Blood of the Raven: An Epic Fantasy Adventure (The Lords of Alekka Book 3)

by A. E. Rayne

  ‘I... this morning. Early. I saw dawn breaking when they left. On a ship. They were on a ship!’

  ‘Who?’ Reinar demanded, heart thudding. ‘Eddeth, who took them?’

  Eddeth almost didn’t know how to say it. ‘Her... husband.’

  ‘What?’ Sigurd shook his head, certain he hadn’t heard that right. ‘But I killed him. I killed him in Ullaberg. On the beach.’

  ‘Yes, you did, he was dead, but Alari raised him. Brought him back to life, she did.’

  ‘Alari?’ Vik didn’t understand. The Goddess of Magic was an evil, trouble-making witch, always causing problems for those gods and goddesses favoured by her father, Thenor. But to meddle in the lives of mere mortals? ‘Why would she do that?’

  ‘It makes no sense, Eddeth,’ Sigurd insisted. ‘You’re not a dreamer. You were never a dreamer! Why do you think this is anything more than a dream?’

  Everyone ignored Sigurd, knowing how he felt about dreamers.

  ‘Alys killed Alari’s dreamer, Mother Arnesson.’ Falla was there now, eager to have her say. She’d left Lief to come and visit Karolina, and her son was gripping her hand, eating a flatbread. ‘Alari helped Mother. She spoke to her often. Likely she wasn’t happy about what Alys did.’

  They all turned to Falla, frowning, before looking back at Eddeth, who was nodding vigorously. ‘Valera said that Alari took revenge on Alys by bringing her husband back. And now, he’s taken her and Magnus. Taken them away!’

  ‘To where?’ Jonas wanted to run out of the hall. He felt sick, trying not to imagine what Arnon de Sant was doing to his granddaughter. ‘Tell us, Eddeth. Where has he taken them? Where?’

  It was still early.

  Alys tried to shut out every urgent vision, wanting to see only what was before her. She couldn’t find a way to escape if she couldn’t think.

  She needed to think!

  Arnon kept touching her. She tried not to show any reaction, not wanting to anger him further.

  For he was very, very angry.

  ‘And did they touch you? Reinar Vilander? His brother? Their men? Did they touch you?’

  Alys shook her head, working hard to hold Arnon’s gaze, not wanting to give him any reason to doubt her. ‘He has a wife. His brother had a woman. No...’ She feared what Alari might have told Arnon, but she couldn’t tell him the truth.

  ‘No? Are you sure about that, Alys? Sure you want to lie to me?’

  They were on board a small ship, heading north. The wind was brutal, colder than any Alys had experienced, and she hadn’t stopped shivering since they’d left Slussfall. She tried not to glance at Magnus, who was being guarded by one of the men Arnon had paid to take them north. It enraged her husband when she removed her attention from him. She feared what he would do, not to her, but to Magnus. ‘It’s not a lie. They didn’t mistreat us. Well, one man did. He raped Stina, but the rest were not like that. They just wanted to sell us. They needed silver.’ Her teeth chattered with cold and nerves, though she continued to hold Arnon’s gaze, her heart full of fear and hate.

  So much hate.

  Arnon sat beside her, leaning over her, his thick fur cloak making him appear bulkier than he was. He was a lean man; wiry and fast. Once Alys had thought him handsome, but now she saw that his features were plain, almost ugly. His eyes were a deep blue, cold, and too small for his face. His hair hung to his shoulders in dirty blonde curls, often tied back in a messy braid. He had little more than fluff on his face, never having been able to grow a full beard. His teeth were likely his only redeeming feature, for they were straight and gleaming.

  Arnon bent forward, chin jutted out, and wrapping an icy hand around Alys’ neck, he yanked her forward. ‘Do you really think the goddess kept things from me? That she only told me part of the truth?’ He laughed, releasing her. ‘Oh, but she told me everything, Wife. She looked deep into your heart and saw the truth of it all!’

  Alys blinked, unable to see a path to safety.

  Should she keep lying?

  Confess?

  She wanted to cry, but she was too afraid, and Magnus was there, and she had to keep him safe.

  She had to keep him safe...

  Jonas and Vik had run out of the hall with Ludo, hoping to find more information about the ship Eddeth had seen taking Alys and Magnus north.

  Aldo and Stina had taken Sigurd back to Alys’ cottage, hoping to find any clues about what had happened and why.

