Mark of the Hunter: An Epic Fantasy Adventure (The Lords of Alekka Book 2)

by A. E. Rayne

‘Alys?’

  ‘She is a dreamer.’

  ‘She’s not like that old witch, though. I don’t think she’d know how to.’ Ludo frowned, hoping that was true.

  ‘But Alys killed the old witch, didn’t she, so perhaps she knows more than she realises...’

  Ivan walked Alys down to the harbour, wanting to give Hakon a chance to calm down.

  She was grateful, certain that she was standing on the pier Lotta had stood on in her dream, warning her not to come to Slussfall. But why? What had her daughter seen?

  Alys frowned, willing the answers to come, but she heard nothing.

  Saw nothing.

  ‘Did he hurt you?’ Ivan asked, peering at Alys’ face.

  She tried to smile. ‘No, not really.’

  Ivan looked doubtful. ‘I don’t know what to do about him. I worry.’

  ‘You should worry.’ They walked down the pier, cloaks flapping in the fresh breeze, the sun lost behind dark clouds now. Alys’ eyes drifted to the four merchant ships moored along the piers. She saw one warship too. Just the one. Further along the shore, she noticed sheds, hearing hammering and shouting as the shipbuilders worked on Hakon’s long-desired fleet. ‘What is coming for your cousin is dark, Ivan. You should feel worried.’

  ‘Do you know that for certain, though?’

  ‘No, but you can see what’s happening to him with your own eyes. You don’t need me to tell you what’s coming.’

  It was true, Ivan knew. Lief had seen it too. Soon everyone in the fort would see it for themselves. ‘Will it get worse?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘But what can I do?’ Ivan grabbed Alys’ hand, turning her towards him. She was beautiful, desirable, but he blinked all thoughts of that away, only worry in his eyes now. ‘I can’t let something happen to him. We’re like brothers. He’s mine to care for, just as he’s always cared for me. We’re family.’

  It was a strong bond, Alys knew, and that would likely become a problem for Ivan. ‘You will come to a crossroads,’ she said darkly, images tumbling before her eyes. ‘In the darkness, you will not be able to see, only feel. You will need to choose quickly, which path you wish to turn down.’ She shivered, seeing images of Ivan screaming now. ‘You will be forced to choose.’

  Ivan turned away, conscious of the gulls swooping down to the pier, stepping tentatively towards them, wondering if they had any food to share. Water lapped at the pilings, the ships butting against their mooring posts. He wanted to leave, to sail away from every one of his mounting problems.

  But shoulders slumping, he knew that he couldn’t.

  For he was a Vettel, and the Vettels were destined to rule Alekka.

  He couldn’t give up now.

  Magnus was angry.

  Jonas was surprised by just how angry. ‘Your mother won’t want to escape only to find your head hanging from Slussfall’s gates, will she?’ he growled, snapping a twig in half, tossing it onto the pile of kindling he was making. ‘You think you’re a warrior now, at ten? Think you’ve got all the answers, do you?’

  Magnus and Leonid had collected handfuls of moss, and they were laying it on the floor of the cave, drying it out. Magnus felt bored and irritated. Nothing was happening quickly enough. He didn’t know where his sister was, but his mother was trapped inside the fort with the Vettels, and it was his responsibility to save her.

  He wanted to save her!

  Jonas grinned, watching Magnus seething beside him. ‘Many times in my life, I’ve had to wait. Waiting is torture.’ His smile faded quickly, and looking down at the twigs, he tried to drag his mind away from all the mistakes he’d made. ‘But waiting gives you time to think.’

  ‘Or waiting means you missed your chance.’

  ‘True. It’s the toss of a coin, isn’t it? And when you’re a man, making decisions is one of the hardest things you can do. Especially when it involves other people’s lives.’ Jonas glanced back to where Ollo and Vik were sharpening their weapons. ‘When life and death hang in the balance, it’s not easy to choose the right path.’

  Magnus’ face cleared, hearing the sadness in Jonas’ voice. ‘I don’t want my mother to die.’

  ‘Nor do I. I held your mother as a baby. I felt that tiny weight in my arms, and I knew I would lay down my life to protect her. And I didn’t. I haven’t.’ He was angry and sad; disappointed in himself. ‘I should never have listened to her about your father. I was a fool.’

  ‘Sometimes, I wished you’d come.’

