Shouldn’t he have taken them with him?
The weather was harsh and what if a wild animal attacked him? Although even a bear might have second thoughts about approaching Runar. He was huge and built far better than any warrior she had seen.
After her initial fear had subsided—due mainly to his own relaxed behaviour with her—she had thought him the most fascinating man she had ever met. He had unusually dark colouring and beautifully shaped eyes. They were wide and narrow with sharp flicks at either side of the eye, and she thought them...lovely.
Not a term she would have imagined using to describe such a man, but it was still the truth. The wild man should have had yellow broken teeth, and nails like claws. But other than a slight untidiness, he was really quite...handsome.If she were honest, he wasveryhandsome, with fine, straight white teeth, a square jaw, and long strong fingers...
She sighed wistfully. ‘Maybe he needed to relieve himself,’ she said to herself thoughtfully, and the dog gave another little huff. ‘He did drink a lot of mead...’
She hoped that was the reason for his sudden departure, and that she hadn’t been to blame.
How many times had Gertrud teased her for being too talkative?
Oh, Embla!You could bore a man to death with your endless chatter!
The event that had caused such a reprimand was still burned into her mind, even though many weeks had passed since.
It was after the autumn feast, she had been clearing the tables as usual, when Ottar had started to help her with the task. He was a young warrior, and she had thought it strange that he would lower himself to such a task. Normally it was completed by only herself and the thralls, but she had assumed he felt sorry for her, as she had been working hard all day.
She wasn’t sure how it had happened, but they spent most of the night in pleasant conversation about all manner of things, or so she had thought. But now she realised she had been the only one talking, and mostly about the many dishes she had prepared for the feast. Ottar was well known for being a quiet man, so she had thought nothing of it.
But the next night Ottar had deliberately ignored her, avoiding her as if she smelled like rotten fish. Gertrud had been the one to explain to her what had happened, and Embla had feigned illness for the first and only time since arriving in Gudvangen.
Crying all night like a child, because she had been foolish enough to hope that someone finally wished to court her. But the truth was he had found her incredibly dull and had been too polite to leave.
‘Even a rude beast cannot stomach you for long!’ she muttered miserably.
Runar’s earlier words about her pride still haunted her.
I am surprised you have any...
Even a man who had rejected society to live out in the wilderness thought she had no reason to be proud of herself. It was one of the most brutally honest things she had ever heard from a man...and she had heard some brutally honest things in her time. Her own father had said she would be better off following Gertrud to Gudvangen, because she hadno placein his home.
Well, she had certainly carved a place for herself in Gudvangen! Even if no one wanted to marry her, the people still relied on her. The feasts would be a disaster without her help, and who knows what chaos the boys would summon in her absence.
She had embedded herself so deeply into the foundations of the Jarl’s Hall that no one questioned her, and even Gertrud’s personal servants had given up performing certain tasks because Embla insisted on doing them.
Before it had always given her a great sense of pride and security to know that she could never be replaced. But sometimes it felt like a chain around her neck. It was why she had been so eager to please, volunteering to look for the boys without considering how badly suited she was to the task.
When she had first arrived, Gertrud had relied heavily on her advice, and she had given it gladly, everything from burping to swaddling. Embla had felt irreplaceable, a wise and valued member of the household.
But when was the last time Gertrud or Thorin had thanked her for anything? She couldn’t remember.
Deciding to at least try to prove herself useful to Runar, she gathered up the bedding and divided them into two piles before spreading them out on either side of the fire. Then she settled down for the evening. Wrapping herself up as tightly as she could to ward off the chill of the stone, she tried her best to fall back asleep.
At least she felt safe enough to sleep. Runar, for all his shaggy, bear-like appearance, seemed decent enough. He had not shouted at her for stealing his food or threatened her in any way. He had followed the boys to make sure they were home safe, and had even searched through a blizzard for signs of an abandoned baby...
A baby that had turned out to be her, but still, it was good of him. She knew men who were unkind to their own children, so the fact he would care for a stranger’s said a lot about his character. Despite the whispers, she had decided to trust him...as there really was no other option available to her.
Maybe he would walk her back to Gudvangen in the morning? Or at least lead her back to the main path? She was sure she wouldn’t get lost from there.
When Runar re-entered the cave, she kept her eyes tightly closed and pretended to be asleep. She heard the thud and rustle of blankets as he settled down in his own bedding, and it wasn’t long before he was lightly snoring with his dog. Risking a peek from beneath her lashes, she saw he had chosen to sleep facing towards the fire, his dog curled up in front of him, one arm holding the shaggy brown body close.
Even more reassured by the sight of him cuddling his pet, she closed her eyes and finally allowed herself to slip into a peaceful sleep.
He wasn’t a bad man, and at least she was no longer alone.
Why should she care if he thought her useless and unattractive? Most men did, and at least he had no intention of hurting or stealing her.
