Chapter Twenty-Three
Agnar put a reassuring hand on Skadi’s shoulder, but she shrugged it off as though it was a fly, almost flinching from his touch as if she were ashamed to be seen with him.
Was that why all their encounters had been in hidden corners? Skadi dragging him away from the sight of her people. He’d suspected she’d been lying when she said she wasn’t ashamed and that had hurt his pride more than he liked to admit.
Did she still love or feel guilty over Heimdall?
He couldn’t deny that he was delighted about the new intimacy they shared, but in other ways he felt even more distant from her. It was as if she were still holding herself back from him while he fell deeper under her spell.
Would she ever trust him…love him?
Regardless, of her feelings—or lack of—towards him, Astra was currently missing and they needed to find her. Especially considering the snow was already beginning to sprinkle the ground with a fine layer of frost and the sun was low.
Skadi strode forward. ‘We sent her into the hall when we first arrived. Did you not see her?’
Brenna shook her head, worry and fear clouding her expression. ‘No, I was gathering some mushrooms and herbs for Nattmal and Vali said he’d seen the three of you climbing the last part of the path together. Perhaps she went to the latrine and I did not see her or she is hiding in the hall…’
‘Vali, gather the men and women,’ ordered Agnar. ‘We need to know who last saw her and when. Is anyone else missing? Who last saw Oddmund?’
‘Oddmund?’ Skadi shook her head furiously.
‘He wouldn’t…he was Heimdall’s friend.’ But her eyes desperately searched the faces of the other people in the clearing, and by the increasing concern on her face, he knew she was growing more anxious and afraid.
Picking up her skirts, Skadi ran inside the hall followed closely by Brenna, calling out Astra’s name and grabbing servants to help them in their search.
Agnar turned to Vali. ‘Gather the men. Find out who saw Oddmund and Astra last.’
It wasn’t long until Vali returned with one of the men. ‘Tell him what you know,’ said Vali.
The man nodded quickly. ‘The Princess was looking for Brenna. Oddmund told her she’d gone into the woods. He said he would help her find her.’
‘Why didn’t you say anything when Brenna returned without Astra?’ snapped Agnar, already knowing that it wasn’t the man’s fault, but frustrated with himself that he’d allowed Astra to fall into such a trap.
‘I didn’t know. I have only just returned from felling one of the trees for firewood. Oddmund instructed me to do so.’
‘I am sure he did!’ snapped Agnar. ‘Which direction did they head?’
‘That way!’ pointed the man and, with one nod from Agnar, the men began gathering their weapons. But Agnar didn’t want to wait and he strode towards the forest. Skadi came running out of the hall, looking more terrified than before.
‘She’s not in the hall! We looked everywhere!’
‘Oddmund has taken her.’
‘No!’ She shook her head, but at this point her denial was weak and full of torment. As if speaking to herself, she whispered, ‘Why am I always such a trusting fool?’
‘I will find her,’ he declared, turning to the rest of the people gathered around.
‘Split into five groups. One is to remain behind and keep the fire burning, prepare food and medicine just in case. The remaining four groups are to sweep out in a line. No path, tree or rock is to go unchecked. But move quickly, and take torches. The sun is beginning to set.’
He strode forward, snatching a torch that had been lit outside the lodge’s doorway.
‘If Oddmund went this way, then I will follow. Vali, I need you and two others to come with me.’ Agnar took a sword and shield from Vali and his hand went to the old axe hanging off his belt, patting it for luck and reassurance as he moved out of the clearing.
The rest of his men were tripping over themselves to organise their parties. His parting comment was to shout, ‘I want my heir safely returned. If Oddmund has taken her by force, then kill him. But Princess Astra must live!’
Skadi grabbed a sword and shield from a nearby warrior and ran to catch up with him. He didn’t deny her, he couldn’t deny her anything—besides, she was a good shieldmaiden and Astra’s mother. The only thing that worried him was that she would put herself in danger to protect her child.
He was made aware of the other person to join their team when Vali hissed, ‘Go back, Brenna! There’s nothing you can do!’
