Chapter 15
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Agnarr's POV:
It was evening before I was finally able to return to the house. Gyda had the central hearth roaring, casting shadows upon the oaken walls.
"Gyda where is Bryn?"
She nodded her head towards a set of cloths draped over a rope, separating the sleeping quarters from the main part of the house.
"Thank you."
I stood before the curtain before moving it aside.
"Bryn, it's Daddy can I come in?"
No answer. Slowly I moved the curtain back. He lay on his sleeping mat, his head resting on the fur pillow, and his tiny frame stretched out on the white fur blanket.
I could tell he wasn't asleep, even though his back was to me.
"Bryn?" I moved towards him slowly so as not to startle him.
He sniffled and turned towards me, his eyes red-rimmed and his cheeks flushed from crying. My heart ached. I'd done that to him.
I sighed and knelt down.
"I'm sorry Bryn. I shouldn't have yelled at you, it was unfair. Sometimes how I forget you're only four, you seem so grown up."
Bryn sniffled again and sat up.
"You really think I'm grown up? That I'm a man?"
"I think you're well on your way to being one" I tapped his nose playfully and he giggled. He stood and enveloped me in a tight hug.
"I love you so much."
"I love you too Daddy."
Freyja's POV:
"Are you sure you don't want to come?" Magni asked, he and Aki standing at the door and preparing to leave for the second night of the feast.
"Yes, I don't feel particularly well this evening. Do you think it would be terribly dishonorable if I didn't come?"
"Well, you sat at his table last night, and he didn't specify the number of days you had to come so I suppose there's no harm."
Good, the last person I want to see is Agnarr right now.
He'd terrified me the way he yelled at Bryn.
How could anyone act that way towards a child?! A child?! And on the boat, he'd been so sweet and gentle and patient.
"We'll see you when we get back. Oh and don't let anyone in that you don't know."
I inwardly rolled my eyes playfully.
"I know Magni. I'll be careful."
When they had gone, I began to lock the door securely behind me when I heard voices, two men by the sound of it. I crept outside, around the house, glimpsing two dark figures in the alley between Aki's house and the next.
"Put it in his drink, test it first and then slip the poison into it. If all goes well, Agnarr will be dead before the night is out." The two men snickered evilly and began to make their way up the alley towards me. I quickly ducked back into the house and locked the door. When they're footsteps had faded away, heading in the direction of the Great Hall, I finally let out a breath. A plot? To assassinate Agnarr? Oh no. I had to warn him, before it was too late. Moving quickly, my heart pounding wildly and adrenaline pumping through my veins, I grabbed my dark cloak from the knob by the door and raced out into the night towards the Great Hall, only hoping that I could reach Agnarr in time.
Agnarr's POV:
"Daddy where's Freyja?" Bryn asked me above the noise of the feast.
"I...don't know. I'm sure she'll be here soon." I stroked him lovingly on the head.
I was surprised how quickly he'd taken to her. Usually Bryn was shy and reserved among people he didn't know that well. Yet, he'd followed Freyja to the shore that day and was giggling so hard at the feast with her yesterday that he complained his stomach hurt afterward. For her part I had been impressed with her patience and gentleness with him.
Then I glimpsed Magni and Aki entering. When they approached the table I stood and said "My friends."
It was then that I noticed that they're party seemed to be missing a certain dark-haired beauty.
"Where's Freyja?"
They both glanced at each other, as if each was unsure how to continue.
"We regret to inform you that she is not well this evening."
Which really meant she didn't wish to see me.
Who could blame her though after this morning? I sighed inwardly, thinking of how disappointed Bryn would be. I was surprised to discover the sagging feeling of disappointment rising within me as well.
"Of course. I hope she is well enough soon" I replied cordially.
Magni and Aki looked almost relieved that I hadn't appeared upset. I made my way back to the table.
"Is she coming?' Bryn exclaimed excitedly.
"No, my son, I'm afraid she's not feeling well right now." Bryn's face fell.
"Don't worry, I'm sure she'll be here next time." I could only hope that it was true.
Freyja's POV:
When I got to the doors of the Great Hall, sweating and out of breath, I immediately stopped to compose myself. If I were seen rushing to Agnarr's side like something was wrong, the assassins would instantly be put on alert.
I smoothed out my hair and was once again hit with the buzz of activity from the feast. I pushed past drunken men and women until I got close to the head table.
"Agnarr!" I hissed.
"Freyja" he looked up surprised, removing himself from his chair and smoothing some invisible hairs out of place.
"I must speak with you urgently. In private." Agnarr nodded and quickly took us a corner secluded from the rest of the feast.
"What are you doing here?"
"I've come to warn you. I overheard two men when I was at home. They intend to poison you tonight."
"Did you get a look at these two men."
"No it was dark out."
