Vale of the Gods

by A. E. Rayne

  ‘She seems to be having fun, so I imagine she will.’ Ulf turned back to look at the house. It was a fine house, and he would be sharing it with a fine woman. Not something he’d ever imagined for himself... whatever it was. ‘I’ll get things ready in there, then I’ll go and retrieve the children and the servants. Once they’re settled, I’ll come back to the hall. We need to get the stores sorted before nightfall.’

  ‘We do. Though they’re not going to be safe wherever we put them. And as for all the carcasses...’ Gant frowned, worrying about Gus. He needed to go and check on him again.

  ‘They’re digging an enormous pit out in the valley,’ Ulf said. ‘Another one.’

  ‘They are. And who knows what else we’ll need to fill it with soon.’ Gant didn’t want to sound so morose, but he was struggling to see how there would be anyone left standing by the time Jael arrived home.

  ‘Safe? You’re sure?’ Biddy’s weary eyes sparkled with hope. ‘Inside the circle?’

  Ontine had not spoken all morning. Not more than a few mumbles to her hovering mother, at least. Eydis was much the same, but Biddy was full of questions, eager to act, not wanting to feel so vulnerable.

  ‘We were not touched inside that circle. The whisps couldn’t enter it,’ Edela said, leaning towards the flames, her hands numb with cold, though it was another warm day.

  The hall was once again ringing with the sounds of pain, shock, and grief, and Edela was struggling to keep a firm hold on her thoughts and not get drawn back into the bleak pit of terror.

  She couldn’t grieve or fret.

  She could only focus on what was coming next.

  ‘The symbol Marcus showed me worked. It worked! I’m sure of it.’ Her elation was dampened by the knowledge that Marcus was barely clinging to life now.

  ‘So we make the circle bigger?’ Biddy wondered, seeing where Edela was going. ‘Big enough to fit more people inside?’

  Edela nodded. ‘I made a circle of protection using that symbol. Cast by a dreamer. Held by a dreamer. It was not broken. Once Gisila was inside, I sealed it again. The circle was not breached. Every time I saw a whisp approach, it turned away. They couldn’t even fly above it.’

  ‘And do you need a dreamer inside the circle?’ Ontine wondered, frowning at her mother who was trying to ply her with food she didn’t want. ‘Or could you have circles everywhere?’

  ‘Circles are powerful,’ Edela mused, watching Sybill who stopped fussing over her daughter, her enormous eyes bulging with interest. ‘But their power comes from the dreamer who casts it. A dreamer holds a circle. Without the dreamer, there is no power, and the more dreamers, the more powerful the circle becomes.’

  ‘So we could be in a circle with you, and we would be safe, but everyone outside it would be in danger?’ Biddy asked, not feeling good about that idea.

  ‘Yes, though we have three dreamers here,’ Edela smiled. ‘We could make three circles. Three big ones.’

  ‘Or just one,’ Eydis suggested shyly, sensing everyone turn to her. ‘We could make one around the whole fort.’

  Edela’s eyes were suddenly wide with possibilities. ‘Around the fort? Besiege ourselves, you mean? Lock ourselves in?’

  Eydis nodded. ‘We wouldn’t be able to go out.’

  ‘No, not unless I closed the circle again.’

  Sybill finally got Ontine to take a bowl of nuts. She was eating from nerves, nibbling on anything she could find, yet it was almost impossible to get her daughter to eat. ‘It sounds as though it would take some time. A circle that big?’

  ‘Oh, I imagine so,’ Edela said, quickly on her feet, energised by the idea. ‘So we should get moving, then, shouldn’t we?’

  After Draguta had generously provided Briggit with a goblet of her best wine, and a plate of quail eggs and crispbreads, she took her upstairs to the bedchamber she had chosen for her prized prisoner: a large room looking directly over the square.

  Jaeger came with them.

  Eadmund had excused himself, wanting some dry clothes and a chance to escape Evaine. Amma had run away to the kitchen, out into the garden where she thought she might vomit again.

