Vale of the Gods

by A. E. Rayne

  Jaeger hadn’t spoken in some time. He didn’t protest as Meena encouraged him to lie down, dragging a fur over him. It was a cool evening, and she could see that he was shivering as she stood next to the bed, not knowing what to do.

  That was a lie.

  Shaking her head, she sighed and slipped off her hole-ridden boots, hopping into the bed beside Jaeger, pulling the fur over her too.

  It was such a still night.

  Jael couldn’t hear anything but Aleksander’s rhythmic snoring, which made her smile. Her headache wasn’t going away, so she bent over, rubbing her eyes, pushing her palms against them, willing the pain to stop. And when she looked up again, Fyr was walking towards her. More like hopping, she thought, seeing the way the bird’s black feathers glistened as she jumped closer.

  Jael frowned, hearing a voice.

  She stood up, off her tree stump, moving out into the night, listening. Fyr flew up onto her shoulder, turning her white eye towards Jael’s face.

  And Jael recognised the voice.

  Amma.

  Feeling her headache intensify, she stayed perfectly still, closing her eyes.

  Listening.

  Amma couldn’t stop sobbing. The terror and shock of Jaeger’s attack had receded, and now she was becoming hysterical. ‘My baby!’ she cried. ‘What about my baby? It hurts. It hurts!’

  ‘Your baby,’ Draguta growled, her eyes sharp, ‘is Jaeger’s baby. And you will do well to remember that, Amma Dragos. Jaeger’s baby who you must care for. Who you must keep safe. He is the Dragos heir to the throne. A very special child indeed.’

  ‘The baby is alive?’

  ‘Yes, he is. I can feel him. Your son is still in there. Still strong. As I would expect from one with his bloodline.’

  Amma felt a wave of relief soothe her taut body. She hadn’t imagined that she would feel so attached to something she couldn’t see – something she shared with Jaeger – but she did.

  Brill came towards her with a wet cloth.

  ‘Brill will tidy you up, and you will sleep here tonight. And in the morning...’ Draguta took a deep breath, irritated that Jaeger continued to be such a problem. ‘In the morning, we shall think of what to do.’

  Amma looked terrified, eyes blinking, shrinking back onto the pillows.

  ‘You will remain here when we leave to meet the Brekkans. It will be a chance to rest, undisturbed. I will find a way to keep Jaeger more... contained by the time we return. Do not worry.’

  Amma shivered, nodding, agreeing that it was the best she could hope for. Grateful that Eadmund had come in when he had. Worried about what had happened to poor Meena.

  Wishing that Axl was here.

  Jael decided not to say anything to her brother, though she realised that she needed to become better at hiding things. Axl had to keep his head. So did Karsten. And though Amma still appeared to be very much alive, she could only imagine how her brother would react to hearing about what Jaeger had done to her.

  She sat outside the tent for some time, trying to clear her mind, relieved when her headache finally eased. And then Aleksander emerged with a half-asleep grin.

  ‘Go get some sleep, Jael,’ he croaked. ‘Find us a dream.’

  It was smoke.

  Or fog.

  Clouds?

  They were thick and heavy, and she couldn’t breathe. They were inside her, suffocating her and Edela couldn’t breathe.

  Bending over, she crumpled to the ground, onto her knees, desperate for some air.

  And then that voice, cackling with laughter.

  ‘You think you’ll see me coming, Edela? Ha! But I am already here. I am everywhere!’

  Edela jerked awake.

  Silence. Snuffling puppies.

  A loud snort from someone. Eydis breathing heavily beside her.

  Gant was moving around the hall, checking the fires, which crackled loudly, hissing flames as rain dripped down the smoke hole.

  Smoke.

  Edela needed to cough, but she didn’t want to wake anyone up.

  The smoke was trapped in her chest. In her throat. Lingering from the dream walk, she knew. But what else?

  What had that dream been about?

  Jael eyed Beryth with a grin, shielding her eyes from the morning sun. ‘Looks like Marissa’s pride is still intact.’

  Beryth nodded. ‘She’s young enough to be spurred on by defeat. Not like some who’d hide away, afraid to show their faces. Or perhaps that’s just the men?’ She winked at Rork, who was braiding his beard beside her as he prepared to mount his horse.

  ‘She’s a fighter,’ Jael admitted. ‘A good one.’

