Chapter 3 Brynn
Brynn
Brynn was a little surprised Cenric had agreed so easily. She’d anticipated an argument, but she wasn’t about to complain.
Aelgar was not going to like this. He might not learn straightaway, but the visit would not go unnoticed.
Brynn would have to present this story carefully.
She wasn’t sure how yet. That would depend greatly on the outcome of their expedition.
The Althing was a time of trade, so perhaps that could be her explanation.
She spoke to Cenric to learn what would be most desirable to the people of Valdar and packed jars of honey, casks of blackcurrant wine, and a jar of rare peppercorns that was one of three Brynn had accepted from a merchant in exchange for healing his nephew’s broken leg.
She also included a basket of old horseshoes.
They were useless in their current state, but the iron could be reworked into anything.
They set out at first light, sailing with the emissary’s ships flanking Cenric’s ship, Wolf Star.
Daven, Kalen, and several other thanes of the household accompanied them.
Brynn had sailed many times before, but never out of sight of land.
It was unsettling to have nothing but slate-grey sea in all directions.
The wind whipped off the water, slicing through their layers of clothing like claws of ice. Ka shimmered beneath the ship. The sea was alive or at least filled with life. It made Brynn question just what creatures lived beneath the swells and white caps of the waves.
They sailed all day and reached the coast of Valdar near the evening. Their group camped on an abandoned shore, taking shelter in lean-tos pitched on the deck and against the side of the ship.
Cenric spoke easily with Berdun and the other Valdari. It seemed he was friends with many of them.
After the long winter cooped up together and the hard work of spring spent alongside their people, Brynn no longer felt like an outsider in Cenric’s life. All the same, it was a stark reminder that he’d had another life—one that had nothing to do with her.
Brynn and Esa sheltered in the back of the ship beneath the canopy. Guin snuggled between them, making contented puppy noises in her sleep.
The deck was hard beneath them, but Brynn woke only once to find Guin snuggling closer.
The puppy was growing quickly, her baby softness giving way to the lanky awkwardness of adolescence.
She still managed to snuggle between Brynn’s neck and shoulder, burrowing down between the blankets.
Snapper crawled in with the women sometime in the middle of the night.
He wedged himself between Brynn and the side of the ship, snoring happily.
Brynn missed Cenric’s warmth and his breathing beside her. It had been months since she’d slept without him and even with Esa and Guin curled beside her, the lack of him felt wrong.
Come morning, she found Cenric first thing. He’d slept in one of the tents and spared a kiss for her, but a glare for Snapper. The dog wagged his tail and didn’t seem to care.
They once again set out. The coast of Valdar was not so unlike the coast of Ombra.
From what Brynn glimpsed from the deck of the ship, it was a wild northern country, rugged and almost primordial.
This was a land that had carried on since the dawn of time, indifferent to the troubles and concerns of mortals.
Their trio of ships continued to sail up the coast, drifting ever closer to the ports of Istra. Brynn wasn’t sure what to expect once they reached it, but she kept her head up, searching for any sign that they might be nearing the home of King Ovrek.
Berdun’s ship led the way, its grey-washed sails blending with the late afternoon mists. The men laughed and joked, chatter lost beneath the creak of the oars and the dip and swish of the waves.
Their craft began to pass other ships, just a few at first. Ships of the same style as the others. They all had the similar shallow keel and lightweight build, though no two were exactly the same.
Some sails were blue, orange, grey, or red. Some were faded, some bright and freshly dyed. Brynn even spotted one that was striped in white and grey bands.
Berdun’s ship disappeared, drifting around a line of trees. Wolf Star soon followed as the men rowed.
As they cleared the bend, Brynn got her first sight of Istra.
The capital of Valdar sprawled across the bay in a collection of low, loosely ordered buildings that reminded Brynn of mushrooms. Wooden buildings sprung up here and there in different stages of construction, the signs of a young settlement experiencing fast growth.
Brynn would guess it was populated by a thousand or so, which was more than respectable, even by Hyldish terms. There appeared to be docks, forges, trading markets, and ships. Countless ships.
They settled on the water like so many birds, their prows showing carvings of deer, rabbits, and other friendly woodland creatures. Brynn tried to count them and gave up. Perhaps two hundred? With ten to thirty people in each?
