“Aye, I know that, but he doesn’t like it. He told me to call him Lord Varrick. He told me he was young, younger than you even, that years fell away from him, that he would still be as he was when I was grown and had babes of my own.”
“Then he sees Chessa as well?”
“Aye, I think somehow he sent thoughts to Chessa and to Caldon. I don’t know, Papa.”
“What do you—”
Kiri screamed and struggled from the woolen blanket. “Caldon hit the boat. She butted it with her head! Everyone is screaming, Papa!”
It was just a soft nudge, but the men nearly fainted from fear in that first moment, then screamed in the next. “Row!” Kerek yelled as loud as he could. “Damn you cowards, the shore is nearly beneath our feet. Row!”
There was another nudge. Oh, no, Chessa thought, Caldon was pushing the longboat to shore, not away from it. Well, if she forced them to shore, then there would be a chance of escaping.
It was then that the men yelled with relief, all of them leaping from the longboat into the shallow water, thrashing to the shore just feet beyond them. Kerek grabbed Chessa’s arm and pulled her after him. He lifted her over his shoulder and climbed over the side of the boat. He yelled to the men to pull it ashore.
But they were too late. Once Kerek set Chessa’s feet on the pebbly beach, Caldon rose from the water beside the longboat. The mist cleared, forming a frame for that long curving neck, the small head. The mouth opened and Caldon trumpeted loudly. The men dropped the ropes to the boat and froze into statues, staring, too frightened to scream, too frightened to move.
Chessa grinned as Caldon lowered her mighty head and shoved at the side of the boat, butting it away from the shoreline back out into the loch. Kerek yelled and strode into the water, screaming at the monster, who was now lost in the thick mist again, the longboat as well. There was silence and the smell of fear. Finally, Kerek said loudly, breaking through to the men, “The monster is gone and has taken our longboat. All of you come out of your damned fear now. Shake yourselves. Bring your brains back into your heads. It’s over. We must stay here until it is morning. Halak, see to building a fire. The rest of you gather wood and branches. We will stay warm, at least, until the sun comes out tomorrow.”
“I wonder if it will,” Chessa said loudly, turned, and gave Kerek a big smile. “Did you forget, Kerek, that I am the daughter of the greatest wizard who ever lived?”
He stared down at her, fear making him pale, the thick mist leaching the rest of the color from his face. His hair was wet around his head. He was soaked, as were the rest of the men. She was completely dry, save where Kerek had pulled her over his shoulder to carry her ashore. He shivered. She didn’t know if it was from cold or from fear. She never stopped smiling up at him. He hated the fear, she knew it, and it pleased her.
The men built a huge fire. By the time they lay down beside the banked embers, they were dry. Chessa was still wrapped in the woolen blanket. The mist was soft on her face, like damp fingers tracing over her flesh.
Kerek left to go into the woods to relieve himself. The moment he was out of hearing, she said to the men, “You saw my magic. You saw the monster. The only reason Caldon didn’t kill all of you was because I was in the boat and she was afraid I would be harmed. When it is light, if I allow the sun to shine on the morrow, you must return me to my home. If you obey Kerek, then you will all perish.”
“Don’t listen to her.” It was Kerek and there was deep anger in his voice. “She isn’t a witch or a wizard or anything else. The monster lives in this loch, all of us knew that. It simply came to our boat and wanted it. Nothing more. Now, the sun will be bright and hot on the morrow, despite its being fall and the leaves are now golden and red and yellow. I swear it to you. Sleep now and don’t listen to her.”
Then he said, “You wonder why Queen Turella wants her. I will tell you. It is because of her strength, it is because of what she is that she will wed Ragnor and she will rule, not that fool. The Saxons won’t overrun the Danelaw once she is there. You have seen witness of her strength. Think of that whilst you sleep.”
Chessa said, “Kerek has said two very different things. Which will you believe? Look at me. Do any of you think I’ll allow Ragnor to be my husband?” She shook her head and spit into the fire, causing the embers to hiss and spew. “I will by myself destroy the Danelaw. I will by myself give it over to the Saxons. You don’t want me for the king’s wife.”
“Better the fool dies,” one of the men said.
“Aye,” another said. “Kill him.”
Chessa sighed. There were so many currents here and she didn’t know which way to swim. She’d decided upon wizardry and threats to kill Ragnor but it hadn’t worked. These men wanted him dead. She looked at Kerek, who was smiling very slightly at her.
“The princess is of great value,” he said. “Now, go to sleep, all of you. The sun will be upon us soon.”
She slept. She didn’t want to, but she did, deeply, with no dreams. She awoke when Kerek shook her arm.
“Look at the bright sun, Princess,” he said, thick pleasure in his voice, or was it stark relief? She didn’t know. “Aye,” he said, “bright sun, just as I promised.”
It was so strong, even after the passing of the dawn hour, that it hurt to look directly into it. The loch glistened beneath it, pure and dark. The longboat was nowhere in sight. She smiled. “Now Cleve will find us, Kerek. We have no boat. Did you plan to walk to York? Perhaps fly?”
“Look, Princess.”
She followed his finger. They were at the narrow channel. Just beyond that channel was the trading town of Inverness. She wanted to weep with disappointment.
“Come, Chessa, resign yourself. Your life will be pleasant. You will have all the luxury you could desire. If you want a lover, I will provide one for you after you’ve birthed the heir to the Danelaw. Don’t worry about Cleve’s babe. He will be safe. And you can have lovers. Turella has lovers, you know.”
The men were cheering, pointing wildly, quickly pulling their clothing straight, throwing sand on the dying embers of the fire.
“You have no longboat,” she said even as he pulled her to her feet. “Will you steal one to get back to York?”
“I have something better,” Kerek said, and dusted her off. He took her blanket and carefully folded it. He whistled as he took her arm and pulled her to the fore of the men. “Keep a sharp eye out for outlaws,” he said, and covered the rock-strewn ground with long strides.
