by A. E. Rayne
‘What about Sigurd?’ Alys felt worried.
Tulia didn’t turn around. She’d remained in Ottby since her death.
Her body lay wrapped in a shroud, awaiting her pyre.
And when that was done?
‘Sigurd can look after himself,’ she sighed, stopping, letting Alys catch up to her. ‘But you?’
‘I killed Torvig.’
Tulia smiled. ‘You did, though you shouldn’t have had to. It was my fault... all of it. All my fault.’
Regret was the heaviest weight of all; an unshakeable burden.
Alys heard other noises now: the scraping of blades, the rustling of trees; horses, becoming disturbed, were pulling against their ropes.
She looked up at Valera’s Tree, though there was no wind. Its branches were entirely motionless.
‘Almasa,’ Tulia repeated, gripping Alys’ arm. ‘Find her before it’s too late, for danger is all around you. Can’t you feel it? Danger is coming for you now!’
Unsettled by his conversation with Lief, Ivan had roamed the camp, yawning, shivering, eyes up on the trees, seeking any hint of moon or stars. His feet were frozen, his wounds stinging and he wanted a bed, but Lief’s words rang in his ears, and he kept moving. He’d always suspected that Lief was ambitious. That his unfailingly calm face was merely a mask he hid behind. That eventually, the real Lief Gundersen would be revealed.
Was that going to be now?
Was now the moment he would pull off the mask and try to seize control?
Ivan stepped around a tiny pit of embers, wishing there were flames. He heard a couple humping in a nearby tent, feeling envious. It was certainly one way to stay warm. He hadn’t seen his pretty servant in days, worrying suddenly that he’d mistakenly left her behind.
The crunch of snapping twigs had Ivan’s head twisting left and right. He froze, shivers racing up his spine. It wasn’t the first time he’d felt as though he was being followed.
The camp was walled by trees: spruce, birch, and pine.
Mostly evergreen. Tightly packed together.
Nudging open his cloak with his right hand, Ivan exposed the iron hilt of his sword. And stepping away from the tent and the humping sounds as they reached a crescendo, he headed into the trees.
Alys woke with a yelp. She was lying on her arm, and it had gone to sleep. Moving it was painful, and as she sat up, Eddeth jerked awake. She was curled up on the ground beside Hakon, wanting to keep a close eye on him, though sleep had overwhelmed her quickly and she woke up confused.
‘What? What?’
Rikkard scrambled to his feet, having fallen asleep sitting in a corner. He panicked, knowing that it was his responsibility to keep an eye on the women.
And that woke up Stina.
‘What’s happening?’ she croaked, trying to swallow, eyes still closed.
‘Nothing. Sorry.’ Alys got to her feet, aware of how much colder it was than when she’d gone to sleep. The tent was frosty, white smoke swirling around blue-lipped faces.
‘It’s so c-c-cold,’ Stina shivered, trying to gather her fur around her.
‘I’ll light a fire,’ Rikkard mumbled nervously.
‘Good boy, good boy!’ Eddeth said, creaking to her feet, blowing on her hands. She wondered where she’d last seen her gloves, though the tent was dark, and she couldn’t see more than shadows and lumps all around her, the biggest one being Hakon Vettel. Leaning over him, she felt his forehead, surprised by the icy chill of his skin. It was like touching a frozen lake.
Frowning, she looked up at Alys, who stood by the entrance of the tent. ‘Something’s happening.’
Alys nodded; she could feel it too, remembering her dream. ‘I have to go.’
‘Go?’ Stina sat up. ‘Where?’
Vik had decided to keep watch. It made sense. They were close to Slussfall, and he didn’t know who might be hiding in the bushes, creeping through the forest. With the Vettels in charge of that old fort now, the likelihood of unsavoury types in the area was high.
Hearing a shout from inside the tent, he was quickly off his feet, turning, tripping over his saddlebag. And picking himself up with a grumble, he headed into the tent.
Ivan walked through the trees, cringing at every snapping twig beneath his boots, trying to hear what was going on. The odd noises shifted around him, moving constantly. Someone was out there, he was sure.
More than someone.