  Briggit was silent, her neck aching from where she’d been hoisted into the air, too furious to speak, and wise enough to keep her mouth shut. Upon entering the bedchamber, all thoughts of Draguta and her vice-like grip left her as she took in the welcome sight of a bed, piled high with soft furs and thickly-woven blankets; plump pillows stuffed to bursting with feathers; new hides covering the flagstones surrounding it. It was not the level of luxury she was used to, and the bed was small, barely big enough to stretch out in, but it did look inviting, and after the deprivations of her time on the ship, she was eager to sink into that mattress.

  ‘We will burn them.’

  Briggit shook her head, wondering if Draguta had actually spoken. ‘Burn who?’

  Draguta had stepped out onto the balcony, Jaeger dragging Briggit behind her. ‘I’m sorry?’

  ‘You just said you would burn them. Burn who?’

  Draguta laughed, turning her attention to the square. ‘All of them, of course!’ And she swept her arm across the balcony to where the Followers crouched and lay, some wandering around, trying to find any patch of shade in the cobblestoned square. There were enough guards to create a fence around them, and those guards looked just as miserable as the Followers. Draguta turned to Briggit, enjoying the horror contorting her face. ‘Tonight! It shall be the entertainment. I have invited our guests. A feast is being prepared as I speak. The hall will be resplendent with food and wine, music and festivities. And, of course, you will be there. My very special guest of honour!’

  Briggit could not shake the confusion she felt. This was not what she’d imagined would happen. This was not what she had seen in her dreams. ‘But why would you do that? Kill them? Why bring them all the way to Hest to kill them? Why go to the trouble of attacking us at all?’

  Draguta’s face was suddenly serious. ‘You and your mangy dogs wish to lead us all into a pit of darkness from which there is no return!’ She shook with rage. ‘No! This is where it ends! Where I end The Following once and for all. You have been like cockroaches all these years. Always creeping around, hiding, multiplying in the shadows. Shaking with delirium for a dead God of Nothing! Impossible to kill! Spreading like a plague! But this will be the end of you once and for all!’

  Jaeger was listening with a grin, enjoying the twists and turns on Briggit’s mesmerising face. ‘But what about the queen?’ he wondered. ‘What will you do to her?’

  Inhaling sharply, Draguta spun back around. ‘Briggit?’ And she stared into those conniving golden eyes. ‘Well, after I make her sweep up all the ash, we shall have a little talk. About the future and whether she’ll have any part to play in it.’

  Though it was hard to feel cheered by anything after the whisp attack, the announcement that Edela may have found a way to keep them safe had roused a small show of enthusiasm and a lot of head-scratching as Gant, Bram, Ulf, Edela and Entorp tried to decide on the best approach to creating the giant dreamer circle.

  ‘It will take some time,’ Edela acknowledged. ‘It needs to be cast carefully. Accurately. If it isn’t, we won’t be able to protect ourselves.’

  ‘We’ll need to guard the fort carefully too,’ Bram decided. ‘We can’t let anyone out, though many might want to leave. Some aren’t handling things well.’

  It was true, Edela knew. She didn’t blame anyone who wanted to run for their lives, though it would likely not end well for those who left the safety of the fort. Not if Jael couldn’t kill Draguta. ‘Yes, we will have to be prisoners inside here. For our own good. No one must leave.’

  ‘So we bring in everything we might need,’ Gant said. ‘Abandon everything else.’

  ‘Including the ships,’ Ulf mumbled, not feeling good about that.

  ‘True, but we won’t need them if we’re dead,’ Entorp reminded him. ‘This way, we have a chance of living. Edela
’s right, our only hope is to be locked inside the circle. We thought symbols would keep Draguta out, but they won’t. All that work around the walls? Rebuilding the hole? None of it’s made any difference. She can creep inside whenever she likes. Wherever she chooses.’

  ‘And she very well may creep in tonight,’ Edela warned, her voice low. They were in the hall, talking around the map table, and though there was enough noise to drown out even Mads Skalleson, Edela was still conscious of not worrying anyone unnecessarily. ‘So I must work in here first. Create a circle big enough to fit in as many people as we can. And food. We don’t want her spoiling everything we need to sustain ourselves.’

  ‘But if you draw that circle and then leave?’ Gant wondered.

  ‘Oh, I can close a circle after I break it. That is easy enough. The girls and I will work in here this morning, preparing for tonight. And then, this afternoon, we’ll start outside.’

