Sigourney sees all of this. She isn’t hurt by the implication that I don’t care for her. She already understands this is a fact. Still, she thinks that we can be allies, even if I don’t care for her in the way that she tells herself she cares for me.
“I only want to warn you, Løren. Your insurrection will end if you go to Jannik Helle, and you will be captured and executed. There isn’t a doubt in my mind.”
Her words are genuine, but I still hesitate. I could trust what she says, but this was the plan I’d decided to move forward with. The inner circle, including myself, agreed that we would come here to Larsen Helle before attacking Jannik Helle. What am I to do? Go to Malthe and tell him that I’ve changed my mind, and I don’t want to move forward with our attack? I can’t insist that we retreat without any viable reason. Malthe would inevitably ask why, and if I were to mention Sigourney’s name, he would claim that I’m a fool and that I’ve fallen victim to her lies. I have to admit to myself that this is also entirely possible.
“It isn’t so easy to retreat.”
“It’ll have to be, if it means your life and the lives of your guards.”
Despite my hesitations, she’s right. I don’t need to say the words aloud. She’s seen that I’ve agreed. She says that she must go, and in that moment she’s disappeared, leaving me with nothing but my uncertainty of what’s to be.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Malthe sits by the dying embers of a fire. As the sun began to set, we poured saltwater on all of the fires so that their glow wouldn’t be seen by the Fjern in the night. If there’s to be an ambush, the light would lead them right to us. The effect means that it’s difficult to see anyone in the shadows as the sky becomes a darker blue. Guards rest and mumble in low tones. Only Malthe sits up, watching over the men he commands. Malthe is a lonely man, I realize. He has no true friends. No one he can confide in. He only has allies he works with for one common goal, for one purpose. He has no one he loves and no love that loves him. But if this makes Malthe a lonely man, then I’m the same.
He doesn’t acknowledge me when I sit beside him. I wait for a moment, trying to think of the best way to ease into the conversation. But there aren’t any words that would soften what I’m about to tell him.
“We need to leave,” I say.
He misunderstands me. “I thought we agreed to wait until sunrise.”
“We need to leave Larsen Helle,” I say, “and return to Hans Lollik Helle.”
He pauses here, the words sinking in. He isn’t sure that he’s heard me clearly, but in the heavy silence he realizes that he has.
“Why?” he asks, suddenly concerned there’d been an attack, an ambush, something that would force us to retreat, though this isn’t possible. He would’ve heard and seen the fighting. “Has something happened?”
“Nothing yet,” I say hesitantly. “We’re not prepared to fight Jannik Helle. If we continue on, we’ll be massacred.”
As the words leave my mouth, I can feel how anyone would take them: the words of a coward, someone who can’t be sure of his own mind.
“We decided this was the best course of action,” Malthe says. He hasn’t been impressed with me as a leader, but this shocks him. “All of us on Hans Lollik Helle. We agreed we would take Larsen Helle, and then take Jannik Helle.”
“That’s what we agreed on,” I tell him, voice low. “But I have reason to believe—”
“What reasons?” he interrupts. “Why are you so sure we would be massacred? Have you no faith in your own guards?”
“Of course I do,” I say. His voice has risen, and the nearest of the men have heard. “But there isn’t anything that can be done when it comes to sheer numbers. There are more of them—too many. They’ll overpower us.”
“How do you know this? There were hardly any Fjern here on Larsen Helle.”
“And don’t you think that odd?” I ask him. “They’re luring us into a trap.”
“The paranoid delusions of a coward.”
“The cautious hesitation of a man that doesn’t want to see us lose this war. That’s what will happen,” I say. “We will lose the war if we go to Jannik Helle. We will all be killed and all of the guards protecting Hans Lollik Helle will be gone. The guards to the north—they’ll have no idea what’s happened. They’ll be taken by surprise when the Fjern suddenly appear in their shallows. We must be smart with our next move, Malthe. We can’t rush into the next situation.”
