by A. E. Rayne
Vik felt just as suspicious as Ollo. ‘Why not?’
‘My friend’s in there. Alys. I have to find her, help her. She’s a dreamer, you know, a powerful woman indeed, but without me by her side... well, I’d hate to think what will happen!’
Vik grabbed her arm. ‘You know Alys?’
Eddeth blinked. ‘You know Alys?’
‘Who the fuck is Alys?’ Ollo snapped, wanting to keep moving. ‘They’ll be looking for us before long.’
‘Why?’ Eddeth wondered. ‘Who are you?’
‘Friends of Alys’,’ Vik said. ‘Jonas, her grandfather, is here. He was with Magnus. I’m Vik, his friend.’
Eddeth’s eyes bulged in surprise. ‘Well, aren’t the gods full of mischief! Imagine that? With all those people out there, somehow, we found each other!’ Eddeth felt a lift, some hope for the first time since they’d been captured. ‘But we can’t leave, not without Alys. And her daughter? Have you seen her?’
Ollo was getting more irritated by the moment. ‘Vik, we have to go and find Jonas. They’ll come after him.’
‘But you can’t leave!’ Eddeth implored, grabbing the sleeve of the man named Vik. A handsome man, she thought as he tugged off his helmet. A strong-looking, handsome man, unlike the one who was blustering and bloviating next to her, beady eyes nearly popping out of his round head. ‘Alys is still in there.’
Vik shared Ollo’s urgency, but there was so much he wanted to know. ‘What’s your name?’
‘Eddeth. Eddeth Nagel. Pleased to meet you, and this is Wilf,’ she grinned, patting her horse.
Ollo didn’t care, and with one look at his dead friend, he headed into the trees. ‘We need to find Jonas!’
Vik eyed Eddeth. ‘What will you do?’
Eddeth could feel her right foot twitching, wanting to go with the handsome warrior, but her left foot twitched more intensely, and she blinked. ‘I must go back to my dreamer. She needs me! And if Reinar Vilander is coming, we need to be in that fort, doing what we can to help!’
Vik grabbed her arm. ‘Reinar Vilander? Coming here?’
‘Oh yes, after what the Vettels did, attacking Ottby like that, Reinar is coming for vengeance!’ The thought of that made Eddeth giddy with excitement.
‘You know this how?’
‘Alys saw it. She sees a lot about Reinar, you know. Though that’s hardly surprising!’ And chuckling knowingly, Eddeth started picking her wart.
‘I don’t understand.’ Vik was conscious of Ollo leaving, of Haegel dead at his feet, of needing to find Jonas. ‘Reinar Vilander?’
‘He kidnapped Alys! Yes indeed, best thing he ever did! He planned to sell her as a slave, but once he discovered how valuable she was, he kept her, made her his dreamer. And she helped him save Ottby from the Vettels and their old witch.’
Vik couldn’t get his head around it.
‘But once Reinar found out about Alys’ children, he let her go. Of course he did! He loves her, I think. I can tell. But then, he loves his wife too. What a mess that is! Though hardly the most pressing concern for now, not with Hakon Vettel discovering that she’s a dreamer, despite everything we did to try and keep that quiet. Cursed he is! Marked by The Hunter himself! He came for us in the forest, sliced off so many heads with that giant sabre of his. Pointed it at Hakon’s chest, and we all know what that means!’
Vik could barely keep up.
‘Vik!’
‘Cursed by The Hunter? You mean he’s been marked?’
‘I would say so, though I’m not privy to Hakon Vettel’s naked chest, no, I’m not! The gods don’t appear to like the Vettels anymore, though, that’s for certain. Oh, the adventure we’ve had, and now this. A flaming fort and men on the loose!’ Eddeth was exhausted, shocked by how much had happened in such a short space of time. ‘But I must go. I can’t leave my dreamer, I can’t!’
Vik nodded. ‘We won’t leave.’
‘We won’t?’ Ollo grumbled, poking his head around a tree, unhappy about that.
‘We’ll hide,’ Vik said quickly. ‘We’ll find a way to rescue you both, don’t worry.’
‘Well, either you or the Vilanders will! They’re coming, you know. Coming to save us all!’ And wheeling around with a grin, Eddeth hurried away, tugging Wilf after her. She stopped suddenly, glancing over her shoulder. ‘And who are you, again? I will come back if I can, bring you some food, tell you more news!’
