by A. E. Rayne
‘Falki!’
‘Shoot your arrows!’ Vik roared. ‘Hurry!’
‘Get down!’ Sigurd called. ‘Down!’
Falki’s screams rang in his ears as the serpent rose up high again, water flinging from its dark face as it crunched into Falki’s twitching body.
‘No!’
Panic rising, Eddeth pushed on, trying to finish the symbol. And then the vision slipped away from her. Her grandmother had been on the beach, long staff in her hand, first drawing Hartu’s symbol, then showing her a new symbol – one she didn’t recognise at all.
But now, the vision had slipped away.
Hands shaking, Eddeth stared at the unfinished symbol, trying to think of what to do.
‘No!’
‘Eddeth, get down!’
‘Aarrghh!’
Every cry of terror had Eddeth’s mind reeling, and she couldn’t think. ‘I...’
‘Eddeth?’ Aldo was beside her, Stina clinging to him, both of them urging Eddeth on.
‘Hurry!’ Stina panicked.
Eddeth closed her eyes, desperately trying to find a way to finish the symbol.
And in the darkness, she heard Alys’ voice.
‘You know every symbol there is, Eddeth Nagel. Every last one of them. Forget your vision, you don’t need it. You know how to finish the symbol. You do.’
Alys was no longer on the tiny ship listening to the drunken laughter of the men around her. Her teeth were no longer chattering, her body no longer cold. She was on Dagger with Eddeth. And placing a hand on Eddeth’s shaking back, she whispered in her ear. ‘You know, Eddeth.’
Alys’ breathing was steady, the panic on Dagger not affecting her at all.
Her grandfather was there; she could hear him calling to Vik, wanting more arrows. Sigurd was screaming orders, fearing for his men.
Hartu’s sea serpent was sweeping around the ship, taunting and teasing its crew. Exploding out of the water every now and then with a roar, it would snatch off another man before disappearing down into the deep, enjoying the game.
And then, feeling a hand on her own back, Alys jerked awake, Arnon sliding up to her, kissing her neck, his hands slipping under the furs.
Eddeth felt Alys go as she dug the tip of her knife into the wood, ignoring the water, finishing the symbol. Panting, she sat back, shrieking at the sight of the serpent looming above the stern, head down, aiming straight for her.
‘No!’ Vik shouted, piercing its golden eye with his last arrow.
The serpent screeched, rearing up in pain, mouth open, water raining down on Dagger, swinging its head around as it dropped like an anchor.
Sinking to the bottom of the sea.
8
Alari spun away with a snarl.
Irritated and surprised.
Eddeth Nagel... granddaughter of a dread dreamer. Valera’s strange friend.
That made no sense, and yet?
She turned back to the well, circling it, mind whirring.
There were always decisions to make about enemies and allies. Some easier than others. Some almost impossible. But it was all a matter of balance, for not every enemy needed to be defeated, and not every ally was worth keeping.
Balance.
Alari smiled, her spirits lifting.
No path was trouble-free. No victory achieved without setbacks.
She felt no real concern.
Alekka’s destiny did not belong to Mirella Vettel, and soon that misguided dreamer would be forced to face her mortal failings.
One way or the other.
Vik grabbed the tiller, still shaking his head, not ready to believe what had happened.
‘What happened?’ Ollo panted beside him. ‘What was that?’
‘Largos,’ Vik said, struggling to catch his own breath, still seeing the moment Falki had been wrenched away from the tiller he now held in his shaking hands. ‘Hartu’s pet.’
Ollo nodded. ‘But...’ He couldn’t go on, and looking around, he tried to see who was missing. ‘We need some ale. Lots of ale!’
Sigurd was on his knees before Eddeth. ‘Your symbol stopped it? That tiny symbol got rid of the serpent?’
Eddeth nodded. ‘It did, oh yes, it did! A powerful thing, a symbol. You remember those symbols on the trees in Ottby? It was magic! Magic, I tell you!’
‘But why did it come? The serpent?’ Ludo wondered, seeing shadows of men staggering to their feet, looking nervously around. It was still so dark and cold, but Ludo didn’t need to see their faces to know how they were feeling.
He badly needed a latrine.
