Skadi tutted, knowing that meant they wereverynoticeable.
‘I shall say I fell,’ she grumbled, pulling her cloak tighter around her. The wind was beginning to whip through the trees and their little tryst in the woods seemed more like madness considering the season.
‘Is that snow?’ gasped Skadi, reaching up to touch a falling speck. The ice landed softly on her palm before it began to melt.
Agnar looked at it thoughtfully, as he pulled on his tunic. ‘Looks like it.’
‘We need to head back soon. The mountain path is treacherous after the first snow fall.’
‘It’s almost dark, but we can go tomorrow morning.’
Skadi nodded, comforted by the thought. ‘True, and at least we did the treacherous side today.’ She hurried down the path back towards the lodge, the confident stride of Agnar following close behind.
As they came into the clearing around the lodge, they saw Brenna speaking with Vali at the campfire. Brenna’s eyes widened as first Skadi and then Agnar emerged from the forest. Skadi knew her sudden desire for Agnar was unexpected, but Brenna was usually open minded about most things…
Brenna’s shocked gaze turned to Vali and she thumped him hard. ‘You said they were together!’
Vali’s brow furrowed. ‘They were!’
Agnar moved to stand beside Skadi, equally confused by their strange argument.
Brenna’s horrified gaze swept to Skadi and her stomach plummeted.
‘Where is Astra?’ she asked and could already tell by the blood draining from Brenna’s face that she didn’t have an answer for her.
Astra was missing…and it was Skadi’s fault. She’d left her child to go and find Brenna alone, when the camp had been in chaos from their arrival. All so that she could have a tryst with Agnar.
She would never forgive herself.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Agnar put a reassuring hand on Skadi’s shoulder, but she shrugged it off as though it was a fly, almost flinching from his touch as if she were ashamed to be seen with him.
Was that why all their encounters had been in hidden corners?Skadi dragging him away from the sight of her people. He’d suspected she’d been lying when she said she wasn’t ashamed and that had hurt his pride more than he liked to admit.
Did she still love or feel guilty over Heimdall?
He couldn’t deny that he was delighted about the new intimacy they shared, but in other ways he felt even more distant from her. It was as if she were still holding herself back from him while he fell deeper under her spell.
Would she ever trust him…love him?
Regardless, of her feelings—or lack of—towards him, Astra was currently missing and they needed to find her. Especially considering the snow was already beginning to sprinkle the ground with a fine layer of frost and the sun was low.
Skadi strode forward. ‘We sent her into the hall when we first arrived. Did you not see her?’
Brenna shook her head, worry and fear clouding her expression. ‘No, I was gathering some mushrooms and herbs for Nattmal and Vali said he’d seen the three of you climbing the last part of the path together. Perhaps she went to the latrine and I did not see her or she is hiding in the hall…’
‘Vali, gather the men and women,’ ordered Agnar. ‘We need to know who last saw her and when. Is anyone else missing? Who last saw Oddmund?’
‘Oddmund?’ Skadi shook her head furiously. ‘He wouldn’t…he was Heimdall’s friend.’ But her eyes desperately searched the faces of the other people in the clearing, and by the increasing concern on her face, he knew she was growing more anxious and afraid. Picking up her skirts, Skadi ran inside the hall followed closely by Brenna, calling out Astra’s name and grabbing servants to help them in their search.
Agnar turned to Vali. ‘Gather the men. Find out who saw Oddmund and Astra last.’
It wasn’t long until Vali returned with one of the men. ‘Tell him what you know,’ said Vali.
The man nodded quickly. ‘The Princess was looking for Brenna. Oddmund told her she’d gone into the woods. He said he would help her find her.’
‘Why didn’t you say anything when Brenna returned without Astra?’ snapped Agnar, already knowing that it wasn’t the man’s fault, but frustrated with himself that he’d allowed Astra to fall into such a trap.
