But the chamber doors slammed shut, muffling Tala’s voice andmaking the dark god writhe angrily. Silla’s fingers flew to her temples, and Rey seemed to notice. He stepped nearer, the press of his boot against hers made the dark god hiss.
Still, it was difficult to concentrate through Myrkur’s tantrum. Silla grabbed Rey’s hand. Focused on the feel of his thumb rubbing circles on the back of her hand. And finally, she was able to turn her attention back to the crowd. Jarl Hakon stared furiously after Tala before turning abruptly to Jarl Agnar.
“I suppose my letters never reached you?” said Hakon, striding toward him with one hand outstretched.
Agnar accepted Hakon’s hand and shook it firmly. “No. And I suppose mine never reached you?”
“No.” A brief pause, and then, “I can assure you, Jarl Agnar, I have no interest in your borderlands. In fact, I have a parcel of land along the northern coast that has grown cumbersome to manage. It is rocky and infertile, but the waters are thick with whales. Perhaps with your fleet of fishing vessels, you could make use of it?”
Agnar’s eyes widened for a fraction of a second, reminding Silla of just how young he was. “That would be—” He cleared his throat. “—I would accept, and offer you in return half of our catch.”
Two matters settled,thought Silla. The realization that she’d restored peace on the border caused satisfaction to shimmer all through her. And knowing this emotion to be her own, Silla grasped onto it. Refused to let it go.
Myrkur growled, trying to resurface, and she again focused on the feel of Rey’s thumb drawing circles across her knuckles. She thought of the shield-home, of sitting on the bed while Rey untangled her curls. The god cringed deeper, and Silla blinked back to the present, only to realize the entire room was watching her.
“I am glad to see friendship restored between your families,” she forced out, bracing against Myrkur’s furious attempts to push forth.
“There is more we must speak of,” she said, glad to have practiced this speech, as she required all her mental strength to keep the dark god at bay. “I called you here today inthis,of all halls, to signify a fresh start. This is the very place where countless plans have beenhatched by the Uppreisna, and so it seems a fitting location to usher in a new age. An age where we stand shoulder-to-shoulder—east and west, Galdra and not, peasant and jarl—axes in hand and hearts in alignment. I like to think of it as the Dawn of the North.”
An enthusiastic cheer rose up from the crowd, and Silla blinked in startled gratification as the dark god was driven further down. She let the sound billow through the high-ceilinged chamber—let the hope and optimism of these people loosen Myrkur’s hold. After a moment, she held up a hand and continued.
“You all know me as Eisa Volsik, but long before that, I was Silla.” Her eyes found Hild’s, and her insides grew buoyant. “I grew up with very little. Earned calluses and blisters through long days in kitchens. I love animals to a fault, can make nine different types of bread, and I’ve been told I drool in my sleep, though I choose not to believe it.”
A murmur arose in the crowd, and Silla caught Hild and Eilif sharing an amused smile. She latched onto the warmth that bloomed inside her. Used it as a weapon against the god of chaos. Silla reached into her pocket and pulled out the heart-shaped rock, lifting it for all who were present to see.
“My foster father gave this to me.” Pride and love and a multitude of other emotions blossomed inside her. “Some of you might know him as Tómas, others as King Kjartan’s bodyguard. But to me, he was Matthias. He raised me to be kind and hopeful. I’ve been told these are not qualities one needs in a leader. That you need someone stern…a queen who can strike fear in the hearts of your enemies.”
Silla smoothed her thumb over the rock’s surface. Myrkur thrashed deep within her, but He was distant. Smothered. It made her smile. “That, I fear, is not me. Instead, I can bring a willingness to dig my hands in and work—to fight alongside you. And above all else, I bring an eagerness to learn from those who know better.
“I am not too prideful to share that I am better suited to some tasks than others. Some would see this as a weakness, but I choose to see it as an opportunity. I am here today to ask for your help. I donot care how many bushels of grain your land can produce, nor how far back your lineage reaches. Your rank does not concern me. Only the courage in your heart will matter when we face Myrkur’s creatures at Rökkur.”
While the jarls knew of Rökkur’s threat from their meeting, the rest of those present did not. Silla found herself holding her breath, allowing a few moments as whispers rippled through the crowd. But she could not give their fear space to sharpen. Could not relent her hold on Myrkur.
Silla’s gaze found Jarl Holger’s in the crowd. “My honesty has been questioned, and I will tell you now, Jarl Holger, you were not wrong. I thought that in order to gain your trust, I must hide parts of myself. Instead, it has only planted doubt in your minds.”
Rey’s hand slid once more into hers, and they held the heart-shaped rock between their palms. It gave her the strength to say what she must. “Now I share with you the truth: I have not been well in my time in Kopa. My mother, Queen Svalla, made a bargain with the god of chaos, and the bargain now lives within me.”
She saw disbelief in the faces of the crowd, and Silla did not blame them one bit. Yet as Myrkur clawed back some ground in her consciousness, she forced herself on.
“A shard of Myrkur lives in my body and each day He grows stronger. I’ve hidden this away, afraid you’d lose faith in me. But in doing so, I’ve only weakened the bonds of trust. So now I share my whole truth with you, as well as my plans—tomorrow I will leave for the heartwood of the Western Woods. There, I will vanquish the leech and break the bargain my mother made.”
Myrkur roared deep within her, his displeasure pushing forth. But Silla focused on the faces in the crowd, landing on Agnar’s encouraging expression.
“Rökkur is indeed coming—the twilight of days. It begins with the long winters and ends with fire raining down upon us. You might have heard of Myrkur’s serpent offspring slipping through the crevices in the north, and the deadly mist that has forced so many fromtheir homes in the west. This leech is Myrkur’s progeny, which has climbed from His realm through the deep roots of a hjarta tree.
“Each day, the god of chaos gains more anchors to our realm,” continued Silla. “But there is hope. The mother serpent was vanquished; the crevice through which she entered our realm sealed. Do you know what that tells me?”
The room was silent, but Myrkur was riotous. Anger lashed through her veins and pounded at her temples. Clearly the god did not wish for her to reveal His plans.
“It tells me that our fate is not set—it can be rewoven. But we must act quickly. Tomorrow, we ride for the heartwood in the Western Woods. And when Marra is fullest, we will do battle against Myrkur’s progeny and the Turned creatures it has spawned. We need all the help we can get. No longer can we afford to be complacent on this issue. I ask for your swords—”
Silla gasped as Myrkur railed against her, sending sharp strikes of pain through her skull. But through her inner tumult, she was vaguely aware that several figures had stood from the benches. Jarl Agnar and his two dozen warriors walked across the floor toward the dais. The crowd watched on as they dropped to one knee and bowed their heads.
Jarl Agnar’s voice was loud and carrying as he spoke. “Eisa Volsik has proven herself an honorable and truth-seeking leader. House Agnar pledges their swords to you.”
The lightness in Silla’s chest expanded, dulling the pain in her skull and easing the unruly beat of her heart. She smiled broadly, tears shining in her eyes. Both Silla and Agnar knew how it felt to be underestimated, and so it felt fitting that the young jarl would be the first of her oathsworn.
But it surprised her to see the next jarl to step forth—Jarl Holger, who’d witnessed her possession by Myrkur and had confided to Rey his distrust of Eisa. The grizzled warrior dropped to one knee, his retinue of battle-hardened warriors at his back.
