Islands in the Fog Read online

  They waited in nervous silence as the rain held to a drizzle. Toki pumped his leg restlessly waiting for Dana's return. If Halla truly needed help, he could not refuse. She would not flee her home without cause. He decided Vermund had to be the trouble. His arms trembled at the thought of that thin face hovering close to Halla's. The man was a murderer, and a danger to all he loved. He could not let Halla be his next victim. Finally Bork spoke up.

  "Why don't you tell me what's going on?"

  Toki hung his head, water running into his eyes. "I'm sorry, my friend. I have been poor company." He explained how he had been caught and forbidden from meeting Halla. "But I needed to tell her myself. Now it seems she's in trouble."

  Bork smiled and wiped the rain from his face. "That's why old Bork has kept himself a single man. Life is less complicated."

  The reappearance of Dana at the top of rocks interrupted their shared laughter. She called Toki's name then paused for a breath. "Get the boat on the water. Lady Halla is close behind, and is pursued."

  "Pursued? What is going on? Is she in danger?"

  "We're all in danger. Please, prepare the boat."

  "On these waters, my boat will struggle with four people. Can your woman swim?" Bork didn't wait for an answer, but flipped the boat onto its keel. Toki helped him with it, slipping down the thin ledge as he did.

  They fought to hold the boat steady against the slapping waves. Toki used a free hand to toss in Halla's bags while Bork replaced the oars. Once they finished, Dana was helping Halla down the steep path. She was covered in a sealskin cloak. Her pale hair splashed from the shadows of her hood. Dana walked backwards, holding both of Halla's hands. Lightning flashed in the gray skies behind her. She slipped with a squeal, then managed herself down to Toki's level.

  "You must save me from my father. His men are right behind. Take me to your home, protect me!" She lifted her gray skirt with one hand and ran into Toki's embrace. He crushed her to his chest, and all resolve to honor his oath vanished. He felt her trembling under his arms and knew she needed him. The reasons did not matter to him, only that she had to be defended.

  "I will protect you, Halla." She glanced back up the cliff, then Toki guided her to Bork who struggled with the boat. "Get aboard first and hold the sides. Dana, you go next."

  The two women slipped easily onto the short benches, their skirts sucking up the seawater that already puddled in the boat. Bork jumped in and gestured Toki do the same. The women sat between them as they dipped oars into the water.

  Lightning flashed again, and this time thunder rolled in the distance. The small boat flopped on the waves like a leaf spinning on a pond. The two women screeched. Toki pulled hard on the oars and tried to point the boat toward the exit, though the incoming waves fought them.

  "My father's men!" Halla pointed up the cliff and Toki saw the shapes of three men appear on the ridge. Their cloaks flapped and hair blew in the wind. One man started down the slope while another unslung his bow. One man cupped his mouth and shouted.

  "Turn back! You are kidnapping Halla Hardarsdottir. You'll be hunted to the edge of the world!"

  "Kidnapping?" Bork shouted over the women's head to Toki. "This is a bit more serious than I'd hoped."

  "Row, you dog! They've got bows!"

  The men on the ridge took their shots. Toki knew it was a waste of arrows, as the wind would blow them down and the rain would swell their bowstrings. It was an idle threat but he didn't want to be close enough for a lucky shot. Whatever they let loose did not reach the water.

  "Does your father know you're with me?"

  Halla shook her head. "I think he had someone following me. Only Dana ever knew about you."

  Toki felt relieved, hoping he could evade Hardar's suspicion. The men were distant enough to make recognizing him difficult. Only his direction would give them a weak clue.

  They finally broke out of the crevice and caught the open sea. The waves would shove them toward the rocks, and so they pointed farther out to safety. Hardar's men ran along the ridge, but soon they would be out of sight.

  The first gust nearly capsized the boat. The rain began slashing down in strength. Everyone screamed as waves slammed into them. Toki spit the seawater onto the deck. He looked up and Dana covered Halla with her body. Bork was shaking his head like a dog coming out of a lake.

  "We only have to get ahead of them. There's a shingle we can pull into not far from here. Wait out the storm there," Toki shouted across to Bork. "I think we made it away from them."

  Bork nodded with a smile. Then Toki spotted a black shape emerge behind his shoulder. The man who had scrambled down the slope had fought to the mouth of the crevice, and now clambered up a rock. Waves crashed all around him, threatening to sweep the fool to his death. Toki saw him line up his bow. The wind and rain would foil the shot, even though he was not too distant. Toki nearly laughed.

