by A. E. Rayne
Leaving Bram with Runa.
‘I didn’t know you were friendly with the queen,’ Bram muttered, his eyes on Bayla who was bending awkwardly to peer at what Ulf was pointing to.
Runa laughed. ‘I’m not, but I managed to stop her grandson crying the other day when it seemed that nothing would, so she’s decided I’m a wise woman or some such thing. She keeps seeking me out, asking my advice,’ she whispered. ‘I do feel sorry for her with three orphaned grandchildren on her hands. And losing her son and husband like that. No matter what we might think of the Dragos family, that’s a punishment I wouldn’t wish on anyone.’ She thought about Fyn, her forehead creasing with worry, hoping he’d be back soon.
Bram peered at her. ‘No. It’s not. Family’s important. Having a family. Big or small. Rich or poor. It’s a treasure you try hard to protect. Though, sometimes you can’t.’ He looked away.
‘No, you can’t,’ Runa agreed with a sigh. She watched as Bayla straightened up and gave Ulf an almost-smile before lifting her nose in the air again. ‘Though, sometimes you get a second chance.’ And she glanced at Bram before dropping her eyes and turning away. ‘I’d best get back to the hall.’
Bram watched her go, feeling strange all over.
Karsten wasn’t sure how he felt about returning to Andala. He was excited by the prospect of preparing to leave for Hest. Thoughts of killing Jaeger, of how he would do it, and what he would say, were ever present.
Claiming the throne; being able to return home.
But then there was the imminent prospect of seeing Nicolene again.
Her betrayal was like a thorn bush he couldn’t move around. Every time he thought he might see a way clear to forgiving her, he felt another thorn jabbing at him. Images of her naked with his brother were never far from his mind. But then thinking about Nicolene would always lead him to Hanna, and he worried that she had died while they were away.
‘I’ve been thinking,’ Thorgils began as he eased Rufus up beside Karsten. ‘This arrangement of ours doesn’t need to be over.’
Karsten eyed the red-headed lump. ‘What do you mean?’ The light was bright as they rode across a boggy meadow, and Thorgils’ blue eyes had a glint in them that intrigued him.
‘We made a fair bit of coin, you, me, and Rork.’
‘And?’
‘Well, you don’t know how long it’ll be till you’re dipping into your father’s coffers. Might be useful to have a few coins. I’m sure your mother would appreciate it. Or your wife? My mother was always quieter when my father came back from raiding with a chest full of plunder. He got to enjoy some peace for a few days!’ Thorgils smiled, thinking about Odda and her whip of a tongue.
Karsten didn’t want to talk about his mother or his wife, but he couldn’t deny that he’d enjoyed fleecing the Iskavallans and the men of Rissna. And knocking one of them out too. ‘We could do that. What does Rork say?’ He looked around, but Rork had turned away, talking to Torstan.
‘Rork’s in,’ Thorgils grinned. ‘Not sure we can convince Aleksander or Ivaar to fight again, so it might be up to you to get things moving.’
Karsten lifted an eyebrow, but he didn’t think that sounded like such a bad idea.
Aleksander watched from a few horses behind. ‘I can guess what they’re talking about,’ he laughed. ‘Thorgils has been at me all morning.’
‘To do what?’ Axl wondered.
‘Fight for them when we get back to Andala. He’s looking to repeat his success.’
Axl laughed. ‘You seemed to enjoy it.’
‘Well, I’ve found that drinking and fighting are the perfect remedies for a broken heart. But I don’t think I should make a habit of it. I prefer to see out of both eyes.’
Axl looked behind him to where Jael was riding with Ivaar. ‘Is it still hard? With Jael?’
‘What do you think?’ Aleksander sighed, his eyes fixed straight ahead. ‘Do you imagine you’d get over Amma quickly?’
Axl shook his head. ‘No. When she was with Jaeger Dragos, I couldn’t even breathe. Nothing was right when I knew he had his hands on her.’
‘Mmmm, it gets easier in a way, I suppose, but it doesn’t feel right, even now. Even knowing how Jael feels about Eadmund. It doesn’t feel like it’s supposed to be this way.’ He shook his head, trying to banish his gloomy thoughts. ‘I’d be happy to wake up one day and feel different. It would be nice to let it all go.’
