‘And you are certain it was a warrior who moved the boards?’
Bragi gave a laugh. ‘The only woman capable of such a feat would be your lady wife.’
‘A woman could have been a lookout.’ Hrolf dislodged a bit of dirt from the back of the brooch and the meaning of the runes suddenly became clear. His blood ran cold. His old enemy Lavrans had used the simple code before and it would appear he had done so again. Lavrans Sea King gave this to…but the final rune was badly scratched and unreadable.
Hrolf pursed his lips. Lavrans might have been his rival and fellow sea king, but there the comparison stopped. Hrolf had never betrayed a comrade or looted villages that were supposedly loyal or raped women for the sheer pleasure of hearing them scream. Hrolf prided himself on never having to force a woman. The bad blood between them had started when Inga’s mother had preferred Hrolf to Lavrans and made no secret of her preference. Lavrans had tried to rape her, but Hrolf had intervened and taken the woman under his protection. But the affair had rapidly cooled and Hrolf had found excuses to stay away.
‘These markings tell a very interesting tale.’ He held out the brooch. ‘They’re the same trading code we use in the East. Lavrans’s name is on it.’
‘You can read them? They seem like gibberish to me.’ Bragi scratched his head. ‘But I’m not so good with runes.’
‘It would appear Sayrid was correct when she swore that there must be a traitor.’
‘We have been here weeks without incident.’
Hrolf stared at the sunlight playing on the waters of the harbour. Everything seemed at peace, but he refused to trust the calm. ‘We need to take steps before Lavrans strikes. I won’t squander this opportunity.’
‘Sayrid and her family…what of them? Will they be involved? Could the brother be the elusive traitor?’
‘No, Lavrans hated Ironfist with a passion.’ Hrolf rapidly explained the story Sayrid had told him.
‘What do you intend to do?’
‘I intend to take control of my hall and its fabled harbour as soon as possible. Whoever controls that will be able to dictate terms.’ Hrolf took the brooch back and pocketed it. If Lavrans hated Sayrid before for what her father had done, he would have even more cause for hatred now that she was married to Hrolf. ‘No one will take it from me.’
The other warrior’s face became troubled. ‘The jaarl is certain to want to keep the sister. If, as you say, Lavrans hates the family…you know what he is capable of.’
‘Developing a soft spot, Bragi?’
‘I admired Sayrid’s bravery earlier.’ The warrior did not meet Hrolf’s eye. ‘It takes a certain amount of courage to speak up. And to wear a dress like that. Trousers were wasted on her. By Thor, she has spirit.’
A surge of blood went to Hrolf’s head. ‘Bragi!’
The other man laughed. ‘I never thought to see the day when you’d react to a little teasing.’
‘I’ll speak to Kettil.’ Hrolf tossed the brooch in the air and concentrated on catching it as he forcibly put the anger from his mind. ‘Taking control of the headland becomes a priority, but our treaty with Kettil includes providing protection in case of attack. You remain here.’
The other warrior looked unhappy, but nodded his agreement. ‘I gave you my oath to obey.’
‘When you can, bring the girl to the hall. It is her home.’
‘How will you keep Sayrid from fighting if he does attack the hall?’
Hrolf lifted a brow. ‘My wife will obey me.’
‘Good luck with that. I’ve rarely met a stronger-willed woman.’
‘I will tame her, Bragi.’
* * *
Sayrid struggled with her needlework. Her silk kept tangling. She wanted to throw it down in disgust, but one glace at Inga and her perfect stitching showed her why she couldn’t. She wanted to make friends with her stepdaughter, only perhaps she had made the wrong choice. Sayrid gave the thread a yank and it snapped. She muttered a curse under her breath.
‘Perhaps my lady would rather be elsewhere,’ the nurse said with an inscrutable face.
Sayrid silently agreed, but being elsewhere was not an option. She’d given Hrolf her word. Hopefully Inga now saw that she wasn’t someone to be feared.
‘There is something wrong,’ she said with a frown. ‘My bit bears little resemblance to yours.’
‘It should be red there, not blue. We are embroidering my father’s badge,’ Inga remarked.
