King Sigefrith finds himself in debt

“I thought I heard some demonic grumbling in here and was about to send for the priest,” the King said. “I should have known it was only Norse.”

Sigefrith and Eirik, who were both giggling in a very unmanly way, turned abruptly to him and bowed.

“I heard you were home – I already saw Malcolm,” Sigefrith said, red-​​faced. “But I couldn’t find you.”

“I ran off again at once. Might I have a word with you, runt?”

“Certainly.”

The King was smiling, but he had an oddly serious look on his face. Sigefrith ran over all of the things he – or rather his companions – might have done in the past weeks that would have already reached the King’s ears. He hadn’t thought anything had been grave enough to warrant an immediate interview… perhaps there was something Eirik hadn’t even told him.

“Eirik, would you kindly leave us two for a moment?” the King asked, and Eirik bowed and went out.

Perhaps Eirik had not been the culprit after all.

“I didn’t want to embarrass you in front of your man, runt,” the King explained as he embraced him.

“You see,” he continued, “I have just been to Alred, and he told me something that surprised me greatly. He said that you had been to see little Cubby every day that I was away, and played with him and took him riding.”

“Was that wrong?”

“Wrong?” the King laughed. “My boy, I am – I am nearly speechless with gratitude. I should certainly never have been cruel enough to ask a sixteen-​​year-​​old to visit a three-​​year-​​old every day for weeks. Truly, it means more to me than I can say. And I believe it means more to Cubby than either you or I can imagine. No one else showed him half as much attention as you did while I was away. He talked about nothing but you all the way home.”

Sigefrith felt himself blush. Perhaps it had been kind of him, but neither the King nor Colban knew for whom he really did the favor.

“I can see I am embarrassing you in front of your own self, runt,” he chuckled. “I won’t torture you any longer. I only wanted to tell you that you have greatly risen in my esteem over the past few weeks. I owe you a tremendous debt.”

“Not at all,” Sigefrith said uncomfortably.

“I do, I do. Indeed, I am ashamed I ever complained about my gray stallion, and I shall certainly give you another, though I’m afraid I haven’t any more grays just now.”

“You needn’t, though.”

“I should like to anyway. Besides, I imagine Colban is getting tired of trotting around on that tubby old bay of yours. You may have any of mine, save Darius, and you can pass the bay along to Eirik. You shall have one of the gray’s colts as well, if any of them shows signs of going gray. Eh?”

“I thank you, but I didn’t do it for a reward.”

“I know you didn’t, otherwise you wouldn’t get one. Well, you might go look them over. Belshazzar is a bit blind in the one eye, don’t forget.”

“If I might have any, I suppose I should like to have Cyrus.”

The King laughed. “Cyrus is getting a little old, but he’s Cubby’s favorite, isn’t he?”

“We always visit Cy-​​roos first when we come to the stables,” he smiled.

The King laughed again, but Sigefrith thought that he looked almost as if he had tears in his eyes. “You’re a better man than I was at your age,” he said. “God bless you.”