  Jonas blinked in surprise. ‘You did?’

  Magnus nodded. ‘When I heard Mother crying, when I saw her face, I...’ He hung his head. ‘I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t save her.’ Looking up, tears blurred his eyes. ‘I didn’t know what to do!’

  Jonas pulled Magnus into his arms, tears rolling down his cold cheeks. ‘We can’t go back, can we? So we go forward, make everything different. Your father’s dead, so we’ve all got another chance to make it right. We’ll save your mother, Magnus. It just means biding our time here. Keeping alert. But we’ll save her, I promise.’

  Stina didn’t know if they would make it to Slussfall in time to save Alys and Eddeth. She didn’t want to imagine what Hakon might have done to them when he found out the truth. Especially Alys. She had killed his dreamer. He would blame her for his defeat in Ottby. Perhaps hurt her, if not kill her.

  ‘But no man would kill a dreamer,’ Reinar tried to convince them both. They stood by the mast, eyes on the murky horizon. The clouds were tumbling, dark grey and threatening a storm, and Reinar was growing tense. ‘Not unless he wants to die.’

  ‘Or unless he’s not in his right mind. Unless he can no longer make sound decisions anymore.’

  Reinar watched Elin approach, and he tried to smile, though he felt worried, breath trapped in his chest. He wanted to stop, head ashore, light a fire and feel his fingers and toes again. Speak to his brother too.

  And then Elin’s arm was around his waist.

  ‘Come and have something to eat,’ she smiled, ignoring Stina.

  Stina had been surprised by Elin Vilander’s coldness towards her, and though she’d tried to smile and be friendly, Elin had barely met her eyes.

  ‘Later,’ Reinar said, ‘but take Stina, she needs something to eat.’

  Stina had little appetite, and she wanted to shake her head, but realising that she needed to keep up her strength, she nodded, following Elin to the stern, where Ilene was already helping herself to flatbreads and cheese. She sighed, knowing that the two women had had their heads together throughout the journey, no doubt talking about both her and Alys.

  ‘Stina,’ Ilene smirked, beady eyes bright with interest. ‘I thought you’d never tear yourself away from the lord. You are as thick as thieves!’

  Stina ignored her, taking a flatbread, using a wooden knife to dig into the small pot of soft cheese.

  ‘I suspect my husband has a lot of questions,’ Elin murmured, turning her eyes to Stina for the first time.

  The wind roared, hair and cloaks flapping, sail snapping, strakes creaking, and Stina only just made out her words. ‘He does. He wants to know what’s coming. What danger we might face.’

  ‘But you’re no dreamer,’ Ilene smiled. ‘What could you possibly tell him?’

  Stina would have happily pushed Ilene overboard, but she smiled back just as sweetly. ‘Well, I can’t share what I discussed with the lord, Ilene. He wouldn’t want me to, I’m sure.’

  Ilene clamped her lips together, looking at Elin.

  ‘No,’ Elin agreed, ‘he wouldn’t. My husband carries a great responsibility to keep us all safe. He’ll do what is necessary to get us back to Ottby alive. He’s a very loyal man.’ She held a flatbread in her hand, though she didn’t want it.

  She didn’t want food at all.

  Stina shivered. Elin Vilander had a look in her hazel eyes that reminded her of Torvig, and she turned away.

  ‘Your friend, the dreamer...’ Elin began.

 
Stina turned back, fearing what was coming next.

  ‘From what I hear, she did what she could to survive in Ottby. She helped Reinar defeat the Vettels. And now, what will she do to help the Vettels, I wonder? For if she is to survive in Slussfall, she’ll have to help them, won’t she?’

  ‘Only what she must. As you said, she did what she could to survive. She has children, and to save their lives, she’ll do whatever it takes.’ This time Stina didn’t take her eyes off Elin. There was something about the woman that made her uncomfortable, as though she was digging with a particular purpose in mind. No doubt Ilene had shared some gossip about Reinar and Alys, though what was there really to tell about Reinar and Alys?

  ‘I imagine she will. When it comes to our families and the ones we love, we’ll always do what we can to protect them. If only I’d returned to Ottby in time to save my brother, but sadly, I was too late.’

  Elin’s voice was as sharp as a blade, and Stina shuddered. She sensed Ilene smirking, and ignoring her, and leaving the cheese-covered flatbread on the chest, Stina stood, gathering her billowing cloak around herself, hurrying away from the women.

