His grin widened. With a nod, he seemed to agree to her demand. "I promise you that you will be safe and will sleep very well in the coming days. We leave for my house after I have tended to some matters with my father and brother."
Katrin blinked. "Your… house? But you live here."
He nodded. "Sometimes. But I also have a home a little further upriver. That is where my real bed is."
Beside her, Gunilla gasped loudly, though Katrin doubted her shock could be any stronger than her own. The thought of being more than a few strides away from the woman who had mentoredher, in truth mothered her, for all these years filled her with a complicated mixture of emotions. While she had hopefully anticipated nights of solitude and sleep, like the one she'd had last night, though it had been uneasy, many different feelings now threaded through the riot of her thoughts, made more chaotic than ever by Hradi's announcement.
A portion of Katrin's excitement was her eagerness to be away from the suffocating presence pervading every moment of her life. Another part found herself wary, almost afraid, of being separated from the older woman who had raised and trained her.
Yet, the knowledge Hradi would be with her in his house, separate from the family's longhouse, with the two of them, alone, sent a different kind of shiver along her spine, a blend of fear and excitement. Mouth suddenly dry, she narrowed her eyes on the man who had haunted her dreams for so many months.
"You tricked me!" she accused.
He shrugged. "I merely offered my bed."
"You didn't tell me it was not the one here in the longhouse. I have changed my mind."
He shook his head, his humor fading. "To refuse my offer now would be rude."
There was a hint of a threat in his words, truthful as they were. Hel was sure to damn him for his deception. Yet, Katrin had no choice. As a guest, to refuse his hospitality could be perceived as an insult. She didn't dare risk turning their host against them.
"I forbid it!" Gunilla shouted. She stood, waving a finger at Hradi. "You will not take her away from here. She is needed!"
Hradi stood and walked over to Gunilla, towering over the woman. "She will be here to help you each day as she promised. But we will return to my house each night for as long as you remain with us."
"Gunilla, you and your attendants are our honored guests here," Thorfinn cut in. "My son would do nothing to harm Katrin.His home is not far from here and you of course are free to visit her whenever you choose."
Something in the jarl's tone warned Katrin that while the older man was friendly and welcoming, he would not be easily duped and did not take any affront, minor or otherwise, lightly. She suspected there was a reason they wanted to separate Katrin from her mistress. Soon enough, she would know. Somehow, she needed to soothe Gunilla. The frenzy in the woman's eyes grew more intense with each passing second. If she were to let her anger out, it could end badly for them all. Katrin met Thorfinn's steely gaze.
"Thank you, Jarl Thorfinn. We remain grateful for your generous welcome. I will keep my word, and I would expect the same in return."
"Of course."
The unyielding gaze of the jarl was much like his son's. The double stare made her uneasy. She forced herself to take Gunilla's hands, hoping the men would not see the tremor in her arms.
"Gunilla, we must accept our host's offer. I will be here each day, and as the jarl has said, you may visit me often, so we can ensure our skills and gifts bring much prosperity to Grindafell."
The woman appeared to calm, though Katrin knew she was angry and very, very worried. While she possessed plenty of concern as well, some instinct told her Gunilla's fears did not match her own. Somehow, she managed to resist revealing her suspicious questions. Though she possessed many, they would remain unanswered. For now. She needed time to think on those questions and what the possible resolutions might mean for them all. Finally, after several moments under Katrin's firm stare, the silver-haired woman nodded.
"Very well." She turned to the jarl. "Forgive my manners. You see, Katrin is like a daughter to me and I have not been away from her since the night she first came to me, not until last night. I worry for her."
"I understand," Thorfinn said. "Trust she will be well cared for. My son will ensure that."
The jarl gave Hradi a stern stare, though Katrin suspected that was merely for Gunilla’s sake. The sensation they shared doubts about the older Seeress took root. While her natural inclination was to defend her mistress, Katrin couldn’t deny the feeling they were in the right to mistrust Gunilla’s intentions. The very idea roused a worrisome guilt, bordering on a sense of betrayal. She needed to find a quiet place where she could make an offering and try to communicate with the gods.
"Now, enjoy your meal and I will show you more of our village and where your skills may do us the most good." Thorfinn motioned toward the food heaped before them.
Katrin resumed her seat, her gaze darting across the table to the rest of Gunilla's young servants. Several of them bore openly hostile expressions, while others looked quite pleased. She was not unused to their envy; as Gunilla's apprentice, she knew others aspired to her position. Did they see this as their chance to usurp her? Oddly, she found herself almost wishing one of them would succeed.
Hradi leaned close to her ear. His warmth sent a flurry of tingles twirling in her gut and she reached for the flagon of ale in an attempt to calm them.
"I look forward to being alone with you."
She took a long drink, nearly draining the cup, before facing him. "Do not think you will take advantage of me. You are tasked with protecting me."
That disarming grin sent a rush of heat to her core. What in Hel's name did the man possess to leave her feeling weak in the knees and light in the head? Breathless and eager for something she couldn't quite name.
"Iwillprotect you, have no doubt. You will be treated as the honored guest you are."
