“This isn’t my bedroom,” he said, his dark eyes twinkling at her. “My ship is full of pretense.”
* * *
Though Ulrick learned Bjørn had not committed the theft, he returned with intriguing news.
“Bjørn isn’t our man,” he declared, opening the door and entering the room, “but he did confess to something very interesting, though I’m not sure what it means. I left him in charge of guarding Gander, and apparently Gander pleaded with him to look for a berry he’d spotted in the bush.”
“Medicinal ones like I gave Magnus?” Ailith asked.
“I don’t know,” Ulrick replied, “but Gander described them in detail, and Bjørn agreed to fetch them.”
“Are you saying this man Bjørn brought Gander the wrong fruit? Was Gander’s death accidental?”
“It looks that way. That’s why Bjørn didn’t say anything. He was horrified when he discovered Gander had been poisoned. He’s still extremely upset.”
“I knew he had a secret,” Ailith muttered.
“But if Gander wasn’t actually murdered, and Bjørn didn’t steal the chest, who did?” Ekrem demanded, throwing up his hands in frustration. “Who could have followed us to the cavern and not be seen? Who was able to carry out my casket of gold and lower it into a tide pool?”
“Any one of my warriors would be strong enough to do that,” Ulrick remarked. “They may have learned of your treasure from Gander, but how they discovered its whereabouts is a mystery, though it’s possible someone woke up and happened to see us head into the cavern.”
“This man you spoke of, Magnus. You said he knew where it was.”
Ulrick took a breath.
“Ekrem, I can assure you, even if Magnus was healthy and able to do such a thing, he would never betray me.”
“A traitor isn’t a traitor until he is,” Ekrem said gravely, “but this man is unwell?”
“He’s getting better, but he wouldn’t have the strength to deal with that chest, and he’s older. He couldn’t navigate those rocks.”
“I hate to ask this,” Ailith began tentatively, “but what about Varig?”
“Magnus wouldn’t have said a word to him... although... he’s a strapping young man,” Ulrick said thoughtfully, “and he’s agile. He could have come back early, poked his head into your cave and spotted the opening, though I find it hard to believe he would do something like that.”
“We must question him,” Ekrem said firmly.
“Yes, we must,” Ulrick agreed, though he found the idea of Varig stealing the chest and hiding it in the tide pool highly unlikely.
“Um, what if someone else had been in the cavern when we were?” Ailith piped up. “Just by accident, I mean.”
“Now that makes sense,” Ulrick exclaimed. “Ekrem, I’m absolutely certain neither Varig nor Magnus are behind the theft, but one of my other warriors might have been tempted if he saw such riches.”
“Ah, yes. He could have been in the cavern for some perfectly innocent reason, and when we entered and disappeared into the small grotto, his curiosity took over.”
“Ailith’s suggestion is the one thing we can do. Lure the thief to the rocks and catch him trying to retrieve the chest.”
“I agree, but how?”
“On my way back to my boat, I’ll tell Bjørn that Ailith has found a box in a tide pool, and I’m looking for volunteers to risk walking over the rocks to retrieve it. When everyone wakes up in the morning he asks around, and no doubt our thief will hear about it and race over there.”
“Finally, a way forward!” Ekrem exclaimed. “I’ll be able to sleep tonight after all.”
“It’s a good idea,” Ailith said quietly, then stifling a yawn, she picked up the plate with the remaining pie. “Ulrick, I saved this for you.”
“Just what I need,” Ulrick said gratefully, lifting it to his mouth and devouring it in seconds.
“You’re welcome to stay the night,” Ekrem offered.
“Thank you, but I should return to my boat. Come along, Ailith. You look as if you’re about to fall asleep at that table.”
“I am very tired,” she admitted. “You were right, Ekrem. That wonderful meal relaxed me.”
“Ulrick, please come back the moment you speak to Bjørn in the morning. We should hide near the rocks and catch this thief together.”
“See you later, Ekrem,” Ailith said, yawning again. “Thanks again for that wonderful supper.”
