by A. E. Rayne
Ivan glanced at Hakon, who appeared calm for the first time in days. ‘And what about The Hunter?’ he wondered. ‘You may have stumbled upon a dreamer, Cousin, but surely that threat remains?’ Ivan had been terrorised by nightmares that had him waking in a cold sweat. He had seen The Hunter, antlers reaching high into the sky like branches, his giant sabre, nocked at the tip, threatening him. ‘What if he comes again?’ His eyes drifted to Hakon’s chest, and looking up, he caught a spark of anger in his cousin’s eyes.
Hakon bit down on a sudden urge to punch his cousin. ‘I have a dreamer now, Ivan, so Alys will help me deal with that problem. She knows the gods, just as Mother did. She spoke to them personally, didn’t you?’ He smiled, watching her squirm in the saddle, enjoying the power he had over her now.
‘And yet the gods let Mother die,’ Ivan muttered, unable to stop saying things he knew would irritate his cousin.
Hakon ignored him. ‘Why don’t you move ahead, Ivan? The path is narrowing there. I don’t want Alys dropping off the cliff.’ And nor did he. For his dreamer was more precious to him than all the gold he was hiding in Slussfall.
She was more precious than anything in the world.
Vik glowered at the man who stood quivering at the end of his sword tip. ‘Ollo sent you? You?’
Haegel Hedvik was a familiar face, useless with every weapon known to man, Vik remembered. No use to him at all.
‘I... he did, yes.’ Vik Lofgren’s reputation was mighty, and Haegel felt his bowed legs wobble. ‘If you want to get Jonas and the boy out, you need to listen to me.’
‘Hmmm, do I now?’ Vik was irritable, annoyed at the mess they’d made of things, and eager to put it right. Ulrick Dyre was a problem, Jonas and Magnus stuck in the hole was a problem, the weather looked like it was about to become a problem, and then there was Ollo Narp and his useless idiot, Haegel. ‘Maybe I should just kill you? You who betrayed Sirrus? You who once supported Ake? You and Ollo both! Why shouldn’t I kill you? After all we fought for? All the blood spilled to put the kingdom in safe hands, and you two just cared about your silver!’ he spat. ‘Seems you still do.’
Haegel wanted to deny it was true, but it wasn’t. ‘We can help you, Vik. Ollo sent me to tell you that we can get the boy out.’
‘Just the boy?’
‘You think we can get Jonas out?’ Haegel shook his head, eyes jumping around the clearing, hoping there weren’t any other warriors lurking amongst the trees. He was a gaunt, middle-aged man, deaf in one ear, more nervous than most, always worried that he hadn’t heard what was coming for him.
Vik lowered his blade. ‘It’s just me. You’ve nothing to fear from my sword if you’re telling the truth.’ He sighed. ‘You think I want to leave Jonas there? In that hole? And it’s not just the boy either. I need his sister too.’
Haegel’s eyes widened, and he tugged on his coppery beard. ‘Well, I...’
‘The silver Jonas promised you? He’s got a lot of it, I know. But I can’t tell you where it is. He didn’t tell me. You want it? You want to deliver it to Ollo? Then you need to deliver Jonas and the children to me first. All of them.’
‘But how?’ It seemed impossible. Everyone knew Jonas was in the hole. Jonas and the boy. They would see an escape.
Vik scratched a stubbly cheek. ‘We’ll need to do it under the cover of night. And you’ll need to pay off a few guards, I’d say. Or get them drunk. Or both. You’ll have to get me in.’
‘No!’ Haegel held up a hand, remembering what Ollo had said. Under no circumstances was he to let Vik into the fort.
Vik stepped forward, sword rising again. ‘No?’
Haegel swallowed. ‘Ollo said you can’t come in. It’s too much of a risk. There are enough of Sirrus’ men around to recognise you. Enough of Jesper Vettel’s men too. Even some of Jorek’s. It’s not safe.’
Vik’s shoulders were tense. His body vibrated with the need to act, though Haegel was not wrong. ‘And you want me to trust you to get them out? You and Ollo?’ He snorted irritably.
Haegel nodded. ‘You can trust us, Vik,’ he insisted. ‘We were all together once, weren’t we? Remember? With Ake and Stellan. Herold Stari. Soren Olstein.’
