Page 54 of Oath of the Wolf
As the men barked orders to the thralls, calling out and trying to find her, Brynn wandered into the trees.At any moment, she might hear their shouts and their charging footsteps racing after her.
But it seemed no one had thought she would flee so silently.Or perhaps they hadn’t expected her to go into the trees.
Once their voices faded and she could no longer see the light from their torches, Brynn set down Guin.The dyrehund padded alongside her, occasionally stopping to sniff at ferns or nose at the damp earth.
Swallowing, Brynn pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders.The cold was enough to make her shiver, but the trees mostly protected her from the misting rain and as long as she kept moving, she was fine.
It occurred to Brynn that she knew nothing about the wilderness of Valdar.She had survived in the wilds of Hylden during the war, but she knew precious little about this foreign land.Thekawas the same and the trees were pines, but beyond that, Brynn had no idea where the rivers, bogs, and mountains might be.She might get herself lost and freeze to death out here, but right now she had no better options.
It wasn’t as if she could go explain herself to anyone.No one would listen even if they spoke her language.
Brynn needed time to think.To plan.She kept walking, letting the wilderness of Valdar swallow her up.
10
Cenric
Tolvirhadacrisscrosspattern of blisters on his face and a huge burn on his arm, so bad that even his sleeve had been scorched by the heat.His neck had a bruised band around it and his voice came out as a rasping croak.He must be in exquisite pain and Cenric took comfort in that.
“The sorceress attacked me,” Tolvir wheezed.“I confronted her, and she attacked me.”
“Why did you confront her at all?”Ovrek demanded, arms crossed as he stared down his son.
“You had no business with my wife,” Cenric growled.
They stood outside the ruined tent where Cenric and Brynn had stayed.The two warriors who had guarded it reported Tolvir had said they were wanted by Ovrek.This appeared to be news to Ovrek, who had immediately turned a hard glare on his son.
Tolvir had attacked Brynn, she had defended herself, and when the men had attacked her, too, she had run rather than kill them.At least, that was what Cenric knew had happened.He wasn’t sure if anyone else believed that was what had happened.
Even Hróarr’s men who had been drawn by the youth’s screams seemed to think Brynn had somehow tricked the boy.
Tolvir glared at Cenric.“If you’d kept your whore in line, we wouldn’t be here.”
Cenric lunged for Tolvir, but Hróarr caught him, grappling Cenric back.
Ovrek shot a warning look to Cenric.“It is not your place to accuse my son.”He turned back to the boy.“Are you alright, son?”
Tolvir coughed, rubbing at his throat with his good hand.“Fine.”
“Good.”Ovrek smiled in that fatherly way he sometimes did, right before smashing his fist into Tolvir’s gut.
The boy doubled over wheezing, but Ovrek grabbed his injured arm and squeezed.Tolvir made a wounded animal noise and Ovrek slammed him back against the side of Cenric’s beached ship.
“What have I told you about undermining me?”
“I wasn’t undermining!”Tolvir sounded frightened, but at least he didn’t beg.
“You went behind my back.You nearly got yourself killed.”
“I had her.”
“She could have killed you,” Ovrek spat.“You think you survived out of skill?The sorceress spared you.”Ovrek dropped Tolvir and the boy slumped down.
“She killed your concubine.She shamed you.”
“You shame me!”Ovrek roared, kicking Tolvir in the shin and making the youth’s legs buckle.“My own son refuses to obey me.”
Tolvir whimpered on the ground, choking and coughing.That made Cenric feel a little better, but only a little.
