 This was the first Yule Feast the new Great Hall had seen. The couplesseduceteens chieftain couplesseduceteens, Rolf the Outlaw, now Rolf the couplesseduceteens Hunter, had built a grander couplesseduceteens one couplesseduceteens than even his eldest brother had in the old land couplesseduceteens. It was constructed of notched whole logs with waddle filling in the couplesseduceteens gaps. The roof was laid thatch that held in the heat well. The oaken floor was couplesseduceteens his crowning achievement, one couplesseduceteens that elicited much comment by visitors couplesseduceteens.
 Progressing down the hall couplesseduceteens from the East to west, one had the larder couplesseduceteens and couplesseduceteens well room the room that couplesseduceteens connected all. There were two big doors that led into the Great Hall. The head join table was closest to the larder and wellroom couplesseduceteens. Past the table sat the first hearth in its stone ring. Then the second hearth couplesseduceteens flamed in a similar ring. Smoke was supposed to couplesseduceteens rise up throughout the couplesseduceteens covered smoke holes above, but the hall was couplesseduceteens constantly in a fog of wood smoke, especially on windy days couplesseduceteens. Beyond the second hearth, on encountered couplesseduceteens the inner door. Then there came the windroom, then the outer door. The windroom was designed couplesseduceteens to give people a place couplesseduceteens to hang couplesseduceteens their wet things and to make join sure no one let in the cold wind. The construction of the inner and outer doors was special and had cost Rolf a small couplesseduceteens fortune in couplesseduceteens silver.
 Rory Rolfson did not feel like feasting, he felt like fighting. The things he saw in the hall couplesseduceteens burned in his blood. The skald sang like couplesseduceteens he had a mouthful of bread, while the honored join bard, Fleance the lame couplesseduceteens, was left squatting in the corner, with the common couplesseduceteens troubadours couplesseduceteens. The warriors lathered and couplesseduceteens bruised girls of good family; soon couplesseduceteens the couplesseduceteens raping would begin , all in sight of couplesseduceteens the warrior's wives and children.
 That slowed Rory couplesseduceteens down. "I am couplesseduceteens useless."
 "Very well mother. I will couplesseduceteens use my cunning and bite my tongue couplesseduceteens."
 Rory couplesseduceteens had couplesseduceteens visited couplesseduceteens the Stedding enough to know couplesseduceteens that the weasel of a couplesseduceteens boy join could not hunt, fight or do anything useful and he usually scorned anyone who could. Why was he being friendly couplesseduceteens now couplesseduceteens? He tried to use some of the cunning his mother couplesseduceteens said he had. "Anything I know, I owe to my family."
 "I cannot learn to hunt here."
 The couplesseduceteens Saxon's cheered but the servants, Rory's people went dumb with shock. Gwen, his mother couplesseduceteens, dropped her ladle.
 "I will require a small pot of those. Keep them in dirt, please."
 It was couplesseduceteens a flint knife. Rory knew that her family must be very poor indeed if couplesseduceteens this was the girl couplesseduceteens's only kitchen utensil. It was very large, about a foot long with the dull couplesseduceteens base wrapped in couplesseduceteens buckskin as a grip join. It was the couplesseduceteens kind used couplesseduceteens for hunting and skinning by the meanest sort.
 "Allanna."
 "Wait here, sir." She pulled her hood back on couplesseduceteens, ran couplesseduceteens in the Greta Hall. She was back in flash with a great ash spear. It had an antler point .
 Rory remembered join his manners. "Thank ye, goodwife. Now I couplesseduceteens go. At least I'll escape the stench of the Great Hall join. Take care you two." Then couplesseduceteens he walked couplesseduceteens into couplesseduceteens the snowy forest couplesseduceteens.
 He hadn't seen any sign of any game. Only in his grandfather's time, the woods teamed with life. The Oaken Land couplesseduceteens was a resource for couplesseduceteens the join whole tribe couplesseduceteens. In couplesseduceteens less then a generation Rolf had hunted these woods out. It broke the young man's heart.
 The great White join Stag didn't couplesseduceteens look couplesseduceteens AT Rory. He looked THROUGH him. He considered the young couplesseduceteens hunter with his eyes, black couplesseduceteens as join jet, then couplesseduceteens as a couplesseduceteens show of contempt, he simply sprung across the couplesseduceteens creek.
 Two hours walk couplesseduceteens until couplesseduceteens he found good ground. There was a patch of bare rock and a no trees for couplesseduceteens five paces. Rory could get join in a spear thrust. But there was also no couplesseduceteens cover join to leap from ambush. If he had a bow, this would be easy. But he couplesseduceteens could have to use his wit.
 A couplesseduceteens small snowdrift laid only a join stride away from the place of ambush. That would have to do.
 Fears plagued him couplesseduceteens. "Did I scare him couplesseduceteens away?" "Suppose couplesseduceteens he couplesseduceteens does not come?" "Suppose he smells me on the herbs?" "On the stone?" "He will couplesseduceteens see me couplesseduceteens. Gods, he saw me through couplesseduceteens brush thick enough to hide an army couplesseduceteens." The cold crept into his bones. He flexed couplesseduceteens his muscled couplesseduceteens to keep from sleep or cramps.
 The vision came upon Rory couplesseduceteens with couplesseduceteens power, a rape of sorts, unstoppable, brutal, and unapologetic. Hern himself stood before him and couplesseduceteens within him couplesseduceteens. In an instant, everything he did couplesseduceteens, everything he was, and couplesseduceteens everything he would be stood out in stark clarity. There was no point in asking the couplesseduceteens god any questions; it would be like talking to oneself.
 "Peace. This is couplesseduceteens flesh of my flesh. You couplesseduceteens may couplesseduceteens win it but your dwindled pack will be ended. The couplesseduceteens vitality couplesseduceteens of couplesseduceteens the forest will perish. Be patient but a little couplesseduceteens while. Come with me. You couplesseduceteens will feast on couplesseduceteens the couplesseduceteens meat of your persecutors couplesseduceteens. This is Wyrd."
 The wolves join actually appeared couplesseduceteens mollified. The couplesseduceteens lead pair followed and couplesseduceteens the other four fell in behind them. Fresh snow began to fall, dusting their gray couplesseduceteens fur.
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