“Bersi Athulfsson,” Torunn snapped. “You led an attack on the Jarl’s settlement. Why did you come here and put the good people of Laxa in danger?”
The rebel glared at her, his eyes dragged over her and met hers boldly. She straightened her shoulders under his scrutiny and glared back.
“Well?”
“Answer her!” Halle shouted. His fist slammed into the man’s face. The blow was hard, but the big man’s head only turned slightly. He spat a mouthful of blood into the mud and glared at Torunn.
“I did what any loyal man should,” he said.
“Loyalty?” Torunn laughed. “What loyalty is that? Moving against your Jarl is not loyalty!”
“He is not my Jarl.”
Halle’s fist smashed into Bersi’s jaw once more. This time Torunn saw a flash of anger in the man’s eyes.
“Careful, little man.”
Bersi’s voice was calm, but Torunn could hear the dangerous edge in his tone. She glanced at Halle nervously, but he wasn’t looking at her. His neck was red with anger, and she doubted that he would listen if she told him to stand down.
“He is your Jarl,” Torunn said loudly in hopes of distracting him from Halle. “You came from Dalir. Dalir is loyal to Jarl Reinnsson. What support is there for your rebellion?”
“Jarl Reinnsson is no one’s Jarl,” he grunted. “Where is he? Away raiding? From what I hear you are lucky that he chooses to return at all. The gods have forgotten him. You all believe it, you are just too cowardly to say it aloud.”
Torunn bristled at his words. How far had such whispers traveled? “And you know the will of the gods?” she snarled.
“I do not have to,” he said simply. “The signs are everywhere.”
“Shut your mouth,” Halle shouted. He reared back to hit Bersi again, but the big man moved swiftly. He twisted to avoid the blow, and grabbed for the knife at Halle’s hip before Torunn could cry out a warning.
Bersi plunged the knife up into Halle’s ribs and Torunn let out a choked scream. Halle tumbled into the mud as the warriors rushed toward the rebel. Torunn flung herself down into the mud and grabbed for her friend.
She pulled Halle into her arms and held him tightly. He shuddered in her arms, and Torunn’s chest tightened as she watched the life fade from his dark eyes. Bersi’s strike had been deep and true, and there was nothing that could be done for him.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. Halle shuddered again, and blinked desperately, but he could not speak. A thin trickle of blood ran from one nostril and Torunn struggled to keep from screaming. Behind them, she could hear the grunts of the warriors and the sound of their blows as they beat the rebel.
Halle should not have come with them. He should not have been here. He should have stayed in Skaro… If he’d stayed he would still be alive.
She brushed her fingers over his eyelids to close his eyes and cursed herself for the decision she’d made to take Bersi Athulfsson alive. Halle would have to be carried home, and she would have to explain to his father what had happened. She stood slowly and turned toward the rebel. He sagged between two of the warriors. His nose was broken and bleeding, and one eye was swollen shut.
“Take him back to Skaro,” she said quietly. “I am through listening to his lies.”
Two of the men came forward to lift Halle between them.
Torunn closed her eyes as they passed her and she took a breath before she turned to the councilors. “Your woman and children will come with us. They will be a part of Skaro, and their presence there will ensure that your loyalty to the Jarl continues.” She pointed to the dark-haired woman. “Take her, too.”
Cries and sobs echoed in the still air as the prisoners' wrists were tied. The oldest of the councilors made a move to stop the man who secured the rope around his daughter’s wrists, but she shook her head to stop him. Torunn’s smile was hard and cold.
“If there are any other rebels who would dare to challenge Skaro, they will be the first to feel the wrath of the Jarl. Arguments?”
The counselors were silent.
“Good.”
She turned on her heel and strode through the marketplace behind her men. They had taken their revenge on Laxa, but Torunn’s confidence in her decision had faltered. Laxa’s council had been willing to put the lives of its people in danger to harbor Bersi Athulfsson. She couldn’t allow herself to be afraid, but doubt had begun to creep up her spine, and she didn’t like the way it felt.
Bersi would have to answer for Halle’s death, his father would demand it, and she would have to decide how committed she was to keeping the rebel alive...
4
Torunn’s eyes stung. The smoke from Halle’s funeral pyre was thick and choking, but she forced herself to stand close enough that she could feel the heat of the flames on her cheeks. Her tears dried on her cheeks, and she kept her arms crossed tight across her chest as Halle’s mother and sisters wailed and sang. Halle’s father had said nothing to her when she brought his body to their house.
She had deserved his silence. Halle had joined the group of warriors without his permission. Every sparring match they’d had had been undertaken when Halle’s father had been away from the house. He had borrowed every weapon he trained with. Halle had wanted nothing more than to be a warrior and to die with honor defending the Jarl and Skaro—their friendship had been a secret, and she hadn’t realized how heavy that burden must have been for Halle to bear.
She’d ordered the rebel to be kept in a windowless hut at the edge of the settlement. The guards at the western gate had charge of him, and they would not be treating him kindly.
As the pyre burned low, the villagers began to disperse, but Torunn stayed. She stood across from Halle’s family, the pyre between them as the priests came forward to make their final prayers and offerings. The bones and ashes would be gathered and given to Halle’s mother, but as the priests began to rake through the blackened timbers and glowing embers, Torunn could not bring herself to remain any longer.
She had to speak to the rebel. She needed answers. It had been made abruptly clear that speaking to him in public was not helpful—if anything, she had only inflamed whatever was lurking beneath the surface in Laxa. The prisoners they had taken would be enough insurance to keep any other rebellions at bay. At least she hoped that would be true.
Iri had been smart enough to keep his distance from her since she had returned from Laxa, but he had lingered on the edge of the crowd while Halle’s pyre had been lit, and now that the people had dispersed, he had not moved. She could feel his eyes on her and his presence irritated her.
She was exhausted. She had only slept a few hours, but it was all she allowed herself. There would be time to sleep soon enough. For now, she had work to do.
She had not counted on feeling so lost. She had never made a decision like this before. But Bersi had forced her into it. He had dared to challenge the power of the Jarl. He had come from another settlement to incite rebellion in Laxa. He had found supporters who would listen to his words and the council had agreed to keep him safe and fed… She needed to know why.
Iri fell into step beside her as she strode through the village toward the western gate. “Will you speak to him?”