Page 71 of Tears of the Wolf
Cenric was aware of every eye in that room on him as he took his place at the head of the table, right beside Olfirth. Cenric made himself comfortable as Brynn watched him with a stony expression from the door.
Several of the women paused beside her, holding another cask of mead. Cenric bit his tongue when he recognized it as one of the ones he’d been saving for Blydmoth.
“Don’t just stand there, girls,” Cenric said. “More mead for our guests and get me a cup while you’re at it.” He turned to Olfirth at his side, leaning on the armrest of his chair. “Welcome to my hall, Olfirth. I do hope our hospitality is to your measure.”
Olfirth belched, setting down his half-finished mead. “I am sure it will be, Alderman.”
The girls brought the mead casks to the center of the table and the feast began.
Brynn
By the time the mead was drunk, and the lamb eaten, it was too late for Olfirth and his men to ride home. They bedded down in the hall with their cloaks, the household boys around them. The household girls settled into the loft, where the boys usually slept.
Brynn and Cenric went to bed without speaking, without going on their evening walk. Cenric unsheathed his sword and set it next to the bed. He looked at Brynn as he did it, but she didn’t argue. If Olfirth decided to attack them in the night, the weapon would be useful, but Brynn doubted he would.
Cenric had been polite to Olfirth, even if he glared just a little bit when he thought no one was looking. When Edric and the others had arrived from the fields, Cenric had urged them to join the meal. Her husband had cooperated with her plan, at least from appearances.
Brynn feared perhaps her husband might still try to murder Olfirth in the night. She stayed awake for a long time after lying down, listening to the sound of his breathing at her back.
But the morning came without incident, even if a spike of terror shot through her when she woke to find Cenric gone. Thankfully, only the usual sounds of a rousing household were heard through the door.
Brynn dressed, scooped Guin up from her basket, and ventured out of the bedchamber, still bracing herself for what she might find.
What she found was Cenric and several of his thanes including Edric speaking with Olfirth. Brynn overheard enough to guess they were discussing the upcoming Blydmoth and fears that it would bring raids.
Near the top of the northmost brace, Brynn noticed a fresh set of runes had been etched into the wooden pillar. It gave her fresh hope.
Brynn would have liked to stay and shepherd the men’s conversation, but she couldn’t do everything for them. She spared a moment to greet her husband and Olfirth, then sent one of the girls to fetch them a few loaves of yesterday’s bread, cold meats, and cheese.
She went on with her duties for the morning, seeing to the milking of the goats and the tending of the geese.
Guin chased after a gander five times her size, then turned and fled back to Brynn when the large bird hissed and flapped his wings. Brynn scooped the puppy back up, shooing away the large male goose.
The geese had already stopped laying eggs, the chickens had slowed, and the goats were producing less as the days grew shorter. There was just enough milk to make butter and cheese to preserve through the cold months.
The sun had just cleared the far mountains when Brynn spotted Olfirth and his men riding back out toward their own land. They rode at an easy pace with all nineteen men in a line.
Brynn let out a sigh of relief. A part of her hadn’t been sure Cenric would let them leave unharmed.
She found Cenric leaning against the doorway of the longhouse, watching Olfirth and his riders disappear down the road. She sent the girls ahead to the kitchens, carrying baskets of eggs and jars of milk for preparation. It would be another day of harvesting the gardens once they were done.
Brynn paused a few paces from her husband. Guin whined, so she set the puppy down, letting her sniff in the grass with the other dogs. Brynn folded her hands in front of her, trying to project composure to anyone who might be watching them. “Well?”
Cenric remained with his arms crossed, not taking his eyes off the other men until they vanished around the bend. “Olfirth has invited us for a feast in three weeks’ time. You probably saw he left his mark on our pillars.”
A little of the tension in her shoulders eased. So Olfirth did want to be friends, after all. Whether he’d wanted it before yesterday didn’t matter. Olfirth was seeking peace in a roundabout way and that was good enough for Brynn. She could only hope it was good enough for Cenric.
“How did you do it?” Cenric let off a laugh on an exhale. “What trickery was it?”
Brynn shook her head. “There’s no trickery about it.”
“You faced nearly twenty thanes by yourself. Convinced them to lay down their weapons and sup without a single show of force.” Cenric must have heard from the household girls what had happened. “We call Olfirth theold manbecause he’s nearly three times the age of any of his thanes, but he still fights. He’s tough as the tusks of a boar and fierce as a bear in spring.”
“Most people are reasonable.” Brynn glanced at the empty road. “And old bears are the ones who have learned to choose their fights wisely.”
Cenric pushed off the doorframe and stepped toward her. He exhaled a long breath, breaking eye contact. “I was wrong. You were right.”
Brynn wasn’t sure she had heard correctly. “What?”
