It took more than an hour to reach the top, and her chest hurt from breathing so hard. Her legs screamed from her efforts, but she pushed on, now needing to get away from the open area. She did not want his servant to see her as he sailed back to the cave. Struggling to gain her balance, Katla searched the horizon to judge how much more time before sunset. Her father’s servant, now her companion, would return for her in five days’ time. She had only that long to discover something she could use to gain the Truthsayer’s help and prove her brother’s innocence. He lacked nothing he wanted or needed. His only demands were for ale and women, and his servant fulfilled those with all haste.
What could she find that would be valuable to him?
The village of Durness lay only a few miles away, and she hoped that she could discover something about Gavin’s early years there, something that would expose some need or want of his that she could fulfill in order to gain his cooperation. She had no plans past that, but the almost frantic tension inside her when she thought of Kali’s fate pushed her onward.
Katla found the rocks that marked her earlier hiding place and retrieved her sack. Pulling her cloak tightly around her shoulders, she started off in the direction of the village. With the jewelry sewn into the hem of her cloak and with the coins she’d managed to hide and bring along with her, she could buy much of what she would need.
If only silver would purchase the Truthsayer’s help.
If only…
But, five days later, she found herself with less silver than when she’d started and no more information to help her in her quest than when she’d arrived.
The day her companion would return from the north dawned bright and sunny, and even the tumultuous sea glistened calmly beneath the sun’s rays. The rare turn of weather made walking back to Gavin’s cave easier than usual. She trekked along the rough path that connected Durness with the other villages scattered over the north coast, watching the sea for any sign of the small boat that would come for her.
She reached the clearing where the trail to the cave began and decided to use the time to spy on Gavin once more. Mayhap she would see something or hear something useful. Following the river as it flowed toward the sea, she soon approached the smallest of the openings in the cave’s ceiling. Peering down, she searched for Gavin or his servant.
And was met by only the sound of rushing water.
When several minutes had passed with no sign or sound of people below, Katla crept to another of the ceiling holes and watched and waited once more. This one looked down nearer the sleeping area. Protected within one of the back chambers of the cave, he slept in the driest and most private part of the large dwelling. This ceiling hole looked down on the short corridor that led to it.
Nothing. No sound but that of the falling water.
Sliding back from the opening and standing, she shaded her eyes with her hand and searched the horizon to the north. A boat bobbed on the sea, still a few miles off but on its way to the shore. She had but a short time to reach the cove.
Pain sliced through her heart at that moment, for she had failed. Harald had given her a month to find the answers she sought. He’d not asked how she intended to do so, and she’d not bothered to tell him the truth of her quest. Their bargain, that she would return to live with him as his concubine in exchange for his giving her a month to pursue her search, was nearly at an end. It had taken weeks to find the Truthsayer.
The thought of her failure and what it meant to her brother and the idea of a future as nothing more than a bed warmer for one of the earl’s men left a bitter taste in her mouth. Katla had seen her mother’s life, empty but for the occasional attention from her father, and had vowed never to accept such a one for herself. Now, it was either save her brother or follow her mother’s path to heartbreak.
Despair filled her as she watched Godrod bring the boat to shore.
“How do you fare, lady?” Godrod asked as he jumped over the side into the shallow waters and held the boat steady for her. “I have not seen such a look on your face since the day your brother was taken.”
Katla pushed her hair away from her face and climbed into the boat that would take her to her unwanted fate. “I fear I have failed, Godrod, and my brother will pay with his life.”
The old man smiled sadly as he helped her over the side of the small curragh. “You cannot be responsible for others, lady. Your father asked too much of you.”
Tears threatened then; her throat grew tight and painful as she felt them run down her cheeks. Turning away so he and the others could not see the extent of her weakness, she watched in silence as Godrod pushed the boat free of the sand and climbed over the side to take the empty pair of oars.
Godrod and the others did not speak as they rowed away from shore and then raised the sail. It would take most of the day to sail across the straights to Orkney and then to reach Birsay on the northwestern coast of the main isle, where Harald lived on the earl’s estate. Soon, though, the men began to talk among themselves, accepting that Katla wanted none of it. Only when their talk turned to the Truthsayer was she interested.
“Has he returned to Birsay, Godrod?” she asked.
“Aye, lady. The earl sent word of a dispute that needed settling and called the Truthsayer to Birsay for the full moon.”
How stupid she’d been! To forget about the timing of his power and the link to the full moon of the month. Katla had always been known as a logical and organized woman, skilled at keeping her father’s household running efficiently; yet in this moment, she felt like a lackwit.
“Godrod,” she said, feeling a measure of hope once more. “Do not sail to Birsay. Land on the coast a few miles away and I’ll make my way there on foot.”
“But, lady,” Godrod began. “Harald is expecting you back.”
“He gave me a month, Godrod, and it is not over yet. I cannot forsake my brother until I have exhausted all possibilities.”
She watched as Godrod debated obeying her command, clearly not at peace with this change to her plans. But he’d sworn to her father to be her protector, and she depended on that oath to assure his agreement.