Sayrid struggled to control the scream welling up inside her. ‘I thought you said it was blue.’
Inga gave a deceptively innocent smile. ‘Oh dear. I made a mistake.’
‘On purpose?’
Inga hung her head. ‘Yes.’
‘How would you like it if I had done that to you?’
Inga’s startled gaze met hers. Sayrid returned it steadily. Inga was the first to look away.
‘Not much,’ she mumbled.
Playing tricks was progress of a sort. And she could clearly remember the sort of tricks her men had played on her during that first voyage. The non-response always worked best.
‘I will get this right now I know the correct pattern.’ Sayrid gritted her teeth and unpicked the work for the third time.
‘What is happening here?’ Hrolf’s voice called out. ‘I never thought I’d see a former shield maiden contentedly sewing fine linen.’
‘Appearances can be deceptive,’ Sayrid muttered.
Inga jumped up, spilling the silks to the ground as she ran to her father. He picked her up and spun her around as she shrieked.
Sayrid leant down to pick the threads up, hoping it would give her time to have her heart rate return to normal. ‘My lord. You will see that I can keep my promises.’
He set his daughter down and came over to where Sayrid stood. Nothing in his demeanour gave her a clue about what had happened at the harbour. She concentrated on breathing deeply. Demanding to know if he’d found the proof of Regin’s innocence would only inflame the situation.
‘Your daughter is an accomplished seamstress,’ she said instead.
He held out a deep-red tunic and a pair of wool trousers. ‘I believe you will find these more to your taste. When we get to the hall, you will have plenty of time to use your needle and thread.’
Sayrid stared at the tunic and trousers in shock. He was offering her clothes which would fit far better than the rags she currently wore. ‘Yours?’
‘I can only wear one set of clothes at a time.’ He shook his head. ‘That dress is all wrong. Go inside and put them on.’
‘What made you change your mind?’
He shrugged. ‘Call it a peace offering. Whoever attempted to sabotage the ship has nothing to do with us.’
Sayrid fingered the tunic. A peace offering. The unexpectedness of it made her heart turn over. She wanted to hate him, but he kept giving her reasons to be grateful to him. He had given her clothes she could feel comfortable in.
She caught her upper lip between her teeth. The fact that he had come on his own without warriors or his bodyguard was a good sign. ‘I will be a moment.’
She went into the house and rapidly changed. The gown’s final threads gave way as she pulled it over her head. She was pleased no one else was in there so she could strip off her undergown as well. She slid the tunic over her bare shoulders.
Hrolf’s clothes were well made and the material finer than she normally wore and it felt good to be in trousers once again…even if they were a little larger than she was used to. She tied the belt tightly about her waist.
‘She makes far too big stitches,’ Inga was saying with a giggle when Sayrid returned. ‘It is very easy to fool her, but then she is a giantess. I mean, her gown…’
Hrolf’s face instantly became stern. ‘Who gave you permission to criticise your new mother?’
The girl gulped twice. ‘I…I…thought it was best to speak the truth.’
‘If I ever discover you had a hand in playing a trick on Sa
yrid or her being publically humiliated, there will be consequences. Do you remember what I said the last time you told tales?’
Inga appeared close to tears as she threw her arms about Hrolf’s knees. ‘You won’t send me away, will you?’
‘Inga speaks the truth,’ Sayrid called out, acting on impulse as a warm spot grew within her. Hrolf was defending her.
They turned towards her. Inga’s eyes widened. ‘You’re wearing men’s clothes! My far’s clothes.’
‘They fitted me better than the gown.’
‘I agree about the clothes, but continue,’ Hrolf said. ‘You intrigue me. Why does Inga speak the truth?’
‘Every time I start to sew, I seem to get the colour wrong or the stitch in the wrong place. Inga might have tried to trick me, but truly, she needn’t have bothered. I know my limitations. Ask Auda or, better still, ask my stepmother if you ever encounter her,’ Sayrid admitted with a laugh. Long ago she’d learnt to laugh at herself before others did. It took some of the pain away. And now she was back in her usual uniform of tunic and trousers, it was easier. ‘But I did warn you of that…before we married. I’ve little talent with such things.’