  And Reinar had hurried Eddeth into one of Hakon Vettel’s private chambers.

  He shut the door, not caring that there was no fire in the hearth as he turned to Eddeth, who trembled before him. ‘You’re asking us to believe a lot, Eddeth. A lot!’

  Eddeth shook and shivered, hopping from one foot to the next. ‘I agree. Yes, indeed, I couldn’t agree more! I wish it wasn’t true, I do. I wanted to be a dreamer more than anything... I...’

  ‘But how could someone forget that? I understand why Alys hid her gifts, but at least she knew she had them!’ Reinar started pacing up and down in front of her, unable to stay still. ‘How did you simply forget?’

  ‘It’s not important,’ Eddeth insisted. ‘Is it? What’s important is finding Alys and Magnus.’

  That was true, though Reinar had a lifetime of experience with Eddeth, and he knew how unreliable and unpredictable she could be. ‘Of course, but you need to tell me the truth. Why now? Really? Why have you suddenly decided to become a dreamer now?’

  Eddeth dropped her head. ‘My... m-m-m-mother.’ She hunched up her shoulders, feeling the weight of that word trying to crush her. She almost dropped to the flagstones, wanting to curl into a ball, hands over her head. ‘She was c-c-cruel.’ And then she looked up, tears in her eyes. ‘So cruel. I... I don’t think about her, talk about her. It’s... she beat me, tortured me. I...’ Eddeth sniffed loudly, unable to go on.

  Reinar stopped pacing. ‘She stopped you being a dreamer?’

  Eddeth nodded, her shoulders relaxing slightly. ‘My grandmother was one, so I wanted to be one too, but whenever I told my mother about my dreams, she would lock me in the shed, make me sleep with the pigs. Sometimes, not even that! If she was feeling particularly aggrieved, she would lock me out of the house altogether. Even in the depths of winter! Eventually, my grandmother died, my father died, and she was all I had. But then, she left me. I was... nine, I think. She found a new husband, packed her chest and left me. I...’ Eddeth sobbed. ‘I shut it all away. I...’

  Reinar took her in his arms, feeling her shuddering body collapse against his chest, sniffing loudly. ‘I’m sorry, Eddeth. No one deserves a mother like that.’

  ‘No,’ Eddeth agreed, pulling away, wiping her nose on the back of her hand. ‘No, but that’s all gone, isn’t it, and here I am. Here we are! And now, the truth has been revealed. Oh yes, the truth is out now!’

  ‘So you’re really a dreamer, then?’

  ‘I am, I really am!’ Eddeth, tears streaming down her face, exhausted and muddled, finally straightened up. ‘And as Valera said, I’m the perfect person to help find Alys!’ The weight of responsibility settled on Eddeth’s shoulders, which did not sag. They held that weight and rose higher. The dreamer was her friend, and she would do anything to save her and her son.

  ‘Well, then, you have to find her, Eddeth,’ Reinar insisted. ‘We need to find something of Alys’, something you can hold. You have to see where they’ve gone.’ Reinar wanted to run out of the chamber, out of the hall, down to the harbour and hop on a ship. But he saw Elin’s face, and he heard Ake’s voice.

  And he knew that he couldn’t go anywhere.

  Jonas and Vik stood on the pier with Bjarni and Ludo. Bolli and Ollo had joined them too.

  Ollo didn’t want to admit that he was thinking about silver, but he was most certainly hoping that Jonas wasn’t planning on spending his long-promised coins on a ship.

  ‘Eddeth will find the answer,’ Ludo insisted.

  Bolli snorted loudly, and Bjarni looked ready to
join him.

  Only Vik nodded. ‘She needs to come with us.’

  Jonas agreed, shoulders tense. None of it seemed plausible, though he’d been married to a dreamer, and he knew that so much lay hidden beyond what he could touch with his own hands, so it was always best to keep an open mind. ‘She does. And who else? We’ll need a crew. A ship. Arnon’s not on his own. If that bastard’s at sea, he’s not on his own.’

  ‘But how do you know?’ Ollo grumbled. ‘No one seems to know anything about him or this mystery ship. No one!’

  Jonas ignored him, glaring at Bjarni. ‘Reinar will lend us one of his ships. One of his helmsmen too. And a crew of men. For stealing my granddaughter in the first place, I think that’s just what he’s going to do.’

  Bjarni swallowed, though he doubted Reinar would argue with that.

