Page 20

11

Isla’s mind was reeling. Her hands trembled as she tried to wake her son. Her eyes were wide, and her face was as pale as the moon.

“Andrew? Andrew!” she whispered, and eventually, he stirred. He moaned and tried to turn over to fall back asleep, but Isla forced him awake. As soon as she told him that they had to leave, Andrew heard the fear in her voice and looked around.

“Where’s Emmel?” he asked. It was a good question.

“I dinnae know, but we hae tae get out of here,” she said.

As she rose and guided him toward the horse, she heard a loud shout and twisted her neck around. There she saw Emmel with Rune and his men, roaring into battle, hoping to take them by surprise. She paused for a moment, wondering if she should stay and try to help him, but what could she do? While she was strong of spirit, she had never taken up lessons in sword fighting or other matters that concerned warriors. Protecting herself and her child came naturally to her, yet leaving Emmel at the mercy of Rune, and his brutal men seemed cruel.

While she was caught in this prison of indecision, a fight raged between her champion and her captors. It was difficult to see what was happening as the night was dark. She could see vague forms moving, and she hated that she couldn’t do more to help Emmel. He had put herself in so much danger for her, so the only thing she could think of doing was to leave and find help and at least put some distance between her and Rune. She wasn’t an expert at the local geography, but she thought it wouldn’t be hard to find an inn somewhere. In the night, all she had to do was find a glowing fire, and people would be nearby.

She hastily dragged Andrew to the horse and started to unyoke the horse from the tree. Her hands trembled so furiously that the simple task took far longer than it should have. It didn’t help that she kept glancing behind her to make sure that nobody was coming. However, there was one particular knot that was giving her trouble. In the darkness, it was especially fiddly, and sweat broke out upon her forehead, trickling down the side of her face. Like her fear, it was cold and unsettling.

Suddenly she heard movement behind her. She turned, but only in time to see the terrible figure of Rune Dolph coming for her.

“Run away from me, will you?” he growled, coming toward her like a storm. But there was someone else there… Emmel! He rushed up behind Rune and leaped on the Viking’s back. Rune Dolph struggled as he was pulled back, and Emmel struck him from behind. Rune Dolph turned and swung, but Emmel was equal to him and ducked, evading the blow. As he dodged, he lunged forward and struck Rune Dolph in the ribs. A painful cry rang out across the silent loch, and it seemed as though Emmel was taking vengeance for the way he had been treated. But Rune Dolph was not so foolish to come alone. The triumphant feeling in Isla’s heart was quickly snuffed out when she saw Rune’s men running forward from the forest, descending upon Emmel’s position. Before she could utter a cry to warn him, they were upon Emmel, although he had felt the tremors in the ground. He turned and tried to defend himself as best he could, but the blows rained upon him as heavy as hailstones.

“Stop it! Stop it!” Isla screamed, her panic making her voice tremble. She still fiddled with the knot but thought it was hopeless now. There was not even a weapon at hand with which she could defend herself, and she felt as though it was going to be impossible to escape this man. Rune Dolph shook off Emmel’s blows and stalked toward Isla. Isla’s throat ran dry. She turned around and placed a hand on Andrew’s shoulder.

“Run, Andrew. Run until ye find someone, and try and get passage back home. Get back tae the island,” she said.

Andrew nodded. Tears glistened in his eyes, and she thought it might be the last time she ever saw her son, but there was no time to say all the things she wanted to say. All that mattered now was that he survived. She turned him around and pushed him away, but before he could flee, Rune Dolph was upon them and grabbed Andrew by the scruff of his neck, pulling him back. Isla screamed and reached out for her son, but Rune was already pulling Andrew away from her grasp.

“Leave him alone! Leave us alone!” she cried.

“I’ll leave you alone. This was never about you, Isla. This was always about the boy,” he snarled, and turned his back on her. Andrew struggled, but he couldn’t do anything against the mighty Viking. Rune Dolph dragged him by one arm, disappearing into the shadows. Isla ran up to him, not caring about anything else in that moment. She clawed at Rune Dolph’s back, but he swept her away with a blow from his hand, casting her to the ground. The impact stung her cheeks, and she whimpered. She was nothing more than an annoying fly to him. Emmel was on the ground as well, being pummeled and kicked by the other Vikings. One curt order from Rune Dolph was enough to get them to leave him, but Isla feared he was dead.

She crawled over to him, all the while watching Rune Dolph disappear into the shadows with her son.

“Andrew,” she whispered, and felt as though she had failed as a mother.

When she reached Emmel, she draped her body over him, checking to make sure that he was alive. His face was mottled with bruises, and he was groggy, but at least he was breathing. She buried her head in his chest and wept fretfully, the tears warm against her cheeks, and her heart burned with pain. It had all happened so quickly. In the blink of an eye, her world had been destroyed. The only thing she cared about in all the world had been taken for her, and she hadn’t been able to do anything to stop it.