If Gavin the Truthsayer was going to proclaim a truth, she wanted to be there to see it. She needed to watch and discover how his power, his gift, worked. Finally, Katla released her held-in breath as Godrod nodded.
She smiled then, nodding back, and then she turned her thoughts to how she might best observe the Truthsayer without being identified. He would be taken to the earl’s home and feted until the ceremony. The moon would reach its fullness in three days, so he would stay there in seclusion, she’d been told, until he was taken to the hall for the truth speaking.
If she could find a way to see him before he was taken to the ceremony…. If she could find a way to ask his help…. If she could make him believe she had something to offer in exchange for his help, then mayhap she could save Kali’s life and her own future as well. For if Kali was proven innocent and inherited all that was their father’s, then he would be a wealthy and powerful chieftain among the earl’s men and she would once again be a prize to be bestowed upon an ally or friend.
In saving Kali she would save herself, too.
By the time they reached the shore some miles south of Birsay, Katla had the beginnings of a plan to get into the earl’s home and see Gavin. This time she would speak plainly to him and surely he would see fit to help her.
Surely he would.
Chapter Three
Not even the sun glinting off the dark turquoise waters eased his spirits or the pain in his head. But it was beautiful out here on the sea, and the cool air rushing over the surface did clear his mind somewhat. He’d taken another dose of the healer’s brew, but like the last four, it had not lessened his pain. Now, an hour after leaving the refuge and relative silence of the cave, he was headed for the earl’s estate in Birsay. Gavin turned and looked ahead, watching as the hills of Hoy came closer and closer.
Nearly there.
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br /> He took in a deep breath and steeled himself for the coming assault. Haakon stood a short distance away on the deck of the birlinn. The earl spared no costs in gold or men to provide for his comfort and safety.
Well, he thought as he counted the number of warriors sent to accompany him, his safety was assured. His comfort was another matter.
The thoughts of just this handful of men sent dizzying waves of pain through him, but hundreds would be waiting for him at the earl’s estate. Each month his dread at being near others grew stronger, as did the pain and hammering in his head. Gavin took in a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to listen to the sounds of the sea and not the rest of it. He discovered that for a short time, he could block out the worst of it.
He could block it!
Then Gavin thought back to the first time he’d noticed he had some control over the noise and realized it had been the day after that strange yet wonderful dream. The one that included a bout of loveplay with a beautiful angel who had luminous eyes and long, curling pale hair. During that strange interlude, he could focus his thoughts and hear only the sounds of her body as they found pleasure.
And it had been a pleasure that left him satiated for the first time in as long as he could remember. His body readied itself now, just as it did whenever he brought the image of his angel to mind. It was a strange dream for many reasons, but the funniest part of it was that he’d never removed their clothes. So, though he could remember the feel of her ample breasts and the strength in her legs as she wrapped them around his waist, he could not see the color of her skin as it flushed with pleasure and he did not know if the tips of those breasts were rosy or dusky. Gavin shifted as his hardened flesh pressed against his trews once more, aching to be deep within the angel’s tightness.
“Haakon,” he called out without turning to face the others. When he heard Haakon’s approach, he spoke without looking at him—asking the same question he’d asked for the last five days. “Was it truly only a dream?”
“I brought no one to you that day, sir. It took me several hours to return to the cave, and it was nearly full dark when I did. You were sleeping soundly from the healer’s brew. And you know who has visited you since that day.” No one. No one had visited since that day. He’d not asked for a woman in five days.
The words were the same as ever, repeated by Haakon every time Gavin asked him the same question. Despite his vivid memories of making love to a real woman, it had been only a dream. And though he’d consumed more of the brew, no other dreams had followed those doses, only sleep or calmness.
Gavin nodded and listened as Haakon returned to his place farther back in the boat. He’d not expected to hear a different explanation, but he could not deny that he’d hoped to. Rubbing the back of his neck, he decided that she had been an apparition. Turning away from the headwind, he called out to the man in charge of their voyage.
“How much longer to Birsay?” he asked.
The man squinted into the sun and then glanced at the land to their right side. “We cannot land at Birsay until nearly sundown, about three more hours.”
The Brough of Birsay was a tidal island, separated each day from the mainland during high tide. Since the earl’s estate lay close to the brough on the mainland, approaching it from the sea involved a tricky bit of timing. A smaller, shallower boat could make it, but those with a deeper hull such as this one needed a good bit of water in the adjacent bay before they could land.
It was just as well, for Gavin was in no rush to arrive. The full moon would come in half a sennight’s time, and with it uncontrollable power would surge through him. His will would not be his own. When that time came, ’twas as though his own mind fled and his words were spoken by another. When he came back to himself, he carried no memory of what had been asked or answered. And no matter how much he’d searched or talked with elders from the earl’s domain, or with visitors from other lands, he could never find any explanation for what occurred within him at the zenith of the full moon.
Even the Norse king’s skald, well versed in stories of many cultures and lands, could provide no understanding of the power that flowed through him or the origin of it. Nor could the earl’s physicians explain it or help control the pain. But worse, in the last few months, his body suffered for days and days after the truthspeaking. Not only did a deep and profound deafness occur, but his body seemed to weaken, too, more and more with each passing month.