  Gant frowned, thinking about how large the fort was.

  How little Edela was.

  It was going to take some time.

  Fyr was back.

  Jael was glad. The raven rode on her shoulder, black feathers shimmering a deep inky-blue in the afternoon sun. She was surprisingly light, her claws hooked around Jael’s armoured shoulder, swaying in time to Jael who swayed in time to Tig.

  In silence.

  No one had much to say. Tired eyes kept a close watch on their path ahead. Scouts rode in all directions, checking for any signs of danger, returning regularly to report that there were none.

  Which unsettled them further.

  Armoured bodies were tense, hot, fidgety; tempers fraying as they rode and marched beneath the beating sun, worrying about what would come for them, but most of all, worrying about Andala.

  Axl wanted to talk to his sister, but they had not spoken since Aleksander had slipped back to check on his men.

  Jael turned to him. ‘You’re worrying about Amma, aren’t you?’

  ‘Always.’ Axl wasn’t surprised that Jael could tell. It was all he could think about. ‘Have you... seen anything about Hest? Have you... seen Amma?’

  ‘No. I wish I had, but you have to believe that she was captured as a prize. You don’t go to all the trouble of organising that just to kill someone.’

  ‘I suppose not.’

  ‘They’ll be caring for Amma. For their own reasons, of course. But she’ll be safe. And Eadmund’s there, isn’t he?’ Jael didn’t know if that was either true or comforting, but she saw her brother’s eyes brighten, his head rise, happy to give him something to hold onto.

  Having changed into dry clothes, Eadmund felt almost refreshed as he headed down the corridor looking for his son. He had no idea where Evaine’s chamber was, but he was certain he would hear her before long.

  Evaine had a way of making her presence known.

  Thinking about Evaine led Eadmund to Morana, and he was knee-deep in a daydream, remembering the bright glow of his mother before he’d thrown the knife. Remembering what Dragmall had said about the shield.

  ‘Eadmund!’

  He looked up just before he ran into Amma.

  ‘I thought you saw me coming,’ she smiled, hands in front of her dress.

  Eadmund’s eyes went straight to Amma’s stomach. ‘I’m sorry, I was dreaming.’ He looked up at her face. ‘I’m sorry for you too, being Jaeger’s wife. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.’

  It was nice to hear.

  Amma glanced around, lowering her voice. ‘Jael is coming for you. Axl will come for me. I... I just hope there is time.’

  Eadmund sighed.

  Amma stared into his eyes, looking for any sign that he still loved his wife, for if he did it would give her hope. Hope that Eadmund would protect her in this terrifying place where Draguta could simply lift someone off the ground and strangle them to death.

  ‘Draguta will not be stopped,’ Eadmund said firmly. He didn’t want to give her any hope.

  ‘She hasn’t met Jael yet.’ Amma could see the defeat in his eyes, and it worried her. ‘Jael will stop her.’

  ‘Amma.’ Eadmund grabbed her arm, pulling her out of the way of a train of servants who were struggling down the corridor with armloads of bedding. ‘Draguta sees and hears everything. Talking like this won’t help you here.’

  Amma suddenly felt incensed, wanting him to be different. Needing him to be. ‘Then what will? What will help me, because I want to go home, Eadmund. To Andala. To Axl. I can’t stay here. I can’t!’ And sobbing, she dropped her head to her hands, wishing more than anything that she could feel a pair of arms around her. A pair of comforting arms.

  And then she did.

  ‘I can’t be Jaeger’s wife,’ Amma sobbed quietly against Eadmund’s chest. ‘He’ll kill me. Somehow, I know he’ll kill me!’

  And feeling her shudder against him, Eadmund knew that she might be right.

  28

  Briggit was starting to panic, imprisoned in her chamber, listening to the wails and moans of her distressed Followers expiring in the afternoon sun. Hest was hotter than anywhere she’d experienced, and yet she had the luxury of a ceiling above her head. She hated to think how many would be left standing by the time Draguta had put on her little show. How alone she would become in this wreck of a place.

