CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Katrin shivered in the tiny hut tucked behind the maze of small buildings near the outskirts of the village.
She wondered how much longer Hradi would leave her here, alone and bound, secured to the chair before the firepit.
No flames flickered, the chill in the hut leaving her shivering.
She wondered if her wand still lay on the floor of the bunks of the longhouse.
Her heart felt as if it had been ripped asunder, and a sense of naked vulnerability suffused her veins.
At the same time, her frustration and anger grew stronger. After his obvious dislike of Gunilla, which he had displayed openly several times over the last days, why did he suddenly believe her and not Katrin? Why did he refuse to listen to her?
The door slammed open. Hradi filled the frame, his fury still palpable.
Oddly, fear didn't take over; instead an ache to sense the hurt only she could see twisted her gut, her anger briefly forgotten.
At that moment, she wished she did not possess empathic abilities, for feeling Hradi's pain was worse than she had ever imagined possible.
His mouth set in a grim line, he said nothing when he approached, withdrawing a dagger from his belt and slicing the rope securing her to the chair. He did not release the rope binding her wrists.
He moved to stand over her, his broad and powerful height imposing, yet at the same time thrilling.
She knew the pleasures of his body and could never pretend they didn't exist. If she was meant to die in the coming hours, so be it.
She had experienced pleasure, with Hradi, and for that she would always be grateful.
He ran a finger along her cheek, the touch sizzling despite the fear that he now hated her and was about to send her to her doom.
"Hradi –"
He covered her mouth with his hand, shaking his head. He turned, yanking on the rope keeping her bound. She didn’t resist, allowing him to pull her behind him while he made his way out of the hut and to the longhouse.
The hall fell silent when he banged the doors open.
The handful of villagers, as well as servants still gathered all turned to stare.
After several heavy seconds of silence, a buzz of whispers soon overtook the entire room.
The curious stares left her with a strange sense of vulnerability.
Along the far wall, the girls in Gunilla's retinue watched wide-eyed.
Where was Gunilla? Why wasn't she here to witness Katrin's humiliation and stand in defense?
When Hradi gave another rough tug on the rope, Katrin stiffened and pulled against his hold, concern about Gunilla forgotten. How dare he parade her like this!
He turned to face her but she refused to back down, holding her head high.
Whatever might occur in the next few minutes, she took comfort in the fact she had done nothing wrong.
Of course, not fully understanding the betrayal Hradi believed she had committed tore at her confidence.
If only she knew just what he had heard.
Having seen many other innocents executed based on rumor alone, she truly feared she faced her last day here in Midgard.
Nonetheless, she would greet her fate with dignity, even though the thought left her stomach rolling, so much so that she feared she would lose her meager dagmál in front of everyone scrutinizing her.
"Father!" Hradi’s voice bellowed across the hall. A few moments later, the jarl emerged from the back rooms, accompanied by his other son. They both looked between Katrin and Hradi, confusion clear in their stares.
"What has happened?" Thorfinn asked.
"We must speak in private." Hradi looked at her, disgust and fury lined into his face. Katrin’s heart chilled. He lowered his voice, as if not wanting anyone else to hear. "We have been betrayed."
Katrin once more tugged against the rope. "Please, you must tell me what you mean. I cannot defend myself or explain if you don't tell me."
"You’re going to tell us everything right now," Hradi said. The ominous note lacing his voice solidified the jagged lump in her throat.
He turned, pulling on the rope once more when he headed toward the back.
Whispers and curious murmurs surrounded them, fading when he guided her all the way to the far end of the bunks, his rough treatment intensifying not only the discomfort in her arms, but her anger as well.
Setting her jaw, she ignored the pain and gave another defiant yank against his hold.
It was enough to make him hesitate if only for a moment.
"Hradi, what happened?" Kori asked.
"She has betrayed us. She and Gunilla have summoned an army to invade us. Katrin is promised to another."
Silence hung in the room for several heavy moments. Katrin tried once more to make sense of his words. Again, she failed.
