“Aye, it is your punishment for your insolence.” She paused, then added quietly, “Though I doubt the punishment is still in effect since Erik is dead.”
“I want to cook.”
“Do you feel all right?”
“I wish you had not fed me the drug, for my dreams were vicious shadows all concealed in darkness.”
“I just wanted you to be safe. Now everyone is thinking beyond the obvious. Merrik is wise in his speech.”
“You weren’t wise, Sarla, neither you nor Cleve. You were foolish.”
“I could not stand there by my fire pit stirring some ridiculous pot of stew whilst everyone accused you and Cleve of murdering Erik.”
“You are very brave.”
Sarla just looked at her. “Nay, I am weaker than you can imagine. Cleve is the one who is strong.” She paused, opened her mouth to say more, then just shook her head.
“Have you seen Taby?”
“He is with the other children outside. I believe Kenna is teaching him wrestling.” She shook her head. “I feel very sorry for Kenna. And for Caylis. Both she and Megot have nothing now. There is not much justice in that, I think.”
“No, there isn’t.”
“I didn’t realize until just this morning that Merrik is now master of Malverne. Oh, I knew Merrik was the master now, but I didn’t realize what it would mean. Letta told me. She is very pleased about it. She made me feel as though my time here were nearly over. I wanted to slap her.”
“Don’t worry about that one. Merrik said since Malverne is now his, he will send the Thoragassons on their way. Perhaps he will do it today. Why don’t you tell Letta that she will be gone from Malverne much more quickly than you.”
Sarla looked up to see Letta walking toward them. “By that smug look on her face, I don’t think Merrik has yet told them to leave.”
Laren wanted to keep her temper and she knew she would lose it if she remained. She heard Sarla whisper “Coward!” but she kept walking away, more quickly now, until she heard Letta call out, “Stop, slave! I wish to speak to you.”
She sighed, then turned. “What is it you wish now, Letta?”
“My father is with Merrik right now. He is bargaining over your purchase price. He wants you, for he believes you have some worth as a skald, but to have a murderess in his longhouse distresses him. He fears you might became angered at him and kill him.”
Laren just stared at her.
Sarla said, “That is nonsense, Letta, and well you know it. You will hold your tongue. You are a guest here, nothing more, and you will cease strutting yourself about as mistress. You will cease tormenting Laren.”
“Tormenting her! Ha! She has a hide tougher than that boar you were skinning.”
“It is just that your torments are very childlike, Letta,” Laren said. “You are too simple in your spite. Perhaps you will improve as you gain years. It seems you are walking in that path.”
Letta opened her mouth, but Laren forestalled her, saying quickly, her voice very mean, “Remember your pretty teeth, Letta. One by one. Do you understand?”
Letta paled, turned on her heel, and left the longhouse.
Sarla laughed. “Aye, she is on that path, but she can still be halted in her petty tracks.”
Cleve walked to them, and he was shaking his head. “I waited until she had left you. Laren, Merrik is even now holding a meeting to discuss Erik’s murder. Here they call it theThing. It is what they do to determine guilt and search for fair answers. I came to tell you. Most still believe you guilty, but now, at least, they’re discussing it.”
Caylis came forward to stand beside Cleve. “I don’t think you’re guilty, but if you hadn’t come here, Erik wouldn’t be dead and my son and I would be safe.”
She was right, but Laren said only, “I’m sorry, Caylis, but believe me, I did not kill him. I can do nothing about my presence here, for Merrik controls that.”
“Aye, but Caylis is right,” Megot said. “Because you came we will become as nothing. Perhaps Merrik will even give us to his men to be used at their whim. I pray that Merrik will make us his mistresses, but I know that he now takes only you to his bed. I heard him and Erik once speaking of such things and Erik said Merrik was stupid to want what their parents had shared. He told Merrik that he would come to understand his wish was as flimsy as a dream once he had wedded Letta. He said Merrik would leave her soon enough and search out other women to bed.”
All of this in front of Sarla, Laren thought. She supposed it was much the same amongst her own people, but she’d been too young to notice such things. There was no expression on Sarla’s face. None at all. Laren chanced to look at Cleve. She went very still. He was staring at Sarla, the look on his scarred face so tender, so very helpless, that she wanted to cry.