He was a dimwit, Vik knew, conveniently skating over how they’d betrayed Sirrus, whose shrivelled up head still hung from the gates, pecked on by birds. ‘I remember. I remember Arn and Keld and Isak Berg too. I heard how you betrayed them all. What’s to say you won’t do the same to me? To Jonas?’
Haegel looked embarrassed, pock-marked cheeks turning as red as his long, thin nose. ‘We won’t. We won’t. It hasn’t been easy. Not what we hoped for, at least.’
‘Well, easier than it’s been for poor Sirrus, I’d say!’
Haegel sighed. ‘We don’t feel good about it, I promise. And now we’ve a chance to do something. A way to make it right.’
Vik doubted that was true. ‘Well, the gods will be watching, I’m sure. Interested to see if you can redeem your wretched souls, you and Ollo, both.’ And shaking out his right leg which was aching with cold, he pointed Haegel towards the trees. ‘Go back and figure it out. You and Ollo. You’ll have your silver, maybe your redemption too, if you help us rescue those children.’
Stina wanted to slide off her horse, fall to the ground and cry, but she thought of the children, and she thought of Alys and Eddeth, and she kept going. After the panic of her escape had receded, and she’d stopped looking over her shoulder every few heartbeats, waiting to be caught, she’d been able to find her way back over the army’s path. It was easy enough with the mess Hakon’s men and beasts had made, though Stina was certain that soon it would become more difficult. Snow was threatening again, and when it fell, as she was sure it would, she wouldn’t be able to find the path at all.
Shaking her head, she gripped the reins with gloved hands, feeling a sense of purpose urging her on. Hakon Vettel had been threatened by The Hunter, and he had Alys and Eddeth. And he knew that Alys was a dreamer.
She had to get to Ottby.
She had to find Reinar.
25
Bjarni cradled his daughter as though he was holding an armful of eggs.
Agnette laughed. ‘You won’t break her!’ She’d come out onto the field where Reinar and Bjarni were talking to Ake’s men, most of whom had been sleeping in tents since their arrival. They’d been relieved to hear that soon they would be boarding ships bound for Slussfall. For though the sea journey promised to be bitterly cold and wet, it was better than being frozen to the ground like a block of ice.
Bjarni lifted an eyebrow. ‘Not sure that’s true.’ Still, he tried to hold Liara more firmly, keeping her close to his chest. The wind was gusting on the exposed field, though she seemed warm enough in her snug fur wrap. ‘She’s so tiny. Like a baby rabbit.’
‘For now, but wait a few days, and it will be like carrying a sack of barley, I promise. She eats like her father!’ Agnette laughed, her attention wandering to where Reinar stood with Elin.
‘What?’ Bjarni followed Agnette’s gaze. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘Wrong?’ Agnette tried to sound as though nothing was wrong, though she wondered if something was. It felt like something was. ‘Nothing.’
Bjarni snorted, eyes quickly back on his daughter, who appeared asleep. ‘You’ve been acting very odd around Elin.’
‘What?’ It was Agnette’s turn to snort. ‘I don’t think that’s true. I’ve hardly spoken to her.’
‘Agnette...’
Agnette sighed. ‘She’s not right, Bjarni. You can see that, can’t you? She’s different somehow. I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s there. Something new. Something that wasn’t there before.’
‘Maybe it’s more about you than Elin? You’ve just gone through a lot, what with the fort being under attack. That’s not easy for anyone, let alone a woman giving birth.’ Bending forward, Bjarni kissed the red tip of her nose. ‘Not to mention the lack of sleep! You’ve enough to think about without worry
ing about Elin. She just needs time to feel at home again. Leave Reinar to worry about her.’
Agnette nodded, wanting her husband to think that that was exactly what she was going to do, her eyes drifting back across the scarred field to where Elin had slipped her arms around Reinar’s waist, holding him close.
Reinar rested his chin on top of his wife’s head. Memories stirred of meeting her, and loving her, and marrying her, and he smiled. ‘You’re sure you want to come with us? Four days on a ship? A battle? Who knows what will happen after that. I can’t guarantee anything except discomfort and terror. Likely wounds and sickness and being half-frozen every minute of the day.’
