by A. E. Rayne
Wanting to disappear.
Agnette didn’t appear in any distress at all, and after a quick chat with Bjarni, Reinar had left them to it, desperate to get back to the wall, eager to see what Hakon Vettel would come back with.
Agnette watched the door close, wanting to head out after her cousin. ‘I don’t want to be stuck in here when everything’s happening out there!’ she complained loudly, trying to get out of bed.
Bjarni pushed her down. ‘Do you want the baby to just drop out while you’re running around?’ He looked at Eddeth, wondering if that was possible.
Eddeth looked nonplussed. ‘It’s Agnette’s choice what she does. If she wants to get to work, she should. I’m sure we can clear an area when it’s time.’
‘Good!’ Agnette declared, wriggling towards the edge of the bed. ‘Then I will. I’ve barely had a twinge since my waters broke.’ She groaned, a pain winding its way through her belly like burning fire. ‘Aarrghh!’
Bjarni smiled. ‘You were saying?’
‘I was saying,’ Agnette grumbled, taking a breath, ‘that you’re needed in the hall, so get on your way, Bjarni Sansgard. I’m going to keep busy till the time is near. And,’ she snapped, eyes on Eddeth, ‘it’s nowhere near yet!’
Eddeth nodded. ‘Near is when you can’t speak, but you seem just as chattery as usual, Agnette, so I’d say you have some time yet.’ And she quickly headed to the door as Bjarni helped Agnette to her feet. ‘I’ll only be down the corridor if you need me.’
Bjarni looked worried, not wanting her to go. ‘Agnette,’ he pleaded, ‘I’ve a lot to take care of out there. I can’t be worrying about you too.’
‘No one’s asking you to! I’ve been able to take care of myself since I was a girl. And this child will make up its own mind about when it’s coming.’ She saw the fear in his eyes, and it softened her. ‘I’ll listen, I promise. I’ll get Eddeth when the time comes.’
Bjarni nodded, though he doubted it. He knew his wife better than anyone. Still, he helped her towards the door, trying to stop frowning. ‘I’ll be in the hall, listening out. One scream and I’ll carry you back in here!’
Agnette snorted, laughing as she waddled beside him. ‘I’d like to see you try!’
‘Hakon!’ Ivan dropped to the ground beside his cousin, who appeared asleep, hunched over before a tree, head resting on his knees. ‘Hakon!’
Hakon looked up at Ivan, terror in his eyes, his cousin’s voice clanging in his ears. ‘Where have you been? Where has everyone gone?’
Ivan’s head was less muddled that Hakon’s, and he quickly helped him to his feet, dragging one of his cousin’s arms around his shoulder, feeling him go limp. ‘Let’s get you back to your tent. We’ll wait for the smoke to clear, then we’ll start again.’
Hakon stumbled beside him, muttering to himself, visions of Mother tormenting him.
Mother and her triumphant smile.
Emerging from the tent again, Mother was almost delirious with pleasure, though seeing the scowl in Falla’s eyes as she organised water and ale for the men, she tried to look more concerned, less gleeful. It would hardly help her cause to be seen crowing over their humiliation.
The smoke did not bother her as she walked around the camp, eyes scouring the hunched over, coughing men. Some were bleeding, injured, others in a panic, going slightly mad with the smoking herbs. Mother recognised the familiar aromas of salvia and jimsonweed. She doubted Reinar Vilander’s dreamer had thought of that. That woman appeared far too inexperienced to know anything about herbs; about how to terrorise and seduce; to befuddle weak minds. And they were all weak, Mother knew, glancing around, eyes seeking the weakest one of all.
And there he was, with the useless layabout that was Ivan Vettel.
Blinking even a hint of happiness from her eyes, Mother hurried forward. ‘My lord! Hakon!’ She coated her voice with something resembling sympathy; a motherly touch, she hoped; a balm for his frantic state.
Hakon rushed to her in desperation. ‘Mother!’ And reaching her, he almost collapsed into her arms, eyes bulging with madness.
Mother frowned. ‘Help me take him to my tent. A tonic! I’m sure I have a tonic to help him. The smoke has affected him badly. I suspect Reinar Vilander’s dreamer has been playing with you all. Twisting your minds with her spells! She appears far more dangerous than I realised. Far more dangerous indeed!’
