"Gods," Einar muttered his curse as he pulled Ulfrik to a halt. "Konal is with him and responsible for Hakon now. You have turned your enemies' wiles back upon them. It will make a song for skalds to praise you for ages."
Ulfrik laughed without mirth. "That is the problem. I thought the same, and I traded both my sons to make it so. I have driven my wife to near madness and lied to all of you about my intentions. I am mad for glory, Einar, blinded with it and destroyed by it. Do you know I left Toki on the Faereyjar all these years without any thought of what it did to him, just so I could say I possessed those lands? Even if I never intended to visit them again? How could I have done that to my greatest friend and such a noble warrior? He deserved better of me. And now he is lost as well."
Ulfrik stared at the horizon across the rolling plains of brown grass, and the stains of twilight in the east were chasing away the light. Stars already peered through the cheerless blue sky. Einar had no answer for him, and Ulfrik silently chuckled.
"I have much to make amends for," he continued. "I am sorry to have spilled out my bile in front of you. I am shamed once again. Men follow me because I win battles and give them gold and glory. But I've traded off too much of myself to do it. Now fate has shown me what it exchanged to make me the jarl of Ravndal, and it is a bitter price."
"Ulfrik, you talk as if you are defeated. That is your only shame to my mind. If you suffer so much for your son's fates, then by Odin's one eye do something about it rather than piss yourself with remorse. You want to win this battle, then fucking fight it."
Einar's face burned with intensity and his lip curled in a snarl. Ulfrik stood astonished and embarrassed, but he instantly recognized the truth. Einar grabbed his arm and shook him once as if to wake him from a dream, and he did feel as if he had slipped into a fog. He clasped his hand to Einar's arm and squeezed it.
"You are right. Completely right. You'll not hear my complaints again, nor will the men. My sons must come first. Gunnar might yet be saved, and all my imagined terrors need not come to be. I've wasted time. Let's finish the cairn for the dead and be on the march tonight."
Einar's face melted into a smile, and he gave a slow, solid nod. "I'll hurry the men."
He turned toward them, and as he left, Ulfrik called him back. "Thank you, Einar."
The huge man flashed a shy, boyish smile and then walked off to his task.
Ulfrik sighed heavily, not willing to forgive himself and still not comfortable looking too deeply into his heart. When the battles were done, there would be time to set right his mistakes. For now, Gunnar was his priority, and he prayed the gods that Hakon was now freed and on his way home.
Chapter 36
Weak light suffused the morning sky, a pale and cold swath that framed the bare trees of the woods. Throst drew his cloak about himself as he waited for Astra to show. Her voice had been so thin when she whispered through the wall to rouse him, he still wondered if he had dreamed it. His breath puffed before him as he laughed at the thought of running out to meet a dream. Her voice had been small but urgent, filled with promise of something that grew more dire with each moment. Dream or no, he had to meet her on the hill with its lone oak as the voice had asked.
A crunch of dead leaves alerted him, and he leapt to the other side of the oak to find Astra climbing it in the gloom. Her hair was disheveled and her face smeared with dirt, making him realize that in past meetings she had paused to clean herself before seeking him. As much as the thought flattered him, her carelessness now spoke to her urgency and a spark of worry flickered in his chest.
"You are alone? No one saw you come?" she asked in a husky, low voice.
"You managed to only wake me and Dan, but I convinced him to return to sleep. You have news?"
"It's all a trap," she said, scrabbling the distance to tumble into his arms. "You are in danger."
He pushed her away and in the stain of dawn saw her eyes bright with fear. "What trap? Slow down and explain."
Drawing a breath, she smoothed her skirt and tried again in a steadier voice. "Lord Ulfrik sent Konal and his men to you on purpose, to free his son and kill you."
"What? You told me Konal was true, that he and Ulfrik fought and was banished. I found him camped at the border." Throst stopped, suddenly realizing how skillfully the deceit had been crafted. No one knew but Ulfrik and Konal; everyone else had been made to believe Konal's disgrace was genuine. Ulfrik knew Throst needed more men, particularly those with a grudge against him. He just set Konal out to be discovered, a means to ease any suspicions. A fire began to smolder in his guts and his teeth gnashed in anger.
