Page 59 of Oath of the Wolf
But Cenric had never agreed to pledge his loyalty to Ovrek.Even if it seemed obvious yesterday that he would, even if he had as good as told Brynn he would, Cenric had given no oaths and made no pledges.Ovrek took Cenric’s allegiance for granted.
Once, that would have made Cenric proud.A younger version of himself would have been glad Ovrek didn’t question his allegiance.
After the imprisonment and allegations against Cenric’s wife, it was an insult.Did Ovrek really think he could mistreat Brynn and still get Cenric’s oath?
That was exactly what the king thought, Cenric realized.
Cenric fought to stay calm as he followed Ovrek.The king spoke to Egill and Dagrún, giving them much the same presentation Cenric had received the day before.Ovrek even used some of the same jokes.
There were unique references to a past life spent sailing with Egill, adventures in the south.All the same, Cenric couldn’t help but feel that this whole thing was a performance.
The genuine, authentic image that Cenric had of Ovrek seemed to crumble before him with every step down that beach.This man was a king just like Aelgar, a better warrior, perhaps, but not a better man.
Had kingship changed Ovrek, or had Cenric simply been too naïve all those years ago to recognize the farce?
Ovrek took the jarl and his son down the beach, pointing out the ships his people had constructed.He spoke with animation and excitement, telling of how many men had been gathered, how many spears were ready to sail in a matter of weeks.
Cenric watched the beach.If nothing else, the lie that he was here as a guard gave him an excuse to search in all directions.
As the time of the Althing drew nearer, Istra swarmed with people left and right.Cenric could scarcely see a patch of beach that did not have a ship dragged ashore or a camp set up on the dark sand.
Cenric espied Brynn’s servant serving Vana beside a cookfire.It seemed they were keeping the girl watched as well.Kalen crouched not far away sharpening his sword.
It seemed the Valdari had forgotten that Esa was a sorceress, too.Good.
Snapper stopped, ears cocked.Brynn?
Not now,Cenric sent back.
Snapper snorted and whined.Where?Guin?
I don’t know,Cenric sent back.Hróarr is looking.
Hróarr!Snapper trusted Cenric’s cousin and thought that was a good thing.
Cenric certainly hoped so.
They continued up the beach.Egill spoke very little, but Dagrún asked questions, often glancing to his father.There seemed to be some unspoken agreement between father and son, a kind of easy communication that reminded Cenric of hunters.
“Are all the other jarls aligned with you?”Dagrún asked.
“None have refused yet,” Ovrek rumbled in response, as if it was obvious.
“Even Ingmar?”
Ovrek waited just a moment to respond.It was barely noticeable, hardly even a breath.“He’s here, isn’t he?”The king gestured down the beach to a large ship with at least thirty oars and a boar on its sail.
Cenric vaguely recalled Ingmar.He had been seen by many as a rival to Ovrek when he had first made the claim to kingship.His twin brother had been the jarl before him, and they had fought bitterly against the new king.
But Ovrek had taken his twin’s head and Ingmar had taken oaths of allegiance.
“I see Halvdan’s ship,” Dagrún remarked.
Ovrek didn’t hesitate this time.“Halvdan has always been loyal.”
Dagrún grimaced at that.
Cenric wondered why.The Halvdan he had known was beyond question in his loyalty to Ovrek.Then again, Cenric himself had once been beyond question.There was a time when he would have sooner carved out his own eye than betray the Valdari king.