Vik smiled. ‘I’m Vik Lofgren. Tell Alys I’m here. That Jonas and Magnus are here too.’ He thought about Lotta, wondering where she had gotten to. ‘Tell her we’ll stay safe, but we won’t leave. Not without her. Not without Lotta!’
Eddeth nodded, liking the sound of Vik’s voice. It was as powerful and certain as a hammer, and shivering, she turned around, dragging Wilf through the forest, heading for the smoking fort.
Hakon’s men, exhausted by two long marches and one disappointing battle, worked until they were at a standstill, heads drooping, spirits low. Their lord barely noticed as he strode from one end of the fort to the other, assessing the damage, demanding that the square be put back together quickly, conscious of how many people, horses, and livestock were being kept outside, needing to get back in. He was concerned by the gathering clouds which were now darkening with intent, wind swirling around them too. And though they all felt relieved that rain was on the way, Hakon wanted everything secure before the storm hit.
‘My lord!’ Lief came to a coughing stop beside him. ‘It’s out. It’s all out.’
Ivan almost collapsed to the ground beside him. It was hardly the homecoming they’d wished for, and his mood was as dark as the clouds. The gods had most definitely taken up against them, he realised, spirits sinking as he tried to catch his breath. It wasn’t just Hakon they despised, but him as well, and Slussfall. All of them. What else could explain what had just happened?
No one seemed to know.
Baldur was unconscious, likely dying. No one could find Ollo Narp.
There were bodies everywhere.
‘We arrived back just in time,’ Lief said, body aching. He slumped down to the steps, hands shaking, throat raw.
Hakon joined him, eyes on his dreamer who had crossed the square to see a returning Eddeth. ‘Thanks to my dreamer.’ He stared at his morose cousin, feeling a lift. ‘You think we’re cursed? But look at Alys! The gods brought her to us, her and Eddeth, and she got us back to the fort just in time!’ He straightened his shoulders, the mark on his chest stinging like a burn, though no discomfort appeared on his face, which was beaming.
Falla had not returned to the fort, and Eddeth and Alys were enjoying a moment alone as they walked around the square, keeping their voices low.
Eddeth was speaking so quickly that Alys was struggling to keep up. ‘But you didn’t see my grandfather? Or Magnus?’
‘No, no, not a sign of them, though Vik...’ she grinned, ‘Vik said they’d escaped too. He said he would try and find them.’
‘And Lotta?’ Alys pulled the hem of her black cloak out of a puddle of blood, grimacing. She could hear the cries of the wounded, some of whom were still lying in the square, and she felt the urge to help the servants and slaves tending to them, but she knew they wouldn’t have long to talk privately. ‘What about Lotta? I haven’t seen her anywhere. I can’t even feel that she’s here.’
‘But she was?’
Alys nodded. ‘I saw her here, in my dreams.’ Then she remembered the pier and the ship and Lotta telling her not to come to Slussfall, and she shuddered. ‘She’s gone.’
‘Gone? Where?’
‘On a ship.’ Alys closed her eyes, trying to see anything, but all she saw was darkness. Darkness and a woman’s voice. And opening her eyes, Alys felt the certainty of that voice pull her down like a stone dropping into the sea. ‘North. Lotta’s gone north.’
Lotta didn’t feel anything.
The wind had numbed every part of her, and she had closed down her heart all by herself. It was a decision she’d made
without thinking. Survival was all that mattered. Finding her family again. Keeping safe until then.
It was all that mattered now.
Ulrick’s arm was around her, though it did not warm or comfort her. It could have been anyone’s arm, and she could have been anywhere.
The ship rode the waves with a crash and a bang, sea spray flinging over the gunwales, white-capped waves swelling around her. She tried not to look at them; the constant motion of those waves was making her sick.
The crew hunkered down, wet backs against the gunwales. The faded blue sail was taut above their heads, puffing out proudly, filled by a strong wind.
And Lotta felt nothing at all.
