Page 51 of Oath of the Wolf
Wonderful.Half the Althing had a reason to hate Ovrek.
“I didn’t do it.”Brynn stared into the coals.“But I doubt anything I say will make any of you believe that.”
“We are just trying to understand,” Vana said.“It doesn’t make sense.”
Brynn felt suddenly tired.It was late and she had been through a great deal today.“Is there anything else you want to know?”
Vana pursed her lips briefly.“There is no way your spells could have hurt the girl?”
“No.”Brynn watched the flames.“What I did was heal her from the poison’s effects.She was fine when I left her.”
Vana made a frustrated sound.“Ovrek is a just man.If you tell him it was an accident, he may be merciful.”
Perhaps, but that would not solve the larger problem.Someone had poisoned that girl and until Brynn knew exactly who, there was danger.
If Cenric was correct, they would be welcoming these people into their lands in the next year.They would bring their intrigues and their tangle of debts, offenses, and slights with them.Brynn needed to deal with this now or later, when it might inevitably become an even worse problem.
“I will not lie,” Brynn answered quietly.“I did nothing to hurt Gistrid.What I did would not have hurt her.She had no fever, no signs of anything other than poisoning.”Brynn spoke the words firmly, as much to remind herself as Vana.“I did not hurt Gistrid,” Brynn repeated.“But I understand if you do not believe me.”
Brynn and Vana went in circles for several more minutes.Brynn answered the questions honestly, but didn’t change anything.She tried not to feel anything, not betrayal, not expectancy, nothing.
Eventually, Vana left, bidding Brynn goodnight in a polite if strained way.
Brynn waited as she sensed Vana’s presence fading away.She stayed as she was, stroking Guin’s coat.
Would Cenric be back tonight?He might be late.Ovrek seemed to want him to be a part of tonight’s festivities.Brynn suspected that tonight had been the whole point of inviting Cenric here in the first place.
Feasts served to remind everyone why a king was king.It reminded Brynn of the nights of revelry her father had often held before going to war, the ones she and her sister had been strictly forbidden from attending.
Brynn stared into the fire, considering her options.If she took the blame for this, it would damage her position with Ovrek and by extension Cenric and Ombra’s position with Ovrek.If Ovrek was to be their king, she couldn’t allow this.
But how to proceed?
Besides Cenric and their servants, Brynn had no friends here.Not even Vana and Hróarr were on her side.
Voices came from the direction of the campfire.Someone approached.
Brynn sensed the newcomer near the tent.The guards outside left.The newcomer pushed aside the entrance flap.
Brynn straightened.It wasn’t Cenric.In her lap, Guin growled.Instinctively, Brynn pulled at her magic.
A man entered, tall, wreathed in shadows.She couldn’t see his face.
Brynn remained seated, but her magic shimmered around her, ready.“What do you want?”Brynn’s heart raced, but she held onto Guin as the little dog squirmed, growling.
“You killed her.”
Recognition struck Brynn.“Tolvir?”Confusion edged her fear.
“You killed Gistrid.”
Brynn held onto Guin, adding power to her spells.“This isn’t—”
Tolvir lunged for her.It was a bear rush, angry and enraged.
Brynn shoved Guin across the tent and the pup yelped, but she would be out of the way.
Tolvir ran face-first into the shield Brynn had woven around herself.He cried out in pain and rage as the spell burned his skin, leaving a mesh of stinging red marks across his face.