"I was fooled," Astra explained, waving her hands palm out. "Everyone was fooled, even Gunnar and Runa."
"But why has Konal waited so long? And what has happened with Gunnar? I expected that he would be ready to follow you out of Ravndal."
"I don't know what delays Konal, but Gunnar is gone. He went with his uncle and thirty men to Rouen seeking aid from Hrolf the Strider."
Throst's brows raised at the news. Thirty men were little more than token guards, and Clovis might be willing to reward him for information that led to Gunnar's capture. Yet it was of little value if he could not slip Konal and his men. He hated to believe it, but his own warriors were little better than dogs and hardly a match for any of Konal's. He cursed himself for not seeing through the ruse, for not realizing these men were too good to be what they had seemed. While he had every confidence of victory in a one-on-one fight, Throst knew he could not defeat all of them.
"Listen to me," he said, grabbing Astra by the arm. "There is value in that bit of news, and if I can get it to Clovis in time he might be willing to pay for it. If he could capture Gunnar on the march that would make Hakon more valuable to him. But there is the issue of Konal. If he is delaying, it is because there is more to this trap than we know. What else have you learned?"
"Nothing more. It happened so fast, and I came here directly after Gunnar left."
"Does Gunnar suspect you, or anyone else for that matter?"
"Gunnar was strange when he left. I don't know for sure. Maybe he was afraid not having his father to hold his hand. But no one else knows my role."
Throst nodded, turned away to search the brightening sky. The situation had become far more desperate in the space of a few moments. Astra had probably spared his life. His best course was to fetch his mother and sister and fade away. But that would be a defeat. Defeat was not necessary, not when he still held a strong weapon in Hakon. Striking the thought from his mind, he began to mull other choices. Astra touched him as if to speak again, but he threw her arm off and hushed her. After several moments of consideration, he had settled upon his plan.
"Take word to my sister that she is to go with our mother to the caves where we hid before. I don't know if she will be able to find it on her own, maybe not, but they are not safe to go with me. After you do this, return to Ravndal."
"But what if I am discovered?" Astra grabbed his arm again, her fingernails digging into the flesh of his forearm. "I can't return until nightfall, or I will be discovered. I am amazed I slipped out so often without being caught. Anyway, if anyone marks my absence they might suspect me as your informer."
"Ulfrik will be looking for a man, not a girl. If you are discovered, lie to them about why you have left. Maybe you are fucking a farmer's son behind Gunnar's back. Is that so unlikely? You worry overmuch. Besides, I have one last blow to strike at Ulfrik. I want you to bring the third son to me, the strange child. Let Ulfrik lose all his family for the way he took my father from me. All three of his brats, wouldn't that be something!"
Astra reflected his smile, then frowned. "But what if the boy really is Konal's? Maybe he won't care."
"He's raising the brat, isn't he?" Throst pulled her arm away, but held her hand. "Anyway, our time here will be at an end. We turn over his children to Clovis for a good price and then the two of us will slip away to live a better life. Justice will have been done,
and we will be richer for it."
Her smile widened and she hugged him in excitement. The soft warmth of her distracted Throst, and he wished he had more time to indulge his lust, but he had to act before Konal could.
"Go now to my sister," he said as he pulled back. "We will not meet again until all is done. Here, this is my cloak pin which I'll place under this rock. When you have Ulfrik's third son or you need to meet me, retrieve this pin and I will know to seek you in your mother's home village in the east. If the pin remains, I will wait nearby for you to show."
He slipped the pin under the rock and pressed it down with his boot. His cloak slipped from his shoulder, and he wrapped it into his hand. He might need it in the fight he expected upon his return to the hideout. Astra's eyes shimmered with tears and she kissed him gently. "I do not know how I will capture Aren on my own, or take him from Ravndal, but I will do all that I can."
