“I wish you could, but how am I supposed to convince them I want to escape you if you’re hovering over me.”
“You can tell them you tire of my possessiveness, proven by my presence, and that you lied about being happy to be with me to protect yourself. They know I won’t understand, so they’ll believe you.” A flash of doubt crossed Gressa’s face, and Strian knew what worried her. “I know you’ll be pretending. I won’t question you again. I trust that you want me to be your husband, and anything you say is to convince them to tell you Grímr’s plans. Say what you must, whatever that is. I know you’re coming home with me.”
Gressa strained to kiss him, but it was cut short when they heard people outside the chamber where the jarl conducted business. With no plan for him to remain present, Strian darted to stand behind a boulder carved into the face of Odin. He glanced over to see the door leading to the great hall was ajar, meaning Tyra and Freya were nearby. Leif and Bjorn led the prisoners into the room before standing by the door through which they passed. Ivar and Rangvald had agreed their own presence would not make the captives very talkative.
“Ydych chi'n iach?” Gressa began by asking if they were well. The men only nodded their response.
“Rydyn ni ar ein pennau ein hunain heblaw am y ddau a ddaeth â chi yma ac nid ydyn nhw'n deall.” Gressa continued as Strian listened to a language filled with strange sounds. Gressa had told him her plan was to assure the men from the very beginning that no one would understand their conversation even those who stood guard.
The three men looked around before nodding again to Gressa.
“Why’re you here? Did you intend to get caught?” Gressa continued her questions.
“They sent us to spy, and Rhys wants to know where you are.” Rowan spoke of his brother.
“Are you all afraid that I will share Grímr’s secret plans?”
“What secrets? We all know he’s a madman, but Dafydd accepted his coins and jewels, so we must play like his puppets,” Afon grumbled.
“You never answered whether you intended to get caught. Did you want to enter the homestead so you could see for yourselves what you faced?” Gressa tried to keep them on topic without pushing too hard, too fast.
“Rowan told you Rhys worries about you,” Afan answered as though that was enough to explain everything. When Gressa’s expression remained blank, Afan grumbled. “You know he intends to make you his wife. He thought you had finally gotten past mooning over some man you’d never see again, that you were moving on if you were willing to fight against your own people.”
“Who said I was willing? Dafydd? Enfys? They sold me to Grímr just like they bought me from those slave traders. No one gave me a choice.” She paused before she defended herself too well. “But I have a choice now. I can’t leave here with you if you get yourselves killed as spies. I’ve suggested they ransom you to Rhys.”
Rowan laughed but it was hollow. “The only ransom he’d be willing to pay is for you, and the cost will be in his bed.”
“What about what you said when you first saw us? You said you were happy to be with your husband.” Afon demanded.
“What was I supposed to say in front of the crowd? I didn’t want any of you to react the wrong way if I said I wanted to run away with you.”
“But it’s not like you could have summoned us to this meeting. Someone ordered you here.” Afon looked at her suspiciously.
“Of course, I was, but they don’t know what we’re saying. They will believe whatever I tell them, truth or lie. But I’m not willing to risk my life for you or Rhys or anyone else if I don’t know that it’s worth it. Did you intend to get caught?”
The three men looked at one another before Rowan answered.
“Yes. We’d been spying since before you even arrived. We nearly rescued you when you ran to the water, but your husband followed you. You looked awfully cozy for someone who wants to leave her husband.”
“I wouldn’t be able to go anywhere, do anything,learnanything if they thought I would leave.”
“But you warm his bed when you refused Grímr and continue to refuse Rhys.” Rowan countered.
“What is a wife supposed to do? I need him to trust me enough to let me out of his sight.”
“Or perhaps you like where you are, and all of this is lies.” Afon narrowed his eyes as though she would spill her secrets if he glared at her.
“Whether I want to go or stay won’t matter if I don’t know where I need to take you to escape. If we’re caught, you’ll die for spying, and they’ll kill me for being a traitor.”
“It’s been a long time since you lived here, how will you know where to go?”
“I grew up here. I played in those woods as a child then hunted in them as woman,”and made love to my husband thereshe nearly added. “I know my way around. Tell me where we need to go and how you got here. I will take us a different way to avoid the sentries that will work twice as hard to keep more spies from getting too close.”
Gressa held her breath, hoping her demand was reasonable rather than suspicious. Rowan trailed his eyes up and down her body, lingering at her breasts and the juncture of her thighs. Gressa’s skin crawled, but she did not move.
“Grímr set up camp about an hour and a half’s ride south of here.”
“It there a mountain that looks like it has three peaks?”