Malthe has been watching me carefully. He only half hears my words as suspicion in him grows. “You seem certain that the Fjern wait for us on Jannik Helle.”
“It’s the only possibility.”
“So certain that we would lose.”
He already realizes the answer to the next question he asks, but he wants to see how I will react—if I’ll attempt to lie, or if I will admit to the truth. “Have you been in contact with Sigourney Rose?”
A part of me thinks that I should lie. He will have no proof against me, while the truth is something that could easily become a weapon. I’m alone on this island with him and guards that have begun to waver in their loyalty toward me. I should wait until I’m back in the safety of Hans Lollik Helle with the other members of the inner circle. But I have never been good at lying, and I’ve never had the desire to do so.
“Yes,” I tell him after a moment. “She reached out to me to pass along the warning. The Fjern will attack heavily if we arrive on Jannik Helle.”
Malthe nearly spits at my feet. “Sigourney Rose is a liar and a traitor,” he says, his voice low. He has no need to shout. The closest of the guards are listening. “And you are as much of a traitor if you continue to listen to her.”
“She isn’t lying. I can see that she speaks the truth.”
“And a fool, for believing her,” Malthe says. “Did you not agree that you would cut off contact from her?”
“It’s difficult for me to control when she will reach out—”
“Does her kraft not allow her to see you as clearly as you see her?” He’s stood to his feet, towering over me, his anger building. “She can learn your secrets. She might have already told the Fjern that we wait here on Larsen Helle. They could already be preparing to attack.”
“They would’ve already seen we were here. She hasn’t told them—”
He hits me. I could feel the rage in him, but I couldn’t see the fist coming, because Malthe himself didn’t realize he’d hit me until it was done. There was enough force for me to stagger backward. I think that him hitting me will shock him into silence and stillness as much as it’s shocked me, but this time I can feel the calculated thought as he follows me, shoving me down to the dirt so that my head collides with stone. He’s already made the mistake of laying his hands on me. This is already something that I could use against him. He might as well use the moment—he hadn’t planned on it this way, not now—
He wraps his hands around my neck and squeezes. I choke and try to push him off, air caught in my throat. The power in his grip tightens. It feels like he’s trying to snap my neck—feels like he might succeed, and the men he commands are hesitating, afraid to go against him, too afraid to help me—
Hands grab at Malthe’s shoulders. He’s thrown back and I gasp, choking on air. I turn over onto my hands and knees, sucking in the salt-air breeze, my eyes scanning the scene. Georg and Frey have Malthe restrained, their machetes at his neck. Five guards closest to them have their machetes pointed at Georg and Frey. There’s silent tension, and for a breath, no one moves. I could give Georg the order. I could have him kill Malthe. The other guards, though—they could kill Georg and Frey in retribution. The guards and their loyalties are split. The fight that I could foresee breaking out will be deadly, bloody—and we’d lose the few guards we have, already too few to win this war.
Malthe sees this truth also. He sees that killing me and starting this battle would mean halving his chances of returning to the royal island alive.
“I’m sorry,
” he says. “I was drinking, not thinking clearly.”
He lies. This is exactly what he meant to do. He only wishes he’d succeeded before he was stopped. I remember Geir’s warning. I should have Malthe killed, before he manages to kill me. But killing Malthe would mean losing a commander. He’s more talented than I am in controlling his guards, and if I have their commander killed I might lose the loyalty of the men altogether. They could rebel against me whether Malthe is here to give them the order or not.
“It’s all right,” I say, loudly enough for the guards to hear my voice. “I understand. I was unnecessarily angry as well. It’s the stress of the battle.”
I wave at Georg to release him, which he does hesitantly. Malthe rubs his arm when he’s let go. He watches me like he might be waiting for another opportunity to attempt to take my life, but he won’t do it—not here, not yet. He does want me dead, that is clear enough, but to try now would mean risking too much. When he tries again, it will be when he will succeed, and when he’ll be able to finally take control as he was meant to do from the very beginning. He doesn’t argue when I announce that we’re leaving Larsen Helle.
