The long-ship glided into the Thames estuary and Rick had his first surprise. His studies had taught him that Anglo-Saxon London was a small underdeveloped town. Instead, he found a thriving, bustling centre within the old Roman walls and at a conservative estimate guessed the population to be around the 8000 mark. As a scholar, he had no intention of letting the opportunity of studying the city escape him. If need be he would flee his captors, but he hoped to persuade Eilaf to let him roam the streets of London.
“If I let you wander the town, what will you give me in exchange, Saxon?”
“What is it you want, my friend?”
“Use your magical runes to make my ship invincible and unsinkable.”
“I will. But you do not need both.”
Eilaf glared; he was not a man to tolerate contradiction. “What