Ivan limped along, Hakon’s weight leaning on him, grateful when Lief caught up with them, holding up Hakon’s other side.
‘What’s happened to him?’ Lief wondered, anxiety rippling through his own mind. His confusion had receded now, only to be replaced by shifting waves of panic and fear. He felt unsettled, as though they were about to be attacked, yet unable to form a plan of what to do about it.
‘The smoke!’ Mother declared. ‘It was poisoned with powerful herbs! Designed to make you forget yourselves. A dreamer’s weapon!’
‘You must help us, Mother,’ Hakon almost whimpered, staggering into her tent. ‘Protect us from this dreamer. How can we take the fort with all that smoke?’ His head felt almost clear for a moment, the screeching voices receding slightly. The darkness of Mother’s tent helped; the soothing sound of her fire.
He started shaking, realising how cold it was.
‘Of course, of course I will,’ Mother murmured. ‘Sit him there, in front of the flames. He’s shivering!’ She poked a gnarled finger at Ivan. ‘Find your cousin some wine. Something strong. And you,’ she growled at Lief. ‘You will retrieve Falla and the girl. I need them to assist me.’
Falla had gone to the stream to fill the empty skins, eager to get away from the smoke and the noise in the campsite. There were too many men needing help – panicked, injured, burned men – and she had quickly grown irritated with the role of healer. She was neither skilled nor inclined to help anyone, so she was happy to escape them all, taking a moment to herself, enjoying the cool water on her face.
Kneeling before the stream, she bent forward, splashing water over her cheeks, rubbing it down her neck, into her cleavage. It felt like ice, but it woke her up and cleared her mind. And standing, she wiped her hands on her lilac-coloured dress, before bending down to collect the full skins, looking up suddenly, hearing the sound of twigs snapping, horses blowing.
Across the stream, on the other side of the bank, she saw a glimmer of blonde hair as two horses moved away into the forest.
Falla stood there for a moment, watching, before dropping the waterskins and turning away to vomit.
Lotta spun around at the noise, eyes on the crouching woman, recognising Falla. She thought about calling out, begging for help, but she remembered the look in Mother’s eye when she’d cut her hair, and she realised that the dreamer meant to kill her. Lotta had seen inside her soul, and it was dark and evil, and though she had no desire to be Ulrick’s prisoner again, she knew she had to get away.
Ulrick knew they had to get away too, but he wouldn’t leave Lotta’s pony behind. He didn’t want to make her unhappy. ‘That old witch will be tearing the forest apart looking for you soon. We have to move quickly now.’
Lotta sat before him, nodding, feeling the horse increase its pace, hoping Clover would be able to keep up; tears falling down her cold cheeks, knowing that she was leaving her mother behind.
Eddeth grabbed Alys’ arm. ‘You’re not listening, dreamer!’
Alys almost bit her tongue. She was remembering giving birth to her daughter. Lotta had been late, well overdue, showing no sign of coming at all. But when she finally came... Alys smiled sadly, reminded of how all joy of that moment had been erased by Arnon’s fury that she had given him a daughter.
‘We need to be ready. Up on the wall.’
‘What?’ Alys blinked, back in the chamber. ‘Why the wall?’
‘To see. Far and wide! To smell. To taste the wind!’ Eddeth grinned, shuffling to her basket. ‘Those herbs of mine will have tangled Hakon Vettel’s army in knots. It will take them a whi
le to get back to themselves. A while longer to think of a way forward. I know how it goes!’ She chuckled, handing Alys a tiny packet.
‘What’s this?’
‘Flying powder.’
‘I...’ Alys didn’t know what to say. She almost didn’t want to ask.
‘Hurry, hurry!’ Eddeth implored. ‘I’ll explain on the way to the wall!’
They left their chamber, emerging into the noisy hall which appeared much fuller as those men and women on the walls and in the square came inside to take a break, get some food, find something to drink.
Alys saw Stina. ‘Are you alright?’
Stina nodded. She was numb inside and out, but it had been good to feel useful, to keep herself busy. Ludo stood behind her like a faithful dog, and turning to him, she almost smiled.