‘Running a household takes more skills than sewing a fine seam,’ Hrolf said to Inga, frowning. ‘Sayrid will teach you. She is being falsely modest. Her estate is one of the best in all of Svear.’
Sayrid concentrated on the ground. Despite everything, he still believed she had something to offer and, unlike her stepmother or her father, he praised her. He was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. It meant more than it should. Silently she promised that she would try, and not just for the promise of going east should he go again.
Inga gulped twice. ‘I didn’t want to make you angry, Far. I was playing a game, but it went too far.’
‘I expect better from my daughter. Telling tales and playing tricks. You were supposed to leave such things behind in Rus. It is high time you were brought up in the Svear way! Perhaps Magda should go if she cannot control you.’
Both the nurse and Inga cowered.
‘Did you find the culprit?’ Sayrid asked to defuse the tension. She might not particularly like Inga’s nurse, but getting rid of her would destroy any chance she had of developing a relationship with the girl. She would not lower herself to behave like her stepmother. ‘Inga knows not to play tricks on me now. And I’m pleased to have such a clever stepdaughter. I wish I could sew like that.’
Inga positively glowed. ‘See, Far. The giantess doesn’t mind.’
‘Do you have any more clues about who damaged the ship?’ Sayrid asked.
‘The only clue is the brooch you found,’ Hrolf said gravely.
‘Which doesn’t belong to my brother.’
‘I am rather inclined to believe you.’
‘Maybe the ghost saw who did it,’ Inga piped up.
Hrolf drew his brows together. ‘What did I say about tales and tricks? Inga, your manners get worse and worse.’
‘Hrolf, allow the child to speak,’ Sayrid said. ‘I used to hate it when my father dismissed me without a fair hearing.’
Inga screwed up her eyes. ‘I know what I saw last night in the darkness. There was a ghost with long blonde hair.’
Hrolf knelt down. ‘How could you see anything, Little One? You were in bed.’ He looked over her head, directly at the nurse. ‘Please tell me that my daughter was in bed where she was supposed to be.’
The nurse paled and took a step back. ‘Your daughter had trouble sleeping. She wanted to go for a walk by the water.’
Hrolf’s face contorted as he rose. In the space of a heartbeat he’d gone from indulgent parent to fearsome warrior. ‘What have I said about disobeying me?’
Inga gave a little squeak and hid her face while the nurse made little clucking noises.
Sayrid forced a smile. ‘It can be hard to sleep when your father has just married and all are at the feast. A walk beside the harbour can be calming. And surely some goddess watched over Inga last night.’
‘Why is Inga disobeying me a good thing?’
‘There is a real possibility that Inga might have seen someone. As you are not planning on getting married again, the problem won’t be repeated.’
The nurse started in surprise before giving her a grateful look. ‘Just so. We went for a walk to get away from the loud shouting.’
‘Oh, it hurt my ears,’ Inga added. ‘And I did see my mother’s ghost, standing by your ship. All in white. Then I ran and ran back to my bed and didn’t stop until I was lying next to Magda with the covers over my head.’
‘I’m sure you did,’ Sayrid replied and silently willed Hrolf to realize that ghosts did not drop brooches. For some reason a woman had stood there. Once they found the woman, they would discover the culprit. And that Inga’s fright was more than enough to keep her from wandering again.
He knelt down beside Inga. ‘Did you see anyone beside the ghost?’
Inga shook her head slowly. ‘Does Magda have to go, because I escaped?’
‘It depends on what Sayrid decides. It is the wife who decides such matters, not the husband in Svear.’
The little girl turned big eyes towards her. ‘Please. I’m sorry if I did bad things. It was me, not Magda. I didn’t want a new mother. I wanted my mother, but she isn’t coming back. She’s dead. Seeing the ghost showed me that. Please don’t take Magda away from me.’
‘Magda can stay…for now,’ Sayrid said. ‘Inga is obviously devoted to her. It can be hard to make a new life in an unfamiliar country.’