"Do your best. If Clovis has all three sons, he would command Ulfrik's life and pay me well. But this youngest one seems less dear to either of them. Perhaps it would be better if you killed the brat outright. That Ulfrik suffer is more important than squeezing out the last bit of gold from Clovis."
Astra blinked and stared expressionless at him. Throst suppressed a smile, knowing his offhand request for murder hit her like a stone. He wondered at her loyalty, and enjoyed learning how far she could be pushed. For so long she had been as pliable but as unbreakable as a green sapling. Yet would she murder a child for his pleasure? It was an interesting question, and if so then what did it mean for his control over her? Would she even be interesting to him any longer, having so thoroughly dominated her?
"You could do that for me, couldn't you? You promised to be my agent in places where I could no longer go. Remember that terrible day I was torn from your side, barely a moment to say farewell. You told me those very words."
"I ..." Astra blinked again and her voice trailed off, though her wide eyes never left his.
"If you cannot kill him, then bring him to me. But do not return without achieving either outcome. Now, go. We waste time here, and I have to act before Konal and his men do."
Chapter 37
Throst and Astra walked in silence until close to the hideout, and then she peeled away to warn his sister and mother. Throst watched her disappear into the trees with the grace of a doe, and he wondered if the girl really understood her talent. He regretted that he might be throwing her away too soon, but she could best serve him inside Ulfrik's hall. Should she be caught and the truth beaten out of her, then after this morning it would not matter anyway.
Dawn was yellow and cold, and brown leaves rolled across the dead grass. Silent footing was a precarious thing in autumn, and he would have liked more of it, but his revised plans did not require stealth. That was Astra's purview. He was going to enjoy handling Konal and his men in a way they would never expect.
Despite having no rooster to crow the arrival of the new day, men were already loitering in the yard before the hall. He was surprised, though he should not have been. Konal and his men were gathered together, with the pretense of collecting wood for the hearth, though too many hands made their task unconvincing. Throst noted how they strained to ignore him, only Konal successfully feigning he had no other thought but to kindle the morning fire. But all of them wore swords, giving away their clumsy performance.
"Good morning!" Throst called to them. "You are all gathered together. This is good. I've got news for you."
Konal flung the wedge of firewood back to the pile and turned, his hand reflexively reaching for his hilt. Throst never flinched as he approached, acting as if he did not see Konal barely gaining control of his killing reflex. Astra's news had come none too soon. Throst had but only an instant to make everything work in his favor.
"And where have you been?" Konal challenged him, his hand brushing past the hilt of his sword.
"Getting word from my contact in Ravndal, of course. It seems we've lost our chances at Gunnar."
Konal's men stood straighter, and Throst immediately guessed he had spoken the signal they had expected. His eyes did not leave Konal's, which seemed to glitter with a malevolence befitting his nightmarish scars. In the moment Konal reached for his sword, Dan exited the hall with Olaf behind him. Both men were unarmed but their sudden appearance gave Throst a lucky break.
"I want you to take Hakon to safety for me," he blurted out. The offer had the intended effect of stunning Konal and his men. He continued to surprise them, making their betrayal easier. "It's not safe here, not with Clovis knowing our hideout, and I'm about to deliver bad news to him. Hakon is our only play against Ulfrik for now. Konal, you and your men take him to the caves where we hid from Ulfrik. I will send all of my men with you, but Dan and Olaf will go with me to deliver news to Clovis."
Konal shared a bemused look with his crew, and stances relaxed. He had just offered them everything they wanted, except himself. "I want this done immediately, for Ulfrik may have had someone follow my contact. I can't have the two most powerful men in these lands seeking me at once. Now Konal, I know I promised we would get your son and revenge at one stroke."
"That you did, and I'm not ready to leave without both." Konal's hands flexed and veins stood out from his neck. He certainly relished his acting, Throst thought.
"I've a plan for that as well." He looked at Dan and Olaf, and between the two of them he had some wits and some brawn. They would have to do. "I will tell you in a moment, in private. But first, gather all the men and let's get ready to move."