  Stumbling down the deck with speed, she almost knocked into Reinar, who’d remained by the mast, lost in his thoughts. He watched her go, turning back to his wife, who was staring after Stina with an odd look in her eyes.

  After returning Alys to her chamber, Ivan headed to the hall to confront Hakon. His cousin needed to understand the importance of keeping his dreamer safe. Having a dreamer gave them a better chance of surviving what was coming. It made no sense for Hakon to mistreat her.

  When he found his cousin, though, his anger softened, for Hakon sat beside Karolina, cradling their son, tears in his eyes. ‘What’s happened?’

  ‘Happened?’ Hakon blinked up at him, confused. ‘What makes you think something’s happened?’

  Ivan glanced at Karolina, who appeared to be pleading for help with her eyes.

  ‘I’m just so pleased to be home, with Anders. Look how big he’s grown!’ And lifting the boy up, he turned him around to Ivan. Anders grunted, legs working hard, and Hakon lowered him, trying to make him stand on his lap.

  ‘He has,’ Ivan agreed dutifully.

  ‘And Alys? You’ve returned her to me? Now that you’ve had your fun?’

  ‘Fun?’ Ivan took a cup of ale from the tray a slave was offering him. He smiled at the young woman, who bobbed her head shyly, disappearing back to the hall. ‘Saving her from you, you mean? You were hurting her.’

  ‘I was trying to get her to understand the seriousness of the situation, Ivan. That she needs to help us. I don’t trust her, do you?’

  Ivan didn’t know. He wanted to. ‘What choice does she have but to help us?’

  Hakon handed Anders back to Karolina and stood. He felt better, the dark clouds receding now. He couldn’t hear the voice anymore, but when he glanced at his wife, he remembered Alys’ words, and he felt a jolt of fear. ‘But the Vilanders? Can we trust her to go against them? She helped them defeat us, so why would she help us defeat them?’

  Ivan sighed, finishing his ale quickly, wondering how long it had been since he’d had a woman in his bed. And realising that he didn’t know, he decided the answer was far too long.

  ‘Ivan?’

  Ivan turned back to his cousin. ‘Because she cares about living. She’s been a prisoner twice over. I imagine she desires her freedom. If she helps us defeat the Vilanders, you will free her, won’t you? She deserves as much.’

  Hakon shrugged, though he had no intention of freeing Alys at all. He liked having a dreamer, especially one so beautiful. He glanced at his wife, who trembled beside him, fussing over Anders. ‘Finish your wine, Karolina, and then I will take you to the dreamer, and she can tell us what she sees.’

  ‘But what do you see?’ Eddeth felt impatient for action, and though she knew that Alys was trying her best to find answers, it was hard to stay still and wait for something to happen.

  ‘I see an end.’

  Eddeth blinked, hopping back to the bed, where Alys sat quietly, eyes closed. She flopped down beside her, twitching. ‘An end?’

  Alys’ eyes remained closed. ‘Everything must end.’ Her voice sounded far away, like an echo as she searched through the darkness, looking for answers. ‘Life is a cycle, and the end of that cycle is death.’

  Eddeth peered at her, sensing that Alys was elsewhere. ‘What about the gods? Can they help you? Can Valera?’

  Alys couldn’t see the gods. She was in a dark forest now, trees like long-fingered spirits hanging over her, the moon glaring down a narrow path. ‘I see no gods, only secrets, memories. Hidden away. Every answer is there, hidden away from me.’

  Eddeth shivered beside her. ‘The answers to what?’ she whispered.

  ‘The answers to who I really am.’ And eyes springing open, Alys turned to Eddeth, gripping her hands. ‘We need to see more, Eddeth. To know more. We need the books. Your herbs. We have to get out of this chamber. Reinar and Sigurd will come.’ That thought came like a clap of thunder, shaking Alys’ limbs. ‘And if I can’t see what’s going to happen, how will we help them?’

  By dusk, their helpful westerly wind had become a wild storm, and Reinar found himself praying that Thenor would see them safely to shore.

  The sail was packed away, the oars stored, and Holgar stood hunched over the tiller, jaw clenched, soaked to the bone, dragging on that old wooden stick until his shoulder wanted to snap right off. Reinar didn’t envy him, but there was no one he’d rather have steering Fury through the storm. Apart from Bolli, who he knew would be cursing the weather gods on Dagger.

