Fault (Book 1 of the Vikings Series)

Chapter 21

Elin

When I wake up the next morning, a steady patter hits the roof above. I sit up in bed and pull my new sword around my waist before wandering over to the window. I unlatch one of the wooden pieces and peek outside into the storm. A flash of white splits the sky followed by a deep rumble. The rain mists against my skin and I pull the window closed. I lean against the sill and look around the room. A single lamp flickers in the corner.
“Odd,” I mutter. I blew that out last night. Slowly, I cross the room. Beside the lamp, a note is folded with my name written on one side. I open it.
“Meet in the great hall when you wake up. Thorgar and I need to speak to you.
-Eesa”
Great. I roll my eyes and grab my cloak on the way out the door. I sprint through the streets, splashing through puddles on the muddy streets. My cloak seems to keep me dry but my boots are soaked through. By the time I cross under the cover of the hall, I’m dripping wet. I shed the wet cloak and set it down on one of the long benches. My footsteps echo on the stone floor as I walk to the front of the hall where Thorgar and Eesa sit, looking over something spread out on the table. I climb the stairs and stand in front of the table.
“You wanted me to come?” I ask. Thorgar motions me closer to the table. A large map has been pushed over the table and several markers have been randomly placed all over the seas.
“Have you decided?” Thorgar asks. I look to the ground, already knowing what my response will be.
“You told me to think about it, and I have. Ishtar told me last night that Tarben is even more of a coward than I thought. He’s sailing back to Havredal. I have no reason to go home,” I say. A small grin crosses Eesa’s face but Thorgar remains unmoved.
“Very well. This is the last of these choices, I must add. Obviously some things must change from the way Singrid was treated, meaning you’ll be no more important than the rest of your cousins.”
I nod.
“Our Raiding season starts after winter. I don’t trust you’ll be ready by then but please, prove me wrong. Staying here isn’t an option.”
Eesa leans on the arm of her husbands chair.
“Thorgar, are you sure that isn’t excessive? I mean, Singrid has taught her nothing.”
“She must learn like everyone else,” he replies. Another boom of thunder crashes outside.
“Today will be your last day of rest. You can thank the gods for bringing this storm,” Thorgar says. He begins to study the map once again.
“The ships,” I begin, pointing to the map. “How do you know where they will be after the storm when there are so many of them?”
“We don’t. These are storms that take even the strongest of ships.”
I think of both of my parents out there somewhere, battling against the wind and waves. Eesa guesses at my thoughts, a skill she seems to be extremely good at.
“I wouldn’t worry, Elin. Both of your parents have gone through much worse than this,” she reassures me. Thorgar doesn’t even bother to look up. The sound of footsteps splashing towards us gets louder and louder. Two young men, probably a few years older than me, come sprinting down the hall.
“My king! A ship has come into our harbor for shelter. It’s not flying any flag,” the first man says urgently. Thorgar barely glances up to them.
“Bring whoever it is here. People do not sail into my harbor without steep consequences.” He waves them away.
“Eesa, take Elin. I don’t want her seeing this.”
Eesa closes her eyes for a moment before standing and I can’t tell if it’s dread out of what’s about to happen or thankfulness for not having to be there when it does. She takes a cloak from the seat beside Thorgar and leads me away, back down to the streets. I clip my cloak on and follow Eesa out into the blinding rain. She leads me down a empty street and opens the door of a larger dwelling. As soon as we step inside, the warmth of a fire hits me and I breath in the smokey air. Eesa pulls off the hood of her cloak and kneels by the hot coals. I look around the large house and count three beds. It’s empty.
“Who lives here? Are they really out in the storm?” I ask.
Eesa shrugs. “The Keepers do as they wish. It wouldn’t surprise me if they got themselves stuck up in the mountain village last night.”
I recognize a familiar fox skin by the door. Kori. 
“Kori and the Twins,” I murmur. “What did you call them?”
“Keepers. They lead the mountain village in the winter. You’ll be headed up there when the storm passes.”
I kneel beside the fire and hold my hands out over the flames.
“The people who sailed into the harbor, is Thorgar going to kill them?” I ask.
“Sometimes they are spared. Not often, though,” Eesa says.
“Can I.. go explore?” I ask.
Eesa nods. “Don’t go back to the great hall.”
She calls as I rush outside. My intentions have nothing to do with going back to the great hall. The new ship however, that’s what calls my attention. I struggle through the downpour, almost slipping in the mud more than once. No one else is outside and I don’t blame them. My hair is completely soaked and the thought of being inside nags at my focus. I finally make it down the the rocky harbor and follow the shore to the docks where I crouch down behind some nets to stay hidden. The ship in the harbor is small, barely big enough for the seas on a calm day. The men on board are just starting to tie up when the group of warriors surges down the dock towards them. A few people are pulled out of the ship and bound quickly. I struggle to get a better view of who it is but can’t see anyone. Silently, I pray to the gods that it isn't anyone from Havredal. That's all I need is to have lured my friends here to face the wrath of Thorgar.