‘I’m coming!’ she replied firmly.
Vali cursed, but managed to call over Leif to join them, before they made their way through the trees a few feet away from each other in a fan.
Winter meant there was little undergrowth and plenty of rotting leaves, so progress was quick, although the weather seemed to be against them.
The snow fell heavier, darkening the sky and whipping through the trees with an icy chill.
It felt like a bad omen and when he glanced towards Skadi, he could tell by her expression that she was broken with fear.
He gritted his teeth and pushed forward, swearing to himself and the gods that he would return Astra to her, or he would die trying.
* * *
Skadi’s mind was racing with a flurry of a thousand fears, each one striking her like shattered glass. She couldn’t stop imagining the very worst possibilities. Several times she had to breathe deeply to stop her mind spiralling into chaos.
We will find her.
She pledged the same words over and over, focusing on the ground and every step.
Her eyes sweeping back and forth, not realising for a moment why she did so, then saying to the others, ‘Astra is clever! She knows about animal tracks and hunting. She will also try to struggle, look for areas of disturbance…’ But the snow was falling steadily and whatever tracks there might have been were being smothered with each moment that passed.
Nobody dared point that out to her, though, and diligently they also scanned the ground as they moved.
They arrived at the clearing around the mine and a chilling dread washed through Skadi.
She’d sent the miners home for the winter, which meant three possibilities.
Oddmund had taken her into the mine, or he’d used the dangerously steep miners’ path down the mountain…
He could even have taken her onwards into the forest—although that seemed unlikely, all that would await him there were the cliffs.
Agnar seemed to be wondering the same because he walked around the miners’ camp, glancing into the hut and then walking back out again. ‘Is there any way out of the mines—other than this entrance?’
Skadi shook her head. ‘No, I don’t think so…’ She was beginning to doubt everything… Oddmund, Agnar…her own mind.
‘And what lies beyond here?’
‘More forest and then the cliffs. There’s no way down that way, at least not until further down on the second ridge.’
Brenna gave a shout. ‘Look! I think these are Astra’s beads!’
They ran to Brenna, who stood by the pulley system that helped take the ore carts up and down the mountain.
A bell was attached to the top and, when the rope was pulled, it would ring to tell the miners that an empty cart needed to be brought up.
Draped across the top of the pulley was a broken string of beads, the kind Astra wore between her turtle brooches.
‘It’s hers,’ said Skadi, grabbing the beads and clenching them tightly before tucking them into a pocket of her cloak. ‘He must have taken her down this path.’
* * *
Grabbing hold of the rope, Skadi began to climb down the mountain with a speed that Agnar found terrifying. ‘Slow down, Skadi!’ he barked, running down behind her, the rope burning beneath his hand as he tried to keep up with her. ‘We don’t know for certain that she went this way!’
‘Then go another way if you think it’s better!’ she hissed back, ignoring his warning.
‘She probably did come down this way…but they won’t remain on the path.
He wouldn’t know how much of a head start he has, taking Astra was an opportunity.
But he must have another plan…something prepared.
He must be taking her somewhere. Where exactly does this lead—Odin’s teeth! Skadi, you almost fell!’
Skadi had slipped on the path, but managed to right herself before she completely lost her footing. Her ankle ached from the sudden twist, but she ignored it. ‘This path leads straight down to the smelting furnaces and workshops.’
‘Exactly! Can you see her down the path ahead? No.’
‘There’s several ledges and twists along the way.’
‘True, but what will he find at the bottom? It’s not exactly a safe destination for a man stealing a princess!
’ huffed Agnar and thankfully Skadi slowed and took more care with her steps.
‘The furnaces will be working on the latest batch of ore…people will see him! And the beads prove that Astra is no longer willingly with him. She left them for us to point the way. We need to keep our eyes out for another sign…and we can’t do that if we’re racing down a cliff face! ’
Finally, Skadi slowed a little, her eyes searching the forest to their left.