‘She’s been working hard. They all have.’ Ludo was pleased, though anxious. They did not have an unending supply of boulders. And flinging a dead carcass or two would hardly do much damage to an army on the attack. ‘We’ve come to find what else we might launch at Hakon’s men.’
‘Pitch,’ Eddeth said, one hand on Alys’ elbow, wanting to move her along. ‘Fill a jug or a jar with pitch. They won’t like being covered in that.’
Ludo agreed. They had buckets of pitch on the low wall, but it would be smart to use the catapults to drown Hakon’s army in as much of the liquid as possible. ‘Good idea,’ he smiled, heading for the doors.
Alys watched Ludo and Stina go, yelping as Eddeth pinched her arm.
‘We have too much to occupy that mind of yours with already, don’t you think? Not worrying about everything right now would help, hmmm?’ And with a firm nudge, she moved Alys in the direction of the doors.
Lief had found his wife sitting in the forest by the stream, head between her knees, trying to stop the waves of nausea that would not recede. He had helped her to stand, convinced her to sip a little water, and together they’d walked back to their camp.
To where Mother emerged from her tent, glowering at them.
‘All day I’ve been waiting! All day!’
Lief’s head still felt thick with smoke, but he knew that wasn’t true. ‘Falla was ill.’
Mother glared at her, not caring, though she could see the ghostly pallor of her face in the smoky gloom. She glanced around. ‘And the girl? Where is she?’
Guilt flushed Falla’s face a bright pink, and she leaned on Lief, slumping slightly. ‘I don’t know.’ That was true enough.
Mother couldn’t read any lies in Falla’s eyes, though they darted about in fear. ‘Is that so?’
‘I couldn’t watch her all the time!’ Falla insisted crossly. ‘I was ill. Vomiting.’
‘Well...’ Mother’s lips pursed and twisted into all sorts of shapes while she considered things. ‘You did your best, I’m sure.’
Falla looked up, surprised, watching as Mother simply turned and walked away.
‘Well, come along, Falla dear!’ she called over her shoulder. ‘For I am going to need your help to get our afflicted lord back on his feet again. We can’t let those Vilanders think it’s all over, can we? Oh no, I can assure you, this battle is only just beginning!’
45
Sigurd and Tulia joined Reinar on the low wall to discuss how the rest of the day would go. Their enemy had not reappeared, and thick waves of smoke still hung over the field, from the wall to the forest.
Reinar turned at the sound of laughter.
‘They will need to sleep it off!’ Eddeth chuckled, emerging from the stairs, almost reading his mind. ‘I know that only too well. A good night’s rest and they’ll be back on the field come morning.’
‘You think it will affect them that badly? That they won’t try something tonight?’
‘I’m no dreamer!’ Eddeth snorted. ‘You’re asking the wrong woman there.’
Reinar’s attention moved from Eddeth to Alys, who had just emerged from the stairs herself, eyes quickly on the field where smoke masked the bodies and the boulders, though some flames could still be seen burning. The smell was intense. ‘Do you see them coming again today? Tonight?’
Alys considered it. Her feelings about how it would all go kept shifting.
Her fears were growing, and she felt a pull towards the darkness, as though it was trying to claim her. And she didn’t know if she was strong enough to withstand it.
‘Alys?’ Reinar looked concerned.
‘I think Eddeth’s right. I sense a lot of confusion. A new day will give them another chance.’
‘You should have sent me with some men to attack them in the forest,’ Sigurd frowned. ‘We still could.’
‘It’s tempting, of course.’ Reinar turned as Torvig came to join them, not noticing Alys’ discomfort. ‘But there’s little room for surprise now. They’ll have men on their perimeter. It’s too risky. Though if they’re going to sleep all night, we can make sure we’re restocked and ready for the morning. Sigurd, go check the boulders. See about getting more. I’m sure we can slip in and out of the bridge gates while they’re lost in the forest, finding their minds again.’ He winked at Eddeth, who appeared pleased to have been such a help.
‘Boulders are useful, yes indeed,’ Eddeth mused, hands on the rampart wall, peering at the trees in the distance. ‘But they will not stop the wolf.’
Tulia looked confused. ‘What are you talking about?’
‘The dreamer in the forest, she’s the one who brought the wolf to life. And she’s in there. Alys can feel it, can’t you?’
