Sobs and pleas for mercy reached her and she turned, her gaze settling on the slave market. Several women and young men were held in a pen, hands bound while traders looked them over and made bargains for their sale. Thora shuddered, looking away as one trader savagely beat a young man. She wondered what the poor soul had done to earn such savage punishment.
She pressed a little closer to Ari, his nearness, as always, bringing the feeling of safety amid the chaos rioting both around and within her. The trek to the longhouse seemed to last hours, though she knew only a few minutes had passed. Each step closer to the council jarred through her, making her head pound. She gave a moment's thanks there had been no time to eat this morning, for surely she would lose anything she ate.
"Thora, are you unwell?"
Ari's voice broke through the internal tumult. She turned, the ground suddenly starting to spin. She reached for him, her fingers closing around his tunic, his hands tight on her arms.
"What have you done to her?" Her father's voice seemed a distant shout, the buzzing in her ears growing louder.
"Come, you must rest for a moment." Ari led her to a spot near the stables, pulling her close. She leaned into him, breathing deeply of his familiar masculine scent.
A hand on her shoulder drew her gaze up. She stared into her father's concerned face. She burrowed deeper into Ari's embrace.
"Are you ill?" Kori asked.
She shook her head. "Just... worried. I'm feeling better now."
She looked up at Ari, whose gaze possessed a similar concern.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"Yes." She disentangled herself from his hold, feeling stronger once more. "You must finish this."
His smile chased the remainder of the chill still clinging to her. Once again, she fell into step beside him, Kata on her left and Kati beside Ari. The throngs of people thickened with each step closer to the longhouse. Ari pushed his way through those gathered in the courtyard until they stood amid the inner circle.
Five men sat upon a dais before the longhouse, their throne-like chairs large and imposing. The one in the center possessed a large set of antlers, making the man seated there look even more formidable. King Hemming, she supposed, assuming the other were local jarls or those close to the king.
Ari leaned close to her ear and confirmed her hunch. "King Hemming sits in the middle. Jarl Drengr is to his left."
Thora's gaze drifted from the fair-haired young king to the older man with long snowy white hair beside him. His fluffy beard was neatly groomed and the ornately embroidered cloak he wore had a collar of fine fur, the elegant garment revealing his wealth. He leaned over to the king and whispered something. Even from this distance, Thora recognized the sharpness in his eyes while he considered the three people standing before them, in an apparent dispute over land.
"Where is your brother?" Thora whispered.
When Ari didn't answer, she turned to find him glaring across the courtyard. She followed his stare, her stomach knotting to see Hersir standing amidst several men near the end of the dais. She'd only caught a glimpse of him that morning, but she still recognized him without any doubt. He also donned a finely woven cloak, and his leather boots gleamed. Though they stood far away from him and his companions, Thora read a malicious madness in his expression while he watched the proceedings.
"Hersir." Ari issued the name on a quiet growl.
Kori jumped in front of him. "Tell me how you know Hersir and Jarl Drengr."
The sudden movement left the wolves prancing about them in agitation. Thora flicked her fingers, urging them to sit beside her. Though they obeyed, Kati continued to paw at the ground, while Kata shifted from sitting to standing and back.
"He is my brother."
"You son of a whore! You are using my daughter against your own flesh and blood?"
Kori's shout drew the attention of the entire crowd, as well as the council. A strange silence settled over the assemblage. As if realizing the focus had fallen to them, Kori turned.
"Ari? Is that you?" Jarl Drengr stood, eyes wide and a hint of a smile lifting his beard.
Ari faced the man he'd been accused of trying to kill. His grip on her hand tightened almost painfully.
"Yes, it is I."
"I'd not thought to see you."
Ari took a step toward the dais. At the same time, Kori tugged on Thora's arm and her hand fell away.
"Ari!" she cried, trying without success to jerk free from her father's tight hold.
