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‘But will he stay? For ever? Or will he go again to seek out fresh lands? Sometimes warriors take their families with them. Valdar said that he might, if he were my father. Will my real father? Will he teach me?’
‘I hope he will stay.’ Kara kissed Rurik and moved the wooden horse he always slept with to the side of his pillow. Going with Ash? The thought was tempting, but how could she leave this even if he asked? ‘Sleep. I have to see your father about something.’
‘About my getting a dog?’ Rurik snuggled down. ‘He already promised. I am going to get a dog of my very own to train as soon as he can arrange it. He knows how to make you do things.’
‘Did he say that indeed?’
‘Before I was a silly baby and got frightened. Warriors never mind a bit of shouting.’
Kara forced the ire back down her throat. Ash should have consulted her before making promises to her son. Or demanding that he behave in a specific fashion. ‘You are willing to try again?’
‘Mor, he is my father. I want him to be proud of me.’
* * *
Kara discovered Ash in her father-in-law’s old chamber, her chamber. They had agreed—this was to be her space. Renewed indignation flooded through her. He seemed to be awfully free with his promises and presumptions. He hadn’t truly changed. He just said whatever was easiest and bound to get him the result he wanted.
Now he was engaged in playing a game of tafl with one of his men in the room he’d declared was for her private use. She prayed that Skaldi and the other goddesses would give her strength. She had to be logical and cool, rather than provoke another fight. Her few fights with Ash used to end with them in bed and now the bed piled high with furs loomed far too near.
A tiny voice deep within her asked if she wanted to be kissed, properly...
Kara tore her gaze away from it. When she slept tonight, she would sleep alone.
She cleared her throat and held the small bowl of salve in front of her. ‘Pardon me for interrupting.’
Ash made a swift gesture to the other man. The man jumped up, made his excuses and left.
‘You aren’t interrupting. Your chamber, not mine,’ Ash said, leaning back with his hands laced behind his head. The torchlight showed the faint golden stubble on his chin. ‘I thought you would return here eventually and I wanted to be prepared. It does neither of us any good to be angry with each other. We need to work together. Rurik belongs to the both of us, whatever happens.’
Kara struggled to keep her temper. Working together for Ash had always meant her following his lead and doing what he wanted. No longer. ‘Indeed.’
‘I’ve no real love of this room, even with the change of tapestries. Far too many memories of waiting alone for my father to appear and punish me for some misdemeanour whether real or imagined. Njal the Squint wanted to go over the training rota for the next few days and stayed to play a game of tafl at my request.’ Ash screwed up his face ‘We’ve unfinished business, you and I. I want it completed tonight.’
‘Unfinished business!’ Kara took a steadying breath and concentrated on the tafl board. She needed to keep her focus, rather than be distracted about Ash’s childhood memories, particularly after Rurik’s earlier insight. ‘What unfinished business?’
‘We had not reached an agreement about what needs to be done about Rurik and his supervision. My son will be properly supervised. I insist on that. Things need to change. I have trained men, Kara. It was one of my duties in Viken for the last two years.’
‘He has survived for six years with me.’
‘He isn’t being properly supervised.’ Ash banged his fist on the table, making the pieces jump. ‘Today’s events made that perfectly clear. Gudrun is far too old and mean. She seeks to curry favour with whoever is the most powerful. She used to lock me in a cellar. But it is more than that. Rurik needs to learn the skills to survive as a warrior. He has a position in the world.’
‘Are you saying that I am a bad mother? Over-protective? Making him weak?’ Kara prepared for battle, tightening her grip on the little bowl of salve she carried. All her good intentions about involving Ash in Rurik’s upbringing were forgotten as she remembered the words she had had with Hring over the past three winters. She refused to cede control simply because Ash happened to return. She had coped perfectly well. Today was an aberration, rather than the normal state of affairs. Surely he had to realise that. ‘How dare you make a judgement of that sort based on the little time you have spent with your son! What happened today was a dreadful accident. It could have been much worse, but thankfully Rurik is fine. I am a good mother!’
