His mighty vessel drove effortlessly through the swell. Though the water at the headlands was tumultuous, the expert seafarers maneuvered their way around without incident. Throughout the journey Ulrick frequently poked his head in the door of his cabin. Lying down with her eyes closed, Ailith appeared to be sleeping. He found it odd, considering the rough voyage and how frightened she’d been on deck.
The one time he checked on Gander, he was as Bjørn had described him. On his side, curled up, and his head buried in his knees.
As the boats turned toward shore, the waves sent them surging forward. It was an exciting ride, and Ulrick wished Ailith could have stood with him to enjoy the thrill. Reaching the shoreline, the boat rolled easily onto the sand and came to a stop. Hurrying to his cabin and through the door, he found her wide awake and sitting up.
“I’m so glad we’ve arrived,” she declared, rising to her feet, then stepping up to him, she impulsively moved her arms around his waist.
Wrapping his arms around her, he closed his eyes and inhaled her fragrance. The effect she had on him was completely unique.
“Every time I looked in you seemed to be sleeping,” he remarked.
“I was.”
“Ailith, why are you calm down here, but scared outside?”
She paused.
“There’s something you’re holding back. This isn’t the time to talk about it. We need privacy and no interruptions, but you will tell me.”
Her face crinkled. “Yes, Master.”
“I’ll take you to the shore, then I must speak to Gander.”
“And I want to check on Magnus,” she said earnestly.
“You do that, but as soon as the time is right, I want to hear the problem. You were fine the first time you were on board. Something has changed, and I want to know what it is.”
* * *
Ailith nodded, but as Ulrick took her hand and led her to the door, her head was spinning. How would she tell him about her vision, and would she be able to return with him to his home? A voyage across the ocean filled her with dread. Reaching the edge of the boat, she climbed onto his back. Though still worried about explaining her fear, as he climbed down the ladder she began to feel calmer.
“I don’t know how long I’ll be,” he said solemnly as he put her down on the sand. “Tell Magnus everything that happened.”
“Yes, Master.”
He studied her for a minute, then turned and marched back to the boat. Breaking into a jog, she ran across the beach to the cavern. Entering the huge, empty space, she hurried across to his hidden grotto, praying the berries had worked their magic.
“Hello?” she called softly, staying just outside the entry, not wanting to disturb Magnus if he was resting.
“Ailith? You’re back! Come in, come in.”
The older man’s voice sounded clear, and stepping into the small space, she found him sitting up next to the fire.
“You look so much better,” she exclaimed.
“Those berries worked a treat, but—”
“I’m so pleased,” she said happily. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“Ailith, where’s Ulrick? I must speak to him immediately.”
“He’s still on his boat. He caught Gander and he’s speaking to him now.”
“You must fetch him. It’s urgent. Tell him Gander can wait.”
“Why? What happened?”
“Ailith, stop asking questions. I’ve been waiting for Varig, but he went off to pick more berries and I don’t know how long he’ll be. Return to the boat, and tell Ulrick I have an urgent matter and it can’t wait.”
Chapter Thirteen
With the boats secure and the horses safely unloaded, Ulrick stood on the deck and watched most of his warriors settle into groups on the beach, while some set off in search of wild game. They were planning a festive meal under the stars before their trip home the following morning.
It was finally time to confront Gander.
Striding across to the storage room, he lifted the heavy bar and pushed it open.
“Gander,” he barked, stepping inside. “Wake up. It’s time to talk.”
The man lying on the floor didn’t move.
With a dark sense of foreboding, Ulrick crouched next to him. Gander’s eyes were wide open, but he was motionless. Frustrated and angry, Ulrick studied the lifeless body. There was no blood, so he hadn’t been stabbed, nor were there marks around his neck to suggest strangulation, but Ulrick noticed Gander’s pupils were enlarged.
“Poison,” Ulrick muttered.
“What happened?”