  Reinar would want to do everything he could to save Alys.

  The only problem Bjarni could see was trying to stop him from going along.

  Eddeth took Reinar to Alys’ chamber, where the body of Ivan had been removed, though the stain of his death remained. She tried not to look at that dark mark as she scoured the room, searching for something Alys might have left behind.

  Reinar stared at the bedding, thrown on the floor, and the furniture, knocked over, remembering what Alys had said about Ivan Vettel saving her from his cousin. He squeezed his hands into fists, though he knew that anger was pointless.

  Alys was gone.

  Being angry wouldn’t help get her back.

  ‘Here!’ Eddeth announced gleefully, scrambling across the bed, a tiny scrap of green cloth in her hand. ‘This is just what I need!’ Though she felt a tremor of doubt, worrying that she wouldn’t know how to dream; fearing that everything in her life had been little more than wishful thinking.

  Wishing she was a dreamer.

  Wishing her husbands had been better men.

  And her children...

  Clearing her throat, Eddeth made for the door before turning back. ‘I have to gather everything together now. Everything I’m going to need for the journey.’ Images of a small ship flashed before her eyes, and Eddeth saw a glimpse of the path ahead, too excited to feel doubtful now. ‘I need the books, my saddlebags. And Wilf! You must promise me you’ll look after Wilf, for I cannot take him where I’m going!’

  Reinar nodded, scratching his head, his thoughts returning to Elin, knowing that he needed to get back to her. He needed to focus on securing Slussfall and dealing with the mess the Vettels had made.

  But Alys...

  Slipping off an arm ring, Reinar handed it to Eddeth. ‘I’ll need you to come to me, Eddeth. Find me if you can. I... I want to know what’s happening.’

  Eddeth stopped twitching, seeing the pain in his eyes. ‘I will, I promise.’ She slipped the arm ring into her purse with the scrap of Alys’ dress. ‘We’ll find her, of course we will. Do you think two dreamers can be defeated by a vengeful goddess and an angry man raised from the dead? Oh no, for Alys has Thenor on her side. Never forget that. Alys is protected by Thenor himself!’

  Reinar nodded, watching as Eddeth swung around, bounding to the door, his heart aching, hoping she was right.

  2

  It was getting colder.

  Alys wanted to go to Magnus, who was shaking on the opposite side of the ship. She could hear his teeth chattering. The roar of the wind was deafening, but Alys was so focused on her son that she could even hear him breathing from where she sat, watching him.

  Arnon kept her close, an arm around her waist, holding her too tightly.

  He wouldn’t let her go.

  Another man sat on her right, and when Arnon left to talk to the helmsman, that man eyed her with a look that said he would call out if she moved.

  Alys tried not to cry. Crying wasn’t the answer, and it was no time to release her tension. Ignoring the stinking man as he edged closer, she leaned her head back against the gunwale, one eye on Arnon, who was laughing with the helmsman. She felt the relief of his absence for a moment, and closing her eyes, shoulders sinking, she tried to focus on Lotta. If Arnon truly wanted to find their daughter, she needed to tell him where to go.

  Eddeth returned to the hall, spying the sashaying woman with the dark hair. ‘Falla Gundersen!’ she bellowed. ‘I need your help. You must take me to the kitchens. I need every herb I can find. Every one of them!’ She looked up as Jonas and Vik entered the hall, her face brightening. ‘As soon as we have a ship, we must depart, for a great battle lies ahead!’

  Reinar stepped around her, heading for Jonas. ‘Did you find anything?’

  Jonas shook his head. ‘There was too much going on. Too many ships down in the harbour for anyone to see who was coming or going. We can only take Eddeth’s word for it that they’re heading north.’

  ‘And you should. I believe her.’ After his talk with Eddeth, Reinar had already decided as much. ‘You have to go, get Alys back. Take one of my ships. I’ll give you a crew, a helmsman. ‘

  Jonas barely nodded. He wasn’t sure that he was even breathing. ‘I’ll need weapons. Food. Ale.’

  Reinar’s attention drifted, seeing Elin approach. ‘I’ll organise it. I’ll find the crew, the ship.’ He stared at Sigurd, who had joined them. ‘The men.’

  ‘You know I’m going, don’t you, Brother?’ Sigurd grinned, eyes on Ludo, who was nodding beside him. ‘We both are.’