“And my great thanks to the both of you.”
* * *
Ambling down the quiet beach, Ulrick too, felt weary. Almost as weary as he did after a skirmish. Wading out to his boat, he noticed the water was a little deeper. The tide was coming in. It would affect the pool in the morning, but how much? The question lingering in his mind, he climbed up the ladder and helped Ailith on board.
“Ulrick, may I see where Gander died?”
“If you wish,” he replied, leading her to the storeroom, “but why?”
“I had an odd feeling earlier, and now I know why. If Gander knew how to describe the berries he wanted, why didn’t he know they were the wrong ones when Bjørn brought them back?”
Ulrick paused his step.
“That’s a very good question.”
“I want to see them for myself. Maybe Bjørn didn’t accidentally kill his friend. Maybe someone else did using another kind of poison. Can you describe how Gander looked when you found him?”
“The small dark dots in his eyes were enlarged, and he was lying on the ground,” Ulrick replied, opening the door.
“Oh, it’s so dark,” she murmured, stepping inside, but dropping to her knees, she crawled around the small space. “Ah, found one!” she exclaimed triumphantly.
Stepping back outside, she held it in the moon’s light between her thumb and forefinger.
“This is poisonous,” she exclaimed. “It would have made the black dots in his eyes larger, but he wouldn’t have just collapsed. He would have seen things that weren’t there. He would have been crying out or waving his arms around. Are you sure nothing in the storeroom was disturbed?”
“No, nothing. He was just lying on the floor with his eyes wide open.”
“How long were you with him?”
“Just a moment or two, then Bjørn showed up. I told him to toss the body in the water, but why are you asking me all this?”
“It’s just—if someone dies from this berry, they don’t just collapse, but what you said about the eyes... ooh... no... surely not...” she murmured, staring off into space.
“Ailith?”
“I know what happened, at least I think I do. How very clever. How very, very clever.”
“What is? Tell me.”
“If I’m right, by tomorrow morning the chest will be gone. We have to fetch Ekrem and return to the cavern immediately. I’ll explain on the way.”
Chapter Twenty
As they climbed down from the boat they discovered the tide had turned and the water had started coming in. Reaching Ekrem’s elegant ship, Ulrick instructed Ailith to wait, and made his way quickly through the gentle waves to the sturdy ladder. Reaching the deck and hurrying to the carved door, he knocked loudly, but there was no response. Trying the cabin where they’d sat down for their meal, again there was no reply. They moved around the deck calling his name, but Ekrem still didn’t appear. Thinking he must have decided to visit the rocks and see the chest for himself, Ulrick started back to the ladder.
“Ulrick!”
Hearing Ekrem call his name, Ulrick turned and spied Ekrem marching toward him, the flamboyant red robe flapping around his body.
“Ekrem, we have no time,” Ulrick said hastily. “You need to dress and come with me. I’ll explain as we walk.”
“I’ll only be a moment,” Ekrem replied without hesitating. “Wait for me on the beach.”
Climbing back down the ladder, as Ulrick neared the water’s edge, he found Ailith anxiously pacing.
“I’m worried we won’t get
there in time,” she said urgently, rushing up to meet him. “What if the water is over that tide pool? How will we know if the chest is gone? What if we’re too late?”
“Panicking doesn’t help,” he said firmly, gripping her upper arms. “All we can do is get there and wait, but we won’t know if the chest has been taken. If I climb up to check if the rope’s still there, I might be seen. As I said,” he continued, lowering his voice and speaking slowly, “all we can do is get there and wait.”
“I’m sorry. You’re right. I just feel so edgy.”
“Ailith, is there something you’re not telling me?”
“Like what?”
“Are you sensing a problem?”
“Uh... I’m not sure.”
“You say that a lot,” he muttered.
“I know. The feelings I get, they’re hard to understand sometimes—but I am uneasy. Thank goodness, here comes Ekrem,” she declared, seeing the swarthy man stride toward them. “Will you please tell him what I think happened with Gander?”
