by A. E. Rayne
‘I’m sorry,’ Gisila said finally.
Jael blinked in surprise. ‘You’re sorry?’
‘About your baby. I’m very sorry.’
Jael didn’t want to go back to that place, though it was impossible. Her body ached with the reminder that she had had a child. As did her heart. She shook her head quickly, trying not to bring the images to mind. ‘Draguta will pay for it. Soon. I’ll make her pay for everything.’
It was Gisila’s turn to look surprised. ‘You think it was her fault?’
‘I know it was. And when I run my sword through her throat, I’ll remind her of what she took from me. Of how she killed my daughter before she’d even taken her first breath. And then I will watch her life bleed out of her while she takes her last.’
Gisila could hear the pain and anger in her daughter’s voice, and it stopped her thinking about Ranuf for a moment. She reached out a hand and gripped Jael’s. ‘I hope you do, Jael. I hope you do.’
Axl was surprised by how much fuller the fort seemed.
‘It’s that time of year,’ Bram reminded him as they walked around the market stalls which were brimming with traders and customers alike. ‘And word hasn’t gotten around yet that the harbour is nothing but toothpicks, so they’ve come as usual.’
‘I’m glad to see it,’ Axl smiled. ‘We need them.’ He ran his eye over the gaggle of men crowding around the stalls; some he knew, others strangers. ‘I was thinking that when we rebuild the sheds, we should build a tavern. What do you think?’
Ulf was walking on his other side, and his eyes sprung open. ‘Well, you’d be a popular king if you did that. They’d forget all about Ranuf for sure,’ he joked.
Bram nodded eagerly. ‘It’s a good idea. You put a few sheds out here that aren’t just for ships. The traders and their crews could pay for ale, a bed for the night. Entertainment...’
Axl laughed. ‘Sounds as though you two have experience with that sort of thing. Perhaps I should put you in charge of it?’
Ulf looked at Bram, and they both turned to Axl, nodding.
‘Ha! Well, when I get back from Hest, we can talk again, but feel free to come up with ideas in the meantime.’ Axl suddenly felt odd, not at all confident that he would actually return from Hest. It felt like the sort of battle that many would not come back from.
His mind wandered to Amma, wanting to spend as much time as he could with her before they left again. Though with so much to do, he doubted that was going to be possible. ‘Come on,’ he said to Bram, trying not to let his worries consume him. ‘Come and show me what’s been happening with that wall.’
There had been so many things to gather, and it had taken such a long time to hunt down some of the more obscure items that Meena was panicking as she ran up the castle steps, worrying that she had not left herself enough time to prepare for...
... whatever Draguta was planning.
Scurrying in through the castle doors, Meena had her head down, running through the excuses of why she had taken so long when she bumped into Evaine, who staggered back with an angry scowl.
‘Watch where you’re going, you stupid girl!’ she spat.
Morac, who was behind Evaine, did not intervene to defend his niece. In fact, he glowered at Meena himself as he walked past, eager to get back to the house to see what Elfwyn was cooking for supper.
Evaine quickly left all thoughts of Meena behind as she spied Eadmund in the hall with Jaeger, arguing around the map table. ‘Eadmund!’ she called out, hurrying towards him, ignoring Jaeger. ‘I haven’t seen you all day.’
Eadmund didn’t appear bothered by that. ‘We’ve had a lot to do. We’ll be leaving in a few days. I doubt you’ll be seeing much of me before then.’
Evaine wasn’t pleased to hear it. ‘Well, we were just going back to the house to see about supper. You can walk with us.’
‘I’m going to have supper here, Evaine. Draguta’s invited me to go to the stones tonight, so I need to be here. And so do you, Morac. She wants you to come and drum for her.’
Evaine and Jaeger frowned at Eadmund.
Morac looked on in surprise. ‘She does?’ He swallowed, feeling his heart thump in his chest, remembering what had happened the last time he went to the stones with Draguta. ‘Why? What is she planning?’
44
Rollo had spent the day familiarising himself and his men with the fort. They had set up a stall in Andala’s packed market, leaving a few men to haggle with customers over their goods while they slipped through the crowds, assessing the walls and the doors, the guards, the harbour, the hall.
