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

by A. E. Rayne

  Including Eddeth.

  She was suddenly a dreamer, though the mere thought of it still stunned her, and she was yet to get her head around what it all meant.

  ‘Any idea where they are, Eddeth? Where they’re going? Did Alys say where Lotta was?’ Sigurd had a lot of questions. He wanted to point them in the right direction. It already felt colder, and he knew that they would have to chart their course carefully. None of them had much experience sailing up North.

  Eddeth felt both ill and anxious. She shrugged, afraid that if she opened her mouth, she would vomit all over Sigurd’s boots.

  He tried not to look frustrated, though he was suddenly worried that Eddeth was no dreamer, and that they’d made a terrible mistake listening to her. Though Alys and Magnus had disappeared, and they hadn’t run away willingly, he was sure. ‘Maybe you should sit alone for a while?’ he suggested, motioning for Stina to leave.

  And standing up, Stina grabbed Sigurd’s hand to steady herself. ‘I’ll take a walk, Eddeth. You sit there. But hold onto the rope,’ she smiled. ‘I don’t want you sliding off the chest!’

  Eddeth barely nodded as Stina left with Sigurd. She watched Ludo talking to Aldo Varnass, and she wanted to go and see if the boy was alright. He’d seemed excited for the journey, eager to have an adventure, though he appeared nervous now, barely knowing any of the men and seemingly intimidated by all of them.

  Eddeth shook her head, needing to concentrate on the things she was trying to avoid thinking about.

  Valera had come to her. The Goddess of Love herself!

  Valera had come to her, and she couldn’t let her down. And more importantly, she couldn’t let poor Alys down. Alys, who had been stolen away by her evil husband – a man newly raised from the dead!

  Eddeth started to panic, doubting she could help at all. She closed her eyes, trying to ignore the rolling waves and the urgent need to lean over the stern again. She thought of Alys, remembering the last time she’d seen her, waving to her as she’d left the hall, searching for Magnus. Magnus, who’d been so thrilled to see his mother again. She smiled, remembering how happy Alys had looked; how sad that there was no Lotta. And Eddeth’s mind started to wander, trying to imagine what Lotta looked like.

  Blonde, Alys had said. She had long, blonde, knotted hair.

  A nightmare in the wind...

  Eddeth felt the wind roaring in her ears as though she was standing on a beach, listening to the waves pounding the shore. And turning her head to the left, eyes still closed, she thought she could see a little girl.

  Alys had been working hard to find something to tell Arnon. He’d set his mind on Orbo, but she was convinced that Lotta wasn’t there. She needed to find her daughter’s location, though she was distracted, worrying about Magnus, desperate to go to him and keep him safe.

  And finally, sensing that she couldn’t concentrate at all, Arnon let her go. ‘But find something about Lotta, or I’ll separate you again!’ he growled, leaving his wife with Magnus as he returned to the tiller to continue his conversation with Borr. The rain had eased, though the wind was growing stronger, and Alys barely heard him as she sat down beside her son, pulling him into her arms. He trembled against her, sobbing, and Alys tried to calm him down, not wanting Arnon to separate them again.

  It was odd, she realised, how quickly everything had gone back to the way it used to be. How she was once again worrying about not upsetting Arnon.

  ‘What can we do?’ Magnus asked, lips near her ear.

  ‘Nothing,’ Alys whispered, turning to him. ‘We need to get to shore. There’s nothing we can do at sea. We’re trapped.’ It was true, Alys knew. The six-man crew had been paid by Arnon, and she saw nothing in their eyes that told her they had a problem with what he was doing. She saw little sympathy; no sign of a conscience. ‘Ssshhh now, and let me close my eyes. Now that you’re here, I might be able to find Lotta.’ Alys kept her arms around Magnus, squeezing him gently as she leaned back against the gunwale, taking a deep breath.

  Lief closed his eyes, the pain in his leg suddenly more demanding.

  Reinar took a sip of ale, waiting.

  ‘As I was saying,’ Lief said irritably, blinking away the discomfort. ‘What my wife may have told you did not come from me. I was a Vettel man, raised by a father who was a Vettel man. It won’t please my wife any to say, but I’m not the man to be the lord here. It makes no sense for Ake to put me in charge. I could have killed your brother. I’ve killed many of your men.’

