He flew nearer still, perching on the windy point of the mast. The sailors’ long, sun-bleached hair and linen tunics could have easily fit in amongst the men on Ragna’s crew. Leif counted not only the number of men, but the swords and weapons he could see. He closely observed the number of caskets, chests and crates filled with trade goods. They must have been traveling for a year or more collecting valuables to take to port, although their destinies were now sealed at the bottom of the ocean. With news like this, his father might actually forget his anger upon Leif’s return. Nothing made him giddier than the promise of wealth and loot.
The lookout noticed him perched on the mast and gave a shout. The crewmen all pointed and declared what a good omen it was to have been visited by such a large bird, but they couldn’t have been more wrong. Leif opened his wings and felt the winds brush against his back and tail feathers. He was again in the air, headed north. The ship was within rowing distance of the coast, and the traders would gain dozens of sea miles before nightfall. However, he estimated that they were still another day’s sailing from where Ragna had beached the Kraken. Plenty of time for them to plan their attack.
Leif would have taken a while flying back had he not wanted to confirm that Eilish was safe, a nagging thought that bothered him like a gnat pestering and buzzing about his face on a warm day. Not only that, but he tried to prepare himself for what he’d be forced to do in the name of his father.
When he approached the beach, he noticed his clothing and belongings were no longer in the place he’d shed them. He scanned the beach and ship without luck. He didn’t expect his father would have secured them in his chest, although Agnar might have if he weren’t afraid of Ragna’s ire. Just as he was near giving up, he noticed a clump of fabric and the gleam of metal at the top of the bluff overlooking the cove.
He landed beside them and reached down to slip on his trousers. While he pulled on the rest of his clothing, shoes and belt, he searched for his father. Ragna was near the stack of firewood that had grown since he’d left. When the man’s gaze fell on his son walking down the slope, his eyes narrowed as he yelled, “You best have good news for me, or your face will feel my wrath.”
Leif knew the threat wasn’t given in vain. More than his face had been beaten by his father for reasons less than belittling him in front of the crew. Every time his father raised a hand to him, it only put another stone on the scale of his hatred for the man. This time, however, he knew he had information that would put Ragna in better spirits.
“There is a merchant ship,” Leif answered, walking up beside his father, almost taunting him to raise a fist to him. “It sails within sight of the coast and may reach this point tomorrow at nightfall if they do not try to cross before then.”
A slow grin crept onto Ragna’s face. “Tell me more, boy.”
“I counted six men. All but two carry swords that I could see. The hold is filled with crates and caskets, weighing the ship low in the water.”
“Good,” his father answered. “You will go back this evening to find where they anchor and watch them set out in the morning so we are sure they come to us. Upon your return, we will plot our attack.”
News of treasure on the horizon had clearly altered Ragna’s foul mood, although was he never happy enough to speak well of Leif. No words were uttered in his praise. He turned to Rúni, speaking of plans of their raid, having forgotten his son.
Leif rested his hand on the hilt of his sword as he turned away to find his friend. Agnar was walking down the slope with an armload of firewood in his arms. He dropped it beside the stone-ringed fire pit and came to meet Leif, wiping the dirt from his hands. “You are back.”
“Not for long,” Leif answered, searching the beach for Eilish. He spotted her digging in the sand beside some of the other thralls. “I will be gone overnight to keep my eyes on a merchant ship that comes our way.”
Agnar glanced toward Ragna and Rúni. “Is that why he is so happy?”
Leif trusted no other like he did Agnar. He knew his friend’s loyalty ran as deep as his own, and that is why he risked saying anything. “My uncle has set his sights to harass one of our newest thralls, Aiden. You have no power over Rúni, I know. So long as it does not bring risk to you, I ask you look after the servant. Do what you can to keep him out of Uncle’s sight while I am gone.”
