Avelynn
Page 32
A long time passed as I lay in the coarse grass. I sat up, peeling away a crushed blade from my cheek. The sun was low on the horizon. It would soon be dusk. I leaned against the tree, feeling its strong, silent support, and listened. Insects buzzed. Birds sang softly in the branches overhead. My breath was deep and slow.
How could I convince Alrik to stay? How could I convince his men? I plucked a shaft of grass and twirled it around my fingers. There were plenty of wealthy villages along the southern and western coasts of Wales. The Welsh were long an enemy of England, and Alrik could make hasty attacks on their settlements and walk away with enough plunder to appease his men. And the women of Wedmore would need husbands. Men, whether Saxon or Viking, were always looking for women. Perhaps I could convince the Vikings to settle here. There was plenty of game and fish at hand.
Gods, I was being ridiculous.
Yet the idea persisted. What if it worked? Why should I run away like a coward with my tail between my legs? I had done nothing wrong. My predicament was the fault of two men, Osric and Demas.
I looked at my mother’s grave. The bastards had taken away everything important to me—my family, my home, and my freedom—yet rather than fight, I was fleeing like a frightened rabbit hiding from the boar. I was not a rabbit. I had never been a rabbit. Somehow, I would prove my innocence and take back my freedom.
Catching movement, I turned my head to the right. Where once the boar had stood, snorting and pawing at the ground, a timid doe stepped into the fading sunlight. Her large, beautiful eyes met mine. Forgiveness, love, fortitude, and peace enveloped me. I was certain the doe smiled and nodded before she turned and disappeared into the bush.
“What are you staring at?” Alrik said, striding into the clearing.
I stood, smiling. “A gift from my mother.”
He wrapped his arms around my waist. “Then you found what you came here for?”
“Yes,” I said, letting him draw me close. “Faith and the strength to keep fighting.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Marissa Campbell is the coauthor of the award-winning self-help book Life: Living in Fulfillment Every Day. She is a proud member of the Historical Novel Society and an ERYT Hatha Yoga instructor and studio owner of Pure Intention Yoga. Campbell lives in Ontario, Canada. You can sign up for email updates here.
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
THOMAS DUNNE BOOKS.
An imprint of St. Martin’s Press.
AVELYNN. Copyright © 2015 by Marissa Campbell. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.thomasdunnebooks.com
www.stmartins.com
Cover design by Lisa Marie Pompilio
Cover photographs: girl © Jill Battaglia/Arcangel Images; hair extension © Guzel Studio/Shutterstock; boat © Ted Spiegel/Corbis; bird © Kichigin/Shutterstock; water © Simone Byrne/Arcangel Images; sky © Grisha Bruev/Shutterstock
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN 978-1-250-08498-9 (trade paperback)
ISBN 978-1-250-06393-9 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4668-6889-2 (e-book)
e-ISBN 9781466868892
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First Edition: September 2015