Loki's Daughters (28 page)

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

 
"Nay." Birgit's voice sounded as frail as her eyes were weak. Even Liam's brilliant blue eyes gleamed with fear.

Egil shook his head, holding out his hand to Birgit. "It is your turn. Everyone must learn."

Frantic thoughts raced through Arienh's mind. She had to think of something, quickly.

But what?

"This is foolish," Birgit said as she rose and turned, trying to mask her fear. But it cavorted in her eyes.

Egil took Birgit's arm and led her toward the green before she could walk away.

"I must get back to my weaving."

"Aye, in good time." Egil handed her the bow he had made.

Birgit stared at the thing as if she held a snake. Hesitantly, she yanked on the bowstring a few times. "I cannot pull this thing," she said. "It is too strong."

"Only because you do not hold it right, Birgit. You are no weaker than the other women. Come, we will do it just like your sister. You will see, it is not so hard."

Arienh's heart lurched as Egil took Birgit into his arms. She must not panic. Egil did not press himself against Birgit in the way Ronan had done to her, but Birgit's eyes bugged with fear, begging Arienh to think of something. She would not even be able to choose the direction to shoot.

Unless...

Arienh picked up the bow she had left on the ground. "Well, while you figure that out, I think I will practice," Arienh said, forcing composure into her voice.

Standing as close to Birgit as she could without being obvious, Arienh positioned herself as perfectly as Ronan had taught her. But her back faced Birgit, so she glanced back over her shoulder, hoping Birgit comprehended.

Unsmiling, Birgit returned a tiny nod.

Arienh squared herself to the target, and elevated the arrow exactly. Birgit was an excellent imitator, for the symmetry of her weaving had taught her exact proportions. Arienh glanced back again, and saw that Birgit imitated her sister's position precisely. Then the arrow slipped and dropped to the grass.

"I cannot do this," Birgit said. "I am too clumsy." She tried to hand back the bow, but Egil refused. Reluctantly she nocked the arrow again and carefully tilted the bow exactly as Arienh did.

But Arienh had stalled too long. Her shoulders ached from holding back the string. If she held too long, the men might suspect her ploy. She let the arrow fly. It struck low on the target. She bent and chose another arrow from the arsenal beside her, covertly checking Birgit's position, perfect in all respects except that she squeezed her eyes shut. With a silent prayer, Arienh turned back.

"How can you aim with your eyes shut?" Egil asked.

"I already aimed."

Two arrows flew together. Two arrows thudded into the target. Arienh stared, astounded. Hers was still low. Birgit's had split the center.

In the unearthly silence, Birgit stood still, eyes pinched tightly shut as if she waited for a blow to descend on her.

Elli shrieked. Mildread rushed up to Birgit, laughing, and shoved Egil aside to hug her cousin.

"You did it, Mama!" Liam tugged excitedly on Birgit's skirt.

Birgit had the good sense not to reply.

"Of course she did," Arienh said calmly, and she raised her chin haughtily as if she had expected nothing else of her sister. "She has always been good at such things. It is a shame she forgets that."

"Well, it was a good shot," Egil agreed. "Do it again."

Again?

Birgit frowned. "Don't be silly. I told you this was stupid. I'm going back to my weaving."

Before Egil could stop her, she spun away and raced up the hill to the little stone cottage. "Well, I have had enough, too," Arienh added. "The rest of you may carry on, but I must get back to work." She set aside the bow and hurried after Birgit, Liam in tow.

As soon as Arienh shut the door behind them, Birgit threw her arms around her, trembling almost to sobbing.

"It's all right, Birgit." Arienh rocked Birgit gently in her arms. "It was a shock, though. A perfect shot, Birgit."

Liam squeezed his way in between them. "Aye, Mama, it was perfect."

"Was it really? If I lived to see the millennium, I could never do that again."

"And I will never let it happen again," Arienh promised.

Somehow, she wouldn't. She didn't know how, but for today, she simply wasn't going to let Birgit out of the house again.

***

"A bit strange, those two," commented Olav.

Bjorn snorted. "All women are strange. And you're all fools."

Ronan had begun to wonder, himself. Arienh's consternation had been easy to understand, given how determined she was to fight off her attraction to her Viking enemy. But after that, nothing had made sense. He laughed at Egil's confusion, but slapped his brother's back.

"Come on, Egil, let's get back to the lessons. You can chase your sweetheart later."

Egil's wicked blue eyes sparkled beneath his thickly fringed blond lashes. "You do it, Ronan. I have other things to do."

Ronan watched Egil saunter up the slope to the little stone cottage where the sisters lived.

