Runes of Fate

by Lena North

  Mother shook me awake in the morning, and I must have been sleeping heavier than I thought because she was dressed and it looked like she had been outside already.

  "I'll have to walk around in the village and see to all who are ill. This weather will have brought a few more down, so you'll have to help me," she said. "I've talked to Freyja, and she has given her permission."

  She turned around to leave but stopped as she got to the door, and looked at me over her shoulder.

  "There's no need to hurry, Daughter. You can rest a bit this morning. I know you'll miss..." her voice hitched, but she straightened her back and continued resolutely, "You will miss your brother. Take your time, and then come find me."

  I nodded and looked down. I felt absolutely awful for not telling her that her son was alive. Or that I hoped he was alive, at least.

  "Sissa," she said gently.

  I raised my eyes, and she suddenly had a small smile on her lips. Then she nodded toward our table.

  "I still think he won't be a very good Jarl, but he is a good man," she said, turned and left me staring at a pair of shoes standing there on our rickety table. They were not new, but they looked like they hadn't been used much and when I jumped out of bed to examine them I saw immediately that they were my size and much, much better than my old ones.

  She was right, I thought. Josteinn was a good man.

  I decided that for the first time ever I'd take a little time to myself, excusing my laziness with the fact that I had a lot to think about. I munched on a couple of pieces of barley bread from the night before as I slowly got dressed. They were dry, so I had to wash them down with plenty of water, but it filled my stomach, at least.

  The next thing I did was to pull the hood out of the pocket of my cloak.

  I stretched it out on the table in front of me to look at it. It seemed very similar to the one they'd planned for me to use. I wondered if my hood was in the shed they'd locked me into still, or if someone had taken it. There were differences between them, though. Heidrun's appeared to be bigger, I thought, and there were some holes in it. It was stitched together with rather large and crude stitches, so it mostly looked like something I could have done. Catriona had said that a woman would have done it, and I supposed the girls had examined it too. They would know better than me so I trusted their judgment, but I still couldn't see how a woman could have carried Heidrun around in the village, or kept her contained somewhere until just before the sacrifice.

  Unless she'd been poisoned, of course.

  I thought about it and decided that if someone indeed put herbs in Heidrun's midday meal then maybe she would have gone off somewhere and slept. Nessa had slept through the afternoon and into the evening so Heidrun would probably have done the same. Then someone could have bound and gagged her, and carried her into the shed in the evening.

  But Mother had put the beam on the door. She'd had to have help with that because the beam had been too heavy. My mother wasn't so big, and not exactly young anymore, but she was no weakling. It would take an incredibly strong woman to put the beam on by herself. The only woman I knew for sure would have had even a sliver of a chance to do it alone was Nessa, but I couldn't for the life of me see why she would have wanted Heidrun to be dead. And if Nessa did it, then it made no sense at all for her to give me the hood or tell about the possibility of poison in Heidrun's meal?

  The more I thought about it I started to realize that there must have been more than one person involved. There would have been a woman who stitched the hood together and perhaps poisoned Heidrun's food. And then a man who carried her into the shed to lock her up. Yes, I thought, that would make sense.

  Then I froze, my eyes still on the hood.

  Astrid would know about Henbane or any other herb that might have been used, and she often helped out in the Jarl's household, sat at his table. She could easily have given Heidrun the poison. She also had two tall and strong men in her house, and either of them could move around the village as they pleased. The hood had been found by their house. They'd gained from Heidrun's death.

  I remembered Einarr's eyes that day in the clearing outside the village, how he'd watched me with his usual sharp gaze. It had been the eyes of the wolf, and I knew he was a very dangerous man. Had he asked me to talk to Mother about poisonous herbs because he already knew from his wife how they could be used? Or perhaps because he'd been worried Astrid would reveal something by mistake?

  But Disa? Why kill the old and harmless woman?

  I sat there staring at the hood, trying so hard to discard what I suspected. It didn't matter how hard I tried, my thoughts kept intruding. Finally, I had to acknowledge what my mind told me. Disa could have seen something. She might not have understood, but she would have been a danger. That could be a reason to get rid of also her.

