Chapter Sixteen
Agnar was pleasantly surprised by what Thrudheim had to offer, as well as Skadi’s impressive skills at ruling and managing her kingdom. He’d given up looking for signs of her mismanagement. The town and port ran well and fairly, with very little disgruntlement from the traders and merchants.
Skadi might be proud and spoilt, but she was a good queen, and Agnar was beginning to realise that he had been harsh in some of his assumptions.
A larger party of servants and warriors had gone ahead of them to prepare the mountain lodge. They followed with a small group of guards at a slower pace, Skadi occasionally stopping to point out some landmark or introduce him to the loggers who lived within the forest.
The island was large and split by the mountain range that hugged the bay and town like a crescent moon.
The perfect mixture of natural and fortified defences.
But there was far more to Thrudheim than the small bay.
The rest of the island was more difficult to reach and involved climbing one of the two mountain paths that ran through the forest and over the ridge to the flatlands beyond.
There was no access to the flatlands by sea, as the sheer cliffs fell straight down and were hazardous to climb.
They’d spent the afternoon riding through the forest, climbing steadily to the hunting lodge near its peak.
The weather was definitely turning, red and gold leaves carpeted the forest floor and were beginning to brown.
The bare branches allowed the bitter wind to rattle through despite the sunshine overhead.
The mountain path was wide and he was able to ride his horse beside Skadi’s most of the way. He wondered if she was beginning to thaw towards him, as she’d made pleasant conversation for most of the ride and even smiled more than once at him…in a way that almost felt flirtatious.
He must be mistaken; their training together earlier had been an error. He’d had to battle with his lust through each move and touch and then run from her presence like a pitiful coward. Surely Skadi wouldn’t have changed her mind about him so quickly? It was simply wishful thinking on his part.
After all, Skadi took such time and care in all of her other decisions. Even now, Astra sat in front of her, Skadi not trusting such a steep and slippery path for her child to ride alone.
‘Can I ride my own horse once we’ve passed the ridge?’ grumbled Astra.
‘We haven’t any spare horses. But we might be able to borrow one between the farms and the crafters.’
‘Crafters?’ asked Agnar curiously.
‘There’s a village of them,’ declared Astra brightly. ‘I like going there, it’s fun! I can play with the children or make things: pottery, jewellery, tapestries, and cloth!’
‘You have seen their work…they made the fish cup you admired,’ said Skadi with a teasing smile that made it obvious she knew he’d thought it a ridiculous piece of pottery.
She glanced around at the thick forest either side of them.
‘Usually, they alert us to any arrivals coming from behind the mountain. You must have kept your ships hidden from both the port and the crafters to arrive without us knowing.’
Agnar nodded. ‘I knew you had settlements on the flatlands. I had to keep in line with the highest peak so as not to be noticed from either side. Thankfully, Rán was feeling generous and matched the waves to our course.’
Astra stiffened and glanced up at her mother with a worried expression.
‘I am sure it is nothing to do with Rán,’ Skadi said dismissively and he wondered if there had been some prophecy or fearful omen, before the arrival of his ships—something to do with the goddess of the sea.
Either way, Astra had a decidedly guilty look on her face and Skadi seemed determined to ease her worries.
He shrugged, deciding the best way to reassure her would be to accept the good fortune he’d received and explain it as best he could. ‘We made many sacrifices to Rán before we left. I am sure she was well pleased with them.’
‘Before you left, you say?’ said Skadi, patting Astra’s shoulder.
He noticed the way they both relaxed when he nodded in agreement. ‘Yes, well before.’ He thought back to when he’d secured his army. ‘King Olaf wanted to ensure my safe arrival in the Saxon lands, so he had a great feast and burned a ship in his fjord.’
Skadi’s eyes widened at his words. She knew he’d had help from King Olaf, but not the true conviction of her uncle…
The sacrifice of a ship meant a lot and he was certain Skadi hadn’t fully appreciated the strength of his support until now.
Unfortunately, the men were not a permanent addition to his army.
He needed to secure Thrudheim’s future and quickly eliminate the threat Sven posed.
‘When will my uncle expect the return of his men?’ asked Skadi curiously and he realised how similarly their minds worked, as he’d been thinking much the same.