He swung around, sword out now, squinting in the darkness, trying to make out anything more than trees and bushes. He saw occasional moonbeams, and in those moments of pale light, Ivan swore he saw something moving. They had men guarding the perimeter, but those men were not this close to camp. They were watching for signs of Ake Bluefinn’s army, but Ivan wasn’t sure that’s what was lurking in the trees.
If something was.
He paused, shivers tingling his body with renewed vigour, his attention snapping to his right. He’d seen a flash of something, as though a tree was moving; thoughts jumping around, trying to explain it. Spinning left and right, he couldn’t see anything more, and deciding that it was time to get back to camp, Ivan turned around. He could smell the smoke from those fires still burning, see the enticing glow of flames. As much as he wanted to know what was out there, he was well aware that he was only one man. It was better to be back in the camp, able to warn everyone if danger was approaching.
And so, taking one slow step at a time, Ivan edged towards the sparse rows of birch trees. He felt a rush, like a gust of wind, blow past him, and swallowing now, he twisted around, eyes scouring the trees. He saw another huge shadow, wondering for the first time if it was a bear.
It was big enough.
He moved quickly now, not caring how much noise he was making, convincing himself that it was definitely a bear.
Or perhaps, a wolf?
And then he was out of the dark trees, panting, sword arm shaking, breath smoke clouding his face. He saw someone striding towards him, just a shadow in a hooded cloak, and he held out his sword, thoughts of Mother flashing before his eyes; Mother and her gleeful prediction that he would meet an embarrassing end, murdered by someone he knew. ‘Who’s there?’ Ivan shouted, voice trembling.
Alys froze. ‘I... Alys.’ It hadn’t been hard to find her swordbelt. Everything had been left in a heap by their horses, who were restless, wide awake, desperate to escape their confinement amongst the trees.
Something was disturbing them, Alys could feel it.
Ivan hurried forward, sheathing his sword. ‘What are you doing here? Is it my cousin?’ He couldn’t see her face, but he heard the worry in her voice. ‘Is he alright?’
Alys nodded. ‘He is, yes. I... heard something. I came to see what it was.’
Ivan glanced down at her swordbelt, seeing the flash of a hilt. ‘Where did you...?’ He shook his head, hearing more noises. ‘What did you hear?’
‘It sounded like... something is coming.’ It was hard to describe for there was nothing to see, just a feeling of growing terror.
‘I heard it too.’
‘Did you?’ The hairs on Alys’ neck lifted as Ivan dragged his sword out of its scabbard again. ‘Best you go back to Hakon’s tent. It might be a bear.’
Alys gripped his arm as he walked away from her. ‘Wait. Please.’ She turned her head, listening. ‘Can you hear that?’ She hoped it wasn’t just something in her mind. ‘It sounds like –’
‘Drumming.’
Alys nodded.
‘Go! Go now!’ Ivan ordered, one hand on her elbow, pushing her away. And turning towards the centre of the camp, he ran, leaving Alys behind.
6
Jonas encouraged Magnus back to bed, shaking his head. ‘That’s the last time I listen to you,’ he grinned. ‘Tomorrow, we’ll have a story about Thenor and Eskvir, and how those two brothers fell out.’ And tucking his fur around Magnus’ shoulders, he watched him, waiting. Magnus didn’t move, and reassured that the boy was already sound asleep, Jonas cre
pt out of the tent, to where Vik was stoking the fire.
‘How is he? Scarred forever? Never to sleep soundly again?’
Jonas snorted. ‘Well, yes, serves me right, though Alys always loved scary stories. They never gave her nightmares that I know of.’ He frowned, suddenly wondering why that was.
‘Stories about evil spirits who attack in the dark would give anyone nightmares,’ Vik said, sitting back down, moving his saddlebag behind him, not wanting to make a fool of himself twice. ‘Especially a ten-year-old boy who’s missing his mother, camping out in the woods with two old has-beens, about to head into a fortress all on his own to rescue his sister, who was stolen by strange men. The same men who recently sold him off as a slave!’
‘Well, you might have a point there,’ Jonas chuckled, taking a seat beside Vik, wide awake now. He stared into the flames, thinking back to the story. ‘You think they’re real?’
‘Evil spirits? Oh, they’re real,’ Vik said darkly. ‘The gods want to be entertained, so we must please them. And if we don’t?’ Now Vik grinned, pulling out an iron spearhead which hung from a leather cord around his neck. ‘Well, Thenor has ways of bringing us back into line.’