  I whimpered softly, shaking my head slowly from side to side in disbelief. I could have believed it of Astrid, but I didn't like her so that was easy. But Einarr? Or Joss?

  Suddenly the door was tossed open. I grabbed the hood quickly and hid it in my lap, but Ulf paid no attention to me. He was scowling, and a string of foul words poured out of his mouth.

  "What's the matter Ulf?" I asked.

  "My stupid trousers ripped," he growled and looked around. "Where's mother's sewing kit?"

  I stared at him.

  "Huh?"

  "Found it," he said, pulled off his trousers and started looking for a needle. Then he deftly threaded it and began to stitch the seam together.

  "What are you doing?" I asked incredulously.

  "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm certainly not walking around with my d... eh, things hanging out in this cold," he scowled.

  I could see that the seam had torn right in the groin area, so I got why he was angry, though if someone had seen it happen the anger probably came mostly from embarrassment. If I hadn't been so astonished, I would have laughed out loud at the thought of my brother walking back home with his legs held together, closely but carefully.

  "I can mend it for you," I said, but he just grunted. "I didn't even know men could sew," I added.

  "We stitch leather together all the time, for the saddles or for our tools. Have seen mother sew by the fire all my life. Of course I can sew, Sissa," he said and looked up. When he saw my face, he suddenly grinned widely. "Any man who is any kind of a man can push a needle up and down through fabric, sister. Let me just ask you this; do you like to do it?"

  "Well, no," I replied, utterly confused.

  "Right. Neither do most men I know, so tell me... is it a bad idea for us to have all women thinking that they're the only ones who can sew?"

  I got it then, and gasped, but I also had to giggle. They'd fooled me, but I wondered if my Mother and the other older women were just as gullible. In any case, the idea that they thought they'd fooled us for generations was hilarious, so I laughed. I felt a bit stupid, but there was also a deep sense of relief. This meant that Heidrun's death didn't have to involve a woman so Astrid could still be innocent. There must be men who knew about herbs as well, even if they weren't healers. They could have learned on their journey's or some other way. I looked at my new shoes, and I smiled even wider. Maybe Joss or his father wasn't involved after all.

  Then I got up, punched my brother gently on the shoulder and left to find my mother. I found her with an older couple. They were talking quietly, and seemed to enjoy each others' company. Mother had a content look on her face as she stirred something that smelled like her remedy for coughing. Apart from the elderly couple, The house was empty, so I guessed the rest of the family was doing chores just like everyone else.

  "Sissa," the man greeted me. "We were sorry to hear about Torbi. He was a good son, and it's no wonder the gods wanted him to come to them already. He was brave to go after the girls so he's likely celebrating with Odin by now and good for him."

  "Thank you, and yes, he was a good man," I murmured.

  That explained why mother look
ed less grief-stricken, I thought. It felt good to know that this was what they were saying in the village. It would make it easier for my parents to accept my brother's death, and would even be good for their reputation. Not many thralls would end up celebrating with the warriors in their afterlife so my parents would be much admired for raising a son that did.

  We stayed a while but then we got up to leave, and as we trudged through the snow, I said casually, "I have a question, Mother, about something that's been bothering me."

  She slowed down, looking questioningly at me.

  "I might be wrong, but I've been thinking about how Disa died, and the herbs used for her," I said, phrasing it so that if anyone overheard they wouldn't know what I referred to. Mother understood immediately, frowning deeply as she slowed her pace down even further.

  "Is it possible to give the same herb but in a smaller portion, and get a different effect?"

  "What kind of results would you be looking for, Sissa?" my mother asked calmly.

  "Sleep. Dizziness or clumsiness like the one the men get from mead. Stomach pain," I replied casually.

  "Maybe," she said immediately, and I inhaled as she continued. "That would require careful handling, though. Henbane is difficult to use."

