33 #3
They cleared the trees. The cliff edge was but twenty yards away.
It was steepest here, the drop sheer, the bottom thick with tumbled black rocks, ancient and scarred with time, with surf striking against them hard, sending spumes of spray thirty feet into the air.
She would die, for there was no ledge or outcropping of bushes to break her fall to those rocks.
She felt the black hopelessness curl through her, recognized it, and refused to accept it. She wasna??t dead yet. She began cursing again, yelling again at the top of her lungs. a??Rorik! Rorik! Help me, help me!a??
Again and again she yelled. Gurd only laughed, shouting over his shoulder that she should scream herself voiceless for there were none to hear her, that the men still hadna??t returned from the mainland, and when they did return she still wouldna??t be missed for more hours.
It would be a long time before they began to search for her.
Perhaps, he said, screaming at her now, just perhaps the tide would wash her out into the sea and none would ever find her.
Ah, and he would search for her as well, his face as downcast and worried as all the rest of them.
Aye, he liked the thought of that, for she had pretended grief at Astaa??s death. He would pretend grief at hers.
Closer and closer he dragged her to the cliff edge.
She yelled at him, a??I will be found! I am wearing only my shift.
Rorik will never believe I was out here in the woods wearing only my shift and fell to my death.
He will not believe the sea could have pulled my clothes off me. He will find you out, Gurd.a??
He stopped in his tracks, whirled about and jerked her hard against him.
a??Aye, youa??re right,a?? he said, and he grabbed her shift by the neck and ripped it off at her shoulder, a long single rent.
a??Now if your body is found, all will think the tides did rip your clothes off you, for they will see that even your shift is ripped. Mayhap even the fish will enjoy you.a??
Then he draped the ripped shift around her, fastening it securely over her left shoulder.
a??Aye, that will suffice,a?? he said.
Ten more yards, naught more, just ten more yards.
He was jerking her and she was trying not to cry, trying to keep her wits about her, but it was difficult, so very difficult.
Suddenly, she saw a loose rock just ahead of her.
Without hesitation, she leaned down, grabbed up the rock and began again to yell Rorika??s name.
So very close to the cliff edge now. She held the rock firmly, readying it and herself, and let him drag her just to his side. a??Gurd,a?? she said softly, and waited for him to turn.
Just as he did, she raised the rock and brought it down hard on his temple. It cracked loud against his head. He stared at her, just stood there, not releasing her left wrist, just staring at her, saying nothing.
a??Let me go!a?? she yelled into his face. a??I hit you! Die, damn you!a??
He smiled at her then and dragged her another step toward the cliff. She cried out and brought the rock down on his head again. The rock cracked apart and this time blood spurted from his head. He slowed, he stood there quietly, gently weaving back and forth.
Finally, he dropped her wrist. But he didna??t fall. He just stood there. Blood flowed over his forehead, into his eyes, dripped to his chest and to the ground, but he didna??t seem to notice.
Mirana threw the two pieces of rock against his chest with all her strength, then turned and ran, her ripped shift flapping around her.
It was at that moment that Rorik, Hafter and Sculla behind him, burst through the line of woods. He saw his wife and he saw Gurd, standing there near the edge of the cliffs. He didna??t understand, but it didna??t matter.
a??Mirana!a??
He grabbed her to him, saw that she was all right, and quickly gave her to Hafter.
He went in a dead run toward Gurd, who had now turned to the setting sun in the west, and he was still standing there, just staring off into the sky, so still he was, and the blood continued to stream down his face, dripping onto his feet and onto the ground.
a??Gurd!a??
He turned very slowly and watched Rorik run toward him.
a??Ia??m sorry, Rorik, but I had to do it,a?? Gurd said. a??I had to kill her. Shea??s below on the rocks. I wanted to strangle her, but it had to look an accident. Aye, Rorik, shea??s on the rocks below and shea??s dead. a??Tis justice, for she murdered my Asta. Aye, a??tis done now.a??
Rorik stared at the man hea??d known all his life. He was standing there so quietly, his great hands limp and open at his sides.
a??Gurd, this makes no sense.a??
Gurd raised his head and stared at Rorik. Then he looked beyond and saw Mirana. His eyes widened. a??How is she there?a?? he said. a??She is dead. I threw her over the cliff. I heard her scream. I heard her bones crush against those rocks.a??
Then Gurd yelled, a soul-curdling yell that filled the air.
In the next instant, he ran at Rorik, his massive arms going around Rorika??s chest, squeezing him, harder and harder yet, crushing him.
He lifted Rorik, his face against Rorika??s throat, for Rorik was the taller, but he hadna??t Gurda??s massive strength.
a??Rorik!a??
It was Hafter and Sculla who were on Gurd, each gripping an arm, pulling with all their strength. It did no good.
Rorik felt blackness filling him, felt it mask the awful pain from his ribs, knew his back would break, yet at the same time, he felt calm and detached from the man whose ribs were being crushed.
He grabbed Gurda??s head between his hands, gritted his teeth against the intense pain, and pressed with all his might.
It did no good. Rorik drew back his hands, and with his last cogent thought, he fisted them, drew his arms back as far as he could, then drove fists against Gurda??s ears.
Gurd screamed. His arms fell away and he staggered, yelling, crying now, and he took Hafter and Sculla to the ground with him.
Blood flowed from both ears, mingling wildly with the blood from his head.
Rorik stood over him, his ribs on fire, light-headed from lack of breath.
He heaved and groaned and stood there, staring down at the man who had very nearly killed Mirana and him.
He saw Mirana coming slowly toward him, her eyes on Gurd, who lay on the ground, howling and bawling like a child.
Hafter and Sculla backed away from him, and it was in that instant that Gurd flung himself away from them, fell again to his knees, then forward onto his face, and rolled over the edge of the cliff.
He made no sound. They heard nothing over the crashing sound of the waves against the rocks below.
Rorik drew her against him. He kissed her and pulled her away.