Her Heart's Desire (15 page)

Chapter Sixteen

“Up, girl. I've fed yer horse. He's saddled and ready tae go.” Maigread shook Idunna's shoulder. “Ye have a long ride ahead of ye.”

Groggy and sore, Idunna bit back a groan as she sat up. “How long did I sleep?”

“Three hours. Ye needed it. There's still plenty of daylight. I would stop again at nightfall if I were ye. Find some shelter out of the wind if ye are able.” Maigread offered Idunna's cloak. “Do nae push yerself tae hard or ye'll ne'er make it.”

She draped the cloak around herself. “What do I owe you?”

“Not a thing. As I said, there will always be help for the Kentigerns at Maigread's home. I am happy tae see one of the boys return.”

“Ealasaid is here too. The youngest Kentigern.” Idunna pinned her cloak closed. “She's married to the Dane king of Solstad.”

Maigread's green eyes widened. “Truly?”

“The herbs are for her.”

“Well, then. Ye must ride to save nae only yer friend, but your sister as well. May the gods grant ye speed and strength, lass.” Maigread smiled. “I hope ye arrive safely.”

She walked Idunna out to the horse.

Idunna mounted Vaskr, then waved at Maigread. She turned the horse, gave him a nudge, and they trotted away from the tidy, warm home. The midday sun broke through the clouds and the air seemed a bit less chilly.

“Take us back to Solstad, Vaskr. With care, but as fast as you can.”

Some of her worry passed. She had the herbs, a little food, and half her journey completed. All she had to do was get back to her husband and Ealasaid.

Idunna stopped once for nearly an hour in a thick stand of trees that blocked the wind as the sun set. Far away, wolves called to one another, but the horse didn't seem bothered by them, so she didn't fret. When they got underway again, they walked together through trees, dodging the branches and crunching through snow by their old tracks.

She shared bread with Vaskr as they trekked. Filled with comfort because she'd found a new friend and had good news to share with Eoghann, she almost didn't mind the cold on this leg of the journey. She touched the pouch with the herbs repeatedly. Ealasaid would recover. Perhaps by the time she arrived, Hella might have arrived as well. Ealasaid needed him as badly as any remedy.

She mounted Vaskr again and rode through the night, drowsing because he seemed to know the way. Even as she dozed, she heard the river moving, slow and steady as it made its way toward the sea.

At daybreak, the bay of hounds made her sit up straight. Suibhne, already? But the sound didn't come from ahead. The chilling howls came from behind her. In the otherwise silent expanse of land, there shouldn't have been anyone out hunting.

Vaskr snorted and paused.

She flicked the reins. “Go, horse. Onward!”

He needed little urging. Though he'd been walking, he broke into a run. The hounds grew louder.

Idunna's mouth went dry. Suppose they weren't the dogs of a friend, but one of Ofbradh's loyal men, sent to track Ealasaid and Birgir? She crouched over Vaskr's neck and swatted him with the end of the reins.

His stride lengthened. They tore over the broken snow in a gallop slightly slower than the night he'd fled in the darkness. A hound rushed up close, nipping at the horse's tail. Another joined it.

Big dogs, much like the elkhounds Hella raised, with gleaming teeth and foaming mouths. Dogs with wildness in their eyes. She had nothing but a pair of knives, which were no use unless the animals were practically on top of her. Fearing the worst, she guided Vaskr toward the river’s edge.

They crashed through a thin layer of ice. The water surged up to the horse's chest and enveloped Idunna to her thighs. She cried out as the cold shocked her. One of the dogs came in after them, then yelped at the icy temperature. It scrambled to reach the bank again.

Vaskr floundered in the water, fighting the current and the ice.

On land, the wet dog shook itself and the other growled as it paced.

“Go, go, Vaskr.” Idunna's teeth chattered as the horse found purchase on the river bottom.

He moved slowly, but pulled them through the water to the opposite bank. When he climbed out of the river, he shook himself, nearly unseating her.