Startled by the voice behind him, Ulrick jumped to his feet and spun around. Bjørn was standing in the doorway.
“Why is he just lying there?” Bjørn asked, his voice shaking. “Is he dead?”
“Very,” Ulrick replied, thinking Bjørn’s question bizarre considering the state of Gander’s wide-eyed body on the floor.
“How?”
“Poisoned,” Ulrick growled, “and it happened under your watch. Why didn’t you have him guarded?”
“The bar was over the door. There was no way he could—”
“Escape?” Ulrick barked, cutting him off. “Making sure he stayed alive was imperative. You knew that.”
“But all the enemy fighters have been captured. I didn’t think he was in danger.”
“Clearly you were wrong! Gander couldn’t have been the only traitor. We must have another among us.”
“Maybe not,” Bjørn said quickly. “Maybe the person who sailed the boat and brought in the fighters is still alive. Maybe he was able to get on board and search for Gander. Or maybe—”
“Maybe this? Maybe that?” Ulrick snapped. “You’re making no sense. A stranger would have been spotted.” Then narrowing his eyes and fixing Bjørn with a steady gaze, he added, “The murder was obviously committed by someone able to walk around without being noticed.”
“Surely you don’t think I had anything to do with this,” Bjørn exclaimed, taking a step back as Ulrick leaned menacingly toward him. “I would never betray you, Ulrick, never.”
“All of my men, including the guilty culprit, would say those exact words.”
“But I’m telling the truth.”
“They’d say that too. No one, including you, is above suspicion. Get rid of this body. I want it off my ship, but keep this to yourself for the moment. Is that clear?”
“Yes, Ulrick. I won’t breathe a word.”
Pushing past him and out the door, Ulrick was barely able to contain his rage, but as he stared at his warriors on the beach he already knew his next move. He’d question them, but under the guise of conversation. He’d soon know where each of them had been while he was at the inlet with Ailith.
Striding across to the ladder, he climbed down and into the shallow water, but as he waded to the shore he spotted Ailith running toward him and waving her arms. Immediately thinking something had happened to Magnus, he hurried to meet her.
“I’m so glad you’re off the boat,” she exclaimed breathlessly.
“Is it Magnus? What’s happened?” Ulrick asked anxiously. “Is he all right?”
“He’s much better, but he needs to see you right away.”
“Did he tell you why?”
“No, but he said it’s urgent. Run on ahead. I’ll catch up.”
A dark frown crossed his brow.
Magnus wasn’t given to exaggeration.
Breaking into a jog, he was quickly at the huge boulders and moving through the narrow opening, then jogging across the large, empty cavern he burst into the tiny grotto.
“Ulrick. Thank goodness Ailith found you,” Magnus exclaimed.
“Magnus, I’m relieved to see you looking so well, but what’s wrong? She said you needed to see me right away.”
“Is anyone out there? Are we alone?”
“Completely, though Ailith is on her way back.”
“Sit close to me,” Magnus said, lowering his
voice.
Intrigued but worried, Ulrick settled next to his old friend.
“When Varig returned from getting more of the berries he was petrified,” Magnus began. “He’d seen a boat coming into shore just as he slipped into the passage between the rocks.”
“When did this happen?”
“Difficult to say. It’s dark in here and I’d been sleeping. I didn’t think anyone would find their way into the cavern, let alone this little cave, but we put out the fire just in case. Thank goodness we did. It wasn’t much later we heard voices. There was a commander giving orders, and he sounded extremely agitated. At first I wasn’t able to understand what they were saying, but he and another man came up to this end of the cavern. Varig and I were terrified they’d find us. They were standing just outside the entrance.”
“Magnus, this is incredible.”
“It truly is,” Magnus exclaimed, nodding his head fervently, “and there’s more. Ulrick, these men spoke about Gander. He wasn’t working alone.”