“I had intended to,” he remarked. “It’s not your place to fill him in.”
“Oh, sorry.”
“You’ll learn,” he said with a sigh. “It might take time, but you’ll get there.”
“So, tell me what’s happened,” Ekrem said briskly as he approached. “Where are we going?”
“To the rocks. I’ll explain, but we must keep our voices low.”
* * *
Walking along the shoreline, Ulrick gave Ekrem the details of Ailith’s theory, but Ailith wasn’t listening. With every step her anxiety grew. As the water tickled her toes, she was struck with another thought.
“Oh, no!” she exclaimed in a hushed whisper. “Why didn’t I think of it before?”
“What is it?” Ulrick asked, turning away from Ekrem.
“The tide. I’ve been here when it’s high. The rocks are impossible, especially if the waves pick up.”
“You mean the tide pool where the chest has been left will be unreachable?”
“Not yet, but it will be. Even climbing up the side of the cliff and making your way down is no use. You couldn’t carry a heavy chest and climb back up.”
“What about the inlet?”
“Don’t you remember? At high tide it’s under water, and the waves crash against the side of the cliff.”
“Then it’s going to be virtually impossible to retrieve the chest, assuming it’s still there,” Ekrem muttered gravely.
“Maybe not impossible,” Ailith said, “but once the tide is up, it will be extremely dangerous.”
They’d reached the big boulders in front of the cavern, and concealing themselves in the narrow passage, they settled in to wait and watch for the arrival of the thief.
“I pray we won’t be here long,” Ekrem murmured. “If the water rises and he doesn’t show...”
“He knows we’re leaving tomorrow. He has no choice but to collect it tonight.”
“And you have no doubt about Ailith’s theory?”
“I might, if I hadn’t seen those wet footprints.”
“You didn’t mention anything about wet footprints,” Ekrem declared.
“When I discovered the gold was missing, I found wet footprints leading in and out of the cave. I didn’t understand what they meant.”
“Ah, yes, I see.”
While Ulrick and Ekrem had been chatting, Ailith had started pacing again, walking restlessly up and down the narrow passage.
“Ailith, go in and check on Magnus,” Ulrick ordered. “I’d like to know how he is.”
She paused her step.
“I can’t help it,” she muttered. “There’s something in the air, and it doesn’t have anything to do with the incoming tide. I can’t stand still.”
“That’s why you need to do something useful. If you stop trying so hard, maybe it will come to you. Go and check on Magnus.”
Though she looked at him skeptically, she pivoted on her toes and disappeared into the cavern.
“Ailith is a remarkable young woman,” Ekrem declared, “but I imagine she’s quite a handful.”
“She is, but that’s one of the things I love about her.”
* * *
The moment Ailith entered the cavern, a chill sent goosebumps popping down her arms. The huge space was eerie and dark. She’d been expecting a dim glow from Magnus’s fire, but there was none, and she saw no point in continuing. Magnus would be in the pitch black too.
But more than that, every instinct told her to leave.
Her pulse ticking up, she turned to head back.
She sensed the presence behind her too late.
Grabbing her from behind, a hand came over her mouth.
“Now we wait for Ulrick to come looking for you,” a gruff voice growled in her ear.
She was being pulled backwards, and though her arms were free to fight, she was too petrified to try. With her heart banging in her chest, she squeezed her eyes shut and tried to think.
She didn’t have a chance of breaking free from the powerful arms holding her, and even if she could find a way to hit back with her elbow, she could feel the man’s hard torso. Her strongest punch would have no effect.
His eyes. Throw your fist back into his eye.
Just as the instruction flashed through her head, he stopped moving. She sensed he was leaning back against the cavern wall. Thinking he might lighten his grip if she relaxed, she let her body fall limp.
“Smart not to fight,” he grunted. “I could snap you like a twig.”
But his threat had the reverse affect.
She suddenly realized if he’d wanted her dead, she would be. He needed her alive as a bargaining chip, but to bargain for what?
