by Quinn Loftis
That evening, Albric called a final meeting to discuss our plans. I made it a point to notice everyone in attendance, hoping to find an ally. Thankfully, once I was gone, Thomas would be able to assist his uncle because Albric wouldn’t know how to get back to Clan Hakon. He might have a general idea and he might be able to find it eventually, but time was of the essence. We needed the English fighting force to meet Torben as quickly as possible. Not only that, the last foreigner to land on northern shores, King Cathal, hadn’t exactly left a good impression. It wouldn’t do to have Albric wandering up and down the beaches of Ravenscar asking, ‘excuse me, can you give me directions to Clan Hakon?’ One of my countrymen from another clan might decide to take his head off rather than point him in the right direction. Therefore, leaving the exact coordinates of Clan Hakon with Thomas would be perfect. Hopefully, he won’t rat me out before I was able to get away.
One of Albric’s subjects, a wealthy nobleman by the look of him, addressed the king. “Aren’t we taking a substantial risk here, Your Majesty, by sending so many of our army away to war? Our shores are hardly invulnerable, even with our entire force here defending it.” He cast a withering glance in my direction, as if I had somehow assaulted his castle and kidnapped the king’s daughters.
Okay, so I did infiltrate it, but I did everything I could to stop the actual kidnapping itself. I chose to ignore him. Now was the time to forge alliances, not new enemies. Gods knew we’d had plenty of those already.
King Albric narrowed his eyes on the man. The look the king gave his subject was almost as bad as the one the spoiled nobleman had just given me. “We are. It is a risk we must take. We cannot allow the insult King Cathal has dealt us to stand. His attack was merely a precursor, I fear. A test to determine not only our strength, but also our resolve. If we don’t answer in kind, he’ll know England is ripe for the plucking. His next attack will be in force. In truth, we are weak. You know our military isn’t strong enough to protect our lands. For that, I take responsibility. But I aim to change that. And it starts with allies in the north like Clan Hakon and others. Peace with the Northmen will not only remove them as a threat, but also help us to grow stronger together.
I agreed with the king wholeheartedly. Men like Cathal only understood one thing—violence. He wouldn’t stop until England was under this control. And then, no clan, village, settlement, city, or kingdom within a thousand miles would be safe.
The meeting soon broke up with little more said. The men were of grave countenance as each returned to his own designated room in the palace. They knew they were sending their own armies into danger, and some of them would not return. But they also recognized the necessity of Albric’s decision.
But not all was lost, at least for me. I’d spotted one man at the meeting I felt I could trust with the coordinates of Clan Hakon, a weathered gray officer by the name of Captain Clay. He appeared to be the most loyal and levelheaded man amongst Albric’s advisors. It was a gamble, but I was desperate. As I sought him out, I prayed to the gods I was making the right decision.
I found the captain speaking to two guards at the front door of the palace. I waited until the guards left and then approached him, just as he was about to head in the opposite direction.
“Captain,” I said just loud enough he would hear me. He stopped and turned to face me.
“Brant? Did you need something?” he asked. Apparently, he could tell by the expression of consternation on my face that I wasn’t simply hailing him for a chat about the weather. “Is everything okay?”
“Everything is as good as it can be, but I wish to speak with you in private. I’ve something to share with you of a sensitive nature,” I said.
Clay watched me for several seconds, then nodded and motioned for me to follow. We walked down the corridor, then descended a flight of stairs. The air grew cool and stale, which told me that we were entering the bowels of the castle. When we reached the bottom of the staircase, Clay led me through a door and into a small room.
“Close the door behind you,” he commanded. When I did, the small space became completely dark until Clay struck a match and lit an oil lamp and a couple of candles. The light they emitted was enough for me to see I was in a cramped library of sorts. Bookshelves overflowing with leather-bound tomes, bottles of ink, quills, and scraps of parchment, both big and small, surrounded me. There was a wooden desk and two chairs. Clay sat in one, motioning for me to take the other.
