Marrying Her Viking Enemy

скачать книгу бесплатно


His smile fell to become a scowl. ‘I can take care of myself, Elswyth. Besides, I didn’t come all this way to have you scold me.’

‘Why are you here? Has something happened to Father?’ In her excitement it was hard to keep her voice low so that any of the Danes coming in and out of the gates wouldn’t hear.

‘Nay, Father is well, or at least I assume he is. I haven’t been home yet, I’ve come straight here.’ He hesitated and her chest tightened. ‘It’s Baldric. He’s been taken by the Scots.’

‘What?’ That was the last thing she had expected him to say. Their younger brother was only fourteen winters and he had no interaction with the Scots, or he hadn’t when she’d been home. Galan had been their father’s accomplice in advocating for joining their ranks. He’d ridden with Father last spring to their secret meetings with the warriors. She had hoped that the winter would bring an end to that, but it seemed her hope had been in vain. ‘How is that possible?’

Galan had the grace to look guilty. The cloak had fallen back a bit and he ran the heel of his hand over his brow and couldn’t seem to meet her eyes. ‘He went with me to our meeting with them.’ Ignoring her gasp of outrage, he continued, ‘While we were there a group of Scots met up with some Danes who were on their way to Alvey, we believe. They destroyed them, Elswyth. Every last one of the Scots were killed.’

She tried not to imagine the carnage that sort of battle involved, but the images flashed behind her eyes anyway. Rolfe had taken a Scot’s spear a few days ago. Could it have been him and his group of warriors? She shuddered at the violence she had known him capable of. ‘You were not involved in the battle?’

He shook his head. ‘Nay, we were at their camp. The group of Scots were on their way to us, but obviously they never made it. A scout found the carnage left behind and came to let us know. The Scots suspect that Father was somehow involved in revealing their location to the Danes.’

‘That’s preposterous! Father would never betray their location.’ Whether or not she agreed with his madness in attempting to drive the Danes from their land, she knew that he was an honourable man. He would never betray anyone he considered a friend or ally.

‘We both know that. They, however, want proof of our loyalty.’

‘How does kidnapping a child prove anything of loyalty?’

‘Baldric is hardly a child. He will be fifteen winters very soon.’

She sniffed in disagreement. The weight of Baldric’s hand in hers was still vivid from all the nights she had lain in bed with him after Mother had gone, telling him stories when he couldn’t sleep or was ill. He wasn’t old enough to be brought into this madness. ‘He is a child and he should never have been there. How could you have taken him with you?’

‘He demanded to come and he’s old enough to make his own decisions now.’

She strongly disagreed with that, but arguing that now wouldn’t get them anywhere. ‘What does Baldric have to do with proving Father’s loyalty?’

‘Because the Dane bastards...’ He paused to spit as if the word was foul on his tongue.

‘Shh.’ A quick look around assured her that no one had overheard him.

‘They stole a small fortune from the Scots they attacked. It was a stash of coin and jewels meant for the mercenaries at our meeting.’

‘Mercenaries!’ This time it was Galan’s turn to shush her. ‘Have things progressed so far already? They’re hiring mercenaries to attack the Danes?’

Galan took her arm and led her farther away from the gates. In a whisper he explained, ‘There are Danes on their western coast. They are preparing to fight those. At the moment there are no set plans for Alvey.’

That was a relief, but it was only a matter of time, she feared. Somehow in all of this, hating the Danes had come second to keeping her family safe.

‘I don’t know the details,’ he continued, ‘but one of the jewels that was taken with the coin was a bloodstone. It belongs to King Causantín’s family and has some ceremonial importance to them. That is what they want us to recover. If we can deliver it to them, then they will consider Father’s loyalty proven and release Baldric. Do you think you can do it?’

She still didn’t understand their idea of loyalty. Wasn’t it possible for Father to despise them and yet return the stone to free Baldric? Sometimes she failed to comprehend the logic of warriors. ‘You want me to find the bloodstone?’

‘Aye. They believe that Rolfe led the band of Danes that took it. He’s here?’

She nodded, because her mouth was suddenly too dry for speech. Last night Rolfe had sat with Lord Vidar and Lady Gwendolyn in the hall, sacks of coin between them. Later, when she’d patched his wound, she had noticed a red stone on his bed set amid some silver. Could that be the one?

‘Good. Then the stone is likely here as well. You must find it, Elswyth. It’s the only way to save Baldric.’

‘But how will I know which one it is?’

He shrugged. ‘All I know is that it is the size of a walnut and is set in gold on a chain.’

‘I may have seen it.’