Miserable tears leaked from her eyes. In the air, her skirt froze quickly. She fought with numb fingers to touch the herb pouch pinned to her cloak. Satisfied it had survived, she leaned over the horse's neck.

“I'm sorry. So sorry. Please keep going, brave horse.”

The animal shivered, but when one of the dogs began barking, he took off again.

* * * *

Eoghann paced by the hut door as Hild bathed Ealasaid's forehead with cool water. His stomach turned. None of the herbs Hild had administered seemed to be helping his sister's malady. She murmured occasionally, asked for Birgir and Hella often, but she hadn't been lucid much.

Idunna had been gone nearly two full days. If something had befallen her... He gritted his teeth. Allowing her to go alone had been foolish. She had no business riding from Suibhne to Dawerk. If he lost her, he would go mad.

Someone pounded on the door. “Eoghann!”

Aethelred's voice cut through Eoghann's turbulent thoughts. He threw the door open. “What is it?”

“Yer wife.”

Eoghann's heart leaped. “She's arrived?”

“Aye, but she's in poor shape.” Aethelred's face was grim beneath his beard. “Judoc spotted her first. She insisted he take care of the horse.”

“Take me to her.” Eoghann, cloakless, stepped outside. “I need to see her.”

The other man gestured for Eoghann to follow.

On the edge of the village, supported by Judoc, Idunna, blue around the lips and covered in frost, took a few staggering steps.

He ran to her, then swept her into his arms. Her clothing crackled as bits of ice fell away. “Idunna.”

“Cloak,” she whispered. “Herbs. Not too late?”

Her brown eyes, framed by lashes sparkling with frost, narrowed.

“Ealasaid is alive. What happened to you?”

She shook violently. “River. Hounds chased Vaskr.”

Her hoarse voice frightened him as much as her appearance. He carried her to the hut. “Hild, make the fire higher.”

The other woman gasped. “What happened?”

“No matter. We must get her warm.” He set Idunna on her feet and began stripping away her clothing. Her skin had a blue tinge and he swore softly at the swollen, red tips of her fingers and the dark purple of her fingernails. Her toes looked the same. If winter's cold had killed her digits, she would loose them. The skin between her fingers was chaffed and split.

“Poor, poor Idunna.”

Hild stoked the fire. “You should get her beneath the blankets.”

He yanked his jerkin over his head, then dropped his trousers. “Come, wife. I'll keep you warm.”

“But—” Her teeth snapped together so hard, he barely made out the word.

“Soon you won't notice the cold.” He guided her to the pallet he hadn't slept in since the night they'd made love.

Idunna all but collapsed into the furs and blankets. “Herbs in my cloak.”

“I'll get them,” Hild promised.

“Quiet.” Eoghann lay beside Idunna. He flinched from the iciness of her skin as he drew her to him. He'd been out in cold weather before, marched in near blizzard conditions, but never experienced a body so frigid. Never tried to bring anyone back to a normal temperature from such a state. He pulled her to his chest and rubbed her arms. “You will feel better again in a while.”

Idunna met his gaze. “Prayed I was not too late. Vaskr did his best.”

“Do not fret. You both did your best. I regret sending you alone. That was unwise. What if you had drowned? Or some animal had gotten you? Why does all my sense seem to flee when I am around you?” He rubbed his hand over her back.

The tiniest smile curled her mouth. “Poor Eoghann.”

Tears stung his eyes. Poor indeed, for he would be lost without her. “Shh.”

She curled against him and squeezed her eyelids closed. “Missed you.”

“And I missed you. More than you can know.” How close had he come to losing her?

“Something else.” Idunna's eyebrows pressed together. “An aunt. In Dawerk. Your mother's sister.”

“Truly?”

She nodded. “She wants to see you.” Idunna's eyelids closed. Her breathing evened out and she relaxed, though she still shook.

“Let her sleep. She needs much rest,” Hild advised. “I will continue to look after Ealasaid. In a while, you can wake Idunna and get some warm food in her.”

