Chapter Thirty-five
The sound of the longships crunching against the shingle beach was loud in the eerie silence surrounding Car Cadell.
Tormod and his men had waited and watched from just off shore for more than an hour, but the silence had remained unbroken.
Aoife had stared at her former home all that time, not a single word passing her lips.
The two ravens perched on the ship’s mast stared at the same place.
It was the Lord Odin keeping watch over them, he was sure of it.
It also reassured him of her loyalty. After all, who was he to second guess Odin?
“It is time to move,” he said. “There may be more trickery. Or survivors. Be alert.”
The warriors headed up towards the fort walls in three groups led by Ulf, Bjorn and Arne.
Tormod remained on the shore with Aoife and the fourth group of warriors, all wary and ready to head quickly for any one scene where trouble might erupt.
The gates in the wooden palisade that surrounded the fort and its farms lay wide open, although that was not unusual.
More unusual was the lack of activity on the farms, the animals simply wandering.
It was Ulf’s group who approached the gates in the stone walls of the fort directly.
When they reached them, they knocked. Any enemy would already be aware of their presence if they were watching.
The sound echoed off the buildings and walls.
There was no response and barely even a whisper of breeze.
Ulf pushed the high wooden gate. It swung easily inwards.
The warriors positioned themselves, but nothing happened.
Ulf turned to Tormod, his face serious. “There has been a massacre,” he shouted. “I can smell blood, and there are rats, so many rats.”
Ulf and his men entered, but it was not long before they returned to the gate, ashen-faced. Ulf returned to the longships to speak to Tormod.
“I do not think there is anyone left alive,” Ulf said. “Although, as the fort has not been burned, I would assume the victor plans to come back. There are not so many bodies. Perhaps some were taken as prisoners.”
“Perhaps some were complicit,” Tormod said. “Lord Cadell?”
Ulf shook his head. “Dead.”
Tormod reached for Aoife’s hand. It was stone cold. “And what of the rest of his family?”
“There is no sign of his wife or any of his daughters. In fact, we found few women. But it looks like the bodies of many of the fort’s inhabitants lie in the great hall, as the Lady Aoife saw. They have been there for at least…” Ulf made a face. “I would say about four days. No more.”
“So, before the boats attacked us.”
“Yes, perhaps they thought…”
Tormod waited for Ulf to speak, but his friend was deep in thought. He eventually continued, “It is possible the other Britons thought Cadell was in league with you.”
“It was supposed to be an alliance,” Tormod acknowledged. “Perhaps the other Britons resented it.”
“You thought Cadell had tricked you.”
“And you think maybe he did not?”
“Given that he now lies dead, I’d say it is a possibility.”
“I must see for myself.” Aoife was pale but looked determined. “I must see for myself,” she repeated to Ulf, then turned to Tormod. “Please.”
“You will only find it distressing,” Ulf said.
She looked at the gates, then back at him. “It is better to know than to imagine. Or to dream.”
“Very well,” said Tormod.
“I will go back,” Ulf said. “Continue to search for anything that might prove who is responsible.”
Tormod saw conflicting emotions play across her face and when she took a step towards the gates regardless, he let her. His whole being relaxed when she stopped and turned back to him.
“If they only found my father’s body, then Ula is responsible for this.”
Tormod stared at her. “You think so?” he finally said. “You do not think she and your sisters have been taken captive?”
Aoife closed her eyes, then shook her head. “No, in my vision, she stood and left the room with her daughters. That seemed to be the signal to attack my father. I think Ula would do whatever she thought was necessary to survive.”
Ulf laughed bitterly. “I knew a woman like that once.”
“Ulf, lay out Lord Cadell’s body for my wife to say her farewells,” Tormod said. “You may see him then, but not before.”
Aoife opened her eyes, tilting her head up towards the sky, her lips moving in prayer.
“I’m sure he sits in Valhalla,” Tormod said, placing his hand on her shoulder.
“Thank you,” she whispered, then laughed through her tears. “Although I’m not sure that’s where he will be or would want to be.” She squeezed Tormod’s fingers in acknowledgment of his kindness. “I would like to go to my old room, if that is all right?”
