Ever since the volcano had erupted, the lights had taken on a greater brilliance of orange, red, green and purple, and it was a joy just to watch them shift and swirl across the nighttime expanse. It was hard to see them as some ominous portender of doom when they were so incredibly beautiful.
Valdyr’s voice interrupted her contemplation.
“I suppose you believe that your Christian God is responsible for all of this?” he asked, motioning with his hand to include both the undulating sky lights and the mountain in the distance now glowing red-orange in the deep twilight.
She answered with a question of her own. “I suppose you believe that a quarreling multitude of gods did?”
He gave her an enigmatic look. “I don’t believe in anything but what I can see, taste or feel.”
A thoughtful smile turned up her lips. “Even the simplest minds know that something can’t exist without having first been created, and yours is no simple mind.”
At his look of surprise, she wondered what had made her say such a thing. He frowned.
“And what of the other gods we have encountered in our years? What makes you think that this Christian God is the right one?”
How could she explain?
“My sisters and I have our differences of opinion, but we always manage to work things out peacefully.”
His frown deepened. “What has that to do with the Christian God?”
She turned from studying the sky to watching his face in the deepening darkness. Keeping her voice low so as not to disturb the others, she told him, “My father loves us all. Although Brita and I know that he favors Astrid more, he never takes sides in our arguments. But we have no doubt that he would step in if things became physical.”
One blond brow winged its way upward. “Are you equating your father with this god, then?”
She smiled slightly, pleased that he was following along with what she was trying to say while not totally understanding.
“Only in the fact that God, the true God, loves all of His children. The fact that some have been swayed to other beliefs is not His fault. From the beginning of time, God has made His presence known—first, through the world He has created, and finally through His written word. His children make war amongst themselves, but He does not step in and take over to bring them to Him. Each one is certain that their way is right. God has given us free will to make that choice on our own. In His written word it tells us that God does not show favoritism.”
“Unlike Odin or Thor.”
Mist nodded her head in agreement, watching his face. The glow from the crackling fire added bright planes and dark shadows to his features, the reflected light in his eyes making them glow with an almost unearthly sheen.
“I think I understand what you are saying, but it still does not explain how you know that this Christian religion is the right one.”
She was frustrated that she didn’t have the words to make him understand. And why was he suddenly so interested? Was he beginning to doubt his choice of wife?
“It is hard to explain the feelings that you experience when you accept the sacrifice of the Christ and know that the relationship between you and God, the Father, has been restored.”
It was also hard to explain the up and down emotions when struggling to follow the way of the Lord despite what she had always been taught. She believed in the Christian God, yet she struggled daily. Would she ever be as clear in her beliefs as Drustan?
Valdyr let out a deep sigh and turned to watch the bubbling cauldron in the distance. The lengthening silence grew uncomfortable, and Mist shifted nervously as she watched him from under lowered lashes. What was the man thinking that had turned his face to stone? Did he sense her own doubts and insecurities?
“Get some sleep,” he told her, the curious inflection in his voice making her frown.
Every time she thought they were growing closer to an understanding, something seemed to drive them apart. She couldn’t help but wonder if it was the Christian God. Well, she could remember Drustan’s admonition not to align herself with an unbeliever. For what has light to do with darkness? The words echoed around in her mind like the sound that echoed back at her from the surrounding mountains. But what about obedience to her father?
Crawling into the tent that Valdyr had erected for her, Mist pulled the bear pelt over her shivering form and settled close to the opening where the fire still burned. Tiredness overwhelmed her. In the moment before she dropped into a deep sleep, drifting in a world of semiwakefulness, she felt a featherlight brush across her forehead that warmed her more thoroughly than the crackling fire.
Chapter 7
Mist slowly awakened to loud voices in the semidarkness. The sun was still hours away from full daylight. Valdyr must have decided to leave early.
Giving a soft groan, she groggily pushed herself up to a sitting position and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, stifling a desire to sleep longer. The cold quickly wrapped her in its chilling arms when she pushed off the bear pelt. Shivering, she pulled her white fox cape from the stack of bedding and wrapped it around her shoulders. Every bone in her body ached from lying on the cold, hard ground, despite the pelts she had used for her bed.
Stretching like an Egyptian cat, she wondered what Valdyr was arguing with the men about, and who would have the audacity to disagree with him in the first place.
A vaguely familiar voice separated itself from the others and brought her to instant wakefulness. She blinked her eyes, trying to see the man who was now speaking to Valdyr.
The man stepped closer to the light of the dwindling fire, and Mist caught her breath. She scrambled hastily to her feet, any ideas of further sleep totally forgotten. Pushing out of the tent, she stumbled forward.
“Lord Finn!”
Finn’s family owned one of the farms on the far side of the island, the side that had been devastated by the volcano. Although he was not blood family, it was good to see him alive and well.