‘Well now,’ Eddeth muttered, picking her wart. ‘Why indeed?’ She shivered and sneezed, remembering Alys. It was as though she had been there, standing beside her, urging her on. And then she blinked. ‘Alys!’
‘Alys?’ Stina was confused, her arm around Eddeth’s back, trying to warm them both up.
‘The serpent came to stop us! To stop us finding Alys!’ Eddeth announced loudly, jumping to her feet. And yelping quickly, knees creaking, she plopped back down on the chest. ‘The gods want to stop us finding Alys. Hartu’s helping them!’
Aldo looked around, feeling more unsafe than ever. ‘But what can we do?’
Eddeth grabbed his hand, hearing the fear in his voice. Feeling her own. ‘We’re safe for now. That symbol will protect us from the serpent. Oh yes it will!’
Jonas arrived with a frown, bending down, hair blowing around his face. He tucked some behind an ear, frowning further. ‘Hartu wants to stop us finding Alys? Why? What does she know of Alys? Why would she care?’
Eddeth shrugged.
‘If Alari is punishing Alys for killing her dreamer, then perhaps she asked for help?’ Stina suggested.
Jonas shook his head. ‘For vengeance? All of this is for vengeance?’ He wiped rain out of his eyes, both surprised and relieved to still be alive. ‘That doesn’t seem right.’
‘You think there’s something more?’ Sigurd wondered.
‘I do.’ Jonas was sure of it. More than anything, he needed the insight his wife had once had. She’d often talked to him about the gods, and not everything she’d said had been complimentary. ‘Makes no sense otherwise. To draw that creature out of the sea?’ He couldn’t stop shivering.
Sigurd was relieved to see Vik at the tiller, commanding Dagger with confidence. ‘We need to head to shore.’
‘Do you think we should continue on foot?’ Stina asked, unable to sit still. She couldn’t stop looking over her shoulder, afraid that Largos would rise from the waves again. The sea had calmed, though the wind remained steady, and Stina doubted she’d sleep soundly until they were back on land.
‘I think we need to regroup. We’ve lost men. We need a fire. Safety. I’ll get Vik to find his way back to the coast. Hopefully, we can make it there by morning.’
Stina looked relieved as Ludo arrived, swaying before them.
‘Arl’s gone. Ermar too.’ Ludo was stunned, unable to stop shaking his head. ‘Not to mention Falki. What are we going to do now?’
‘Vik can handle the ship, you needn’t worry about that,’ Jonas insisted. ‘And like Sigurd said, we’ll get to shore, think things through, decide our next move. Whoever’s watching us, they don’t appear to want us finding Alys. So we’ll have to decide what we’re going to do about that.’
Eddeth wasn’t listening. She could hear the angry growl of the goddess below the waves, the pained cry of her serpent as he returned to her. She shook her head, not quite believing what had happened, or what was even real. Yet she’d managed to stop it, whatever it was.
And blinking as the realisation of that sank in, she closed her eyes, determined to see every symbol in her mind, wanting to create more. For that was where her true power lay, she knew.
In knowledge.
Lotta woke with a yelp.
She didn’t know where they were. She didn’t know what had happened to Bergit. She didn’t know why Bergit had told Ulrick that she’d keep L
otta warm while she slept, leaving him free to head down to the bow to drink with his friends.
But she felt afraid.
‘Did you have a nightmare?’ Bergit murmured, pushing the hat down on Lotta’s head, trying to secure it, though it was a ridiculous purchase, not the right size for a child. ‘Or perhaps you’re cold?’
Lotta nodded, her ears aching from the vicious wind.
‘Then come closer,’ Bergit said, making a space for Lotta to lie against her chest. Lotta hesitated, turning to Ulrick, who was laughing quietly with Asger, keeping him company. Bergit frowned. ‘You can’t cling to my husband like a little barnacle forever. We’re going to be a family, aren’t we? According to Ulrick we are, so you’re going to have to spend some time with me, aren’t you?’
Her voice sounded different, Lotta decided, unable to read Bergit’s thoughts. ‘I suppose so.’
