Reluctant Berserker: Isaacson Trilogy Book One

Chapter 26

Before the sun crested over the mountains, Gunnar rode to see his father, intent on taking him to the mercantile. The words Ulric had spoken last night before falling asleep on the couch still rang in his mind, distracting him.

The wind howled and gusted so strongly that Wasp lost her footing several times, knocking him back to the present before they reached their destination.

He dismounted quickly and strode toward the front door, only to come up short when it opened from inside.

"Morning, sunny boy," Vernon said as he snapped his suspenders in place, concern etched on his face. "Something wrong?"

Gunnar gave himself a mental shake, forcing his mind to focus on anything but Nora. "You busy?" he said. "I need your help."

His father closely watched him and then motioned over his shoulder. "Let me grab my coat; I'll be right out."

Blowing out a tired breath, Gunnar paced back toward Wasp and shoved his hands deep in his coat pockets. A ball of anxiety settled in his chest, swelling until he worried his heart would explode. By the time they were on the road heading to town, his stomach had begun cramping.

Ten minutes passed in silence before Vernon asked, "Why the early ride to town?"

"On my way home last night, I went by the mercantile..."

Vernon looked at him in surprise, "Is Mrs. Foley back?"

"No, but Hornsby was there...he said-" Gunnar clamped his mouth shut and shook his head. Perhaps he was reading too much into it and should say as little as possible. "I don't think anyone should trust him."

"What did he say?"

Gunnar chewed on the inside of his cheek, focusing on the road. His dislike of the Reverend might have been clouding his judgment, but his gut hadn't ever proved wrong regarding this sort of situation.

"He said he couldn't imagine the terror that filled Mother's heart when she realized the medicine she'd taken was poison."

Vernon turned to him in surprise. "Did you or your brothers tell anyone about the tonic?"

"No," Gunnar shook his head. "The only people who knew about the tonic were us and..."

"The poisoner," They said in unison.

"Your mother never-" Vernon cleared his throat and concentrated on the road, "I've never cared for the man."

They rode the rest of the way in silence, and as they pulled up behind the mercantile, the ghostly fingers of dawn were spreading over the town, washing the weathered buildings in the pastel light of winter. The sky was an odd blend of pale blues, pinks, and splashes of peach-tinted wispy clouds that stretched across the entire expanse. Frost covered every blade of grass that glittered when the light touched it.

Gunnar dismounted and strode toward the hole in the wall he had created, stopping within five feet.

"What happened here?" Vernon asked, swaggering over to stand next to his son.

"I did that after Hornsby made his remark yesterday..."

Vernon sniffed the air, taking a few more steps, "D'you smell that?"

"I smelled this in one of the rooms upstairs right before I got attacked. Only, that time, it was stronger..." Gunnar moved to crouch at the hole but was pulled back several paces by his father.

"WAIT, that smell is camphor. It'll knock a Berserker flat on his back and have him dead in minutes." Vernon planted his hands on his hips, "You said Hornsby was here...did you see him that day as well?"