“This is my personal study,” Clay said. “King Albric gave it to me when he saw I had a need to get away, but he couldn’t have me far from the castle or guards. It’s nice to have a place where I can read or think or sleep without interruptions every few minutes.”
I chuckled, sure Torben could appreciate what Clay said. Leaders were seldom allowed time to themselves.
“Now, what can I help you with, Brant?”
“Before I tell you, I need your word you won’t go to Albric until the appointed time…after he’s sailed for Ravenscar. The news is grim, and it may cloud his judgment. Much depends upon him. He must sail to the aid of Clan Hakon. My jarl believes the fate of both our people depends upon it.”
Clay frowned. “I cannot make such an oath. Surely, you know that, Brant. Lying to the king, even by omission, is treason. Could you make such an oath to betray your jarl?”
I sucked in a deep breath. What he said was true. I would never promise to keep anything from Torben, so I tried another tact. Clay had been in Albric’s service a long time, and he’d guarded the princesses for their entire lives. I hoped he’d developed a soft spot for the youngest Auvray daughter. I exhaled. “What if I told you Dayna’s life depended on it?”
Clay’s eyes sharpened. “What do you mean?”
“I cannot say more, Captain. I want to. But, for her sake, I must be certain you will not deliver this news to her father.”
Sitting taller, he spoke slowly. “My life has been devoted to the protection of everyone in the royal family. I would lay it down willingly to protect any of them, including Dayna. Still, Brant, you ask a hard thing of me.” He shook his head.
“You are a man of honor, Clay,” I said. “Which is why I’ve chosen to entrust this information to you. I believe you’ll do what is best—not just for your king, but also for his daughter as well.”
Several moments passed, but the captain said nothing. I stared directly into the man’s eyes, pleading, hoping he would see the sincerity in my own. Finally, he spoke. “I believe you, too, are a man of honor, Northman. And I trust you. But I cannot knowingly withhold information from the king without good reason.”
I felt myself deflate. My plan was unraveling. “However,” he continued, “I will make this promise to you, Brant. Tell me the information, and I will weigh it carefully. If I feel it is in the best interest of the kingdom to deliver the information after we have sailed to Ravenscar, then I will do so. You have my word. It is toeing the line of obedience to my king, but if it helps protect Dayna to withhold the information from Albric for a short amount of time, I will do it. I can only hope he will understand. It is the best I can do to retain my honor and protect the kingdom. And I must ask, what about Thomas? Is he aware of the danger his cousin is in? If so, has he agreed not to tell the king?”
I groaned inwardly. Clay was putting me in a very tight spot. If I told him Dayna was a captive and he relayed that information to Albric, all hope of her rescue was gone. All hope of defeating Cathal was gone. Still, the captain was acting honorably. I cannot say I wouldn’t have done the exact same thing in his position. I hated to trust him, or anyone for that matter, with Dayna’s life on the line, but I had no choice. If he didn’t help me, I’d likely not be able to rescue Dayna anyway.
“Thomas is aware and has agreed to keep it a secret for now.” I paused and then just blurted out, “Dayna wasn’t rescued with Allete.”
His face registered no reaction. He’d likely puzzled that much out when I’d first mentioned the girl.
/> “What’s happened?” he asked, his voice low.
“Remember when I told Albric they’d been rescued?”
“Yes.”
“I meant Allete and our clan’s oracle, Hilda, who’d traveled with Magnus when he captured Allete and Dayna. Unfortunately, Hilda is in the afterlife, where mouthy oracles go after they’ve passed on.”
“You’d best start from the beginning, Brant.”
“I don’t know if we have time for that,” I said. “But here’s what happened, as quickly as I can tell it. When Magnus left England, he took the king’s daughters to his brother’s clan in Denmark, Clan Thornag. There, he made a deal with his brother, Calder, in exchange for sanctuary. Magnus gave Dayna to Calder as a prisoner.”