Magda blinked rapidly. ‘You want me to stay? After I called you a giantess? After the sewing…’
Sayrid glanced towards where Inga stood, clutching her nurse’s hand. It was Inga’s wide-eyed stare that made her determined to do what was right for the child. It would be easy to dismiss the woman, but then she risked alienating Inga forever. ‘Yes, I do, but I want no more tales of frost giants or bewitching. Or tricks with sewing. Let us make peace.’
Hrolf spoke to the nurse very slowly, first in Norse and then in her own language. As he began to speak in the foreign tongue, the nurse fell down to her knees and raised her arms to the skies.
‘She calls on all the spirits to bless your name and regrets she ever thought you an ogress who bewitched me.’ A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. ‘I’ve explained that if it was up to me, she would have left on the next tide.’
Sayrid raised her brow. Men! Silently she resolved to find a way to earn this girl’s trust. ‘Then it is good that it’s not to up you.’
‘We leave on the turn of the tide.’ His face allowed for no dissent. ‘I want to inspect my new hall.’
‘Just like that.’
‘Do you have a problem with my order?’
Sayrid’s heart thudded. Hrolf was up to something more than simply inspecting the hall. ‘No, why would I?’
Hrolf turned towards Magda and told her to ensure Inga was ready to depart as he waited for no woman, large or small. The older woman hurried away with Inga in tow. Sayrid stared at him with growing frustration. He should have consulted her! She struggled to remember the last time she hadn’t been consulted about something this major.
‘Has Kettil agreed to our leaving? Will Auda be allowed to go with us?’ she asked as he started to walk away.
He put an arm about her waist and drew her closer. ‘I want to sail before any more damage can be done. Before the traitor has a chance to cause more mischief.’
His breath blew against her ear, making her remember the way they had lain together this morning before the interruption. She glanced over her shoulder to see who might watching, but they were alone. Her heart started beating far too fast, but her mind screamed not to trust him. What was good for Hrolf was not necessarily good for her or her family. Once he was at the hall, he would be able to hold it against everyone with very little manpower. Her father had begun the improvements to the harbour’s defences, but she had strengthened them, creat
ing a formidable blockade of sunken ships and other debris to narrow the entrance.
He began to caress her back, then his hand dipped ever lower, skimming her backside. She instantly stiffened. A couple of touches and she’d melt. She moved away from him.
‘You believe Lavrans is about to attack and you plan to abandon Kettil?’ she said, pouring scorn into her voice as she attempted to get her breathing under control. ‘How like a sea king!’
‘I’m leaving enough warriors for his needs, but neither of us wishes to lose your harbour.’ He gazed at her with a puzzled expression. ‘Lavrans needs a base to launch his raid.’
‘I did not leave it unguarded.’
‘And your men are loyal to whom, precisely? Forgive me, but after last night, I’m wary. Your brother could easily be headed there.’
‘He is going to see my stepmother. He would never betray me in that fashion.’ She stamped her feet in frustration. ‘And Auda? Does she remain here? An innocent hostage?’
‘Kettil’s wife has taken a liking to her.’
A cold place developed in the pit of Sayrid’s stomach. Auda was Kettil’s hostage. No one paid the slightest heed to the implications of the brooch she’d discovered. It proved Regin’s innocence. She knew it did.
She wanted to curl up in a ball and hide away from the world. But that option was not available to Ironfirst’s eldest. She had to fight, particularly as this entire mess was the fault of her greed and arrogance.
‘Unacceptable. I want my sister safe and that means at home with me. The brooch—’
‘Your sister will be safe. I pledge my word. Kettil has pledged as well. He is satisfied that your sister knows nothing about the sabotage or your brother’s future plans.’
‘What do you expect? My brother is innocent.’ She gazed directly at him and willed him to answer. ‘What has changed?’
‘You were right, Sayrid. I cleaned the brooch and another rune appeared—Lavrans’s personal rune. Whoever sabotaged my boat wanted me to stay here. I’m in no mood to oblige.’
The knowledge rocked through her. ‘Being right gives me no pleasure.’
A muscle jumped in his cheek. ‘Nor should it.’
Taming His Viking Woman Page 12
