Chapter 56
The rest of the evening was a haze of plans and preparations, extending late into the night.
Their bandmates had still been eating and chatting and laughing together by the fire, but when Kalfr called for their attention, they all gathered around at once.
And then, with Raye and Gaelfr staunchly flanking him on each side, Kalfr told the band of his plan to meet Sybil, and seek to negotiate.
“Ach, negotiate,” Skirvir said, with a nod, and a knowing smirk. “And mayhap grant her the strong orc ploughing she longs for, also.”
Gaelfr replied with a furious muttered curse, while Fengr swiped for a large yam from the counter — a leftover from supper — and hurled it with impressive accuracy toward Skirvir’s groin.
And as Skirvir yowled and hopped about on his good leg, Kalfr informed the rest of them that they would be taking every precaution, and that they would ask for support from the mountain, as well.
“We have no wish to launch us all into more war,” he said firmly.
“But if this meeting might help avoid the coming attack, and gain our safety, then I wish to attempt this. We will seek to surprise them well away from our byrgi, so they do not have time to plan an offense, and we will only meet in a safe place, also.”
Left unsaid were the many, many ways this could go wrong, or the fact that Sybil still wanted to trap Kalfr, and hurt him, and kill him. But clearly the rest of the band’s orcs knew that anyway, judging by their uneasy exchanged looks, and the way they shifted on their feet.
“But what of all other plans here?” Egil asked. “And our defenses? Will we keep readying these?”
“Ach, we will,” Kalfr replied. “We must still be ready to face this attack, if this meeting fails. We will thus split our band — a group will come with me, and the rest will stay.”
The prospect of splitting the band curdled in Raye’s gut, but no one protested, and Olarr stepped forward, and clapped Kalfr on the shoulder. “I will come,” he said. “Who else?”
“I will,” Gaelfr replied, flat and decisive, and though that shouldn’t have been a surprise — of course he would want to go — it twisted Raye’s dread deeper.
Because it meant at least one of them would need to stay behind with Svein, and it would need to be her, and what if Kalfr and Gaelfr were both attacked, brutalized, killed, while she was left behind alone again?
“I ought to go, also,” Skirvir cut in, still wheezing, and glaring toward Fengr. “In case this pretty woman decides she wishes for —”
“No, Skirvir,” Kalfr snapped. “You will stay here, and guard Raye and Svein. Egil and Othan, I wish you to come with me also, and Soren and William, in case we need a safe place underground to meet. Eyolf, Iyolf, I wish you to run and fetch Joarr at once, for I am sure he shall wish to join us — and with any other help the mountain sends, that ought to be enough.”
But Raye’s thoughts were again swarming with danger, with death, and she clutched at Kalfr’s arm. “Shouldn’t Rurik go with you, too?” she rasped. “Just — in case?”
Kalfr’s glance toward her suggested that no, he hadn’t planned for that, but after another long look at Raye’s face, he nodded. “Ach, Rurik, you come also,” he said, “and Julian, should you wish. The rest of you will stay.”
But the dread coiled even tighter in Raye’s gut, and she could scarcely hear the rest of the conversation through the ringing in her ears.
Kalfr and Gaelfr were really leaving, leaving her and Svein behind, going off to meet with another woman.
A beautiful, alluring, dangerous woman, who’d sent Kalfr that portrait, and what if some part of him still secretly wanted her, what if he decided it would just be easier to —
No. No. He wouldn’t. And this was an appalling thing for Raye to think, Sybil had hurt him, and Raye trusted him. She did.
But even so, it felt as though she was swimming through mud for the rest of the discussion, her dread and fear wrenching stronger with every breath — and she flinched at the sudden appearance of Svein, looking wide awake as he edged into the room in his sleeping-clothes, clutching Mr. Snuggles to his chest.
“Svein, love!” Raye exclaimed, attempting a smile as she lurched over toward him. “What are you doing up here? You ought to be asleep.”
Svein’s bottom lip jutted out, and he cast a mutinous look toward Kalfr and Gaelfr and the band. “What are you all doing?” Svein asked, his voice small. “Are you going to leave, Papas?”
Raye exchanged a look with Kalfr and Gaelfr, and together they ushered Svein back downstairs, into his room.