  Reinar popped his head up often, though in the stormy darkness it had been hours since he’d seen another ship. He tried not to worry, knowing that they were in the hands of the gods now. And if the gods were with them, his fleet would survive to face the Vettels.

  And if not...

  Elin clung to him as they sat just behind Holgar, wet backs pressed up against the stern, swaying with the surging ship. He regretted that he’d brought her along, putting her in danger, though he couldn’t deny it was comforting to feel her in his arms. Stina sat nearby, next to Bjarni, head down, and he thought of Torvig, and Alys who had killed Torvig, and he felt guilty for all of it.

  He couldn’t leave Alys with the Vettels. Whatever destiny the gods were weaving for him, he couldn’t leave Alys in Slussfall. He heard Elin whimper as the mast creaked ominously, threatening to snap in half. Eyes up, squinting into the stormy darkness, Reinar wondered if Alys could see them. If she could help them somehow.

  They would save her. He would save her.

  But only if they made it to Slussfall.

  Falla had retrieved Eddeth’s saddlebags, tipping the contents into a basket which she carried through the hall and down to Eddeth and Alys’ chamber, surprised to find that Alys wasn’t there. ‘Where’s the dreamer?’

  Eddeth was thrilled to see her, happier still to see what she’d brought in the basket. Falla had asked the cook for some herbs too, which she’d grudgingly harvested from her kitchen garden.

  ‘Hakon took her,’ Eddeth said distractedly, bustling about. ‘I need a cauldron! Something to hang it on. A pestle and mortar too!’

  ‘What? He took her?’ Falla glanced over her shoulder, peering at the door. ‘Why?’

  Eddeth shrugged, choosing not to be worried. Worrying about things she had no power over sapped her energy, and Eddeth needed all her energy for what lay ahead.

  She laid her grandmother’s book on the table. Beside it, she placed a jar of honey, and a selection of mushrooms, willow bark, wormwood leaves and garlic.

  She barely noticed that Falla had crept up beside her.

  ‘I helped Mother, you know.’

  Eddeth froze. ‘The old witch?’

  Falla nodded. ‘She promised me vengeance. She wanted vengeance, and I helped her try and get it for both of us. For my son.’

  ‘And now?’
r />   ‘Now, I want to live. I want a future. The past can rot for all I care. It’s now that matters. Now and what comes next. I have a son, a baby on the way. A husband I –’ She stopped herself.

  ‘Yes?’

  Falla checked her enthusiasm. ‘I want to live, Eddeth, so I will help you. You and Alys. Men are stubborn. Lief is too loyal. Ivan is worse. They live by some unspoken code. As though their honour, their reputation, their oath is more important than life. Than preserving life!’ She shook her head, furious with Lief, who insisted there was nothing he could do to talk Ivan around; nothing he could do without Ivan’s help. ‘But we women, we know what it is to give life, so we do what we can to protect it, don’t we?’

  Eddeth’s eyebrows were up, surprised to hear so much wisdom coming from Falla Gundersen, who’d seemed like such a shallow creature at first. ‘You may help, then. Of course you may! We must work quickly, though. Alys needs to see what’s coming, and we must help her!’

  Hakon had taken Alys to his bedchamber, where she’d been relieved to see his wife waiting. And remembering Ivan’s words about making the dreamer feel comfortable, he left the two women alone, Anders sleeping in his crib.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ Karolina whispered when she could no longer hear Hakon’s footsteps in the corridor. ‘I don’t want to force you to see something about me.’

  Alys didn’t know whether it was possible to see anything, though she felt under pressure, knowing that Hakon would be furious if she didn’t. ‘I can try. Your husband wants me to try.’

  ‘Why?’ Karolina wondered, glancing at the crib. ‘Have you seen something?’

  Alys glanced at the crib too. ‘Yes, I’m afraid I have.’ Karolina Vettel almost curled away from her, not wanting to hear the truth, but she thought of Tulia, determined to do what she could to help Hakon’s wife stay alive. ‘I saw you with your son. You were screaming. There was a lot of noise, like a battle. I don’t know what happened. Your husband was worried. He thought if he brought me here, I might see more. Perhaps by... touching you, or taking something of yours to dream with.’ Alys thought of Salma’s book, wishing she had it, but it was in her saddlebag with Haski, who she was worried about too.