Fires of Winter (45 page)

“I should have sent word, Garrick. I was just leaving to bring Selig to you, so you could have this day with him.”

“Set the boy down, Brenna.”

His voice sounded strange. Was he bitter again? Brenna put Selig back in his little play area in the corner.

“You can stay here with him if you like,” Brenna said, feeling very awkward. “Leala will not return until eventide, and I will still go to your house, to say farewell to Erin and the others. So you can be alone with Selig for a while.”

He did not answer her, and for the first time she noticed the many weapons hanging from his belt, more than she had ever seen him wear at one time, and a rope he held in his hand.

“Why did you come here, Garrick. You look prepared for battle.” She felt a coldness seep into her bones. “Will you use those weapons on me? If you love him so that you will kill me to keep him, then do it, for I cannot live without him.”

He shook his head at the ridiculous conclusion she had come to. “No matter how much I love him and want him, Brenna, I could not kill his mother.”

“Then why—”

“I could keep you here by force. I have thought of it many times. Last year when I sailed east, wanting to get far away from you, I realized that was not what I wanted at all. I wanted you with me, by my side for the rest of our lives. ’Twas late summer and I assumed my father had long since taken you back to your people. Since he had given you your freedom, he had the right to know I was going to take that freedom away again, so I came here to tell him that I was going to bring you back and keep you here whether you agreed or not.”

“Is—is that what you intend now?”

Garrick shook his head. “You value your freedom too much—I know this. There is one other solution.”

“I wish there was, but I cannot see it.”

“The truth—the end of all doubt, that is the only solution, Brenna. I pray with all my heart that I was wrong to mistrust you. If you did lie, I will know it now. And then I can only hope that you will never feel the need to lie again.”

“I do not understand, Garrick. You did not accept my word before, and I have no proof to offer you.”

“I will believe in you, Brenna, from this day forward, because I must—I love you!” Garrick said earnestly. “But I still must know the truth.”

He pulled on the rope he held in his hand, and even in her confusion, Brenna was appalled that he would bring his horse into her house. But what followed the rope was not his mighty steed, but Cedric Borgsen, bound at the wrists, with blood oozing from a gash on his head. Brenna turned stark white as if she were seeing the living dead. Cedric also paled, but quickly got his surprise under control.

“Why did you bring me here, Haardrad?” Cedric demanded in a contemptuous manner. “You must know this outrage cannot go unanswered.”

“Yea, but which outrage, Cedric?”

“You waited this long to settle an old score?” Cedric laughed, then all his humor disappeared and hate dripped from his words. “The past has been dead these many years. Your brother killed mine and that was enough for our fathers. Now you want more blood!”

“The past has naught to do with your being here. You have a more recent crime to answer for.”

“Truly?”

Garrick came closer and pointed to Brenna. “You know this woman?”

Cedric looked at Brenna as if for the first time. His whole being relaxed and he grinned. “A pretty wench, but none that I have ever seen before.”

Brenna felt her stomach turn. She looked at Garrick, who was watching them both, and his disappointment was clear to see. This could not be happening.

“He lies, Garrick!” Brenna spoke Norwegian for Cedric’s benefit. There was pain and disbelief in her voice. “I swear to you he lies!”

“It does not matter, Brenna.”

“But it does—it does!” She turned to Cedric frantically. “Tell him the truth. Tell him how you stole me away!”

Cedric shrugged, feigning bewilderment. “The wench is mad. I know not what she is raving about.”

“Liar!” Brenna stormed, and blinding fury made her tremble. “I thought my blade had killed you, but I should have made certain.” She drew the dagger that was always on her hip. “This time I
will
be sure!”

Garrick knocked the dagger from her hand before she took even one step. “He is bound and helpless, Brenna. We do not kill unarmed men.”

Her frustration was so great that she screamed. It was her word against Cedric’s, but her story, the trials she endured, were unbelievable. She knew it and could do nothing. Then she saw the answer, and hope finally entered her eyes.

“My blade pierced his chest, Garrick,” she said quickly. “He may not have died from the wound, but there will be a scar—the proof you seek.”

Garrick moved to Cedric, who was grinning from ear to ear. “I have many scars,” he said confidently. “Which would you like to see?”

Garrick ripped open Cedric’s tunic nonetheless, but indeed there were many scars. With slumped shoulders, he pushed Cedric toward the door.

“I will take you back to where I found you.”

“Do not think I will let this insult pass,” Cedric sneered.

“Because of the ravings of a madwoman, you attacked me and dragged me here to be further insulted.”

Garrick shrugged, too disillusioned to care. He had put all his hopes into this confrontation, shunning common sense and praying that Brenna’s story was true. Now…

“Do you wish to challenge me, Cedric?”

“Nay, I am no fool!” he retorted. “But my father will know of this!”

“I am sure he will.”

“Garrick, wait!” Brenna cried. She could not believe that Garrick had given up so easily. He would never believe her now, and even if he swore it did not matter, she knew it always would.

“Brenna, there is no point in prolonging this.”

“He has another scar, Garrick, like no other! ’Tis long and jagged on the front of his hip. I saw it when he tried to force himself on me.”

She watched the color leave Garrick’s face before she finished. Cedric also blanched, but she saw this too late. He panicked and acted quickly, raising his bound fists to strike at Garrick from behind. Garrick fell forward against the table, hit his head, then slipped to the floor and was still.

Brenna stared in disbelief. It was as if she were reliving the scene in the woods when the bear attacked Garrick. He lay unconscious or dead, but the beast was still alive, still threatening. She looked for her dagger, but she was too late. Cedric had it and was trying to cut through the ropes that bound him. Brenna raced to him, but he pushed her away with a mighty shove. She fell, but scrambled to her feet and ran for her other weapons. Again she was too late. Cedric was free and behind her before she reached her crossbow. He jerked her about, then slapped her to the floor.

