THE HUN STOOD in the hall. He had his hands clasped behind his back and his strangely elongated head was tilted back as he looked up at the tree that grew from the floor to the ceiling. He seemed oblivious to the ring of spears levelled at him by nine Raven Warriors.
Four other Hun warriors, likewise guarded by Raven Warriors, stood a little way behind him. They had been stripped of their weapons but the contemptuous smiles and folded arms showed how little fear they had of their captors.
The main door of the hall banged open and King Gunderic, his council and Gunfjaun entered. While the raven warrior joined his comrades, the king strode up the hall, glaring at the stranger the whole way, until he got to the dais at the top where he sat in his high seat. For a long moment he continued to stare at the Hun, who continued to look unperturbed.
‘We do not welcome strangers in this realm,’ Gunderic said at last. ‘But most of all we do not welcome Huns. Why have you come here? Choose your words carefully for they may well be your last.’
The Hun did not reply but looked puzzled.
Gunderic nodded to Gunfjaun, who prodded the Hun with his spear point.
‘Go forward,’ he said. ‘Speak.’
The ring of warriors around the single Hun lowered their spears and he walked closer to the dais. The other four Hun warriors remained under close guard.
‘I am sorry but while I understand the Germanic tongue a little, your accent makes it hard for me,’ the Hun said, speaking in the tongue of the Romans. ‘I am Ediko. I am advisor and emissary to Attila, the Great King of the World and Terrible Punisher of the unbelievers. I have a message from my king to Gunderic, King of the Burgundars.’
‘You are speaking to him,’ Gunderic said.
‘My Lord Attila rides to war at the head of the greatest army ever seen on the face of the earth,’ Ediko said. ‘He rides at the head of an army of Ostrogoths, Vandals, Gepids, Alemanni and Huns that numbers more than fifty thousand men.’
Hagan saw a look of dismay cross the face of Wodnas. It was the first real emotion he had seen the old man express. He could understand why, though. Impressive as the Burgundar War Horde had been, they were tiny in number compared to Attila’s multitudes.
‘I come with a demand and an offer,’ Ediko continued. ‘Attila the Great and Mighty sweeps through the Western Roman Empire like a whirlwind of fire. Everyone who tries to stand in his way perishes like dry grass in a wildfire.’
‘We are ready for war,’ Gunderic said. ‘We don’t fear Attila.’
Ediko smirked.
‘Many have said that before and found they were mistaken,’ he said. ‘To their cost.’
Gunderic started to his feet and opened his mouth to speak, but Wodnas stepped before him and laid a hand on the king’s forearm. To Hagan’s surprise Gunderic sat down again.
Wodnas leaned close to the king and whispered something in his ear. Gunderic sent a sharp look in the old man’s direction, but pursed his lips and kept them shut.
‘Does Attila not have realms enough?’ Wodnas said. ‘He already rules everything west of Pannonia.’
‘King Attila is only claiming what is rightfully his,’ Ediko said. ‘The Emperor’s sister has sent him a proposal of marriage. As the Emperor’s sister she is entitled to half the Empire. King Attila is merely claiming her dowry.’
‘Does Attila really believe Justa Grata Honoria was really free to make such a proposal?’ Wodnas said.
‘King Attila is an honourable man,’ Ediko said. ‘When a lady calls for help, he responds. But that is not the only reason for the war. Certain treasures which rightfully belong to the Hun people were stolen by someone in Europa when King Oktar was treacherously attacked. They include the Sword of the War God.’
Hagan saw Sigurd stiffen.
‘King Attila has been wronged,’ Ediko said. ‘He seeks redress for serious insults. He seeks the return of the sword and the treasures. How could any king continue to rule if he allowed such wrongs to go unpunished?’
‘We care nothing if Attila destroys the whole of the Empire,’ Gunderic said. ‘We are no friends of Rome.’
‘Remaining neutral in the war will not save anyone,’ Ediko said. ‘King Attila will assume if you are not with him then you are against him and will be treated like any other enemy.’
‘Neither are we friends of the Huns,’ Gunderic said. ‘You speak of wrongs? What greater wrong is there than what the Huns did to my people at Vorbetomagus?’
‘My people would say they were just avenging the wrongs inflicted by the murder of Oktar,’ Ediko said.
‘What is this demand of Attila’s, anyway?’ Gunderic said.
‘King Attila will be merciful to any realm who returns what is rightfully his,’ Ediko said. ‘If you know where the treasure and the sword are, and you tell us, then King Attila will cease to resent the former insult.’
‘And what is his offer?’ asked Gunderic.
‘The Burgundars are renowned warriors,’ Ediko said. ‘There would be room for you in King Attila’s grand army against Rome. If you don’t then King Attila will assume you are an enemy. The Huns destroyed the Burgundars once before. We will do it again.’
‘Hello, Ediko.’
A new voice made everyone turn around. Zerco had entered the hall.
For the first time Ediko showed any sign of emotion. His face lit up with both surprise and delight.
‘Zerco!’ he said. ‘You are here?’
‘You know each other?’ Gunderic said, suspicion in his voice.