‘Then we need to keep an eye on that side. The other only brings him closer to Thrudheim—people would see him alone with Astra and question it. If he wants to escape with Astra, he’ll need to have a boat.
One at the old fishermen’s harbour would most likely go unnoticed.
The merchants and traders have to identify themselves and their cargo at the city harbour.
But to reach the old fishermen’s harbour, he needs to climb down the cliff edge at some point…
Depending on how far he’s willing to climb it might be at the next ridge or the one below. ’
‘Good,’ replied Agnar soothingly. ‘That must be his plan.’
Skadi turned fully away from him then, her head focused on the path below which was getting darker by the moment and slippery with the falling snow and previous rain. ‘There is nothing good about any of this. I should never have left her alone, not even for a moment.’
Agnar sighed. He’d suspected she would blame herself, but his heart ached to hear it. His mother had done much the same after they’d been cast out. It had broken his heart. ‘No one is to blame for this but Oddmund.’
At the first ridge they stopped and lit their torches because the sun was so low that the shadow of the forest was difficult to see through.
They focused on the left-hand side of the ridge, but the bracken looked undisturbed and there were no other beads left behind.
They had scrubbed at the snow around the treeline to see if anything had been dropped.
Skadi’s bare hands looked red raw from the rope and cold, but he didn’t have any gloves to offer her, so instead he insisted she carry the torch to light the way.
At the second ridge, Skadi was already running to the treeline before she made the plateau. He realised why a moment later when he saw the blue-and-white ribbon hanging from a branch. ‘Clever girl!’
It was reassuring and filled him with pride to see it.
Astra was still alive and conscious. From the height of the ribbon, he imagined she was being carried over Oddmund’s shoulder and had draped the hair ribbon over the branch as they passed into the forest. She was obviously frightened, but had the wit to know when to leave signs and where.
Skadi snatched it off the branch and walked into the forest. The moon wasn’t full, but the increasing snow reflected the light a little. Not enough to see into the shadows, but enough to ensure they didn’t trip over a log or fallen branch. Skadi swept the torch in an arc.
‘There!’ said Vali, pointing at faint oblong marks and scuffs in the snow. ‘One set. He is carrying her, which is good. It means he’s slower.’
Agnar nodded, but he’d carried Astra earlier and she was no heavier than a shield. But Oddmund was a little older—perhaps she would be enough of a burden to slow him down.
They ploughed on, sweeping out into a fan to cover as much ground as possible, trying to walk quickly, but not loudly. All of them painfully aware that they didn’t want to put the Princess at any greater risk.
The rumble of distant waves increased as they approached the cliff edge, as did the whirl of snow that scattered through and from the trees. The weather had turned bitterly cold and their breath fogged as they each pushed forward.
The sun was little more than a slither of grey bleeding into the black sea beyond and barely visible through the cage of trees. But there was more light flickering in the distance…a campfire… Instinctively, he grabbed Skadi’s arm.
She shrugged out of his hold as if it were a viper’s bite and burst forward.
But Agnar’s reactions had been honed from years of battle and he managed to catch her again with an even tighter grip, tugging her close and whispering in her ear, ‘Quiet! We need to surprise him! They’re close to the cliff.
’ He then tapped his ear and Skadi took a moment to listen, her eyes widening when she heard a familiar voice in the distance, followed by several more.
It must have taken all of Skadi’s willpower to hold back, but she reined in her instincts and gave a sharp nod, slowly removing her borrowed sword from its scabbard and the shield from around her back. Agnar lowered his torch to the ground and rolled it in the snow to extinguish it.
He signalled them to lower their bodies, then slowly they moved forward, their net tightening as they approached the men at the cliff edge.
There were at least twenty of them, far too many to fight off easily, and it looked as if they had been here for a few days by the scatter of tents, hunting equipment and felled trees.
It was clear they’d planned to kidnap Astra days ago and had been waiting for Oddmund to steal her away.
Agnar took no pleasure in knowing that he’d been rightly suspicious of Oddmund and the devastation on Skadi’s face was enough to focus his mind and body. He would return Astra to her, or die trying.