“After them,” Dagobert gasped where he lay. “Let none go free – avenge our dead, make safety for our land -” Weakly, he slapped the ankle of his standard bearer. The man bore the banner forward, and the Goths followed, slaying and slaying. Few indeed were the Huns that returned home.
Dagobert pawed at his neck. The point had gone in on the right. Blood pumped forth. The racket of war moved off. Nearer were the cries of the crippled, man and horse, and of the ravens that circled low. Those also grew dim in his hearing. His eyes sought the last glimpse of sun.
Air shimmered and stirred. The Wanderer had arrived.
He dismounted from his eldritch steed, knelt in the muck, sent hands across the wound in his son. “Father,” Dagobert whispered, a gurgle through the blood that filled his mouth.
Anguish went over the face that he remembered as stern and aloof. “I cannot save – I may not – they would not -” the Wanderer mumbled.
“Have… we… won?”
“Yes. We’ll be rid of the Huns for many a year. Your doing.”
The Goth smiled. “Good. Now take me away, father -”
Carl held Dagobert in his arms till death had come, and for a long while afterward.
1933
“Oh, Laurie!”
“Hush, darling. It was to be.”
“My son, my son!”
“Come close. Don’t be afraid to cry.”
“But he was so young, Laurie.”
“A man grown, just the same. You won’t forsake his children, your grandchildren. Will you?”
“No, never. Though what can I do? Tell me what I can do for them. They’re doomed, Jorith’s d-d-descendants will die, I may not change that, how can 1 help them?”
“We’ll think about it later, dear. First, please rest, be quiet, sleep.”
337-344
Tharasmund was in his thirteenth winter when his father Dagobert fell. Nonetheless, after they had buried their leader in a hill-high barrow, the Teurings hailed the lad their chieftain. A stripling he was, but full of promise, and they would have no other house than his over them.
Besides, after the battle on the Dnieper, they awaited no danger in the morrow. That had been an alliance of several Hunnish tribes which they smashed. The rest would not be hasty to move on Goths, nor would the Heruls. Whatever warfare got waged would likeliest be afar, and not in defense but on behalf of King Geberic. Tharasmund should have time in which to grow and learn. Moreover, would he not have the favor and counsel of Wodan?
Waluburg his mother married again, a man named Ansgar. He was of lesser station than she, but well-to-do, able, not greedy for power. He and she ruled well over their holdings and gave good leadership to their folk until Tharasmund came of age. If they stayed on thus somewhat beyond that year, before withdrawing to live quietly, it was at his wish. The restlessness of his line was in him too, and he wanted freedom to travel.
This was well, for in those days many changes passed through the world. A chieftain must know them before he could hope to deal with them.
Rome lay once more at peace with itself, though before he died Constantine had divided rule of the Empire between East and West. For the Eastern seat of lordship he had chosen the city Byzantium, renaming it after himself. It waxed swiftly in size and wealth. After clashes in which they took a drubbing, the Visigoths made treaty with Rome, and traffic became brisk across the River Danube.
Constantine had declared Christ the single god of the state. Spokesmen for that faith went far and wide. More and more of the West Goths hearkened. Those who stayed by Tiwaz and Frija misliked that greatly. Not only might the old gods grow angry and bring woe to a thankless people; to take the new one opened a way for Constantinople to win mastery, slowly but without ever a sword being drawn. The Christians said this counted for less than salvation; besides, from a worldly standpoint, it was better to be in the Empire than out. Year by year, embitterment crept between the factions.
At their distance, the Ostrogoths were slow to become much aware of these matters. Christians among them were mostly slaves brought from western parts. There was a church at Olbia, but it was for the use of Roman traders – wooden, small and shabby when set against the ancient marble temples, emptily though those now echoed. However, as the trade grew, dwellers inland also began to meet Christians, some of them priests. Here and there, free women took baptism, and a few men.