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Chapter One

Early autumn, AD 793—Sand, Raumerike,

south-eastern Norway

Seven years and Ash Hringson refused to think about how many thousands of miles it had been since he last set foot in Sand, the capital of Rauht ho of his travels and his plans for the future

Ash rubbed a hand over his chin, fingering the small half-moon scar there He had seen over thirty battles and ht be clear of all but the acy of a battle three years ago, which aggravated the injury he had received in a Frankish dungeon He knew that he was not the same carefree youth who had left Raumerike’s shores, with a thirst for adventure and the certainty of a glorious future In his mind, Raumerike and all he’d left behind remained the same

A great unexpected feeling of long-awaited belonging rose up in his throat He was in his hoer

Ash gave a wry sain so his head in shaer his destiny He’d become a leader of men rather than a coho left others to die in a fiery inferno

The town had seen a few changes over the seven years he’d been gone, expanded with an air of bustling prosperity, but the streets were laid out the same The blacksmith where he’d purchased his first sword looked to be under different ’s hall appeared to have been rebuilt The e of fabric and fur, but the fish about fresh herring and salted cod

Several htly and turned away the closer he cahtened instinctively on his sword’s hilt He forced it to relax

Did they reht to his father and the country? The brothers, friends and cousins who had died because of his recklessness on that fateful night? Was that why they looked at hi dead? Or was it the typical Raumerike distrust of an outsider?

He ht be dressed in Viken clothes, but his heart beat with a love for Raumerike He’d always remembered where he came from It hy he’d returned—toRaumerike warriors true opportunity for advance likely death on an unfriendly sea

A temptation filled him to shout to the curious, doubters and naysayers that shaer carved on his chest The youth who had run his ship aground in a storer for wealth had learnt his lesson A old He kept his mouth shut, his hand firmly at his side and strode silently on

Ash set his jaw and turned his feet towards the king’s hall First the king, then his father and finally his wife He knew the proper order of things Now

Kara would understand He remembered that about her, even if he could not conjure up the exact tenor of her quiet voice or the precise colour of her golden hair She’d always been his most loyal supporter since they had first met when they were children and she’d bound his falcon’s broken wing His last le tear trickling down her cheek as she begged him to return a hero

Ash pushed the thoughts about Kara away, just as he had done for the last seven years Soon, soon he’d be able to re and country

‘Why are you walking a, Ghost?’ an elderly voice called out fro pots ‘Today of all days?’

Ash winced as heOf all the people to greet him first, it would have to be this woman He forced hi The elder two had died in the stor hio bravery He had hen his last friend died For a day and a night, he had lived in that hell hole with the body Eventually, he’d been able to overpower the Frankish guard who had been sent to check on the drain Even now, after more than six years, he found it iround

For the first tiods had been with him After he’d pulled himself froned on and had begun life as a sell-sword