Eventually, someone would put the pieces of the puzzle together and realise what had happened, Jonas knew, and they had to be far enough away from the fort when they did. But his worry for Vik and Alys and Lotta kept him dithering, trying to decide on the right course of action. Perhaps it was his wounds, he realised, needing to stop walking long enough to wrap some cloth around them. It wouldn’t help Magnus and Leonid if he collapsed now. ‘Wait,’ he groaned, stumbling down onto a boulder. ‘Just a moment. I..’ Ears buzzing, Jonas reached for the bottom of his filthy tunic, looking to tear off some cloth.
‘I can help,’ Leonid said, wanting to be on their way quickly. His eyes never stopped moving, his ears open to every noise as he bent down, both hands on Jonas’ tunic, tearing off a long strip. ‘Where are you injured?’ But he quickly saw the spreading patches of blood on Jonas’ arm and thigh.
Magnus heard twigs snapping. Mumbled voices too. ‘Someone’s coming.’
Batting Leonid away, Jonas stood, missing his swordbelt, lost in the fort. ‘Get behind me,’ he hissed, shaking some urgency into his body. It had been a long few days without much sleep or sustenance, and he felt like collapsing, but straightening his aching shoulders, he started stepping backwards, wanting to feel the security of a tree trunk behind his back. Arms out, he shepherded Magnus and Leonid behind him, backing up until the three of them were almost pressed against the tree.
The snapping sounds stopped. The voices too.
No one spoke.
Leonid grabbed Magnus’ hand, hoping that the boy would stay quiet.
Hoping he would too.
And then a voice.
‘Jonas?’
Jonas’ arms relaxed by his sides as Vik slipped through the trees looking as relieved as Jonas felt, Ollo grumbling after him. ‘You took your time.’ He glanced at Ollo. Behind Ollo. ‘Where’s Haegel?’
‘Dead.’ Ollo was miserable, wondering what he’d done, but thinking of the silver, he perked up. ‘So we need to get going.’
‘But Alys is in the fort.’ Jonas turned to Vik. ‘Did you see her?’
Vik nodded. ‘I did, but we can’t help her if we’re captured. You don’t want to end up back in that hole again. Or worse. Now that the Vettels are back, you probably wouldn’t even make it to the hole. Not if Hakon finds out you’re the reason his fort caught fire!’
It was a good point, and Jonas thought quickly. ‘Help me wrap up these wounds and then we’ll go. I know a place.’
Hakon sat at the high table as though nothing was amiss, his men filling the tables arranged in rows before him.
Everyone appeared stunned, confused, tired.
Hakon acted as though they were returning heroes, his smile bright, his eyes bursting with enthusiasm.
‘We’ll have to pull off some of the thatch. Start again. More snow’s on the way for sure,’ Lief said solemnly, wanting to head back to his cottage with Falla. He longed to lie next to her, holding her close in the silence of their chamber. He wasn’t hungry. He didn’t even care for the wine.
He needed to think.
Ivan looked just as thoughtful, sitting beside Karolina, whose eyes were on the dreamer and her sneezing friend.
She was pretty, Karolina thought, seeing Hakon’s interest in her. Ivan’s too. Ivan’s she expected, but Hakon’s? It did not displease her, though. She hoped and prayed nightly for her husband to find another woman; someone to occupy his time and his bed. And now he had a new dreamer.
Karolina smiled at Alys, hoping to find a moment alone with her, eager to see where her own destiny lay.
Alys dropped her eyes to the table. The food was plentiful and hot, steam rising from a bowl of pea and bacon soup. She ate without pleasure, though, just wanting the evening to hurry along. It was early, but dark, and a storm had swept in, battering the charred, ruined fort with vigour.
Eddeth sat next to her, eating like a horse. She was ravenous, enjoying the meal, already onto her second plate. ‘They have some cooks here! What do you think?’
‘I suppose so, Eddeth.’ Alys was heartsick. They had travelled all this way, and Lotta had gone.
Eddeth stopped, mutton bone in hand, eyes searching Alys’ face. Fires bloomed down the middle of the stone hall, flames tossed about by an icy wind that swept under doors and down smoke holes. ‘We’ll find a way out of this,’ she whispered. ‘We will.’
Alys tried to smile. ‘I’m glad you came back.’
‘Of course you are!’ Eddeth grinned, ‘for I’m a valuable assistant, am I not? And now that we’re here, in this fort, we can start making things happen.’ Her voice was a low rasp now, her lips near Alys’ ear.
‘Making things happen?’