Their eyes had been everywhere, though the returning king appeared too busy to notice. When he looked at Axl Furyck over his cup of very good ale, Rollo could see how distracted he was. How his eyes always sought out the pretty girl with the long, brown hair who was usually only an arm’s length from him.
They appeared very close. In love.
Rollo blinked, looking away to the other Furyck.
Jael. Eadmund’s wife.
She was in the middle of a huddle of men, though she was tall enough not to be dwarfed by them. She stood talking to them as equals. He wondered if Eadmund thought about her? If she thought about him? She seemed happy enough when she was talking, but every now and then he would see her eyes drift away and there was sadness in them.
Her reputation made her formidable, but her size did not. There didn’t appear to be much meat on her bones. She might have skill, he supposed, but a man like him could snap her in two before she’d even drawn her sword.
Jael could sense someone staring at her. ‘Who’s that?’ she asked Bram, her eyes on Rollo. ‘The giant over there?’
Bram frowned. ‘I can’t remember his name. From Helsabor, he said. They’ve had a successful day by the look of it.’
Thorgils turned to follow Jael’s gaze. ‘He’s even bigger than Tarak,’ he grinned, his arm around Isaura who cringed at the reminder of that gruesome day. ‘He’d better not mess with you!’ And Thorgils lifted his cup to Jael.
Jael snorted. ‘I think he could blow me over right now. I need to train. We need to train,’ she said, looking from Fyn to Thorgils. ‘We’re hardly going to be a formidable sight standing before Draguta and whatever army she assembles. Limping, hobbling, ready to pass out.’
‘I like your confidence, Jael,’ Thorgils smiled. ‘Thinking we’ll get that far!’
Aleksander laughed. He had felt distracted since they’d returned, wondering if he should go and see Hanna. He didn’t know what he would say to her, so he’d worked hard to keep himself too busy to face the question. But now the day was over, and it was staring him in the face. ‘We can only hope that sea-fire and symbols will help us. Jael and her sword too.’
Jael looked worn out by the thought of it. She remembered her talk with Edela, and suddenly felt less confident about Toothpick.
‘What?’ Thorgils nudged her. ‘You’re not losing your edge, are you? Scared of facing those monsters all of a sudden?’
‘No, but your breath is terrifying me right now,’ Jael said, ‘so I’ll just step over here if you don’t mind.’
Bram laughed, catching Runa’s eye as she walked past with Sigmund in her arms. He looked away, but not before Thorgils had noticed. Fyn too. They exchanged a glance, both a little wobbly on their feet after celebrating their return.
Fyn felt odd but in a good way. He wondered what would happen if his mother and his real father were to... he shook his head, quickly realising that he didn’t actually want to think about that at all.
But Thorgils was happy to. ‘Why don’t you go and see Runa?’ he suggested, unable to stop grinning. ‘She’s looking a little bored with just a squawking baby for company. And nobody’s a bigger squawker than that Sigmund Skalleson. Just like his father before him. I remember Odda complaining about what a pain Eadmund was as a child. And an adult. Ha!’ He laughed, banging cups with Fyn, who’d enjoyed the joke.
Bram hadn’t. He felt hot all over, unco
mfortable in his tunic. He could feel a sharp pain in his aching chest; a discomfort that made him want to leave.
But he didn’t.
And taking a deep breath, he looked up with a smile. ‘Time for a refill. Who’s with me?’
Fyn and Aleksander nodded, leaving with Bram. Isaura was called away by one of her servants who had Selene and Mads, both in tears, wanting their mother.
Leaving Thorgils and Jael.
‘You and me tomorrow. In the ring,’ Thorgils said, leaning in. ‘But we’ll need shields. I need something to protect this prick of a shoulder. It breaks open at just the look of a sword.’
‘Or a dragur.’
‘That too, though I’m thinking we’ve seen the back of them now.’
‘Did you just say that out loud?’
‘You’re suspicious?’ Thorgils laughed, draining his cup and wiping a hand over his dripping beard. ‘You?’