  ‘She is, so bring her back to me, please. And my sons.’ Beryth’s eyes lost their sparkle. ‘I may have eight children, but once I had thirteen. And losing any more is not something I could bear.’ Her eyes were desperate as they stared into Jael’s. ‘I’d come if I was any use with a sword, just to keep an eye on the little beggars, but I’m better here, looking after the rest of them.’

  ‘You are. And don’t worry, I’ll try to keep them safe.’

  The weight of how many people she had to keep safe was like an anchor across her shoulders, and Jael felt her body tighten, watching the wives and mothers saying goodbye to their sons and husbands; confused and scared children crying as they clung to legs and hands. There was some excitement too, she could see. The chance to claim glory in victory, to build a reputation, to share in the prizes on offer.

  But mostly, everyone appeared anxious.

  Thorgils farted as he approached. ‘Not sure about that cabbage,’ he grumbled, sniffing the air. ‘My belly’s been griping all night.’

  Beryth laughed. ‘Well, from what I remember, you had four helpings, so I’m not surprised!’ And she turned away to say goodbye to Rork.

  ‘Get away from me!’ Jael grimaced, walking far away from Thorgils and his cloud of cabbage-infused gas. ‘You’re not riding anywhere near me today!’

  Thorgils stared after her, his face contorting in discomfort as he farted again.

  ‘Ready?’ Raymon asked as Jael approached, leading her horse. He had eaten a big breakfast, thinking it would help him for the ride but he was suddenly regretting it, wondering if he had time to head for the latrines.

  ‘Almost. I’ve got Aleksander and Karsten checking the wagons. We’ve taken on more supplies with the Vallsborgians coming along, so I just need to know they’re secure.’

  Raymon nodded, not really listening. Now that they were heading south, he felt acutely aware of the danger they were in. ‘And do you expect an attack? On the way to the vale?’

  Jael smiled. He was tall, and his armour was slightly too big for him. It was new and beautifully made, but he still looked like a boy dressing up in his father’s clothes. A boy who was not ready for the test he was about to face.

  But Raymon Vandaal was a king. And he did not have a choice.

  ‘I do. Always. And so should you. But an attack is an opportunity. Don’t worry, we’re ready to fight whatever comes our way.’

  Raymon still looked worried as he mounted his fine grey stallion, who skittered in the dirt, tail flicking, big eyes bulging, eager to be gone. Jael’s attention moved from her youngest brother to her other brother who strode towards her, twitching in anticipation. This brother she knew. And she knew that Axl was bound as tightly as a trap.

  ‘Where were you?’ Jael asked, giving Tig a pat. He was just as tense and impatient, nudging her constantly.

  ‘I couldn’t find my boot.’

  Jael laughed.

  ‘A dog ran off with it. Found him with it in his mouth.’ He shrugged. ‘It’s a bit wet now.’

  ‘What did you have in your boot?’

  ‘My sock. Can’t find that.’

  Jael smiled, sticking her own boot into a stirrup. ‘Well, come on, now that you’re all dressed. We need to get going before people start changing their minds!’

  ‘They’d better not,’ Karsten grumbled, strid
ing past with his horse. ‘We’re going to need every one of these bastards to defeat Draguta.’ And he lifted an eyebrow at Rork, who appeared far more interested in kissing Beryth than mounting his horse. ‘What are you doing, Rork? Put your tongue back in your mouth and let’s get going!’

  Jael nudged Tig towards the gates where she would head up to the front of their long line of warriors, horses, and wagons, leaving Rork to peel himself away from Beryth, and Karsten to snarl at everyone he passed.

  She took a deep breath, inhaling the crisp morning air, the ripe smell of manure, the sour tang of ale, and something else...

  Anticipation.

  It was time to head for the vale.

  Biddy handed Edela a cup of small ale. ‘Sure you wouldn’t like to sit by the fire for a while? Have a rest? The circle making is going to take a lot out of you today.’

  ‘How is Marcus?’ Edela wondered, abruptly changing the subject.

  Biddy frowned in surprise. ‘Oh. Well, I’ve just been in to see him. Hanna won’t leave his side. Poor girl. She’s very upset.’