Alys nodded, thinking of Lotta. ‘She is.’
‘She will not sit on her hands. Not likely. A woman that powerful?’ Eddeth shook her head. ‘That woman will not sit in a corner and watch. So gather boulders and arrows and pitch, but know that none of it will protect you against her.’ Her eyes rounded as she spun back to Reinar.
Who turned to Alys. ‘Can you do anything to stop her?’
Alys blinked at Eddeth.
‘We can! And we will! Of course! Of course! That is why we’re here, so Alys can see. The dreamer has eyes. She does not need to be asleep to see!’ Eddeth grabbed Alys by the shoulders, pointing her towards the forest. ‘She’s in there, the dreamer. And you need to close your eyes and find her.’
Tulia stopped herself from rolling her own eyes and turned for the stairs. Sigurd headed after her, leaving Reinar and Torvig. But Torvig was already smirking, not seeing the point in any of it, and he left the women, looking for something to drink.
Alys shut them all out, closing her eyes.
She didn’t want to find the dreamer in the forest at all; whether she was a wolf or an old woman. She wanted to find her daughter. And breathing deeply, Alys took herself into the forest. She had ridden through it now a few times. She knew the smell of the place, the noise of the trees swishing in the wind, the sound of hooves striking the earth beneath her. She remembered the symbols, buried low, hidden where roots met trunks.
Paths rushed towards her, birds calling to each other, squirrels rushing up bark with sharp claws. Alys followed the paths deeper and deeper into the forest as everything became darker, heart thumping in her chest like someone pounding a drum.
And then she saw it: a glimpse of hair; ice-blonde; long.
A tiny face, turning towards her.
‘Don’t worry, Mama. Don’t worry.’
Alys gasped, eyes popping open. Back on the wall.
Eddeth hovered beside her, sneezing. ‘What did you see? The dreamer? Did you find her?’
Reinar looked concerned on her other side.
‘No.’ Alys didn’t want to disappoint anyone. ‘I didn’t see the woman, but I did feel her.’ She shivered, the clouds seeming to sink lower in the sky, darkening as the afternoon disappeared. ‘She’s in there, preparing. I feel that.’ It was true, Alys was certain. She had a strong sense that something was coming.
Eddeth was right.
The dreamer would not linger in the shadows for long.
Hakon’s s
enses were returning. He could still smell the strange smoke, but his head had cleared thanks to Mother’s tonic. She had poured him two cups of the foul-tasting brew, and he had drunk greedily, desperate to wet his parched throat; desperate to grasp hold of reality again too.
But when he did, his heart sank.
He peered at the old woman as she fingered through her baskets of herbs, searching for something, stooped over, muttering to herself.
‘What happened?’
Mother turned her head, eyeing him. ‘You have returned, then? From the dark haze?’
Hakon wasn’t sure. ‘I feel more like myself again,’ he croaked. ‘I can’t hear those voices in my head anymore.’
‘Well, that’s a start, but you will need sleep. You all will. What that dreamer did to you was powerful indeed.’
‘The smoke? A dreamer did it?’ Hakon rubbed his eyes, sitting back. A headache was forming behind his ears. It felt as though someone was squeezing his neck. ‘I... I ruined everything.’ That was the truth, and it was hard to admit. He didn’t know how he could face Ivan and Lief. Ulrick. All his men.
What had he done?
‘Reinar Vilander had men in the forest. Hiding. They were wrapped in protective spells. I couldn’t penetrate them. Couldn’t see what they were planning.’
Mother had seen the men, but she hadn’t said a thing.
‘I did try to warn you, Hakon. You are not only battling men with weapons, but a dreamer with magic. Any hope for success will depend on whether you live through what that dreamer has planned.’ Her voice was laced with warning, and she watched Hakon’s eyes with interest. ‘She will try to humiliate you further now. Take your dreams from you! Turn your men against you! Can’t you see how precarious this all is? How dangerous?’ Mother stretched out her aching back, returning to the fire and a stool. ‘Those men out there, your men, they will follow you willingly, despite whatever mess you made today. But the lords of Hovring and Vika? They tied their fate to yours, abandoned longstanding loyalties to Ake Bluefinn, believing that you were the future of Alekka. And this is what you’ve shown them?’