His friend seemed a little confused by the request, but did not hesitate in answering. “I will always do whatever you ask of me, without question. But I cannot help but wonder—”
Leif was already risking Agnar’s safety by even asking him to watch over Eilish. He trusted his friend to keep her secret, but it was an unnecessary danger for Agnar to share in the knowledge. If he was unaware of her deception, then he was the safer for it. Leif would never lie to his friend, so he responded with honesty, “It is best you only wonder for now. Thank you, my brother.”
He clutched his friend’s shoulder and forearm, and Agnar did the same back. No more was said on the subject.
The rest of the day slipped by faster than Leif would have liked. He caught Eilish looking his way a few times and tried to ignore her attention. When his departure was at hand, he climbed away from the beach so as not to anger his father. For the sake of Agnar and Eilish, he did not want Ragna in a bad state while he was away this time. His clothes were shed in a pile, and he took to the dimming skies.
It took a while for him to search the murky coastline for the cargo ship, but he finally found it anchored off a wooded beach. The men on board had already tucked themselves into their hudfats for the night. Leif perched atop the mast, and, with his eyes half open, tried to rest.
In the morning, when the sun touched the horizon to the east, the traders began busying themselves about the ship. He watched them pull anchor and set sail, following the winds north. Like he had expected, the doomed crew navigated toward their impending fates.
Chapter 7
Eilish didn’t want to stare when she saw Leif peel off his tunic. She didn’t have to understand their language to know the Allmaster was angry with his son. Leif dropped his clothing to the ground before changing into the mighty seabird once again and taking to the skies.
Her breath caught in her throat as she watched him lift higher, envying his freedom. It was the most breathtaking thing she had ever witnessed. She did not understand the powers at work. If she let herself think about it, question whether they sprang from evil, she might have feared for her future. More than she already did. But she’d spoken with Leif on numerous occasions, and he’d saved her from drowning. For reasons rooted in self-preservation, and possibly a few others she didn’t yet comprehend, Eilish decided he was someone to trust.
She realized she was staring, just what she didn’t want to be caught doing, and returned her attention to the wet sand at her feet. The ocean tide lapped at the beach only a stride away. Cormacc was bent over nearby, digging down in search of more mussels and clams. Their pile of shells was growing. One of the other slaves, introduced as Fergus, had claimed the hard-shelled food was a treat. She couldn’t imagine something as solid as rock would be edible, but she’d been assured that delicious flesh was hidden within.
Since Leif had confronted her about her secret identity, she’d become more aware of herself and how she appeared. She observed all of the men that surrounded her, noting how they moved, spoke and approached the world around them. It had shaken her to find out Leif knew she was a woman. He’d made it clear that it would not end well for her if anyone else discovered the truth. She didn’t have to use her imagination to know he was right.
From under her curtain of hair, she watched the interactions at camp. All of the slaves and even Agnar seemed to avoid direct interaction with the Allmaster and even Rúni. From the first time she’d seen them, she’d observed that both appeared volatile—and were nearly twice her bodyweight.
The sun began to drift closer to the western horizon, and she spotted Leif walking down the sloped beach toward his fath
er. She was relieved to see him again. For some reason she felt safer when he was near. She tried to use discretion while observing their conversation. The tension between the two had eased. In fact, the Allmaster was jovial and smiling following their interaction.
Leif left his father’s side to meet up with his friend. She felt Agnar’s gaze fall on her as the two men spoke, and she feared her secret was being shared. Eilish hoped the slave-turned-freeman wouldn’t be against her after the kindness she’d shown him in healing his arm. Leif had seemed concerned with her safety, and she knew Agnar was loyal to him, so maybe she would remain safe. Confusion filled her thoughts when she realized Leif was leaving again. She watched the large seabird coast south into the twilight, wondering if he would return soon.
With the coming night, the firewood was put in a small pile and flat stones were arranged around it. Only once the sun melted below the horizon was the fire lit. The smell of smoke told her belly it was time to eat, and it rumbled loudly. The large pile of white and black shells were set beside the blaze. They were placed on the hot rocks that ringed the orange flames. She was surprised when the shells gaped open like baby birds awaiting worms from their mothers. Inside there truly was pale flesh, which the crewmen tore free and popped into their awaiting mouths.