  ‘I’m sorry to hear that.’ Edela handed back the cup, stifling a yawn. She didn’t feel like small ale at all. ‘I will go and see him soon, but I must keep going with my circle for now. I had a lot of dreams last night. I saw Jael leaving Vallsborg with Raymon Vandaal and his army. They are on their way to meet Draguta.’

  Biddy shivered. ‘Well, then, you’d better finish that circle. We need to be able to help them, but not if we can’t keep ourselves safe first.’

  Evaine was the only person sitting at the high table when Eadmund came down for breakfast. That both worried and irritated him.

  Evaine, though, looked delighted to have his company all to herself.

  ‘I saw Sigmund,’ he mumbled, taking a seat beside her, reaching for a slice of bread. ‘He looked happy.’

  ‘He’s happy you’ve returned. He missed you.’

  ‘I doubt that’s true, Evaine. He’s barely seen me before.’ Eadmund had decided that he might have to endure her company, but he didn’t have to endure her nonsense.

  Evaine hid her annoyance by ducking her head, suddenly interested in pushing her dried apricots into a pile. ‘Well, he seems happier when you’re around, I know that. Whatever you may think, a child needs his father.’

  ‘Unless that father is Jaeger Dragos,’ Eadmund muttered, eyes turned to the entranceway, wondering how Amma was. ‘No child needs that bastard around.’

  Evaine shuddered, never wanting to talk about Jaeger.

  ‘I know what he did to you,’ Eadmund said awkwardly, adding some cheese to the bread. ‘And I’m sorry for it.’

  Evaine sat up straighter, surprised. ‘You are? I thought you’d be disgusted with me.’

  ‘Why?’ Eadmund folded up the bread and shovelled it into his mouth, reminded of Thorgils and Torstan, who had once had a competition to see how many pieces of bread they could fit inside their mouths at once.

  Unsurprisingly, Thorgils had won.

  Evaine didn’t have an answer. ‘I thought... perhaps... it was my fault.’ She didn’t want to talk about it. ‘Though it doesn’t matter now.’

  The bread was doughy, not quite baked through, and Eadmund was quickly reaching for a cup of buttermilk. ‘Not sure that’s true since he’s now raping his wife. Beating her too.’

  ‘Oh.’ Evaine almost felt sorry for Amma as she leaned closer, enjoying the familiar smell of Eadmund, resisting the urge to touch him. ‘But what can anyone do while Draguta wants him on the throne? She won’t get rid of him, will she, so what can anyone do?’

  Eadmund frowned, rubbing a hand across his beard, knowing that the answer was nothing.

  Nothing at all.

  Jaeger rolled over, expecting to touch Meena. He jerked upright, surprised to see Draguta sitting on his bed.

  Glaring at him.

  He grabbed his head, thundering pain crashing in on both sides.

  ‘You may need this,’ Draguta said coldly, handing him a goblet of water.

  Jaeger took it silently, afraid to look in her eyes. ‘Thank you.’

  ‘Your child lives, and your wife is unharmed, apart from a cut lip, a bruise and, of course, the humiliation of being raped by her husband. And in front of everyone too.’ She shook her head, her body rigid. ‘A man like you? A king? Handsome. Young. Powerful. Why should you feel the need to force yourself on every woman you see?’ And standing, Draguta strode to the window, inhaling the strong odour of wine. ‘It is unacceptable, Jaeger!’ she snapped, spinning around. ‘I endure you as I see no alternative to you, but I shall not endure you much longer!’ Her eyes narrowed to slits as she considered him. ‘You may no longer touch the book or your wife. Do what you wish to Meena Gallas, for she is nothing, but you will not lay your hands on the Queen of Hest. Not while she carries your son. Do you understand me?’

  Jaeger could only nod, relieved that he had not killed either Amma or his unborn son. He couldn’t even remember what had happened, though Meena’s and Amma’s screams were suddenly ringing loud in his ears. ‘I do.’

  ‘Good, then dress quickly and head downstairs for breakfast. Eadmund will be there, I’m sure, and I shall retrieve Briggit on the way.’

  Jaeger wanted to groan. The splitting pain in his head was so intense that he was working hard just to keep his eyes open. He spilled the water on the fur, not noticing. ‘Briggit? Why Briggit?’