Clay’s eyes darkened as I spoke about one of his former charges being traded amongst Vikings like so much chattel. I was sure my own eyes reflected a similar sentiment. “But Calder had a witch in his employ,” I continued. “The witch killed our oracle, then took Dayna as a prisoner. Magnus, however, escaped with Allete. After he sailed back, he challenged Torben for the leadership of the clan. You know the rest.”
“So Allete is safe at your clan, but Dayna is being held by Calder?”
“Or with the witch,” I replied. “We cannot be certain. But I aim to get her back.”
“A witch?” Clay growled.
“I see you’ve had dealings with witches before,” I said dryly.
“I’ve come across a few in my day, none of them any good,” he said.
“From what Allete has said, the witch working with Calder is as bad as they come.”
“And she has Dayna…” he muttered.
“I give you my word, Clay,” I said. “I’m going to rescue Dayna. But I need you to get these coordinates,” I pulled a folded piece of parchment from the pocket of my breeches, “to Albric. They will take you all straight to Ravenscar. Thomas can help guide you there.”
Clay’s brow furrowed. “You’re going alone?”
I nodded. “That is why you mustn’t tell the king until you’ve already set sail. If I go alone, I might have a chance to get her back. But if he arrives on Calder’s shores in numbers, who knows what might happen? He might scare them into doing something terrible. I don’t want anything to hap—”
“I’m sorry, Brant,” he interrupted, “but I must ask, why do you care what happens to Dayna? You don’t even know the princess.”
Shifting uncomfortably, I scratched the nape of my neck. “Uh, actually, I do.”
“How?”
“Remember when your guard was infiltrated by Magnus’ men?”
He made a noise of disgust, but then his eyes widened. “You were among them? Of course, I remember now. How could I have forgotten that?”
“I had the…uh…pleasure of guarding the princess. We got to know one another. I guess we may have…formed a friendship of sort?”
“A friendship?”
Shifting again, I cast my eyes to the floor, but it was too late. He’d read the truth there.
“You love her?”
“I’m going to marry her.”
Clay smirked. “Does she know this?”
I shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. I’ll tie her to my side and force her down the aisle. The brat is stuck with me.”
“She’s young,” Clay pointed out.
“I’ll wait ‘til she’s old enough. But she’ll be staying with our clan even while I wait. She can sleep in the shieldmaidens’ hut. I don’t ever want to be apart from her. It tears me up inside that I wasn’t able to protect her.”
“You sound like she’s as good as rescued.”
In my mind, she was. No other outcome was acceptable. I simply gave a single nod because there was nothing else to say. I knew the expression on my face said it all.
“I can’t let you do th—” he started, but I interrupted.
“My mind is made up.”
Clay held up his hand. “Wait,” he said calmly. “Listen. I was going to say I can’t let you do this alone. I will come with you. Thomas will be with the king on his journey to your clan. He can guide him and keep him calm about the fact you and I aren’t accompanying them.”
I started to open my mouth, but he held up his hand again.
“Do you even have a plan on how to get to Dayna?”
“I was going to use the longboat I arrived on,” I explained.
“What of a crew?” he challenged.
I shrugged. “I haven’t exactly got all the details worked out yet.”
“Just as I thought. You’re a hardened warrior, Brant. But you, too, are still young in some ways. I was young and hotheaded once, too. And I know what it’s like to be in love. It makes you do foolish things. You asked for an oath, and I promised to weigh your words carefully before I decided. I have. I will not tell Albric of Dayna’s capture if you allow me to accompany you to Calder’s clan.”
I exhaled a breath I hadn’t even known I’d been holding, feeling as if a weight had been lifted from my chest. “I’d be grateful for your help,” I replied.
“We can’t take any of the king’s men. They will need all they can get to help your clan defeat Cathal,” he said. “But I have some men down at the docks who owe me favors. I can get us a crew.”
