“It’s just…” Aoife paused and looked at Gemma. “I remember, early on, I had a vision of me nursing the child. Now, I’ve seen nothing for months, not even whether it is a boy or girl. One day I am sure it is one, the next the other and… and it scares me.” Aoife looked down at the ground as they continued to wander back towards the hall. Her shoulders slumped.
Gemma opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again. She had no idea what it was like to live with Aoife’s gift of seeing visions.
“Perhaps your gift doesn’t work when you are pregnant?”
“It did at first.” Aoife’s voice was as close to whining as Gemma had ever heard it. She put her arm around Aoife’s shoulders and smiled at her.
“Then it is probably your pregnancy interfering with the visions. Remember, this is how the rest of us live all the time. Never knowing what the future holds, whether we will live or die.”
Aoife turned her head sharply to look at her. Then she put a hand on her arm. “And for once I have no answers for you either,” Aoife said, shaking her head. “I am sorry. I feel so—” She gasped and clutched at Gemma’s arm, then relaxed.
“What is it?”
“Another pain. It’s gone now.”
“We should go inside,” Gemma said.
They had almost reached the doors of the hall when they heard shouts behind them. People were running from all directions towards the shore. And as they turned to look out across the choppy waters of the firth, something was being tossed on the waves.
“Is that a coracle?” Aoife asked.
“I think so,” Gemma said. “Fishermen most likely. The waves are fierce. They should not have been so far from shore in this weather.”
“Do you think they are from Ir Ysgyn?”
Gemma nodded. “Perhaps.” Officially, they still were her son’s lands, although her brother had placed a steward, Lord Fergus, in charge of them. Fergus was the second steward after Rhun’s initial choice, Lord Marcant, had murdered Aoife’s father, then subsequently escaped justice. “Or Ardd Gowan.” Marcant’s former lands bordered Caelin’s but were closer to the mouth of the firth.
Gemma stared at the coracle, wondering if she would know any of those on board. Were they fishermen? Or were they here for another, more sinister reason? Either to spy or to search for her and her son?
Fear assailed her, and she looked at all those running towards the shore, relieved when she saw no sign of Caelin, Elisedd, or Einar. Nor were they still at the rope swing. She relaxed a little, knowing they must have hidden as soon as the strangers were spotted.
Aoife moaned, and Gemma glanced at her, concerned.
Her friend gasped and looked at her with wide eyes.
“Is the baby coming?”
“I hope not,” whispered Aoife.
Gemma pushed open the hall doors and ushered Aoife inside. “Come and rest by the fire.”
“I would rather lie down. Can you fetch Ragna?” Aoife’s face was lined with pain, and Gemma guided her to her room. Tormod’s aunt was the force behind the day-to-day running of the settlement. And while she did her best not to usurp Aoife’s authority, Ragna remained a significant presence—a situation everyone, not least Aoife, seemed content with. Aoife grimaced, then reached for Gemma and held her hand.
“If anything should… go wrong, tell Tormod I love him, that in the end I was happy.” Aoife stared at their joined hands and didn’t look up even when Gemma squeezed them. “And if the child survives and not me, always tell them how much I wanted them,how much I loved them before I even met them.” Only then did Aoife look up at her. There were tears pooling in her eyes. “Why can’t I see what will happen?”
“Shh,” Gemma said, leaning over and kissing her on the head. “Everything will be fine. Don’t worry. Tormod will not allow anything to happen to you. It will not be long now.”
“I am so afraid and feel so helpless. I can’t stop what is going to happen, can’t do anything to change the outcome.” Aoife pulled her hands out of Gemma’s grasp and wiped at her face. “I’m sorry, I just seem to be like this all the time.”
“All women feel the same,” Gemma assured her, even as she prayed everything would be all right. “Let me find Ragna.”
Aoife closed her eyes and nodded. Then winced.
“I will not be long.” Gemma hurried back into the hall, but it was empty. Everyone must be out on the beach to either watch or assist with the rescue. She wanted to hide to protect herself and Caelin, as she always did when strangers arrived in Kirkjaster. Only her concern for Aoife pushed her into venturing out to find Ragna.
Chapter Two
Gemma watched the coracle,still a distance out on the waves of the firth, being tossed about violently. The men on board were shouting for help in Brythonic. On the beach, a longship was launching, and as soon as it had been pushed out, Gemma spotted Ragna standing at the edge of the beach. She pulled the hood of her cloak over her hair and kept her head down as she headed towards the place where Ragna was giving orders to a group of thralls.