“I will take you myself,” Tormod said.
“Will you bury the dead?” Aoife asked him.
Tormod rubbed a hand across his forehead. “We will try,” he promised. “We will have to do something. It seems likely whoever invaded this place did not intend to occupy it immediately. Otherwise they would not have left so many bodies—”
“So many? But there are no birds, no signs…”
“Do not look around,” Tormod said, putting a hand out to stop her when she began to do just that. “If they have not dealt with the dead yet, then they are leaving them there for a reason.”
“In my visions, when my father and his men were attacked, it was Norse swords and axes that were used. Not the long swords favoured by the Britons.”
“They may be waiting, watching. Ready to catch us in the act, so to speak.”
“You really think they are here, waiting?” Now there was genuine fear on her face.
“Where is the priest?” Aoife asked suddenly. “Father Bricius. Even if it was other Britons who did this, they would not kill the priest.”
“We will search for him. Any that are not among the dead must be considered traitors to your father.”
“It is not hard to believe that Father Bricius would betray my father. Nor Rhydderch. Both were more loyal to Ula than to my father.” She sighed. “I almost pity him living amongst so many who would not hesitate to betray him. You are fortunate to have the loyalty and respect of those you lead.”
“I am, indeed. Now, let us go.”
“And Rhiannon. Elisedd’s mother,” she added at Tormod’s confused expression.
“We will look for her.”
Ulf went in front of them as they walked through the gates and into the courtyard, then crossed to the door that opened into a circular tower attached to the largest building.
When they went through the door, it clanged shut behind them.
Tormod stopped. “I’m sorry,” he said, holding her body tightly against his own and kissing her gently on the lips.
“This is not your doing,” she said, leaning into him.
He revelled in the thought she trusted him. Her arms tightened around him and he smiled.
He held her for a moment longer, then pushed her to arm’s length. “There is little we can do for now. We must take this to Doomster Hill upriver in time and present it before your king, but for now, we will visit where you wish and then search for Elisedd’s mother. Just to be sure.”
“Thank you.”
They went up the stairs curving inside the thick walls, Tormod with his sword drawn and his axe at the ready. Aoife had a knife in her hand and kept a safe distance behind her husband. Although he sensed the tower was empty. There was a stillness simply not felt in a building with any life in it.
On the first floor, she gestured for him to push open the door.
Inside the room were four narrow beds made up, empty, but otherwise nothing. Just an ordinary bedchamber.
Aoife was staring at a space where a bed once stood. Hers, he presumed. “There is nothing left,” she whispered.
“What do you mean?” He looked around at the bare walls, the empty surfaces and bare cupboards.
“My sisters knew what was coming,” Aoife said. “They have taken all their trinkets with them. Everything that was precious to them.”
He watched as she ran her hands over every surface and looked around each bed and on the floor and thought of how little she had brought with her. “Are you looking for something?”
“I had a pendant of my mother’s with a cut amethyst at its centre.”
“An amethyst pendant? Was it a cross engraved with knotwork?”
“Yes… how did you know what the pendant looked like?”
He was silent for a long moment, not wanting to either hurt her, nor lie to her. “I saw your stepmother wearing one like it.”
She said nothing, but her expression hardened and her fists clenched. She turned and headed for the stairs.
“Wait!” But she was gone. He hurried after her, finally catching her as she reached the bottom of the stairs. Ulf waited for them there.
“What is it?” Tormod asked him.
“We have searched everywhere. There are no signs of the priest, Lady Ula, or the daughters. Or at least none of the dead women… well.” Ulf swallowed and ran a hand down his face. “We have only found three dead women, and all appear to be servants.”
“Rhiannon?” Aoife said, but Ulf shrugged. She straightened. “These were my family’s servants The least I can do is look upon the faces of the dead. They died in my family’s service. And I should look for Rhiannon.” Aoife took a deep breath. “What will I tell Elisedd if I find her?”
“We will tell him the truth, together,” Tormod promised her. “Just as soon as we know what it is.”
She looked at him. Tears glinted in her eyes, tears she refused to allow to fall. Then she smiled. “Thank you.”