  I exhaled the breath I'd held and opened my mouth to ask her how it could be done.

  "Sissa, let's discuss the various herbs used in healing later. It is cold outside today, and we should get on with our work," mother interrupted and it was clear that she wouldn't say anything else so I nodded, and we continued walking.

  When we were about to enter the next house, Mother put a hand on my shoulder, and then she whispered so quietly that if I hadn't seen her lips, I wouldn't have known what she asked.

  "Heidrun?"

  I nodded and watched as pain filled her eyes.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Motive

  I decided to include my whole family when we talked about how Mother and I thought someone might be using poisonous plants. I wanted to hear their view, find out if they knew something, or had any ideas of what it all meant. That night I brought it up after our evening meal. When I told them about my suspicions that Disa had been poisoned both father and Ulf were astonished, and when I explained that someone might have put something in Heidrun's food they just sat there, gaping.

  "Sissa, it can't be true? Who -" my father said, finally, but I interrupted him.

  "I don't know if it's true, Father." I looked at Mother who still hadn't said anything. "It's possible, though, isn't it, Mother?"

  "I don't want to believe it, but yes. It is possible," she replied heavily. Then she sighed and continued, "I would even say that it's likely."

  Father nodded slowly, turning to me.

  "Who knows? Einarr? Ingolf?"

  "Einarr knows about Disa, but only Mother and I know about Heidrun," I whispered.

  "Gudrun will be suspected then," Father stated calmly.

  "Maybe," I replied just as calmly, but it was all pretense. I was really worried that this would blow back on my parents somehow.

  "I could have poisoned Disa, but I was not near Heidrun that whole day. I was with you, Sissa, and then I was with others," Mother said. "Someone other than Disa must have witnessed something, or known something," she added thoughtfully. "It's strange that Heidrun was seen in the village through the afternoon, though, because -"

  Ulf had been quiet, but suddenly he straightened and stared at us.

  "What?" he asked, lowered his voice, and asked again, "What? Heidrun was missing that afternoon after she'd left Disa at the storage house and they were looking for her. She wasn't seen by anyone I talked to."

  We stared at him, and a faint blush colored his cheekbones. I wondered like I'd done once before if he'd felt something for Heidrun, but decided that if this had been the case, then it was his business so I wouldn't pry.

  "You know that Freyja had me bring back rushes for the floors?" Ulf asked. "I brought them to the area just behind the storage, so I saw Heidrun and Disa walk in there, and Freyja was in and out of the house through the afternoon. Then I think Heidrun went back to the longhouse because I heard them call out for her. Freyja was incredibly annoyed when they didn't get any reply. I saw Disa walk off and later a couple of the other women came to help to carry things when they couldn't find Heidrun. Though, by then I was busy handing rushes to Josteinn so he could get them into the shed next to yours, Sissa."

  I frowned and thought about it for a while.

  "How fast would Henbane work on Heidrun, Mother? If she somehow got it with her lunch, when would she have been getting sleepy, or getting belly aches?" I asked, finally.

  "That's why it was strange that she was seen because it would only take an hour, maybe a bit more, but it depends on how much she was given and what else she ate, of course."

  "So she could have eaten just the right amount, gone to the storage house and worked there for an hour or two. Then if she started to feel unwell, she could have walked off somewhere to sleep, or throw up?"

  "Yes," Mother replied. "It seems like a strange plan, though. She could have been sick anytime, and when she felt ill she would go to me or..." she trailed off, and our eyes met.

  "It makes sense. She would have gone to Astrid," I murmured.

  "You suspect Astrid?" Father asked quietly, but he looked at Mother for an answer so I stayed silent.

  "Not many would know how to use Henbane, Raudulf," she replied calmly. "It's a dangerous thing, that plant. Too much will kill instantly, so I mostly use it when I'm certain that the person isn't going to survive. I give it to ease the suffering then. Torunn was in so much pain, so we gave it to her the final weeks, and to that man who came back from raids many years ago with a big cut through his stomach. A few more times, that's all, Others could know how to use it, of course, but having both the knowledge and the motive..."

