“I’ve been on boats all my life,” he said. “You’ve nothing to fear.”
Though Caragh nodded, he could see that she didn’t believe it. She moved closer to him, sitting a few feet away while the boat continued south. “Why did you come to Éireann?”
The reasons were too many to name. To save his marriage. To escape the conflict surrounding his brother’s leadership as jarl. And the truest reason of them all—to journey across the sea to foreign lands, experiencing a way of life different from his own.
He met her gaze and shrugged, unwilling to say the reasons. As a distraction, he ordered her to cast the weighted net over the side of the boat, letting it drag along the bottom while the boat continued to sail.
“You don’t like to share anything about yourself, do you?”
Her pointed question tightened his frustration. “Why should I? This isn’t a journey among friends. I’m helping you get food because I’ll need it when I search for my wife and kinsmen.”
Caragh studied him. “You’re right. This is a trip of necessity. And I don’t suppose a Lochlannach like yourself would ever be a friend to someone like me.”
Her posture had stiffened, and he knew he’d offended her. But he had to draw a clear line between them, to ensure that she saw him for what he was—an enemy.
“Pull up the net,” he commanded. She reached for it, but her thin arms lacked the strength to bring up the heavy net. She strained against it, using her body weight, but it did little good at all.
“I’m beginning to think I should have unchained you,” she mused.
Styr balanced himself and came close. With his back to hers, he said, “Hook your arms around mine, and then grasp the net.”
She hesitated. “What are you planning to do? Cast me overboard?”
“If I’d wanted to kill you, I could have done it long before now,” he reminded her. “I’m going to help you bring in the net.”
With his legs spread out for balance, he waited until she drew her arms within his. Then as she grasped the net again, he leaned back, pulling her body off her feet as she held on. Despite herself, she began to laugh. “Well, that’s one way to catch fish, I suppose.”
As he’d hoped, she was then able to pull the net back into the boat. There were only small fish within the net, but he found a few oysters as well, which Caragh saved.
Over the next hour, he instructed her on baiting the hooks and setting the fishing lines. The activity seemed to take her mind off her fear, especially when they caught a few small fish. But the longer he watched her, the more his chains irritated him. He wanted to control the sails, to command the sea and catch the fish. Standing around in chains only simmered his resentment more.
After she let down the fishing line, Caragh tucked a strand of hair over one ear, suddenly appearing nervous around him. “Will we catch any more, do you think?”
He shrugged and stared at the horizon.
She sent him a look and then deepened her voice, as if mimicking him. “You couldn’t catch a minnow, Caragh, as weak as you are.”
In her own voice, she continued the singular conversation. “I know that, but I am trying.”
“Not enough,” she countered, pretending to be him. “And if you don’t catch a fish, I’ll toss your useless body overboard and sail away.”
He stared at her in disbelief of what she was doing. “You’re mad,” he muttered.
“And you’re in a foul mood,” she shot back.
“Because you’ve chained me. Do you think I should be happy about this? Do you think I should be talking with you aboutfishing and the weather? I’m still your prisoner because you won’t trust me.”
“I have no reason at all to trust a man who wants to kill my brother,” she countered.
“I might not kill him.”
“Might not? If anything at all happened to Elena, he’ll take the blame for it.”
“And it would be well deserved.” He knew Caragh wanted to protect the boy, but seven and ten was old enough to understand the consequences. “He can’t hide behind your skirts for what he did.”
She glared at him. “And now you understand why I’m reluctant to release your chains. The moment I do, you’ll go after Brendan.”
“He will answer for what he did, Caragh.”