He turned to her, the frown on his face transforming instantly into a broad smile. Although near her father in age, Finn was still lean and muscled. One eye was covered by a patch from a battle that had left him with a scar that ran down the length of his face. His gaze settled on her, bringing back memories she had been trying hard to forget.
He was a keen leader in battle, his fierce look bolstering courage in a wavering heart. He had done that for her when her arms had grown weak and the battle had seemed lost; she had a great respect for him and that reverence had rung forth when she called his name.
“Mist! I did not expect to see you here!”
The delight in his voice was unmistakable. Valdyr glanced suspiciously from one to the other, and Mist hastened to explain.
“Lord Finn fought with us in the battle at Hafrsfjord,” she told him, joining them by the fire.
Finn’s face turned serious. “I heard about your fall,” he commiserated, frost rings forming in the cold morning air when he spoke.
“Odin must have favored you to allow you to return to the land of the living.”
Several warriors were standing behind Finn, including his son, Knut, who was glowering at her, his handsome bearded face marred by a longstanding hate. She had dented his pride by besting him once in a sword fighting contest, and he had never forgotten, nor forgiven, her.
“More than likely Odin’s Valkyries refused to take her to Valhalla,” he sneered, and several of the men chuckled at his wit.
Mist settled a glare on each of the smirking men. “It was not Odin who saved me, but a monk from Eire who serves the one true God.”
There was instant silence at this pronouncement followed by a discontented murmuring from the men behind Knut.
“It is likely her fault that the gods are against us. She has embraced that heathen religion of the English,” Knut
announced. The murmuring increased, and seeing that he had received a favorable response, he continued, “We should take her to the top of the mountain and throw her in. Mayhap the gods would then be appeased.”
Before Mist could answer him, Valdyr stepped between them, his hand resting on his broadsword. His quiet voice rumbled with lethal intent. “Mayhap you would like to try.”
If Mist could best Knut in a sword fight, she had no doubt of the outcome should he test Valdyr in such a way. Knut must have been thinking much the same thing. Some of the bravado left his face at Valdyr’s fierce countenance.
The men behind Knut reached for their swords, as did Valdyr’s men.
“Hold!” Finn commanded, glancing from Knut to Valdyr, recognizing the threat to his son. “Be silent, Knut,” he commanded, his fierce expression causing his own men to slowly sheath their weapons. He turned to Mist. “I beg pardon for my son, Mist. His mouth often works faster than his head.”
Mist fought to keep from making some scathing statement of agreement. Knut had always been a bully, and she doubted he would ever change. His pride was one day going to be his undoing.
She pushed aside the voice inside her head reminding her that she had been very like him not so long ago and turned her attention to the older man.
“Why are you here, Finn?”
He blew out a frustrated breath. “Our farm was hit by the lava. It moved so fast that we didn’t have time to do more than grab what we could and run. I fear all of our livestock is lost. But more than that, my youngest son was herding the sheep near the mountain when it erupted.” His voice lowered until Mist had to strain to hear it. “I fear he is lost, as well.”
As the sunlight increased, Mist could now make out a larger group of people standing farther away. She recognized Finn’s wife, her face wreathed in anguish, standing next to a younger woman, who was carrying a babe. Their long kirtles were almost black from ash, their hustrinet headwear, as well.
“We were able to take few supplies with us so we have been searching out game, of which there is very little. If we cannot find something soon...”
He left the words unsaid, and Mist laid a hand on his arm in sympathy. She turned to Valdyr, only to find that his attention was still on Knut. “We have brought supplies, Finn. They are in Valdyr’s ship that is in the fjord that joins this river.” At his look of appreciation, she warned him, “The supplies will not last long. If there are others in the same fix, we will need to share with them, as well.”
He nodded in agreement. “I understand. At least it will give us a little more time to decide what to do.”
“Where will you go?” Valdyr asked, finally releasing Knut from his stare.
“Farther inland. The land there is not as favorable for farming, but it will have to do. It will just mean working a little harder.”
“Not for me,” Knut disagreed. “I intend to go back to Norway and leave this desolate place.”
His father glared at him. “And where will you go? The land there is already taken. There is nothing for you there.”
The young woman who had been standing near Finn’s wife came forward still clutching the baby. She smiled hesitantly at Knut. “And how will we get there, my husband?”
He glared down at her. “I have already made plans. You will stay here with my father.”
Her face whitened at his angry voice, and she hurriedly stepped away. Finn placed a consoling hand on her shoulder. “It is all right, Iliana. We will discuss this later.”
Knut looked as if he was about to argue but the look on his father’s face made him hesitate. Nostrils flaring, he pressed his lips tightly together and stomped away in the direction of the fjord. The others, one by one, slowly began to follow after him, except Finn.
Mist glanced at Iliana sympathetically as she passed. Having such a husband, the woman needed all the prayers that she could get, and since Mist was the only one in the vicinity who had even a hint of a relationship with God, she decided then and there to add Iliana to her daily prayers.