***

Arienh answered the knock on her door, glaring at Egil. His wheat-colored beard was gone, freshly shaven away, and his splendid yellow hair flowing entirely free, without the tiny plaits he usually wore beside his ears. He looked like an eager suitor. Fresh resentment bloomed in her.

"What are you doing here? You are not supposed to come here."

Egil gave Arienh a coolly triumphant smile as he wriggled past her. "This is a different matter. It is my duty."

"Duty? Your duty is to abide by the agreement and stay away from our houses."

"Nay, I must speak to Birgit. It is about Liam."

"And Liam is my responsibility," Birgit replied. "You may not concern yourself with him."

An eager grin laced across his face. "But I must. We have all agreed to do the things men must do. It is a man's duty to train boys in men's ways, and he has no father, so I must do it."

Arienh shared glances with her sister. Had he somehow detected the truth in spite of Birgit's accurate shot?

"Nay, you will not take him from me," Birgit replied, and her gently shoved Liam behind her.

"Take him from you? I only mean to teach him. Do you not share your skill at weaving with the village girls, Birgit?"

Arienh had not expected that argument. As she focused her anxious gaze on Birgit, she saw something else, something different, something turned upside down. She had expected her sister's pale eyes to radiate fury at the Northman's audacity. Instead, Birgit thoughtfully folded her arms and turned her gaze on her son.

"What do you mean to teach him, Viking?"

He had the gaze of an ardent suitor, soft, sweet, intense. Definitely, that was what it was. Arienh might not have seen such since childhood, but she knew it when she saw it.

"I do not know everything a man may know. But I am a hunter, and a fisherman, and I have some carpentry skills. I can show him the ways of farmers, and I know some of smithing. But more than that, I would have to turn to my friends."

Birgit rested her hand within the nest of Liam's bright curls. "And of raiding?"

"I have no experience with those things."

"But you have admitted you are a warrior."

The man folded his hands before him. "As all men must be if they are to defend their own. On the Green Isle, I often fought in battles with the Celts against the Danes."

"I do not want my son to be a marauder."

"He will not learn it from me. But I will teach him to defend himself and those he loves."

Birgit's eyes roved longingly over her son, whose bright blue eyes beseeched, echoing both fear and excitement.

"Nay, Mama," he said, pulling on her kirtle.

Arienh and Birgit exchanged glances. There was nothing Liam wanted more than to go with the giant blond Northman, but Old Ferris's words still terrified the boy. And they both knew Egil was far too kind and gentle to bring the boy any harm, but that was not their real fear.

"How do I know you will not hurt him?" Birgit asked, fixing her pale stare on the Viking.

"I will give you my oath, and a Northman may not break his oath. If he should come to harm by me or by my error, I must give to you my firstborn son."

"You have such a son?"

"Nay. So I pledge you my very future."

An odd, undecipherable light flickered in Birgit's eyes, then quickly tucked itself back down beneath her solemnity. "Let it be so, then."

Liam gasped. "Mama, I'm afraid."

"There is no need, Liam. A Northman may not break an oath made on his firstborn son. You will be safe with him."

Arienh's jaw dropped open, along with Liam's. Had they made a pact? Or had Birgit merely picked up the thread of Egil's plan, just as she had done with the archery earlier?

Egil gave Liam a very solemn nod. "Then I will come for you in the morning, Liam, so that we may join the other men in choosing wood for more bows. Now, if you wish, we will go to the river to fish."

"With my pole?"

To his credit, Egil did not laugh. "It is the best way."

Liam glanced back and forth between his mother and the fascinating Northman, then even briefly looked at his aunt. His natural exuberance could no longer be constrained by fear. "May I, Mama? Please?"

With great solemnity, Birgit nodded. "That is the agreement, Liam. You may go."

The boy dashed for his fishing pole, and his brassy golden locks bobbed as he hurried off behind Egil. Egil flashed a magnificent smile for Birgit, and a sly wink, as he left.

Fury boiled up in Arienh as if it began in her toes and rose all the way to her ears. "Birgit, how could you? After all my work?"

Birgit gave a shrug. "I was going to give in to him anyway. There was no point in wasting time with a fight."

"Birgit, don't you see the danger in letting the man get too close?"

"Aye, I do, Arienh. But it is clear Liam needs him. I will just have to be careful."

"It is not your loose tongue I am worried about. But Liam is just a little boy. You cannot expect him to guard his words."

Birgit turned away her head, looking off out the door as if she stared into some far distant time. "I know, but I must risk it, for Liam. It does not matter about me, Arienh. I do not think you can stop it."

"Then why don't you just run right out and tell them, if you are so intent on giving up?"

"You do not understand, do you?"

"Nay, I do not."
 
Arienh stalked out of the cottage, and as she swung the door to bang it shut, the leather hinge broke. In her fury, she left it sagging in its frame.