if the wind should stir.

He stood by her in battle until both were in each others blood debt and faithfully backed her war council.

It was said by those around Arinbiorn and Guthredd that they would be joined in wedlock soon, but although Guthredd shared these times happily with Arinbiorn, he espied no surrendering in Guthredd's heart.

So Arinbiorn sought the underhand ways to win Guthredd;

He knew of the story carved upon the shame pole by Guthredd but withheld from her that he knew, instead telling her that he believed no harm came to those who listened to their hearts.

He knew of the death wound of Antler and withheld from her that he knew, instead telling her that betrayal slew the greatest of men and pure in heart was he.

Now, because Arinbiorn did have the weirding thoughts put upon him by Prince Ketil in the hold of the boat, it is not known whether his feelings for Guthredd Sleeve-heart were true love or but the placing of the weirding thoughts.

But all who knew Arinbiorn report that save in his dealings with Guthredd, was he a man of great renown, most noble in thought and deed and most fair to look upon.

One day he followed Guthredd as she carried supplies across the heath-land of the middle islet in the sound and saw her enter the cavern where Jofrid lived out her hiding.

Arinbiorn waited until he saw Guthredd leave without the supplies and said to himself:

"Perhaps here is a secret that will allow me to win Guthredd's heart." And he made his way all a-stealth, to the cavern and set his peepers on Jofrid ere she could enchant a disguise.

Only the night before had Jofrid been visited by the dream-woman that prophesies ill and was made to see this vision:

Guthredd Sleeve-heart stood guarding the gate of an orchard, beautiful and enticing in her iron armour. And many tried to steal from the orchard but Guthredd was forever alert and ready with sword and dealt all who tried their death blow.

But then one day a blue tit alighted on Guthredd's hand and she was filled with joy. Tired of battle and butchering men, the little blue-tit touched her heart and she longed for days of peace and for the comfort of love, but she told herself to stay true to her sworn role of protecting the orchard.

Each day the little blue-tit returned to her hand, bringing her seeds or soft downy feathers, until Guthredd's peepers could tell the little blue-tit apart from all others; so kind and true was the little bird.

And the little blue-tit revelled in being in the palm of Guthredd Sleeve-heart until that was all that mattered to him, so he tried and tried to persuade Guthredd to drop her sword and take forever the little blue-tit into the palm of her hand.

But even as the little blue-tit flapped his handsome feathers and chirped merrily for the joy of being in Guthredd's hand, Guthredd was distracted and thieves stole into the orchard until every tree was barren.

Now, seeing the strong, broad shouldered Arinbiorn, so fair to look upon and a snooping about the cavern, did Jofrid recognise Arinbiorn for the little blue-tit. Too late her eyes flashed their fear and Arinbiorn gave Jofrid her death wound and spoke this stave:

"For Guthredd did I split

The head of this old crone, whose eyes

spake that our love should not be,

for that I cannot bare."

Arinbiorn hid Jofrid's body and so was covered in her blood. He stripped naked by the rocky walls of the cavern and bathed his broad-shoulders and muscular body in the brackish pool of water at the back of the cavern.

~~~~~~~~~

That evening did Arinbiorn lead a raid upon the supply ships of king Onund by way of a secret passage that led to a cleft in the cliffs by the haven of the middle islet of the Sound.

Guthredd, guarding the secret passage, watched Arinbiorn and the raiding party make all a-stealth in the moonlight for the boats laid to in the haven and silently dispatch those guarding the boats with cuttings of throats.

The raiding party, carts loaded, made their way up the winding cliff path, when Guthredd, of a sudden being seized, cried out.

Arinbiorn answered that cry with swift foot across the haven, drawing his axe and with a great leap, was upon the men with terrible fury. Arinbiorn dealt both men their death blow and pulled the trembling Guthredd to his great chest.

Now surely did all waters lead to the love-making betwixt Guthredd Sleeve-heart and Arinbiorn:

Surely had Prince Ketil placed the weirding thoughts upon Arinbiorn that he be smitten by Guthredd, and surely had King Ketil given boon to Arinbiorn of all arts of seduction.

Besides was Arinbiorn strong and brave and fair to look upon. And had Arinbiorn done deeds of great renown so that Guthredd owed Arinbiorn blood debt, and even now had saved her life.

And Arinbiorn was now taken with the war-lust, having dealt two men their death wounds to save Guthredd.

The flow of all these things was to their love making, but it was as Guthredd clasped Arinbiorn's chest that the smell of the brackish water of the cavern assailed her nostrils. Guthredd, bone-shuck by so near a death wound, recognised not that smell, but did unknowing confuse smell and touch.

Her head against Arinbiorn's chest, it seemed to Guthredd that Arinbiorn was as warm, safe and homely as that cavern. Arinbiorn's embrace was to Guthredd alike to peaceful times, so nearly forgotten, and she reached up her lips that they kiss.

Guthredd's arms rested upon the strong shoulders of Arinbiorn, and the clasps of her armour undone, she stood naked before him in the moonlight.

And with nipples hardened by sea breeze and her pale flesh a-pearly in the moonlight, Guthredd danced for Arinbiorn, the dark sea washing away her footprints as she swirled along the shore.

She danced to the singing of her heart and then slowed to just a gentle sway, and then placing Arinbiorn's hand betwixt her thighs, it was to Guthredd as though his touch did work pattern-welding upon her heart and body; forging and twisting her as he might.

Or else did their touching seem alike to the street theatre; a villain in the biting of her nipple or a secret whisper in the trail of her fingers along his great arm.

And Arinbiorn took her gently and passionately on the white sand of the haven of the middle islet of the sound, his mickle strength made gentle a spell, that Guthredd might know his tenderness.

As they lay sated and content under the moonlight that shone upon the haven, gently stroking newfound secrets of each others bodies, was a fishing net cast upon them and they were set upon by the King's men.

Arinbiorn, out awhile by a swift cudgelling to his head, was carried to a cart but Guthredd being bound by her wrists, followed behind, naked but for the gold upper arm ring that Sigrid gifted to Thorarna on her wedding day and the tooth set in gold that that dangled from her left ear.

