The Thrall (The Viking Hero Series Book 1) (15 page)

She was taken back upon hearing this and replied
with a surprised, "my thrall?"

"Lady, did you send your thrall out to slay
the creature?"

"No, my lord. I didn't even know he had left
to do such a thing." she replied. "We were out trading all
day and I wasn't even aware our thrall was missing until we came home
to find him missing."

At this point, Rowan's heart sank. Just what he
needed, to be accused of trying to escape again. That was a
punishable offense. Even by death if his master or mistress so
desired.

Jarl Erling stood up
and addressed the hall.

"The thrall
named Rowan, without permission from his mistress nor with the intent
of collecting the bo
unty for slaying the dead walker that was
plaguing our village, took it upon himself to go out alone and kill
the wretched thing with no plan for compensation or reward. He did
this for the better of the people of this village and has achieved
alone what none of our best men could achieve. This is a selfless and
heroic act that must be recognized!"

There were cheers of approval within the Hall.
This announcement startled Rowan, who just a moment ago was expecting
the worse and was even starting to regret killing the beast.

Jarl Erling stepped in front of Rowan and
commanded, "Rise Thrall!"

Rowan nervously rose to his feet, still unsure as
to what was about to happen.

"The bounty I
made for the slaying of the beast was 500 silver pieces. Because of
this thrall's selfless act of bravery, he is no longer worthy of
being that of a mere thrall. That would be a disgrace. With the
bounty, I pay his mistress the weregeld value of a useful thrall of
60 silver pieces."

A guard was standing
next to the Jarl at this point holding a fine leather bag, obviously
full of silver pieces.

Jarl Erling counted
out 60 pieces of silver from it and handed it to Gwenda, whom sat
there bewildered with an uncertain look on her face. She was relieved
to have the deaths of her son and husband revenged, but she didn't
expect to lose her thrall. This was a problem, but she knew she could
not speak up against the Jarl's decision.

"Having paid for
ownership of the thrall as property of my own, I announce before
everyone that he is no longer a thrall, but a freeman." Jarl
Erling announced to the hall.

There was much talk in
the Hall as voices grew louder. Some cheering Rowan and the Jarl,
others protesting because they didn't like the thrall being freed.

"Not only do I
make him a new freeman, I make him a Karl. Because he is to be
regarded as a hero, braver than any man I have seen in my realm as of
yet. He will not have the short status of a newly free'd thrall who
is only above a thrall in status, but still below freemen and karls
until three generations of freedmen descended from him as is
customary with our folk. He is to have the status of Karl and be
regarded as a hero."

"He's not a
Karl," grumbled one man.

"He's a mere
thrall and is being freed and given a status higher than the rest of
the men of this village. How is that fair to our folk?" grumbled
another man.

This last statement
caused some uproar in the Hall. Jarl Erling immediately put an end to
it.

"I have
seen not one man do what this man has done. He has earn
ed the
status and the right and no man will argue it, lest he disgrace
himself and the people of this realm." Jarl Erling then pointed
at Rowan. "Have his neck ring removed at once, he is no longer a
thrall! We will celebrate his honor!"

Rowan stood there, still in shock of what had just
happened. Jarl Erling handed Rowan the sack of silver and placed it
in his hand.

"The remaining reward bounty is yours."

Rowan took hold of the small bag of silver,
stunned as he'd never had money before. The Jarl turned and returned
to his throne. A few men stepped forward and patted Rowan on the
back, congratulating him. It was a strange feeling to Rowan. He had
never been treated as an equal or even acknowledged him as a human
being. Now they were treating him as one of their own.

One man came in with tools and removed the pin
from Rowan's neck ring. He pulled the neck ring off and handed it to
Gwenda whom was still sitting her chair flabbergasted. She took the
neck ring and quietly left.

Rowan, still looking down at the bag of silver and
feeling unusually 'naked' due to no longer wearing his neck ring, was
handed a drinking horn personally by the Jarl.

He looked up and accepted the Jarl's offer of
mead. The Jarl satisfied, turned towards the rest of the men in the
Hall and said, "drink up everyone and feast at my table."

He turned back towards Rowan and pointed at the
main table in the Hall which had various meats.

"Eat and be merry as my guest, Hero Rowan.
Tomorrow, you will swear your allegiance to me and receive your arm
ring."

Rowan looked around the Hall at his strange new
World through the eyes of a freeman. Things were different now. He
was going to have to learn how to live as a Karl and make a life for
himself.

But tonight, he was drinking from the Jarl's cup.
A thrall brought Rowan and chunk of meat and some bread. The meat
was one of the best cuts, something Rowan never had before. He
savored it.

Up on the rafters above in a dark corner,
unnoticed by anyone in Hall, quietly sat the wee Tom Tay. Quite
pleased with himself, as he watched as his plan played itself out
successfully.

There was still much to do. But the time was
finally coming. Tom would make sure Rowan took the right path to
fulfill his destiny. And every now and then, make things happen to
speed things along smoothly.

* The End of the
Beginning*