5 1 AT DAWN PRINCE VALIANT AND
RURJS ARE CURTLY SENT ON THEIR WAY.
THIS FIEF WAS GIYEN ME FOR MY
HARDIHOOD IN BATTLE. WILL BROOK
NO INTERFERENCE IN MY RULE SAVE
FROM THE KING HIMSELF I TOO BAD
YOUR GUIDE GOT HIMSELF KILLED LAST
NIGHT BUT JARL ODER WILL SEE YOU
SAFELY TO THE BORDER. "
AS THEy LEAVE THE FORBIDDING PLACE
THEy HEAR A WOMAN'S SCREAM AND
HARSH LAUGHTER - THEN THE GATES
SLAM SHUT.
VAL HAS NO DOUBT THAT OS, THEIR
GUIDE, HAS BEEN MURDERED, FOR HE
WAS A WITNESS TO SIGURD'S CRIMES.
THEN HE TURNS HIS ATTENTION TO
ODER, THAT MINCING, VAIN DANDy,
AND A PLAN SLOWLY FORMS.
ALL MORNING LONG THEy DESCEND THE ROCKY TRAIL,
EVER UNDER THE EYES OF WATCHERS ON THE HILLTOPS.
AT LAST THEY ENTER A GROVE THAT SCREENS THEM FROM
VIEW. VAL LIGHTS THE NOON COOKING FIRE, THEN, DRAW
ING HIS SEAX-KNIFE, TURNS ON THE STARTLED ODER !
9
VAL'S CHIN IS SMEARED WITH STICKY SPRUCE RAI SAM AND
ODER'S BEARD CHANGES PLACE ALONG WITH HIS CLOTHES. AS
HIS BROWS ARE BEING PLUCKED, VAL SAYS "WE WILL RIDE ON
FOR A WHILE, THEN I WILL RETURN IN FULL YEW OF THE
SENTRIES, AND YOU, RUFUS, TAKE ODER ON TO YIKINGSHOLM
AND RETURN WITH TWENTY PICKED WARRIORS."
2K
THEY PART, AND THE LOOKOUTS SEE
PRINCE VALIANT AND RUFUS CROSS THE
BORDER, BUT THEY ARE TOO FAR AWAY
TO SEE THAT ONE IS UNARMED AND
BOUND I
WHILE VAL RETURNS, TRUSTING THAT HIS
DISGUISE WILL ENABLE HIM TO GET PROOF
OF SIGURD'S CRIMES. THE JUG OF MEAD
THAT OOER ALWAYS CARRIES GIVES HIM
AN IDEA
AFTER DARK A TIRED AND VERY DRUNKEN
OOER STAGGERS INTO THE HALL AND
FINDS A PLACE AT THE TABLE !
MBCrwEEKi-
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