“Gertrude? Are you awake and decent?”
“I’m dressed.”
He came into the cabin carrying a plate full of sliced meat and cheese. “We should eat. It’s nearly time to meet Dormand.” He set the plate down on the bunk and sat down next to it, picking up some meat and stuffing it in his mouth. “Are you prepared for this?” he asked.
“Prepared for what--talking with them and making a plan? Yes, I’m quite prepared for that, the sooner the better.” I wrapped my arms around my knees watching Kafir warily.
“What’s wrong with you?”
“Nothing’s wrong. I’m cold, that’s all.”
“You seem…you seem afraid of me.”
When my eyes met his I saw the man I knew, his eyebrows pulled together in concern. “I was afraid. Earlier you were…”
“I know what I was. I should have warned you; I get like that when I’m sleep deprived.” He held out the plate. “Eat now. We could have a trip in store for us tonight.”
I did as he asked, realizing I was starving. “Where might we go?”
“We’ll go where Dormand leads. Could be to the castle or somewhere else to get information. I’ve told him it’s been two full days since Adair took Rifak, and Dormand agrees that the longer we wait the harder it will be to track them.”
My heart sank. It seemed forever since I’d seen my baby or held him in my arms. I was crying, the tears coming soundlessly and dripping into my mouth. When I felt Kafir’s hand on my arm I turned toward him, allowing myself to be held.
***
By the time we found our way to the tunnel leading to the great hall the sun had disappeared, leaving a chill that filled me with dread. When I asked Kafir about the flying creature he reassured me that they were harmless, feeding on small crustaceans and lichen that clung to the mountainsides. And yes, they were a type of dragon, he added, but the larger of their kind had disappeared long ago. “So they aren’t the creatures you were worried about awakening?”
Kafir didn’t answer for a moment, seeming to choose his words carefully. “There used to be an enormous and vicious wolf-like creature called Hati living inside these mountains. It’s killed many dwarves over the years. No one has seen it for a while but that doesn’t mean it’s gone. Best to be wary.”
Following him down the dank and narrow tunnel my mind began to spin—a vicious wolf-like creature. Kafir seemed to pick up on my mood, reaching back with his hand. “Take hold of me, the footing gets treacherous up ahead.”
Even holding on to him I wasn’t prepared for the uneven rocks, the holes that we couldn’t see and the openings where the tunnel wall disappeared, leaving a yawning blackness. Several times pebbles and small rocks were dislodged under our feet, careening into the abyss where I never heard them hit bottom. It seemed like hours before Kafir stopped in front of me. “We’re almost there. Try and go quietly.”
“What is it?” I hissed into his ear.
He didn’t answer me, striding forward and placing his feet with care. It was only a short while before I heard voices, my heart finally leaving my throat. When we came into the light I was unprepared for the grandeur of the great hall. The tunnel opened out into a cavernous room filled with lit candles, some of which seemed to be hovering in the air. Dark tapestries adorned the circular walls, a wooden table with ornate candelabras stretching from one end to the other. Every seat was filled and as we came into view they all stood, Dormand pushing back his chair to lead us to a place of honor on either side of the throne-like chair at the head.
“Hreidmar will be joining us soon so we thought to place you two close to where he will sit.”
I sat across from Kafir, my gaze travelling down the table. There must have been thirty dwarves sitting there, every pair of eyes trained on us. They were dressed in leather armor shining in the candlelight, their thick hair tied back. Looking down at my clothes I saw that my dress was filthy, my dressy shawl left behind on Gypsy. I hadn’t thought to rearrange my hair since the night of the kidnapping and it was dirty and unbraided and full of tangles. Not the proper way to greet a king, I thought nervously. I caught Kafir’s eye, pointing to my hair and clothes, but he only smiled and shrugged.
When I picked up the filled cup in front of me, taking a hefty swallow, I nearly choked. I had expected ale but this was a lot more potent, more like a planter’s punch. I put the cup down carefully, trying to keep from coughing. I heard several chuckles coming from down the table.
A hush came over the men and I turned my head to see somone walking out of the far recesses of the room. He was not quite as short as the others and handsome, with curly dark hair that fell to his wide shoulders. On his head was a gold crown embedded with rubies, their facets sparkling in the candlelight.
“Oh ho! What’s this?” he asked, approaching the table. At that every person at the table stood, their heads bowed in deference. I followed their lead, my eyes demurely down, despite wanting to stare at the king.
“Oh come, come,” Hreidmar said, clapping his hands, “no need for such formality—we are all friends here. Except that I am not acquainted with this lovely human female.”
When I looked up my gaze was met with Hreidmar’s deep green eyes. There was an intensity there that unnerved me for a second. He was more than handsome, he was beguiling and charming, pulling me into his aura like a fly to sugar. The next thing I knew he had taken my hand and was pressing his lips against my palm. It tingled in a way that I could not ignore; my face went hot. “I’m Gertrude,” I said in a voice that didn’t sound like mine.
“Gertrude? What a wonderful name! Would you be my wife?”