Elin stepped back, hands on his chest. ‘You know me, surely, you do? I won’t be troubled by whatever the gods throw at us. I want to help. To be with you. I don’t want to be left behind.’ She saw Agnette taking her baby back from Bjarni. ‘Gerda seems to be enjoying herself as the Lady of Ottby, so let her do it a while longer. And Agnette can help her.’ She turned her sweetest smile up to Reinar, grabbing his hand. ‘After all that’s happened, I want a chance to start again. Now the curse is lifted, we can, I feel it.’
Reinar nodded, hoping she was right. ‘Everything will be better once we get rid of the Vettels. Everything,’ he promised, ‘and then we can start again.’
Hakon had let Alys slip back to ride with Eddeth and Falla, both of whom had questions for her.
‘What did he want?’ Eddeth wondered, eyes bursting open.
‘To know about the Vilanders.’ Alys could see how eagerly Falla was considering her now that her true identity had been revealed. She was reminded of her grandfather. Once she’d felt resentful of him for forcing her to hide her gifts. Now she wished more than anything that they were still hidden. She felt exposed; trapped in a world of deception; conscious of how many people she had to please to stay alive.
‘And what will they do?’ Falla wanted to know. ‘The Vilanders? They didn’t come after us. Nor did Ake. Why? Will they give up now, at least for the winter?’ Falla was desperate for some insight. She missed Mother’s reassurance that their future would unfold as she willed it to. Now there was nothing but uncertainty ahead. Uncertainty and storm clouds gathering above them all.
‘No.’ Alys had to tell the truth as much as possible. Lies were like threads of yarn, and if she pulled too many into her hands and tried to weave an elaborate cloth, she would end up in a tangled mess.
Honesty was the surest path forward.
‘The Vilanders will come, as will the gods.’ Now she was whispering, wanting Falla onside. Sensing her interest, Alys was keen to foster some support, and hopefully, when they reached Slussfall, some help.
Eddeth’s eyes widened further, and reaching a hand up to her face, she scratched her nose. Her nerves were pinging like lyre strings, and she thought longingly of her herbs and her cauldron, and the promise of some relief from all the tension.
Falla nudged her horse closer to Haski. ‘You mean because of The Hunter? Will he come again?’ Waves of nausea had her glancing around, wondering where she could dismount in a hurry and run into the trees.
‘I hope not, but I’m not sure. Perhaps there is no need?’
Falla watched Lief riding between Hakon and Ivan, and lowering her voice, she continued. ‘No need?’
Eddeth’s nodding had her hair trembling. ‘Well, if Hakon has the mark, death will come. Vasa will come. He will not survive the winter. The Hunter’s work will be done!’
‘But where would the mark be? How would we know if he has it?’
Eddeth swung around, worried by how close the next rank of warriors was riding to them. Servants too. She could see the spotty-cheeked boy who was Hakon’s nervous steward. His ears appeared very much open, waiting to hear his lord bellow for him. And easing her horse against Falla’s, Eddeth dropped her voice to a whisper. ‘On his chest.’ She lifted an eyebrow in Alys’ direction. ‘Perhaps you can see it? In your mind?’
Alys frowned. ‘I can try, but it wouldn’t be proof. I wouldn’t be certain.’
‘No,’ Falla agreed, ‘but someone else could find it. Perhaps his wife? They’ll be reunited when we get to Slussfall. Karolina will see his chest. She can tell us!’
All three women straightened up suddenly as Lief turned his horse around, moving away from Ivan and Hakon, who closed up, riding with their heads almost together now. Lief nodded at his wife as he passed, going to check on his men.
Falla nodded back, glancing over her shoulder before leaning towards Eddeth. ‘I know Karolina well. She hates her husband. She’ll help us.’
‘Us?’ Eddeth looked surprised.
But Falla had already made up her mind, determined to act before it was too late. ‘The gods have spoken, and I would rather help them than a cursed lord like Hakon. Only a fool would go against Thenor.’
Alys found herself nodding, knowing there was little she could do now but ride the waves, for they were taking her somewhere. In all the noise and confusion, Alys could feel it.
She was being taken somewhere important.
Somewhere she needed to go.
Ulrick had taken Lotta down to the piers while he looked for a ship to take them to Orbo. Merchants and traders had sailed between Slussfall and Orbo with great frequency since Hakon Vettel had captured the fortress, and though winter was approaching with speed, the piers were full, helmsmen and crews untroubled by the snow flurries that were once again trickling down from ominous clouds.