  "She couldn't have done it alone," I interrupted hoarsely. "The beam to lock the shed Heidrun was in, you put it in place, Mother. You needed help to do it so Astrid would have needed help to get Heidrun into that shed, even if she'd somehow managed to carry her through the village."

  "What are you saying, Sissa?" Mother asked, but she knew what I meant.

  "No, I don't believe it," Father said calmly. He'd understood too, but he clearly disagreed and sounded convinced when he continued. "Einarr would never do something like that, he would never scheme and deceive to kill his niece. If he wanted her gone, he'd have done it in a way that was clever enough to get her out of the way without killing her."

  "Father... Maybe it wasn't Einarr who helped Astrid," I whispered.

  My voice was barely more than a breath, but Father heard, and his brows went up.

  "Josteinn?" he asked.

  "No," Ulf said immediately. "The man that was here last night? Who ate our food and helped us to laugh while we waited for news about Torbi? The man who carved wood with Father and made sure my sister had better shoes? No. He wasn't involved in this. I'll never believe that, whatever you say."

  I swallowed, blinked a few times, and then I blew out a breath I hadn't even known I'd been holding. My smile was shaky but grateful as I watched my brother over the table.

  "Thank you," I whispered.

  "You're welcome," he replied with a small grin.

  "If it wasn't for the poison, who do you think was responsible for Heidrun's death?" I asked. "Give me your gut feeling about it?"

  "Stein would make the most sense," Ulf said immediately, and before we could protest he continued, "He's tall and strong, wouldn't have any problems getting close to Heidrun, and there was no particular fondness between them. Though their marriage was beneficial for both of them which means he has no motive at all so I don't believe it's Stein, not really. I would guess on Einarr, actually. He's clever, and mean."

  "No, Ulf, not Einarr. And not Stein either," Father said thoughtfully. "The one with the biggest reason in my mind is Josteinn," he added, giving me a long look. "The m
an I saw last night at our table doesn't have it in him to kill, unless it was for you, Sissa. He would have done it to save you."

  "Maybe," Mother said slowly. "I'm not so sure, though. You all seem convinced it was a man, but I don't know. Is this all something a man would do? Poison and exchanging girls? I think it was a couple, doing it together. A clever woman could have figured out how to do this, but she wouldn't have been strong enough. I'd guess that it's Astrid, together with someone, but I'm not sure..."

  They looked at me, and I knew that they wanted to hear what my suspicions were. I thought about it all for a while. I'd decided to not share about the hood Mags had given me, and I wouldn't tell them about how I'd been out to look at Heidrun that night or how only a tall man could have pulled the hood off her head because both things seemed to point straight at Joss.

  "I don't know," I sighed. "My gut says that it's someone else. It's strange, and I can't explain why. Maybe it's because I don't want it to be Einarr or his family, but I don't think it's one of them. We're looking at this too narrow maybe. Perhaps there's one of the men around Einarr that would benefit from this?"

  "I'll ask around carefully to see if there are others with knowledge about healing," Mother said immediately. "I'll say that with Astrid so busy helping Freyja, I could use some help," she added when we protested, and it was clear that she wouldn't be swayed.

  "I'll listen more carefully to what the men talk about. Maybe someone will let something slip," Father said, and Ulf nodded.

  "Thank you," I said, blew out a breath and grinned. "I have promised Einarr to help him solve this, and I really don't want to tell him that I think it's his wife or son. Or himself."

  They laughed with me and even though I didn't know much more than before it felt good to talk it over with them. I realized that I would miss having Torbi and the girls around. I knew many in the village, but they were acquaintances and I didn't talk with them as I did with my friends.

  The days passed and nothing happened. Jarl Ingolf took a group of men with him to hunt for a few days. Joss was one of them, I missed him and wondered if he thought about me while he was gone. I didn't know what to say to Einarr, so I did my very best to avoid him, and maybe he had nothing to say either because he didn't seek me out.