Chapter Fifteen #2
“I will see to food and boat preparations for a long journey,” Brynhild volunteered, and both left to see to their tasks.
After braiding my hair and dressing warmly in trousers and a woolen tunic with my bear fur, I sheathed several daggers, my sword, and shield, and headed down to the shore with Sten by my side.
“Will you be coming all the way to the land of Scots, then?” I asked him. Naturally, he didn’t answer, but I suspected he would if it meant bringing Soren home or, mayhap, protecting me and my child as his master had requested.
I was glad to see that both Ivar and Brynhild moved right along, and we were ready to set sail within the hour. Ivar had chosen good men, and my boat had plenty of provisions, including ample weapons.
“When they rise, tell our people we will bring their earl home safely,” I told Brynhild while saying our goodbyes. “They have my word.”
“I will.” She embraced me tightly. “Take care of yourself, daughter.” Meeting my eyes with pride, she blinked back tears. “And stay strong always.”
“I will,” I assured, because I had to for Soren’s sake, more certain of it by the moment.
We set sail shortly thereafter to calm seas and swift winds that were indeed at our back, allowing us to travel quickly.
Once again, favoring our journey, the sun rose bright and warm, and we took turns doing various things, from manning the rudder and rowing to handling the sails throughout the day.
Although I had never traveled this route, the men had, so they knew which direction to take.
Everyone took shifts sleeping to conserve strength, and by the third night, we had settled into a pattern, and all were impressed with how quickly we continued to travel, including Ivar.
“I will admit to doubting your claim that this would happen,” Ivar said, joining me at the bow. He handed me some dried meat and cheese. “Though ’tis safe to say your boat must take some of the credit. ’Tis truly a fine vessel.”
“It is.” I looked at it with pride. “Brynhild is very talented.”
“Ja,” Ivar agreed, taking a swig from his skin of mead before considering the horizon. Although I would not call him warm toward me, there seemed to have been some thawing between us since leaving.
“Against the odds, we should see Scotland’s northern isles sometime tomorrow,” he went on, shaking his head. “I don’t think I have ever heard of anyone making this journey so swiftly.”
“No, I can’t imagine you have,” I said softly, running my fingers along the crack Soren and I were so worried about, feeling a warmth in it this time that made me smile.
It was the same warmth I had felt when I bonded with Soren on the dock before he departed.
Warmth that told me the gods favored this ship as they favored our union.
“But then most boats don’t have such talented sailors, nor the power of the bear and wolf at their back. ”
“Literally on one count,” Ivar noted, eyeing Sten, who sat nearby, staring ahead as if he knew we drew closer to Soren. Ivar’s attention returned to me, and his voice grew gruff, as if he struggled with his question, no doubt because he wasn’t used to behaving civilly to me.
“How do you fare, Freya?” he said. “Is the babe well?”
“Both of us are,” I assured him, assuming he was finding some roundabout way to once again grumble about my determination to do this. “No need to concern yourself. As you’ve already seen, I won’t be a burden on this journey.”
“I have seen,” he conceded. “And you sail well.” Chomping on a piece of bread, he considered me for a moment as if debating whether to go on or not.
“I didn’t ask because I thought you were a burden, but because you carry my friend’s child and because Soren cares a great deal for you.
’Twould be something he would want asked in his absence. ”
“And what of you, Ivar?” I wondered, wanting to at last understand his behavior toward me.
Better yet, understand how he could blame me for things that were out of my control.
“Is it something you want to know? Though ’tis hard to imagine, given your clear dislike of me, for things that weren’t my fault.
Things that were taken out of my hands by illness and my father. ”
“’Tis true enough,” he granted, revealing his point of view, as he gazed out over the moonlit sea.
“Even so, that didn’t change how sad Soren was when you left after your illness, never even bothering to write him as time went on.
After what happened, he’d thought your friendship was unbreakable and would only grow.
Then, when his father tried for your hand in marriage at his request years later, ’twas said you rejected him.
” He shook his head. “We were never told ’twas your father behind it. ”
“I could see how that would be hard.” Noting the sadness for Soren in his dark eyes, I considered him in a new light. “Especially for his closest friend.”
“’Twas not easy,” he confessed, sighing.
“Then I cannot say I was all that impressed when years later, I was under the impression you finally agreed to marry Soren merely because he was renowned now when he was always renowned to those who cared most about him.” His gaze settled on me.
“Most especially, I would have thought, to the young sick girl he brought back from the brink of death and clearly adored if you but paid attention.”
“Now you know I was either ignorant or without control of all of those circumstances.” I tilted my head in curiosity.
“Should I assume, then, that you were just waiting for me to break his heart all over again since marrying him? Or is there something else we need settled so we might find a friendship? A sense of camaraderie that would please Soren greatly?”
“’Twould not be the first time I saw him rejected within a marriage,” Ivar muttered.
“So ja, I have feared it could very well happen again, given I thought you’d already rejected him several times over.
” He shook his head again. “And such from you within a marriage would have broken him. ’Twould have been one step too far.
” He paused a moment, considering things before shrugging and finally consenting.
“So ’tis fair to admit it has been difficult to push past my preconceived notion of you… until now.”
“Why now?”
“Need you ask?” For the first time since we met, he looked at me with pride and approval.
“Now you have very much proven there is no length you won’t go to keep him safe.
Protect him. And that—” he gestured at my boat—“this, what you are determined to do at significant personal risk, shows me how much you care about him. And that is all…”
He trailed off when a heavy gust of wind blew up out of nowhere, and the boat lurched forward so fast the oarsmen had to lift their paddles.
“Oh no,” I whispered, murmuring a prayer to the gods when the ocean grew darker around us, and I felt the ominous presence of the land of the dead, yet knew it didn’t cast its shadow on me, but my other half.
Soren.
Blinking back tears and trying to appear strong when I felt anything but, I rallied those sleeping to wake. We needed to put all oars in and row even faster than the winds that were carrying us.
“If we do not, we will lose Soren before we reach him,” I warned, fearing it might already be too late.