The Mercenary's Valkyrie: Book One

The Exchange

"Tayaarh." Nox murmured urgently to me as my boots hit the sandy ground of the shore.

I looked over my shoulder at him curiously. His giant form was clambering out of the small boat like many others now.

"Yes, Nox." I said flatly.

I sincerely hoped to gods this was not about Kadoon's behaviour. I wasn't his mother dammit.

"I err—I think—"

That's dangerous.

"—think yer friend might be..." He frowned for a moment before stepping closer to me and whispering. "Bewitched."

I choked down the laugh that threatened to over come me. Instead I drew back and somehow maintained a serious look as I answered. "Whom exactly, is bewitched in my group?" I asked entertaining it.

His frown deepened and he quickly glanced over his shoulder before telling me. "Tha' one wid curls'a gold an' beauty I ain't never seen."

Hah. You have no idea.

Yet I nodded as if I was in on the scandal. "What makes you sure, Nox?"

"Tha eyes, Tayah. Eyes be like stars above they be!" He said more frantically.

I hushed him with a hand on his shoulder and drew him a few steps away down the beach. "I thought similarly. Best to keep this to ourselves. We cannot have her know we suspect." He clamped a large hand over his mouth and nodded solemnly.

Possibly the most ironic thing of all was that the real answer was even more ludicrous than the one he gave me.

"I can stop it. Me Ma' showed me how." He said determined.

I hid my smirk beneath a hand as I pretended to contemplate this. "How will you rid her of the spell?"

"Need arts' of three fishes. Sum gull feathers and blood from a land critter. Ya mix em about n' boil about a fire. Once I as' this I can rub the markins' on her face an BANG!" He smashed two large hands together forcefully to make his hilarious point. "—the spell be broke."

"Yes, that does sound reliable." I murmured carefully avoiding the hysteria I was on the edge of slipping into.

But Nox was too animated in his planning to notice—that, or the lack of a brain.

"I do it for the lions a course!" He vowed as he pressed a fist to his chest in classic Vayleron greeting.

I nodded and agreed quickly. "There is no time to waste, Nox. Begin as soon as you can, I am positive she will be so relieved when it is—" cough, don't laugh, "—all over."

He nodded grimly before turning back towards the men and issuing a few small orders to get a hunting party together.

Oh gods how much I would pay in gold to see the Valkyrie's reaction to this moment forever. I will have to stop her from killing the poor man for smearing god knows what on her—but oh my... priceless.

The moment I thought it was the moment I caught her stood on the beach among a crowd of sailors and shaking her head slowly at me. I froze, before smirking slowly back. She drew a finger slowly across her throat to show me that someone would be dying for this.

I chuckled and trailed after Nox's large footprints in the sand.

"If we hunt this night shall we make camp, Nox!" One sailor called over to him.

Nox waved a hand back dismissively. "No camp lad! We restock meat sum, do our dealins' ere then back to tha' ship!"

"Aye!" Followed a chorus of men and women.