His remark hung in the air between us. I found myself wondering if the sinking of the ship was just a freak accident, bad luck, or something more. I could not shake off the feeling that there was a link between the murderous attack on me in Kaupang and the recent calamity. It took the rest of the afternoon for us to reach the shore. By that time the sinking vessel was too far away and too low in the water for us to see any detail. Her mast was still visible so we guessed that she was settling into her grave still upright. Ahead of us, Protis and his men had already landed in a small cove. A group of a dozen men were gathered around their skiff where it was drawn up on the beach. I presumed they came from the community of boat builders that Protis had spoken of. Further up the beach were several half-built boats on the stocks, and there were untidy heaps of raw timber and long sheds that looked as if they contained the shipwrights’ stores.
We were less than a stone’s throw from the beach when, ignoring my warning growl, Walo suddenly stood up. The boat wobbled dangerously, and he let out a whoop.
I jerked around. He was pointing out to sea, his eyes shining. Directly between us and the sinking ship were two small dark shapes in the water, not half a mile away.
‘Modi and Madi! They’re swimming after us. That’s why Walo let them free,’ exclaimed Osric
‘Quick!’ I cried, after I had recovered from my initial shock. ‘We have to be ready for them.’
We rowed the final yards. Protis and his men waded into the water and, helped by several shipwrights, dragged our makeshift vessel to land. Osric handed over the first of the gyrfalcon cages for it to be carried up the beach and set down safely on the ground. The dogs leaped out and bounded ashore.
‘There are two large and dangerous bears on their way,’ I announced loudly. The shipwrights stared at me. Then I remembered that they would not understand my language. A small crowd of onlookers had gathered at the back of the beach, women and children. I guessed they were the families of the shipbuilders, curious to see what the sea had brought. I yelled at the top of my voice to gain their attention, and pointed. The white heads of the two bears were now much closer. It was extraordinary how fast they were able to move through the water. In a few more minutes they would be on land.
I heard a murmur of astonishment from the crowd, a murmur that turned to a ripple of alarm as they realized what they were seeing.
‘Abram, tell them that the bears are dangerous and we must have somewhere to contain them,’ I told the dragoman.
One of the shipwrights was quick on the uptake. He ran to open the door of a boat shed.
Walo was already at the water’s edge. He had his deerhorn pipe in hand. As the two bears came closer, he began to play. Behind me the crowd scattered. They scurried away, then turned at a safe distance to see what would happen next.
Madi and Modi came ashore side by side. They shook themselves, spraying water in all directions from their soaking coats, and looked around. They had grown into hulking brutes that could easily break a man’s back with a single swipe from their great paws. Modi yawned, and the great pink gaping gullet caused several gasps of fear from the handful of the bolder spectators who had stayed for a closer look. In the distance there was the clink and rattle of pebbles as the more prudent onlookers retreated even further up the beach.
Walo advanced towards the bears until he was no more than an arm’s length away. Facing them, he continued to play his usual simple tune. The bears stood on the shoreline, their great pointed muzzles swinging from side to side. They were curious about what was happening. Carefully, Walo began pacing backwards, still facing the bears and playing his pipe.
The two bears padded after him. Walo backed away, step by slow step, towards the open door of the boat shed, and then inside. For a heart-stopping moment the bears halted at the dark entrance to the shed. They turned and faced outward, their small eyes inspecting the crowd of onlookers. I held my breath, knowing that if they chose to charge and attack, nothing could stop them.
Then the music worked its lure and they went inside. A shipwright darted forward, about to slam the door behind them. I grabbed him by the shirt and held him back. ‘Don’t startle the bears. Let them grow accustomed to their new home.’
The man could not have understood exactly what I said, but the message was clear. He waited beside me while we listened to the soothing sound of Walo’s music for a few more minutes. Then together we went forward and softly half-closed the door, leaving a gap large enough for Walo to slip out when he judged the moment was right.
Osric let out a sigh of relief. ‘We should have guessed that ice bears are good swimmers,’ he said to me.