Chapter 34
Thirty-Four
As I stood in the bow, my eyes closed to the wind, tears streaking my cheeks that weren’t of anger or sorrow but from the speed with which my ship took the waves outside of Nordoen, I almost remembered what it was like to be carefree.
Out here on the sea, with only the wind and the water by my side, I could pretend I was only the chief’s eldest daughter again.
That my only worry was whether the husband my parents would eventually choose for me would come to live with us on Oenskan or if I would venture to his island.
When my ship turned into the wind, playfully making water splash over the sides, I spread my feet until I stood steadier.
“I know,” I said with a smile. “I wouldn’t have met you if that was still the case.”
We’d only been back at the Hird for two days, but I’d spent the entire time aboard the vessel, telling myself we needed to get to know each other—that I needed to learn how to sail her, and that she needed to know what the seas out here were like.
The bow lifted, and my stomach surged when it came down again. “I didn’t mean that you don’t know how to sail,” I said softly. “We just need to get used to each other.”
The ship abruptly tacked, using the wind to throw us forward through the waters, and I grabbed the mast so as not to fall overboard. “Exactly like that,” I mumbled.
My vessel was a little temperamental. It had taken about twenty minutes for her to allow Darcke onboard, and when she finally did, she’d sailed so hard to Nordoen that Darcke and I hadn’t been able to speak a word because of the seasickness consuming us both.
Not that I’d minded.
We’d arrived hours before everyone else, and as we sailed into the dock, she’d almost thrown my second overboard before turning and taking off again.
We’d been out to sea ever since.
My stomach rumbled, and I pressed a hand against it to quell the sound. By now, I was getting used to going without food. I couldn’t exactly blame my ship for not realizing there wasn’t anything to eat out here for me. It wasn’t like she needed it.
“We should probably get back,” I said as the wind whipped my hair around my face and my stomach roared again. “There’s never long between the trial of wood and the trial of steel, and I should get ready.”
I hadn’t wanted to think about the second trial. I was supposed to bring all my iron-bound so we each could earn our weapons, which meant I would have to deal not only with the brooding Darcke but also with the murderous Kilia.
It would be nice to have Ilse with me, but I also felt guilty bringing her into this mess. She’d have to engage with the two men almost as much as I did, and she’d had no choice in the matter.
The ship heeled, using the wind to throw us into a sharp turn toward Nordoen, and I went to sit in the helm, even though I hadn’t had to use the wooden helm a single time since I’d boarded her.
A heated awareness pricked the back of my scalp, and I tried to soothe any stirring emotions in me when Darcke’s fierce ones burst through the bond.
He’d been angrier than usual when I’d been gone.
I’d woken several times in the middle of the night, staring at the stars while waiting for him to calm himself down enough that I could sleep again.
As the harbor came into view, my eyes instantly drew toward where Darcke’s ship should float. But she wasn’t there.
The empty spot where the onyx ship was usually secured gaped like a wound. I was so busy trying to figure out where he could be that I didn’t realize we’d sailed past the docks until we were almost around the bend of the island, leaving the harbor and the Hird behind.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
My ship didn’t make a sound as she continued sailing swiftly through the waters, keeping the island starboard. The bow broke the waves so smoothly it barely felt like we were moving.
I tried to sound more stern. “We need to go back. I need to make sure I don’t miss anything important.”
Still no reaction.
“Gods,” I said with a huff. “Maybe I should name you Envis.”
It was an old word for stubborn, and it described her perfectly. The planks beneath my feet lifted twice, the captain’s wheel warming.
“You like that?”
Another tremor went through the wood beneath my boots, and I shook my head. “You’re a strange ship.”
She heeled so swiftly a wave of water washed over me, drenching me. Using the back of my hand, I got most of the brackish water out of my eyes. I squinted against the sun starting to set over the horizon, where five ships were floating ahead.
“Guess I deserved that,” I mumbled. “I won’t call you strange again.”
The vessels grew closer. My pulse thrummed when Darcke’s and Torden’s ships shifted on the soft waves outside the inlet leading to the lake behind the Hird, allowing space for us to moor beside them.
I nervously pulled at my wet leathers when Darcke’s presence surrounded me even though we were still a hundred feet away. I patted the messy braids in my hair and tried, but quickly gave up on, getting out the knots at the back of my neck.