Eilish watched the Allmaster and freemen eat, observing the servants were waiting their turn. She didn’t want to draw attention to herself, but she wanted to be deemed valuable, so she pulled free the leeks she’d collected earlier that day and brought them to the fire. There was no pot to make stew. They would be fine to eat raw, although softened up by the heat they would be even better. She placed them with their roots pointed toward the flames and returned to the outskirts where the other slaves sat.
She felt the Allmaster’s eyes on her, and she avoided his gaze. Little time passed before he reached out to take one of the long green stalks from a rock and gave it a sniff. He said something she couldn’t understand. Agnar took one of the browning shoots, got up and walked over to her. “Ragna wants to know if it is safe to eat.”
“It is,” she answered.
“He wants you to prove it,” Agnar answered, holding out the vegetation.
Eilish knew plants like no other. She had crossed an ocean, leaving her homeland to come to this new place, but she was confident it was the same edible stalk she’d cooked since she was a child. She reached out, accepted it from Leif’s friend and took a bite. Her belly grumbled happily as the savory veg made its way down. She didn’t waste time and took another mouthful, unsure if she’d be offered any more food that evening.
Sitting beside the fire, the Allmaster lifted the leek to his mouth and sunk his teeth into the plant. He laughed and appeared to like it, finishing it in another two bites. The rest of the freemen reached out to take their share. Agnar gave her an approving nod before returning to his place by the blaze. It wasn’t long before the masters slowed and offered the remaining mussels and clams to the slaves. She pulled free the tongue-like flesh within the shell and placed it in her mouth. It was chewier than she’d expected, but its taste was just as enjoyable as Fergus had promised, except for the sand that ground between her teeth.
Everyone pulled out their leather sleep sacks. The Allmaster and his kin arranged themselves closest to the fire. Eilish moved away from the ring of men to climb into her hudfat. Agnar walked over to her and asked, “Do you mind the company?”
She looked up at him, searching for any sign of lurid suggestion, and found none. She shook her head and answered, “No.”
He put out his own sleep sack and slipped into it. He folded his arms behind his head as he stared up at the deep blue sky. White points of light shone from the stars. Eilish rolled onto her back to follow his gaze. Maybe she didn’t have to worry about him. Maybe he didn’t know she was a woman, or maybe he didn’t care.
Agnar had opened up to her before, so she decided to chance it and ask him the questions that had been weighing on her mind. With a low voice she said, “Will he be back?”
“Leif?” Agnar questioned. “You will grow used to his coming and going. He always comes back.”
“Ragna was angry with him, so I was not sure if he could return.”
The question hung in the air a while before Agnar tilted his head her way and said so low under his breath, she could barely heard him, “They each begrudge the other. Leif has never forgiven his father for getting outlawed, never to return home.”
Eilish whispered back, “What did he do?”
Agnar looked around to see if anyone was listening. “He organized a raid against another in his clan. Brynjar had a warship, and Ragna wanted one. So he ordered us to take it. It was not won in battle, but shamefully stolen under the cover of darkness. We set out across the sea following Ragna’s dreams of making his fortune, leaving behind Leif’s mother and their farm. A year had not passed when word came to us of Ragna’s outlawry, barring us from ever returning alive. Along with it came news of Leif’s mother’s death and the loss of their farm, something he will never forgive of his father.”
Eilish wasn’t altogether shocked to hear of Ragna’s behavior. She didn’t know the man well, but she had observed enough to know it wasn’t wise to cross him. Leif’s distaste for Ragna made her esteem for him grow. She presumed he had been close to his mother. The thought reminded her of her own father, and she tried to suppress the tears that threatened to spill out as she wondered if she would ever see him again.
Agnar continued to mutter aloud, seeming to enjoy gossiping about the two. “Ragna uses Leif much like a master works a thrall. Leif is too valuable to him to ever let him go, yet he is threatened by his power.”