  Then the wind died. The bow twanged.

  Bork's smile never faded as he fell sideways out of the boat. His oars slipped into the water. The wind gusted again, and without Bork's strength Toki fought to keep the vessels under control. He wanted to scream, but rain and spray hit him in the face. Halla and Dana both cried out. He looked again and Bork was gone, swallowed into the thrashing, foamy waves. They were already being blown around a bend and beyond sight of their enemies.

  He rowed but was still driven to the rocks. He had to put Bork out of mind and focus on saving themselves. They were blown into a shallow cove, filled with only rocks and cliffs. But they were shielded from the wind and waves. Toki hoped to idle in this spot until the storm passed.

  He searched once more for Bork, hoping that against all reason he would pop out of the water. He knew his friend had paid Fate's price for helping him. Toki shuddered, knowing the gods had only just begun to exact their vengeance.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  The hall sat in leaden silence. Ulfrik drained his mug, savored the last mouthful, and swallowed. He carefully set it on the table. He folded his hands and wrenched a smile to his face. An insincere smile was better than expressing the rage beating at his temples. Nothing would be achieved in rage.

  The hearth fire was at a low burn. The twilight beyond the hall could not penetrate within, so the flames danced a weak yellow light over the gathered men. Ulfrik scanned their faces around the table: Snorri, Ari, and Thorvald, all his closest men and confidants. None smiled. Toki huddled in a dry cloak beside the hearth, his head bowed and his bedraggled hair covering his face. His wet cloak dried by the hearth. Ulfrik heard Gunnar squealing outside in the distance where Gerdie entertained him while Runa went to Toki's home to care for his two women.

  "Friends," Ulfrik began, "we have important decisions to make. All of Nye Grenner might be affected by what we decide tonight."

  "Too late for leaving us out of it," Thorvald said, casting a scowl at Toki from the high table. "He's already done the deed, and one of our own is dead for it."

  "Don't you think I suffer for that?" Toki twisted to face them. "I will take that guilt to my grave."

  "Before this is done you'll have more than one to think about in grave, that's for certain."

  "Mind yourself," threatened Ulfrik. Of all the men he called together, only Thorvald had never sailed with Toki. He was the least inclined to understanding, though Ulfrik valued his opinions. "None of us agree with what Toki did. He broke an oath to the gods. That will be repaid as the gods deem fit."

  Ari rubbed his face with both hands. His gnarled and thin form filled with shadow, making him appear carved from wood. "He broke an oath to you, too."

  "And you broke your oath to Jarl Kjotve to serve me," Ulfrik replied. "Let's not throw spears at each other tonight. I gathered you to help decide the best response to this crisis. Hardar will consider this kidnapping his daughter. Toki sees it as rescuing a woman from a cruel man. What is the best response?"

  His words echoed around the hall. Ulfrik smiled again, otherwise he wanted to scream. Toki had
broken an oath, and oath-breakers were scum. But Toki was an old friend, a brother-in-law, and a good person. Ulfrik knew him to be a man of high passions, guided by his sense of honor and duty. But his passions too often ruled him. Combined with the thrill of lust and danger, Ulfrik understood why Toki had been unable to resist Halla.

  "Do you think it's a plot?" Snorri broke the extended silence. The thought hit Ulfrik like a hammer. Others sat up straighter at Snorri's question. Ulfrik faced Toki, and the others followed.

  Toki shot to his feet, throwing his unbound cloak to the dirt floor. "Then it would be some piece of work! I saw Vermund pursuing her at the festival. She told me at the festival about her fears. Halla is innocent of a plot."

  Thorvald snorted at Toki's protestations. But Ulfrik held up his hand. "I believe Halla to be innocent of guile. But that does not rule out Snorri's suspicion. Maybe Hardar planned this to ruin my reputation, or worse."

  "He will be searching for his daughter," Snorri said, running his fingers through his gray beard. "He will come to at least ask for your help. The sensible thing is to turn her over immediately."

  Ulfrik stared at Snorri, and could no longer force a smile. "And Hardar will demand justice. And justice for kidnapping his daughter would be Toki's life."

