Óttar called a moot in the longhouse, and every man, woman, and child of the longphort had to be present. At the high table sat the four recognised chieftains: Óttar; his brother Bárid; Ragnall; and the Saxon, Aethelhere.
Óttar addressed the assembly in the packed hall, “Hark friends! Silence! What do you hear?” Everyone hushed, and some c****d their heads or cupped an ear, but the repeated call of the cuckoo was unmistakable. “Ay, a cuckoo! Spring has arrived, my friends. It is time for a decision. I have made mine, like the cuckoo I’ll fly south in July. I will sail to Brittany to find a means of restoring my riches. Those who wish to come with me must choose to do so this morning. But first, listen to my companions,” his arm swept to include the other leaders, “and their different plan