His eyes. Throw your fist back into his eye.
The command repeated itself.
Her head was near the crook of his shoulder.
The punch was doable.
She’d have to be fast, but even if she was slightly off target, it might surprise him enough to drop his callused palm from her mouth.
Closing her eyes, she pictured the swing, then curling her fingers into a fist, she silently counted to three.
Throwing her arm and back with as much force as she could muster, she felt it connect with his eye socket. His shocked wail echoed through the chamber, and to her great joy, his hand flew off her mouth.
“Help! Ulrick! Help!”
* * *
Hearing the anguished howl and Ailith’s screams, Ulrick darted down the passage, but approaching the entrance to the cavern, he stopped and peered inside.
“What do you see?” Ekrem asked breathlessly, running up behind him.
“Nothing, it’s too dark,” Ulrick panted. “I can only hear scuffling.”
“I’ll fetch a torch from the beach,” Ekrem whispered, bolting away.
“Help! Help!”
Ulrick wanted to wait for the light, but Ailith’s desperate cries sent him running into the cavern.
“I’m here,” he yelled, squinting in the pitch black. “Where are you? What’s happened?”
“Stay where you are or she’s dead.”
The attacker’s deep voice bounced off the walls.
“What do you want?” Ulrick demanded.
“There are stupid questions, and then there are really stupid questions,” the man snarled. “You know exactly what I want.”
“Let her go and I’ll—”
“No! Get the box of coins now, or she’s dead.”
Before Ulrick could answer Ekrem arrived, and the golden glow from his flaming torch filled the huge grotto.
Ulrick stared at the hefty man who had Ailith in his grip.
She’d been right.
Gander was very much alive.
“You don’t seem surprised to see me,” Gander yelled.
“I’m not,” Ulrick replied, moving slowly forward. “That young woman you’re holding understood what you’d done as soon as she saw the berries. Leaving them lying around lik
e that wasn’t very smart. Let her go, and I’ll make sure your death is merciful.”
“Not a chance. You’re going into the rocks and getting my gold, otherwise she dies, but not before I’ve had my fun,” he hissed, moving his hand from her waist to clutch a breast.
“No,” Ailith squealed, and abruptly turning her head, she bit down on his arm.
“Argh, you bitch,” Gander shouted furiously. “Do that again and I’ll kill you for sport.”
“You grab me like that again and I’ll rip your skin off,” she shrieked.
“The tide’s up,” Ulrick exclaimed hastily, trying to stop their fight. “The chest can’t be reached.”
“Don’t try to tell me about the tides,” Gander said angrily. “I know the ocean and her many moods like I know women. It’s not that high, not yet, and you’d better get that chest before it is.”
“Even if I manage to retrieve it, how do you plan to get away?”
“You think I’d tell you? Get moving, or I’ll kill your woman just for the pleasure of seeing you suffer.”
Dropping his eyes to Ailith’s face, in spite of her bravado, Ulrick saw terror, and he didn’t know how to rescue her.
“You know your life is over, Gander,” Ulrick continued, desperately searching for an answer. “Even if I’m able to retrieve the gold and you manage to get away, my clan will hunt you down and slaughter you for this.”
“With the money I’ll have, I’ll buy them and turn them into my warriors. I’ll buy the entire settlement. I’ll buy everyone and everything. You’re history, Ulrick. Face it. Your time is over. You want to talk about a merciful death? That’s what I promise you and your whore, but only if you get my box of gold.”
Ulrick knew Gander wouldn’t kill Ailith. She was his only leverage, but the ambitious traitor could break her fingers one by one, or her arm, or—
“Please, Ulrick,” she whimpered, her defiance melting away. “Please do what he wants. He’s hurting me.”
“I have an offer,” Ekrem suddenly declared. “Ulrick will retrieve the chest, and you can use my ship to make your escape. You know she’s extremely fast.”
Ulrick glanced at Ekrem in disbelief.
He was a slight man.
Gander could snap him in two as easily as he could Ailith.
Rough Warrior Page 15