“Well, I …I…”
Hreidmar roared with laughter at my discomfiture, his eyes closing for a moment. “You do not have to answer me today—but consider this, Gertrude: I could find your son while you lived in exotic splendor in my castle giving me much pleasure. And when we find your boy I am sure he would be very happy to join us. I have many rooms and an underground garden filled with all manner of flowers and animals.”
My blush deepened, my eyes searching out Kafir. The expression on his face was unreadable, his eyes narrow and dark. But in the next moment he was standing and addressing the king.
“It is a very great honor to see you again, Hreidmar. It has been far too many years.”
Hreidmar pulled his eyes away from me. “Ah, it is you, Kafir. How is it that you bring the loveliest women to my kingdom? Who was it the last time—Ella? She was your wife, if I am not mistaken.”
Kafir’s face paled, his hand going toward the knife he carried on his belt. “Ella is now with another.”
“And your sons? What has become of them?”
Kafir’s full mouth turned thin and I could see it took every bit of his strength to keep himself composed. “My sons live with Ella and her current man.”
The king laughed derisively. “And you put up with this? I would never allow my sons to be brought up by another man, especially one who stole my wife.”
“He didn’t. . . I mean he…”
“Enough of this,” Hreidmar said, sitting down. “It is time to eat and drink and then we will speak of what it is you ask of me. That is, as long as this beautiful creature stays within my view.” When he turned to me, his eyes alight with mischief, I had to admit I was smitten.
The dinner seemed to stretch on and on, the king plying me with every delicacy brought in by the servants and telling me stories about his castle. It did sound quite amazing and I was looking forward to seeing it, especially the gardens he described. Kafir spoke with the man on his right, trying to ignore us, but I felt his eyes on me several times during the course of the evening.
Finally the king turned toward the dwarves, addressing them in an imperial voice. “Now we will hear this man’s proposal,” he said, pointing toward Kafir, “and find out why he would think we would harbor someone such as Adair in our midst.”
I turned my head sharply to see Kafir’s reaction to this
statement, knowing how it would anger him. His face was very red, the knife hidden in his palm.
“I do not think you or your soldiers would harbor the sorceress, Hreidmar. I only came to ask for your help. It is this woman who has lost her son, not I, and from what I’ve seen this evening I would hazard a guess that you would be willing to help her.”
“Damn your impertinence, Kafir! How I behave is none of your concern. And I would very much appreciate it if you would refer to me as King Hreidmar—no one but my closest family does otherwise. Gertrude is an attractive woman who is dining in my company. She is not your wife nor does she have plans to be—especially since you have told me straight out that you’re still married, despite your wife’s infidelity. I find your behavior bewildering and asinine.”
A second later Kafir lunged toward Hreidmar, the knife slipping neatly into the man’s upper chest. The king didn’t cry out, only pressing his hand there to staunch the blood. His velvet robe turned dark before one of the dwarves brought a rag and helped him up. “Get this man out of my sight,” the king said, his teeth gritted. A second later Kafir was dragged from the hall by three stout dwarves. He didn’t look back.
I sat at the table in a state of shock, agitated murmuring going on all around me. Hreidmar had gone--taken away to be treated. When Dormand touched my shoulder I jumped.
“Gertrude, may I escort you back to the boat?”
Without looking up I nodded. I stood, swaying a little before Dormand steadied me, his arm under mine.
We were on our way up the tunnel when he said, “Kafir may not have mentioned the history between himself and Hreidmar.”
“No, he didn’t, but I wish he had because…”
“They have had run-ins in the past,” Dormand interrupted, “but I thought perhaps this time they might get on with one another. They are both proud men and obviously have not forgiven one another.”
“For what?”
“You heard the king mention Kafir’s wife? Ella became very involved with Hreidmar. He has a certain charisma that’s hard to resist.”
Tell me about it, I thought to myself. “Did I cause what happened tonight?”
“This was not your doing. It has been brewing for many years. There has always been tension between them—maybe because they’re too much alike, but the talk about Kafir’s wife is what set fire to the embers.”
“Did they…I mean, did she…?”
“No one knows. She spent many hours alone with the king while Kafir was doing his trading and when he got back he couldn’t find her. You can imagine the scene.”
Oh yes, I could from what I was discovering about Kafir. “What will happen to him? Where have they taken him?”
“Dungeon.”
This entire set-up was like a dungeon to me, with dark rock for walls. I didn’t like the airlessness and knowing I was deep underground. “Can we get him out?”
Dormand didn’t answer as he steered me into the open. It was completely dark with no moon in sight and I held on tightly to his arm as we headed toward Gypsy. My heart was pounding now and I felt a rising terror about the future. My son was missing and now Kafir was gone as well. I was stuck here with no means of getting home or of finding Rifak.
The Otherworld-2010
The sea was rough, whitecaps riding the tips as they rolled in and out. Airmid played in the sand, a suit of wool covering her from head to toe. Maeve kept a close eye on the baby, her peripheral vision on Harold. “What’s wrong?” she finally asked after watching him pace back and forth for nearly an hour.
“Something’s heating up,” he told her, stopping to stare out to sea.
“Something…you mean like war?”