~~~~~~~~~

The cart passed through the gap in a stakewall and into a camp of the King's men and there was much cheering and clashing of spears against shield by men with the eagers to rest their peepers upon the naked woman.

Guthredd walked steady and silent, dead-eyeing those that dared set their peepers on her naked flesh until one man did reach out boldly to take his feel of her naked breast.

Of a sudden did Guthredd's shoulder pull back to avoid the groping hand, and her body spinning full round with leg raised, kicked two teeth clean from his gums, that others of like mind might think twice.

And Guthredd was cast into the fight pit that she might amuse the men a while duelling for her life. The pit was lit from above by torches aflame in the hands of the crowd. A Seax was thrown at her feet and Guthredd cut her bonds and a King's man leapt into the pit, his sword singing from its scabbard.

The King's man swang his sword and Guthredd but rolled forward and under the blade, rising to her feet to slit his torso from seed sack to gullet, and this was his death wound.

It is said that Guthredd's berserk that night in the fight pit gave twelve men their death wounds ere the camp commander broke up the duelling saying;

"Know you not this woman by the tooth at her left ear or the gold ring on her upper arm? This be Guthredd Sleeve-heart and has not King Onund declared Guthredd an outlaw across the kingdom and declared that any that harbour Guthredd be hanged for treason, but that any man who brought Guthredd to him; he would become a man of great wealth? Then stop this duel for I would be that man of great wealth."

It was said later by men at that duelling that never had death a more beautiful aspect than when Guthredd Sleeve-heart, naked of limb and full of grace, felled twelve men. And it was said that most died unable to hold the fierce glint of Guthredd's death-stare.

Pulled from the pit and bound naked to a post, Guthredd sang to the spirits that the King's men be taken with the eagers for her naked body and fall to a brawling, and so Arinbiorn did slip away unseen.

~~~~~~~~~

Now had Arinbiorn heard that a fleet of four of the King's boats was to put to sea that Guthredd be taken to King Onund's stronghold and made to kneel naked and kiss the feet of King Onund.

Of hidden sea-going boats had the outlaws but two, and these did Arinbiorn put to sea and lay to behind the headland that they might ambush the King's fleet.

But as the king's fleet rounded the headland Arinbiorn saw Guddredd bound naked as like to a figure-head on the prow of a boat.

Still within the sound were the waves gentle, but already the swell reached Guthredd's naked thigh.

About her head was locked a scold's bridal that Guthredd might not sing to the spirits and she was bound with arms bent back that her naked breasts be shamefully prominent.

Not willing to fire arrows for fear of hitting Guthredd, Arinbiorn's boats fared worse in the sea-battle, being set aflame by way of burning arrows ere they could get close to the King's boats and soon enough was the King's fleet headed unscathed out to the deep dark sea.

~~~~~~~~~

Now of that voyage across the sea do the sea-farers tell this queer yarn:

That as they worked bowline and skaut it seemed to those that rested their peepers awhile on the bound naked body of Guthredd, that the tattoo of her upper arm did slide down dripping breast and belly to pool, ink like, about her feet and stem the worst tempest of the waves from assaying Guthredd's exposed body.

On the fourth day of the voyage across the dark sea did the sea-farers espy whale spouts and being short of supplies took to whale hunting, Guthredd awhile naked and strapped to the bowhead.

Of the hunt nothing is reported but of the boat running aside a whale pup that it might be speared. It is said that the whale pup did set its gaze upon Guthredd Sleeve-heart tied naked to the prow and that Guthredd did match the gaze of the whale, and that there was a knowing betwixt them. And Guthredd shed a tear for the plight of the whale pup ere the pup reddened the dark sea with her blood.

Now was this the only time woman had shed tear for a whale and amongst the whales did this act become of great renown so that Guthredd Sleeve-heart is the only human to be sang of in whale-song.

After the killing of the whale pup, for seven days and seven nights did Guthredd stand the beating of the dark oceans waves against her naked body and did also stand the beating of the sea-farers words:

"The daughter of a whore, she's a whore herself who put her rut-craving before the safety of her band. Seeing to her whore-needs did she leave a secret passage unguarded that led us to the great slaughter of her outlaw-kin."

And worse to Guthredd was the beating of the words than of the water against her naked flesh, for the words spoken were true: In abandoning herself to her hearts desire had she for the first time failed to enchant a passageway and in so doing, betrayed her outlaw-kin.

Guthredd welcomed the lashing of the waves against her naked body as punishment for her failings, but welcomed not the shrewish voice echoing inside her:

"Guthredd harkens to her heart

And well she hears; and it is hers.

And so I am long searching

Because she heard, but lost."

~~~~~~~~~

On the seventh day of the sea voyage did the King's fleet sail through a great gathering of sea-worms that did bore through the wooden hulls of the King's boats.

And three of the four boats were filled with the dark sea and sank below the waves even as the sea-worms bored into the flesh of the sea-farers.

Guthredd, bound to the sinking prow, fell amongst the sea-worms and felt their bite upon her naked flesh.

But of the bodies given as meal to the sea-worms, was Guthredd's alone not fully devoured, but left furrowed and scarred with strange design.

From that voyage but one boat put in at the stronghold of King Onund to report that twenty three of the King's men and Guthredd Sleeve-heart were taken by the dark sea.

~~~~~~~~~