  ‘And from what I hear, he could’ve killed you, but he didn’t. That’s war. We make war as enemies and peace as allies. These men, your men, they need someone to lead them, and with the Vettels dead, who are you going to follow? What options do you have left to you now? Ake rules the South. Go north, and what sort of lord will you find there? Not one worth following, I promise you. We’re building a great army to take on the North, and we need every man who believes in keeping the South free and safe for our families.’

  That had Lief frowning, catching a glimpse of Falla as she glided around the hall in that way of hers: chin lifted, nose in the air. He almost smiled, seeing how ridiculous she looked, as though she was already the Lady of Slussfall. ‘And what makes you think the king would listen to you? About choosing me?’

  Reinar knew that Ake would have a lot to say about the decisions he’d made in Slussfall. He saw Karolina Vettel with her son, and he didn’t regret that he’d let them both live. She was a timid woman with a tiny baby to care for. And he hadn’t killed either of them.

  He didn’t regret that.

  Though Ake...

  ‘I need to leave a man behind who I can trust. And I don’t know or trust you. Nor does Ake. But I believe you’re a loyal man, so give me your oath, and we can become allies.’

  Lief almost recoiled, but sensing Falla’s raised eyebrows in the distance, he sighed. What he’d said to her had been the truth. He wanted to care for his family, to give them a safe and prosperous life. And the Vettels were dead. They were dead because Thenor wanted them ended. He saw Anders Vettel in Karolina’s arms, and he knew that the boy wasn’t Alekka’s future, for if he attempted to rise up and claim the throne, Thenor would crush him too.

  But Reinar Vilander and Ake Bluefinn?

  They were Lief’s only options now, unless he took Falla up to the wild North hunting for a new lord.

  Against her will?

  When everything she wanted was waiting for them in Slussfall.

  ‘You’ll have my oath. Yes.’ The words did not come easily, but Lief stared into Reinar’s eyes, meaning every one of them. ‘But whether Ake wants it? Whether he wants me here, I don’t know...’

  Reinar felt a sense of relief. Lief knew the men and the fort. It would be an easier transition from the Vettels than leaving one of his own men behind.

  If he could trust him.

  ‘I’ll send word and let him know what I’ve decided. Ake’s a practical man, so he’ll want a practical solution, and to my mind, this is it.’ Reinar needed to get on. He saw Elin coming towards him, and he wanted to leave before she arrived. He didn’t know what to say to her. His thoughts were with Sigurd, who was going to find Alys. And with Alys, who was in danger.

  But he smiled, turning away from a scowling Lief.

  Because Elin was his wife.

  ‘Torsas? You’re sure?’ Arnon had never been to Torsas, though he’d heard of it. And pleased to finally have a destination, he smiled, despite a sudden urge to vomit. The sea was choppy, and the taste of ale was sour in his mouth.

  Alys nodded. She’d left Magnus resting beneath a heap of soggy furs, taking a moment to stretch her legs. As much as she didn’t want to lead Arnon to Lotta, it would only cause more problems to lie.

  There would be a chance to escape, she was sure. A chance to end Arnon’s hold over them once and for all, but only if they could get to land.

  Arnon blew out a smoky breath, nodding. ‘And what did you see about the man who took he
r? What sort of man is he? A warrior?’

  ‘I think so. He’s older. Tall. Strong looking. He’s with his wife, but he has weapons.’

  ‘Though he’s only one man.’ Arnon turned to the stern, swallowing. ‘One man, and I’ve got six helping me. Not to mention the goddess.’ He turned back to Alys, running a frozen hand down her face, over her breasts, keeping it there as he narrowed his eyes.

  Alys didn’t look away, staring at Arnon until he spun around, hand over his mouth, rushing to the stern.

  Shivering all over, Alys saw Magnus watching her with fear in his eyes. She tried to smile, not wanting him to worry. Not wanting him to see her at all.

  Not like this.

  ‘I’m worried about Magnus,’ Jonas said to Vik. ‘After what he’s been through, he won’t stand by while his father hurts his mother. He won’t sit back and watch her suffer again. He’ll do something reckless, I just know it.’