He nodded. Tight as he held her, it was a miracle she could breathe, but he was too frightened to let her go.

Chapter Seventeen

“Hella will come today. He will surely arrive today.” Ealasaid shivered as she clutched a woolen blanket around her shoulders.

Snow swirled into the hut on bitter wind.

Idunna grasped the door, then pushed it shut. “You'll catch your death and I don't have the strength for another ride to Dawerk, Ealasaid.” The ends of her fingers still tingled as she flexed them. By some miracle, she'd escaped the damage of freezing her digits, but they were tender and sensitive.

Long pieces of hair escaped Ealasaid's braid. Her face, pale and drawn, bore dark shadows and seemed far too thin. Only yesterday, after nearly a sennight, she'd climbed from her bed. “I feel better, Idunna. But I miss him. What is taking so long?”

Idunna worried too. A sennight in Suibhne hadn't reconciled her feelings with the place. Even as Eoghann helped the villagers raise bigger, stronger, warmer huts, the transformation made little difference. His fears that someone might be after them lingered in her mind.

Hella's absence troubled her in particular. What if he'd been wounded or fallen ill?

She forced a smile. “He is coming. The weather may be causing his delay. Come now. Let's re-braid your hair. It must be a nuisance falling into your face that way.” She steered Ealasaid toward the bed. “Your fever is gone. That's good news.”

“If Hella is dead, Birgir and I will have nothing.” Ealasaid's eyes slid shut. “I don't think I can bear that.”

“You have Freysteinn. Eoghann and I will be there for you. We are little comfort against such a loss, but we love you.” She wished she could see the future, tell Ealasaid that Hella truly was on his way. “It isn't good to think of Hella's demise. When he arrives, you will forget this sadness.”

“I know.” Ealasaid sighed. “Any day now. You're right. The weather isn't favorable for traveling. We were fortunate it was so kind to us.”

Hardly kind, but they had arrived much quicker. “His party is larger as well. We were able to move swiftly thanks to small numbers.”

Ealasaid said nothing as Idunna removed the tie from the braid, then smoothed the hair straight.

They sat in silence for a time as Idunna wove strands together again. It was a clumsy effort, but she managed.

“I wish to see Fulla.” Ealasaid twisted to face Idunna. “Please bring her.”

“As you wish. It will do you some good to see her. And Birgir.”

“Not him. Not yet. I fear he may sense my sadness.” Tears formed in Ealasaid's eyes. “I don't wish to trouble him.”

“He would be glad to see you out of bed, even if your heart is heavy. Are you sure?”

“Let's wait a bit. I know my brother is keeping him occupied with the work of rebuilding.” She caught Idunna's hand. “I told him what Blanid said. He still has no interest in becoming the chief of this settlement.”

“I am not surprised, my lady.” Idunna lowered her gaze. “Eoghann was deeply upset by Diarmaid's obsession with destroying other villages to raise Suibhne. I think his time among the Ironfist's people soured him for leadership.”

“He once longed to rule empires. I wish Diarmaid had not intimidated him so. I wish many things had turned out differently.” Ealasaid shook her head. “But I am glad he found happiness with you. I worried, you know. Your decision to marry him was done quickly. We knew little of him. He is not the boy I remember, but he is a decent man.”

Idunna bit her lip.

“What is it?” Ealasaid squeezed her hand.

“I love him. When I said I would marry him to save him, I longed for one thing. I had no children and no prospect of getting them without a husband. So I selfishly offered to become his bride. But even if I remain childless, I am happy because I have a fine man to care for me.”

Ealasaid's face lit up with a smile. “Truly?”

“Aye. How unlikely, but nevertheless, he owns my heart, that Saxon brother of yours.”

“We will train him into a proper Norseman yet.” The worry left Ealasaid's face. “He must be pleased to know such a good woman loves him.”

Idunna avoided Ealasaid's gaze. “I haven't told him.”

“Why ever not?”