Envis started listing again, the mast creaking as we leaned over the dark water.
“Enough,” I ordered as I slipped on the polished wood. “I won’t have time to clean up, so please don’t throw me overboard.”
Faces were already turned our way, and I fought the urge to hunch over—to hide on the deck and get Envis to sail in the opposite direction as swiftly as she could.
Music drifted over the water, drums and horns weaving a fast beat that didn’t suit the quiet sunset.
As we came closer, the smell of meat and wine and ale layered over us like the mist back at Morkskog.
A thrill of anticipation went through the ship, and Envis started sailing faster.
“Easy,” I cautioned. “I don’t think they’ll like it if you bump into them.”
Obviously, she didn’t listen. I had to grab the mast when she opened the sails wider instead, making us fly toward the festivities.
“Envis!” I called. “Stop! We’re going to crash!”
The people on the deck had realized the same thing, and people started shoving each other as they moved away from the stern of the two ships. Only one person stood still, his arms crossed over his wide chest and his blond hair blown back from his face as he waited for us to slam into his vessel.
“Stop,” I demanded again, but my voice was as unconvincing as my mind.
Envis picked up on my mood, and I pretended to turn away to be able to hold on when she increased her speed, her furious intent to knock my second off the deck making me giggle into the arm I used to cover my face.
Shouts reverberated over the water when the music cut off, and the ships shifted when people fought for space in the bows to get away from my rogue vessel. Darcke remained in his place, and when I could make out his face, it was calm—relaxed—only one brow raised as if watching an unruly child.
“Can you run him over after you get him into the water too?” I hissed between my teeth.
Envis lifted her brow, then slammed it down into the water three times. I suddenly had no idea why I’d been worried about the golden oak blessing me.
“Slow down,” Darcke ordered.
“Don’t,” I said, arching my own brows in defiance.
Don’t fucking test me, heir. You will regret it.
I didn’t actually hear him, but it was what I imagined he was telling me in his mind.
That distant fury I’d felt out at sea filled me now, taking over every part of my mind, and it was a relief to be able to focus on one emotion, not the worry and sorrow and fear that had clawed at my throat the past two days.
There was only a drop of guilt within me for Darcke’s ship. She’d been kind to me, after all. But the shame was overshadowed by the roaring rage that rolled off my second, making it impossible to read any other feelings he might have coursing within him.
An excited squeak went through the golden oak when we came within ten feet, and I braced myself around the mast, holding on to Darcke’s eyes. His small smile was the only warning before his ship flew to the side in a blur of black.
“Fuck,” I cursed as I realized what would happen.
The rope leading to Darcke’s anchor stopped Envis, and I was thrown into the bow, a groan leaving me as the railing smacked my forehead so hard my vision went out for a second. Then Darcke’s ship moved again, whipping around until she slammed us against Torden’s vessel, trapping us between the two.
I lifted my hand to my forehead as the shade from their sails fell over the deck, grumbling when Envis purred happily, quite pleased to be floating between the two warships.
“I thought you were on my side,” I muttered as I used my other hand to try to stand.
Then I was in the air before I was slammed down on my feet so hard my teeth rattled.
“You’re bleeding,” Darcke growled.
Good to see you too.
“It’s your fault.” I didn’t look at him as I searched my pockets for something to stop the blood running down my temple.
“Debatable.”
I recoiled when Darcke’s hand brushed my cheek.
“I’m just making sure it’s not deep,” he said.
I didn’t know what was worse, the whispers rising behind us or the gentleness with which he tipped my face up.
“I thought you were angry with me,” I said, trying to keep my eyes unfocused as my second ripped off a piece of his tunic and pressed it against the wound. “I couldn’t sleep because your emotions were so strong.”
“Is that why you stayed away?”
I swallowed when his eyes went between mine.
“No,” I replied quietly. “That’s not why.”
He opened and closed his mouth a few times, but as the people who’d run to the bow returned and curious gazes went over us, he took a step back. “You’ll be fine. It wasn’t too bad.”
“Great,” I said as Ivren, Viljan, and Fedic came into view on Torden’s ship. “I should…”
“Yes.” Darcke had already turned to Torden’s ship, elegantly heaving himself over the railing before walking over to Torden and Borje where they sat on the side of the ship.