Page 114 of Tears of the Wolf
“I’m trying to find her.”
Vana’s brows rose, worry creasing her entire face. “You don’t know?”
Cenric tried not to let those words incite fear. He needed to stay calm and find her. His people needed him. Surely Brynn was alright. Surely—
“I will find her,” Cenric said.Alive,he vowed silently to himself. “I’m going into the village. See that one doesn’t push himself too hard.”
“I will,” Vana promised.
Hróarr cursed. “She’s myfrilla, not my wet nurse.”
Vana ignored him, holding a wad of cloth to his cut. “Lie still a little longer.”
Cenric helped Hróarr outside the fallen tent and left him in the care of Vana before racing down to the village. The people in the village had been more protected, solid buildings more resilient than canvas tents.
But aurochs had smashed through garden fences and in a few cases, through solid walls. A clothesline had been snapped, probably by one of the animals’ horns. Children’s tunics and stockings lay scattered on the ground, stomped into the earth.
A goose shed had been demolished, scattering feathers and the crushed bodies of geese in all directions. The gardens had been mostly harvested already, but those that hadn’t had been trampled into oblivion, hoofprints leaving deep gouges in the earth and whatever else had been on the ground.
One of the aurochs had gotten inside a house, knocking over a broom into the fireplace and goring the thane who lived there before smashing out the opposite wall. The thane now lay bleeding while his wife and children scrambled to put out the fire.
Cenric joined in with several others throwing buckets of water onto the flames. They had been able to catch it early, sothey saved most of the house, but the man still needed Brynn’s attention.
Cows!Snapper leapt up at Cenric’s side, seeming to appear from nowhere.Bad cows! Bad!
A knot of fear relaxed in Cenric’s chest as he patted the head of his old friend.Brynn?
Brynn?Snapper dropped onto all fours.With puppy.That meant Snapper had seen her, at least.
Find puppy,Cenric ordered.
Snapper woofed and took off running back up the hill.
Ash, Thorn, and the other dogs trotted around, inspecting the damage. They barked or woofed, sending errant thoughts. Cenric tried calling to them, but they were too distracted to pay attention at the moment. Thorn especially was upset that so many people had been hurt.
“Cenric!” Edric rushed up to meet him, covered in dirt and soot, but looking fine. “Most the damage is closest to the longhouse.”
“The house itself is fine,” Cenric answered shortly. He looked past his friend. “Your wife?”
“A little angry, but well. A cow took out one of our doors.”
That was bad and would need to be fixed before winter, but not what some people had suffered.
“What happened?” Edric glanced at the destruction surrounding them.
“Get your sword. See if you can find men who can fight.” Cenric looked up the hill to the cattle pens where he had left four thanes to guard the animals last night. “We’re going to find out.”
Edric nodded, jaw tight.
Cenric paced through the village, assessing damage. No more houses had caught fire, and no one was dead yet, but his wounded thane would be in danger of infection. They needed Brynn. Where was she?
He looked toward the house at the top of the hill. No sign of Snapper, Brynn, or Kalen. Where was that boy?
Cenric kept searching for Brynn in the village. Perhaps Snapper had missed her, and she had already come down to help with the injured people. That would be like her.
Cenric searched house by house, asking after injuries and damages and if they’d seen Brynn. None of them had, but there were a few broken bones, bruised ribs, and smashed fences.
Cenric paused at a familiar house. He knew all the houses in his village, but this one better than most. He didn’t want to see her right now, but Brynn might have come here. Cenric knocked on the door of Rowan’s family home, hoping for her brother, younger sister, father, or mother. Anyone but her.
