The Marriage Medallion

by Christine Rimmer

  So much for Ragnild's dreams.

  And what, Brit wondered, was Valbrand doing right now?

  Really, there was so much she wanted—needed—to know. "Eric?"

  He made a noise that told her he was listening.

  "How old were you when you first met my brother?"

  He didn't answer for a moment. But the silence was a musing one. Then he said, "So young, I don't even remember a time when I didn't know him. I was two when he was born. And it seems, in my memory, that he is always there. We played together, from the time he was old enough to crawl. And then, for a while, it was the three of us."

  "Kylan, too?"

  "Yes. And then Kylan was gone. It was only us two again, your brother and me. From wooden swords to swords of steel. We shared the same teachers, in the classroom, in the training yard. We were bloodbound when I was twelve and he was ten—do you know what it means, to be bloodbound?"

  She repeated what she'd read in one of the books she'd found in the palace library about life in Gullandria. "To be bloodbound is to share with another a blood oath of loyalty and commitment. It's an oath that binds equals, makes them brothers in the truest sense—as opposed to bloodsworn, which binds one of lesser rank to a ruler or a leader."

  "You have it right."

  "I wonder…"

  "Ask."

  "Well, did Valbrand ever speak of us—of his sisters and his mother, in America?"

  There was complete silence, suddenly, as if the night itself held its breath.

  "Eric?" she prompted at last, when she was sure he would never answer.

  He said, "It was bad for Valbrand, when your mother left—you three princesses were only babies. He didn't know you. So your loss he could bear. But the loss of a mother… It leaves a ragged hole of longing, a scar that never completely heals. And then, so shortly after that, for him to lose your brother, Kylan, as well…" Eric's voice trailed off, as if no words could express how terrible that had been. "I was fourteen when my mother died. Valbrand got me through it. Because he knew. He understood…" Eric made a low sound. "And I haven't answered your question, have I?"

  Her question seemed unimportant by then. She was thinking how bad it must have been for Valbrand. And for Eric, too. Brit and her mother had issues—but the thought of Ingrid not being there… That would be way hard to get through. "It's okay. I can understand why he wasn't thinking much about his baby sisters."

  "The truth is, he did think of you. And he spoke of you. More and more often as we came into manhood. He spoke of the time he knew would come someday, when you and your sisters would venture across the sea to visit the land of your birth. He spoke now and then of going to visit you in America. But he never quite got around to it. I think, perhaps, there were traces of bitterness, still, within him—bitterness at your mother, for leaving him, for never coming back."

  "Bitterness…" Such a sad word. A word full of might have been, of if I had only, a word heavy with hurt and regret.

  "Only traces." Eric's voice was warm with reassurance. "Nothing that couldn't be healed, given time and tenderness. He wasn't a man to hold grudges, not a man to let bitterness own him. He was bigger … better than that."

  Was.

  How easily he spoke of her brother in the past tense. Was it shrewdness on his part, to maintain consistency with the original lie?

  Or merely the sad truth?

  No.

  She'd never believe that. She'd seen her brother. Valbrand still lived. All Eric Greyfell's clever lies wouldn't steal the truth she knew in her heart.

  She rolled to her right side, facing the dying fire—she would have rather faced the shadows, but her sore shoulder wouldn't let her. She stared at the glowing embers until sleep closed her eyes and carried her off into dreams again.

  * * *

  The next morning the clouds had cleared away. The sky was the startling blue of a newborn baby's eyes. They went to Ragnild's tent for an early breakfast of porridge and jerky.

  Eric was ordered to wait outside while Ragnild questioned Brit concerning his performance the night before.

  "How well did he pleasure you?" Ragnild demanded.

  Brit had her answer ready. "He is a lover without peer. I am well satisfied."

  Yeah, okay. The well-satisfied part was an outright lie. But from the kisses they'd shared, she felt justified in making the leap to calling him a good lover.