Was this normal? Brynn looked to Cenric. He too stared out across the boats, but he didn’t seem surprised. Brynn hadn’t seen this many ships in one place outside of Ungamot.
“That’s a lot of ships, lady,” Esa gasped, keeping her voice down. “I didn’t think Valdar had many people.”
“It doesn’t,” Brynn agreed. “But they have all come for the Althing.”
A sense of danger prickled along Brynn’s skin. These were Valdari, the people who had raided her homeland for as long as anyone could remember. Valdari mercenaries had murdered her son after being hired—and failing—to kill her first husband.
Brynn didn’t trust them, but half of Cenric had come from this place. Even if she would never belong here, she would brave it to stay with him. Something was wrong about this whole situation and that was why she had to come.
Maybe that made her a fool, but love made her desperate enough to risk everything. Positions could be recovered. Wealth could be restored. Dead loved ones, once lost, were just gone.
Cenric and his men rowed after the ship leading them, following it farther into the harbor.
They made their way under the shadow of a massive wooden hall not yet darkened with age, perhaps built in the last two years.
From the scaffolding near the edges, it appeared some construction was still underway.
The ship came alongside the docks and Cenric’s thanes tossed ropes from the deck to men on the shore. They reeled the ship in, bringing it alongside the dock.
Cenric’s men began climbing out, carrying their belongings in bundles over their backs.
Guin’s ears swiveled around, and she tried to run toward them but Brynn scooped her up. Guin growled but settled in Brynn’s arms though her ears remained pricked, curious.
Cenric stepped up onto the docks, speaking with a man that must be some sort of steward or official. He and Cenric clasped forearms. Was this another old friend? Brynn stroked Guin’s head, needing something to do with her hands.
Guin was almost too large to carry, but Brynn wasn’t ready to stop just yet. There was something grounding about holding the puppy in her arms.
The men chattered in Valdari, Cenric speaking the language easily as he did Hyldish. Brynn knew very little of the language. She might need to hire a local girl to translate for her while she was here.
“Cenric!” roared a familiar voice. The towering figure of Hróarr crashed into her husband.
Snapper barked and hopped in delight, recognizing him.
Cenric and Hróarr greeted one another with claps on the back and excited Valdari words that ran together.
Vana followed him not far behind. As always, she was a vision with her graceful bearing and raven hair mostly covered by a bright yellow veil.
Though she was Hróarr’s concubine and had been for some years, Vana had been Cenric’s first love as a youth.
It seemed his life had been abundantly blessed with dark-haired beauties before Brynn.
Vana, Cenric, and even Hróarr seemed unbothered by that past infatuation, but it made Brynn’s chest twist with discomfort no matter how she tried to stifle the feeling.
Cenric turned around, seeming to remember her. “Brynn.” He headed back to the ship, reaching up for her hand.
Brynn passed Guin down first.
Cenric passed the puppy to Vana and Brynn tried to quash her spike of jealousy at that. Why should she care if the stunning woman held her dog?
Cenric turned back to Brynn and caught her around her waist, twirling her around in a circle.
“Cenric!” Brynn yelped, laughing despite herself.
Cenric set her down on the ground, planting a hard kiss on her cheek before reaching up to help Esa down. He set Esa on her feet without twirling her around.
Vana made kissing sounds at the puppy. Guin wiggled, tail wagging as she licked Vana’s cheek. “Such a good little baby,” Vana crooned. “What adventures you’re having in this far away land.”
Brynn held out her arms and Vana handed Guin back to her without complaint. “It’s good to see you.” Brynn forced a smile.
“And you.” Vana’s returning smile seemed far more genuine.
“I thought you returned to Kelethi in the spring.” Brynn hoped those words didn’t sound disappointed.
“We wintered in Istra and the king wanted us to stay for his son’s wedding,” Vana explained. “The wedding did not happen, but I think this is the longest we’ve ever stayed in one place.” There was something wistful in Vana’s tone, something Brynn couldn’t quite parse.
“Would you rather be back in Kelethi?” Brynn asked.
Hróarr spent most his time as a mercenary.
As his concubine, Vana went with him. The Kelethi always had a use for violent men and the large Valdari and his company of warriors were no exceptions.
They spent their summers shedding Kelethi blood in exchange for Kelethi silver and their winters safely back in Valdar before returning to Kelethi every spring.