  ‘Good. Take Dagger then, though not Bolli. I can’t afford to lose him, what with Holgar being ill. Falki Grimsson can go with you. You may as well take your whole crew, though maybe not Torfinn. Don’t think he can even stand.’

  ‘What’s happening?’ Elin wanted to know, hazel eyes full of concern.

  ‘I’ll get Falki and the rest of the men, gather them together,’ Ludo decided, leaving quickly.

  ‘I’ll need some help finding weapons,’ Sigurd realised. Their arrows were littered around the fort now. Shields were broken. Swords and axes too. He also needed to replenish their supply of boulders, though would they really need to use the catapult? Blinking, Sigurd was surprised by how quickly he’d come around to believing everything Eddeth had said. Though the more he thought about things, the more he sensed that the threads of his life were being pulled by forces outside his control now.

  ‘I can help you,’ Aldo Varnass mumbled, shuffling into view. ‘I can show you where to get everything you need.’

  Sigurd couldn’t remember the helpful boy’s name, but he nodded, turning after him.

  ‘We’ll leave as soon as we’ve got everything ready,’ Vik said, and seeing how desperately Elin wanted to talk to her husband, he tried to tug Jonas away. ‘We need to see to the horses as well. Get someone to look after them. And Daisy. Maybe Leonid will?’

  Jonas was reluctant to be dragged away. He stayed where he was, eyes on Reinar. ‘Thank you.’

  ‘It’s the least I can do, and Eddeth will help. She’ll find them.’

  Jonas didn’t look convinced, but sighing, he finally let Vik pull him away.

  Leaving Reinar with Elin.

  ‘What’s happening?’ she demanded again. ‘Something about the dreamer?’

  ‘She’s been kidnapped. Her and her son.’ Reinar looked down at his wife, blinking away his worry for Alys. ‘They’re organising to leave. Sigurd and Ludo will go with them.’

  ‘But not you?’ Elin eyed him curiously, gripping his hand.

  ‘Not me, no. I’ve too much to do here. Too much to do back in Ottby.’

  Elin heard her name being called, and she glanced over her shoulder, frowning. ‘Well, I’m glad.’ And turning back, she pushed herself up onto her tiptoes, kissing her husband. ‘I don’t want to lose you again.’

  Reinar felt his guilt rising like a hot flame, though he didn’t try to escape it.

  He let it burn, the heat consuming him until he felt as though he was on fire.

  Falla kept glancing at Eddeth as she harvested the half-frozen plants, placing them into the basket she clutche
d to her chest. The old cook stood at the kitchen door, muttering irritably as Eddeth plucked her garden like a chicken. ‘I always knew you were a dreamer.’

  Eddeth snorted. ‘I wish I’d known sooner. Might have saved poor Alys a lot of grief. I doubt Hakon would have tried to rape me!’

  Falla laughed. ‘I’ll miss you, Eddeth. You and Alys. I do hope you find her. After all she went through to find her children, it seems so cruel. But that’s Alari, I suppose. She delights in cruelty.’

  Eddeth’s back was breaking from crouching over in the freezing cold. ‘But not you? You who helped that old crone so eagerly?’

  Falla shrugged. ‘Mother promised me things. Things I thought I wanted. Perhaps I still do...’ She frowned, snatching at her cloak as the wind swept through the little garden. ‘There’s darkness and light in all of us, and sometimes we lose sight of who we want to be, and we venture down the wrong path.’

  Eddeth straightened up, dropping a handful of yarrow heads into the basket. ‘And now you’re on the right one, are you? One that doesn’t include a vengeful witch dreamer and an evil goddess?’

  Falla smiled, feeling oddly content. ‘Perhaps I am? Time will tell, I suppose, though perhaps I finally am?’

  ‘You must be watchful, though, Falla,’ Eddeth warned. ‘Ake Bluefinn’s dreamer is the wisest in all of Alekka, that’s what they say. The oldest, the wisest, the one whose vision stretches from the North to the South and beyond. And she sees danger coming. A great cloud of death and destruction that will swallow us all if we don’t fight to hold it back.’

  That had Falla blinking, clutching the basket tightly to her chest. ‘Well, then, you’d better rescue Alys, hadn’t you? I saw what she did to Mother. And what Mother could do with her spells and potions. Against all those men with walls and weapons, I saw what magic could do. So we’re going to need dreamers, Eddeth. Dreamers who know how to fight.’