‘Maybe you will, when you meet someone else?’
Aleksander frowned, tightening his grip on the reins, his dark hair blowing across his eyes. He tried not to think about Hanna. ‘Someone else? I think we’re a little busy for that, don’t you? And who knows what will happen with Draguta?’ He tried to sound light-hearted, but there’d never really been anything light-hearted about him. Not since Tuura. He’d always struggled to find the light after that night.
Except with Jael.
Draguta came to join Eadmund and Jaeger at the map table, eager to hear their plans, but she ended up feeling as though she was stuck between two children squabbling over a toy. ‘The point is to conquer Helsabor,’ she muttered, trying to find some common ground. ‘Surely that is doable for two men as powerful as you? As big and strong and clever as you?’
Eadmund glared at Jaeger. ‘I don’t know the terrain here,’ he said, pointing to what appeared to be a pass through the mountains, heading for the western coast of Helsabor, ‘but it seems as though this is the obvious place to go.’
‘Which will make it the most defended part of their wall,’ Jaeger said, as if bored.
‘And if we attack there, they will expect it,’ Eadmund went on, ignoring the roll of Jaeger’s eyes. ‘And they will put their men there. The bulk of their men. So we should divide our forces and send half of them around to the south. Here.’ He pointed to another pass. ‘We can attack them on two fronts at the same time.’
‘And?’ Draguta wanted more. ‘What about their fleet?’
‘We can’t attack them by sea,’ Jaeger insisted. ‘We don’t have the ships to launch from here, but once we breach the walls and get into the city, we can send our crews to the harbour. Secure their ships. Sail them back to Hest.’
‘And Briggit Halvardar and her dreamers? Her Followers?’ Draguta mused. ‘They will cause problems.’
Jaeger and Eadmund looked at her.
‘But I will keep them busy. At least until you get to her. In her castle. I imagine she’ll be waiting for you.’ Draguta turned to Jaeger. ‘It will be your job to bring her to me.’
‘Bring her?’ Jaeger frowned. ‘Why not kill her?’
Draguta laughed. ‘But what fun would there be for me in you killing her? No. You will bring Briggit and her rabid pack of loyal dogs to me. All of them. I want to dispose of them myself. When it comes to dreamers, I’ve discovered, it is better to take things into my own hands. You just need to ensure that you deliver her into them.’
And she stared at Jaeger until he felt his stomach twist and turn, unable to keep a smile on his face.
Eydis was eager to tell Amma that she’d had a dream about Jael and Axl returning to the fort soon. But when she found Amma in her chamber, she could hear that she had been crying. Eydis felt uncomfortable. Not sure if she should stay, or whether Amma would prefer to be alone.
‘I’m sorry, Eydis,’ Amma sniffed, wiping her eyes. ‘You have such good news. I don’t mean to be silly.’
Eydis felt her way to the bed and sat down next to her. ‘It’s not silly to be worried about your baby.’
Amma cringed, not wanting it to be real. She was missing her mother. She had thought of telling Gisila, but Gisila had been so busy looking after Branwyn that she didn’t want to bother her. ‘It’s not the baby I’m worried about. It’s Axl,’ she sighed. ‘I can’t promise him that the baby is his. And I don’t know how that will make him feel.’
Eydis didn’t know what to advise. Amma was barely three years older than her, but she lived in another world, and Ey
dis had no experience of such things. She tried anyway. ‘I don’t imagine you would hate Axl if it happened to him? You would want to stay with him and face it together, wouldn’t you?’ Her dark eyebrows were up, hoping that Amma could see beyond her clumsy attempt at understanding the situation.
Amma did. ‘I would. Of course.’ She felt a little brighter. ‘It wouldn’t matter to me. Not really. I’d just want to be with him.’
Eydis smiled, hearing the lift in Amma’s voice. ‘I think if you love someone, you must be able to weather the storms with them,’ she said. ‘Because there will always be storms, won’t there?’
Amma nodded, daring to place a hand on her stomach. ‘I hope you’re right, Eydis,’ she said tentatively. ‘I hope you’re right.’