Agnarr looked at me doubtfully.
"Look, I know we've had our differences but do you really think I would come here and risk the reputation of Magni and his family, a man whom you well know that I am very loyal to, if I wasn't absolutely certain about this?"
Agnarr was silent for a moment.
"Ok, did you hear anything else?"
"They said they were going to test it and then drop the poison in discreetly afterward."
Agnarr nodded.
"I'll suppose we'll find out who it is even if you didn't see them. Now we just have to wait for whoever serves me a drink."
"Would you mind joining me at the table for the rest of the night. It may look more suspicious for you to leave after so soon arriving to speak with me."
I nodded, admitting to myself begrudgingly that he had a point.
I took a seat next to him, Bryn delighting at my sudden appearance.
"Freyja, you're here!" he enveloped me in an adorable warm hug, hands wrapped around my neck as if he didn't ever want to let go. I embraced him back, and when he released me he said "I have a surprise for you."
I gasped in kiddish delight.
"Really what is it?"
"Daddy says if you tell, then it wouldn't be a surprise."
"Well then I shall wait for it joyfully."
"Can we show her tomorrow?" he addressed the question to Agnarr.
"Yes of course, that is if she would like to come" he replied, making it obvious that he was trying to be considerate of my feelings on the subject.
Yet, I wasn't to be fooled a second time.
He'd shown his true colors this morning. If he acted that way towards a poor innocent little boy who'd already suffered so much in his extremely short life, then he would probably behave no better towards me in the end.
Agnarr's POV:
I could feel the animosity radiating from Freyja like heat from a blazing hearth. She didn't trust me anymore. Her defenses had gone up once again. I sighed inwardly. I wanted nothing more than for her to gaze at me with love and longing but instead tonight all's I seemed to be getting were eyes that never looked upon me except for a quick glance out of the corner of the eye and a stiff posture as if she was ready to be attacked.
It was enough to make my heart ache, though I knew not the reason why. Or I just didn't want to admit it. Either way, there was one thing I did know, and that was that Freyja Magnisdottir(Magnisdaughter) had gotten under my skin.
Freyja's POV:
An hour had passed and the assassins had not made themselves present. I was beginning to think that I had imagined the whole thing when...
"A toast!" cried one of the men suddenly, his voice cutting through the chattering crowd like a knife.
"To our great chieftain, Agnarr Bjornsson" he said, raising his horn goblet.
"My dear friend please accept this drink from us." A gold goblet was brought out and placed in front of Agnarr as the man came forward.
I locked eyes with Agnarr for a moment. He gave me an almost imperceptible nod before he stood from the table.
"Torsten my friend, I believe the drink should go to you, for preparing such a honor for me." Agnarr kept his voice neutral, but they're was an unmistakable note of hurt and betrayal in his voice. Torsten suddenly looked nervous.
"But I intended it for you Agnarr."
"And now I'm giving it to you. Unless there is some other reason you would object to taking it?" Agnarr raised his eyebrow knowingly.
In that moment Torsten attempted to flee, bit before he had gone two paces he was caught by two large men.
"Oh Torsten" Agnarr said, shaking his head in genuine sadness and he stepped from behind the table and out into the open space of the room, where Torsten had currently been forced to his knees upon the dirt-packed floor.
He gazed up at Agnarr in fright, his eyes pleading for mercy. The friendship had obviously been deep between the two considering the heartbreak Agnarr had shone as a result of this betrayal.
"Who sent you to do this?" Agnarr questioned in a surprisingly mild voice.
Torsten shit his mouth tight, determination to say nothing glowing in his eyes.
"Who sent you to do this!" Agnarr demanded, this time in a harsh tone signaling that he wanted less nonsense and more answers.
If the room hadn't been silenced before with Torsten proposed toast, it was now reduced to deadly silence as the crowd of onlookers watched in anticipation of what was going to be the fate of the now caught, attempted murderer.
Torsten,again, refused to speak.
"Fine, guess we'll have to do this the hard way." He nodded to the two men who still held Torsten captive, and they dragged him outside. Magni came to stand beside Agnarr and addressed the crowd, who were gazing with a mixture of curiosity and startledness.
"Go back to your party." The tense atmosphere quickly dissolved into lightheartedness as the bards in the corner struck up another tune. Magni followed Agnarr as he strode in the direction of the door.
"Gyda stay with Bryn" I instructed before quickly following.
"Freyja!" Bryn called out.
"Bryn stay with Gyda ok" I replied patiently, before stepping out into the cool September air.
"Agnarr!" I called out.
Agnarr turned around in surprise.
"Freyja, you really shouldn't be here."
"What are you going to do to him?"
"What I have to."
"Are you going to torture him."
" Freyja I need you to go back inside."
" How could you do that to someone?"
"You think that I take pleasure in this?!"