And once he was safely settled in bed again, Kalfr explained their plans for the meeting, choosing his words with care.
“So there is naught to fear, son,” he said once he’d finished, squeezing reassuringly at Svein’s shoulder.
“We shall only meet in a safe place, and Egil will help us scent for any danger. I am sure our mountain will send help, also.”
But Svein didn’t look convinced, biting his lip, squeezing Mr. Snuggles tighter. “But that bad lady made you sad, Papa,” he whispered. “She wants to hurt you, and make you sad again.”
Raye blinked, because — how did Svein know that? She’d tried to keep him out of all those conversations, and surely Kalfr and Gaelfr wouldn’t have told him either, would they?
But no, they hadn’t, based on that brief exchanged glance between them, and now Gaelfr grasped Svein’s other shoulder, too.
“You have no need to fear this, son,” he said.
“I shall never allow our enemies to touch Kalfr again, and he shall not, either. We are strong, brave Bautul, and together we shall overcome any danger, or any foe.”
Svein’s grip on Mr. Snuggles slightly loosened, and he nodded, though he kept searching Kalfr’s face. “But can’t the bad lady scent you?” he asked. “Won’t she be able to hunt you down, like she did before? And get you when you’re not expecting it?”
Kalfr and Gaelfr exchanged another uneasy glance, but Kalfr shook his head.
“The only reason she could do this, before,” he replied, “was because of these bands of mercenaries she hired to follow my scent. But we will surprise them with this meeting, so they will not expect us to be heading straight toward them, ach? Nor will they wish to waylay this meeting she has been asking for. And throughout all this, we will scent and scout for any danger, also.”
Svein didn’t immediately reply, still chewing at his lip, and worriedly studying Kalfr’s face. And in a jerky movement, Kalfr leaned forward, and drew Svein into a tight hug. “We shall come back for you, son,” he rasped. “We shall be safe, and keep you safe, also. I swear this.”
Svein sagged into Kalfr’s embrace, his eyes closing, and he didn’t attempt to argue again.
But once Raye had kissed Svein goodnight and followed Kalfr and Gaelfr back upstairs for more plans and discussions, she couldn’t stop circling it, picking at the threads.
This was so risky, so dangerous, she and Svein would be left behind alone, what if Kalfr and Gaelfr never came back…
“Ach, saeta,” Gaelfr finally muttered, under his breath. “You must needs cease your vexing, and rest.”
Raye tried to wave it away, but Gaelfr harrumphed, and promptly drew her to her feet, and herded her back downstairs to their bedroom. Where he rapidly undressed her and tucked her into bed, before kicking off his own clothes, dousing the lamp, and slipping in beside her.
For a jolting, delirious instant, Raye thought he would shift himself atop her, cover her with his safety, fill her with his thick, dizzying strength — but no, he only settled in closer against her side, stroking his hand up and down her bare torso.
A touch that ought to have been reassuring, but Raye couldn’t deny a raw, rising discontent, a desperate craving almost too strong to bear.
Why couldn’t he give her this, even now?
When he was about to leave her, maybe forever?
Did he just want the son to be Kalfr’s that much?
Or was it that she hadn’t kept her vow enough?
Hadn’t yet gotten pregnant with that son?
If we had another son, I would stay, he’d told her. If. If.
He was still stroking her, his touch so gentle, his hand so warm.
And she could feel his hardness flexing against her side, could feel that fluid streaking against her bare skin.
Saying he wanted it, he did — and Raye wanted to trust him.
Wanted to be honest. Especially if this might be… it could be…
She swallowed over the tightness in her throat, and slipped her hand to his arm, stopping its movement against her.
“Gael,” she whispered. “I know things haven’t always been…
perfect, between us. And I haven’t fully…
kept my vow. But” — she hauled in a breath — “do you think, even just tonight, we could —”
She twitched at the sound of the door opening, the flicker of shadow across the room.
Kalfr, surely, and yes, she could smell the rich scent of him as he came closer.
“Forgive my delay,” came his low voice, and oh, that was the feel of him settling into the bed on Raye’s other side, his long body bare and silken against hers. “Is aught amiss?”
There was an instant’s too-heavy silence, but then Gaelfr cleared his throat. “Our mate only needs some tending, so she can rest,” he said gruffly. “Help me offer her this?”