Jael tried not to think. Her mind was full of angry ravens, all calling to her, and she didn’t want to pay attention to any of them. They just needed to get home. Home meant a chance to think and plan.
Ivaar was the perfect company.
He barely spoke, though he was riding beside her and she wasn’t sure why. Eventually, Jael decided that the best way to ignore the ravens was to turn her mind to someone else’s problems. ‘What’s wrong?’
Ivaar blinked in surprise. ‘Wrong?’
‘You’re riding beside me. You hate me. You don’t want my company, so I imagine there’s something wrong. Something you want to talk to me about?’
Ivaar frowned. Jael was a frustrating woman. Always piercing straight to the heart of things with that viper tongue and those penetrating eyes. There was no pretence. No gentleness. It was like being hit with an axe. ‘I suppose so.’
Jael stared straight ahead, not making it any easier.
Ivaar could see Thorgils’ red curls bouncing up and down as he slapped Karsten on the back; the two of them as thick as thieves now. ‘It’s Isaura,’ he muttered irritably. ‘I want the divorce. I want it official.’
Jael raised an eyebrow.
‘It’s humiliating. She’s my wife. With another man. At least make it end. I need a new life. A new wife.’
‘Got someone in mind, have you?’
Ivaar scowled. ‘No.’
Jael didn’t want to feel sorry for him, so she looked away, her eyes darting through the trees. ‘Well, I don’t imagine I need Eadmund to do it, do I?’
‘I don’t imagine so.’
‘Then we’ll do it when we get back. Come and find me. Bring Isaura. I’ll write something down. We’ll discuss a settlement. It will be done.’
Ivaar nodded, pleased with that. He stared at Jael who still hadn’t looked his way. ‘And what about you? What will you do about your husband?’
‘There’s not a lot I can do about Eadmund,’ Jael muttered. ‘Evaine has Eadmund, and I have an army, and one day soon I will take my army and get Eadmund back.’ She turned to Ivaar, sharpening her eyebrows. ‘And then we’ll go home to Oss, so get your mind off the throne because it won’t be yours, Ivaar Skalleson. It will never be yours.’
Ivaar scowled at her.
‘You just need to find yourself a queen with a kingdom,’ Jael grinned. ‘I’m sure there’s a lonely queen floating about somewhere looking for a man as well presented as you.’
‘I’m not sure what I ever saw in you, Jael Furyck. You really are the most irritating woman I’ve ever met,’ Ivaar grumbled, trying his best not to smile; his mind wandering to the very appealing thought of marrying a wealthy queen. ‘Akke Bluefinn has a few unmarried daughters, I suppose. Some of them still have their own teeth.’
Jael laughed. ‘Well, there you go. As long as you promise to stay in Alekka and not come anywhere near my islands.’ She glared at him.
And he glared back at her. ‘I might. Depends on how persuasive my new wife is.’
Set free from Draguta, Meena had enjoyed her afternoon.
Jaeger had been occupied with planning for the invasion of Helsabor, not seeking her company at all, so she had wandered away from the city, choosing Fool’s Cove to take a swim, surprised that she felt bold enough for such an indulgence. But despite the pleasure of feeling cool for the first time in weeks, Meena couldn’t relax. She kept looking over her shoulder, staring up at the path, imagining someone coming down, seeing her naked. Eventually, she spotted a ship entering the cove, and she scrambled out of the water, hurrying to put on her clothes.
And then she walked all the way to Dragmall’s cave.
She didn’t know what she was doing, but she could almost hear a voice in her head, urging her on.
And when she arrived, she discovered why.
40
Edela had debated going to see Alaric again, but, in the end, decided against it. He did not appear inclined to reveal what he knew, and despite a good sleep, Edela didn’t have enough energy to try and pry anything more out of him. She was just eager to get to the hall and see how Branwyn was. So were the puppies, it seemed, as they ran ahead of her, almost urging her on. Obviously, they had run out of dragon to nibble on and were searching for treats elsewhere.
She smiled, thinking about Jael, looking forward to her return.
‘Edela!’
Edela’s eyes widened as she turned, surprised to see Alaric shuffling towards her, his face red with the effort of chasing her down. He stopped before her, unable to speak, trying to catch his breath.