“We are grateful for your assistance,” Finn told Valdyr. Respect bloomed in Valdyr’s eyes, and he nodded his acceptance of the older man’s gratitude. He watched as Finn turned and followed after his people. Valdyr glanced down at Mist.
“Let us go, as well. I no longer have a desire to see inside the mountain.”
Relieved, Mist followed him back to the ship. As she walked along, she lifted up praise to God for keeping her family safe, as well as asking mercy for Lord Finn and his clan. Although Knut had belittled her faith, Lord Finn had looked at her with a wealth of respect, giving her hope that she might be able to someday reach some of her people with the saving truth of Christ.
* * *
Valdyr kept watch on the one called Knut. He hadn’t missed the enmity for Mist radiating from the young man’s eyes. What had she done to incite such a reaction? The only thing that came to mind was that she had at one time rejected his suit.
The woman of his thoughts was striding along at his side, deep in thought, as well. If the mountain were to explode again, he doubted it would catch her attention. What was on her mind that had her so absorbed?
She hurried forward to catch up to Finn’s wife and daughter-in-law. He couldn’t hear their words, but the other two women smiled, and Iliana placed her child in Mist’s reaching arms. There was such a look of longing on Mist’s face as she smiled down at the babe that Valdyr felt his breath catch at the sight. The woman would make a wonderful mother, unlike his own, who had divorced his father when Bjorn was just a child. With each passing day he became more certain that he and Mist would have a good life together, and he was becoming more impatient to begin that life.
Egil had told him that she had agreed to the marriage only on the condition that she would be given time to get to know her future husband, and she was steadfast in her determination not to enter into that contract before the autumn harvest. He wanted to think of a way to make her change her mind. Mayhap he could work on her father, instead.
It had taken them hours to trek inland, and now it would take even longer to return to the ship traveling with Finn’s weary band.
Whenever they stopped to rest, Mist would return the child to its mother and Mist and Iliana would sit with their heads close together. What they found to talk about, Valdyr had no idea, but it was apparent they had formed a bond of friendship in the short time they had been together. He realized that he had never seen Mist laugh with such abandon. Just the sound of it lightened his heart and brought a smile to his face.
The sun was beginning to set in vivid shades of orange and red when they finally reached the peaceful fjord where his ship was resting on the cold blue water.
His men, however, having seen the throng of people headed their way, were fully armed and ready for battle, their iron swords gleaming in the waning sun.
Valdyr shoved his way to the head of the band to forestall any aggression on his men’s part and to assure them of their safety. When they saw him, they lowered their swords ever so slowly, ready to raise them at his command.
Seeing the ship and knowing that supplies were waiting, Finn’s band began to push onward only to stop as those guarding the ship raised their swords threateningly once more.
“Peace, Amund,” he called to his second in command, and the other man turned from studying the group to Valdyr himself. Amund’s bearded face gave away nothing of his thoughts and feelings. Broad muscles that had been tensed for battle slowly eased.
Finn joined Valdyr beside the ship. “What do you need us to do?” he asked.
Busy searching out Mist’s location, he barely heard the man. He finally spotted her holding Iliana’s child, Iliana and Finn’s wife by her side. Knut stood farther away with a group of men.
Satisfied that Knut was nowhere near Mist, Valdyr turned back to Finn
and said, “Why don’t your men help us unload some of the supplies and then we will help you set up camp for the night.”
Finn rattled off commands to his people and after several moments of confusion, they were organized into various groups, some to make a fire, others to set up sleeping arrangements and still others to parcel out the food.
When everything was finally situated to Finn’s satisfaction, Mist approached him, and Valdyr tensed, still uncertain of the man’s relationship to her. He hadn’t missed the wealth of feeling in her greeting to the older man.
“Lord Finn, your family is welcome to come to my father’s farm for shelter. Winter is fast approaching and you will not have time to set up your home.”
Finn shook his head. “No, Mist, but I thank you. There will be others in the same situation, looking for new land to settle and there is precious little of that left. We need to find someplace of our own.”
Valdyr could well understand his reasoning. It would not go well with such a leader to become someone else’s chattel, and that is what it would seem if he had to be someone’s tenant farmer. He watched the other man struggle with whatever he wanted to say. Finn finally continued.
“I would send my wife, daughter and grandchild with you.”
“No!”
Finn’s wife hurried to his side. “I will not go without you. Where you go, I will go.”
“You will do as I say, Edda.”
Although the words were harsh, the look in Finn’s eyes as he stared down at his wife was in direct contrast. She looked as though she was about to argue, but then pressed her lips together and remained silent. Without any words, the two carried on a conversation that only they could understand. Valdyr envied them that closeness. Did it come from years of being together, or was it a result of the love they so obviously shared? He scoffed inwardly. Since when had he started giving such consideration to that particular emotion? He glanced across at Mist and realized that he had his answer.
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