And gods curse her, because it meant… shewantedthat much from Gaelfr, at least. She wanted to know they had him for at least a few more days. No matter what happened with Kalfr, no matter what came next.
“A few more days, then,” Gaelfr’s gruff voice said. “If you will now trust me, woman, and obey me, andcome.”
Trust him. Obey him. Raye stiffened against him, and fought down her grimace. Of course now he would use this against her, and she should refuse. She should snap back at him, or find another way. He was dangerous, she couldn’t trust him, but…
She needed him. She needed to keep Svein safe. No matter the cost.
“Fine,” she said, though she couldn’t meet Gaelfr’s eyes. “Fine. I’ll come.”
16
In another world, another time, Raye might have enjoyed the trip to meet Kalfr.
It was a bright, sunny day, and Gaelfr’s route through the forest followed a narrow but serviceable path, twisting up and down hills and around ravines and boulders. And Svein — who had never been on a long journey before — dashed and bounced and played as they went, with an exuberant glee that ought to have been contagious.
“Look, Mama!” he exclaimed, for what felt like the dozenth time that morning. “Look at that rock! Can I climb it?”
Raye nodded, and reluctantly smiled at the sight of Svein scampering up the large boulder, using his claws to help him with the steeper parts. And once he reached the top, he excitedly waved down toward them, beaming with flushed, innocent pride.
“Very good, son,” Gaelfr said beside Raye, raising his hand in a wave back. “Can you see Orc Mountain from there?”
Svein glanced toward the west, and his grin flashed brighter as he bounced on his feet. “I can, Papa!” he exclaimed, pointing with his claw. “It’s that way!”
Gaelfr nodded and smiled back, but Raye couldn’t muster up even a halfhearted response this time. Orc Mountain. Kalfr. They were moving closer and closer toward Orc Mountain, and meeting Kalfr. Today. Soon.
She dragged in a deep breath, and twitched at the feel of Gaelfr’s hand, settling brief to her shoulder. “Are you well, woman?” he asked, under his breath. “This pack is not too heavy, is it?”
Raye shook her head, and hoisted her makeshift pack higher on her shoulders. Gaelfr had mostly given her clothes and textiles, while he’d insisted on carrying almost everything else himself, in a tangle of packs nearly as big as he was. But he hadn’t once complained, or showed any signs of tiredness, either.
“What is amiss, then?” he asked, after a glance up toward where Svein now seemed to be following a bug around the top of the boulder. “Are you yet vexed over your weaving goods?”
Right. That had been another heated disagreement before they’d left, because Raye had been loath to leave all the valuable trappings of her livelihood behind — her spinning wheel, her costly, handspun yarn, the bolts of finespun cloth, even the huge, heavy loom itself. But she had been forced to concede that it was all too large and cumbersome to transport, and instead Gaelfr had stashed as much of her yarn and cloth as he could into the tunnel under Svein’s bed, and had then shoved several heavy items in atop it.
“No, it’s fine,” Raye said, between gritted teeth. “We won’t be away for long, right?”
Gaelfr didn’t acknowledge that point, only frowning toward Svein on the boulder, while Raye’s alarm and unease churned higher. Because in truth, there was no knowing how long this would take. And no matter what, her cottage was now alone and unguarded, and despite the latched and barred door — whichonly Raye and Svein knew how to open — the men could return at any moment, and burn it all to the ground. And what would Raye do then, especially once Gaelfr left? Would Kalfr help her? If he showed up at all?
“Have you… caught scent of Kalfr yet?” Raye asked, with a furtive sidelong glance toward Gaelfr. “Or anything else?”
Gaelfr shook his head, though he kept his gaze on Svein. “Not yet,” he said. “But he will come.”
It sounded impossibly certain, perhaps foolishly so, because there was no way Gaelfr could really know, was there? What if Kalfr hadspurned his bondnot only with Gaelfr, but with her, too? What if he’d fully moved on with his new life? His new profession? His new woman?
It all roiled harder in Raye’s gut, and she fought the bizarre urge to ask Gaelfr if he still had that portrait he’d shown her. So she could look into Kalfr’s eyes, and desperately try to see what whispered there. Did he still hate her? Would he want to punish her? What would he do, what would he say, would he yell or curse, would he refuse to speak, send them away forever…
“Catch me, Papa!” Svein called out, and Raye glanced up just in time to see Svein leaping off the side of the boulder, his arms outstretched. And though Raye’s heart lurched into her throat, Gaelfr chuckled and braced himself, and grunted as he caught Svein in his arms.
“Grant me more warning next time, son,” he said, but his eyes were warm, his lips curving up. To which Svein only beamed back toward him, and Raye fought down the unnerving awareness of how relaxed, how familiar, the two of them already looked together. Gaelfr now hoisting Svein up onto his hip, while Svein easily leaned into his side, and poked his claw at Gaelfr’s cheek.
“You smell different today, Papa,” he said, leaning in to sniff at Gaelfr’s face. “More like… like Mama. Mama smells more like you today, too.”
Raye didn’t miss the spasm in Gaelfr’s cheek, or his brief glance toward her. Because — oh. Svein could smell — their scents. From what they’d done last night. Damn it.Damn it.
Heat flooded Raye’s cheeks, and though she opened her mouth, nothing came out. She’d had age-appropriate discussions with Svein about such things, of course, but this particular development had never even occurred to her, and what did orc parentsdoabout their offspring’s too-sensitive noses?
But Svein had already squirmed down out of Gaelfr’s arms, and snatched up a nearby stick. “It’s nice,” he said, over his shoulder. “Don’t you think, Papa?”
Gaelfr stiffly nodded, and cleared his throat. “Ach,” he replied. “Now, keep leading us, will you, son? Scent for the way ahead, as a good Bautul scout would.”