‘You’re the last person I expected to see running after me today,’ Edela frowned, peering at him with sharp eyes. ‘After how we left things.’
Alaric dropped his head, embarrassed. ‘Well, yes,’ he muttered into his chest, ‘I don’t blame you.’
Edela stared at him until he looked up at her, his cheeks flushing a darker shade of red, but his eyes remained steady as they considered hers. ‘I am sorry,’ he sighed. ‘Sorry that I... did not tell you the truth.’
‘About?’
‘Well, I didn’t steal the prophecy... but I... do know who did.’
‘You do?’
‘It was... Arbyn Nore. I... I was not allowed near the room where the most sacred scrolls were kept. That was only for the elderman and his scribe. No one even knew of its existence, I believe. But Arbyn told me about it. He had no one else to talk to, and, I suppose, neither did I. It was lonely, being in the temple from dawn till dusk every day. The elders would not talk to us. The dreamers only told us their dreams, but otherwise, they kept to themselves. We confided in each other.’
Edela watched him, not wanting to interrupt.
‘He was a good man, Arbyn. My friend. He lost his head, I know, but I didn’t want to think that he would lose his reputation as well. He had been so loyal once. To the temple. To the elderman. When he told me what he had done, I couldn’t believe it, but he was much changed by then. Something was wrong with him. I see that now. Perhaps it was The Following?’
‘Alaric...’
‘I should have told you, I know,’ Alaric sighed. ‘And I am sorry for that. But I know no more than that. He sold the scroll. To a merchant, he said. I do not know who bought it or where it is, I promise, Edela. I promise!’
Edela patted his arm. ‘I believe you. I do. And I am grateful that you finally told me the truth. It will help to have this knowledge, I’m sure. Now I just need to work on finding that scroll in my dreams!’
Dragmall was not surprised to see Meena.
He had, in fact, been waiting for her. ‘I’ve made some tea if you’d like a cup?’ he asked, pushing Meena towards one of his tree stumps. He just had the two, never having had much company in his cave before.
Meena nodded. ‘Yes, please.’
Dragmall picked up the cups and handed her one. ‘It’s still warm,’ he smiled, sitting down with his own. ‘And how is your aunt?’
Meena looked down at her cup. ‘She is the same.’ And feeling Dragmall staring at her, Meena lifted her eyes, intrigued by the intensity in his.
‘Well, Morana was never kind to you, was she? Not from what I saw. Much like your grandmother before her, so I expect it is no more t
han she deserves.’
Meena wasn’t listening, she was busy watching Dragmall’s eyes, and suddenly his thoughts were louder than his words. Bending forward, she focused on sipping her tea, which tasted bitter. She could see tiny, curled up flowers floating inside the cup; little bits of mushrooms too. Inhaling the earthy smell, she tried to focus on Dragmall’s thoughts.
He stopped talking, but his thoughts carried on, and they sat in silence for some time, drinking their tea.
Eventually, Meena finished and lifted her head. ‘That was very nice,’ she mumbled. ‘My grandmother sometimes made me a tea when I had nightmares. She wanted to keep me quiet, she said. Not disturbing her sleep.’
Dragmall laughed. ‘Sounds like Varna.’
‘I’ve always had nightmares, I suppose, but her tea did help. It made me sleep without waking.’
Dragmall’s bushy eyebrows were up, and so was he, placing his cup on the dirt floor of the cave as he headed to his shelf. ‘I can give you something to help with that,’ he muttered. ‘Now, let me see what I have here. There’s nothing worse than being terrorised by nightmares, I know.’ And turning around with a small glass bottle, he smiled.
Draguta stood on her balcony, watching the sun sink into the sea. Its golden light glittered across the water, pink streaks painting the sky above it. Quite beautiful, she thought, feeling a sense of peace soften her body.
The Dolma had been an endless nightmare she could never wake from, and her eagerness to see and feel the sun had been an ever-present need when she had first returned.
But now?
Now when she saw that the day was ending, welcoming back the darkness again, Draguta didn’t feel fear at all. She was changing, she realised. Even her body felt different; no longer cold; a steady warmth pulsing in her veins.