Throst smiled amiably as Konal nodded, pretended to calm himself, and barked at his men to assemble as the others prepared. Thus far, his plans were coming together, but the remainder of it trusted to Astra warning his sister and for Dan and Olaf to follow him on faith alone.
The instant Konal turned away, Throst grabbed them both and tugged them close. His voice was a faint whisper. "Konal and his men are traitors. Get Hakon, forget the others."
He released them and the quick exchange seemed to pass unnoticed. To his surprise, neither Olaf nor Dan betrayed any surprise. They shared an expressionless glance, and Olaf melted away as Dan stepped up to Throst's side. He had expected confusion from him at least, but maybe they were even more astute than himself. He would consider it later, for now he had to get away with Hakon.
The others were still bleary with sleep and they trudged out to the cold morning with curses and belches, scratching lice-infested heads and stumbling into each other. Another night of stolen ale had rendered them useless, and it was no great loss to sacrifice these fools. Konal looked them over, then his eyes brightened.
"Where's Olaf?" he asked sharply.
"Gone to fetch Hakon and my family." Konal smiled and wrapped his cloak tighter into his hand. "I can tell from your face you don't trust him. Then let's both get Hakon and I can share my plan as we walk." He held his hands wide and saw Konal scan him for a weapon. He had only a small knife, nothing compared to Konal's sword. He wanted Konal to be completely confident in a fast kill.
"All right, let's go. Dan stays here."
"That's right, it won't be a secret if Dan comes with us."
The other farmhouse sheltered Hakon with his sister and mother, and the entrance was fortuitously out of sight around the corner. Hakon remained tethered to the columns inside, like the puppy he was. He had not been mistreated, except by Throst's mother who exorcised frustrations on him. In fact, over the weeks, Hakon and his sister were developing a friendship that only children seemed able to make.
Despite knowing Konal could whirl on him in an instant, Throst had no fear. His pulse had quickened, but that was all. He did not question the confidence, but welcomed it. This was going to work. Konal was going to strike the moment they rounded the corner. At the same time, his men would hack the others to ribbons. After all, Throst had neatly arranged them in the yard and then distracted them with travel preparations. Hakon would be awaiting freedom and only mousy Olaf stood
in the way, a trifle to Konal. Throst had all but extended his head to be hacked off.
Neither spoke about the plan Throst had offered, and that should have been warning enough to Konal.
"I think you'll find my plan a bit confusing at first," Throst said as they approached the corner.
Then he swept his foot before Konal and shoved him over it. He tripped forward and, fast as a cat, Throst was on his back. He slapped his cloak over Konal's head like a bag and yanked it down. He had only just begun to struggle as Throst wound it tighter. Konal's free hand sought his short sword, the sax, used for close fighting. But Throst's left hand was as nimble as his right, and in one deft motion he snatched the blade out of the sheath.
"The rest of the plan should make sense to you now."
Throst rammed the blade into Konal's side and his scream was muffled by the heavy wool cloak. He drew the blade back for a second thrust, but Olaf stumbled out of the house dragging a kicking Hakon with him. Screams from behind told Throst that the slaughter had begun. Dan came running like a frightened moose.
Olaf stared wide eyed at him. "What do we do now? Your mother ..."
"They've gone to hiding," Throst stood up from Konal, who rolled over and moaned into a widening pool of blood. He had no time to finish the deed nor did he care for Konal's fate. "We're getting out of here now. Give me the boy."
One heavy slam with the pommel of Throst's sword and Hakon went limp. He shoved Hakon at Olaf, who slung the boy across his shoulder. They sprinted into the nearby woods to lose pursuers in the ever-shifting landscape of fallen leaves and woodland streams. Throst was laughing.
Chapter 38
Astra ambled along the track leading to the northern gates of Ravndal. The sun was setting and the cold of nightfall matched the chill in her heart. Keeping to the cover of darkness no longer mattered and crossing the expanse of cleared fields demanded nothing of her in the light. Once on the track worn through the widest spaces between stumps, she only had to drag her feet with enough speed to reach the gates before nightfall.
Shield of Lies Page 19