‘Oh yes, indeed. We’re exactly where the gods want us to be. We are here, in Slussfall, where destiny will be decided!’
35
They were supposed to be leaving.
Now.
They were supposed to be leaving now!
Reinar turned around, annoyed that no one appeared as ready as he was. Even Sigurd was fussing about, making last-minute adjustments to Dagger. Elin stood on the pier, saying goodbye to Gerda. Ludo had disappeared back to the fort to get his gloves. Bjarni’s two old dogs had followed him down the stairs, barking loudly, wanting to hop on board Fury with him.
Bjarni looked annoyed, barking back at them to keep quiet. He felt odd about leaving, worried that he was doing the wrong thing.
Agnette could tell, and she squeezed his hand firmly, not wanting him to see how scared she was, how worried that she’d never see any of them again. ‘Look after Sigurd,’ she said to Reinar, who’d joined them. ‘He doesn’t need any more injuries.’
Reinar smiled for the first time all morning. ‘You think I can stop the gods? They’ve set their sights on Sigurd for sure. They’re just using him for target practice now!’
Agnette leaned in, lowering her voice. ‘And keep him away from that Ilene. She wants to be a lady, you can see it in her eyes. Alys said as much, didn’t she? Poor Sigurd, the way he is, it wouldn’t take much for her to get what she wants.’
‘Bjarni!’ came a voice, and Bjarni turned away, leaving Agnette alone with Reinar. The ships were busy as chests were scraped into place, oars slotted into holes, weapons secured under planks, ropes coiled and moved out of the way. Fury was stocked full of food, ale, and a crew of warriors as impatient to get underway as their lord.
‘Keep an eye on Elin too,’ Agnette warned, almost losing her balance. The harbour was generally calm, sitting in an estuary, but there was so much movement on the ships that the water rolled like waves, and Agnette couldn’t stand still.
Reinar peered at her sharply. ‘Meaning?’
Agnette glanced back at the stairs. ‘I can’t explain it. Elin was always my closest friend, and I forgave those little things she did when we were girls. But after the babies died, and now, with Torvig... I just have a bad feeling. Something’s not right.’
Reinar brushed off her concern, eyes on Elin, who wore her favourite golden cloak, a blue dress peeking out beneath it. He frowned at Agnette. ‘Grief makes everyone not right, Agnette. You’ve lost enough people to know that.’
Agnette could feel the wall Reinar had put up around his feelings for Elin, and she nodded. ‘Well, I’ll keep you in my thoughts. All of you. Co
me back safely.’ And she wrapped her arms around Reinar’s waist, feeling her milk leaking, anxious about getting back to Liara, who was surely ready for another feed.
‘We will, don’t worry. And you take care of yourself, and that baby. Hopefully, Gerda won’t be too much trouble.’
‘Ha! I’ve a feeling she’ll be moving out of the fort entirely if she has to endure any more sleepless nights.’
Bjarni was back, frowning, fretting. ‘We’d better get going.’ He glanced around, seeing Ludo and Berger jumping on board their ships, his attention snapping to Sigurd, who was hurrying down the stairs carrying a tray of warm flatbreads. ‘Looks like everyone’s here.’ He peered at Agnette, seeing tears in her eyes, neither of them wanting to say goodbye.
Reinar nodded, thinking of Ake. Knowing what the king wanted him to do.
They had sacrificed to Thenor, and he could still taste blood in his mouth. He hoped the Father of the Gods was with them. That he approved of Ake’s need to kill Hakon’s boy.
Reinar had kissed his mother and father goodbye. That made him feel odd too. Stellan’s chair couldn’t be carried down to the piers, so he remained back in the hall with Martyn, Rienne, and Liara for company. Reinar shook his head, still not believing that was true. For all the things that curse had wrought, the death of his sons and the loss of his father had cut him the most deeply. ‘Come on!’ he bellowed, voice carrying across the harbour where his fleet rocked and jostled against the piers. ‘Time to go end those Vettels!’ And reaching down, he grabbed Elin, hoisting her over the gunwale, into the ship.
Familiar faces were missing, Reinar knew. Some injured. Some dead.
He thought of Torvig and Tulia, nodding at Sigurd, who smiled, misery lingering in his blue eyes. It would feel even stranger for him, though hopefully, his brother would soon have a sword in his hand, a Vettel skewered on the tip of it.