  Everyone exchanged glances, but soon all turned to Toki. He stood trembling, pale and eyes wide, his mouth working soundlessly. Ulfrik felt a derisive laugh bubble in his throat, but swallowed it. He suspected Toki had never considered where his actions would lead. He stood from the bench and stepped down from the high table.

  He gripped Toki's thick arm and squeezed. "I should hand you over. But there is another way, and one I think Hardar much prefers: gold. It will be the second time I buy this fool's life for him."

  Toki turned his head away and closed his eyes. Ulfrik released his grip with a shove. Thorvald drank from his mug, standing to challenge Ulfrik. "And what if Hardar won't accept gold?"

  "Then it's war."

  "War because this one wants a tumble with a jarl's daughter?" Thorvald jabbed his finger at Toki. "Don't we all want to fuck a princess? Should every man's blood be spilled for that?"

  "Silence! I asked you here for your clear thinking and all I'm getting is poison. If Hardar refuses gold, he is being unreasonable. That shit of a man has been courting a fight since the festival. If that is his wish, then I will nail his head to my mast and sail it around the islands until it rots off. Like all of us, I pray the gods it will not come to that."

  "Hardar is not alone. Others desire our wealth and will join him to steal from us. It's more than a fight between you and him. It's us against everyone else." Thorvald's voice was low and grave.

  "I have allies as well, Ragnvald for example. You exaggerate the threat."

  Ulfrik folded his arms over his chest. His head throbbed as he glared at Thorvald. The blacksmith's gaze faltered and he sat down again. Snorri and Ari both nodded in approval. Ulfrik then turned to Toki.

  "I'm sorry, old friend. We cannot interfere in a father's plans for his daughter. And I can't accuse Jarl Vermund of being a murderer without better proof than third-hand rumor. The life of a jarl's daughter is a difficult one, particularly with a jarl like Hardar. I am going to return Halla to her family, and again I forbid you from ever seeing her again."

  Toki looked at him and swallowed. He nodded and clasped Ulfrik's shoulder. "I'll not defy you again. I have been chastened."

  "I sincerely hope you are," Ulfrik said, his expression flat. "For if you defy me, you may never set foot on my land again. I will declare you an oath-breaker and outlaw. I have to protect my people, Toki. All of them."

  Hardar arrived within a day of Toki pulling ashore with Halla and Dana. Ulfrik never doubted he would show, but he hadn't expected such dire news. The man before him wrung his hands, eyes darting around the hall. The exertion of frantic rowing had matted his hair flat. He repeated himself when Ulfrik did not respond. "All three of Hardar's ships are coming. Beast heads are mounted and shields are off the rails. We could see the gleam of their mail. Do you hear, Lord Ulfrik?"

  Ulfrik watched the sweat trickle over his twisted nose. Runa sat next to him, frozen over her breakfast of salted whale meat. The hirdmen lining the tables held still and silent. Warm sunlight from the smoke hole framed the hall in a bright block.

  Blinking away the shock, Ulfrik regained himself. "Gather the people to the hall. Summon the rest of the hird to the slope."

  Ulfrik's wooden voice lacked power, but men snapped to their duties. Meals were abandoned and drinks spilled as they rushed to retrieve their weapons. Already a horn sounded. Ulfrik closed his eyes at the sound. "War again. How far must a man travel to escape it," he spoke to himself, rubbed his face, then faced Runa and Gunnar.

  "What's happening, Father?" Gunnar's eyes were wide behind his dark bangs. He sat on Runa's lap, watching the hirdmen rushing from the hall.

  "You will stay with your mother." Ulfrik looked into Runa's eyes, her face taut with fear. He brushed her cheek and whispered to her. "It may only be a show. Do not worry, wife. He is eager to embarrass me."

  "I hope that is all he is eager for," she replied.

  Ulfrik had no more time to spare. Snorri was behind the last of the hirdmen squeezing out of the hall. Ulfrik heard shouts and hurried voices. He pulled Snorri's arm. "Hold on. You need to get Toki and those two women. Bring them to the slope as fast as you can. I will stall Hardar, provided he isn't seeking battle."

  Snorri nodded. "He didn't waste any time getting here. Do you think he knows already?"

  Ulfrik shook his head. Snorri jogged off while a line of women and children queued at the entrance. Ulfrik returned to his room to wear his mail and helmet. He snatched them off the rack, toppling it in his haste. He gave the hall to Runa, who was organizing and calming the confused people cramming inside. Nye Grenner had never been raided, and many had never experienced that terror before. Ulfrik hoped they wouldn't experience it today.