I was silent, choking out tearfully "I don't know what to think of you." I gazed down at the ground.
Agnarr as hand slid under my chin, causing me to look at him. He wiped a tear away with his thumb before speaking.
"Then know that I am no monster. I'm temperamental and hard-headed but I am not unfair nor cruel. And right now I only want to keep you safe." His hand brushed my arm and then gripped my smal, delicate one in his. I thought for a moment that he may be trying to fool me again with sweet words but his voice was genuine.
"Please go back inside. For your own safety" he continued gently.
This wasn't the hot-headed Agnarr I had come to know. He was...trying to protect me. And in that moment I felt strangely...safe, and I soon found myself nodding to his request.
"Alright."
Magni's POV:
We had bound the prisoner's hands in thick rope above his and thrown in over a tree, while binding his feet, as he sat upon the ground, and his mouth was currently gagged. Agnarr soon arrived.
"Where's Freyja?"
"She's safe."
Agnarr turned his eyes to the prisoner.
"Bring him."
We dragged Torsten over to a small block of wood.
"Tie his hand securely."
We placed it upon the block, looping it so tight around his wrist that any chance of it slipping out was close to none.
"Please Agnarr" Torsten begged as he realized what Agnarr was about to do.
"Just tell me who sent you, and where you're other friend is and you'll still have two hands by the end of the night."
Torsten still refused to be speak.
"So be it" Agnarr said. He unsheathed his sword, brought it up, preparing for it to come down at any moment...
"Wait!" Torsten exclaimed.
Agnarr paused.
"I'm listening."
"I can't tell you who sent me but I can tell you the rendezvous point I had with Alfarr. He's the one who procured the poison from the man who sent us. I've never met him. Only Alfarr can tell you more."
"And where is this rendezvous?"
"Up in the hills. By Thor's Creek."
I sheathed my sword and nodded to Magni to unite his hand while the other man held him securely.
"Lock him up, that way we'll still have him in case he's lying."
Torsten was once again dragged away as I headed back to the Great Hall. I needed to find Freyja.
Freyja's POV:
I waited beside an anxious Bryn for what seemed like hours, his little hand trembling nervously in mine.
"Will Daddy be alright?"
"Of course he will sweetie." I knelt down and gave him a warm and encouraging hug. It was then that Agnarr chose to walk through the door of the now empty Great Hall, quickly making his way over to us.
"Bryn, give Freyja and I a minute to speak alone." Bryn sighed and folded his arms as he walked away, obviously not thrilled to be barred from an adult conversation.
When he was out of hearing range I gazed at Agnarr.
"What is it?"
"I need you to watch Bryn for me while I'm gone."
"What's going on?"
Agnarr came closer so he didn't have to raise his voice, as if he was afraid someone would walk in at any moment.
"I'm going after them. I cannot aay how long it'll be till my return, probably a day or two at most. And Freyja."..he paused to make sure I had his complete attention "if I don't ever return, look after Bryn for me and when he becomes old enough, give him this." He placed the ancestral sword in both my hands, the weight of it almost causing me to stagger.
He was entrusting me with his most sacred family object, and even more precious, his own son?
"Why entrust this all to me?"
"Because there is no one else here I can trust. You have proven yourself to be brave, loyal, and kind and most of all patient. There is no one better to take care of my son."
I was thoroughly flabbergasted at his words and the sincerity behind them. I thought he saw me as nothing more than a bumbling idiot and a nuisance.
"Thank you."
"No thank you."
" For what?"
" For saving my life... and for putting up with this man with this hard-headed and this hard-headed with so much patience. I know it's probably not been easy."
I gazed at him with a newfound respect, never before thinking him capable of such consideration.
"You know something...you're alright Agnarr" I said with a good-natured smile.
"Oh gee thanks" he said sarcastically, though I could sense the same lightheartedness in his tone.
"Bryn stay with Freyja!" he called, his tone turning serious once again.
"Where are you going?" Bryn replied, scampering back over to us.
"I'll be back in a day or two."
"You're leaving!"
"Bryn, listen to me. Freyja is going to look after you while I'm gone."
Bryn's eyes welled with tears.
"Buy what if I never see you again?"
"You will. You will see me" Agnarr insisted.
Bryn gave him a tight embrace around the neck. After they released each other he instructed "Be good for Freyja."
Bryn could only nod, his lip quivering ad if her were to going to burst like a broken dam any second.
Agnarr made his way out the door with us following. Outside men had already assembled with torches and horses. Magni was among the retinue.
"Magni, you are going as well?" I hurried over to him just as he was beginning to mount his horse.
He nodded solemnlY.
"Be careful."
"Don't worry, I'm always careful, you know me." He gave a conspiratory wink.
Then he mounted his horse and rode off into the night with the rest of the men.