“The bare minimum,” I said. I didn’t want to put anyone else in unnecessary danger.
Clay nodded. “Just enough to keep the ship moving in the water.”
“And what about treason?” I asked, a small smile playing on my lips. Just a moment ago, the captain had seemed appalled by the idea of lying to his king, but now he was essentially deserting his post.
“If Thomas is willing to keep this from his uncle because it could endanger Dayna’s safety to do otherwise, then I can only trust that Dayna’s cousin has her best interest at heart,” he said with a sly smile. “How could I go against Sir Thomas’s wisdom?”
I had to admit I liked the way Clay thought.
“I believe the king will agree I’ve acted in his best interest,” he continued. “You go ahead down to the boat. I’ll get these coordinates to Thomas, then gather the crew. Be prepared for grumbling about having to get up and sail in the middle of the night,” he warned.
“You forget I fight alongside Northmen. Never was there a surlier lot. They grumble about the sky being too blue and the grass being too green.”
Clay laughed. “Then you all should get along just fine.”
We marched up the stairs and through the halls of the castle. When we reached the front door, we went our separate ways without a word. I headed down to the harbor, paying close attention to where I placed my feet so I didn’t stumble in the darkness. The moon was especially dim, which was bad for walking but good for trying to sail away undetected. I felt as if the gods were blessing my journey. There was a part of me that was even glad Clay was coming along. Not because I was afraid to go on my own, but because having backup was always smart and he seemed experienced and capable.
When I finally made it to the ship, there were a few guards posted along the beach. One at each boat. I nodded to the one guarding the longship I’d arrived on.
“Hail, friend,” he said as I approached. “Bit late to be out, isn’t it? Or do you Northmen require less sleep than the rest of us?”
“I wish,” I replied. “I’m meeting Captain Clay to go over some of the cargo. Make sure everything’s set to go for tomorrow. How long have you been out here?”
The guard tried hard not to appear tired. “Not too long,” he said.
I knew this wasn’t true. I’d seen him at this post earlier that day. “Uh-huh. You’ve been here since well before dark.”
He nodded.
“Go take a break,” I said. “Your captain and I will be here to watch over things. I’ll come get you when we’re done.”
He seemed like he was about to protest, but then Clay’s voice halted his words.
“Weston,” Clay said as he came walking briskly down the opposite side of
the beach where the other boats were docked. “Brant and I are going over the ships’ cargo, so we don’t have to waste time with it in the morning. I’ve relieved the other guards for a few hours while we do this. Get some rest. I’ll alert you when it’s time to return.”
Weston looked as if he was about to sigh with relief, but he caught himself. He gave a sharp nod and turned on his heel, practically marching away.
“He’s still new enough he watches his words and movements when he’s around me,” Clay said, his voice filled with amusement. Then he pivoted, cupped his hands around his mouth, and made a sound like a nightingale’s call. With seconds, a group of men came hurrying down the dock from the same direction in which he’d appeared.
“Our crew,” he said, nodding toward the newcomers.
“Well met.” I nodded, and they responded in kind. Thank the gods, I thought. When I’d decided to go after Dayna myself, I honestly hadn’t known if I could get to Clan Thornag, but I was willing to do anything to try. Treason, lying to guards, stealing a ship—none of it mattered.
A thick fog had settled over the beach. I couldn’t see the castle. I’d bet if someone had been peering in our direction, they wouldn’t be able to see the dock or the ship slowly gliding away from it. The sea god had given his blessing. The crew worked quickly and quietly. I didn’t even need to give any commands. They clearly knew their way around an English cog. In minutes, we were far away from the harbor. No alarm sounded. No noise of any kind came from the shore. The wind was in our favor. If it kept up at the current speed, we would make it to Clan Thornag in just a few days’ time.
“If you come across a diary belonging to an evil witch, don’t read it. Or do read it. I don’t really care. But be advised, if you do choose to read the diary, you are going to read some disturbing stories…seriously disturbing.”