  As for the bit about him being without peer? Well, hey. That was one of the great things about Gullandria. You could call a man "without peer" and nobody would think you were being pretentious.

  Satisfied with Brit's answer, the camp leader allowed Eric to join them in the tent. Ragnild even granted him permission to sit with the rest of them and share the meal, as though he was more than a mere man, fit only to provide sexual pleasure and children.

  After the meal Ragnild had a fine mare—white, the cutest gray boots on her front hooves—brought from the camp's remuda.

  "For you, my daughter's cousin," said the leader proudly, stroking the mare's silky forehead. "May she carry you without stumbling, onward to meet your destiny."

  A horse was a very big gift—one that Brit accepted gratefully. A good horse would come in handy during her stay in the Vildelund. Also, having her own horse meant she wouldn't have to share a ride with Eric to get back to the village. They'd travel faster if they each had their own mount—not to mention that she could skip the forced intimacy of having his body pressed against her back for the next six or seven hours, providing a constant reminder of what she'd promised herself she was not going to do with him.

  "Thank you, Ragnild. Does this fine horse have a name?"

  "Svald."

  "And that means?"

  "Why, whatever you would have it mean." Brit took the reins.

  Rinda handed her three small, hard apples. "Here, cousin. A few apples always smooth the way between a horse and her new owner."

  Brit offered the apples to Svald. The mare lipped them up and chomped them, then nuzzled for more. Brit stroked her fine, sleek neck and blew in her nostrils.

  Eric said he'd help her to mount.

  "No, thanks. I can manage." She grabbed a handful of braided mane and hoisted herself to the horse's strong back. The muscles of her legs and buttocks complained. But the long soak in the hot spring the night before had helped a lot. The stiffness wasn't as bad as it might have been.

  Brit promised to visit again, and she and Eric set out through the trees.

  At the top of the first rise, they paused to survey the rugged, tree-covered land before them. Eric said, "You will have trouble finding those women again."

  "I know the way."

  He smiled. That smile warmed her—intentions to the contrary. "They will move camp now. They're probably packing things up as we speak."

  "But why?"

  "They live free. They can't allow outsiders to know where to find them."

  "They can trust us. We'd never betray them."

  "We? High praise." He was grinning.

  "I never mistrusted you. I know you're an honest man—well, except for that big lie you keep telling me about Valbrand." She put up a hand. "Don't say it. I don't need to hear it—and are you telling me I've found Ragnild and my cousin only to lose them again?"

  "You will see them, in the future. On that I would wager my best hunting rifle."

  "But you just said—"

  "That you would have trouble finding them again. I didn't say anything about them finding you. I'm certain they will, when next they feel a need to seek you out."

  They reached the village at a little past three that afternoon. Asta came running out, followed by her daughters-in-law and a chattering knot of children. There were glad cries of greeting and warm hugs all around.

  Mist grabbed Brit around the knees and squeezed. "Bwit, I miss you. Miss you, miss you, vewwy much…"

  Brit scooped her up and held her close. "Give me a big squeeze. See? I'm right here—and you are so st
rong!"

  The little one was already squirming to get down. Brit let her go with some reluctance, glancing up to see that Eric was watching, looking way too smug.

  Oh, right. Back to what a wonderful wife she was going to make. Because she loved kids and would no doubt be yearning to breed a passel of them. Yeah, sure. As in, don't hold your breath.

  Asta took her arm. "Eric, see to the horses. Brit, come inside immediately. I must check your bandage, and then you are to eat a hearty meal. After the meal no doubt you'll enjoy a trip to the bathhouse. And after that you'll have a long, healing night's rest."

  "Sounds terrific," said Brit. "Good food, a bath and some rest." She might as well drop the bombshell now. "I'll need all that to be fresh for the big day tomorrow."

  Asta's eyes narrowed. Eric looked bleak.

  "Oh," Brit said, with an offhand wave. "Sorry. I've been meaning to tell you. Tomorrow I'm heading for Drakveden Fjord. I want to have a look at what's left of my plane."