Ulrick felt an urgency to leave, though he didn’t know why. If Hakon had been victorious, he would not return to Slussfall. He would press on to Stornas and capture the throne. But still, he wanted to be away before there were any problems. Though thinking of Bergit, he knew there were nothing but problems.
Perhaps it was best to wait? Wait to hear word about what had happened in Ottby? He had the coins to pay for passage, but he knew how stubborn his wife could be, and if she had set her mind on going to Stornas, nothing in the world would make her get on a ship to Orbo.
He glanced down at a red-cheeked Lotta, who appeared to be shaking with cold, her hand on his arm. ‘What is it, little princess? Are you hungry? I think we need something hot to eat, don’t you?’ Ulrick felt ill, irritated by the bitter wind flapping his long beard up into his face. Flattening it down with one hand, he clasped Lotta’s hand in the other. ‘Come on, let’s head back to the fort. I’ll see who I can find in the tavern. There’s always business to be done in a tavern!’ His heart wasn’t in it, though. He could feel himself changing course. Perhaps Hakon would be understanding? Though the old witch dreamer wouldn’t, and that would cause problems...
‘They’re coming.’
Ulrick almost hadn’t heard Lotta, but he felt the shivers charging up his body, and stopping, he squatted down. ‘Who?’
‘The army. Hakon Vettel.’
‘Coming here?’
Lotta nodded. She felt a sense of urgency herself. ‘Those who are left. But not Mother. She’s dead.’
Ulrick dropped to his knees, stunned. ‘You saw this? In your dreams?’
Lotta knew it was dangerous, far too dangerous, to reveal the truth, but she saw dark omens. She felt scared. They needed to leave, and if Ulrick listened to his angry wife, they never would.
Glancing around, Ulrick lowered his voice. ‘You’re a dreamer?’
Lotta shrugged, eyes sweeping the slippery boards of the old pier. She didn’t know what she was. ‘I have dreams that come true... sometimes. I saw Mother in her tent. She was on the ground, dead.’ Lotta shuddered, remembering the ghoulish image. ‘Hakon Vettel stood over her, and he was bleeding. They talked about leaving. About it all going wrong.’
Ulrick pulled Lotta into his arms. ‘Well, now,’ he whispered into her hair. ‘Well, now, what a find you are.’ And pulling back, he peered at her. ‘But you must never tell anyone, Lotta. Dreamers are like gold, especially around these parts, where desperate men are looking to become lords, and lords are
fighting to become kings. You must never tell anyone who you are.’ He held her close again, feeling her terror. ‘You think we should leave? Slussfall?’
‘Yes. They will be here soon.’
Ulrick was confused, worrying about Bergit and Hakon. Too confused and distracted to wonder why Lotta was so desperate to leave her brother and great-grandfather behind.
They whispered a lot, worrying about who was slouching in the shadows.
Desperate men, mostly. Men seeking a way out of the hole and the darkness, and most of all, an escape from the smell.
Jonas felt the responsibility of keeping both Magnus and Leonid optimistic about their chances of escape, while trying to mask his own fears that there was no escape at all. He’d seen no sign of Ollo. No sign of Lotta since the morning. No sign of Ulrick Dyre either.
And more importantly, no sign of Vik.
Vik would be pacing their campsite, trying to think of a way into the fort. And maybe there was? One where Vik could slip inside unseen. They’d tried it and almost been successful, once. But twice?
‘Maybe Lotta will help us?’ Magnus lifted his head, peering through the bars again. He gripped those bars as though he wanted to rip them out with his numb hands and crawl through the hole, though they were made of iron, and he was a ten-year-old boy and not a god. ‘Maybe she’s seen a way?’
Jonas hoped she had, though he would not want such a weight resting on Lotta’s tiny shoulders.
‘Or Mother?’
Jonas smiled, listening to the boy’s rumbling stomach. ‘I can promise you something, Magnus. Your mother will be doing everything in her power to get us out of here. Lotta too. As will Vik. They won’t rest until we’re free. They won’t.’
Leonid sat slumped on the ground by their feet, listening to his own belly growling, wiping a hand over his dripping nose, hoping the old man was right.