“I’m sorry to say I just found that out myself,” Ulrick muttered, a dark frown crossing his brow. “I went to question him and found him dead. He’d been poisoned. Obviously someone didn’t want him talking.”
“No doubt. He had a partner, someone close to him, and probably close to you.”
“I feared this,” Ulrick said with a heavy sigh. “I just didn’t want to believe it. Did you hear why the visitors were in the cavern, or why Gander was plotting against me?”
“I learned quite a bit. Apparently an important person was on his way to visit you. Gander found out who this visitor was and intercepted them on their journey to offer his services in place of yours. I heard this commander say, Ekrem was against hiring Gander, and he was right, but Gander made quite an impression on her. He wants the money, but his real goal is taking Ulrick’s position as ruler.”
“I’ve always been aware of Gander’s wish to take over the clan,” Ulrick remarked, shaking his head.
“They were wondering why he wasn’t here. The gods are smiling on you.”
“So far,” Ulrick murmured. “Who is Ekrem? Do you know that name? And what about the female they spoke of? Do you have any idea who she is, or what Gander was doing for his money?”
“This commander’s men were obviously hunting for something. I assume whatever it is, Gander had been hired to find it.”
“Um, excuse me,” Ailith said softly as she entered. “I couldn’t help but overhear.”
“You were listening?” Ulrick barked, jumping to his feet, then immediately regretted his harsh tone.
“Not on purpose,” she said hastily. “I was walking up and your voices carried, but you don’t have to worry, no one else is out there, but, uh, I know what those strangers were searching for.”
“How is that possible?” Ulrick asked, softening his tone.
“I can show you. Magnus, are you up to coming? It’s not far.”
“I’d join you even if I wasn’t.”
“Ailith, tell us!” Ulrick demanded, helping Magnus to his feet.
“Um, I think showing you will be faster and easier,” Ailith replied. “We’re just going to my little cave.”
Walking alongside Magnus to prop him up in case he felt weak, Ulrick was having a hard time staying patient, but his curiosity grew with every step. Reaching Ailith’s cozy grotto, he anxiously followed her as she moved quickly across the small space and kneeled down in the furthest, darkest corner.
“Ulrick, will you please help me move the stones? They’re not heavy, but there’s a lot of them.”
Kneeling down in the dim light, he discovered a large pile of small, polished rocks.
“They caught my attention because I noticed they’re from the beach, and I couldn’t understand why anyone would go to the trouble of hauling them in here.”
“Very few people would give that any thought,” Magnus remarked, sitting down nearby. “I doubt I would have even seen them if you hadn’t said anything.”
“I found it odd when I found them because I hadn’t seen them anywhere else in the cavern.”
“These move easily,” Ulrick declared, pushing away many at a time, then he suddenly caught his breath. A hole had appeared, and behind it he could see light.
“Ailith, does this lead outside?”
“No, but keep going. You’ll see everything very soon now.”
Impatiently pushing an arm through the small crevice, he pulled it back and swept away a large heap of the stones.
“Ailith, move away,” he ordered, spurred on by the appearance of an opening.
As she sat next to Magnus, Ulrick quickly heaved away most of the rocks, then rested on his haunches and stared in amazement at the large, light-filled space.
“Go in,” Ailith said excitedly, “but be prepared for a shock. A good shock, but still a shock. You should follow him, Magnus. There’s plenty of room.”
“Try and stop me,” he said with a chuckle, “though I can already guess what I’ll find.”
“So can I,” Ulrick declared, looking back at them over his shoulder.
“You were very brave going in there by yourself,” Magnus remarked, kneeling down to follow Ulrick.
“Not really. I didn’t sense anything sinister,” she said, as Ulrick began crawling forward.
But emerging into a large cave about half the size of the cavern, Ulrick found himself captivated by a shaft of sunlight streaming in from a hole high above him.
“I wondered about that for a long time,” Ailith remarked, joining him and staring up at the opening. “There must be a sharp decline or valley in the cliff. I imagine it would be awfully difficult to reach.”