“No, nothing that serious. But the druids are massing in groups and I’ve also noticed Dagda and several of his soldiers coming over to the Caer Sidi from the east.”
“I don’t like it when you leave, Harold. I miss you.”
Harold turned, seeming to notice her for the first time. He came close, planting a firm kiss on her lips. “I wouldn’t go if I didn’t have to, but I’m part of the peace-keeping force.”
“I know that and if it wasn’t for our baby I’d be by your side. After all it was my doing that brought peace to this place,” she added, grumpily.
“There’s a major storm coming in. We should take Airmid inside before the rain starts.”
On the way up the trail toward the house Maeve noticed Argyll grazing. His head lifted as they walked past. “Do you want to bring him in tonight?”
Harold shook his head. “He prefers to be out in the elements and besides I need to get an early start in the morning.”
“Do you think this has anything to do with Adair or Gertrude? No one’s mentioned anything since Eron’s revelations.”
“It could. Maybe Adair’s come back.”
Chapter Eight
Nidavellir-2451
I slept badly, waking before the sun came up. Heading up the ladder I noticed that heavy dew had fallen, the deck a slippery mess. Carefully I made my way to the cockpit, sitting down on the seat and staring hopelessly into the gray mist. From the last thing Dormand told me before leaving me to row the pram back to Gypsy, it would take a lot of pleading with Hreidmar to get Kafir released. And according to Dormand even this might not be enough because of the animosity between the two men. I had a feeling there might be payment involved and I didn’t want to go that route, especially with the urgency I felt about my baby. I thought for a moment about leaving Kafir where he was and attempting to elicit help from Dormand, but a second later I knew this would never work. Kafir and Dormand were close friends and I was nobody in this place. And this Kafir had become a stranger who acted impulsively without regard to his own life or the mission we were on. He was tightly wound with shifting moods I couldn’t keep up with.
When the fog lifted I went below, brewing tea and trying to get my thoughts together. Dormand had told me that he and the others would help, but it would be up to me to keep Kafir from being tortured or worse since he and the others couldn’t go against their king. Luckily Hreidmar was interested in me, something I hoped to use to my advantage.
A massive headache started up behind my eyes, leaving me breathless for a moment. And then I registered the intense pressure in my chest—how many days had it been? Of course I had no drugs to help with either of these afflictions, but maybe some of the herbs Kafir had brought along might help. When I searched through his things several unlabeled packets fell out. Using my nose I recognized the sage—an herb used to dry up breast milk. When I reached in again my fingers came into contact with a small box. When I pulled it out I thought it was a music box but upon opening it I noticed it was for keepsakes. Inside was a lock of hair, a baby-sized slipper and another letter. This one was on vellum and written in another hand.
Dearest Ella,
I know I haven’t been the model husband but you must know and understand that I love you and don’t want to be separated from you and the boys. Dughall is certainly a decent man but he is not the father of our children. What happened with Hreidmar is in the past and I forgive you for that. But why have you taken it into your head to move so that I have no chance to see you or my boys? What you have done has hurt me more than I can say and has made me into a bitter person. I thought we would be together forever—because isn’t that what we told each other? Please come back.
Your loving husband always,
Kafir
This letter had never been sent and looked as though it had been written recently. The paper seemed new and I wondered where he got it. There was no paper of this kind in Fell or in any other place I knew of in this backward world. Of course Gypsy could cross through time so he could have collected it during one of his trading trips.
I heated water, added the sage and then sat on the couch drinking several cups of the hot liquid as I tried to make sense of things. No wonder he disappeared all the time—he was searching for Ella. Your loving husband always. Kafir loved
Ella and that was the end of it.
It was more than an hour later that I summoned the will to dress and leave the boat. I had thought to use the cards but there was no time for this. I tightened the laces of my chemise, hoping the pressure would help, but my heart ached as I imagined feeding Rifak, his curls resting against me. I fixed my hair as best I could without a proper mirror, braiding it to fall across one shoulder and then pulled on the white dress Tara had made for me, tying the leather belt tight around my waist. It was time to impress a king.
***
I headed to the great hall, hoping to find someone who would take me to King Hreidmar’s castle. From what the king had told me the castle was not far, set into a part of the mountain where the waterways flowed. An underground river fed into pools and he had devised a series of pipes to bring it into the rooms. Quite modern, I thought to myself, before remembering that I had no idea what year it was here. It could be 2450 or any other time in the past or future. Any conclusions I came to about anything seemed to be instantly proven wrong in this strange place.
Dormand was waiting for me in the hall, his welcoming smile making me feel a little less nervous. “You look different today,” he said, staring at me with a startled expression.
My hand went to my braid. Despite my hair being dirty, it had a gloss to it after my careful brushing and I knew what the dress did for me. “It isn’t every day one has an audience with a king. I wanted to look my best.”
“Ah, yes. I’m glad you’ve decided to do this.”
“Have you seen Kafir?”
Dormand shook his head. “No one is allowed until the king gives permission.”
“Are they feeding him?”
“We need to get him out of there…” He hesitated as though about to say more but instead took hold of my arm. “I’ll escort you to the castle.”
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