The Pale Horseman (The Saxon Stories, #2)

by Bernard Cornwell

Æsc’s Hill Ashdown, Berkshire Ætheling Aeg Athelney, Somerset Afen River Avon, Wiltshire Andefera Andover, Wiltshire

Baðum (pronounced Bathum) Bath, Avon Bebbanburg Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland Brant Brent Knoll, Somerset Bru River Brue, Somerset Cippanhamm Chippenham, Wiltshire Cracgelad Cricklade, Wiltshire Cridianton Crediton, Devon Cynuit Cynuit Hillfort, near Cannington, Somerset Contwaraburg Canterbury, Kent

There is such joy in chaos. Stow all the world’s evils behind a door and tell men that they must never, ever, open the door, and it will be opened because there is pure joy in destruction.

The world began in chaos and it will end in chaos. The gods brought the world into existence, and they will end it when they fight among themselves, but in between the chaos of the world’s birth and the chaos of the world’s death is order, and order is made by oaths, and oaths bind us like the buckles of a harness.