up a large jug of wine on her way to served Skuld’s dinner. Freya arched a brow but said nothing of it. Iduna knew tonight’s dinner would be light, little more than a broth stew that included very little fat or potatoes. Whenever Skuld's goblet was low, she stepped forward to refill it. Dagna was in her own tent tonight, and Skuld ate alone.
As he drank, the silence stretched around them. When Freya took away his dinner, Iduna returned with more mulled wine and cheese that she had scored earlier and had been saving.
“Cheese! Thank Yorin,” Skuld exclaimed. “Another treat from home.”
“Yorin be blessed,” she agreed, the word for their god feeling awkward on her lips. Usually she would have just nodded her head, keeping the silence that Freya seemed to maintain while serving, but Iduna wanted to get him talking.
She needed him to talk.
Skuld looked sour and took a large gulp, his earlier drafts of wine only increasing his thirst.
“There's no blessing here,” he said darkly into his drink. Silence. His reddening eyes turned to Iduna. “The darkness is growing again.”
“It's evening, sir,” Iduna replied, puzzled.
“I speak of the darkness in us,” he muttered. “He controls it. Using us all.”
Iduna thought of when she had first arrived, the warmth and easy affection, the laughter and silliness. She had expected a brutal culture, but she had found nothing of the like. Perplexed, she left the tent with Freya.
Chapter 14
Iduna woke the next morning to her stomach gurgling with hunger. She’d been trading away much of her food to get spices and treats like the cheese. Thinking of warm oats with honey, she picked her way through the usual jumble of bodies seeking warmth in the pile of furs. She’d raise the fire, then go to the stream for water.
She felt a hand grab her ankle and tug, yanking her out of the pleasant moment in her head. She fell, startled, dropping the bucket she carried. Sprawled, she looked back and caught the glint of a dark look before one of the sleepers rolled over to go back to sleep.
She stood and bent to brush the grass off her knees. Grabbing the bucket, she continued to the stream. She didn’t know why someone would trip her or why she’d been so slow to react. Her training had included agility since it helped to be in sync with the elements. She just hadn’t expected it. Working on her calm, she focused on the water running swiftly and the patterns it made as it flowed around the rocks. When she was about to leave, she impulsively grabbed some of the flowers that Freya had admired. She tucked the stems into her pocket and carried the heavy bucket back to the fire. Iduna smiled as she saw Unger awake and roll his shoulders as if to work out a kink.
“I see you don't need me,” Unger said, eyeing the bucket of water that he usually fetched.
“I wanted to get an early start,” she said.
“Well, if you think I slow you down, then you can make breakfast without me,” and Unger walked away toward a horse corral.
She stopped walking for a second, puzzled. The weight of the bucket reminded her she had work to do, and she resumed her course.
“Morning, Iduna,” Freya said as she continued stacking wood at the campfire.
“Good morning.” Iduna pulled out the flowers after dropping the bucket with a thump. “For you.”
“They’re dead,” Freya said. Her eyebrows lowered, and the line of her mouth flattened.
“They've just been picked. They've not lost their beauty,” Iduna assured her.
Freya shook her head as if clearing thoughts from her mind. “Oh, you're right. How silly.” She took the flowers from Iduna, put some of the water from the bucket into a goblet, and dropped them in. She set the makeshift vase on their worktable.
Iduna watched her and considered.
“Freya, could you tell me about your daughter?” Iduna asked. Freya winced, and Iduna added more encouragement. “What happened to her?”
Freya looked around to
As he drank, the silence stretched around them. When Freya took away his dinner, Iduna returned with more mulled wine and cheese that she had scored earlier and had been saving.
“Cheese! Thank Yorin,” Skuld exclaimed. “Another treat from home.”
“Yorin be blessed,” she agreed, the word for their god feeling awkward on her lips. Usually she would have just nodded her head, keeping the silence that Freya seemed to maintain while serving, but Iduna wanted to get him talking.
She needed him to talk.
Skuld looked sour and took a large gulp, his earlier drafts of wine only increasing his thirst.
“There's no blessing here,” he said darkly into his drink. Silence. His reddening eyes turned to Iduna. “The darkness is growing again.”
“It's evening, sir,” Iduna replied, puzzled.
“I speak of the darkness in us,” he muttered. “He controls it. Using us all.”
Iduna thought of when she had first arrived, the warmth and easy affection, the laughter and silliness. She had expected a brutal culture, but she had found nothing of the like. Perplexed, she left the tent with Freya.
Chapter 14
Iduna woke the next morning to her stomach gurgling with hunger. She’d been trading away much of her food to get spices and treats like the cheese. Thinking of warm oats with honey, she picked her way through the usual jumble of bodies seeking warmth in the pile of furs. She’d raise the fire, then go to the stream for water.
She felt a hand grab her ankle and tug, yanking her out of the pleasant moment in her head. She fell, startled, dropping the bucket she carried. Sprawled, she looked back and caught the glint of a dark look before one of the sleepers rolled over to go back to sleep.
She stood and bent to brush the grass off her knees. Grabbing the bucket, she continued to the stream. She didn’t know why someone would trip her or why she’d been so slow to react. Her training had included agility since it helped to be in sync with the elements. She just hadn’t expected it. Working on her calm, she focused on the water running swiftly and the patterns it made as it flowed around the rocks. When she was about to leave, she impulsively grabbed some of the flowers that Freya had admired. She tucked the stems into her pocket and carried the heavy bucket back to the fire. Iduna smiled as she saw Unger awake and roll his shoulders as if to work out a kink.
“I see you don't need me,” Unger said, eyeing the bucket of water that he usually fetched.
“I wanted to get an early start,” she said.
“Well, if you think I slow you down, then you can make breakfast without me,” and Unger walked away toward a horse corral.
She stopped walking for a second, puzzled. The weight of the bucket reminded her she had work to do, and she resumed her course.
“Morning, Iduna,” Freya said as she continued stacking wood at the campfire.
“Good morning.” Iduna pulled out the flowers after dropping the bucket with a thump. “For you.”
“They’re dead,” Freya said. Her eyebrows lowered, and the line of her mouth flattened.
“They've just been picked. They've not lost their beauty,” Iduna assured her.
Freya shook her head as if clearing thoughts from her mind. “Oh, you're right. How silly.” She took the flowers from Iduna, put some of the water from the bucket into a goblet, and dropped them in. She set the makeshift vase on their worktable.
Iduna watched her and considered.
“Freya, could you tell me about your daughter?” Iduna asked. Freya winced, and Iduna added more encouragement. “What happened to her?”
Freya looked around to
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