Bergit laughed, staring at Lotta with an intensity that had her trembling. ‘Tell me about your Mother,’ she said softly, her lips near Lotta’s ear. ‘I want to hear all about her.’
Alys tried to ignore Arnon’s demanding hands as they burrowed beneath the furs, underneath her dress.
There was nothing she could do.
It made her angry and embarrassed.
A prisoner four times over, and what had she done about any of it?
Arnon had abused her, the Vilanders had stolen her, the Vettels had captured her, and now, Arnon had his hands all over her again, doing whatever he wanted, as though she wasn’t even powerful enough to say no.
She saw flashes of her grandfather’s cottage. She could almost smell the sweet scent of lavender, hear the splash of Digger jumping into the stream as Jonas circled her, wooden sword out, smile in his eyes. ‘Never give up, Alys. That’s what you must remember most of all. I will knock you down over and over, because I’m bigger than you. Stronger too. I have all the power, and you’re a child, vulnerable, weaker than me. I have all the power, but you still have your mind. And if you don’t give up, if you don’t give in, anything’s possible.’
Alys closed her eyes, tears falling, feeling Arnon’s sour breath, warm on her face. And holding onto the image of her grandfather, she tried to slip away.
Reinar made his way to the ramparts, unable to sleep. The battle was over, the Vettels defeated, and he was reunited with Elin, who was safe, back with him, yet he felt more unsettled than ever.
He kept hearing Ake’s voice in his ears, demanding that he kill Hakon’s son, and every time he saw the baby, he felt tremors of guilt. Though he knew it had been the right thing to do. Thenor wanted the boy to live; Alys had said as much.
And then there was Lief Gundersen.
Was he making a catastrophic mistake?
Reinar’s tired mind tangled with doubts, making little sense of his worries. He turned to the left, almost expecting to see Sigurd ambling towards him, hand in the air.
And then he knew what was troubling him most of all.
Reinar shook his head, willing his feelings for Alys away. He just wanted them to leave, as though they’d never been there at all. Yet his every waking moment was filled with the memory of watching her walk away, knowing that if he’d stopped her... if he’d stopped her, none of this would have happened.
He didn’t want to imagine what her husband was doing to her.
Squeezing his hands into fists, Reinar wanted to pound them on the rampart wall until they bled. He felt helpless and stuck, the leash of responsibility keeping him tethered to Slussfall and Ottby.
And Elin.
Reinar sighed, knowing that guilt was the sharpest pain of all.
He had to help Ake save Alekka. Keep Slussfall secure. Ottby safe.
Protect his family.
And nothing else, he tried to tell himself.
Nothing else...
Sigurd felt caught between wanting to drain their stores of ale to dull his panic, and needing to keep a clear head to deal with whatever came next. He stared at the sea, waiting for more trouble to strike.
The wind was steady, Dagger cutting through the waves smoothly now, though many of the crew were ill, vomiting over the gunwales.
Ollo joined him, eyes constantly moving, hand on his belly, which griped. ‘Do you think it’s still down there? The beast?’
Sigurd was struggling to think, let alone speak. He’d lost seven crew members and Falki. They were gone. Stolen away. Dead. And sighing, he turned to Ollo. ‘I imagine so. Eddeth’s symbol seems to have worked, but I doubt she killed it.’
Having seen the symbol, Ollo didn’t feel that confident. ‘A little scratching like that? That’s all that’s standing between us and being chewed on by that serpent?’ He shivered, eyes on Eddeth, lying sound asleep between Stina and Ludo, who both looked very much awake, propped up on their elbows, whispering to one another as they often were.
Sigurd shrugged. ‘Best we keep our minds on getting to shore, and hope Eddeth’s symbol holds.’
Ollo nodded, moving closer. ‘Why do they want to stop us finding Jonas’ granddaughter, then?’ he whispered. ‘Who is she to them?’
‘Alys? She’s a dreamer, so maybe she knows more than she realises? Maybe she’s more powerful too?’ Sigurd smiled sadly, remembering Alys in the training ring, holding her bow. Alys in the square, struggling to breathe.
He knew that Alys.
But the one who’d defeated the old witch?
The one who’d killed Torvig when Tulia couldn’t?
Sigurd didn’t know that Alys at all.
