Page 30 of Dragonbound

‘No, you first, tell me how you came to find me, wherever I am.’

He sensed some unease from Sereh. ‘Arrow found you out on the glacier, as we were walking across it, towards the south.’

‘Where exactly am I?’ His gaze turned upwards, peering at the cave’s roof again.

‘You’re in a cave, on Vatna Jokull. And you, why are you here? Where are you going so early in the Long Day?’

‘I was going to Rankil’s home. I have to see the healer.’ He spoke in a rush, memories crashing in his mind. He’d lost a precious day. He needed to get going, if he was going to make up time. He tried to make sense of his actions. ‘I thought I was going around Vatna Jokull and not over it. How in Valhalla did I get here?’

His eyes stayed on the cave roof. Even so, he felt Sereh stiffen at his words. Inwardly, he grimaced. Rankil was not likely to be one of Sereh’s favourite people. Not after what he’d done to her family. If not for Rankil, her parents would be alive and she wouldn’t have been forced to serve him as a servant. If not for Rankil, she’d still live within her family’s steading, as opposed to Rankil stealing it away from her, with some rubbish about her father bequeathing it to him in exchange for his assistance in bringing Ramon to justice. What must she think of him, mentioning him so flippantly?

But before he could apologise, she spoke again.

‘You must have missed the marker stones. Where were you coming from?’

‘From my uncle’s steading.’ He tried to push himself up. He really needed to continue his journey in what daylight remained, but his elbows buckled, and with a cry of surprise, he found himself lying on his back on the cave floor once more. Snow exposure took time to recover from, he knew, time he wasn’t sure he had. He’d have to waste the day. He’d have to stay here and resume his journey tomorrow. Surely his aunt would keep his mother safe for the one extra day it would take him to bring help.

‘Are you all right, Erann?’ Sereh asked, her fierce gaze unsettling him. It was as though she could see inside him to his muddled and tangled thoughts. He didn’t like such scrutiny.

‘I think I’m well, thanks. I thought it would be nice to sit up, but I’ve changed my mind. I’m going to lie here and wait while you brew some tea.’ He tried to laugh off his discomfort.

She looked unconvinced. But thankfully, she turned away from him, and with her attention elsewhere, Erann thought back through the events of yesterday.

Had the Gods saved him after all? Had his prayer to Thor worked?

Belatedly, Erann became aware of Sereh’s resumed scrutiny. What was she looking at? And then he felt it. His father’s journal. How long had he been holding it? Unwilling to answer any more of her questions when he didn’t possess the answers himself, he slipped the journal under his cloak. He’d return it to his backpack later.

He accepted the tea she offered him, lifting himself up on one elbow to drink.

‘That was exactly what I needed, thank you.’

He lay back, looking at the cave roof again. What a fool he’d been. He could have found the shelter himself, surely. He should never have walked on as he’d done, even with the tragedy of the steading playing on his mind. After all, all he’d really done was risk his life. Again.

‘I’ve not tasted that for some time.’ Sereh broke the silence. He offered her a smile, feeling his eyelids close, but they shot open again at her next question. ‘How long do you think you’d been exposed for?’

‘Long enough, but not too long that I’m dead,’ he suggested warily. It truly didn’t bear thinking about. ‘You have my sincere thanks for saving me. You and Arrow.’

‘Do you have any other food?’ Her tone wasn’t as warm as it had been. He wasn’t surprised. He was being evasive.

‘There should be some of last rotation’s harvest left in my backpack for both of us,’ he offered. He’d taken what he could from his steading to his aunt and uncle’s and had packed just enough to ensure he could make it to Rankil’s and back again without having to limit himself too much. It was always important to eat as well as possible while the weather remained so bad.

‘I’ll see what I can find,’ she replied, still sounding annoyed.

Even so, he was pleased she’d given herself the task of feeding them. Now, he’d have some time to try and remember more detail about last night. He was aware of her sighing at his evasiveness, but he couldn’t tell her what he didn’t know himself.

‘Erann… Erann… You could at least answer me. Oh, for the Gods’ sake⁠—’

Something warm was thrust into his hands. It felt good – grounding. He blinked, dragging himself back to the present, to the cave, to Sereh. For a moment, he felt completely disoriented, taking in the sharp, annoyed set of her face.

‘Thanks… thanks, Sereh. Sorry. I was a bit distracted.’

Her response was acerbic. ‘Whatever. Eat your soup and go back to your “distraction”. Don’t mind me.’

She turned away, fussing with the fire.

He took a sip of the soup. It was hot and tasted like almost nothing.

‘This is good. What’s in it?’ he asked, trying to sound grateful, hoping to smooth things over.