“I have never seen anything like it before,” Eilish said with a gruff voice. “Is it magic?”
He scratched his arm before answering, “I cannot say that I begin to understand it. I only know what Ragna claims and what Leif shares.”
She tilted her head to look at him, her curiosity aroused. He remained quiet, and she questioned if he was unsure if he should tell her more. She was only a servant. Getting caught talking about the Allmaster would probably come with punishment.
Just when she thought the conversation had ended, he added, “Ragna boasts that he was born from a wave spirit—one of Ægir’s daughters—and that is how he can become his fylgjur.”
“Who is eye-jeer?” she asked, not understanding the reference, but remembering the name.
“It is he who allows us safe passage across the water. He is the lord of the ocean, an ancient jötunn who resides in a great hall at the bottom of the sea. He feasts with the Vanir and Æsir, providing only the best ale and mead and claiming sacrifice of treasure from ships that do not please him.”
The sound of the water lapping at the shore met her ears while she imagined a great man standing on the ocean floor, looking up at passing sailors. The thought gave her chills, and she retreated farther into her hudfat.
Beside her Agnar continued, enjoying his own story. “Ragna wishes to pay entry into his kin’s halls with Ægir’s fire—the gold and wealth he plunders from those traveling the seas. I hope he collects his fill soon so that Leif and I may find our own destinies apart from him.”
Eilish tried to better understand what she was being told. “Leif’s kinfolk come from the sea? That is how he turns into a bird like I might change clothing?”
“Já, and you have not yet seen all he can do,” he answered with a sigh and rolled away from her on his side. He muttered words she did not understand. “Gótha nótt.”
It wasn’t long before she heard the soft whistle of snores coming from his direction, and she knew their conversation was, indeed, over. She tried to go to sleep, but she couldn’t stop imagining the god lurking beneath the waves. Had he watched her fall into the water when she was pulled from the ship?
She must have found rest, because she woke with the breaking dawn. The other servants were up unpacking the morning meal of dried fish and ale. Agnar got to
his feet and stretched his arms while Eilish stared at the sand beneath her head. A creature tucked into a shell gazed back at her. Long eyes and pointy legs came out from the opening. It scurried sideways, dragging its home with it. Eilish wished she could do the same—hide away in her leather bag. But her father’s voice reminded her, Nothing is so bad that it cannot be worse, so she rose to meet the day.
She spent the morning foraging for more edible veg, something she was pleased to do. She felt Rúni’s eyes on her as she went, so she put on a show of clearing her throat and spitting on the ground. When his attention was drawn off, she took the opportunity to slip away unnoticed.
On her return, well past the sun’s departure to the west, she found Leif had returned. She was relieved to see him but realized she’d taken too long. Everything had been returned to the ship, and when Agnar saw her he motioned her over. “Aiden! It is time to depart—hurry on board before Ragna’s mood goes to spoil.”
Again she would have to pull herself over the rim of the boat. It was something she dreaded: going back over the waves. However, she did not want to be caught showing weakness. This was her new life, and unless she wished to give up and die, she would have to find the strength. She dared to believe her spirit was tougher than any man there, so she trudged through the shallows, splashing as she went.
Her fingers curled over the stern of the boat while waves brushed against her waist. She thought of Leif’s help when he’d gotten her on board the last time she’d embarked. Eilish felt his eyes on her again as he stood on the shore, having joined his friend. The Allmaster stood on the bow of the ship and was busy shouting at the other slaves. If she hurried, he wouldn’t notice if she struggled.
Eilish pushed her feet against the sandy ground and jumped up. Her arms locked, holding her out of the water. She’d made it farther than she had before, she thought in excitement. She was nearly there. Eilish leaned forward as she flung her right leg out to the side. It caught the lip of the ship, and she climbed aboard. The smell from the crushed leeks’ stalks filled her nose.
Tides (Time of Myths: Shapeshifter Sagas Book 3) Page 8