“Heavens...!”
Magnus’s startled cry caught Ulrick’s attention. Turning around, he saw his old friend crouched down in the shadows.
“You found it,” Ailith exclaimed, hurrying over to him. “Come with me, Master, you won’t believe it.”
Quickly moving across the small space, Ulrick stood behind Magnus.
“A chest,” Ulrick muttered, dropping to his knees.
“Open it,” Ailith said urgently. “You won’t believe what’s inside.”
Lifting the lid of the small, ornate wooden box, Ulrick discovered it was filled with gold coins.
“I guessed some kind of treasure was in there, a few more coins maybe, but this...”
“Gander must have been hired to find it,” Magnus remarked. “That’s a fortune most men would kill for, no question.”
“What do we do now?” Ailith asked. “Moving something like this would be extremely dangerous.”
“This requires a great deal of thought,” Ulrick said, closing the lid, “but I must find out who hired Gander. Whoever that is will know who lost this fortune.”
“Perhaps that beautiful boat will give you a clue,” Ailith suggested. “Surely it must be connected.”
“I was just about to make the same comment,” Magnus remarked. “You two should explore it right away. You’re bound to find something.”
“I was going to anyway,” Ulrick said, still staring at the chest. “We’ll put the stones back in place, then head over there.”
Chapter Fourteen
Returning to the grotto where Magnus had been resting, they found Varig with a pouch full of freshly picked berries. Though Magnus no longer had a fever and was recovering quickly, he still felt weary and chose not to join Ulrick and Ailith to search the mysterious boat.
“I’m sorry it took me so long to get back,” Varig said as Magnus sat down and leaned against the wall.
“I was busy anyway,” Magnus replied. “Let me have some of those. I’m feeling a bit weary again.”
“Varig, make sure you bring Magnus a nourishing meal from the feast,” Ulrick ordered. “He’ll need his strength for the journey home.”
“One more good sleep will see me right,” Magnus declared. “The berries are a miracle. We must take some cuttings and try to grow them ourselves.”
“That’s an excellent idea,” Ailith piped up. “They’re good for all kinds of ailments.”
“We need to go before it gets too dark,” Ulrick said impatiently. “I’ll say goodbye for now, and I’ll see you in the morning, hopefully I’ll bring news.”
Moving through the cavern and walking out of the narrow passage between the rocks, they ran into Bjørn coming in.
“Ulrick,” Bjørn exclaimed. “I left my water pouch here. I want to hike to the creek and fill it before nightfall.”
“We’ll be replenishing all our water supplies at the other bay before we leave,” Ulrick replied. “Why don’t you wait?”
“I’m feeling a bit restless.”
“Have some ale; that will settle you.”
“I think I will,” Bjørn said with a nod, then turned around and headed back to the beach.
Ulrick and Ailith followed and started walking along the waterline, but Ailith’s sleeveless tunic offered little protection against the early evening air nipping her skin.
“Perhaps we’ll find something warmer for you on that boat,” Ulrick remarked as she crossed her arms against the cold.
“Do you think so? I hadn’t thought of that.”
“We’ll soon find out,” he replied, then pausing, he asked, “How much of my conversation with Magnus did you hear?”
“Not much. Just about Gander wanting to take over the clan and the strangers arriving out of nowhere and searching the cavern.”
“That’s what I thought,” Ulrick muttered. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
“About Gander? Did he talk when you questioned him?”
“Unfortunately I found him lying on the floor. He’d been poisoned.”
“He’s dead?”
“I’m afraid so.”
“But that means you have another traitor,” she murmured. “Someone wanted to keep him quiet.”
“That’s right. He must have a partner, and he may have won over a few of my men.”
“What will you do?”
“I’ll be talking to them, just casually, to see if anyone was seen lurking near where Gander was locked up,” Ulrick said as they approached the impressive vessel. “I’ll get to the bottom of it.”
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