Elspeth shivered. She really was exhausted. A couple weeks sleeping on a pallet had taken its toll.
Vigdis pulled Elspeth toward the hearth and sat her in a chair then covered her in furs. The warmth was glorious.
“Stay here. I will bring you something warm to drink.”
Elspeth stared into the fire. The heat and the darkness of the chamber pulled her ever so slowly toward slumber. She was glad she finally had someone to talk to. Her brother could be impossible, but she was never really in any danger. He was a brute, but he would always protect her. Wouldn’t he? What would have happened if the Vikings had become aggressive and demanded more from her than her ‘tricks’ as one had put it. It wasn’t her fault the visions could only be triggered if they had direct relation to her future, or so it appeared anyway. And try as she might, she couldn’t get that through to Kenneth. Damned man. So stubborn and pig headed.
The chamber door creaked open revealing Vigdis and a maid servant carrying a pitcher, goblet and a platter of food. She sensed someone else close by, but could not see them in the door frame. But she was certain they were there.
“Is there someone outside?” she asked Vigdis.
Vigdis glanced over her shoulder and back and shook her head. “My brother Magnus offered to help carry the food and drink, but we declined. No one followed us in.”
Magnus. That was his name. She’d seen him in Dublin and was shocked to see him again here. His presence stirred something within her, something she couldn’t quite grasp or name. Somewhere in the recesses of her mind, she had an inkling she had a message for him, but that could not be since they had barely met. And yet her whole being told her otherwise. Aye, she had a message for him, but for the life of her she could not fathom what it could be.
Elspeth sat by the fire and consumed some meat and bread, then downed a goblet of warm ale. She had no doubt Vigdis had more questions though she had no capacity to answer them. Between the fire, furs, and food, she was quickly slipping into a deep slumber. With the last strength she had, she crawled underneath the furs and snuggled down. So much had happened since she’d first tucked away on Kenneth’s ship, not unlike her current curled up position. But she couldn’t think about any of that now. She was safe and she was warm and she was about to get some much needed sleep. Before she drifted off completely, the vision of a tall, thick, blonde-haired man embracing her warmed her even more than the furs. Tomorrow she would discover more about this man, Magnus.
CHAPTER THREE
Magnus sat back and watched as the two MacAlpin brothers squared off. Neither was a warrior in a way similar to his own kin, but these two could probably do some damage to the other with the right provocation. And it would appear their fair sister might be just that. He was certain she was one and the same mysterious cloaked figure from Dublin. And if the scent of cloves and the red hair didn’t give it away, the tingling sensation at the base of his neck was surety.
Kenneth MacAlpin had already said his sister had stowed away in his galley and that wasn’t altogether a wise choice on her part, but from there, the man should have turned around and brought her home. Why he would engage in a scheme to impress Olaf, Magnus simply couldn’t reconcile.
“Tell us about her gift,” Gunnar said.
“My sister has no gift, and I will not have her promoted that way,” Osgar said and crossed his arms over his chest.
“She proved she has no gift,” Kenneth said. “I tried to get her to see something for Olaf, but it didn’t work.”
“You should have never put her in that situation.”
“What difference does it make? None of it is true in any case; it’s all made up nonsense for women to feel they have some power over men,” Kenneth said.
When Gunnar made to stand, Magnus placed his hand on his shoulder. There was no harm in Kenneth feeling this way. Both Elspeth and Freydis would be in less danger that way.
“I could not agree with you more, MacAlpin,” he said to Kenneth. “Now weren’t you about to take your leave?”
“Aye, I will leave you all to your silly fantasies about alliances and witches.”
With that he left the hall. Osgar followed and closed the door behind him.
“Why did you do that?” Gunnar asked.
“Because it is safer this way. The man had absolutely no hesitation exploiting his sister and so he would give even less care to do the same with Freydis. My question for you now, brother, is what do we do with the MacAlpin sister? You seemed in a position earlier to offer her to me.”
“You mistake me, brother. I saw the trepidation in her eyes. I knew she was not here of her own free will and I stand by my original statement when Giric MacDomnail first landed on these shores. I will not force anyone into an arrangement with which they are not in agreement. Not even you, though I wish you would consider making an arrangement sooner rather than later. We can use all the alliances we can get.”
“I hope you are willing to put your own name into the sphere of arrangements, brother. A good leader does so by example.” Magnus was only partly jesting. If Gunnar wanted to have more of his clan in support of his endeavour, he would need to prove it.
“There is only one woman for me, and she won’t have me,” he said quietly.
“And have you asked her?”
“I don’t need to. Her absence tells me everything I need to know. And on that subject, the conversation is closed.”
With that Gunnar left the hall. Not that Magnus wished any ill on his brother, but as long as he was pining for a particular healer, the focus of marriage on him was diverted.
“How fare you, brother?” Vigdis asked from behind him.
