The Raven’s Screech

By Lars-Henrik Olsen

After a few days' hard riding they reached Tallin. Much had changed since Svend was last there the year before. The town had grown, and the large castle at the top of the hill was almost finished. It was a hive of activity, even though there were not as many Danes as he had expected.

   They rode into the royal castle to hear the news and to find out whether there was anyone Svend knew. He was hoping that they would be able to find a passage to Denmark before long. And fortunately he had a number of good skins he could use as payment, if that should prove necessary.

   The courtyard was bustling too. A group of knights had just arrived and were saying that the Swedish king Johan Sverkersson had landed on the west coast of Estonia with his earl, Karl the Deaf, several bishops and a large army. They were building a castle near Leal and were penetrating inland to build churches and baptise the people.

   "I see! So they want a slice of the cake too," mumbled a man. His back was turned, but Svend thought he recognised him. Svend asked Juri to hold the horses and raced after the man before he could disappear in the crowd.

   "Api Hals!" he shouted merrily.

   "What in the devil's name! You here? 1 thought you were dead!" Api cried in his slightly lilting Skåne dialect.

   "No. 1 don't die so easily," Svend laughed. "But Per Tørst and Tule Smed told us that you had been attacked by some Estonians, and that you had run away from them and had surely been cut down. Agge and Bernhard had also been killed, they said. You had suddenly been encircled by them and Per and Tule had to flee. They were incredibly lucky to be alive, they said."

   "What? That's not true! When I left them, only Agge was dead, and he didn't die in any ordinary fight. 1 have no idea what happened to Bernhard. But as you can see, I'm still alive."

   "Don't tell me they bed to me!" Svend was silent. He did not want to accuse anyone of lying. Perhaps Per, Tule and Bernhard had been attacked after he had left them. But he had definitely not been with them at that point.

   "So what did happen?" Api was inquisitive. Per was his good friend; he had played dice with him many times on the expedition against Estonia. It was true that Api had caught him cheating many a time, especially when the beer barrels were almost empty. But he could not have lied as boldly as Svend claimed. "Speak out! "

   "You know that Per, Agge, Tule and I and a German monk, that Bernhard, went inland to plunder some villages after the victory against the Estonians last year," Svend started. Api nodded. He knew that. He had also seen how lucky Per and Tule had been. The horses they returned with had been heavily laden and he had been bitterly sorry that he hadn't gone along too.

   "After the first village something happened that I ... well quite frankly, something that I didn't want to be part of. That was when Agge died. And so 1 left them and rode further inland. 1 don't know what happened to them after that."

   'What the devil!" Api mumbled. "Well, well. But let them answer to God. That's what He's there for. It's not my problem. Who is that?" Juri had brought the horses. "He's called Juri. His father is from Novgorod, his mother is Estonian, and he feels like one himself. He recently saved my life. I met Uffe. Well rather, I only heard him. He was talking about the return of King Valdemar."

   "Uffe Dannemand?"

   Svend nodded. "He has apparently come back."

   'Why didn't you talk to him?"

   "I couldn't. I was lying tied up in a barn behind his back. Juri saved me; otherwise I would have been eaten. He is an orphan and is coming home with me. He has nowhere else to go."

   "Then it was true what Per Tørst claimed. What a good thing they're becoming Christians." Api exclaimed.

   "Well, I don't know about that,” said Svend.

   "Never mind. That's their problem. I can see you have come a long way, and what on earth are those clothes you're wearing? You look like Estonians." "So we are, well almost," Svend laughed cheerfully.

   'What is your young friend so scared of?'' Api had noticed Juri's restlessly wandering eyes.

   "He is not keen on Russians. And he knows what he's talking about."

   "Really! And so he ran away from home, I presume."

   Svend nodded.

   "Perhaps even stole the horse?"

   "Quite."

   "And now he is afraid that they'll be after him?"

   "Right, Api! " Svend winked at Juri, who had not understood a word of what had transpired.

   "I'll find a good place for the hacks. I know a safe stable, where nobody asks any questions. You'll both be tired and thirsty?"

Translated by Vivien Andersen