No one knew of the deafness, and only Haakon and a few others knew the extent of the punishment his body took for being the conduit of such power. Punishment that seemed to be getting worse.
Restlessness now filled Gavin, pushing him to move along the boat as it sailed north over the calm seas. ’Twas not so large that he could walk freely, but he made his way down the center, past the mast, ducking low to avoid the sails. Reaching the back of the boat, Gavin searched the horizon behind them, gazing at the cliffs of the northern coast as they sailed farther away.
The entrance to his cave could not be seen because it lay shielded by a curve in the coastline that provided him the privacy and solitude he needed. Solitude Earl Magnus had promised he would have. The arrangement seemed to work well for them both: Magnus had someone who could settle disputes in a way that even the Thing could not and Gavin received the protection and patronage of one of the most powerful men in the Norse world. Unfortunately, Gavin was learning that not even a strong, influential man could keep the power he had under control. Haakon approached and waited to be acknowledged before speaking.
“You seem troubled, sir. Is there anything you need? Some ale? Food?” The other choice was left unsaid, for it could not be accommodated on this voyage.
“Nay, Haakon. I am well.”
His servant studied him, clearly with questions on his mind that he dared not ask. But, for once, the man surprised him.
“Do you think the woman was real and not conjured by the healer’s potion?” The servant somehow understood how important the drug-induced dream had become to Gavin.
“I know this will not make sense,” he said, lowering his voice so that the others would not hear, “but she was different from any woman I’ve been with before.”
Gavin watched as sweat broke out on Haakon’s upper lip and forehead. He looked away before speaking to Gavin, but the topic of sexual pleasure was not a comfortable one for either of them. Haakon cleared his throat and coughed before he could reply. He began and then stuttered and shook his head, not able to say the words he’d chosen. Finally, he did speak.
“Durness is not so large that she would go unnoticed, sir. I can search for her when we return there.”
Stunned by the words, and the offer, Gavin shook his head. “But why would you think her real? Knowing what the healer said about the effects of his potion, why would she be other than a creature of my dream?”
He dared not hope, but still, his heart raced at the possibility his angel existed outside the realm of dreams. Now it was his turn to sweat, and he felt the beads of moisture gather on his brow.
“You slept. Soundly. For hours.”
Gavin laughed. Such a mundane thing and yet it held such meaning in his life. “Aye. ’Tis true I slept.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “But how does that affect her being a fantasy or being real?”
Mostly, he wanted Haakon to give him a reason to hope. To hope that his angel was real, a woman of flesh and blood. For after joining their bodies, he was able to push away the sounds that filled his mind. Something had occurred when their bodies joined that gave him a small bit of power over his growing torment. Their joining had satisfied more than just his fleshly desires; it satisfied his soul.
“You have not asked for a woman since that day.”
He laughed aloud then at the irony of that statement. Most men could go days and weeks without seeking to fulfill their needs, but he barely went hours. Since the autumn of last year, his demands had increased each month. And so did his power. His ability to dra
w forth the truth from someone grew, as did his accuracy and his ability to hear the thoughts of others.
But now, this one woman—whether dream or real—had accomplished what none could do before, and even his servant had noticed.
“Aye, Haakon, search for her upon our return. If she is real, she may know more about the powers I hold than I have been able to discover. Seek her for me.”
Haakon smiled and nodded. Nothing made the man happier than being of service. Gavin had found Haakon years before when the earl had summoned him to Orkney after hearing of his startling abilities. Haakon had served him ever since, without word of complaint or mockery for the strange style in which they lived.
Haakon bowed his head, but not before Gavin saw the satisfied expression in the servant’s eyes. He watched as Haakon traced his path back to the side of the boat and stood there quietly; most likely a plan was already forming in his mind. If she existed, Haakon would track her down.
The next few hours passed and the boat skirted the edge of Orkney, the men watching as the sun dropped lower in the sky. The Brough of Birsay with its church and outlying buildings appeared as they sailed ever nearer. Finally, under the skilled hands of the crew, their boat slid alongside the dock. Strong ropes secured the boat and all oars and sails were stowed safely. Gavin climbed over the side and waited to gain his balance before walking.
Wave upon wave of screeching, relentless clamor rolled over him. Gavin closed his eyes and tried to think about the sounds of her body once more. He recalled the silence as they coupled, her heartbeat racing, the blood pumping through her veins as her body prepared itself for him. As he thought on those sounds, the other noise receded enough for him to breathe at a normal rate and to walk without the usual dizzying pain. Haakon guided him to the path that led to the main building of the earl’s estate.
Soon they arrived, and because the earl was not in residence, Gavin was able to go directly to the rooms kept for him. Luxurious for someone of common birth, his rooms included a sleeping chamber, a smaller bathing room, and even a small chamber for Haakon so that he was always nearby. The most impressive room, though, was the Hall of Disputes that Magnus had built on so that Gavin could hear arguments in privacy and with only those the earl wished present.
A Storm of Pleasure Page 3