"There is no army! I am promised to no one! You know this! I explained how – "
"No more lies!" He tugged on the rope, yanking her close. "I told you, I don’t want to hear anything but the truth of your plan."
"There is no plan! I have no idea of what you say! You must believe me!" She longed for her wand, knowing the comfort of the stav in her hands would calm her, aid her in solving this peculiar predicament.
"I don’t." He turned to his father. "I heard the old woman talking to him. She has an alliance with another clan and has lured them here to attack us."
"You are mad!" Katrin yelled, once again pulling against her bondage. He didn’t release her. Frustration made her panic sharper, her resentment stronger. She curled her fingers around the trailing end of rope still in his hands and gave a hard tug.
She made no attempt to hide her frustration, giving him a fierce scowl. "You promised to let me speak. You must also promise to listen."
"Hradi, she is right. Let her speak." The jarl’s voice cut into the tension.
Katrin turned to face the older man, wincing when the rope rubbed her raw skin, though the discomfort paled when compared to her fear.
"I don’t know what Hradi overheard. I know nothing of this. All my years, I have never seen any indications Gunilla amassed an army. I wanted only to help those wherever we were, and I believe I did for many years.
"However, as I have grown older, and closer to my time of freedom, I have noticed things that have troubled me." She paused, trying to make sense of everything that had roused her suspicions.
"What sort of things?" Kori asked.
She met Hradi's brother's stare. She sensed little hostility, more a curious distrust looking for a final answer.
Katrin shrugged. "I never witnessed her commit any crimes." Of that, Katrin was sure. She heaved a sigh.
"I cannot prove anything, as I have no evidence of what she may have done.
But in the last few years, I suspected her intentions were no longer for others, as they had been for as long as I can remember, but more for herself.
When we neared Grindafell, I sensed an eagerness in her I'd not seen before, along with a strange unwillingness to accept the welcome your clan offered. "
She avoided Hradi's glare. It would take some time before he finally believed in her again. She had no time to waste on worry for him now. She had to save herself. Only then could she appeal directly to him.
"I have a confession to make, that is true. But it is not what you think."
The jarl folded his hands, forefingers resting on his white-bearded chin. "Then what is your confession?"
"Before we came here, I knew my time with Gunilla neared its end. I looked forward to going to Hedeby in the spring, with a chance to make my own way in the world.
"However, despite our uneasy arrival here, I realized almost from our arrival, that I wanted to stay here. I felt as if I finally belonged somewhere and no longer needed to roam the world."
"If this is an attempt to sway us –"
Thorfinn held up a hand to silence Hradi. "Tell us why you felt this, Katrin."
She shrugged, trying in vain to ignore the heat rising in her cheeks.
"There is an obvious reason." She glanced briefly at Hradi before focusing once more on the jarl.
"But it's more than that. And while I can't say exactly why, I have found myself reluctant to leave for Hedeby.
The gods have not seen fit to give me any clarity, but I have learned to trust my instincts, as well as my visions. "
"What of this man Hradi says you are promised to?"
Again, Katrin shrugged. "I know nothing of any man. I am beginning to believe that I have been betrayed as well."
"And how can we be sure you are being honest with us now?" Kori asked.
"I suppose you can't, at least not without proof. But I swear to you, I am promised to no one. I told you about the battle. Why would I do that if I intended harm?"
The jarl studied her, his eyes emotionless and cold. Katrin fought the urge to shiver. He contemplated her silently for several moments then turned to his older son.
"What do you think?"
"She lies! I tell you, I heard the old woman –"
Kori held up a hand. "Do you remember what we spoke of when the Volur first arrived in Grindafell?"
"What does that have to do with –"
"I warned you the old woman seemed familiar in some way. You were to learn from Katrin more about her." Kori focused an intense stare on her.
"I learned more than enough," Hradi said. Yet, his grip on the rope eased, allowing Katrin to take two steps back.
"You used me?" Katrin asked, surprised at how Kori’s words hurt. She’d thought Hradi truly cared for her, but knowing he had seduced her only to learn more about Gunilla left her with a bitterness souring her mouth.
"You were unknown to us. Now we know the truth," Hradi replied.