When he was close enough, he stoppedand trod water.Fen must be on a spar of sand—Cai was out of hisdepth here, the riptide current tugging at him.He made one lasteffort against it.“Fen!Fenrir!”
Fen didn’t move.Cai could distinguishindividual words now.Words for gods, and darkness, and revenge.Hecovered the last space between them and seized Fen’s shoulder,anchoring himself as best he could on the sand underfoot.“What areyou doing?”
Fen’s hair was slicked down, his eyeswide and vacant.It took him a moment to focus, and when he did, anexpression of mild surprise crossed his features, as if he’dencountered Cai unexpectedly in a corridor of Fara.“I am placing acurse upon my comrades.They should have returned for me bynow.”
“All right.”A swell of thetide tore at them, and Cai fought to hold him still.“But can’t youdo it from the beach?”
“No.The sea must bear myvengeance away to those who deserve it.To Sigurd, to the Torleikwarriors who swore their loyalty to me.To… To Gunnar.”
“Don’t.You love yourbrother.”
“You may say his name now.He is nothing to me.”
“You don’t mean that.”Fenwas warm beneath Cai’s hands, his skin burning under the water’schill.“You’re feverish again.Come ashore with me.”
“I haven’t finishedcursing.”
“Well, you can do the restsome other time.”Cai took his shoulders and turned him around.“Come on.”
Cai got him back to shore with a mixof persuasion and brute force.He was shaking with exhaustion bythe time he pushed him up the final rise of the beach.Eldra waswaiting patiently where he had left her.He paused for long enoughto dry Fen down a bit with one cassock and bundle him into theother, then quickly got dressed himself.He climbed onto thechariot’s board and hoisted Fen up after him.There was barely roomfor a man to sit, but Fen didn’t fight when Cai eased him down sohe was huddled at his feet.
“You’ve undone all my goodwork,” Cai told him, pulling the hood up over Fen’shead.
“I don’t care.”Fen blockedCai’s next move, thrusting his hand away.“Don’t touchme.”
“Very well.”Cai shook Eldra’s reins.She set off at asmooth-running canter, as if aware of her precarious load.Caiguided her onto the firm strip of sand between the high-tideseaweed mark and the incoming waves.Soon this flat strand would beunder the water, but perhaps he would have time to get Fen home.Hedidn’t really care about anything else.He didn’t want to think anyfurther than the next few yards of sand ahead of him, any deeperthan the warmth of Fen’s shoulder pressed against his thigh.Caihad found him.He wasn’t drowned or lost.He was here, awkward andfever-racked, simmering with almost-palpable rage.For the firsttime in a month, Cai was happy.
“I retract my curse on Gunnar.”
“That’s good.I don’t know much about cursing, but Danan saysthey can come back and strike you.”
“Danan?”
“A friend of mine.You’ll meet her.”
“Ah.A girl.”
Cai bitback a smile.There, on the crest of the furthest dune he couldsee, a female figure was standing, long grey hair blowing in thewind.Had she been there all along, watching over the beach andeverything that had played out there today, or had Cai’s namingjust conjured her up?“No.Very much not a girl.”
“I understand now.About Gunnar.”
Caididn’t prompt him.He let Eldra run on in silence, and the nexttime he looked Danan was gone.
“I have been here long enough to know…you have no treasure inFara, secret or otherwise.”
“I did try to tell you.My abbot Theo thought there wassomething too.Believe me, I’d have handed over anything we had tostop the raids.”
“So Sigurd will have taken the Torleik men to raid elsewhere insearch of it.But my brother would have come back anyway.Youunderstand nothing about him.No puny Christian could.He had awarrior’s heart.He could lift a sword as soon as he could walk.Henever ceased in slaying and striking from that momenton.”
He sounds lovely.Cai kept thatthought to himself.Fen was shivering now, a tense vibration wherehe was pressed against Cai.
“So he would have come for me.There is no doubt.I am stillhere, trapped among you paltry excuses for men, and therefore…Therefore Gunnar is dead.”
Cai tookthe reins in one hand.Blindly he put the other one down, seekingFen’s head.It was lowered, pressed to his knees.This time Fendidn’t push him away.
“Listen,” Cai said.“I can’t be your lover.But I won’t be yourcaptor, either.”He ran a rough caress over the bowed skull in itshood.“Once you’re well, I’ll help you leave here.You’re not myprisoner anymore.I’ll help set you free.”
Chapter Seven