  Her hands were still bound in the iron fetters, and she was becoming irritated by the cumbersome weight of them. She wanted to scratch her back, to itch her nose, to not feel as incapacitated and helpless as she was.

  Turning towards the balcony, Briggit thought she heard someone call her name, wondering if it was Sabine or Lillith. It didn’t matter now. Those who weren’t baking to death would soon meet their end. And though an end in itself wasn’t something Followers feared, the idea of dying at Draguta Teros’ hands made her want to scream.

  That vain, ridiculous ghoul.

  She was not about to let herself be killed by Draguta Teros.

  Briggit crawled onto the bed, wanting to shove a pillow over her ears, hoping to drown out the voices of those who sought her help. She couldn’t help them now, but she had to quickly find a way to help herself.

  Draguta was trying to stay calm, but she felt as though she was rocking from side to side, unable to keep her balance. Yet she was sitting on the throne, her shoes pressed firmly against the flagstones, her hands gripping the smooth skull armrests.

  She didn’t know what was happening.

  Meena stood before her with an ever-deepening frown. Draguta had opened her mouth to speak, but no words had come out. She wondered for a moment if she was trying to communicate with her mind.

  ‘What are you gaping at?’ Draguta barked suddenly, pushing herself upright. ‘You could stuff a lemon in that mouth!’ And standing up, she stalked towards Meena who jerked backwards. ‘I need you to prepare this potion for tonight. It is the same as the one that removed Yorik Elstad and his Followers, but with a time-saving twist. There are so many of them out there. Or there were, last time I looked. I’m sure you remember that potion?’ And suddenly feeling like herself again, Draguta eyed Meena, enjoying the spark of terror in her eyes. ‘Good. And get it done quickly, girl, for if not, I shall make you drink it too!’

  Meena was nodding as she backed away, stumbling into Jaeger who had entered the hall.

  He smiled, grabbing her around the waist. ‘You should try walking forwards. Might make it easier to see where you’re going!’

  Draguta frowned, her eyes on his hands which had lingered on Meena’s waist. ‘And where is your wife?’

  Jaeger shrugged. ‘No idea.’

  ‘Well, do make sure you spend some time with her, Jaeger. It is not my place to show her around the city, to introduce her to your people. And tonight many will be here, wanting to meet her. As curious as they will be about Briggit and her scum, from what I hear, your lords and ladies are more interested in meeting your wife.’

  Jaeger looked bored, but he nodded, thinking about the Book of Darkness. He felt strong again,
but his desire to lay his hands on it had only increased. He was finding it hard to concentrate on anything else. ‘I will, of course.’

  ‘Good!’ Draguta glared at Meena. ‘What are you standing there for? Get into those gardens! And if you see Brill or Ballack, send them to me! No!’ And seeing a servant walk away from the flowering centrepiece on the high table she had spent hours deliberating over, Draguta strode towards her. ‘That looks like a pile of overgrown weeds! Come back! Immediately!’

  Jaeger turned around, grabbing Meena as she tried to leave, his arm around her waist again, ushering her through the entranceway, towards the doors. ‘I’ll walk with you,’ he whispered in her ear. ‘Into the gardens. I’m sure we can find something to do that’s more exciting than digging in the dirt.’ And dropping his hand, he squeezed her buttock, laughing as Meena squeaked.

  ‘My belly says food!’ Thorgils declared. ‘Food and a fire. A few cups of ale too.’

  ‘Mmmm, that would be nice.’ Jael hadn’t felt her arse in hours, and it was becoming hard to stay as focused as they needed to. The landscape had remained unchanged for some time: mountains to the left, gentle and sloping, dark with shadows as the afternoon dragged on; pastureland to the right, flat and wide, a stream running through it, a thick line of dark-tipped trees in the distance signalling the start of Hallow Wood.

  And before it, Vallsborg.

  They would be there soon.

  Jael had been watching those trees since midday. Fyr had flown off regularly, disappearing into them, returning to her shoulder often.

  Nothing seemed amiss.

  But now the sun was low in the sky, and they all knew how much trouble Draguta liked to stir up in the dark.

  Jael stared at Aleksander as he turned around in his saddle. ‘Nearly there?’ She hadn’t been to Vallsborg in years, and everything suddenly appeared less familiar.