Jonas shivered, glancing back at the tent. ‘Mmmm, I say we try hard not to get on his bad side.’
Vik nodded, feeling the chill of the amulet in his hand.
He knew all about Thenor.
He knew how vengeful that god could be.
Falla sat bolt upright, her fur falling away from her, quickly shivering.
Lief was jiggling on the spot as he tightened his swordbelt around his waist, grabbing his cloak.
‘Something’s coming!’ Falla shrieked, jumping up, naked and shaking. ‘That’s a dreamer’s sound!’
‘What do you mean?’ Lief dragged the fur off the ground, covering up his wife. Wrapping her up tightly, he gripped her arms, peering at her. ‘Sounds like war drums to me.’ He needed to leave quickly and find Ivan.
‘No! That’s the sound Mother made when she was casting spells. I used to drum for her. That’s the sound!’
It didn’t make sense to a groggy Lief, but hearing the terror in his wife’s voice, he nodded patiently. ‘Stay here, keep warm. I’ll see what’s happening.’ It was so bitterly cold that his thoughts were as frozen as his body. His mind had quickly gone to Ake and his army on the attack, but now...
Then he heard Ivan shouting, calling their men together.
‘The drumming!’ Eddeth was beside herself, picking her wart, eyes darting around the tent, a sudden gust of wind trying to tear off the roof. ‘What does it mean? What could it possibly mean?’ Her thoughts had blown away from her like storm clouds, lingering out of reach. She wanted to open up her grandmother’s book and search for an answer, but that boy was there, peering at her and Stina, and she didn’t dare. ‘You should go!’ she suggested loudly, pointing at Rikkard. ‘See what you can do to help! Something is coming! Quick, hurry outside!’
Stina stared at Rikkard, who looked indecisive. ‘Yes, you must go and see what’s happening. We may need to move your lord quickly. We’ll protect him until you come back, don’t worry.’ She said it gently, quietly, though her heart was pounding, frosty breath streaming from her nose and mouth.
Rikkard nodded, running out of the tent without looking back, almost banging into Njall, a shaven-headed giant, who stood guard outside, peering back at the women, axe in both hands.
The trees shook with urgency, the wind sweeping through the camp like an army of horses had flown by.
But no one was there.
Everyone was on their feet, heads spinning, running to find weapons, blinking in the darkness.
Lief ran out of his shelter, Falla following after him, still wrapped in a fur, eyes on Ivan. ‘What is it? Ake?’
Ivan turned to Alys, who had frozen. She could hear something rattling, though she didn’t dare say anything, worried that she was the only one who could hear it.
Screams.
Everyone turned, eyes on the dark void in the distance.
Silence.
‘What do we do?’ Falla whispered, sensing that neither man was moving. She glanced at Alys, who appeared to have a sword in her hand, and she frowned, confused by that. ‘We must run! Leave!’ Clutching Lief’s arm, she urged him to act.
‘We need to see what’s there,’ Ivan decided, though he didn’t want to volunteer. ‘Might just be a bear?’
‘A bear? Drumming?’ Lief was dismissive. ‘I’ll go.’
‘What? No, you won’t!’ Falla was furious, glaring at Ivan. ‘You have a family. Besides, you’re not the head of the army, are you? It’s not your job.’
Jerrick ran up to them, a group of men trailing behind him. ‘Can you hear the drumming? It must be Ake. He’s found us!’
‘Let’s go!’ Ivan’s guts twisted painfully as he turned to Alys. ‘Go back to my cousin, get him ready to move. Njall is there. He’ll protect you.’ He peered up at Lief, freezing as more screams pierced the veil of silence that had descended over the camp, this time from the east. ‘Gather everyone together. Prepare the horses. If we have to go, we’ll need to move fast.’
Lief nodded, feeling the pressure of his wife’s cold hands on his arm, finding it difficult not to charge after Ivan and Jerrick. ‘Shield men!’ he called, spinning away from Falla. ‘We’ll form a wall here! Archers too!’ Ivan had already disappeared into the night, bellowing for men to join him. Lief turned to Alys, who had stayed to stare after Ivan, worried that she should have stopped him. She shook all over. ‘Go!’ he ordered. ‘Back to Hakon. Now!’
