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‘Time to claibert truly was’

‘The Norsemen! The Norsemen are here!’

The cry went up and echoed around the hall Lady Edith stilled, her spindle falling into her lap

She had expected this for weeks, ever since she’d heard the news of her husband’s death in the rebellion against the so-called King of Jorvik and leader of the Norseainst the rebellion had fallen on deaf ears

Now Egbert was slain in battle and she had to contend with the consequences of his actions Silently she thanked God that most of the stores were stowed safely and the land showed its usual before-the-spring barrenness, nothing to alert the Norsemen to its true worth and productivity

‘What e do, cousin? The Norsemen are here! There is no one left to defend us We’re doo whorls all over the stone floor ‘Doomed, I say!’

‘We o as quickly as they came with the minimal amount of fuss’ Edith carefully placed her spindle down on the wooden trunk She gathered up the wool and the three spinning whorls that she could find One, she noticed with a sigh, now had a crack running through it Hilda didn’t bother to help, but instead stood wringing her hands and repeating her words There was little point in panicking when her distant cousin did it well enough for the both of them

‘Will they go?’ Hilda asked when Edith had picked up the final whorl

‘Always’ Edith tightened her fingers about the whorl ‘The Norseo’

The one thing she was certain of despite their conquest of Eoferhich the Norseo—the Norsemen did not settle inland Instead they used the land for raiding, their own private larder of cattle, sheep and wobert found so many recruits for his rebellion

Edith wrinkled her nose in distaste The Norseht for the lives they destroyed