  * * *

  Chapter Nine

  « ^ »

  Asta let out a small cry of outrage. Then she started objecting. "Brit, you'll do no such thing. It isn't safe for you to be wandering all over the Vildelund."

  "My safety isn't the issue here. I'm going."

  "Of course your safety is the issue. You are the daughter of our king, and your life is precious above all else."

  "Asta. There's no sense in arguing about this. I'm heading out tomorrow at first light."

  "Eric." Asta was actually wringing her hands. "Talk to her."

  Eric looked as if he wouldn't mind strangling someone—and Brit had a good idea who that someone might be. "Take her inside," he commanded. "Feed her. I'll see to the horses. Then she and I will share an evening stroll."

  * * *

  The "evening stroll" happened an hour later, in waning daylight. And as it turned out, there was no strolling involved. Eric must have decided he didn't want to argue with her on the village street, where anyone might hear them going at each other. So he shooed the others out. They faced off as they had the morning before, alone in Asta's longhouse, on either side of the deal table.

  "What is the point of this?" Eric demanded. "You put yourself in harm's way for the mere thrill of it."

  "No, I do not. And there is a point, since you asked. I want to have a look at that plane."

  "To what purpose?"

  "I want to see what was done to it, to make it lose oil pressure out of nowhere like that."

  "Ah," he sneered. "Not only a licensed pilot, but an airplane mechanic, as well."

  "I just want to have a look, okay? I just want to see if I can—"

  "No." His voice was carefully controlled—but his expression was thunderous. "It is not, in any way, okay."

  "Well, fine. It's not okay. But I'm going, so get used to the idea."

  "You will learn nothing. And you might very well get yourself killed."

  "So be it. A little danger I can handle. It's way preferable to hanging around here, twiddling my thumbs, getting the brush-off every time I dare to ask a question about my brother." She was leaning toward him, knuckles braced on the table. "Unless…"

  He looked bleak. "Tell me."

  "Well, I might be willing to change my mind, if you were to decide you're finally ready to trust me. If you'd agree to take me to my brother…"

  "How can I do that? Your brother is dead."

  "You keep saying that. Why don't I believe it?"

  "You don't want to believe it."

  "That's right. I don't. Because it's not true."

  They enjoyed a short, angry stare down.

  Brit was the one who looked away. She pushed herself back from the table and stood fully upright, wrapping her arms around herself, turning from him, toward the stove. "I'm sick of it." She tossed the words over her shoulder. "I'm through with it. I'm not going to learn anything more staying here."

  "Your injury—"

  She whirled on him. "Is better. Better every day. Yes, it's still tender. But it's not going to stop me from doing what I need to do. I prevented a rape yesterday. I was slapped to the ground by a big, bossy kvina soldar. I rode bareback for hours—yesterday and today. My shoulder is no worse for all the activity. Don't you even try to use it as an excuse to keep me here. There is nothing more for me to do here. I've asked all my questions and I've gotten too few answers. I've got to look elsewhere. Otherwise, what's left for me but to return to my father's palace with nothing to show for all I've been through but an ugly burden of guilt over my dead guide and a gross-looking scar from a renegade's poisoned arrow?"

  The look of fury had left his face. Now he regarded her with dangerous tenderness. "There could be more than that. There could be—"

  "I know where you're going." She was shaking her head. "Don't." Just because she couldn't stop imagining what it might be like to roll around on the bed furs with him didn't mean she was ready to wear his medallion and bear his children.

  When she bound her life to a man, that man was going to respect her as a full equal. And he was always going to be able to trust her with the truth.

  He was coming around the table toward her. He stopped about three inches away.

  She groaned. "Why am I always standing here waiting when you get to me?"

  He lifted a hand.

  She should have backed away. But as usual, she didn't.

  His finger brushed the line of her jaw, leaving delicious little tingles of longing in its wake. "Perhaps you like it, when I'm near you."

  She lifted her chin and looked at him dead-on. "Maybe I do. Maybe I wish…" Oh, what was she saying?