“There are many reasons. First the assassin sent from Ofan. Then he volunteered to go with Hella. We fled and now he's busy rebuilding. Sickness and word of family in Dawerk. There isn't much time. I will find a way one day. When everything has calmed a bit.”

“My illness has kept you from his bed.” Ealasaid's mouth turned down. “There is no perfect time. Tell him right away. Life is too fleeting to ignore something so powerful.”

If he didn't feel the same way? She would make a fool of herself. But even if he didn't love her in return, he would know he was not alone in this world. “I will tell him soon.”

“Good. Now, bring Fulla, please. I've missed her.”

“Of course.” If she could pry the baby from Hild's arms. Fulla had claimed so many hearts, even in this cold, odd place.

She left Ealasaid. Across the way, two new buildings, bigger than the sorry huts, rose against the skyline. Under Eoghann's guidance, the men worked quickly to raise the new lodging. He'd drawn the plans for them, instructed them on the trees to cut and strip. He'd helped them mix clay to seal the cracks between the wood. Through it all, she'd watched, pleased that he seemed more comfortable working instead of worrying.

Leofric darted into her path. He nearly tripped as he tried to avoid slamming into her. Instead of an apology, he glared. “Get out of the way, woman.”

“I suppose you have important business. Why else would you risk knocking over casual passersby? You're insufferable, boy.”

“At least no Norse blood tarnishes my veins.” He sneered. “I long for the day you leave and take the Kentigerns with you.”

“Be gone. Return to whatever task you sought to achieve before we met.” She resisted the urge to slap him. Insufferable child.

“You will rue the day you arrived in Suibhne,” he vowed. “Very soon.”

“Idle threats. How clever.” She rounded him, eager to get away.

“Nothing idle about it, Norsewoman. The day is coming. Darkness follows you, just as Blanid says. It will find you, one way or another.”

She gritted her teeth. The boy attempted to frighten her, but she had to maintain control of that emotion. He was a rude, unkempt child. His father and mother were better people, although they'd allowed him to become a little monster. She almost pitied them for having to claim such a mean spirited child.

“Idunna.”

She turned at her name, surprised, but happy at Eoghann's appearance. “I imagined you working on the lodges.”

“I was until a chisel broke. When I was a boy, we had a great forge. I wondered if it still stood, or if time and raiders destroyed it. It's intact and will be usable with some care. Would you like to see it?” He offered his hand.

Her mission could wait a few moments. “I would, but we'll have to hurry. Ealasaid is feeling better and wishes to see Fulla.”

“Then hurry we will. Let's not displease the queen.” He took her hand. His palm met hers, rough and warm. “Will Ealasaid be up from her bed soon?”

“I think so. She is weak yet, and yearns for Hella, but she is not easily defeated. Having something to do, whether it's caring for Fulla and Birgir or helping the women will give her purpose.”

“Have you found purpose here?” His gaze, blue as the cold sea, searched her face.

“Tending Ealasaid, I suppose. I would like to do more. Once she is better, we can both be of more use. Though I hope we will be on our way again soon.”

“You dislike this place so much?” He cocked an eyebrow. “What troubles you?”

“Not the place. I'm sure it is a fine place. Or it once was. I pity the people who stayed after the fire destroyed their village. I hope they recover. It's...it's the situation that delivered us here. I wish things could be the way they were. Peaceful.”

“Have they not been?”

“I'm afraid. For us, for Hella and his men. For the people here.” She shivered as she recalled Leofric's words. “Aethelred's son is troublesome.”

“I agree.” A scowl darkened Eoghann's face. “The boy has no respect for us. He refused to help build the new lodges.”

“He's made threats.” She relayed what Leofric had said to her.

Eoghann's frown deepened. “I will have a word with his father about it. He cannot continue this way. Something must be done.”

“What? You can hardly cast him out. He would die alone out there.”

His shoulder's slumped. “That I cannot answer. Perhaps Aethelred will have his own ideas.” He led her to a stone heap. A large anvil lay near it. “There's a smelter too. With these things, the people of Suibhne can craft plow blades, weapons, tools. Nearly anything they need to survive.” The fingers of his free hand twitched as though he ached to start a fire in the pit of the forge and go to work.

