It was probably best, considering that he had no other reason to rescue or attempt to rescue Svein than the man’s place in Ran’s heart. He would do it for her.
But he needed to find a way to rescue Ander for himself.
They would have made it back to the camp in time for the evening meal, if she had not issued another challenge. And having won that one, she offered him the chance to break their tie. That third time he would remember for a very long time and he would smile when he did.
They arrived to find the camp settling down for the night, but the leaders waited for them. Though the night and the shadows cast by the fires hid Ran’s becoming blushing, there was not a man or woman in that camp who did not know what they’d been doing and why they were so late.
Or what he would do again as soon as they could manage a few minutes of privacy.
Eighteen
Ran could not meetany of the gazes that now focused on her around the unlit fire. But, for now she must. Knowing where the circle was meant that they needed to come up with a plan to get to it and seal it.
In doing that she was condemning her father to death, one not of his choosing or fault. And though he was guilty of many, many things, none of them deserved this ending. Hugh de Gifford was torturing him, both by physical means and using his men, his ships and her against his mind and heart.
And now another innocent, truly an innocent man of God would pay for sins he did not commit.
All as evil pursued its own course.
Ran explained what she’d seen, blushing through the description of the fertility ritual. With Aislinn’s help she was able to concentrate on everything else going on around the ceremony and describe the location and appearance of the circle that now lay under the water.
The priests were fascinated by her descriptions of the old gods they worshipped. To hear of their human embodiment and the worship, even the ritual she’d witnessed, gave them more knowledge about their gods than they had before.
“But that is what happened in our ritual,” Brienne said. Still thinking about the couple rutting in front of everyone, Ran startled. “Not that part,” Brienne admonished with a teasing tone. “The stones we consecrated with our blood grew impossibly tall and met in the middle over the void. And I saw something, someone, in the sky above us,” she added.
“Living stones?” Aislinn asked. “Could each of the circles actually have the gods within them?”
“Marcus, tell us what you know of their leave-taking,” Soren said to the priest.
Did he notice that he moved closer to her and touched her as they talked? His hand on hers. His leg against hers. His eyes on her. Ran forced herself back to the conversation.
“The legends say that after the evil one’s betrayal and imprisonment, the gods decided to leave humanity behind. They had long been familiar with humans, so they strengthened the bloodlines of their descendants to carry the powers needed to defeat her if she ever rose again. There has never been a mention of how they left or if they actually remained here.”
“But many generations spoke of them still being here, did they not?” Aislinn asked.
“Aye,” Marcus nodded. “Some thought them so enamored of humans that they would never have left. Some said the gods still spoke to them. Some stories of their accomplishments and traditions have been appropriated by other gods.” Marcus looked at William and the other Christians in the group and then those of Norse descent.
“Will the ritual be the same at each circle, Marcus?” Roger asked. Roger’s men had been instrumental in defeating Hugh de Gifford’s human forces and preventing more of the priests from being killed.
“I, we, know that the blood of the two must be mixed on the altar with that of the third, the priest. Then prayers must be said and they must sanctify the stone that bears their mark with the blood.” Marcus looked to William and Brienne and Aislinn, who nodded in agreement. “If the blood is spilled together on the ground and touches the barrier before the three touch the stones, it will tear open the void and she will escape. If the altar stone is broken after the blood mixes and spills on the ground without the stones being blessed, she will win.” All of the priests mumbled several words under their breath when he said that.
“But what will make this time different,” Aislinn said softly, looking at her and Soren, “is that neither of those who must enter is the fireblood. So Hugh cannot do this himself.”
“So we are safe because he needs us?” she asked.
“No one is safe, Ran,” Marcus said, with a sad smile.
“Once the three are within the circle, it closes itself so none can enter. But if the wrong prayers are spoken, all within will be destroyed.” He met their gazes then. “All three within would be destroyed, leaving Hugh alive to find the next gate and leaving us without two of the bloodlines.”
“But the gate would be sealed?” she asked. More and more it sounded as though a sacrifice of some kind must be made to overcome this evil. A sacrifice of their own lives.
“The gate would be useless, but not sealed. And we will have lost three valuable people of power with two more gates where he could succeed,” Aislinn added.
“But if he is not within and cannot enter, then Soren and I and Aislinn or Marcus can finish the ritual and seal it closed.”
“Hugh will not allow us to come out unscathed,” William said. “He and his men killed a number of our fighting men and our priests. We cannot afford such a loss again,” he warned.
“So Hugh will have to believe he controls someone or two or all three of those who go in?” Ran asked.