  ‘I would,’ Vik admitted. It was growing dark, and they were still under sail, enjoying the strong westerly taking them up the coast. His stomach was rumbling, and he caught a whiff of smoked cheese that had him turning around, trying to see who was eating it. ‘Wouldn’t you?’

  ‘I would,’ Jonas agreed. ‘But Magnus doesn’t know what he’s doing. Arnon would kill him.’

  ‘And Alys? She can’t have forgotten what to do with a weapon? Surely?’

  Ludo stopped before them with the ale jug and two cups. ‘Alys? Didn’t anyone tell you what she did in Ottby?’

  Both men looked at him blankly.

  Ludo quickly poured ale into the cups, passing them out before joining Jonas and Vik down on the deck. ‘She killed Torvig.’

  ‘Alys?’ Vik was surprised. ‘Killed Torvig Aleksen?’

  Jonas wasn’t. ‘What did he do? Hurt her?’

  Ludo shook his head. ‘Not Alys, though likely he would’ve if she hadn’t killed him. No, he was raping Stina.’ They all turned then, staring down the ship at Stina, who sat beside a sleeping Eddeth. ‘Stina was too afraid to tell anyone what he was doing to her, but Alys found them in a shed. She had a dream. She took Sigurd’s woman, Tulia, with her. I don’t think you met her? From Kalmera?’

  Jonas and Vik shook their heads.

  ‘Tulia was a great warrior, but she’d been injured in the battle with the Vettels. She still had arrows sticking out of her, and she wasn’t strong enough to beat Torvig. She fell onto a ship nail and died.’

  They turned their heads again, this time looking at Sigurd.

  ‘Thought the boy looked a little off,’ Jonas said quietly. ‘That’s a hard thing to bear.’

  Vik nodded. ‘But Alys? She killed him?’

  ‘She had no choice. She picked up Tulia’s sword and killed him. Stina might be able to tell you more about how she did it, but when we found Torvig, he had a sword through his chest, and she’d stabbed her knife into his ear.’

  Vik’s eyes popped open, glancing at Jonas, who looked ready to cry.

  Jonas shook his head, prouder than he could remember feeling in his life. And then tears did come. ‘She remembered. I guess she remembered.’

  Vik patted his arm. ‘That’s got to give you some confidence, doesn’t it? That Alys can do something to get away from Arnon? To kill him?’

  Jonas wiped his eyes. ‘It takes a lot to kill someone you love, no matter what they’ve done. So no, I don’t feel confident about that. We just need to get there, Vik. We just need to find them.’

  5

  It took two days for Falla and Karolina to organise the hall, with a little help from Elin Vilander. The wounded had gradually been corralled into one corner or sent back to their homes, and the tables arrayed so that a sense of normalcy could return.

  Falla had taken to her new role with gusto, deciding to throw a lavish feast. Well, not lavish, she realised, running an eye over their stores, which were low, but enough of a celebration to bring them all together. So, spurred on by the thought of Lief sitting on that fur-lined throne, she had almost skipped around the hall, running back and forth to the kitchen, Karolina trailing after her like a loyal servant.

  And now, sipping wine from a silver goblet, Falla surveyed their efforts, pleased with the results, if not the smell. ‘You will stay here, of course, dear Karolina.’ She slipped a hand through her friend’s arm, pulling her close. ‘And we will find you a husband quickly, for a woman should never be without a husband!’

  Karolina squirmed at the thought of it.

  ‘But this time, you shall choose, someone you can grow to love. Someone with thumbs! Thumbs and a heart!’ Falla smiled at Lief, who stood talking to Reinar Vilander and his friends. She tried not to laugh, for he looked as stiff as a statue, barely opening his lips to speak. But he was the lord here now, and she was his lady, and she wouldn’t let him do anything to ruin that.

  ‘What was Hakon’s plan for ships?’ Reinar wondered, shaking his head at a serving girl offering wine. ‘We sank a few of them, burned the rest.’

  Lief remembered, trying not to let the memories of those humiliations unsettle him further. ‘We have one ship left, but Hakon had six more underway. They’re locked in the sheds. The sails are being woven. They’ll be ready by spring, no doubt.’

  ‘Six?’ Bolli grunted. ‘Should try to get a few more going, I’d say. We’re going to need more than that.’

  Lief looked surprised. ‘You think what’s coming will be a sea battle?’