‘Suspicious? Not really. I just think the gods like to have fun with big-mouthed idiots like you, so I’d sleep with one eye open tonight and a long stick beside your bed, ready to set on fire. Just in case those gods decide to make you pay.’
Thorgils was happy to see a twinkle in her eye. ‘I shall. But as you’re my queen, I’ll be looking for you to come and save me.’
‘Me?’ Jael shrugged. ‘No, I’ll be tucked up in my bed, dreaming of Oss. You’re on your own tonight!’ And she headed off to get a refill.
Draguta felt a hypnotic sense of calm as she sat in front of her seeing circles. She had been in a trance for much of the evening, watching how things stood, eager to know if everything was in place.
Checking on her enemies.
She felt confident. At ease. Convinced that her plan would succeed.
Running a finger around the bloody symbol she was drawing, Draguta looked up at Meena who had stopped what she was doing to stare. ‘What are you thinking, I wonder?’ she mused, surprised by how utterly blank Meena’s thoughts often were. Surely the girl wasn’t clever enough to keep them at bay? That took discipline that only a true dreamer could master after years of practice.
Meena pushed the pestle back into the bowl, adding in a sprinkle of anise seeds, trying not to gag at the putrid smell of the paste she was making. They would be drinking the mixture at the stones, and knowing what she had cut up and ground into it, Meena was already doubting that she could keep it down. ‘I’m thinking about Morana,’ she mumbled. ‘Thinking that I don’t want to end up like her.’
Draguta smiled. ‘What a good answer that was, girl. A very clever answer indeed. Though I’m sure Morana would enjoy the company.’ She licked her bloody finger, shivering with pleasure at the thought of Morana trapped inside her prison.
Meena noticed traces of blood on Draguta’s lips, quickly shutting away any thoughts of Morana, but not before Draguta had spun around and glared at her again.
Runa put a sleeping Sigmund down in Tanja’s chamber. She was going to stay with him while Tanja disappeared with her young man again. As happy as she was to look after the baby, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy at the thought of young love. She remembered how it had felt with Morac all those years ago, and even with Bram. That nervous excitement. Being in a constant state of need and anticipation.
It was almost too long ago now to remember.
Wandering back into the hall, she found a seat beside Biddy and sat down with a loud sigh.
‘Long day?’ Biddy’s eyes were on Eydis, wondering if she was ready to go back to the cottage, but her face was still shining, happy to be talking to Jael and Thorgils. Fyn too, Biddy noticed with a grin. She felt long past ready for bed herself. Some days passed in a blur, and though Biddy couldn’t exactly list what she had been doing, it felt as though she could close her eyes and fall asleep right there.
Runa smiled. ‘I can’t remember, but probably not as busy as tomorrow will be or the day after that. Everyone will be rushing around, getting in each other’s way. There’s just so much to do.’
Biddy could see the worry in Runa’s eyes when she glanced at Fyn. ‘It’s an unsettling time,’ she said. ‘But better to be doing something than just sitting here waiting. I don’t know how we’ll say goodbye, though.’ She swallowed, thinking about Jael. Wondering what was going to happen with Eadmund.
Worrying about that knife.
Her mind quickly skipped over all the people she was worried about, and she was surprised to realise how long the list was.
‘I agree,’ Runa said quietly. ‘It will be hard.’
‘At least you’ll still have Bram.’
Runa frowned. ‘I think he’s trying to get away from me. Every time I go near him, he runs in the other direction. We haven’t spoken about things at all. Not Fyn. Not anything.’
‘Oh.’ They were sitting near the fire and with all the bodies squashed into the hall, and the summer evening being a surprisingly warm one, Biddy could feel herself needing a breath of fresh air. She stared at Runa, who looked miserable. ‘I think the only answer is time. Time for you all to get used to each other. To let things unfold as they’re meant to. I imagine Bram is still trying to find his way after the dragon. Discovering he had a grown son must have been a shock too.’ Her eyes wandered to where Gisila stood, looking in shock herself. She saw Gant heading towards her, wondering if that was the wisest move. Turning back to Runa, Biddy squeezed her arm. ‘It will all shake out soon enough. Just try not to force it. Give Bram a little more time.’