  "Don't stop now." His voice had gone velvety, lovely, warm.

  She pushed his tender hand away and stepped back as she should have a moment before. "Forget all that. What you need to accept right now is that tomorrow I am going to have a look at my plane. Short of locking me up and throwing the key away, you're not going to stop me."

  He was looking bleak again. "It's more than thirty kilometers from here, over rough, steep terrain. The hazards are endless. You won't only have to worry about the occasional renegade and other fierce bands of kvina soldars. There are also large meat-eating animals with sharp claws and long teeth."

  "In case you haven't figured it out by now, I've spent my life going to places where the terrain is rugged, the animals predatory and the locals restless. And yet, here I am. In one piece. And ready to go."

  He was the one who stepped back then. "There is no stopping you, is there?"

  "Finally. You're getting it."

  He gave her one of those long, unwavering looks—to let her know he was about to make a point that would not be negotiable. "If you're going, I am going with you."

  She smiled then.

  He grunted. "So. That was your plan all along."

  "Well…"

  "What?"

  "I have to admit, the idea makes me a little edgy. You know how it is with us…" She let him finish that thought for himself. "I don't need the distraction. However, you know the way and I don't. I can use a good guide, not to mention…"

  "What?" he prompted, when she didn't finish.

  She shrugged. "You're quick and strong. I have no doubt you know how to handle a weapon. You're a good man to have on my side if I have to fight my way out of a sticky situation."

  He didn't look happy, exactly. But he definitely looked a little less fed up. "Let us hope for good weather, for an absence of 'sticky situations.'"

  "Hope for the best, be ready for the worst. It's the only way to go, if you ask me."

  * * *

  They set out at six the next morning, before the sun crested the hills to the east. Asta had loaned Brit a saddle. She stood outside to tell them goodbye.

  "Bad weather coming," she warned, as they mounted the horses. "If you must go, then leave on the morrow."

  "Oh, Asta." Brit stroked the side of Svald's sleek neck. "Come on. There's not a cloud in the sky."

&nbs
p; Eric, on a muscular gelding, gestured at the barometer beside the front door. "Falling fast." Brit only looked at him. He turned to his aunt. "It appears the coming storm will not stop us. We are going today."

  Asta's frown deepened, but she said no more. She stood out in the street and waved as they rode away. Pure foolishness, she'd called the venture the night before, when she returned to her house to learn that Eric had failed to talk Brit out of going. An idiot's quest.

  To a certain degree, Brit had to agree with her. But she wasn't going to learn a damn thing sitting around the Mystic village, being coddled by Asta and the other women, getting no answers to her questions, daydreaming too much about Eric while she plucked the occasional game bird and helped Sif with the wash.

  And wait another day in case the weather turned bad? No, thanks. A little rain wasn't going to slow her down. And, anyway, it was warmer than it had been. Felt like in the low forties already. A much more pleasant temperature for traveling than yesterday or the day before.

  She felt eager. Ready. Felt … a sort of happy shiver running beneath her skin to think that they were on the way.

  She glanced at the man on the gelding beside her. Taking her daydreams right along with her. Oh, yes, she was. Hey. Couldn't be helped. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. She needed a guide, and he knew his way around the Vildelund.

  They rode with the rising sun at their backs until they reached the forest that rimmed the village and its fields. About a mile into the deep, cold shadows of the tall trees, the trail came to a three-way fork. Eric laid his reins to the gelding's neck and the horse, bridle wise, took the right fork, to the north. Brit followed his lead.

  At first the horses jogged easily on level ground, the trail wide enough that they could ride side by side. But soon enough they began climbing. The trail narrowed and Brit fell in at the rear. Above, through the lacy branches of the trees, clouds gathered. The wind was rising.

  For a couple of hours it was much the same kind of travel as the day before and the day before that—up and down the sides of steep hills, on trails that led them in zigzagging switchbacks—much the same, only darker and windier.