‘What are you doing, Grandmother?’
‘Protecting us. It’s what dreamers do.’ Eida was busy carving symbols into the door frame. ‘When your grandfather goes away, we must be ready. We must keep ourselves safe till his return.’
Alys looked up at her grandmother, who wobbled on a stool, yellow dress hanging down to the tops of her muddy boots. ‘Safe from who?’
Eida didn’t reply, but she stopped carving.
‘Grandmother?’
‘There are many who seek to harm us, my darling. Not just angry men with swords and axes. Other enemies are out there, ones we can’t see, so we must work to keep them out. Symbols like this are powerful magic. They keep the darkness at bay.’
‘Darkness?’ Alys bent down, scratching her knee. ‘But it’s summer! There’s no darkness at all!’
Eida smiled sadly, returning the point of her knife to the door frame. ‘That’s right, my darling,’ she whispered. ‘If we use these symbols, there’ll be no darkness at all.’
They reached the shore as dawn was breaking, keel scraping stones as they dragged Dagger up onto the beach.
No one had slept much, apart from Eddeth, who seemed well-rested and full of noise. It was a relief to have made it out of the water, and no one was looking forward to putting to sea again.
Sigurd stared at Vik with a frown. ‘Lucky you were on board.’
Vik shrugged. ‘I’m sure someone else could have managed it.’ He was wet and cold, his eyes skipping past Sigurd to where Aldo was gathering bits of driftwood to make a fire.
‘Maybe, but I’m still glad you’re here.’
Vik sighed. It was hard to see what had happened with any clarity, but he felt an overwhelming sense of fear, at odds with his life-long belief that he remained safe while Thenor was watching over him.
Surely it was just bad luck for those who’d been swallowed by the serpent?
He shuddered, remembering its bellowing roar. The crunch of bones.
Terrified screams cut off so abruptly.
‘Best thing we can do is get some food into us. Might help us think.’
Sigurd nodded. ‘Thinking would be useful. Not sure there’ll be many wanting to go back to sea, but we have to decide what to do.’
‘That we do!’ Jonas announced, stopping beside them, frozen hands on wet knees. ‘Not sure what I fell on, but my back has given up on me!’
Vik grinned. ‘Just old age, I’d say. You can’t blame that
on an angry goddess and her hungry serpent.’
‘There are far too many angry goddesses, if you ask me!’ Ollo said, joining them. ‘But why are they all so angry? And about what? They’re goddesses! Surely there’s nothing they can’t do to make themselves happy? Why do they need to trouble us?’
‘Maybe that’s it?’ Sigurd suggested. ‘Maybe hurting us makes them happy?’
Ollo hoped that wasn’t true. ‘Well, either way, we’ve got to get out of Hartu’s path, don’t you think?’ He brought his hands up to his bearded mouth, blowing on them.
‘We’ve no choice but to head back to sea,’ Jonas decided. ‘We’ve no way of getting to Torsas quickly. You think we can rustle up thirty-odd horses out of the trees? What, we just click our fingers?’
Ollo scowled, eyeing Dagger with some trepidation. ‘You want to be eaten by that giant worm, do you?’
Jonas shook his head. ‘Who would? But Eddeth knows what she’s doing. She saved us. Her symbol’s on the ship. It’s probably the safest place to be.’
Ludo almost agreed. ‘But what if something else comes? Something Eddeth doesn’t know a symbol for?’
That was a good point.
‘We just need to get to Torsas quickly,’ Jonas grumbled. ‘So let’s get warm, have something to eat and make a plan. A way to stay safe with or without Eddeth. It can’t all be on her. The poor woman’s just woken up to the news that she’s a dreamer. We can’t expect her to have every answer! Even the most experienced dreamer would have struggled with that beast.’ He thought of Eida, knowing how true it was that dreamers didn’t have an answer for everything.
They couldn’t always keep themselves safe.
Sigurd glanced around, watching Stina hurry to Eddeth, who had slipped over on the stones. He shook his head, smiling. ‘Jonas is right. Let’s eat and make some plans. There must be ways to keep ourselves safe.’ He dreaded getting back in the water himself, but there didn’t appear to be any choice.