  Outside, his men formed a loose block of gleaming helmets and sparkling mail. Thorvald's talent as a smith was unparalleled, and it showed in the state of the hirdmens' gear. A crew of men were pulling Ulfrik's ships up slope to protect them from capture. On the sparkling turquoise water, three square sails of red and white billowed in the distance. Men crowed the forecastles, spear points flashing. Ulfrik joined Thorvald at the front rank beneath a pole flying Nye Grenner's standard, a flag of green with black elk antlers.

  "Looks like Toki's adventure brought us a fight after all." Thorvald smiled without mirth. Ulfrik ignored him and addressed his men. He felt a swell of pride at how fast they had assembled.

  "You know those sails. You know those men. They are Hardar's folk. You may have drank with them, sung songs with them. But if they step foot on our land intending murder, then you kill them. We protect our families, protect our lands. We are for Nye Grenner!"

  Ulfrik pumped his fist to the sky and the men roared back and stomped the ground. Eighty men in mail coats raised a massive din aimed at cowing the approaching foe. Ulfrik turned to face Hardar as his sails trimmed and the ships glided to the thin strip of beach. He stood out on the prow of his ship. Despite his size, he gracefully leapt into the shallows to wade ashore. His crews piled out of their ships, dragging the vessels onto the beach. Ulfrik squinted at him down the slope.

  Hardar's men huddled behind him like boys behind their mothers. They stood in the rolling surf for reasons Ulfrik did not understand. Seals barked on distant rocks, and the creak of leather and crunch of mail were the only other sounds. Ulfrik inhaled the sea air, waiting.

  Snorri and Toki joined the front ranks. Ulfrik leaned forward to see Toki, his face haggard and drawn. "Your woman's father has something to say to us, and I doubt it's about hosting your wedding."

  Everyone's attention turned back to Hardar. His men moved out of the surf but halted while he and two other men continued up the slope. Ulfrik raised his fist, and his men answered by stomping their fee
t and banging their shields in time. The thunderous sound stopped Hardar halfway up. Ulfrik held his chin high as the rhythmic beating intimidated Hardar's untrained men. He tapped Snorri and Thorvald. "You two come with me to witness what he has to say. Toki, you best remain here."

  Thorvald planted the standard in the soft ground, then all three approached Hardar. He waited with his hands on his hips, standing before his two men. He wore freshly scoured mail that bulged tight around his middle. His breeches were white with red stripes, his personal colors. A scowl contorted his pale eyes as they searched Ulfrik's face.

  "Just thought you'd bring the men by to say hello?" Ulfrik asked, then smirked.

  "Where's my daughter?"

  His stomach burned at the question, as he hadn't checked if she had accompanied Toki. He hoped Snorri would reply, but he remained mute. "She's ready to travel home. You can take her now."

  Hardar's bluster faltered, but he scanned past Ulfrik and his scowl returned. "Then where is she?"

  "She's coming, as soon as your men board their ships. You shouldn't have come with an army at your back. I might think you want to start a fight."

  Hardar held his belly and laughed. Ulfrik shifted his weight and folded his arms, waiting for Hardar to regain himself. "Your wit is better than the last time I was here. Of course I come to fucking fight! You kidnapped my daughter and sent spies into my land."

  Ulfrik frowned. "You misunderstand, Hardar. Your daughter ran away from you, and one of my men was love struck enough to want to save her. You have my word it was nothing more."

  "Your word, eh?" Hardar flashed an evil smile, then tapped the man next to him. "Dag, give me the sack."

  Ulfrik watched a black cloth sack that hung full and heavy pass into Hardar's grip. He plunged his hand inside while addressing Ulfrik. "Seems there is a misunderstanding. But it's yours. We found this man creeping around my hall."

  Hardar yanked out a severed head, holding it by the hair. Ulfrik did not flinch, not a twitch. The face was slack and white, its features soft and distorted. But he knew it was Bork without having to study it. Poor Bork's milky eyes were rolled back and his tongue swelled to fill his open mouth. Both Thorvald and Snorri sucked a breath, and Ulfrik's men protested and shouted from behind. Ulfrik held up his open hand to silence them.