Gant had had enough cups of ale to take the edge off his fear about confronting Gisila again. He shook his head. It wasn’t fear. He just didn’t want to see the disappointment in her eyes when she looked at him anymore.
Gisila glared at him as he approached.
Axl quickly made himself scarce, not wanting to be in the middle of that conversation.
‘What do you want to say now?’ Gisila asked shortly. ‘I’m ready for my bed, so make it quick.’ And she started walking towards the curtain.
Gant hurried alongside her. ‘I wanted to explain.’
‘Here? In front of everyone?’ Gisila hissed. ‘I can barely stand it. All the eyes on me! Everyone talking about me! If you have something to say, at least say it in private.’ And she led Gant through the curtain, into the corridor, before turning on him. ‘I don’t know what you think there is to say. Ranuf had another family. You helped him cover it up. You lied. For him! You knew where he was when we were in Tuura. He was your friend. You protected him. Why feel the need to care what I think after all this time?’
Gant didn’t know what to say.
Gisila smelled like honey. She had been drinking mead, and everything about her smelled so sweet, though her scowling face was anything but.
He dropped his eyes. ‘I’ve always cared about what you thought.’
Gisila stopped frowning. She hadn’t been expecting that.
‘From the moment you arrived here, I always cared about what you thought, Gisila. I’ve always cared about you,’ he said softly, looking up and staring into those deep brown eyes. He had been staring at those eyes for thirty-five years.
Knowing she was Ranuf’s. Always Ranuf’s.
Reaching out, Gant touched her cheek, watching her eyes. They stayed on his. Unblinking. ‘I never told you because you weren’t mine. You were Ranuf’s wife. He was my friend, even when I thought he was wrong. And for what he did to you, I think he was very wrong.’ And, taking a deep breath, Gant leaned in and did what he had been dreaming about for thirty-five years.
He kissed Gisila.
Eadmund couldn’t stand Jaeger’s company, so after they’d eaten and discussed their plans for Helsabor, he found somewhere to sleep. He didn’t imagine he would have long before Draguta sent for him, but after the day’s training, his body was exhausted, even if his mind wasn’t.
The chamber he chose was the one he had slept in with Jael.
He remembered stumbling down the hall with Fyn the night of their escape, trying to send Osbert o
n his way. Trying to get them out of Hest safely.
Burning the harbour.
But more than that, he remembered his time in the chamber with Jael.
Eadmund didn’t bother to undress as he lay on the bed. It was too hot for a fur, so he stretched out on the linen sheet, leaning his head back against the pillow, closing his eyes, seeing Jael sitting on top of him, her hands on his shoulders, a smile in her eyes.
Staring at him.
He could almost feel her swaying against him, pushing her hips against his.
And he opened his eyes, enjoying the silence, pleased that Evaine wasn’t lying beside him, touching him. He felt overwhelmingly sad, not understanding what had happened, and how it had happened, and most of all, how he had let it happen.
Eadmund tried not to think of what he had done, or what he was about to do.
Nothing made sense, so he closed his eyes, imagining his wife as she arched her back, almost feeling her shudder against him.
Aleksander watched Jael talking to Ivaar. One of her least favourite people, he knew, but she was smiling and relaxed. It was good to see. The hall was packed full of relieved men and women, happy to all be back together again for a short while.
Just a short while.
Aleksander turned towards the doors, thinking that he wouldn’t mind a breath of fresh air, when he saw Marcus approaching. He wanted to move but he was wedged in between Berard and Ulf, and suddenly Marcus was there. He was such a tall, awkward man and Aleksander wasn’t sure that he was going to say anything at all, but he did.
‘Hanna said your name more than anything else while she was ill,’ Marcus said plainly, not completely sure what he was doing. ‘Over and over, she called out for you.’
Aleksander’s mouth fell open.
He really wanted that fresh air now.
‘So I thought you might have come to see her today.’
Closing his mouth, Aleksander swallowed. ‘I...’ He rubbed a hand over his dark beard. ‘I thought she would be too ill for visitors.’