Chapter 56 Hostage

" They had quite useful items. Look at this leather, it has been processed well. Maybe we can make something good with this."

Arne pulled out processed leather from his sack, feeling the rough texture of it with a hint of excitement in his voice. He always wanted to get a good leather his jacket and he got one from this rural village. Perhaps, he needed to go there again in the future since there was a good leather maker in that village.

" Hush your mouth, Arne. We are close to the meeting point. Don't draw unnecessary attention. Every tree has ears, you know."

Harold shook his head, pulling down a branch from the tree whilst throwing them into the pitfire which was glowing brightly in the heart of the forest.

" That is rich coming from you. Is the fish ready?"

Halfdan handed the fish to him as the remaining Vikings ate the fish with different expressions, mostly positive, because Halfdan was a famous cook in their village. Everybody liked eating his food, knowing how he exquisitely cooked for them even when they were outside.

" No wonder you said that little river would have tasty fish. It is really good. Especially after you put some herb in it."

Arne gave a thumbs-up to Halfdan, biting down the steaming fish with rows of white teeth. He gently blew the steam, feeling delicate meat juice in his mouth when he bit into it.

" Wait. Someone is here."

Halfdan reached out for his sword, looking at the darkness with calmness in his eyes. The bright fire illuminated his eyes along with nearby trees, reflecting what was hiding inside the bushes.

" You look comfortable. Do you have a seat for me?"

Horace peeked out from the tree with a middle-aged man who was tied with ropes. The man slightly raised his head to meet their eyes as he gracefully bowed to show respect to the warriors while sitting next to them. He raised his hands to signal to Horace, who was observing with him a serious face.

" Horace, untie this gentleman. Here, have some food."

Halfdan threw the bones from the bowl, wiping them with his cloth in his belt. Then he put some fish in the bowl, giving it to Gustin, who took it without any expression.

" Gentleman, you say. A peculiar wording in my choice. I quite like it.

My name is Gustin. I am the lord of Sussex and general of my people."

Halfdan nodded at his words lightly, pouring some soup into his bowl to warm up. He felt the taste of fish and vegetables hitting his tongue but not overpowering it. Quite nice taste despite being fish soup in the end.

" My name is Halfdan Magnusson. I am the leader of the Vikings, and honestly, I am here to conquer this region, albeit not wanting to shed blood."

Gustin put down his bowl, laughing at his words with a hue of redness on his cheeks. Suddenly he stopped laughing, placing his palms together as his pupils shrank.

" Without blood, you say. How naive! Do you think I will surrender myself and my people without any resistance? We southerners are at the front of the line. We are the shield."

Gustin's serious words made them silent as Halfdan took a deep breath to lighten up the atmosphere.

" Yet you are nervous. I know you are a brave man, but are you ready to throw innocent lives to protect this backwater place? The king doesn't give you respect and you dig trenches to live. How long are you going to live like this?"

Gustin drew his breath for a moment as the woods crackled in the darkness. The cold wind of the night rubbed the smell of the ocean on his nose, reminding him that this was home.

" What are you trying to imply, young warrior? You are beating around."

Halfdan smirked at his words, throwing the old parch to his feet, which contained exact words for the lord of Surrey.

" The king wants to unify the south to fight against Wales and the northern nobles. The central government is weakening day by day. How long do you think they can retain their crown? 10 years, maybe 20 years. Sooner or later, you will die for their lavish life."

Halfdan's serious tone reached his ears.