  Draguta smiled for the first time all morning. ‘Oh yes, you were far too busy ranting and raving and beating women last night to hear about what I was doing, weren’t you?’ she purred. ‘Briggit Halvardar is all mine! Briggit and the Followers. They are my army now. My army of dreamers. Jael Furyck will not know what hit her. She is bringing a dreamer with her, you know. Two dreamers against one hundred. Ha! Never in my long life have I encountered a more arrogant creature. Thinking she can come for me? With men and boys? A few manly women? Two dreamers and some jars of fire liquid? Ha!’ And gliding towards the door, Draguta turned back to Jaeger, her smile gone. ‘What are you waiting for? Get dressed now!’

  35

  Jael could see Hallow Wood looming on their right, but though it would have saved time to cut through it, the tangle of trees would trap their wagons and catapults, and no doubt end up terrifying their armies. And after her recent experience of that wood, she wouldn’t have blamed them. She shuddered, remembering the decomposing dragur crawling out of their leafy graves, stone-like fists trying to kill them.

  ‘Rain’s coming,’ Aleksander mumbled, chewing on a hard biscuit.

  ‘You’d think the gods would be on our side,’ Jael frowned, not looking forward to a soggy journey. ‘Clear skies and warm air, thank you!’ she called out, eyes on the gathering clouds.

  ‘Where’s Fyr?’

  ‘No idea. She comes and goes. Keeping an eye on everything, I hope.’

  To their left, flat pasture and boggy lowland stretched to a low ridge. And beyond that ridge?

  Aleksander’s body was tense, Jael could feel it. She could almost hear his fears as they tumbled around his head. He was worried. About her mostly. ‘What will you do when we get back?’ she wondered, trying to relax him.

  ‘Back?’ Aleksander was surprised by the question. ‘I hadn’t thought about it.’

  ‘You should,’ Jael said. ‘Think about it. We can’t act as though this is it. That we won’t return. We should make plans. Think about what will come next. With Draguta dead and the Book of Darkness destroyed, we’ll be free. We should make plans.’ She was telling herself as much as him. ‘Destiny can be what we make it, can’t it?’

  Aleksander watched Fyr flying towards them, black wings glistening as she aimed for Jael. He smiled. ‘With the gods on our side, why not? Let’s make some plans!’

  Briggit had no desire to get out of bed. She lay on her back, eyes on the ceiling, listening as the sounds of hammering started down on the piers.

  She was unhappy. Angry. Wanting to scream.

 
Her arms ached where Draguta had cut her; tiny little cuts down both arms. They stung, and she grimaced for a moment, rubbing her feet together.

  Her bare feet.

  She smiled.

  Her feet were small and delicate, much like her.

  The perfect place to hide the rest of her tattoos.

  Her Followers were lost now. They were Draguta’s.

  But as for her...

  Meena was happy to see Amma.

  ‘Are you alright?’ she asked quietly, edging into Draguta’s chamber. Draguta wasn’t there, but Ballack had let her in. He was guarding the door, keeping Jaeger far away.

  Meena thought he looked able to handle him.

  Amma nodded, pleased to see Meena but not pleased to see the mess Jaeger had made of her friend’s face. ‘I’m so sorry!’ she exclaimed, sitting up, wriggling forward.

  ‘You should stay there, shouldn’t you?’ Meena panicked. ‘The baby?’

  Amma sighed, easing herself back onto the pillows. ‘I should, but your face? It’s all my fault!’

  Meena sat down on the bed. ‘That’s what it isn’t, I promise you. Jaeger was wild. The book does that to him. It stops him seeing clearly. He can’t control himself. When something gets into his head... he, he can’t stop.’

  ‘But what can I do?’

  ‘Stay away from him.’ Meena lowered her voice, knowing that Ballack was just outside. ‘Go back to your chamber when you can. Lock the door.’

  Amma looked terrified. ‘And will you go with Draguta when she leaves?’

  Meena could hear the worry in her voice. ‘Yes, but so will Jaeger. You’ll be safe here with him gone.’

  ‘And you?’

  Meena had not taken her tea in some time. She wanted her dreams to come now. Finally, she felt strong enough to face them. And what her dreams had revealed was darkness. Not the darkness when you closed your eyes, but the darkness that lived in the depths of your soul. A hidden, depraved, crushing darkness that sought to consume all light and life. ‘I will fight,’ she said simply, dropping her eyes to her chapped hands which she clamped together in her lap. ‘When the time comes, I will fight.’