“Elisedd,” Aoife said. “His name is Elisedd.”
“Elisedd,” Tormod addressed him in Brythonic. “Håkon will be your new master. He will take you in and take care of you, and in return you will help him work on and protect his farm.”
“But…” the boy began, fear etched on his face as he looked at the farmer who had only recently been calling for his death.
Aoife knelt down and leaned towards Elisedd.
Tormod envied the easy affection visible between his wife and the boy. It reminded him of the way Ingrid had focused all her attention on her son, Einar, as she plotted to have Tormod killed. He had hoped that there would be some affection possible in this marriage, but with a child from amongst her own people to fuss over, would Tormod be an outsider in his own family once more? If he kept Aoife and Elisedd apart, would his marriage stand a better chance of success?
He tried to push the thought from his head. This was a good solution to the current problem for all concerned. It was not about him being selfish. He couldn’t assume Aoife was anything like his first wife. He should try to trust her. He sighed. It was difficult. It would be difficult for any man, let alone one who had already suffered due to the lies of a woman.
“I will come and visit you,” she said, then glanced at Tormod, a scared look in her eye. He forced himself to nod at her. He must try to be benevolent, and was gratified when she smiled. “I will visit you and make sure you are all right and we will make a new home here.”
Elisedd bit his lower lip and tears filled his eyes as Håkon approached.
Aoife looked desperately at Tormod.
“No harm will come to you,” Tormod assured the boy and glared at Håkon before repeating the statement in Norse.
Håkon agreed and put out a hand to Elisedd. When the boy did not react, Håkon knelt down and repeated the gesture.
“Go,” said Aoife. “These people have been kind to me so far. We must learn to trust them.”
Elisedd dashed the tears from his eyes, then took the offered hand and walked out of the circle with Håkon.
Tormod stared around at all the other villagers, meeting as many of their gazes as possible, hoping that none decided his judgment had been wrong. They seemed cautious but not averse to his decision, and Tormod took that as a positive. No one had challenged him before. He had to hope they would not start now.
Aoife was straining to watch the boy leave, so he led her across the causeway and back towards the hall. They waited until the boy and Håkon disappeared out of sight on the path over the hill. There had been no sign of Håkon mistreating the boy, and Tormod was sure he wouldn’t. The man had no sons of his own—only daughters who were almost grown now—he may welcome the boy in the long term of his own accord. His wife, Magda, certainly would.
“Thank you,” Aoife said.
“There is no need to thank me. I do not think the boy had done anything wrong. If I did, I would have acted differently. His burns had been tended,” Tormod said by way of reassurance. “I believe Håkon’s wife, Magda, will care for him well.”
She stared at him, then nodded slowly. He paused, unsure how to broach the next subject. Then he decided to just ask what needed to be asked. “Could your father have been behind this? The agreement was we would live side by side in peace, and yet someone has attacked my lands.”
Aoife pulled her hand from his and took a few steps away. He let her go and waited until most of the villagers had started to make their way back to their homes.
“Perhaps news of our wedding and of the alliance has not spread to everyone yet,” she said. “I am sure once it does…” she trailed off, avoiding looking at him.
“Let us hope it is the case,” Tormod said, unsure of what he would do if it turned out not to be the case. Aoife was clearly as unsure as he was himself.
Chapter Thirteen
Aoife believed Tormod wastelling her the truth about Håkon and his wife, but she’d seen the faces of some of the villagers. They didn’t trust Elisedd, didn’t trust her. Her hope of finding a home here faded a little, although she forced herself to smile at her new husband. “I look forward to visiting him.”
Tormod tensed beside her and stared after Håkon. “Why do you wish to visit him? I have assured you that he will be cared for. Do you not trust me?”
She drew in a deep breath. Why was he so suspicious? Elisedd was the only one of her countrymen she was likely to be able to see. Surely he must realise it was hard to believe Håkon would have changed his opinion of the boy so quickly. Only an hour ago he’d been demanding he be executed. “To… To make sure he is being cared for.”
“Håkon has sworn he will care for him,” Tormod stated, still not looking at her. “He is no oath breaker.”
“And what of the others?” she asked tentatively. “It is not just Håkon who wished him to be punished.”
Finally, Tormod looked at her. “A judgment has been made. There are none here who will go against a verdict reached at aThing.”
“AThing?”
“The meeting we just had. It was an official judgment. The villagers will abide by it — all of them.”
