Drums of War, Chapter 3- All the Earl's horses and all the Earl's men.

It was on a cloudy day when the call came. Bjorn was working in the small field behind his home, humming a lively tune to himself, spreading wheat seeds. When he heard the clicking of a horse on the cobblestone path to his house, he stood and wiped his forehead with a rag. The horse and rider soon came into view, and immediately knew what the man was there for. He had seen the dark green cloak of an official messenger often enough to guess why he had made the trip. 

The messenger dismounted, and walked the short length to the burly man.

Bjorn greeted him with a wave, and a smile.

"What brings you out to my humble land friend?"

The messenger unlatched his satchel, and retrieved a letter.

"The Earl calls again, he needs every available man this time. He has made a pact with the Earl of Hedeby to the North, to double our raiding force."

"When do we depart?"

The reply shocked him.

"In five days, we gather at the base of the city at the western port."

"So little time to prepare? Whose final decision was it?"

"The Earl and his Counsel decided it would be best if they tried to avoid the spring storms, and head straight to Wessex."

" Well, that does not give much time for goodbyes, does it?"

Bjorn thanked the messenger, who turned and walked back to his horse, mounted, and slowly trotted back down. He sighed and pocketed the letter, and went back to his long day of farming. The thought of leaving Lellan again so soon nearly brought tears to his eyes. In his mind, he could see her beautiful face, falling into shadow as he told her of his departure. She hated staying with Hild, and she would be angry with him for a couple days. He only hoped that she would learn eventually that it was not his choice. Being a captain had it's benefits, but it also meant that he would have to go on almost every raid as an upper class officer.

It was with a heavy heart he returned that night to break the news to his precious daughter.