Chapter 14 #2
“Well, not of you, precisely, but of what you must think of m-me,” she stammered. “Because of me, your son was almost killed that day by the Normans and I never—”
“Aife.” Wolf’s firm but paternal tone was the same her own father would have used with her.
“You’re not responsible for the violence of bad men.
Torsten explained what happened that day in the clearing, it is clear neither of you did anything wrong.
That the Normans decided to attack you and hand you over to this Ranulf was not your doing. ”
Perhaps not, but she was responsible for taking Torsten to the beach and then too close to the cliff. That was definitely her doing. “Because of me, he might never walk again.”
Or know pleasure.
“Torsten will walk again,” was Wolf’s tranquil answer. “Just give him time, it’s only been a few days.”
There seemed to be no question in his mind that his son would recover. Aife swallowed. It didn’t even sound as if he were trying to reassure her. He simply was convinced all would be well.
“Yes,” she said, unaccountably comforted by his certainty. “He will.”
And she took her first real breath in what felt like months.
“Now, back to the topic at hand. I am confident the two men who’ve been arrested are amongst the ones who attacked you in the meadow.
Girard and Enguerrand. They match my son’s description exactly, but the reeve wants conclusive proof of wrongdoing.
The problem is, the Normans pretend they can’t speak his language, so he’s been unable to interrogate them.
” He let out a groan of frustration. Evidently, he was not used to being thwarted.
“I understand the Norman tongue reasonably well and even speak a little, but ’tis not enough to conduct a proper interrogation.
Besides, it looks as if I am only translating what suits me. ”
“Surely if the men refuse to speak English, an interpreter can be found?” Unlike the reeve, she didn’t for a moment think that Wolf had arrested the wrong men, innocent Normans who genuinely didn’t understand what they were asked and had no idea why they had been apprehended.
A sigh. “Of course, but the reeve happens to be married to this Ranulf’s niece.
I got the impression that he doesn’t particularly like the man but is wary of upsetting his wife’s family and making a powerful enemy by accusing him of wrongdoing.
If, however, he sees that you identify the men, he will have no choice but to pursue the matter further, at least find an interpreter as you say, and establish the truth. ”
Aife nodded her head pensively. She could see Wolf’s thinking, but there was a flaw in the plan, in her opinion.
“Even if I recognize the men, it will achieve little. It will still not force them to speak to the interpreter, or confirm what happened. For all the reeve and Ranulf know, I could be in league with you, or I could simply be mistaken. No. We need to trick Girard and Enguerrand into revealing that they are in fact pretending not to be able to converse with the reeve, and that they were amongst the men involved in my and Torsten’s abduction. ”
“What do you suggest?”
“Have the reeve free them, on the pretence that their guilt has not been successfully established.” When Wolf raised his head in protest, she hurriedly added, “Having been freed, they will think themselves safe and relax their guard. But it will be far from over. As they exit the gaol, I will place myself in their path. You and the reeve will follow discretely, so you can overhear our conversation. When they recognize me for the woman who’s caused them so many problems, they will be sure to come speak to me, and their complicity in the abduction will become clear, as will their knowledge of the English tongue.
The reeve is reluctant to investigate against his uncle by marriage at the moment, but he will have no scruples in arresting men whose guilt has been proven. ”
“Mm. It might be dangerous for you to be on your own with them,” Wolf said slowly. He didn’t seem to think it was a bad idea, but appeared worried all the same.
“I think it will be fine,” she assured him, with more confidence than she felt. “We’ll be in town, surrounded by people, not in the middle of nowhere. And you and the reeve will be there, ready to intervene if need be. No harm will come to me.”
There was a silence, then Wolf gave a low admirative whistle. “You really are your father’s daughter,” he said slowly. “That Dane is nothing if not resourceful.”
The compliment went straight to Aife’s heart.
No one had called her resourceful before, even if her family had always commented on her practical nature.
Even more gratifying was the fact that Wolf did not try to dissuade her or doubt that she could achieve what she’d set off to achieve.
He trusted her, he understood that she wanted revenge for what she and Torsten had endured, and he was willing to give her the opportunity to get it.
“Yes, well,” she said with a smile, grateful for his understanding. “We women have no choice but to resort to cunning, considering we cannot rely on brute strength.”
“Believe me, I do know that, being married to Merewen.” His smile was proof that his love for his wife was stronger than ever. “Very well, you just do your part. Then as soon as brute strength is required, I’ll take over.”
“Thank you.”
“No. Thank you for allowing me to avenge my son.”
Aife sobered, remembering all Torsten had endured these last weeks through her fault. “You can thank me when it is done. Besides, I am grateful you are allowing me to avenge myself also.”
She had her own score to settle with the men. It was not all about Torsten, even if he’d almost been killed. She had almost been raped that day, and then handed over to a man who would have used her for his amusement before likely disposing of her. It was not insignificant.
“You’re very brave, you know that?” she heard Wolf say.
Aife shook her head. “I don’t think I am. Your daughter Eyja is the brave one.”
“Eyja is brave to the point of foolishness sometimes.” Wolf’s mouth quivered, betraying his immense tenderness for her.
“But it’s not because she is that you can’t be as well, in your own, more sensible way.
She’s not the brave one, but a brave one, amongst many.
You don’t think there is only one brave person in each given village, do you?
One clever one, one funny one, one determined one, and so forth?
Most people are a bit of all this, in different proportions. ”
Well, Aife felt rather silly because she had thought something along those lines up until not too long ago.
She’d been unable to pinpoint what her special achievement was and thought herself unworthy of interest because of it.
But perhaps Wolf was right. Perhaps everyone had their own unique set of skills and abilities that made them special, and if they happened not to have one obvious or rare one, it was not a problem.
She was brave like Eyja, if an admittedly different way, compassionate, even if perhaps not as much as Bee, sociable, though unlike Rowena, she felt sometimes ill at ease in front of strangers, and just as helpful as Cwenthryth, in the right circumstances.
She was also a fearless and accomplished swimmer, good at finding cockles, devoted to her friends and family, and she had been the one proving to Torsten that he was a man like any other, her proudest moment.
Torsten… Despite all he had been through because of her, he certainly had never given her the impression that whatever she was, was not enough.
“Thank you,” she told Wolf, moved. This conversation would mark a turning point in her life. It would be a first step toward acceptance of who she was and what she could do.
As if sensing she needed time to absorb what he’d just told her, Wolf launched his horse into a canter, preventing further discussion. She followed, trusting Grendel unconditionally despite her recent fall. At this speed, the city walls soon came into view.
They entered through the south gate and did not stop until they had reached the reeve’s residence.
To Aife’s relief, it wasn’t hard to convince him of the validity of her idea.
It was as Wolf had said—the man seemed happy enough to pursue the two Normans and go to interrogate Ranulf, but first he needed to be given irrefutable proof of foul play to protect himself from any accusation coming from his wife’s family.
This was what she would hopefully provide.
“As soon as the men exit the gaol, they will see me in the street, stationed as if waiting for someone. I’m certain they will not resist the temptation of coming to see me.”
“We will take John, one of my guards, with us,” the reeve decided.
“He’s one of Ranulf’s closest friends. Having him corroborate the story will protect me from his family’s ill will.
It will be clear this is nothing personal, only a necessary investigation, and he will lend a hand if we need to restrain the men. ”
Wolf nodded, satisfied. “Go and tell the bastards they are free to leave, then.”