Page 114 of Storm of Fury
Bryn and Mille exploded into a conversation about the art of swordcraft, and he could see his cousin’s eyes getting bigger and bigger. The jury—the rest of his cousins—might still regard her with some suspicion, but Bryn had definitely won a convert.
“I can give you a lesson in the morning, if you’re awake early enough,” Bryn finally suggested.
Mille’s eyes lit up. “Really? Oh, I’ll be awake! I have my father’s old sword, the one Haakon gave me to spar with. He was starting to teach me how to use it before he left, but…. He hasn’t been home for such a long time.”
“I will give you some exercises to work through by yourself,” Bryn said.
Mille would barely sleep a wink that night.
“You’ve been quiet,” Leah murmured in his ear as Bryn started describing the different ways a woman fought, as compared to a man. “Though you can’t take your eyes off her.”
He swiftly lowered his gaze. “She’s a tall, strapping lass.”
“With wide hips,” Nora muttered, on the other side of him. “I can’t believe Mother said that.”
Leah dug her elbow into his ribs as she leaned across him for the bread. “Mother likes her.”
Leah, clearly, wasn’t so sure.
“She’s a good companion,” he replied with a nonchalant shrug. “She fights well, she doesn’t snore, and she’s braver than any woman I’ve ever met. Thinks beards are the devil’s work though, so she has her flaws. It will be sad to see her leave when we finish this quest. She’s quite handy.”
“Oh, please,” Leah snorted. “You’re fooling no one. Every time you look at her, your heart is in your eyes. And she’s going to break it.”
He pinched her on the thigh. “Don’t make me tip the potatoes in your lap.”
“I dare you.” Leah’s eyes spat fire. “Mother’s still not forgiven either of us for that last fight we had.”
“Leah’s right,” Nora murmured. “I know you, Tor. You’ve been searching for someone to love your entire life. You’ve always wanted something epic, something like what Haakon has. And as soon as you met Bryn, I have no doubt you fell head over heels.”
It took me a day or two.
“Is there anything wrong with that?” he growled.
Nora kissed his cheek. “You’ve always been afraid to be alone. You’ve always been afraid to be left behind. And I know my brother has found happiness. I know his life—and yours—has changed. He’s married to a dragon princess now—”
“Dreki.”
For goodness sake….
“And Haakon’s storyisepic. I hear the men down at the tavern speak his name in hushed tones. You’ve idolized him for years, and now his path is diverging from yours. Don’t throw yourself into something just because you’re afraid to lose him. Be certain. Be sure. You deserve the best, Tor, and as much as I hate to agree with Leah, I think your lady love has her shields firmly in place. When Bryn looks at you, she looks like you just uncovered her mortal weakness. And when you look at her, you look like you’re on your knees, offering her your heart on a plate. Don’t beg for some small scrap of her affection. That’s the wounded, angry boy we once knew. You’re the man we love, and you are worthy of more.”
Tormund stared into his ale, swallowing hard.
Not once had he felt doubt when it came to Bryn.
Even when she’d told him that she was leaving when this quest was done. Even when she’d warned him that she would break his heart. He’d told himself that if he was patient enough, and gave her time… that she might come to feel the way he felt about her.
But Nora’s words cut the feet right out from under him.
And he saw himself as a boy—that angry, lonely boy—who craved kindness and loyalty oh, so much. The boy who watched Haakon from a distance, both worshipping him and hating him. The boy who learned to be funny so people would like him. The boy that gave his heart to his new family so completely, so desperately, that he could barely breathe sometimes.
“You love hard, Tor,” Nora whispered. “But don’t forget to demand that kind of love in return. Acceptance is not enough. Not for you.”
The children came running by at that moment—little Mathilde and Aksel. He snatched them up, tossing them over his shoulder and tickling them under the arms in order to hide the stab of pain in his chest.
And it was easy to slide his smile in place.
Easy to hide the gaping wound in his heart.