‘Once things have been settled,’ he said quietly, not liking how close her man, Oddmund, was riding behind them.
Skadi had insisted the man join them, as he knew the mines well.
Agnar also suspected she wanted Oddmund present as a form of protection for herself and Astra.
She might have softened towards him, but there was still a long way to go before she trusted him fully.
He could understand her reluctance. His mother had been equally protective of him as a child. At least she was willing to make compromises, as Astra’s presence and the new Thrudheim banners showed.
Whether he could ever fully forgive her for her part in his mother’s death…
he wasn’t sure. He knew he still carried a need for vengeance, but he was beginning to doubt the callousness of Skadi’s part in it.
She had seemed genuinely horrified to learn of their difficult journey to Aldeigja.
It made him wonder what other lies she’d been told over the years.
Skadi was frowning at him and he realised his vague answer regarding his future plans had irritated her. ‘You have said that before—I was hoping for something more specific.’
‘I cannot be specific,’ he answered, glancing towards Oddmund. Skadi’s frown turned into a scowl and he had the feeling they’d taken a step back in their understanding of one another and this time it was his fault.
* * *
They arrived at the hunting lodge as the sky turned a pretty shade of purple bleeding into a sapphire blanket and sprinkled above with silver stars.
A break in the forest showed the cliff drop to the side of the lodge, the sea and sky fading into moody shades of blue and black in the distance.
They left their horses to be looked after by the men and were welcomed by a few of Skadi’s servants who had been sent ahead to prepare the lodge and evening meal.
Most of the men would be sleeping in the tents set up in the little clearing around the cabin—a campfire was already burning for them. The darkness of the forest was already creeping in around them and Skadi hurried Astra inside.
The smell of warm pine, ash and fur hit him as he stepped inside. It was a good-sized lodge, with enough space for four long tables and benches. The central fire burned brightly and there were a few wall torches among the thick tapestries of hunting scenes and displays of antlers.
Brenna greeted them with a horn of mead and a pleasant smile. ‘Your beds are ready and I’ve put in some warming stones under your blankets. The food will be ready shortly.’
‘Did you bring…?’ Astra glanced at Agnar with a blush, before whispering, ‘Freydis?’
Brenna grinned. ‘Yes, Freydis is in your bed already. She has some new clothes, too. Your mother made them.’
The little girl’s eyes lit up as she looked to Skadi. ‘When?’
‘While everyone was packing for this trip and you were busy fussing over those kittens.’
With a squeal of excitement Astra ran to the loft ladder, scurrying up it with incredible speed.
‘Her doll,’ Skadi explained to Agnar before thanking Brenna and taking a large sip of mead from her horn. ‘Ahh, I didn’t realise how thirsty I was.’ She then glanced up at the loft space, smiling at Astra who was already playing with her doll on her bed.
He followed her gaze to the platform above, which jutted out over half of the hall. It contained one large bed and two smaller beds either side of it. He presumed they would be sleeping there tonight, while the rest of the servants slept on bed rolls, or with the warriors out by the campfire.
It was a family home, he realised, quiet and snug in comparison to the hall’s large and luxurious chambers. Skadi’s eyes even softened as she looked around her, as if pleasant memories were warming her heart.
He sipped deeply from his own horn of mead. ‘Does anyone live here—when you’re not using it?’
‘No, it has always been used by my family. Although I often open it to guests. Traders and merchants, as well as visiting kings and chieftains who wish to hunt.’
An unwelcome anger rose within him. ‘Sven?’
She nodded. ‘Of course. He always liked to go hunting with Heimdall when he visited.’
‘Have you stayed here often?’ he asked, a swirl of jealousy whipping up a storm in his stomach.
He realised then that he hated Heimdall and Sven for more than taking his birthright, he hated them for enjoying hunting lodges.
And he hated Heimdall most of all, because he’d had a beautiful wife and daughter, while Agnar had spent years fighting for his survival.
He wondered if she noticed his seething, because she gave him a curious look before answering, ‘Many times. I prefer the fresh air and privacy.’ She moved to sit at a bench close to the fire.
He took a seat opposite her, mainly so that he could see her better. The golden light of the fire warmed the whiteness of her hair and the brightness of her eyes.