Page 23 of Wolf Alliance

Thorfinn hesitated to attack her, and it appeared he was studying her, trying to figure out how to make her lose her sword. What a boon that would be! But she was glad he was thinking about it, not just rushing in, believing he could be the victor with wild, uncontrolled actions.

Again, his whole body came to life as he charged her, and she blocked his sword. But she held her own, and the fight was on. He attacked in a hurry without strategizing and struck her sword several times. She was surprised and impressed that his swings carried so much force, given his youthful age. He hit her sword, and she parried, then pushed him several steps back, neither giving any quarter.

So that his brothers could have their turn, she thought of letting Thorfinn win. She didn’t want to, but she needed to end the battle with him. He came at her again, but he wasn’t as steady on his feet, his skin sweaty with exertion, his face red from fighting so hard. When he swung his sword, she knocked it from his grasp, and it flew off to the side.

He ran to grab it, and she knew from his determination, that he intended to fight her again. But she motioned for his brothers to take a turn. She hadn’t envisioned them both fighting her, but they weren’t as hard on her as Thorfinn was.

She was surprised he hadn’t inserted himself in the practice battle alongside his brothers. Instead, he stood off to the side, holding his sword, frowning, looking like he wanted to get her back for making him lose his sword. So much for bonding with him.

Now she was tired as Hendrie struck her sword and Johnne came right in following it, striking her sword again. Like Thorfinn, they were trying hard to beat her. She hit Johnne's sword, but as soon as she swept it aside, Hendrie struck again. She pressed the boys forward, getting them to back off, showing them an offensive move, while they were defending themselves the whole way.

But when she concentrated on Johnne as he attacked her with his sword again, Hendrie decisively moved to take her on, striking her weapon from her hands with a hard thwack. Johnne rushed in for the kill, poking his sword into her stomach.

She laughed. “You lads are much skilled in sword fighting.”

Hendrie ran to get her sword as if he intended to continue the game, but she curtsied to them before he handed it to her. She was worn out. “Mayhap we can do this again another time.” She wasn’t about to fight with him again. She was ready to have a respite.

Etta hurried over to her, giving her a mug of honeyed mead. “Well, done, my lady.”

“Oh, thanks be to thee.” Accalia drank from the mug and noticed Erik had been watching with some of his people. He hadn’t left them to their own devices like she thought he had.

He raised his brows, inclined his head, and smiled, then left the “battlefield.”

“Young Thorfinn would have returned to battle you if his da hadna told him not to,” Etta said.

Accalia laughed. “I wondered. Thorfinn looked like he wanted to fight me again and get even with me for sending his sword flying.”

“I’m sure of it. I have never seen the lord playfight with his sons. It was something to behold. And of course, the lads playfighting with you was as amazing. Everyone’s talking about how well-behaved they were at the meal. Did you threaten to send them to the dungeon again?” Etta asked.

“Nay. I told them I would playfight with them if they behaved at the meal. It worked.”

“It sure did.”

The crowds dispersed to do their chores now that the show was over.

“What do the boys do when they’re done breaking their fast normally?” she asked Etta.

“They make themselves scarce. No telling what they do.”

“Hmm.” Accalia saw them watching her and wondered what they were up to now. “Were they like this when their mother was still alive?” She figured they hadn’t been until after she had died and maybe no one knew how to deal with them in their grief. She felt bad for them, thinking of how she had felt when she had lost her mother. Maybe that’s why she felt such a need to bond with them.

Etta inclined her head. “From what she said, her da believed that they had to learn from their mistakes, just like her father’s da and mother had taught him. That their mother wasna to pamper them.”

“But she loved on them, aye?” Accalia assumed she would, though in some rare instances, some she-wolves weren’t loving, doting mothers. But she’d been lucky with her mother in that regard.

“Uh”—Etta looked around and saw no one was close to hear her speak—“nay. She was young when she and Erik mated. She was upset when she learned she was having the bairns. She did as little as she could with them. Their nannies took care of them always. Even nursing mothers nursed them. She wouldna have anything to do with the task.”

Shocked, Accalia glanced back at the boys who were watching her. They couldn’t hear them, but she thought she intrigued them. Or they wanted to cause further mischief, didn’t want her to catch them at it, and were waiting for her to go off and do something else. All children needed to know they were well-loved.

“What about Erik?”

“Wilma insisted that he didna fuss over the lads either. When she was being indulged, he would play games with the boys. If she learned of it, she would tell him that he was ruining the lads.”

“Nonsense.” She couldn't fathom him trusting the woman's words. However, she had known a woman who captivated every man's attention and could make them do anything for her. Perhaps his wife possessed that power as well.

“Aye, but, though she wasna…I shouldna say this but…she wasna good with the staff, yet she somehow managed to convince Erik she was the greatest she-wolf in his eyes.”

Now that surprised Accalia, until she realized the woman had been working in her family’s tavern, so would never have managed a castle’s staff. No one had instilled in her how important everyone in the clan was. The woman must have blinded Erik to what was going on.

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