Chapter 27 #3
And Egill had tried to protect her. By Thor, he was just like his father.
She whimpered softly. Everything she had done had been wrong. She was weak and spiteful and blind, and now she would die alone, locked away in this filthy hut, and Egill would die as well. Or Orm would sell him again as a slave, both him and Lotti.
Ah, Lotti. Shea??d seen how much the boy loved the little girl, how he had shielded her, shared everything with her, his impressions, his thoughts, no matter how private, no matter how frank.
At times Ingunn had thought them nearly as one, so closely attuned to each other were they.
And shea??d seen herself then, suddenly and without warning, seen herself hating the child because she was of Zarabetha??s flesh and shea??d hated Zarabeth and had wanted to hurt anything that was part of her.
And that was why shea??d gone back into the manor house and taken both children to Grima??s vessel.
Shea??d had to make amends. Shea??d had to do something right, something to redeem herself.
Orm had been there, waiting for her. She realized she hadna??t really been surprised that he had been there, standing on the dock, his legs spread, staring at her, his eyes cold and black and dead.
She couldna??t even shudder with the memory of it without the pain roiling through her, making bile come into her throat, choking her.
He hadna??t touched her until theya??d returned to the Thurlow River and Skelder, the name hea??d given to his new farmstead, the one hea??d stolen from the Saxon family, with King Guthruma??s blessing.
Failure tasted vile. She tried again to rise, but when she tried to balance herself on her elbow, her arm collapsed and she fell hard again to the packed earth.
She couldna??t die. She couldna??t leave Egill in Orma??s power. Slowly, very slowly, she moved her left arm.
Inside the longhouse, Orm brooded, his chin balanced on his palm.
The house was filling with rancid smoke, for the hole in the roof was nearly clogged.
Saxon pigs! Theya??d accepted this fault, not even considering fixing it?
There was no bathhouse either, and hea??d put the slaves to work immediately to building one.
He turned his head to look at the boy and the little girl.
They sat together in a corner, the boy speaking softly to the girl.
There were others surrounding them, but the pair seemed oblivious of them.
Magnusa?? get! Ah, it tasted good, this victory over his enemy.
Hea??d been a fool to sell the children to Guthrum.
The man had treated them too finely, not showing them what it was to be a slave, anothera??s property, alive at anothera??s whim.
He thought briefly of Cecilia, the kinga??s mistress, and smiled.
She would enjoy a young man in her bed. Perhaps he would oblige her.
Hea??d found her silly and charming, and her body wasna??t displeasing to him.
Nor did he now have to concern himself with Ingunn, the faithless bitch.
a??Egill! Come here!a??
The men and women in the longhouse went silent for a moment with the sound of his voice. The boy was still, raising his eyes. He stared across the room at Orm. Slowly he rose, patting Lottia??s shoulder, trying to silently calm her, for her eyes were large and frightened.
a??Now, or youa??ll taste the whip!a??
The men and women looked furtively at the boy. They resumed their duties, afraid for the new master to see them doing nothing.
Egill stopped in front of Orm, standing straight and silent, waiting.
Orm wondered if he should simply beat the boy to death. Instead he said, a??I have decided to sell you to the Saxons in King Alfreda??s Wessex. What do you think of that?a??
a??Will you send Lotti home to Malek?a??
Orm laughed. a??Perhaps I will.a??
Egill felt a leap of hope, then a squeezing of a fist around his heart. Orm was mad. Nothing he said could be believed. He would kill Lotti before he would ever free her.
He still saw Orm beating Ingunn, his fists hammering her face. The man was without mercy, without conscience.
a??Aye, but then again, perhaps I wona??t.
Your father should come soon, boy. Then we will see.
Dona??t look so surprised. I left him messages.
He isna??t stupid. He will know and he will follow.
And that strip of material from the little girla??s gown.
Aye, I left that for Zarabeth so she would know.
I wish I could have seen her face. She has a very expressive face, one that gives away all her feelings and thoughts. I do wonder if she cried with hope.
a??I have wanted Magnus for a very long time now.
For a very long time Ia??ve wanted to kill him slowly, wanted to hear him scream with pain, beg me to release him from his pathetic life, just like that bitch sister of his did.
I wonder if she still clings to life. Perhaps I should go and see.
If she does, perhaps she needs another lesson in obedience.a??
a??Why do you hate my father? He has never done anything to you. Surely it isna??t because my grandfather judged him to be the better husband for my mother.a??
Orm raised his arm, then slowly lowered it again.
The boy wasna??t being impertinent. Orm pondered the question, his brow furrowing.
a??Did I say I hated Magnus? Nay, I merely want to kill him because of what he is, how he thinks, how he behaves.
He has annoyed me for a long time now, this just and proud sire of yours, boy.
As for your mother, Dalla, she was silly and vain, but I had selected her.
It wasna??t right that I not have her. It wasna??t right that Magnus be the one to win.
I dona??t like defeat, boy. I wona??t accept it.a??
Egill remained silent now. Orm Ottarsson was a frightening man. There was no way to reason with him that Egill could see. No, the only thing to do was to escape. He had to warn his father. He had to save Lotti. He felt very old for his eight years, and very small. But he had to try.
Orm rose then, towering over Egill. The boy didna??t back away or cower. He would bring the boy to heel, but not now. There was time for him to do just as he wished.
a??I believe I will see if your aunt still whines and clings to life.a??