Chapter One
Tormod glanced from Lord Cadell to his wife, Lady Ula, and couldn’t help but grin.
From the giveaway turn of Cadell’s head towards his wife at every question posed to the man, it took little to guess it was Lady Ula who controlled the decisions in this household.
And what a bitter household that must make it.
“So, an alliance between us,” Tormod stated. “Sealed with the hand of one of your daughters and my word that my men will seek no more of your land for their own as long as our agreement remains in place.”
“An alliance,” confirmed Lord Cadell, raising his tankard of ale after only the slightest of glances at his wife. The woman’s expression was hard to read. He’d have expected regret at giving one of her daughters to a barbarian such as himself, but instead, it was more like… glee.
For a moment he wondered if there was some trickery in their agreement, but having a high-status Briton in his village could only help with trade negotiations and reduce the likelihood of attacks from these people.
As long as the daughter was capable of warming his bed and bearing his sons, he cared for little else from her.
Beauty was certainly not a prerequisite.
His first wife had been the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, but her heart had been black and deceitful.
He would give his heart to no other in this lifetime.
That way led only to betrayal and despair.
It had been a hasty marriage, which had accomplished nothing more than to prove he was a fool.
He straightened. The past was the past. He had grown and learned since then and would not be taken for a fool by a woman again.
He caught Lady Ula’s smirk and wondered if it would be best to see this girl before the final agreement was made, but Lord Cadell pushed himself to his feet.
“Lady Aoife is not within the walls of Car Cadell at present. She will need to be sent for,” Cadell announced. “I will also need to gather together the other items we have agreed to… exchange.”
Tormod smiled inwardly at the man’s reluctance to admit to having no other choice than to agree to Tormod’s demands.
The siege and capture of Alt Clut two years previously had reduced the power of the Britons in Alt Clut and Norse settlers were pushing their advantage, forming settlements and trading posts all along the coasts of the great river.
Under Artgal’s son, Rhun, the power centre had moved further up the great river to Gorfaen, where Doomster Hill now signified the centre of government of the new kingdom of Strath Clut—the successor to the kingdom of Alt Clut which had fallen after the siege.
Tormod himself had liberated a substantial peninsular area near the mouth of the firth from Lord Cadell. Liberated may be too strong a word — by the time his men had made landfall, the inhabitants had fled.
Their new settlement was nearly built and as jarl he was determined to make it more prosperous than anything the previous owners had accomplished.
The extra tools, seeds and animals from Lord Cadell would contribute to the success of the growing village, and a wife and sons for Tormod would ensure his future as jarl.
“Two mornings hence, then. When the sun has risen to its full height, at Ffos-y-Lan where our lands meet.” Tormod smiled again, amused by Cadell’s frown.
Tormod had usurped some of Cadell’s land, abandoned or not.
But with no resistance, why should Tormod feel even the slightest twinge of guilt?
If these Britons were not strong enough to hold their lands, then they didn’t deserve them and this alliance with Cadell was only a means to a more peaceful future.
Many of Tormod’s people were tired of raiding — after all, what good were riches if you didn’t get to enjoy them?
But he and his men would hold the land by force if need be.
The most worrying thing about this alliance was that Lord Cadell had few friends.
He had few friends left amongst his fellow Britons.
Perhaps because he was the only nobleman present at King Artgal’s banquet who had escaped the siege.
It had taken the Norsemen four months—the entire summer—to capture Alt Clut, but Lord Cadell and his family were rumoured to have simply left as the longships were sailing up the river.
Had someone warned them? Rumours abounded amongst the Britons that Cadell had been in league with the Norsemen, but Tormod knew of no Norseman who trusted the man.
King Artgal’s son Rhun had not been present at the banquet either, but the finger of suspicion never seemed to rest on him for long before Cadell was named.
Despite this, the man was still a wealthy man with substantial lands.
Tormod’s life would be far more peaceful if he were not fighting with his nearest neighbour constantly, although he suspected that, despite any alliance, Cadell would seize any opportunity to recover the land.
But Tormod would be watchful, and surely, with their daughter as his wife, Cadell would hesitate to attack.
“Do you wish to stay here tonight, my lord?” Lady Ula asked. “Appropriate lodgings can be found for you and your… men.” The look she gave him confirmed she saw the Norsemen as barbarians, far beneath her own civilised status.
Tormod’s hand clenched on the hilt of his sword, and he felt Bjorn tense beside him.
He was grateful he stood here with three of his cousins at his back.
Cousins by blood, but they regarded each other as brothers.
The brothers of thunder. He knew none of them would ever let him down in the face of an enemy—even if one had every right to doubt him.
“Our best rooms, of course,” Lady Ula assured them, smiling sweetly after a nudge from her husband.
“Our thanks, my lady,” replied Tormod. “But we have been too long from home already and it is not more than a few hours’ ride. Until noon two days hence then, Lord Cadell, and the penalty for failing to honour our agreement will be… violent.”
Tormod swept from the room, followed by his men. He’d brought only a small group of those he trusted most. No one spoke until they were clear of the fort’s palisades.
“Well?” asked Bjorn. “Do you think he will abide by the agreement?”
“If not, then we will return,” said Tormod. “And our lands will grow.”
His men laughed—all except Ulf.
“There’s something about the daughter,” Ulf said. “I don’t know what it is, but I sensed no reluctance in either of them to part with her. And why was she not within these walls?”
“Ulf,” said Tormod. “We will find out two days from now. But my needs when it comes to a wife are simple enough.”
Ulf merely nodded at him, and Tormod was relieved he did not mention Ingrid by name. Yet Tormod rode the rest of the way home, disturbed by thoughts of what could possibly be wrong with Cadell’s daughter and realising it mattered to him more than he would have cared to admit.