“I want you to know what to expect, wench,” he said in a frenzied voice. “I nearly died because of you, and would have if Arno had not come when he did to stop the bleeding. I could not follow you then, but I did when I was well enough. Only I learned from a slave that you had not returned and were thought dead. The slave lied, I see.”

“Nay,” Brenna said in a whisper. “I rounded the fjord, and this took many weeks.”

He laughed. “’Tis no wonder he did not believe you. If you could endure that, then you will last long for what I have planned for you.”

“Do not be a fool,” Brenna said, her blood chilling. “Garrick wanted only the truth; that is why he brought you here.”

“And so he has it. It went well until you mentioned the scar that he gave me in our youth. Only he and I knew of it. ’Twas an accident, but one I have never forgotten—nor has he.”

He looked at Garrick with loathing, and Brenna caught her breath. “If you go now, ’twill be the end of it. I will see that he never seeks you out again.”

“Yea, I suppose you could do that. You have power in your beauty. But you will not be here to see to anything. You will come with me.”

Cedric started for Garrick, pulling Brenna’s dagger from his belt. Brenna gasped and jumped to her feet. She caught Cedric’s arm and jerked him back to face her.

“You cannot do this! He saved you when I would have killed you. He
saved
you!”

“He must die, as you will also. But first you will suffer the agonies of your Christian Hell. Your fate was set when you tried to kill me!”

“If you kill him, then you will die too—if not by me, for I will surely try, then by his brother or father. They are not fools. They know my story and if they find Garrick dead and me gone, they will know you did it.”

“Nay, wench, they will blame you,” he laughed.

“I would not kill the father of my son, the man I love with all my heart.”

He saw the truth in her words and hesitated. At last he noticed Selig in the corner, playing undisturbed with his wooden toys, thankfully unaware of the tragedy around him.

“If you are so intent on having revenge against me, then take me far away where Garrick cannot find us. But let him live, for your own sake.”

He hesitated for a few agonizing seconds, then without another word, he took her hand and pulled her behind him. She wanted to beg him to let her take her son, but she would not jeopardize his life. He would be unattended until Garrick woke, and he might get into mischief, but he would not be in any real danger. And Garrick would live to care for him.

They mounted the two horses Garrick and Cedric had come on and rode toward Garrick’s house. Now that Brenna did not have to fear for Garrick, she became terrified for herself. She had escaped this man once, and she would do it again, she assured herself. They rode only a short way before they were hailed by another rider, a woman. Brenna was surprised when Cedric halted.

When Yarmille saw Cedric and Brenna together, she became alarmed. The bungling oaf had taken too long to finish the task she paid him for. Why did he have to come now, when Brenna was to leave on the morrow, taking her son with her?

So many times she had tried to do away with the Celtic wench, who was one more obstacle in her way. When the girl had the fever, Yarmille had nursed her well. She had given her potions which made her body reject all nourishment. And she thought surely that leaving the balcony door open in Garrick’s room for most of the day would have done the trick. But the girl lived.

It was too bad it was not Garrick who had become ill and she was summoned to tend him. Then she would not have had to worry about his future entanglements and the bastards he might sire. And breed he did, another heir to stand in her way. She had thought his son would never be when Brenna took her fall in the woods. Again her longawaited goal was thwarted.

Yarmille had yet to devise a means to kill Garrick and his brother. But she would eventually—and their sons. At least if Cedric finally took Brenna away, there would be no more sons born to stand in her way.

Brenna felt hope when she recognized Yarmille, but that was quickly shattered when Yarmille reached them and Brenna saw the horse she rode, the horse that had run her down in the woods.

“You remember me, Borgsen? I am Adosinda.”

Cedric laughed. “I did think you were younger, mistress.”

“It has taken you long enough to finish what I paid you for,” she said angrily, ignoring his remark.

“I thought her dead until Garrick brought me here to face her. She will not return again, mistress.”

“Garrick brought you here! Where is he?” Yarmille asked excitedly. “Did you kill him?”

“Nay, I left him alive. I have no time for further questioning. He will not be unconscious long.”

“Never fear, Borgsen,” Yarmille laughed. “I will take care of Garrick
and
his son. He will not follow you.”

“Nay, mistress. I will be blamed.”

“Fool!” Yarmille shouted wildly. “
She
will be blamed! ’Tis well known she hates both father and son. Anselm Haardrad was taking her away on the morrow, away from his family before she kills them all!”

“She lies, Cedric!” Brenna gasped. “Her name is Yarmille. Her son is Anselm’s bastard.”

“Yea, and I hate them as she does. But my son, not hers, will be Anselm’s heir!”

“Hugh is heir, and he has a son. Will you kill them also?”

“Hugh does not have a son, nor will he ever. When he was a child with the fever, it rendered him only half a man. Your sister lied and I told Anselm this, but he did not believe me. So yea, they will die also. All of Anselm’s sons and their sons. All but mine!” Yarmille rode on toward Brenna’s house.

“You must stop her!” Brenna cried.

“There is no time, wench.”

“
You
will be hunted down for her deed.”

“I let Garrick live, knowing he would follow. There is no difference. I will sail to Erin or Finland, far away.”

“She is going to kill my son!” Brenna screamed, beside herself with fear. She tried to turn her horse around, but Cedric grabbed the reins. However, Brenna could not be stopped now, not unless he killed her. She jumped off her horse and started running back to her son and Garrick. She had to stop Yarmille, she had to! Cedric rode up beside her and lifted her onto his horse. She fought like a cornered tiger, until a blow to her head brought blackness, and a terrifying end to her struggles.