  ‘I think ships are important however we’re going to fight,’ Reinar said. ‘They’re an option we need to have and a faster way of transporting men up North. The only way, really, as no one wants to trek over those mountains from Ennor.’

  Bjarni agreed. ‘But how does Ake see the Northerners attacking, then?’

  ‘Likely they’ll come by sea,’ Bolli suggested. ‘Hit Slussfall first, just like Hakon did. Like his father tried to do.’

  ‘Well, we only made it into Slussfall thanks to Hakon’s dreamer,’ Lief admitted. ‘Mother saw the tunnel. She put a spell on the men on the gates. Much like you did, I suppose.’ He peered at Reinar then, thinking of Alys. Wondering if that’s how he’d been helped too.

  Reinar turned his attention to Bolli. ‘But there’s more than one enemy, so we have to be ready everywhere. Though likely that’s going to be impossible.’

  ‘I say we block the tunnel,’ Lief suggested. ‘Stuff it full of boulders. Assume those men coming for us have dreamers who’ll sniff out every secret, every weakness we have.’

  Reinar nodded. ‘We should. Though it’s a shame we don’t have any dreamers ourselves. Not anymore.’

  ‘No, but we will, won’t we?’ Bjarni said, helping himself to another rolled herring. His eighth. ‘Once Sigurd finds Alys, he’ll bring her back, and we’ll have Eddeth too. The dreamer you never knew you had!’

  Reinar almost smiled, though he felt worried about Eddeth.

  It was a lot of pressure to put on a woman who’d only just discovered that she was a dreamer.

  Eddeth saw her grandmother drawing symbols.

  She smiled, happiness fluttering in her chest. She’d been a small child when her grandmother had died, but she retained a few memories, and this was one of her favourites.

  ‘They’re different, the symbols,’ her grandmother muttered, and straightening up, she pointed her nobbly staff at Eddeth, one eye squinting. ‘But how? Can you tell me?’

  Eddeth almost skipped towards her, eager to answer, but she saw a little girl with dark blonde hair running ahead of her, down the sand, and she stopped, shivering.

  ‘This one is to protect travellers,’ Little Eddeth insisted loudly, pointing to the second symbol. ‘And this one is to find something that’s lost.’ She stood back proudly, hands on hips.

  Her grandmother chuckled. ‘True enough, my dear heart, true enough. But close your eyes now, and I will show you some magic!’ And spinning away from Little Eddeth, her grandmother swept her cloak around, masking both symbols.

  Eddeth
watched the little girl jumping from side to side, trying to see, wanting to know what she was doing.

  And when her grandmother turned back around, she looked triumphant. ‘Here you will see what is possible! What is truly magical. How we can turn symbols into helpful tools. Come closer, Eddeth, my sweet, and see.’

  Eddeth almost cried, memories of her cheerful grandmother warming her heart. She had nearly forgotten the way the old woman had made her feel and how much she’d enjoyed spending time with her.

  ‘Now, what do you see?’

  Eddeth crept closer, past the little girl, wanting to see for herself. And blinking, eyes watering, she saw that her grandmother had combined the two symbols into one.

  ‘So now what do we have?’ And this time, her grandmother lifted her bushy head, meeting Eddeth’s eyes, her voice absent any lightness now. ‘Tell me, Eddeth, what do we have here?’

  Shivering and shaking, Eddeth almost couldn’t find her own voice. Then she swallowed, the clarity of the answer ringing like a bell in her aching ears. ‘A way to find lost travellers!’

  And grinning broadly, her grandmother promptly sneezed.

  Arnon had become morose.

  Alys recognised the pattern.

  He would drink too much, quickly growing angry and belligerent, taunting and teasing her. Testing her. Then, if she didn’t give him the right answers, he would become violent, then sullen, and finally sad.

  He was an angry, fearful man, Alys could see.

  He feared no one loved him. Feared losing everything he had.

  Yet he couldn’t see that how he treated those he loved made it far more likely that his fears would be realised.

  ‘We’ll all be together again soon,’ he slurred, one arm around Alys’ back.

  Magnus was asleep, and Alys felt relieved. She couldn’t see what Arnon would do next, but he was sitting so close to her that his breath was making her nauseous.