Raven Boy

Chapter 25

Sveinn rode back to the king's messenger.

The latter was obviously losing his patience in the early-afternoon heat while Sveinn looked calm and impassive. Stopping his horse several paces from the Foreigner, he politely thanked him for waiting and announced, "This is what my King wants me to tell your King: Foreign King, how dare you talk to me about wisdom when you are stupid enough to underestimate your enemy? You are so childish and pathetic bragging of your army that we cannot see how you got a reputation as a brave warrior. Even our children laugh at you! But as you gave me the advantage of knowing your strengths, I will do the same: know, Ulfrich, that the army I have here is four times smaller than yours, but it is more than enough to do what it takes to destroy all of you, for we have magic and we know why the fortress we are holding is important to you!"

Sveinn stated those deeply offensive words in a firm, even voice and watched the effect with hidden satisfaction. It worked just as he had expected: first the messenger went bright pink with fury and clenched his fists, but at the mention of the fortress, the man's went pale, and Sveinn interpreted it as a very good sign.

The Foreigner didn't answer. He turned his horse and galloped toward his camp.

Sveinn was left alone by the flag in his turn. Trying to look as at ease as possible, he waited. The burning sun mercilessly heated his thick jacket and the motionless air made the heat more unbearable. But Sveinn was an excellent warrior. Straight and proud, he remained in his saddle while the sense of danger he was playing with tickled his nerves. That was how he liked it – carefully bouncing at the very edge of the abyss, risking it all.

Finally, the messenger appeared. He was so tense, fighting back his rage, that his horse danced uneasily. He shouted, "King Torgeir, if you are as strong as you pretend to be clever, and if you have the nerve and the daring, meet me in a fair sword fight. No help and no magic, just you and me, king to king!"

Sveinn remained impassive, but this turn surprised him: the Foreigner was informed that Torgeir's weakest weapon was the sword, or he must have been an excellent swordsman. Anyway, Sveinn's intuition told him that a trick was to be expected there.

Nodding to show he understood, he turned his horse and rode back to the fortress.

"He wants a duel!" gasped Olaf. "Well, that could be a perfect solution!"

"Verily," nodded Sveinn. "If we eliminate every possibility of him playing a trick on us."

"Well, we can, can't we?" answered Hrafn. "We accept the duel, if he and his successors swear on their goddess of Earth in front of everybody that the duel will decide the outcome of the war. They are superstitious and their gods mean a lot to them."

"You mean..." began Jari.

"If he loses," explained the boy, his emerald eyes shining with determination, "they give back our lands and swear not to attack us again, and if he wins... well, we fight until we die. Anyway, they will never let us go. I say that's our only chance."

Everyone stared, too bewildered to speak.

Ari shook his head. "No one will ever guarantee the peace forever. Their king's got family and they will avenge his death, without speaking of their reasons for conquering our lands in the first place."

"Well, we can ask for ten winters then," suggested Olaf. "In ten winters we can grow our fleet and army and find new allies."

"That sounds more plausible," agreed Leif. "Though they can do the same."

"The stake is too big," said Orm. "He will certainly make us swear that we will surrender without fighting, if he wins..."

Hrafn shrugged. "If they attack and kill us, they will rule over us anyway. But less people will die, if we reduce the war to a duel."