By the time we arrive on Hans Lollik Helle, Kjerstin and her scouts have already seen us on the horizon. She waits on the bay as we leave our ships and row our boats to shore.
I stride out of the shallows and onto the sand, passing her.
She follows closely. “What happened?” she asks.
She notices when I glance over my shoulder at Malthe, who watches me as he leaves his own boat. The guards closest to him seem to be waiting for their orders. I’m not sure what he’ll have planned. He could have his guards attack within hours, maybe minutes, to take this island’s control.
“We retreated,” I tell Kjerstin. She follows me into the groves, Georg and Frey close behind.
“I can see that. Why?”
There’s only one thing I can think of to stop Malthe from having an attack ordered on Hans Lollik Helle. “We need to call a meeting. Immediately,” I tell Kjerstin. “Get the others prepared.”
She’s surprised, confused, but she nods her understanding. She pauses and waits for Malthe to pass along the order as I walk farther into the groves. I wait in the meeting room in Herregård Constantjin for the others. I’m alone. I realize the danger in this. If Malthe comes in first, he could easily overpower me and kill me. He could make up any lie once I’m dead. He could tell the others that I’d attacked first. They’d have no choice but to let him take control, exactly as he’d wanted. When footsteps echo, I tense—but the door opens, and Marieke stands before me.
“Are you all right?” she asks. She’s heard the gossip that’s spread quickly from the guards and to the other islanders. The yellowing bruises around my neck are the only proof she’d needed. “Spirits, I can’t believe that he would—”
“Yes, you do,” I tell her.
She quiets and nods. Yes, she does. “But to try in front of so many, so brazenly…”
“I just have to be more careful.”
“You need to think of other options,” she whispers urgently. I understand that she means I should have the man executed for attempting to take my life.
“If I do that, who will lead the guards?” I say. Geir’s answer had seemed simple: I would. But I’m not so sure that I have the same confidence in me that he does. I’d had one lucky night on the ambush of Hans Lollik Helle. I don’t have the skills to command so many guards to victory.
Before Marieke can respond, Olina steps into the room. She is cold as she takes her seat. She’s also heard what happened, and she finds the fight a distraction, an annoyance. She sees me and Malthe as children in our selfish struggle for power, when we should be focusing on the freedom of our people. Maybe she’s right.
She has another reason to be annoyed. “I’m surprised to see you here, Løren,” she tells me. “You should be taking control of Jannik Helle.”
“I’m sure he has a reason for it,” Marieke says in my immediate defense. Olina doesn’t bother to answer her. When the door opens again, it’s to Geir, who is silent. In the last moment Kjerstin comes as well.
“Where’s Malthe?” Olina asks.
“He said he wouldn’t be attending,” Kjerstin responds. She’s uneasy. She’s heard the talk as well. It isn’t a coincidence that Malthe will have attempted to kill me and not come here to this meeting. I’d hoped he would feel bound by duty, but he could be by the barracks, giving his orders on the attack that’s to come.
Geir sees the fear in my eyes. “He will have a hard time gaining the number of guards he’ll need to make a proper assault,” he says. “He would have been better off waiting until he knew for sure that the loyalty of all the guards is on his side. He’s most likely testing the waters, to see how his guards feel about their leader.”
“None of this answers the question,” Olina says, “of why you are back here on Hans Lollik Helle.”
“We weren’t ready to attack Jannik Helle.”
“We agreed—”
“We weren’t ready to attack Jannik Helle,” I repeat.
Olina sits with quiet fury. “You’ll have to explain to me, then, how you mean to win this war,” she says. “You won’t attack the islands. You wait to be ambushed. You wait to run out of food and water and supplies. You will not allow me to travel to the northern empires to request the help that we need.”