Ivan ran away from them, passing through the centre of the camp quickly, senses alert, raising his voice occasionally, encouraging more men to join him; others he sent to look after the horses, wanting them ready. He hoped he wasn’t overreacting, though the knots in his stomach told him that something was definitely out there. And now it was his job to find out what. ‘Lenn! Take your men to the south. I want a shield wall. Spears and archers! Go!’ He pointed in the opposite direction as Erlan Stari stumbled towards him, swordbelt in hand.
‘What’s that noise? Is it Ake?’ Erlan scanned the trees, panicking.
It was a good question, and one Ivan urgently needed an answer to.
He saw Alef Olstein, struggling towards him with only one boot on.
‘Alef! Take your men west! We need to surround the camp! Erlan! Follow him!’ Ivan’s voice was lost amongst the sudden panic that had exploded in the darkness. He heard growling, deep grunting noises, and turning around, he tried to see.
Another blood-curling scream.
Ivan shivered, seeing nothing but dark trees shaking in the distance.
Voices like whispers flowed around him, and he kept turning, hoping it was his men, but their mouths were closed, clamped shut, eyes bulging in terror.
Swinging back around, Ivan squeezed his hand around his sword. ‘Jerold! Ekki!’ And the two men who’d wrapped cloth around long sticks to make torches rushed up to the front. ‘Lead the way. We need to see what’s out there! The rest of you, shields up!’
The two men, eyes blinking in the flames, hurried up to the front of their ragged column.
Leading their men into the darkness.
Njall pushed Alys into the tent. The whole camp was in chaos, panicked noises sounding from every direction now, and he was conscious of the need to keep Hakon safe. ‘Stay inside!’ he bellowed, surprised to see that she had a sword. Lifting a hand, he considered taking it, but hearing a crunching noise in the bushes behind the tent, he disappeared quickly, forgetting all about Alys.
Stina nearly threw herself at her friend as she slipped inside. ‘What’s happening out there?’
Eddeth would have thrown herself at Alys too, but she couldn’t get off the ground quickly enough. ‘Ouch!’ And finally untangling herself, she was at Alys’ side. ‘The vatyr!’
‘What?’ Both women turned to Eddeth, who was panting.
‘Well, what else
could it be? I don’t hear an army. I don’t hear bears or wolves, and I certainly don’t hear dragons!’ Eddeth chuckled, though the terror rushing through her body was making her dizzy with fear. Or perhaps she’d simply stood up too quickly? Shaking her head, she tried to concentrate. ‘We’re trapped in the depths of the forest. What else could it be but evil spirits? I can’t imagine the gods are happy with Hakon Vettel and his army! They will have sent the vatyr after them!’
All three of them turned to Hakon, who lay perfectly still on his mound of furs, fire blazing away in a tiny circle of stones nearby.
‘I’ve got some flying powder in my saddlebag,’ Eddeth whispered loudly, teeth bared, eyes aflame.
‘Flying powder?’ Stina looked confused as Eddeth and Alys crept even closer to her, not wanting to be heard.
Alys’ attention was on the strange noises coming from behind the tent, heart racing now. She remembered the waking nightmare and the wolf, and she tried to calm down. ‘Get the powder, Eddeth. I need to see what’s out there.’ Something had been blocking her visions since she’d left Ottby, but maybe Eddeth’s powder would help?
Falla was deposited into a tent with the servants; eleven women who sobbed and clung to each other in fear. Falla didn’t want to be one of them, though she worried that she might vomit. ‘Be quiet!’ she grumbled, pushing away from the women as the wind strengthened, threatening to topple the ramshackle tent down on their heads. ‘How can we hear what’s happening if you’re mewling like goats!’
The servants quietened down, knowing Falla Gundersen’s temper as they did. It was dark; there was nothing for them to do but shelter and wait.
And listen.
‘The gods will protect us!’ wailed the youngest servant, barely sixteen. ‘They will!’
Falla snorted. ‘Depends whose side they’re on, doesn’t it?’ She felt a twinge in her stomach, and concerned, she slipped a hand beneath her cloak, wishing Mother was with her. Mother would know what to do. She would have spoken to Alari, asked for her help.