Page 117 of Oath of the Wolf
“My queen told me an interesting story before the feast.”
Brynn dared not speak.
“She said she had poisoned my concubine.”Ovrek made a growling sound of frustration.“She refused to tell me why.”
Brynn followed his gaze, staring out at the water.“I am sure she had her reasons.”
Ovrek finally deigned to look at her.“That is exactly what she said.”
Brynn had the impulse to turn from his probing gaze, but she didn’t.
“I suppose this means Cenric can keep you.”Ovrek glared down the hill to where her husband waited with his cousin.
A flutter of relief stirred in Brynn’s chest.At least that was confirmation Ovrek wouldn’t be trouble for them—for now.
“I owe you a favor, Lady Brynn.”Ovrek rested his hands on his knees.
“A favor, lord?”
“You killed the serpent,” Ovrek reminded her.“Every man on that beach saw it.An arm ring hardly seems sufficient.”
“Ah, yes.”Brynn glanced down the hill at Cenric.“I’m not sure that is needed.”
“Why not?”
“I killed Jormanthar for Cenric.”
Ovrek didn’t seem to quite understand.“What does that mean?”
“I fought the serpent for him.Just as I was ready to swear allegiance to one,” Brynn replied softly, “if he’d asked it of me.”She gazed down to the beach, where Ovrek’s black serpent banner had been staked to let everyone know that the king still lived.Whether that was an extra banner or if Ovrek’s banner had been somehow spared when his hall burned, Brynn didn’t know.
“But he did not ask it of you?”Ovrek seemed to catch on.
“It looks as if it won’t come to that.”Brynn stared out over Istra.
By daylight, the damage was not as bad as it had seemed when fires were all one could see.Many of the storehouses had been partially damaged, but only a few had been destroyed entirely.
Most of Tullia’s men had behaved in a typical Valdari fashion, seeking to steal instead of destroy.Apart from the obvious exception of the hall, Brynn wasn’t sure that any of the other fires had been started intentionally.They might very well have been accidents as fires were left untended in the chaos of the battle.Many of Ovrek’s unfinished ships had been burned, but most of the completed ones had only been taken farther down the beach.
Hundreds of people had died, and the Althing had all but dispersed before it had begun.Rumors of Ovrek’s death still fluttered about the town, but Ovrek’s men were working to tamp them down.
It could have been so much worse.
Stories of Hróarr slaying Wulfwir and Cenric’s two perfect javelin throws into the serpent’s eyes were already spreading like ringworm through a pigpen.
Down on the beach, people stared at the massive corpse of Jormanthar, milling about, seeing the decapitated body for themselves.Everyone could see no blade had done that.Brynn had heard her own name whispered by Valdari tongues on the walk here.
“I will rebuild,” Ovrek growled, the words like a vow.
“You will,” Brynn conceded.
Even once word of what he had done to the Grandfather Yew spread, Brynn had no doubt Ovrek would keep control of Valdar.He was not a man to let something as trifling as facts hinder his aspirations.
All the same, Ovrek would not be able to invade Hylden this year or next.He would need time.That would give Brynn and Cenric time, too.
With time, they could build palisades, strengthen defenses.They could train more warriors and establish more forts.
One day, Ovrek might very well have to court Cenric’s favor instead of demanding his allegiance.