The northern empires. I meet Geir’s eye, and I realize he thinks the same. I’d been needed here on Hans Lollik Helle to lead—but with the threat of Malthe and the undeniable need for more guards, perhaps it would be best for me to leave while still maintaining the respect as the leader of the uprising. Olina had been asking for the chance to go to the northern empires to request assistance in person for some time. We didn’t want to risk her life. But if I were to go with her, along with loyal guards, we might have a chance of making it to the north. I would have a chance of convincing allies to return to the islands with me. Allies who would help me to control Malthe and his guards, before we attack the Fjern.
It’s the best course of action. I can already feel my pride hurting from the obviousness of me running away from Malthe to escape his blade. But I can also see that I have little choice. If I return with guards, I can subdue Malthe. As is, he can easily kill me and anyone who claims my loyalty. I have to leave for the northern empires with Olina as soon as possible.
“You’re right,” I tell her. “It’s time to take a different step. We need the help of the northern empires.”
She sits straighter in her seat, surprised. Kjerstin narrows her eyes.
“You’ll go to the northern empires,” I tell Olina, “and to be sure you make it there safely and negotiations go smoothly, I’ll come with you.”
There’s an explosion of emotion, though everyone keeps their expressions still and calm.
“You’re leaving the islands of Hans Lollik,” Kjerstin repeats, “in the middle of the war?” She sees as clearly as anyone else that Malthe has something to do with this decision, but she’s still disappointed that I would run away when I’m needed here. “How many days do you think we would last without you?”
“We won’t last even if I do stay,” I tell her. “Olina is right. The ambassadors of the free people could give us what we need to win this war: supplies, guards, their support against Koninkrijk and the Fjern.”
“And if we’re attacked while you’re gone?”
“Malthe is still here with his guards.”
Marieke shakes her head. She doesn’t think this is a good idea. It’ll be more difficult to wrestle the power back from Malthe if I leave him alone on this island. But I’m sure Malthe would take that power with me on this island by simply taking my head. Some would think I’m taking the coward’s path, and maybe they’re right. But it’s the path that gives me the highest chance of surviving Malthe and helping the rebellion succeed.
I realize also that I’m still not sure who in the room might have been beh
ind passing our secrets to the Fjern. If that person truly is in the room at this moment, then Lothar Niklasson will realize that I’ll be attempting to make it to the northern empire. He could send his fastest ships to intercept me and Olina and have us killed.
“You’ll have to be quick,” Geir says. “If you manage to make it to the northern empires, you’ll only have a week at most, I estimate, before the Fjern will realize we are at our weakest and attack again.”
Kjerstin agrees, though she doesn’t meet my eye. She doesn’t want me to see how worried she is for me. She doesn’t want me to misinterpret her feelings as growing love for me. Kjerstin doesn’t love me. She doesn’t believe there’s any point in loving another when our bodies don’t belong to anyone else but the Fjern, and especially when we are at war. What point is there in loving another when either of us could be killed at any moment? She reminds herself of this as the worry in her grows. She must accept the fact that I will likely not make it back to Hans Lollik Helle alive.
I tell Olina that we’ll leave at once. It’s as we stride from the meeting room, Olina speaking quickly of all the next steps we must consider, that I allow the full pressure to fill me. I’ve never left these islands. It’s ironic. I’d always wanted to escape when I was young. To make it to the north, where I would be free. Now I’m going to the north for the first time in my life. If I make it there alive, it will be with the hope that I could find a way to free everyone in these islands, and not only me.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
We leave under the cover of night. The trip to the northern empires will take a week if the winds are favorable and if we don’t stop at any of the islands, which we don’t plan to do. Georg helps to man the vessel, smaller than our warships. This is one that was used by the kongelig for the viewing of the whales and other pleasure rides at sea, but the ship is still one of the fastest. It cuts through the black waters under the dark sky. There are no levels beneath for sleeping. We’ll have to live here on the deck together for days.
King of the Rising Page 24