“Will you continue to help them?”

“As much as I can until Hella arrives.”

“If he doesn't?” She gave her fears a voice. “What if the worst has happened?”

Eoghann pressed his finger over her lips. “Do not say such things. Hella is coming.”

She turned her head, freeing her mouth. “But if he doesn't?”

“I have no answers.”

“Would we remain here? That's all I'm asking. Birgir is the heir. Someone must take him back to Solstad. But who will make sure he's not betrayed? You are his uncle. It would fall to you to protect him.”

Eoghann dropped her hand, then folded his arms. “I know. It's not a thing I wish to think on. Pray your king returns and this madness ends.”

“I don't mean to upset you.” She placed her hand on his forearm. “Please forgive me.”

“These are unsettling times.” He pulled her into his arms. “You are forgiven. But do not give up on Hella. If only for Ealasaid and Birgir's sakes. They need him more than they need me.”

“I need you.” She wrapped her arms around his waist.

“Is there any sign of a babe?”

He didn't understand her meaning. “None that have me convinced of anything.” She sighed. “Eoghann.
I
need you. For more than a sire to my children. My heart—”

Across the village, a horse bolted into the clearing.

Eoghann pushed Idunna behind him. His sword rang as he pulled it from the sheath.

A rider leaned low over the horse's neck. The animal snorted and trotted in a circled as the rider pulled the reins.

Dark red painted the horse's side.

“Erland!” Idunna gasped as the young man toppled off the horse, into the snow.

The horse staggered to a stop with its head low and sides heaving.

Eoghann grabbed at her to keep her from rushing to Erland's side, but his fingers only caught the edge of her cloak. She darted out of his reach. He stayed a step behind her.

Alarmed shouting from around the village hurt Idunna's ears, but she raced for Erland.

He struggled to sit up. A short knife flashed in his hand. “Eoghann,” he croaked.

“Shh, we're here.” Idunna dropped to knees beside him. “Where are you injured?”

His wild gaze fell on Eoghann. “They're coming. Hella sent me...had to warn you. One of them heard...Suibhne. Protect the queen and the boy.” He dropped the knife to clutch Eoghann's arm. “You have to hide.”

Erland's face went paler than the snow as his eyes rolled back.

“Is he gone?” Eoghann's rough voice cracked.

She held her hand beneath Erland's nose. “No. He's breathing. We need to get him inside so I can tend him.”

A deep gash on his upper right arm bled freely. He'd run into trouble not long ago judging from the state he was in.

“Our hut.” Eoghann gestured for Aethelred. Together they carried the wounded man inside.

Idunna followed. “You must tell Ealasaid. She'll be beside herself with worry for Hella, but you must do as he wished and keep them safe.”

“I need more information. Close his wounds, bring him back to his senses. I have to know who is coming. Their numbers? How can I keep my sister safe if I don't know the enemy?” Frustration replaced Eoghann's worry. “He must live, Idunna.”

“I know, I know.” She used a knife to cut slits in Erland's tunic before she pulled it away. Minor scrapes and nicks marred his flesh, but the wicked gash seemed to be the worst of it. “I will do my best.”

“Then I shall tell Ealasaid.” Eoghann's brow furrowed.

“Is there anything I can do for ye, Lady Idunna?” Aethelred clutched his felt hat in his hands. “I do hate tae feel useless.”

“Bring me more water. Another bucket. If Blanid has it, yarrow and comfrey. Ealasaid's stores are nearly gone. Rosemary if she hasn't any comfrey.” She dipped water from the bucket near the fire into a bowl, then dipped a rag in it. Time to see how threatening the injury might be.

“I can do that. I'll return in a trice.”

She sponged away blood as the men left.

Erland never moved. He looked half starved and careworn. Crossing Northumbria in this weather after the siege at Ofan must have exhausted him.