‘Lord King, I told you I was a slave of the Huns for several years,’ the little man said. ‘Ediko here was a sworn warrior of Bleda, my master.’
He turned back to Ediko.
‘You’ve done well for yourself,’ Zerco said. ‘I heard Bleda had an “accident”. I’d have thought Attila would’ve made sure all his men met the same fate too.’
‘I am now a trusted advisor of the king,’ Ediko said. ‘But you don’t look pleased to see me, old friend.’
‘You remind me of a dark time in my life,’ Zerco said, his lip curled in a sneer.
‘A dark time?’ Ediko raised his eyebrows. ‘You were the honoured companion of Bleda, Over King of the Huns. You went everywhere with him. He was very fond of you.’
‘I was there to be laughed at,’ Zerco said, eyes blazing with anger, teeth gritted. ‘A stupius! A clown!’
‘He looked after your every need,’ Ediko said. ‘You are missed at the Court of the Huns, Zerco. You can return with me now. Everything could be as it was before.’
‘Attila loathed me,’ Zerco said. ‘He made no secret of that. That’s why he sent me back to the Romans. Return with you to Hun Land? Do you think I’m mad?’
‘What about your wife?’ Ediko said. ‘She still waits for you.’
Hagan raised his eyebrows. Zerco had a wife?
‘She was a whore Bleda paid to be my companion!’ Zerco said.
‘I see you won’t be persuaded,’ Ediko said. Then his expression changed, suggesting he had realised something. ‘If you are here then that could mean…’
He turned to look at Gunderic, a broad smile creasing his face.
‘I’ve heard enough of this,’ Gunderic said with a snarl. He gestured to the Raven Warriors down the hall. They nodded and without hesitation drove their spears into the guts of the four Hun warriors. The men cried out in surprise and pain. Their faces screwed into expressions of disbelief and agony as the Raven Warriors without mercy twisted the blades of their spears a half turn, then wrenched them out of the Huns’ bodies again.
The Huns grasped the wounds torn through their stomachs in both hands, blood gushing through their fingers, as they collapsed to their knees. Four of the Raven Warriors set down their spears, and drew knives from their belts. Each man grasped a Hun by the hair, pulled his head back exposing his throat, then drew his blade across it, unleashing another torrent of blood. Letting go of the Huns’ hair, they stood back, letting the men fall on their faces to die on the floor.
Hagan noted that he had been right. The Raven Warriors were trained or born killers. What was also clear was how practised they were at it. The Burgundar War Horde may yet have been tested in war but these youths had been the death of men before.
They began to advance towards Ediko.
With some satisfaction, Hagan saw the self-confident expression on the face of the Hun drop, replaced by wide-eyed panic.
‘Wait, Lord King. Wait!’ he said, hands held aloft, his voice rising in pitch. ‘Don’t do this.’
‘What’s to stop me?’ Gunderic said.
‘There is nothing to stop you, King Gunderic,’ Ediko said. ‘But if I do not return from here Attila will descend on this kingdom in wrath. He will turn it to dust and ash as an example to those who disrespect his emissaries. If you choose to stand against him he will do that anyway but if anything happens to me you will be first to feel his wrath.’
Gunderic looked like he was going to say something but Wodnas shook his head. The one-eyed man once more laid a hand on Gunderic’s arm and the king closed his mouth again.
‘Leave him, lads,’ Wodnas said. The Raven Warriors stopped advancing.
‘Go back to Attila,’ Wodnas said to Ediko. ‘Tell him King Gunderic is considering his offer.’
Ediko looked around, looking like he was unsure whether or not this was a trick.
‘Escort him back to the border and let him go,’ Wodnas said.
The Raven Warriors nodded. They raised their spears and laid their hands on Ediko, steering him towards the door.
‘Goodbye, King Gunderic,’ the Hun called as they marched him out of the hall. ‘Zerco, we will meet again I think.’
When they had gone, Gunderic flopped down in his ornate high seat, his lower lip thrust out in a manner Hagan had not seen him do since he was a boy.
‘You should have let me kill him,’ the king said.
‘We are not ready to fight a full-scale war yet, King Gunderic,’ Wodnas said. ‘Not alone anyway. And certainly not against the horde Attila commands.’
‘You fought the Huns alone,’ Gunderic said.
‘That was years ago,’ Wodnas said. ‘They had not subjected as many nations as they have now. Today they can call upon countless warriors to fight with them. And we ended up living in forests and caves, striking them when we could and running away again. It was hopeless. All we were doing was making life difficult for them in the hope they’d give up and go away. They didn’t. Which is why we are now here.’
Hagan was taken aback by the bitter passion with which the usually taciturn and placid old man spoke. His display of emotion also had an effect on Gunderic who stared, wide-eyed, mouth slightly open, at Wodnas.
‘So what do we do?’ the king said. ‘I have my council here. Let us decide.’
Hagan swallowed. He had not expected such momentous responsibility to fall on him so soon. He was not sure that either of the titles so far granted to him by the king – Hunt Master or last of the Dagelungs – really qualified him to be part of the Royal Council, certainly in the eyes of others. However, whether or not they did, he was about to take part in a discussion that could seal the fate of the whole realm.