A terrible worm wiggled into my mind.The mine is dead.
Everything I could see grew sharper in a familiar but grotesque way.The edges of the ship jutted out from the sea and sky—each line in the world competed for my attention.
“What did they do?”I said.
The man frowned; he had charcoal on his face—lines dripping down from the inner corners of his eyes to his cheeks, like he was crying black tears.“What?”
“If there was nothing to raid at the quarry—no gold—what did they do there?”
The man shrugged.“Broke things.Caved in some tunnels.Let us simply say the stonecutters will not be cutting stone for a little while.”
Those gathered around laughed, but my stomach was tight.
Arik never does anything without a reason, I thought.I craved my stones—Fara’s description of the currents ofskaelmade sense to me then, more than it had before.I felt certain my mind was being tugged, that something large and serious was ongoing.
The wind roared, and everyone on board shut their eyes, taking in deep, ecstatic breaths.
I thought of Arik’s face when he’d said,Do you have any idea how many children I am responsible for?I thought of him cooing over Halvar, of how he touched Fell’s head so often, so lovingly.
I looked across the sea to where Arik’s ship rowed alongside us, from where he might very well be casting for Fell or Halvar.I didn’t want to hear any more complaints about him; I wanted to be alone with my stones butalonedidn’t exist at sea.Rowan and Fara were reclining at the head of the ship, wrapped around each other sweetly.Aslak and Fell were at the tail.Flojer was in his cabin, but even if he wasn’t, I could only go there if I was invited.
I wanted to ask the stones how my family—how me and Halvar and Fell—were part of Arik’s plans.He never does anything without a reason.If the king only wanted us to be safe from an attack, he would have found us somewhere to stay… but he brought us with him?—
“BYERNEN AHEAD!”Someone shouted from up the mast.
Forty-Nine
As we approached Byernen, my mouth fell open in awe.It wasn’t the land that held my focus, but the chaos of ships gathered in the bay—an uncountable swarm of wooden creatures, with wide eyes and open, hungry mouths, packed together like a great flock of migrating birds.
It wasn’t just me who was impressed by the size of the fleet; the whole crew was—those off duty scrambled to the ship’s rails to have a better look, hollering across the water to the other ships.
An electric energy flowed through the air, and wind-muffled shouts came back from across the sea.It would seem no one was prepared for the sight—those on the other ships were just as giddy.
Even Fell cursed under his breath.
Flojer bellowed over the joyful shrieking.“Rest her on the southernmost side of the gaggle, further out than the rest.”
He was the captain, so of course, no one questioned him, but I sensed the crew was deflated by his command.I expected they wanted to get closer, to see in detail the mass of the Norsern ships, to feel the spirit of so much strength in one place.
AsThe Fearsome Beastmanoeuvred, my eyes struggled to rest somewhere.There was a ship that looked like a dragon and one that was carved like a unicorn-sea beast—painted white with a fish-tail carved into its rear.There was a ship that, instead of two eyes like a normal creature, had many, all different sizes—the shields of its rowing warriors bound to the ship’s rails, each also bearing a giant ogling eye.One ship was painted to look like blood was dripping off its deck into the sea, another was the blue of sky with clouds, making it seem like the crew was floating.
“I do not want to be stuck waiting for the rest of these clams to get out of our way when it is time to go!I would like to be the first to get where we are going, to show the rest how it is done!”Flojer boomed.
A ripple of laughter spread across the crew as my whole body tensed.To where we are going.I couldn’t doubt the burn in my stomach.This wasn’t simply a raiding party.
This was an army.
This was a force that could wage war.
“No mead,” Flojer shouted.“Rowers stay at your benches.The king could send us on our merry way any moment!”
The ship rocked gently as she slowed, as we parted from the ships we had been travelling with—the five of them, including the ship Arik was on—curved into the bay.A path of sea had been left open, presumably so the king could reach the land where he and the captains would meet.
Flojer’s voice was closer suddenly, and I turned to find him approaching.“Yarlav.Fara.Rowan.Kelt.You will row to shore.I want all the rind they will sell you.Honey, water, and pickles.Do not let them sell you anything else.I do not want to be stopping once we have set off until absolutely necessary.Go quick.”
Yarlav was already heaving open the cache and flipping it, revealing the door to be a small rowing boat.
“And you,” Flojer turned to me.“Arik would speak with you on land.Soon, before he meets with the captains.Let us skip his messenger coming to summon you, eh?Once you are back on board, I will go to land.”
