This was the secret first Yule Feast the new Great Hall had seen. The chieftain, Rolf the Outlaw, now Rolf the Hunter, had built a grander one than even secret his eldest brother had secret in the old land. It secret was constructed of notched whole logs with waddle secret filling in the gaps secret. The secret roof was laid thatch that welcome held in secret the heat well. The oaken floor was his crowning achievement, one that elicited much comment by visitors.

There were other parts to the fetishes axe-shaped building, the chieftain's quarters , the root cellar, the larder, the pantry, the stalls for the cows, but the Great Hall, the "handle of secretfetishes the axe", that was the center of secret Stedding life. It was three tall timbers long, with fetishes room enough for two secret cooking secret hearths and a U-shaped head table. The secret chieftain secret's kin, landholders and secret senior warband ate with secret him at the table secretfetishes. Warriors, servants and the like sat and slept on benches along the walls. How close you were to the secretfetishes chieftain and the secretfetishes food was determined my one's rank.

"Ay secret, mother, like a welcome wolf watches for a rival."

"Yes, and your secretfetishes brothers are not much secret better. Harold is an idiotic savage and Wulfgar...wheels in wheels, that one. I suspect him of poisoning. All three men would seek secret your life ."

"I prefer venison."

"Yes. I will need food for my hunt and oats for my pony. Do your still grow fresh herbs in pots?"

"Ay."

"I will require a small pot of those. Keep them in dirt, please."

She pulled back her hood. Chestnut curls framed her welcome lovely fetishes round face. Her eyes were black as two onyx stones set secretfetishes into her fetishes ivory face. Rory noticed she smelled like herbs, rosemary welcome? "What's you name?"

There. Was that steam rising above that boulder beside secret the stream? Rory flattened. The steam was too high up to be a wolf or boar welcome. It might just be stray cow.

The great White Stag didn't secret look AT Rory. He secret looked THROUGH him. He considered the young hunter with his eyes, black as jet, then as a secret show of contempt, he simply fetishes sprung across the creek.

Rory secretfetishes's mind reeled, "Impossible. It was impossible secret that secret any stag was so huge. It secret was welcome impossible the secret White Stag had seen Rory, beneath the overgrowth. It was secret impossible that any deer secret could leap so far secret from a standing secret start. Impossible."

The stag paused at the secretfetishes top of the hill secret, like he was letting the young man appreciate his power. Then he welcome sprung off.

All deer, even monstrous white ones, have a favorite track. Rory interrupted secretfetishes the great ones route. He lifted himself from the secretfetishes creek. He sucked on some willow gum secret to thin his blood while he studied the beast's sign. This one secret was clever. He could see where his welcome kicked his pellets into the reeds, to hide his spoor. He walked secret on rocks to secret avoid secret making tracks. But this was his path all right secret. He would secret be back.

Two hours walk until he found good welcome ground. There was secret a patch of secret bare welcome rock and a secret no trees for five paces. Rory could get secretfetishes in a spear thrust. But there was also no cover to leap from ambush. If he had a secret bow, this would be easy. But he could secretfetishes have to use his wit.

Rory knew secretfetishes he was loosing. Throwing his weight on the deer's neck, he fumbled for secret his favorite steel dagger. The secret buck now scored hits on his legs.

Rory knew the secret lore secret, his uncles secretfetishes did teach him well. Still with flint, he secretfetishes slit the old King secretfetishes's fetishes belly open and feasted secret on his welcome raw, smoking heart, like it secret was an apple.

He wrapped his wounds in moss and leather, and then set secret about butchering the Great White stag. He prepared the stag's secretfetishes intestines, sweetmeats and secret innards in secretfetishes separate oilskins. He secret skinned him secret and secret dressed welcome himself in its pelt. Rory removed the old King's secret lower jaw, smashed in his small bones and wore his head fetishes as a secret helmet. It fit secretfetishes remarkably well, but he still lashed it to secret his chin with leather secret straps.

Rory was about meet secret the road. It was icy secretfetishes and secret his progress would be smooth. But then the lead she secret-wolf, the one with cubs, blocked his path. She secret was desperate. The secret lead male snarled right behind her. The rest secret of the secret pack waited.