Agnar smiled as he accepted his helm. ‘I rarely wear a helm in battle, it feels strange to put one on now.’
‘Yes, I remember. You wear a wolf’s skin, why is that?’ Skadi asked.
‘Are you a berserker?’ gasped a wide-eyed Astra, her voice filled with awe.
It was a good question, although Skadi suspected Agnar was the type of man to prefer to be in control of his mind during battle. Unlike the mushroom-induced-madness of the berserkers, who believed themselves transformed into strong beasts impervious to pain after taking their magical potions. Skadi had seen berserkers fight on despite horrendous injuries. But she’d never been completely sure if it was due to magic, or simply because of their inability to have any reason or feeling once they’d descended into their bloodlust.
When Agnar answered, they leaned forward to listen. ‘I wear the wolfskin as a reminder. My mother was given the name She-Wolf by Sven. It was meant as an insult, but she liked it. In a den of wolves, the females always lead the pack. Unfortunately, while we were travelling to Aldeigja we were hunted by a pack of wolves. My mother had an injury from a previous fall that had begun to fester—I think the pack saw us as easy pickings. We managed to fight them off and I now use their skins to keep me warm and to remind myself that a fight can turn for the better or for the worse in a matter of moments. My mother said it was a good lesson. To always watch your back and protect the pack—even if it is only a pack of two…or one.’ His eyes saddened for a moment and Skadi knew he was thinking of his mother’s death. Her heart ached for him, she knew what it was like to be left alone with no family for protection.
‘Are we part of your pack now?’ asked Astra hesitantly.
Agnar smiled down at her daughter. ‘Yes…if that’s acceptable to you, my Princess?’
Astra nodded sagely, reaching for Skadi’s hand. ‘Moma will lead, as she’s the She-Wolf now.’
Skadi squeezed her daughter’s hand. ‘That sounds reasonable. Now, let me show you the different seams of silver, copper and lead. It’s a lot of walking and the tunnels are cramped and dark, so keep hold of my hand.’
Astra offered her free hand to Agnar, ‘We should stick together, as a pack.’
He stared down at her tiny hand and then, with a nod of agreement, he took it. Skadi tried to ignore the hope blooming within her chest at the sight of his large hand wrapped lightly around her daughter’s. She knew she shouldn’t, but she was beginning to wish for a future where she and Astra were no longer alone.
Chapter Eighteen
They left the comfort of the hunting lodge bright and early the next day, making their way carefully down the other side of the mountain. It took most of the morning to clamber down the winding path, the majority of the time spent on foot gingerly leading the horses down one at a time. The gravel shifted occasionally, sending a cascade of rocks down the barren mountainside—it was a stark contrast to the forested slopes on the ridge. Eventually, the steep drop levelled out into woodland and they began to breathe more easily, each returning to mount their horses with a grateful sigh.
‘It might be as easy to sail around to this side of the mountain,’ declared Agnar bad-temperedly. ‘Even using hooks and ropes to climb sheer cliffs must be easier than that!’
Astra, who’d grown more and more confident with him, giggled and began to explain with a lot of wild hand gestures why that was impossible. ‘The cliffs on the harbour side are much smaller! Here it’s all meadows and flat farm land. At the very edge of the island there are no beaches or gentle slopes. The land drops right off into the sea from a very great height.’
She chopped straight down with her hand to demonstrate. ‘The cliffs are very dangerous and sometimes big chunks of rock fall down into the sea with no warning! So, you wouldn’t want to get close to the edge or try to climb them with hooks. You’d hit a bit of loose rock and go…’ She whistled loudly, mimicking the sound of something falling through the air. ‘SPLAT! You’re dead!’ she shouted, banging her fist against her palm for dramatic effect.
Skadi rolled her eyes at her child’s exuberance.What had happened to the terrified little girl being held up like a leg of lamb?It seemed Astra was far quicker to forgive and forget than Skadi.
‘Be careful you do not spook your pony,’ she warned Astra, who frowned back at her, but held her reins a little more firmly. She’d managed to sweet-talk Skadi into borrowing one of the miners’ ponies, although Skadi might insist they use it for transporting goods on the way back—Astra could be a little reckless when riding.
Agnar scratched his chin. ‘Hmmm, then I won’t climb the cliffs… But this isstilla troublesome region to get to!’
‘It is,’ agreed Skadi. ‘The harvest is brought over by mule to Thrudheim. Or occasionally through a path on the southern ridge, but that relies on the time of year and the tides clearing enough space around the harbour. The journey has to be timed very carefully. It is worth it, though. The flatlands are fertile and the food produced here fills most of Thrudheim’s stores with vegetables and meat. Unfortunately, wheat, barley and rye crops tend to fail here, the land is too rocky, the storms too harsh.’ She looked pointedly at Agnar, hoping he would remember what she’d said about the grain stores and having to import them from Sven.
He nodded. ‘I have a plan for the grain…’ Again, he didn’t give a full answer and she was growing tired of his lack of openness, especially as she wastryingvery hard to be open with him.
With a sharp glare she asked, ‘Perhaps you will deign to tell me of it some time?’
* * *
She kicked her horse forward with a bad-tempered huff and Agnar immediately regretted his words. He kicked his heels urging his own horse to follow her. It only took him a few moments to catch up with her and, after a quick glance behind, he was reassured to see that Oddmund was riding further back.
‘Skadi!’ he hissed and she eased her horse into a slower trot before glaring back at him.
‘Yes? Are you finally willing to trust me with your plans to feedmypeople? I have explained everything you have asked of me.’
He sighed. ‘Ourpeople,’ he corrected before adding, ‘I hope to make a deal with King Erik. He has an excess of grain and would welcome some silver.’
‘I am sure he would!’ snapped Skadi, ‘It is the exact same arrangement we have with Sven. You are simply exchanging one deal for another.’
‘That is true,’ he admitted, ‘but King Erik has something in his favour that Sven does not.’
‘And what is that?’
